Can Autoimmune Paleo Diet Help with Your Autoimmune Condition?

In our clinic, we work with a lot of folks who have an autoimmune condition. What’s that, you say? An autoimmune condition is when the immune system is overstimulated and starts an all-out war on not just any invading bugs, but your own body! 

Conditions like eczema, psoriasis, Hashimoto’s, Graves Disease, Coeliac, overactive NK (Natural Killer) Cells, Endometriosis, and Arthritis are all common types of Autoimmune conditions. Scientists are finding that autoimmune conditions can stem from, or be made worse by, poor gut health.

Autoimmunity and Diet: What’s the Link?

Poor diet or excess chemicals affect your gut health by killing off good gut bacteria - the good guys who are there to protect your gut lining and keep bits of food out of the bloodstream. When things are falling out of the gut and into the bloodstream (Leaky Gut Syndrome), it triggers your immune system to come get rid of the leakage. If this happens too many times, your immune system becomes hyperactive and then begins to attack the body. 

Currently, the main treatment options for autoimmune conditions are medications to suppress your immune system, or painkillers. Though sometimes very necessary, neither of these options will help to fix the problem, and they can come with some other side effects. 

Here’s where Autoimmune Paleo (AIP) comes in.

Paleo vs Autoimmune Paleo

What’s the difference? While both eliminate grains and have a focus on nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables, meat and fish, the traditional Paleo diet doesn’t go far enough in removing common gut-irritating and gut-inflaming foods. It’s also not designed to help reduce autoimmune responses in the body. 

What CAN We Eat?

So many things! Good quality meat, fish, lots of fruit and vegetables and herbs. All the yummy, healthy stuff. Plain white rice is also generally well tolerated by the body and adds in some carbs to keep your thyroid happy and calorie intake reasonable. Check out our image below for more info.

What CAN’T We Eat?

Brace yourself. This might be a little less pleasant.

Bread, pasta and all things gluten are the first to come off the shopping list, followed by chocolate and coffee and wine. (We know… It’s worth it though!).

Other healthy things can be a trigger, such as dairy, eggs and even some veggies like eggplant. Plants use chemicals to try to protect themselves from being eaten too, which is why they’re eliminated for a little while, and then reintroduced later on, one at a time, to see if they’re okay for you.

Because different people are allergic or intolerant to different foods, AIP does cut out many common allergens and irritants. After your symptoms have calmed down, you can slowly and gently reintroduce foods to work out which foods trigger you and which foods are okay. There’s actually no one-size-fits-all approach to wellness, which is why this approach starts restrictive then broadens as your gut heals and you find foods that work for you.

Does This Actually Work?

As this is a relatively new science, you won’t find any systematic reviews of many trials just yet. We’re convinced that’ll come with time. That said, it’s already at the clinical trial stage with trials on Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Eczema and Psoriasis underway and a small but successful AIP trial for Hashimotos completed!

You can find more info here. 

Why Would I Do This Again?

With many autoimmune conditions causing pain, degeneration, infertility and potentially contributing to recurrent pregnancy loss, it’s really important to know if you have an autoimmune condition. 

If you do, reducing the overactivity of the immune system so your body can heal is really key! In addition to taking medicine (for some people), reducing your exposure to chemicals that you breathe, lather on or eat, can really help to improve your quality of life. Diet changes are right up there with things you can do to reduce the severity of an autoimmune condition!

Having more energy, reducing your pain, having a healthy digestive system and knowing your body is working the way it should, it’s an amazing feeling! 

Autoimmune Wellness has more info on AIP, recipes, a bunch of resources and is a great place to get you started!

Start working towards a better health balance today - come visit us!