I love food. Healing with the Autoimmune Paleo Protocol.

Hi. I'm Julie. I. LOVE. FOOD. Let's just get that out there. I'm known by friends as having an epic appetite and a love of cooking.

I also have some issues. Lifelong food and environmental allergies, eczema and gastrointestinal problems coined as "IBS" by medical doctors and inflammation by my naturopathic physician.

Six years ago, as a newlywed, I could make eggs and soup. That's it. Thankfully, we lived in my Portuguese in-laws' basement suite, so we never went hungry! But now, one look in my kitchen and it's no secret that I LOVE to cook. It could be the pots and pans piled high in my sink to dry. It could be the stash of cookbooks I've aquired. Or it could be the drawers that are hard to close because they're filled with every little cooking utensil imaginable. When you love food so much but are limited with what you can eat , due to a multitude of health issues, you need to find a "diet" that will help you to heal AND taste good at the same time. This is what led me to the Autoimmune Paleo Protocol, or AIP.

AIP is a specific form of the Paleo Diet geared towards helping those with autoimmune issues. While there are a lot of restrictions (no dairy, grains, eggs, nuts, legumes, nightshades), the focus with this "diet" is on the foods you CAN eat. Safe foods are WHOLE foods including meat, most veggies, fruits, most herbs/spices and healthy fats. The emphasis is placed on nutrient density - encouraging the common consumption of offal (organ meats - I'm still working on this one), broths, seafood, greens, etc. It's supposed to be a temporary diet, followed until enough healing has taken place that you can reincorporate certain foods back into your diet. If you're wondering what the heck can you eat, here's what my day looked like today:

Breakfast - Herbed chicken breast, turnip hashbrowns, sauteed baby kale

Lunch - Beef stew with leeks, carrots and cabbage

Dinner (**Pictured Above**) - Slow cooker ribs, white sweet potato fries and steamed broccoli

If you suffer from an autoimmune disease, I highly recommend looking into this diet as a means to heal you. Even if you don't have AI issues, you will still LOVE the food. It's hearty, healthy and delicious. There are some wonderful bloggers out there who can explain the science behind it and provide a wealth of delicious recipes to get you started. Some of my favorites are:

www.autoimmune-paleo.com

www.thepaleomom.com

www.phoenixhelix.com

www.aiplifestyle.com

I've only been officially AIP for about 5 months now...and regular Paleo for about 2.5 years prior to that. Since starting AIP, my eczema and GI issues are much improved. But the most noticeable change so far is that I have more energy than I've had my entire adult life. AIP has been life-changing for me and I hope that if you or someone you know suffers from autoimmune issues, you give this "diet" a shot.

#AIP #Paleo #Foodie #Yum #Heal