AIP DIET SERIES – Week 12+ – Reintroduction Phase

September 15, 2024 /

Discloser: I am not a trained health professional. All articles are based on my own experience and opinions. Please consult with a health professional before making lifestyle changes.

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<< Back to Week 11

Update

We’ve hit the 80 day mark!

80 days is typically my magic number for recovery. For me it takes about 80 days to see the affects of any major changes, medication, or to recover from a flare.

And wouldn’t you know it, on day 79 I woke up and my bloating was dramatically reduced! It’s starting to react the way I was hoping it would on AIP – so I’m hoping that means I’m doing something right.

I reintroduced collagen this week and the next morning my stomach was visibly much flatter. Now we just have to see if I can maintain it to see what exactly makes the difference.

Of course, I saw major improvement just days before my doctor appointment, but I still met with her to see what her thoughts were and what my next steps should be. We determined that I just might have needed the full 12 weeks to see a difference on AIP so we’re going to continue watching my symptoms. We suspect I might have a bit of a bacteria overgrowth that could be hindering some of my progress. If I don’t continue to improve we’ll do additional testing – but for now we’re moving forward and I’m going to take oil of oregano for a week or two to see if that helps.

Next Steps

Because I’m starting to see improvement in my bloating and inflammation I’m going to continue to do what I’ve been doing. I’ll continue to slowly reintroduce foods I’ve eliminated and look for flare up symptoms like bloating, gas, bowel changes, headaches, sinus pressure, psoriasis flare ups etc.

I’m going to be going much slower than I originally planned so I won’t be sharing my weekly overviews each week, instead I’m just going to compile all my updates here.

The strategy right now is go slow and be mindful with introducing foods. I’m still going to be taking digestive bitters and digestive enzymes with almost all meals. When I eat foods that cause symptoms I’ll back up for a few days until I feel good again and then continue. Any foods that bother my stomach will go to the end of my reintroduction list so I have a few weeks or months before I try them again.

What’s Helped The Most

Figuring out what’s causing my symptoms has been a journey. For 12 weeks I dedicated myself to a strict anti inflammatory diet thinking originally that I had additional food sensitivities that were causing inflammation.

Through this experience I’ve realized that these symptoms are related to my leaky gut, low stomach acid, and a slight bacteria overgrowth in my gut. It was not a specific food I can’t tolerate, but rather that there are some foods that irritate my gut and hinder my healing process. By eliminating these for a time and focusing on supplementing to heal my gut I’ve seen my symptoms disappear.

These are the things I feel like made the biggest difference in my symptoms:

  • Digestive Bitters and Digestive Enzymes with meals
  • Apple Cider Vinegar in the mornings
  • Collagen
  • Improving my sleep (easier said than done)
  • Pelvic Floor Therapy (helped with my leg pain which lead to better sleep)
  • Taking a break from grains (and sugar but I was already avoiding processed sugar)
  • Reconnecting with myself and listing to my body
  • Finding meaning outside of my health – focusing on other hobbies

Weekly Updates

Week 12:

Introductions: Collagen

I introduced collagen successfully this week and the morning after woke up to a MUCH flatter stomach than when I went to bed. Not only has my stomach started to “deflate” but it’s also feeling really good. I feel better after a meal instead of much worse. I started taking oil of oregano to see if it improves my bowl movements and it has so far. That makes me think that I may not have full on SIBO but maybe a bit of a bacteria imbalance in my gut which is making me more reactive than normal.

This week I had an opportunity to visit a gluten free bakery and while most those treats will have ingredients I haven’t responded well too (potato, corn, rice, dairy) I took my meds (digestive bitters, digestive enzymes, lactaid) and handled them really well. What I’ve been noticing this week and even when I’ve reintroduced foods in the past few weeks is my recovery time. Normally eating these foods would trigger a domino affect and give me symptoms for weeks. But now I’m recovering in a matter of hours or overnight at the most. That’s giving me confidence that my leaky gut is healing and recovering easier because it’s healthier. So while I still want to intentionally introduce the rest of my elimination list, I’m still giving myself the flexibility to eat less restrictive.

Week 13:

Introductions: Quinoa, garlic & onion (accidental)

This week was largely a relaxing week to see if my symptoms stayed at the same level. They largely did, however I ate out for a family dinner and couldn’t avoid garlic and onion – and boy did my body respond negatively to that. I also had garlic and onion again later in the week by accident and it happened again – however to a much lower level. I was however able to reintroduce quinoa pasta (Trader Joe’s is superior!) successfully! I’m exciting to add in pasta more regular to mix up my menu.

Supplements I’m Taking

These supplements support my gut and overall health during AIP. They are in no way required but people are often curious, so here’s what I’m currently taking:

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