Getting Started With an Autoimmune Paleo Diet (AIP)

In view of the recent surge in lifestyle diseases, many of us have begun to understand the role of a healthy diet. It has been proven time and again through several research papers that a healthy diet is of primary importance when restoring your health back to normal while dealing with a chronic illness. Here I specifically talk about one such diet, the autoimmune paleo diet (AIP). There could be several reasons why this particular diet was prescribed to you, or maybe even chosen by you without any recommendation. Either way, if you feel the transition to this diet from your years and years of unhealthy diet is a challenge, some basic tips can undoubtedly be helpful.

Keep the list handy

Whether you are working with a healthcare professional, or relying on the internet search, you definitely would encounter the list of food items to avoid in an AIP diet. Take a print out of that elaborate list (the more elaborate the better), and pin it up somewhere in your kitchen, brightly visible. This way, when you are just beginning with your diet, you can quickly refer to the list before you prepare a meal or go grocery shopping.

Fix a routine

Although the choice of food items is quite limited in an AIP diet, it might be overwhelming to cook with such fewer items. For example, you might have had a dish made with butter forever, and you cannot even imagine what you would do if you had to make it with coconut oil, and you might think of giving up. To avoid this, it is important at the very beginning to fix up recipes and dishes for all the meals of your day. It may seem repetitive at first, but it would help you ease into the diet before you think of experimenting further with the handful of ingredients.

Create your own recipes

It is not difficult to find a wealth of information on AIP-based dishes, whether online or offline. Now that this type of diet is gaining popularity, the food world is getting richer in its collection of AIP recipes. However, it is important to listen to your conveniences, mainly, your local grocery store. For example, do not just jump into plantain pasta if you had loved pasta in the past, and came across a recipe in an AIP book. Think about the ingredients – are they available locally? Think about the convenience – will you be able to spend the time and the effort required behind the dish? And lastly, think about your own taste buds – just because someone else likes a plantain pasta does not mean you would as well. It is a good idea to understand what ingredients you have in hand, how they taste for you, and how you can modify your existing recipes to fit the new recipes without compromising too much on time, effort, and taste.

Leap into the wagon, not jump

Unless you have a specific condition where you have been advised to immediately abandon every item that is non-AIP, it might be wise to start with one dish at a time, and then a meal at a time, to the entire day's meals, to make a smoother transition to the AIP-friendly palate.

Source by Rinita Sen