AIP Reset: One Week In and Going Strong

I’m not gonna lie. I was in denial about needing to return to egg-free/nut-free eating. The verdict is in, though. My body is much healthier, ergo I’m much happier, when I stick to autoimmune paleo (AIP).

After my initial seven weeks on strict AIP ended in late May, I started reintroducing egg yolks without concern. I then started eating nuts, specifically paleo-friendly fruit-and-nut bars as well as occasional almond-flour baked goods, without any apparent problem.

Shortly after that initial seven-week AIP stint, my husband and I vacationed in Europe, and while I didn’t want to go back to eating eggs and nuts with the frequency I was pre-AIP, it was just easier to order eggs for breakfast when staying at a hotel where I didn’t have access to a kitchen to cook for myself. And it was just more convenient to pack away a few of those paleo-friendly fruit and nut bars for the dizzying, fun-filled days when we were on the go. And, well, it was just handy-dandy that on almost every corner in Geneva, chocolatieries were summoning me with delectable dairy-free, soy-free dark chocolate.

When we returned, I went back to eating mostly AIP but would have eggs baked into things and continued the habit of grabbing nutbars as quick post-yoga snacks and, okay, I kept a bar of dark chocolate on hand. Well, by this time, you can imagine how I was getting rather sodden from my ride down that wet and wild slippery slope!

Don’t get me wrong. Reintroducing eggs and nuts into my diet didn’t cause a Crohn’s flare, but I started to take note of the way I was feeling generally, and it wasn’t great. I was experiencing brain fog and lethargy with an uncomfortable regularity; I no longer had the super-power clarity and energizer bunny vigor I feel when eating AIP; and I began to experience the return of a few nagging Crohn’s symptoms.

That’s when I heard the screech of my halting. I had to reassess and reset.

Within just a week of my AIP reset, I again feel wonderfully well with ample energy and zip! And those nagging Crohn’s symptoms have almost completely dissipated.

What have I learned? I can eat nuts/seeds and eggs very occasionally (I don’t bother discussing nightshades because they are forever out for me). For example, next weekend I’ll partake at my fellah’s birthday celebrations by nomming on a piece of paleo cake, as I will a month later on my birthday. Then at Christmas I’ll savour some sort of seasonal paleo treat. Paleo is about framework, and what I’ve come to realize is my particular framework is supported primarily by the AIP.

Overall, AIP and I are in it for the long haul. And I’m totally peachy keen with that because listening to my body and feeding it foods that keep inflammation at bay makes me feel incredibly healthy and happy.

So, peeps, namaste, and as always wishing you many moments of happy nomming!