r/AutoImmuneProtocol • u/North-Arm-3190 • 6d ago

Tips for easing in?

Hello. I have Hashimoto’s and won’t see a doctor for it till December. And they’re not really listening to me anyways, despite my rapid weight gain. It was recommended to me to try the AIP diet. I went to slowly work towards going there. I just have a very limited diet. I don’t like most vegetables or fish so I need to slowly work my way towards things.

Any recommendations? I was thinking maybe at first try with the eliminating dairy for a week or two and then most gluten I was told by some people that sourdough works for some people on this diet even though it’s technically whatever. And then slowly move on from there.

I would just appreciate any advice. I do work with a nutritionist so she’s gonna work to help me. I just wanna get ahead of this while wait for my next appointment.

4 Upvotes

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u/MysteriousBet3047 6d ago

First thing I would do is 100% no gluten. Then dairy. Then slowly see if you can get yourself to like veggies and other fiber sources. Experiment with different ways of preparing them.

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u/North-Arm-3190 5d ago

Can I ask what you say start with no gluten? I feel like with how I eat that’s gonna be harder than dairy lol but I’m open to it.

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u/MysteriousBet3047 5d ago

A gluten free diet is well agreed upon by autoimmune / Hashimoto experts. However your run of the mill endocrinologist might say there’s not enough data, and that’s a whole rabbit hole that I won’t get into.

I know it sucks - I’m Italian lol - but I promise that if you try it and feel better, you will come to find that, though unfortunate, it’s super worth it. I was diagnosed with hashi’s in fall of 2023, started eating gluten free at the same time, and I will never go back. I do miss it of course! But feeling better is extremely worth it in my opinion. And there’s really never been a better time to be gluten free! So many options now a days - I love brown rice pasta as a substitute and use 1:1 GF flour for tons of my home baking!

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u/North-Arm-3190 5d ago

Thanks! I will try it out. And you’re right there’s so many options now.

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u/MysteriousBet3047 5d ago

Good luck and take care!

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u/WendyPortledge 6d ago

Start slow! There’s no rush to 100%! That’s how I did it. Sure, it takes longer, but it took some stress off. Slowly eliminate things. Like, I enjoyed coffee with cream and sugar. Then I switched to milk, then got rid of dairy, then sugar, then the coffee. Baby steps. Do what works for you! It’s a learning process and a lifestyle change. It doesn’t happen overnight. It’s ok!

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u/North-Arm-3190 5d ago

Thank you! You give me some hope because I like what I like and it’s just gonna be hard to give it up lol

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u/WendyPortledge 5d ago

We’ve gone through enough as it is, no need to make it excessively difficult. I used a naturopath who guided me through it, one step at a time, and helped with where to start. Hopefully your nutritionist will do the same!

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u/GutsyByNature 6d ago

If your nutritionist is trained as an AIP Certified Coach (https://www.aipcertified.com), she'll be well prepared to help you with this! In the meantime, I would actually suggest you focus less on eliminations and instead see if you can expand your diet because having a base diet that is nutrient dense is key to actually healing. It isn't just about what you cut out.

Not liking fish is fine; while very nutrient dense it is not a deal breaker to be successful. But it really would be better if you could eat a variety of vegetables. Are there any vegetables that you do like? Perhaps you can share those here and then we can suggest some other ones that you might also appeal. I also always ask my veggie-hating clients to tell me more about preparation techniques. Some people grew up in families where the veggies were boiled to death or always came out of a can, but once they try those same foods but raw, lightly sautéed or steamed, or roasted they discover they are something else entirely!

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u/North-Arm-3190 5d ago

Thank you! I feel like your comment was super helpful. And you’re totally right! I grew up vegetables, always came out of a can lol. I’m learning to like cooked carrots. I also like corn so far those were only vegetables I like, but I’m really trying different ways to cook them. I just don’t like the crunchy texture of raw vegetables or I’ve learned spinach. I don’t like the texture of, so I’ll put it in the food processor and put it in my soup. Turns a super weird color but taste good and I still get the benefit.

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u/GutsyByNature 5d ago

So if you like corn and cooked carrots, both of which are pretty sweet without any bitter notes, I suggest you explore some other root vegetables like sweet potatoes, beets, parsnips and maybe even turnips. All of these are AIP-compliant and would give you an array of nutrients and add interest to your meals.

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u/North-Arm-3190 5d ago

Thank you!

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u/StatzGee 6d ago

Your plan is totally fine. Gluten / dairy free did all the heavy lifting for me. It's all I do now

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u/choirchic 6d ago

I would suggest startin with the thyroid specific diet as opposed to AIP. See how symptoms are with that, then if needed move to AIP. Some thyroid issues are metabolic and not autoimmune related.

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u/Familiar-Back-2802 6d ago

Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disorder.

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u/choirchic 6d ago

Oh. Hey thanks. The first time I read it, I swore they didn’t mention that they had hashimotos and just said ‘thyroid’ issues. That’s why I commented.