The Inaugural Australian AIP Supper Club

Tags

AIP, AIP Dinner Club, AIP Sydney, Autoimmune Protocol, Healing through diet, Social Isolation, Sydney, The Nutritionista, The Paleo Approach Sydney, The PAleo PI

This is a big post for me. HUGE! I’m stepping out from behind my TSL cloak after almost 3 years of being vaguely anonymous in blog-land, and here I am! Nope, not the tall, glam’ one on the left – that’s the lovely Kirstie of The Nutritionista fame. And no, not the cute happy-looking dude on the right – that’s Rory from the very cool The Paleo PI blog. Me, I’m the one with dimples in the middle. TSL in the flesh!

On Saturday evening, the three of us got together for the inaugural Australian AIP Supper Club. (If you’d like to learn more about the Autoimmune Protocol, check out this post.)

It was kind of big deal, too. While we had communicated in cyber-world for some time, we had never actually met. And, it involved a plane trip for Rory, who hails from Canberra. Bless him – he carefully packed his homemade and AIP-compliant guacamole and crudités to travel interstate. That’s dedication!

This AIP caper has been life changing for all of us. But, it’s fair to say it’s not the most well-travelled path to choose.

Although, that is changing as awareness of how diet and lifestyle affect our health grows.

Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down. (Oprah Winfrey)

And, being committed to a regime like the Autoimmune Protocol can be a little socially isolating. It is almost impossible to dine out when in the strict elimination phase. And, it’s not uncommon for even the closest of friends to become (understandably) a little frustrated with the dietary restrictions.

So, that makes it all the more exciting when you become part of a tribe who understands the challenges you face.

We had a super evening sharing our knowledge and experiences. And by ‘we’, I also mean LM and Wayland, partner to Kirstie.

So much so, that if sleep wasn’t such a priority for all of us, we might have talked all night!

Kirstie – ‘the Nutritionista’, LM, Kirstie’s partner, Wayland and Rory – ‘the Paleo PI’ nearer the end of our inaugural AIP gab-fest!
(Image by TSL)

The idea for our supper club meet-up came directly from Sarah Ballantyne, the Paleo Mom herself. Sarah’s recently launched Paleo Approach Dinner Club e-book aims to address some of the feelings of isolation that are part and parcel of any elimination protocol.

And, if our wee group are anything to go by, it’s a fantastic concept.

There’s something quite lovely about being able to talk all things AIP with people who understand the challenges.

And, in case you’re wondering, here’s what we ate…

Rory made the flying Guacamole with crudités

Guacamole and crudités
(Recipe and Image from The Paleo Mom)

TSL made slow cooked pork with apple sauce and bone broth gravy, fennel, celery and pomegranate salad, kohlrabi ‘slaw, and roasted sweet potatoes (not shown)

Easy-Peasy Slow Cooked Pork Neck
(Recipe and Image from This Sydney Life)

Fennel, Celery, Apple and Pomegranate Salad
(Recipe and image from This Sydney Life)

Kohlrabi, Carrot & Apple ‘Slaw
(Recipe and image from This Sydney Life)

And, Kirstie whipped up some carob ganache served with mixed berries.

Carob Ganache with berries
(Recipe and image from the Paleo Mom)

We all agreed that this is the first of many get togethers.

If you are following the Autoimmune Protocol and live in Sydney or Canberra, and would like to join our next get together, please feel free to drop me a line via my contacts page.

Autoimmunity and the Removal of Nightshades From Your Diet

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Disease, Autoimmune Protocol, Eggplant, Healing through diet, Leaky Gut, Nightshades, Paleo, Solanaceae, Tomatoes

Three tomatoes are walking down the street – a papa tomato, a mama tomato and a little baby tomato. Baby tomato starts lagging behind. Papa tomato get angry, goes over to Baby tomato and squishes him… and says ‘Ketchup!’ (Uma Thurman in ‘Pulp Fiction’)

Back in July, I detailed some of my autoimmune story in a post about all disease beginning in the gut. Wow – I can’t believe that was almost 3 months ago.

I am absolutely convinced that my autoimmune issues stem from a combination of genetic and lifestyle factors over the years that have contributed to my unhealthy gut. And, while this year has been one of massive diet and lifestyle change, it has also been one of amazing discovery. And – the best bit – its working! And, it has is leading to a career change for me…

The Autoimmune Protocol premise of removing all potentially inflammatory foods from your diet to heal your gut, is one that most people seem to get their heads around quite easily. The idea of removing foods like ‘gluten’, ‘sugar’, ‘dairy’, ‘trans fats’, and – to some extent – even ‘grains’ and ‘legumes’ (pulses), while not yet mainstream, are at least concepts many people have at least heard of…

Not so, when it comes to foods from the nightshade family. What on earth is a nightshade? 

nightshade family
noun
the plant family Solanaceae, characterised by herbaceous plants, trees, shrubs, and vines having alternate, simple or pinnate leaves, conspicuous flowers, and fruit in the form of a berry or capsule, and including belladonna, eggplant, nightshade, peppers of the genus Capsicum, petunia, potato, tobacco, and tomato.

Nightshades are e v e r y  w h e r e. And, because most people have no idea what a nightshade is, they don’t know what it means when you tell them you can’t eat them.

Forget about leaving tomatoes out of your salad or forgoing that baba ganoush at a party; sneaky nightshades slip into salad dressings, spice mixes (curry, anyone?), and even supplements without you ever knowing…

Want a wee list?

(Graphic by TSL)

But, why should we be worried about nightshades? Aren’t they just vegetables?

Well, nightshades contain lectins, saponins and some contain capsaicin.

Let’s take these one by one.

All plants contain some lectins. Lectins are a group of sugar-binding proteins which protect them against being eaten. And, while not all lectins can cause problems, you want to remove the ones with the ability to increase intestinal permeability, especially while trying to heal your gut. According to Sarah Ballantyne, “there is huge variability the effect of different dietary lectins, from pro-inflammatory and promoting a leaky gut on one end of the spectrum to completely harmless and even potentially therapeutic on the other.”

She goes on to explain, “tomato lectin is known to enter the blood stream relatively quickly in humans, which suggests that tomato lectin can contribute to the development of a leaky gut”. So, sadly for me, tomatoes sit at the pro inflammatory end of the spectrum.

Saponins are often most concentrated in the seed of a plant. Nightshades are high in saponins and this compound is another way certain plants can contribute to a leaky gut. If you suffer from an autoimmune condition, any saponins that have an adjuvant – a chemical that stimulates and exaggerates an immune response – you increase the chances that your body will attack itself.

Finally, capsaicin, is a stimulant found in heat-inducing foods like chilli peppers. Capsaicin can prove to be a strong irritant to many areas of your body, including (but definitely not limited to) your skin, your eyes and your mucous membranes. And, capsaicin can increase your intestinal permeability, too.

When you cut that eggplant up and you roast it in the oven and you make the tomato sauce and you put it on top, your soul is in that food, and there’s something about that that can never be made by a company that has three million employees.(Mario Batali)

I’m not so sure that removing nightshades affects the soul of my cooking in the way Mr Batali suggests, but it certainly changes it in a big way. Think of all the Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and South American-inspired recipes that contain tomatoes, chilli or eggplant?

Going nightshade free certainly forces a girl to get more creative in the kitchen. But, it is possible to adapt. I’m living proof of that!

If you’d like to learn more about the science behind why nightshades should be avoided on the autoimmune protocol, please head to Sarah Ballantyne’s site at The Paleo Mom.

If you’d like to check out some nightshade-free recipes, a couple that are on high rotation here at Casa TSL are my Ridiculously Good Herbed Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks and my Osso Buco – AIP Style.

Things I’m Learning on the Autoimmune Protocol

Tags

AIP, Autoimmune Disease, Elimination Diet, food, Healing, Healing through diet, Healing through Food, Health, Hippocrates, Liver, Observations, Paleo, The Autoimmune Protocol

(Image by TSL)

I’m currently on the Autoimmune Protocol, a nutrient-rich elimination diet that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system. You can read more about the protocol and why I’m doing this here.

Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity. (Hippocrates)

People who know me well will tell you that I’m a moderately impatient woman (I prefer to think of myself as ‘passionate’). When I set a course of action, I want it to happen. NOW. So, with that in mind, given I am now five days into the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), it will be of little surprise to you when I say changes are not happening fast enough… Never-the-less, I thought a wee update on my observations – so far – might help me to pace myself.

Once you get your head around what the AIP involves, there are really two key things to understand, even if you forget everything else:

Planning is everything: You really can’t decide at the eleventh hour what you’ll be having for any given meal. It just doesn’t work. I am finding I plan (loosely) about a week out. I’m doing this on a Friday so that I can pick up as much as possible at the farmers market on Saturday morning. When you get home late from work and you’re tired and the kids are yelling at you and the dog needs a walk  – the last thing you feel like doing is planning what to eat for dinner.

As part of the AIP planning phase, it’s also critical that you give your pantry (and fridge) an overhaul. Get rid of all the non-AIP food. My brother-in-law happily received all the chocolates I had made. I got rid of mustards and other ‘illicit’ foods that were just waiting to call out to me at a moment of weakness.

Learn to love your kitchen: Seriously. You will definitely be spending more time in it. It is impossible to truly undertake the AIP without preparing food from scratch. There are no packets of pasta. In fact, there are no tins of tomatoes, either. (A staple for me before AIP).

To be honest, I find myself enjoying this aspect of the protocol. I get a kick out of creating good food from quality ingredients. I like experimenting with different cuts of meat and I find myself looking at unusual vegetables at the farmers market, wondering how I can incorporate them into a meal.

(Graphic by TSL; Kitchen Image from here)

OK. We’ve moved past the two key things to remember. What else have I discovered?

Mindfulness

Sounds a tad weird, but I am definitely becoming more mindful about what I’m eating. When you limit your food to primarily fresh vegetables, quality animal protein, a little fruit and healthy fats, you really start to notice flavours. Partly, this is because there are no heavily spiced sauces to accompany your meals. And, yes – this has taken a little getting used to. Because seed based spices are out, I’m using a LOT of garlic, my fresh herb intake has increased and I’m finding all sorts of uses for mace.

Full disclosure: a good friend of mine in New Zealand sent me an email in response to my last post introducing the AIP. She said, “I will confess that I am in shock – no more COFFEE. You were the original coffee queen back in the day (before coffee was even the thing!).”  I was dreading giving up coffee. Absolutely DREADING it. You know what? – It’s been easy. But, what I
R E A L L Y miss are eggs. That is taking some getting used to.

Mood

As crazy as it sounds, I think my mood is lighter. I’m feeling more positive generally. I had read that this would happen and I was a smidge sceptical. But, it’s true. AND, we’re only on day 5. I could be dangerous by day 20!

Batch Cooking Saves the Day

If you know a recipe works, when you next make it, double it. Use the leftovers for the next day or freeze them for the day you can’t face cooking another meal.

Roasts go a long way. Depending on the cut of meat, leftover meat can be made into shepherds pie, be added to a salad, or chopped up for breakfast hash (with leftover sweet potato). Then save the bones for bone broth.

And, I’ve discovered you can get a pretty good gravy by roasting onions with your meat. After cooking, while your meat is resting, pour a cup or two of bone broth into the roasting dish that still has the onions and all the good crusty bits in the bottom. Bring it to a slow boil and scrape up all the goodies from the bottom of the pan. Whip out your stick blender and whiz it all up. Pretty damn tasty!

Easy Ways to Incorporate Liver 

Increasing consumption of organ meat is a key pillar in the AIP. And, liver is arguably the best for us of all of them. The liver is a storage organ for many important nutrients (vitamins A, D, E, K, B12 and folic acid, and minerals such as copper and iron). When we eat the liver, especially from pasture raised, hormone-free, happy animals; these nutrients give us some of the tools we need to get rid of toxins. And, we don’t eat enough of it any more.

I now have the Paleo Mom’s chicken liver pate recipe on rotation. I love it. But then, I like liver. I have no recollection of where I read this tip but, a great way to incorporate more liver into your diet is to dice it finely and freeze in ice cube trays. Every time you make a braise or ragu, throw a couple of blocks in. Unless you are my sister, you won’t even know its there.

Soups

You can make very good soups FAST by cooking your vegetable of choice (broccoli, cauliflower, parsnip, carrot) in chicken bone broth, then adding an avocado (mace optional) for a few minutes. Throw everything into a blender or food processor and blitz. Check for seasoning.

Great way to incorporate your bone broth AND more vegetables into your diet. We had a broccoli number last night as an entree (starter). It was surprisingly tasty. And, the avocado adds a creaminess. YUM!

So, at day 5, I’m humming along quite nicely on the AIP. Really, I think it was a bigger mental shift to give up gluten (grains). But it is early days, yet.

I’ll keep you posted!

An Introduction to the Autoimmune Protocol

Tags

Autoimmune Disease, Autoimmune Protocol, Chris Kresser, Elimination Diet, Gluten Sensitivity, Healing through diet, Nora Gedgaudas, Paleo, Sally Fallon-Morell, Sarah Ballantyne, Skin Problems, Weight

(Image by TSL)

One quarter of what you eat keeps you alive. The other three-quarters keeps your doctor alive (Hieroglyph in an Egyptian Tomb)

So, you know how I mentioned things were going to be a bit different in TSL-land this year? Well, I wasn’t kidding. We’re really shaking the tree here at Casa TSL. And it begins today. Today is the first day of our Autoimmune Protocol (AIP).

Before I give you my take on the AIP – the un-scientific take (because I am no scientist) – first, let me preface it by acknowledging that this decision will probably have its detractors. The idea that food can be medicine is not a universal one. But, it is one that I hold.

My interest in the correlation between the food I eat and my health probably began when I started to suspect that the chronic skin issues I have been plagued with for decades seemed to fluctuate depending on what I ate. I started to take more notice. To cut a very long story short (and to spare you all of my health story!), just over a year ago I gave up grains (gluten), pulses, all trans fats and processed food. My dairy intake reduced greatly (LM is allergic). And, you know what? – pretty quickly my skin issues cleared up. Almost completely. There is no doubt in my mind that I have a sensitivity to gluten.

And, I started reading. I read a lot. About diet, nutrition and health. There’s a short list of some of my favourite books at the end of this post, if you’re interested. Along the way, I discovered that the skin problems that run in my family are a form of autoimmune disease. I learned that while I have a predisposition to autoimmune problems (along with other stuff!), the way I choose to eat and live also contributes. And, I learned that I’m lucky. I could have developed a much worse autoimmune problem – Coeliac disease or Multiple Sclerosis, for example. Some of that is due to my genetic blueprint. Some of it is due to my diet and lifestyle. And, some of it is just dumb luck.

While my skin issues have cleared up significantly, not all my health issues have. And, as I get older, I want to ensure, as much as I can, that I have a quality of life that allows me to move freely and not be limited by ill health. I want to be a healthy old person! So, I am undertaking the AIP in an effort to make it easier to reach this goal. And, lovely LM has chosen to join me. And, I didn’t even have to twist his arm or resort to bribery!

(Image from here)

So, what is the Autoimmune Protocol?

The AIP is an elimination diet. But, it also more than that. It is a nutrient-rich approach that removes foods that irritate the gut, cause gut imbalance and activate the immune system.

(AIP) helps heal the gut, to restore normal/healthy gut microorganisms, to reduce inflammation and to regulate the immune system both through healing the gut, regulating hormones and addressing micronutrient deficiencies. (Sarah Ballantyne, ‘The Paleo Approach, Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal Your Body’)

A leaky gut and imbalances in gut microorganisms are believed to be involved in all autoimmune diseases. They are directly related to diet and lifestyle. According to the very knowledgable Sarah Ballantyne, the AIP helps to heal the gut, to restore healthy gut microorganisms, to reduce inflammation and to regulate the immune system both through healing the gut, regulating hormones and addressing micronutrient deficiencies. Count me in!

But, what does it mean in practical terms? Well, here at Casa TSL we have already cut out all grains, pulses, refined sugars, trans fats found in modern vegetable oils and processed food. My pantry looks nothing like it did a few years ago. Dairy of any kind (even grass-fed ghee) will also now be avoided for a while. But now, we’re cutting the following foods out, too:

• Eggs (which I’m not looking forward to)
• Nuts
• Seeds (including cocoa, coffee – yes, coffee! – and seed-based spices)
• Nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, capsicums, chillis, cayenne, and all spices derived from peppers, including paprika)
• Fructose consumption in excess of 20g per day (that’s a couple of pieces of fruit)
• Alcohol
• NSAIDS (like aspirin or ibuprofen)
• Non-nutritive sweeteners (yes, all of them)
• all other food additives

So what CAN we eat?

The primary focus on the AIP is eating a nutrient-rich diet. Deficiencies are the strongest diet-related factors contributing to increased risk of autoimmune disease. And, just as some foods will be eliminated, there is also a focus on eating more of the very nutrient-rich foods:

• organ meat and offal (chicken liver pâté is my new best friend)
• fish and shellfish (more of a challenge at Casa TSL given LM’s shellfish allergy)
• vegetables of all kinds (lots and LOTS of fresh vegetables)
• quality meat (grass-fed, pasture-raised and happy is best)
• quality fats (pasture-raised/grass-fed and happy animal fats, fatty fish, olive, avocado, coconut)
• fruit (keeping fructose intake under 20 g daily)
• probiotic foods (things like fermented vegetables, kombucha and kefir, and probiotic supplements)
• glycine-rich foods (anything with connective tissue, joints or skin, organ meat, and bone broth)

We’re going to be eating like this for at least 30 days. After that, depending on how we feel, we’ll either continue or we’ll start reintroducing foods – one by one – to see if they cause a reaction. And, I’m going to be writing about it. Here.

Of course, diet is just one element of continued good health. Getting enough sleep, moving every day, spending time outside in the sunshine and managing stress are all important factors, too. All of this is detailed far more comprehensively in some of these books:

The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal Your Body, by Sarah Ballantyne, PhD

Your Personal Paleo Diet, by Chris Kresser

Primal Body, Primal Mind, by Nora Gedgaudas

Digestive Wellness, Strengthen the Immune System and Prevent Disease Through Healthy Digestion, by Elizabeth Lipski, PhD, CCN

and, of course, the book that started it all for me,

Nourishing Traditions, by Sally Fallon-Morell

So, a change in direction for TSL. Clearly dining out is almost impossible on the elimination stage of the AIP. That means I’m going to be spending a lot of time cooking. There really is no escaping the need to cook on this regime. I’ve stocked the freezer – lots of braises made from happy meat, bone broth and chicken liver pate. 

Here’s hoping we experience some positive results…!

*By the way – I know there are going to be purists out there who notice the corn, capsicums and tomatoes in the top image. These are not part of the AIP. Call it ‘artistic licence’!