A Must-Have AIP Resource: The Alternative Autoimmune Cookbook

“Grace under fire” – this describes Angie Alt’s approach to healing in her new cookbook (which is so, so much more than a collection of delicious recipes!), The Alternative Autoimmune Cookbook: Eating for All Phases of the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol.

Confronting autoimmunity is no easy feat. Effectively managing autoimmunity is an even more difficult feat, and yet Angie, with her wonderful strength of spirit, shows us how we autoimmune warriors can continue to thrive in spite of daunting diagnoses.

Right from the outset in the sweet dedication to her grandmothers through to the moxie of the “Butt Manifesto,” Angie writes with warmth, honesty, and poise, instilling in her readers hope – hope that chronic illness can be managed, hope that life does get better, and hope that we are so much more than our diagnoses.

This book a valuable resource for our bodies as well as for our minds and hearts, which is what I love about The Alternative Autoimmune Cookbook – it’s truly wholistic in its approach.

And I haven’t even got to the scrummy, nommy bits of the book yet! Angie’s recipes are consistently delicious and whether you’re just embarking on the elimination phase of AIP or ready to start the various phases of reintroductions, Angie has got you covered by helpfully categorizing her recipes as either Elimination Phase or Stages 1-4 of the Reintroduction Phases with many suggested adjustments along the way to keep the ingredients with the early phases of AIP.

I have personal favourites (a few of which I’ll be showcasing on my Instagram and Facebook accounts today so keep an eye out for those!) from the Meaty Mains section of this book: the Kale and Pineapple Breakfast Skillet (pg. 37) is a palate-pleaser, to be sure; the Bacon-Burger Mega Meatballs (pg. 65) are tasty bites of protein-packed goodness; and the Fish Tacos with Mandarin Orange and Avocado Salsa (pg. 75) are a most refreshing and scrumptious way to serve cod. I also have a special fondness for the Carrot Cake Macaroons, which will be showcased at our Christmas Eve Lunch this year!

As I read Angie’s book, I felt a strong camaraderie with her as a fellow autoimmune warrior. At one point Angie says, “AIP is literally a revolutionary act” (153). (I must tell you, Angie, the radical in me was particularly jazzed with that turn of phrase!)

But Angie’s right to describe AIP this way because using food as medicine is, as she explains, “antithesis to our culture,” which remains steeped in lifestyle patterns and the consumption of foods that continue to aggravate and inflame.

True to Angie’s spunk and style, she tempers the seriousness of these statements with a cheerful, “Yay, you!” and then offers supportive and practical suggestions for making AIP sustainable throughout its phases.

Well, let me say a happy “Yay” to you, Angie! Much gratitude goes out to you for this book, a seminal AIP resource. Be sure to get a copy of The Alternative Autoimmune Cookbook which is available electronically and in print.