I am so glad to see that you have decided to make a positive change in your life and your health!

In the next 24 hours you will receive your invitation to our closed Facebook group for our autoimmune community. If for some reason you do not receive this communication within 24 hours of sign up please contact us ASAP so that we can get that information to you.

Welcome to the first day of your AIP Protocol! 

1. What is Autoimmune Paleo Protocol?

- Autoimmune Paleo Protocol is used to treat inflammatory disease and reduce inflammation in the intestines which can lead to autoimmune disease.

2. What are the facts?

- There are more than 100 autoimmune diseases

- Although autoimmune disease cannot be cured, it can go into remission.

- An AIP protocol helps to heal the intestines and reduce inflammation, preventing autoimmune flare-ups.

3. Clear out your pantry and fridge

- Foods Allowed on AIP:

• Vegetables - all except nightshades or legumes *more details on nightshades and legumes under “Foods Not Allowed”.
• All fruits - limit 10-20g fructose/day or 2-3 pieces of fruit.
• Coconut products - coconut oil, manna, creamed coconut, coconut aminos, coconut milk (with no additives), unsweetened shredded coconut.
• Oils/fats - olive oil, coconut oil, avocados, lard, avocado oil, bacon fat, cultured ghee (free of casein and lactose), and palm oil.
• Fermented foods - coconut yogurt, kombucha, water and coconut kefir, fermented vegetables (such as sauerkraut and kimchi). Fermented foods contain probiotics that help gut health.
• Bone broth
• Meats - grass fed meats (beef and bison) and wild caught fish are recommended. Aim for having fish 3 times/week.
• Teas - non-seed herbal teas, green tea.
• Vinegars - apple cider, coconut, red wine, balsamic (make sure vinegars have no added sugar).
• Sweeteners - you may use honey and maple syrup sparingly (1 tsp/day)
• Fresh herbs - all fresh and non-seed herbs are allowed (basil, thyme, mint, oregano, rosemary, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, savory, edible flowers)
• Binders - grass fed gelatin and arrowroot starch are permitted, if needed. Be careful with the starch if you have adrenal issues.

No gluten, no grains, no legumes, no dairy, no sugar, and no alcohol

- Foods Not Allowed:

• Nuts and seeds - including nut/seeds oils like sesame seed oil, flax, chia, pumpkin, cocoa and coffee
• Beans/legumes - no beans of any kind (including soy) or legumes except snap peas or string green beans.
• Nightshades - eggplant, tomatoes, onion, potatoes (only sweet potatoes allowed), goji berries, sweet and hot peppers
• Grains - corn, wheat, buckwheat, rye, oats, tapioca, etc.
• Sweeteners - sugar, xylitol, stevia, mannitol, aspartame, Sucralose
• Dried fruits
• Dairy products
• Processed foods
• Alcohol
• Chocolate
• Eggs (especially egg whites)
• Gums/additives - guar gum, carrageenan, Tara gum, Gellan gum, Gum Arabic, benzoic acid, MSG, sulfates/sulfites, nitrates/nitrites
• Oils/fats - vegetable oils, butter, ghee, canola oil and other seed oils, palm-kernel oil.
• Herbs/spices from seeds or nightshades - mustard seed, cumin, coriander, fennel, cardamom, fenugreek, caraway, nutmeg, dill seed, cayenne, paprika and chili peppers
• NSAIDS - aspirin or ibuprofen

4. Moderate your intake of the following:

• Fructose (found in fruit and starchy vegetables. Limit to 10-20g fructose day.
• Salt (use only unrefined salt; e.g. Himalayan pink salt or Celtic gray salt
• Moderate-high glycemic fruits and vegetables (dried fruit, plantains and taro root)
• Omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid–rich foods (poultry and fatty cuts of industrially produced meat)
• Black and green tea
• Coconut

5. How the program works:

Each day you will receive daily content in an email form that includes a daily affirmation or tip, and three recipes for that day. Within the first 48 hours of your program you will receive access to the AIP Guide and the first week of meal plans and grocery shopping lists.

NOTE: Each of the 4 weekly shopping lists include one week's worth of recipes (3 meals per day). If you choose to swap out recipes, adjust your shopping list accordingly.

Also every week of the program on Mondays at 7pm (CST) Dr. Kourtney will host a Facebook class in the private group--kind of like office hours for the program. This allows you to get more personalized feedback from the program creator directly as our goal is for you to experience success when integrating the program changes into your lifestyle.

"Your thoughts are the primary creator of your emotions which inspire your actions and therefore lead to your results." - Michelle May. M.D.

Add these two best practices to make the most out of your AIP diet: 

1. Write down general goals: Write down your overall goals in your journal or better yet, write them on a post-it note and place it on your bathroom mirror, or your refrigerator as a daily reminder. Here are a few to consider:

- Improve health and live longer

- Enjoy my kids and family more

- Improve my appearance

- Have more energy

2. THEN make the goals more specific by following these two steps:

1. First note where you are currently. What do you do? How hard? How often? How long?
2. Set SMART goals (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound). After assessing your current fitness level, write down your SMART goals. i.e.: currently I swim 15 minutes 3 times a week for cardio. By the end of this month, I want to be able to swim 20 minutes 4 times per week. The goals should be relevant to where you are currently at and are meant to be achieved in a set amount of time.

*Note: Create goals that cover type, intensity, frequency and duration. Do it longer, more days per week, and in a quicker time while adding new workouts to your routine. e.g.: Currently I run 1 mile 3 times per week in 10 minutes. I want to be able to run a mile in 9.5 minutes by the end of the month. To avoid pushing yourself too hard, (increasing risk of injury) gradually increase your total exercise time, distance and intensity. Include time for rest and muscle recovery. You got this! Congratulations!

Breakfast

Green Smoothie

Ingredients

- 1⁄2 banana

- 1⁄4 avocado

- 1 cup unsweetened juice of choice

- 2 cups of spinach or kale

- 4 ice cubes

Instructions

1.) Blend well 

Lunch

Wholesome Tuna Salad

Ingredients

-1/4 cup of cucumber diced

-1/2 avocado diced

-Juice of 1/2 a lemon

-1 small can of tuna, canned in oil

-1 tbsp of Paleo Mayonnaise

-1 tbsp of Mustard

-Lettuce wedge

-Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

-In a bowl, combine cucumber, avocado and lemon juice

-In a separate bowl mix the tuna with the mayonnaise and mustard

-Combine both bowl of ingredients and mix well 

-Place a scoop of tuna on top of lettuce or vegetables of choice

-Add salt to taste

-Top with black pepper

Dinner

Chicken Burger with Avocado

Serves 1:

6 Ounces ground chicken 

1/2 Hass avocado sliced, 

3 bibb lettuce leaves.

Directions:

Form ground chicken into a patty and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill or fry in a non-stick pan (with 1 tsp of oil or oil spray) until it is nicely browned and no longer pink in the center. Top with sliced avocado then wrap in lettuce leaves.