Tips For Success On An Aip Diet
Cooking 100 percent of your food from scratch from a limited list of foods can be pretty overwhelming. I use this meal planning app to help me, and I also make sure I have a stash of pre-cooked approved foods in the freezer during the 30-day diet.
Most of the smoothies from Daily Harvest are autoimmune-friendly, and so are many meals from the Good Kitchen. I use both of these for emergency snacks and meals to keep me from getting off track. My health is worth the extra expense and like I said, conveniences like these keep me from spending money eating out or eating off-plan foods.
This article was medically reviewed by Madiha Saeed, MD, a board certified family physician and Dr. Scott Soerries, MD, Family Physician and Medical Director of SteadyMD. As always, this is not personal medical advice and we recommend that you talk with your doctor.
Have you ever tried the autoimmune diet? Do you have any autoimmune diet-friendly recipes? Please share them below!
Do it with me! Are you in? Let me know below what your struggle is and the results you see!
No Matter How Long Youve Struggled Dont Give Up Because You Can Feel Better
Hi, Im Dr. Alan Christianson, naturopathic physician and NYT bestselling author of The Metabolism Reset Diet and The Adrenal Reset Diet.
You may have been struggling with thyroid disease for years without knowing about a simple dietary solution. Im happy to tell you there is a new way forwardone that doesnt include debilitating symptoms and constant doctor visits.
If youre struggling with thyroid symptoms, but nothing youve tried seems to work, then I encourage you to give the Thyroid Reset Diet a try.
Its different than anything else available, has worked for my patients, and Im confident it will work for you too. If thyroid issues have kept you from the health you want, Id like to help you reclaim it so you can live free of those limits.
Yours in good health,
No matter how long youve struggled, dont give up because you can feel better.
What Foods Interfere With Thyroid Function
Foods To Avoid: Eliminate harmful, inflammatory foods:
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Gluten – The #1 worst food for your thyroid is gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat and grains. You have to completely take gluten out of your diet to begin to reset your thyroid. Gluten creates inflammation and further leads to unhealthy thyroid and adrenal glands.
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Dairy – thyroiditis patients are more likely to have food sensitivity to dairy proteins, meaning that the immune system becomes reactive to the proteins found in dairy products. The food sensitivity will lead to inflammation and can affect your energy and overall health.
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Sugar & Artificial Sweeteners – sugar can increase inflammation, provoke autoimmune thyroid flare-ups, throw blood sugar out of balance, create dysfunction in gut health and gut bacteria, and create hormone imbalances.
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Processed foods – Processed food includes food that has been cooked, canned, frozen, packaged or changed in nutritional composition. Enjoy healing, whole, real, fresh foods.
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Caffeine & Alcohol – caffeine and alcohol cause cortisol to shoot up which tires out the adrenals and exacerbates thyroid and adrenal issues. Alcohol can alter estrogen to unhealthy levels. I know…this is a tough one….at least try it for 30 days.
Also Check: Thyroid Can Make You Gain Weight
Best Essential Oils For Thyroid Support
Essential oils have enhanced lives for thousands of years with their powerful medicinal properties. Essential oils have plant based intelligence that seeks imbalances in the body to support health and balance hormones.
Many essential oils have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and that is particularly important considering thyroid disorders are strongly related to inflammation and oxidative stress.
How An Autoimmune Diet Works
Diet is especially helpful for both preventing and addressing autoimmune disease. You can eat to help reverse leaky gut, a condition where the barrier function of the intestines doesnt act as it should. This can let particles into your bloodstream, which can put your immune system on high alert.
The autoimmune protocol is a dietary system that is designed to remove foods that worsen leaky gut, disrupt gut bacterial balance, cause inflammation, and mess with your hormones. Its a modified paleo diet to support optimal gut health and help your body start healing. Its nutrient-dense so that you can rebuild nutrient stores, giving your body the building blocks it needs to get your immune system back in order.
Research from 2017 proved that this type of diet can help improve symptoms and inflammation in patients with Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis. Even though the study was small, many functional medicine practitioners swear by this diet with their autoimmune patients.
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Renew Your Body By Detoxing
Detoxing doesnt just refer to chemicals and toxins , but it also refers to removing negative thoughts and emotions which have a huge impact on your overall health.
Did you know there is a magic number of happy emotions you need to have for every negative emotion to really thrive in life?
The answer is 3:1.
You need to have three positive emotions for every negative emotion.
The point is:
Toxic emotions, toxic chemicals, toxic behaviors, whatever it is, they matter and they have a negative impact on your health.
If you dont remove these toxins from your body you will NOT optimize your health.
Detoxing Endocrine Disruptors and Chemicals
Whether you realize this or not, your body comes into contact with chemicals that have to be eliminated by your liver on a DAILY basis.
Whats worse is that many of these chemicals have been shown to negatively impact hormone levels by blocking the effect of hormones at the cellular level or by mimicking the actions of hormones in your body.
These chemicals are known as Endocrine Disruptors and they may be seriously impacting your thyroid function.
In fact
The Endocrine Society recently outlining the list of chemicals that are known endocrine disruptors.
The scary part is that they recognize in their paper that these chemicals alter thyroid function at the cellular level lowering free T3 levels, but the chemicals dont impact TSH levels.
The main bad guys you want to avoid include:
- Persistent Organic Pollutants
- Polybrominated Diethyl Ethers
How To Reset Your Thyroid In 30 Days
Many people have an under active thyroid and don’t even know it. The symptoms can be subtle and different for everyone.
Disorders of the thyroid can be broken into two categories. Hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism .
Hypothyroid is the most common, by a long stretch, so we will confine our discussion to this condition.
Hypothyroidism occurs when your thyroid does not make enough thyroid hormone. Your thyroid is your body’s gas pedal and it controls metabolism.
If it is under-active, your body is sluggish and you will see symptoms such as weight gain, fatigue, and depression.
Most cases of hypothyroid are actually caused by an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
One of the primary sources of this disorder is when you are eating certain foods that create inflammation in the body and in the gut and digestive system.
Over time, when you continually eat foods that are harmful, your immune system gets confused and begins attacking your thyroid.
The #1 worst food for your thyroid is gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat and grains. You have to completely take gluten out of your diet to begin to heal your thyroid.
Without a healthy thyroid, weight loss is nearly impossible.
Using symptoms as a way of identifying your imbalances is often more accurate than typical hormone testing procedures because hormone levels fluctuate all day long. This creates inaccuracy.
If you have more than 5 symptoms in this list, you very likely have an under-active thyroid.
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Helpful Tips To Make The Thyroid Reset Diet More Effective
One of the best ways to make this reset a success is to find an accountability buddy to help keep you on track!
You can make a commitment or find someone else to do it with you and, by doing this, you will have publicly committed yourself.
When you make a commitment public you are much more likely to follow through!
I also have other resources for you, which you can find more info about below:
- If you arent sure you have thyroid problems you can learn more about how to diagnose your problem here.
Im always updating this post, so if I left something out or you have more questions please comment below and I will do my best to answer!
At the end of your 10 days, you should notice a change in your energy levels, how well your brain is functioning and a change in your waistline. And that is by design!
Now I want to hear from you:
Did you use this guide? Did it help you?
Are you planning on using it?
Is anything confusing?
Whats holding you back?
Leave your questions or comments below!
#4. Follow me on , TikTok, and for up-to-date thyroid tips, tricks, videos, and more.
Hey There! I’m Dr. Westin Childs. Welcome to my website! This resource is dedicated to helping people with thyroid problems, hormone imbalances, and weight loss problems get the help that they need.
I am a former Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine that now focuses on producing the information you see here while also formulating some of the best supplements on the market 🙂
Invest In A Water Filter
Tap water can contain levels of chlorine or fluoride , which can disrupt how much iodine your thyroid ends up getting. Since iodine is essential for thyroid hormone production, this could end up interfering with your thyroid function. Opt for a carbon-block filter, which will reduce levels of chlorine and fluoride.
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Crockpot Coconut & Lemon Chicken With Garlic & Basil Rice
Ingredients
- Additional salt and pepper to taste
Method
Replete Nutrient Deficiencies With Targeted Supplements
The focus of supplements during this 10-Day Thyroid Reset is to boost the conversion of inactive T4 to the active T3 hormone.
This is accomplished by providing your body with the critical nutrients involved in the conversion process, and also by improving gut health which is involved in both converting thyroid hormone and acting as a reservoir for stored thyroid hormone in the body.
In addition, Ive never found a person in my clinic who isnt suffering from Adrenal fatigue to some degree due to the constant low-grade stress that we all deal with on a daily basis.
Healing your adrenals will help the thyroid do its job and provide you with a boost of energy during this 10-day reset.
The following supplements have been tested on hundreds of patients with thyroid problems in my clinic and they are far and away the most potent and powerful supplements that Ive used.
Adrenal Support
Healing Adrenal Fatigue is such a huge part of treating the thyroid that it simply cannot be overlooked.
The adrenals and the thyroid work in synergy to create your energy levels and your baseline metabolism. Weve known this as far back as the 1920s .
Further studies have shown that Hypothyroidism causes direct dysfunction in the Adrenal Glands themselves resulting in symptoms of fatigue which may manifest as the condition of adrenal fatigue.
Zinc
Zinc is one of the top 5 most common nutrient deficiencies I see in patients suffering from Hypothyroidism and Hashimotos.
Selenium
Why?
Probiotics
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Why Some Diets May Not Work For Autoimmunity
Once you have an autoimmune reaction, you may need to remove many food triggers to cut down on inflammation. You may not have to eliminate them forever, but even without being allergic to foods, some can get in the way of the healing process.
The GAPS diet was designed on the theory that some foods might need to be eliminated and then gradually reintroduced over time. The AIP, or autoimmune protocol diet, was designed with the same thought in mind, specifically for autoimmune disease.
While autoimmune diseases cannot be cured, they can be put into remission by making changes that reduce the number of antibodies the immune system is producing against your own body.
Not all diets will work to support autoimmunity. While many eliminate foods that might be triggers, diet plans like keto, gluten-free, and even traditional paleo do not focus specifically on inflammation and gut health. The AIP diet was designed to help those with autoimmune problems.
Lots of healthy foods are temporarily eliminated on an AIP diet. This does not mean that theyre not healthy, it just means theyre working against you for now. These foods can include nightshades , grains, eggs, seeds, and nuts.
Limit Raw Cruciferous Veggies
Although cruciferous vegetables such as kale, broccoli, cauliflower and are superfoods packed with important vitamins and minerals, eating them raw could be bad for your thyroid. They contain goitrogens, which disrupt thyroid function and interfere with iodine uptake. But you don’t have to cut them out completely . Since eating them raw delivers the most goitrogens possible, make sure you’re steaming or sautéing your cruciferous veggies before chowing down.
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Ways To Reboot Your Thyroid
Maybe you’ve noticed the scale is creeping up for seemingly no reason, and you can’t pinpoint why you keep gaining weight. Or maybe you’re more tired than normal or need to wear three layers at all times because you’re constantly freezing. Sound familiar? These are all signs of an underactive thyroid , the butterfly-shaped gland located in your throat that’s responsible for your metabolism, important hormones, body temperature, and how you use energy. It also influences the function of vital organs, such as your heart, brain, liver, and kidneys.
On the flip side, an overactive thyroid is marked by increased nervousness, anxiety, irregular heartbeat, and sudden weight loss. People who have hyperthyroidism are also at risk of developing anemia, which is an iron deficiency that leads to a lack of healthy red blood cells.
If you’re noticing negative symptoms such as the ones listed above, your thyroid might not be functioning as optimally as it could be. Although these lifestyle and dietary changes aren’t a guaranteed cure-all, they can help regulate this important gland. If you believe you are having serious issues with your thyroid, make sure you see a doctor who can administer the proper tests and diagnosis. In the meantime, check these 20 helpful tips, as well as our 25 Best Foods to Eat For Your Thyroid and Metabolism.
After Dinner: Herbal Tea And Quality Sleep
Cortisol is generally higher in the morning to help us get up and tapers off in the evening as we get ready to go to bed. In those with cortisol imbalancewhich happens a lot with thyroid issues5cortisol may be higher in the evening. To help prevent this, try to get to bed by 10 p.m. and wind down with a cup of herbal tea.
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Exploring Causes And Cures For Thyroid Problems
DARLENE: Uh-huh. So this morning we want to be talking about your thyroid problems, you know the symptoms and the possible solutions as we do a book review on the 30-Day Thyroid Reset Plan. And that was written by Dr. Becky Campbell. So we’re just going to take her book and go through it and review what she said. And connect all the dots, we hope. So joining us today, as our co-host is Britni Vincent, who is a Licensed and Registered Dietitian. And she also, you also work with a lot of clients with thyroid problems. I do. Many, many of our clients have thyroid problems.
DARLENE: And yes, I mean I think we were talking about it before we went on the show. You know, it’s amazing the number of people that come in with theyre either on medication or they’re struggling with trying to figure out their answer.
BRITNI: Yep, yep. And at Nutrition Weight and Wellness, since we do work with so many clients who have thyroid issues and symptoms, we’re always looking for more information and solutions to help them. So when this book was sent to us, we thought it would be a great book for any of you to read. If you’re searching for answers, wanting more information
DARLENE: It’s always things and we always look for books that are simple enough to read but still technical so that you get some answers.
BRITNI: And I think this book does just that.
DARLENE: I do too. Yes.
DARLENE: That’s amazing.
BRTINI: It is amazing. So I hope that gives you listeners some hope.
BRITNI: It does.
Consider Supplementing With A Probiotic:
According to research, many people with autoimmune disorders have a condition called “leaky gut”. This intestinal permeability can be prevented by eliminating inflammatory foods like gluten and adding a probiotic supplement.
I believe the single most important thing people can do to improve their health is to heal their gut. Probiotics maintain the proper balance of bacteria in your digestive system.
An unhealthy gut can prevent healing throughout the body and can lead to thyroid issues and other hormone imbalances.
You can’t have balanced hormones without a healthy gut. The best way to get probiotics is with fermented foods like kefir, sauerkraut, kombucha, fermented vegetables, and apple cider vinegar.
However, if you don’t eat fermented foods, a good quality probiotic is the best solution.
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