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Has anyone tried Autoimmune paleo approach

Posted , 6 users are following.

melissa0
melissa0

I have read this book and it does make sense but seems like a lot of changes for me. Has anyone tried this diet and seen results?

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • hanny32508
    hanny32508 melissa0

    Posted

    Hi Melissa,

    I'm not familiar with the Paleo diet.  However, it might have similarities with the Alkaline diet I'm following.  And that has been successful.  

  • sally83545
    sally83545 melissa0

    Posted

    Hi Melissa!

    I have tried both the regular Paleo Diet and the AIP Paleo. My husband lost 45 pounds on the regular Paleo and feels great. I lost about 25 and notice a great improvement with my digestion issues. We both feel going Gluten free had the biggest impact on how we felt. Paleo is extremely restrictive and required alot of cooking and shopping for fresh veggies and fruit. You will surely loose weight. As far as the Paleo AIP it is even more restrictive I suffer from Autoimmune disease and when I went to see my Rhuemetologist he smiled sadly and said that studies have shown that the Paleo Diet has no more than a Placebo effect on those suffering with Autoimmune disease. Since then I have been diagnosed with Lupus Arthritis..and guess what they say you should stay away from? (red meat) A staple of the Paleo. So if it is issues of inflamation you have I understand the Mediteranian (spelling?)  Diet is better for you and I have shifted to more of those types of foods. So to sum it up it is time consuming and expensive but you will lose weight...you may just try going gluten free and refined sugar free first and see how that goes also dairy free made a big difference for my husband. If a diet could really cure us I think we would hear more from the medical community about it. Paleo has it's benefits no doubt but it is not a cure, you have to decide if it is worth the effort. Good luck and feel better,

    Sally

    • melissa0
      melissa0 sally83545

      Posted

      Thank you!!! I am already small and not in need of losing weight. I actually fear not being able maintain on the aip diet. I was trying to help the autoimmune disease but apparently it doesn't do much. My first thought was gluten free so maybe I will try that approach first. The aip seems very restricted and I am already huge on veggies and fruit. I was actually vegaterian for a little while and then got very dedicated to running and need more protein. Everything you said has made a lot of sense and I appreciate your response. Thank you!!

    • andrea58721
      andrea58721 melissa0

      Posted

      I'm starting on a paleo diet. The protein focus is on fish followed by poultry, then meat because red meat is inflammatory. According to my alkaline diet chart, I can eat up to 20% of my entire diet as fish. Carbs are minimal, and that includes potatoes and rice, although sweet potatoes are ok.

      I've worked my way there from a diet of no dairy (butter's ok, so is a bit of cream in my coffee), no wheat, no more than equivalent of 2 fruit/day for sugar and no flour.

      I recently had fungus somewhere in my intestinal tract which led the doctor to tell me to cut down on carbs even more. I had also become borderline diabetic with a reading of 5.9.  I've been cutting back even more on sugar for the last 2 months, lost 5 pounds – during the holidays yet - and my diabetic reading is now 5.5. Fungus is gone and I'm feeling more energetic. The change from 5.9 to 5.5 was apparently a big deal although it doesn't look like much. I also drink lots of water and do a fair amount of exercise and I know those are contributors to the plus side.

      Responding to Sally's comment, "If a diet could really cure us I think we would hear more from the medical community about it". I don't know the situation in other countries but in Canada doctors only get little bits of instruction about diet at med school, and are very resistant to hearing anything about it being an influence on health. If we land in hospital, we order in!! Plus our med schools tend to be funded by drug companies! The doctor I'm referring to here is a GP but he's also a homeopath and he has a naturopath on his staff. He's not covered by provincial health insurance cry 

      But things are starting to look up for  'integrative' practitioners at least in Ontario. They're being recognized in some of the corridors of medical power. There's hope!

    • melissa0
      melissa0 andrea58721

      Posted

      I do feel food as something to do with things.  I will not get into that discussion as it can go on and on.  We have organic farmers in the family so all our meat is grass fed and pasture raised.  We also try to buy all organic veggies and fruit but that tends to get a little pricey.

      At this stage I am just cutting all processed food and gluten.  I think this will be easiest for me.  I am also adding more fish.  The Autoimmune Paleo Diet is much stricter than just Paleo and I honestly don't know if I can do it.  There are no sweet potatoes, tomatos, peppers, nuts, etc.  AIP and Paleo are different.  After I do this for a little while I will see how I feel and what changes I will want to make.  

      I am a big runner.  I actually did two half marathons last year on top of many other races and accoridng to the AIP diet strenous activity is also a no go.  I am willing to cut down on my long distance runs but also with my activity I feel like I need some carbs.  I at least need sweet potatoes!! smile

      I just feel like I am taking a lot in right now and trying to find my direction.  I am only a month into my diagnosis and I am also 33.  I just feel like I got hit with something that I wasn't expecting.  Although I am sure no one was!!  Also, I live in the States so I don't know how that is compared to things in Canada. 

      Thanks for your response. I love to hear what other people are tyring and what their outcomes are.  Good luck with everything!! 

       

    • andrea58721
      andrea58721 melissa0

      Posted

      Thanks. 

      Seems to me you're approaching it the right way. The changes I made were gradual over years, and now I'm retired and living alone so I get to cater to myself (that took a while.)

      I think you're wise not to take on a complex diet all at once, and not to give up the activities that make life worth living wherever possible. On that note, my best advice is to suss out a few AIP recipes with foods you really love and indulge in those foods as often as possible!!

      Good luck to you too, Melissa.

  • sally83545
    sally83545 melissa0

    Posted

    Melissa,

    I'm glad you found my personal experience helpful! I want to mention that when my husband and I first started going Gluten free we noticed we were not feeling so hot. I later read that many people who start a gluten free diet experience something called Carb Flu it is like withdrawl and lasts about 2 weeks.

    I understand people who stop refined sugar feel this way as well. I felt somewhat lethargic and flu-ish. Just wanted to give you a heads up on that and remember to drink plenty of water (out with the bad in with the good!) Good luck and feel better,

    Sally

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