What Is the AIP Diet?

What Is the AIP Diet?

A Beginner’s Guide to the Autoimmune Protocol

If you're dealing with unexplained symptoms like skin rashes, fatigue, joint pain, gut issues, or mood swings — you may be dealing with an autoimmune condition. And chances are, you've been offered a prescription, not a solution.

That's where the AIP diet comes in.

AIP stands for Autoimmune Protocol — a science-backed elimination diet designed to reduce inflammation, help your gut heal, and calm an overactive immune system.

✨ How It Works

The AIP diet has two main phases:

1. Elimination Phase

You remove inflammatory and potentially irritating foods like:

  • Grains (including oats, wheat, rice, corn)
  • Dairy
  • Eggs
  • Legumes (beans, peanuts, soy)
  • Nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes)
  • Nuts and seeds (including seed-based spices)
  • Refined sugars and processed foods
  • Industrial seed oils (like canola, soybean, corn oil)

Instead, you focus on nutrient-dense, gut-supportive foods like:

  • Grass-fed meats and wild-caught fish
  • Organ meats
  • Bone broth
  • Cooked vegetables (excluding nightshades)
  • Fermented foods (in moderation)
  • Healthy fats like olive oil, avocado, and coconut (if tolerated)

2. Reintroduction Phase

Once symptoms improve and stabilize, you slowly reintroduce foods one at a time to test your body’s tolerance. This helps you pinpoint exactly what triggers inflammation or flares.

🔍 What Makes AIP Different?

Unlike fad diets or cleanses, AIP isn’t about weight loss — it’s about root cause healing. It focuses on:

  • Healing the gut lining (to reduce "leaky gut")
  • Reducing the load on your immune system
  • Supporting nutrient density and hormone balance
  • Teaching you how to listen to your body

It’s gentle. It’s personal. And for many, it’s life-changing.

🙋♀️ Is It Hard?

At first? Yes. You’re unlearning everything — even what’s “healthy.”
But the beauty of AIP is how quickly you learn what your body loves... and what it fights.

Once you feel better, clearer, and calmer — you won’t want to go back.

🛠 Want to Get Started?

Check out our AIP Tracker & Stool Chart Bundle to help you:

  • Monitor flares and reactions
  • Track food introductions
  • Observe gut patterns

👉 Download the Flare Tracker Guide

Written by Nana Creamer

Sources:

 

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