Getting Started with an Autoimmune Paleo Diet (AIP)
In view of the recent increase in lifestyle related diseases, many of us have begun to understand the role of a healthy diet. It has been proven time and time again through various research papers that a healthy diet is of paramount importance in restoring your health to normal while dealing with chronic illness. Here I am specifically talking about one such diet, the autoimmune paleo diet (AIP). There may be any number of reasons why this particular diet was prescribed for you, or even why you chose it without any recommendation. Either way, if you find the transition to this diet from your years and years of unhealthy dieting challenging, some basic tips can certainly come in handy.
Keep the list handy
Whether you’re working with a health professional or relying on internet search, you’ll definitely find the list of foods to avoid on an AIP diet. Take a printout of that elaborate list (the more elaborate, the better) and post it somewhere in your kitchen, prominently displayed. This way, when you’re just starting out on your diet, you can quickly refer to the list before preparing a meal or going shopping.
set a routine
Although food choices are quite limited on an AIP diet, it can be overwhelming to cook with so few items. For example, you may have had a dish made with butter forever, and you can’t even imagine what you would do if you had to make it with coconut oil, and you might think about giving up. To avoid this, it is important to prepare recipes and dishes for all meals of the day from the beginning. It may seem repetitive at first, but it would help you get started on the diet before you think of further experimenting with the handful of ingredients.
Create your own recipes
It’s not hard 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, especially your local supermarket. For example, don’t jump to banana pasta if you’ve liked pasta in the past and found a recipe in an AIP book. Think about the ingredients: are they available locally? Consider convenience: will you be able to put in the necessary time and effort behind the plate? And lastly, think about your own taste buds: just because someone else likes banana paste doesn’t mean you will too. It’s a good idea to understand what ingredients you have on hand, how they taste to you, and how you can modify your existing recipes to fit the new recipes without committing too much time, effort, and flavor.
Jump on the wagon, don’t jump
Unless you have a specific condition where you are advised to immediately give up all non-AIP items, it might be wise to start with one dish at a time, and then one meal at a time, up to full-time meals. day, to make a smoother transition to the AIP-friendly palate.
