AIP Diet (220)

Autoimmune diseases occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks its own bodily tissues. It feels about as good as it sounds, and if you or someone you care for has ever experienced the complications that come with autoimmune issues, you know how tough it can be to figure out how to help—rather than exacerbate—unpleasant symptoms. The Autoimmune Protocol Diet, or AIP diet, was designed with these challenges in mind, and aims to help reduce inflammation in the body. While it’s always best to work with a health professional to customize a program just for you, Thrive Market is a great place to start. We’ve rounded up top AIP-compliant ingredients to stock your pantry and help make meal time easier.

What Is the AIP Diet?

AIP stands for Autoimmune Protocol Diet. It’s a stricter version of the Paleo diet, which focuses on eating foods our ancestors enjoyed, like fish, meat, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. AIP suggests eliminating all foods that may cause gut inflammation (think: grains, eggs, and dairy), and swapping in nutrient-rich foods such as bone broth, grass-fed meat, and vegetables.

Benefits of the AIP Diet

It’s believed that switching to an AIP diet may help:

• Reset the immune system
• Reduce symptoms of autoimmune diseases
• Prevent secondary autoimmune diseases from forming

Tips for Following the AIP Diet

When eating AIP, there’s a lot to remember, but here’s a list to get you started.

Foods to eat on the AIP diet

• Vegetables (just avoid nightshades, which include tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and potatoes)
• Sweet potatoes
• Grass-fed beef
• Sustainable fish
• Coconut milk
• Good fats like avocado, olive oil, and coconut oil
• Dairy-free fermented foods like kombucha, coconut milk-based kefir, kimchi, and sauerkraut
• In small quantities: fruit, honey, or maple syrup
• Vinegars like apple cider and balsamic
• Bone broth
• Fresh herbs like basil, mint, and oregano

Foods to avoid on the AIP diet

• Grains like oats, rice, and wheat
• Dairy
• Eggs
• Legumes like beans and peanuts
• Nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and eggplants)
• Sugars and sugar replacements
• Butter and ghee
• Oils (except for avocado, coconut, and olive)
• Alcohol

Top AIP Diet Brands

For AIP eating, don’t miss these top brands that won’t wreck your diet.

Otto’s Naturals

Otto’s Naturals makes one thing: cassava flour. It’s a natural, grain-free replacement for wheat that can be used as a 1:1 substitute in many favorite recipes.

Cassava Flour

This flour is made from cassava root (aka yuca), and is gluten-free, grain-free, and nut-free, so it’s ready for AIP-friendly baking projects.

Thrive Market

The Thrive Market Collection includes a host of AIP-friendly ingredients you can enjoy on the daily. From coconut oil to collagen peptides—plus this grassy olive oil, we’ve got everything you need.

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Made from 100 percent certified organic Koroneiki olives, our extra-virgin olive oil is grown, harvested, and bottled on a single estate in western Crete. It’s one of the few oils you can enjoy in moderation in AIP, which is why it’s important to choose the highest quality option around.

Bragg

Paul C. Bragg has pioneered a healthy lifestyle for decades. The family motto is: “You are what you eat, drink, breathe, think, say, and do,” and this philosophy extends into its product line of vinegars, oils, and seasonings.

Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

This unfiltered vinegar is non-GMO, USDA certified organic, and adds a pop of tangy flavor to salads and veggies. Plus, nutritive enzymes may help aid digestion, too.

You Might Like

Here are a few resources to help you learn more about the AIP and Paleo diets.

Dr. Myers Tips for Eating Out With AIP

Author of The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook, Dr. Amy Myers has tips for eating out on the AIP diet, such as knowing your “no” foods, doing restaurant research, and nixing fried foods.

Top Paleo Wellness Brands, Bloggers, and Recipes

When perfecting all things Paleo, it helps to have the best resources to keep your diet on track. We’ve hunted and gathered everything you need—the best bloggers, pantry staples, and Paleo-friendly brands to shop, plus easy recipes—consider this post your ultimate Paleo primer.

What Is the Paleo Diet?

Sometimes called the Neolithic diet, eating “primal,” or the caveman diet, it’s based on eating the same things that were available to our hunter-gatherer ancestors from thousands of years ago. Here’s everything you need to know.