AIP DIET SERIES – Week 7 Overview

August 14, 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 6

Update

This was a rough week. I had what I believe to be another histamine reaction. I made a dish with some left over coleslaw mix that probably was in my fridge too long for my stomach. It still looked and smelt fine but my stomach is highly sensitive to histamine, which grows quickly in cut veggies. I ate the meal and within an hour or so started feeling symptoms. I started to panic thinking I had been glutened but there is a distinct difference between the two for me. Most of week 7 was spent recovering from that and going into week 8 I started my histamine medication which helped a lot.

Menu For the Week

I finally tried a few new recipes these week! the ground turkey curry was my favorite from the week but they were all great! The only change I’d make is maybe using turkey instead of beef for the meatballs. I’m learning that I’m just not a huge fan of beef. I don’t love the taste of it anywhere but a steak or hamburgers really.

View my full AIP Diet Meal Plan / Menu here!

Recipes

New this week!

Ground Turkey Curry

This SLAPS! I haven’t been able to do Indian food in so long with the whole nightshade thing, but this meal was so comforting and tasty. I paired it with cauliflower rice which I haven’t incorporated in AIP yet. This will 100% be apart of my regular rotation – especially because it includes so many of my pantry staples

General Tso’s Chicken

This was so easy to throw together and really good. I love simple quick recipes and this one was perfect for that. I would keep it in my regular rotation for sure.

Sweet Potato Chicken Nuggets

These were so tasty and easy to make! They’ll make a good option to freeze for a quick meal in the future. The ground turkey and freezing them probably isn’t the best for my histamine intolerance but I still really liked them.

Honey Garlic Meatballs

This recipe was really easy to throw together and so flavorful! I’m not a huge meatball fan but I’d make these again – however I might try them with turkey instead. I personally just don’t love beef. It’s not really inflammatory to me and I notice a big difference with grass fed beef. However I still don’t love the way it makes me feel. So I’ll try them again with turkey.

Sweet Potato Toast

I wanted to switch up my breakfast options so I started making these sweet potato toasts with whatever toppings I have on hand. To make the toasts you cut a thick slice of sweet potato, airfry at 360F for about 16 minutes, flipping halfway. Then I topped it with cinnamon, strawberries, and honey or smashed avocado or shredded chicken and pesto! You can get really creative and it keeps you pretty full.

Repeated Recipes

Coconut Yogurt Bowl:

Coconut yogurt mixed with cinnamon and honey. Topped with berries and banana.

Mango Salmon Bowl

I used bagged coleslaw mix for the base, topped that with diced cucumber, mango, and avocado. Top it with cilantro and lime juice. For the salmon I pat it dry, then drizzle a little coconut aminos on it and season it with salt, ginger, garlic, and onion, and sometimes a drizzle of honey. I airfry that for 8 minutes at 400F or until it reaches an internal temp of 165F. And that’s it! Easy peasy and so fresh!

Lemon Chicken and Asparagus (or whatever veggie you have)

I make this multiple times a week! Easily one of my favs. (Original recipe linked)

2 tbsp avocado oil
1 tsp sea salt, divided
1 lb chicken breast, cubed
1 bunch asparagus
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup chicken broth
Juice of one lemon
1 tbsp coconut aminos
1 tsp arrowroot starch (I’ve been using tapioca starch cause I have it)

Using a large skillet, heat the avocado oil on medium heat.
Add the chicken to the skillet and lightly season with salt. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F. Set aside.
Prepare the asparagus by chopping off the thick white base, and then slice in half again.

Add more oil to the pan if needed and sauté the asparagus with more salt for about 5-7 minutes or until softened and lightly crisp. Set aside.
Reduce the heat slightly and add the minced garlic to the pan. Cook until fragrant.
Add the broth, lemon juice, coconut aminos, and arrowroot starch to the pan and stir for about 2-3 minutes or until the sauce lightly thickens.
Add the chicken and asparagus back to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes to reheat.

Dole Whip

Frozen Pineapple

Coconut Cream

Pineapple Juice

Honey (if desired)

Blend together a cup or so of frozen pineapple, a spoonful of coconut cream (it’s strong, so find the amount you like) and enough pineapple juice for you to reach your desired consistency. Add honey if you like, but I don’t think it needs it.

I found that I don’t use much of the coconut cream but you can freeze it and it won’t solidify so it’s always ready for another batch!

Cinnamon Sweet Potato Fries

One of my favorite sweet treats! Just slice sweet potatoes into long strips (Fries) drizzle with coconut oil and cover with cinnamon (I use alot of cinnamon) airfry those for about 10mins at 400F until you’re desired level of crispy-ness

Cinnamon Apples

Another fantastic sweet treat! Slice an apple and sauté on a pan with coconut oil. Sprinkle a healthy dose of cinnamon on those apples as they cook. Cook until fork tender.

Strawberry Smoothie

Blend together frozen strawberries, coconut milk, and a splash of vanilla for a cold sweet treat!

Symptom Check In

  • Swelling/Inflammation: (Start – 8), (Week 2 – 7), (Week 3- 6), (Week 4 -5), (Week 5 -4): (Week 6 -4) 6 – I had more swelling this week after my histamine reaction than last week. Still not as bad as when I started but more than I have been feeling.
  • Hip pain: (Start -7), (Week 2 -5), (Week 3 – 7), (Week 4 -5), (Week 5 –4), (Week 6 -5): 6 – it became harder to walk and more uncomfortable to sleep this week. Still not as bad when I started but I felt like I lost some progress.
  • Sleep Quality: (Start -3), (Week 2 -3), (Week 3 -4), (Week 4 -4), (Week 5-3), (Week 6-3): 3 – still not much improvement in sleep. It was more uncomfortable to sleep but my sleep quality was about the same overall.
  • Acid reflux: (Start -5), (Week 2 -0), (Week 3 -0), (Week 4 -0), (week 5 -0), (Week 6-0): 2- first time I’ve had acid reflux, however it’s not in the burning sense. Instead it’s these one off deep hiccups I get randomly. It’s usually a sign that my stomach is getting more unhappy and I should adjust or it’ll get worse. So I’ve added back in digestive enzymes and hopefully that helps.
  • Psoriasis: (Start -8), (Week 2 -6), (Week 3 -5), (Week 4 -5), (week 5 -4), (Week 6-3): 2 – slowly seeing more improvement. I want to say it’s gone from my legs and arms but I’m not sure. The redness on my arms is faint but not hugely noticeable.
  • Hormonal acne: (Start -6), (Week 2 -4), (Week 3 -3), (Week 4 -3), (Week 5 -4), (week 6-3): 4 – I had a slightly bigger breakout this week but it was only 4-5 pimples on my chin and neck. My neck ones are more stubborn but most of them cleared within 2 or 3 days.
  • PMS: (Start -8), (Week 2 -6), (Week 5 -3), (week 6-2): NA – not in the right phase. .
  • 28-day menstrual cycle: (Start -33 days), (second cycle – 30 days); NA
  • Recognizing myself in the mirror:(Start -2), (Week 2 -4), (Week 3 -5), (Week 4 -6), (Week 5 –8), (week 6-9): 7 – took a bit of a step back here. I became pretty discouraged about my reaction and started to wonder if all this work was for nothing. I lost some confidence and started feeling badly about my body as I bloated up again. But still better than it’s been. I was able to remind myself that it’s temporary and this reaction is just giving me more feedback to get to the root of my health issues.

Tips

  • Be ok with a change of plans: this isn’t a magical fix all diet. You might learn halfway through that your body is reacting poorly to something different. I can be frustrating, to feel like you spent all this time in the wrong direction, or to feel like you have to further restrict. But remember that elimination diets are experiments. And the more data you collect the better! If you learn something that allows you to make a change that helps you feel better it’s a win! Even if it’s not one of the foods you eliminated on AIP. I’m going to continue AIP and be more mindful of histamine for a few more weeks before I introduce, however I may introduce differently to include the histamine angle.

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:

Continue to Week 8 >>

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