Ultimate Modified AIP Diet Food List to Slash Inflammation and Heal Your Gut Fast!

The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet is a specialized elimination diet designed to reduce inflammation and identify food sensitivities that may be causing symptoms in individuals with autoimmune diseases. The AIP diet aims to mitigate symptoms and improve the quality of life for individuals with autoimmune conditions. It focuses on gut health and the importance of the gut microbiome in immune regulation and overall well-being. The AIP starts by eliminating foods that might create negative effects on the patients and continues by developing a personalized and tailored diet plan for them.

Why Consider the Autoimmune Protocol?

Autoimmune conditions occur when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body's own healthy cells. This can lead to chronic inflammation and a range of symptoms, including fatigue, pain, digestive issues, and more. The AIP diet seeks to manage these symptoms by removing potential triggers and promoting gut healing.

Many individuals use AIP alongside acupuncture for gut health, fertility, or endometriosis. It's particularly beneficial for those experiencing poor digestive health, allergies, constant fatigue or pain, and migraines. The AIP diet is also valuable for managing autoimmune conditions such as endometriosis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Graves' disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Research supports the efficacy of AIP in these areas.

Understanding the Core Principles of AIP

The AIP diet is an extension of the Paleo diet, designed specifically for individuals with autoimmune diseases. It involves a temporary elimination of foods known to trigger inflammation, with a subsequent reintroduction phase to identify individual sensitivities. The autoimmune protocol diet (AIP) is a personalized elimination diet that aims to determine and exclude the foods that might trigger immune responses, leading to inflammation and symptomatology associated with autoimmune diseases.

The Three Phases of AIP

The AIP encompasses three phases: elimination, reintroduction, and maintenance.

Elimination Phase: This involves removing foods known to trigger inflammation and immune responses.
Reintroduction Phase: Eliminated foods are reintroduced systematically to identify individual triggers.
Maintenance Phase: A personalized diet is maintained based on individual tolerances identified during the reintroduction phase.

During the first phase, grains, legumes, nightshades, nuts, seeds, dairy, eggs, coffee, and alcohol are completely removed from the diet. In addition, all refined sugars, oils, processed foods, food additives, artificial colors, and flavorings are excluded due to their contribution to gut dysfunction. The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is also avoided during this phase. Patients are encouraged to consume nutrient-dense whole foods, such as vegetables, fruits, mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids, tubers, wild game, poultry, organ, and non-processed meats. This phase spans from 6 weeks to 6 months.

During the second phase, eliminated foods are reintroduced to identify the ones that trigger individual responses. Generally, there is no rule of thumb on how to initiate the reintroduction. The most common manner is to reintroduce the foods that each patient enjoys the most, or the ones that are less likely to induce negative responses, in an effort to increase the food options. With this in mind, foods have been categorized into four groups based on their likelihood of being well-tolerated. Group 1 consists of egg yolks, legumes, seed oils, and nut oils. Group 2 includes nuts and seeds, cocoa, egg whites, and alcohol. Group 3 comprises cashews and pistachios, eggplant, coffee, and fermented dairy, while Group 4 includes all dairy, white rice, nightshades, alcohol, and gluten-free grains. This phase is time-consuming; if performed methodically however, it results in distinct beneficial health outcomes for each individual.

The last AIP phase involves maintaining the protocol and has no specific duration. It aims to provide a healthy diet and lifestyle that will reduce autoimmune responses. In this manner, each patient adopts a dietary pattern associated with a lack of intolerances, considering the reintroduction phase responses.

Modified AIP: A More Flexible Approach

The Modified AIP diet maintains the foundational principles of the AIP diet but allows for certain foods that are excluded from the standard protocol. These additions can make the diet more flexible and sustainable while supporting immune health and reducing inflammation.

Since its inception in 2011, the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) has not undergone any major updates or changes. Today, that is changing with the announcement of a new option: Modified AIP Elimination.

Reasons for Updating AIP

Several factors have led to the development of the Modified AIP:

Patient Results Before Full Elimination: Medical studies showed that many patients saw positive results before completing the full elimination phase. In the AIP IBD Study, 73% of patients achieved clinical remission at week 5, one week before full elimination.
Practitioner Feedback: AIP Certified Coaches have reported good results by modifying the original protocol to suit individual needs.
Elimination Diet Research: Studies using fewer eliminations have shown progress for some patients and conditions with a simpler approach.
Accessibility and Sustainability: Food access and budget have always been major barriers to implementing the AIP. A more accessible version can widen its reach.

Core AIP vs. Modified AIP

Going forward, there are now two versions of the Elimination Phase, to be known as AIP Core Elimination and AIP Modified Elimination.

AIP Core Elimination: The original protocol as used in the AIP medical studies and original AIP literature is not changing and will now be known as AIP Core Elimination. The intention is to preserve the original protocol for research comparison and to use with patients or clients who either need a stricter approach or can implement it easily (due to support, finances, or time).
AIP Modified Elimination: The new protocol, a less-strict and more accessible version will be known as AIP Modified Elimination. This new protocol incorporates what we’ve learned about foods that are well-tolerated in the autoimmune community, and is simplified for ease of implementation, budget, and accessibility.

Key Differences Between Core and Modified AIP

The main difference between the two protocols is that rice, seeds, pseudo-grains, ghee, and most legumes (other than soy) are included in the modified version of the diet. Coffee, cocoa, canola oil, and sunflower oil are also permitted in Modified AIP. The reasoning behind these modifications to the Autoimmune Protocol is based on AIP research that shows improvements in medical conditions before the end of the diet’s usual 30- to 60-day elimination phase. Symptom improvements have also been seen while following less-restrictive elimination diets like the Wahls Protocol.

Who Should Choose Modified AIP?

Modified AIP is an ideal starting point for most people as it is more affordable, accessible, takes less time to implement, and still removes the most potentially-problematic foods. Ideally, modified AIP produces the desired result and then a person can move on to the reintroduction phase, sparing them a drawn-out elimination and reintroduction process.

Modified AIP may be a good starting point for those who are on the fence about trying the Autoimmune Protocol but are eager to improve their health through dietary and lifestyle changes. As an Autoimmune Paleo Certified Coach and a registered Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, I’m excited to share this new, less-restrictive offering with clients who wish to regain control of their health without all the restrictions of implementing the Core AIP diet.

When to Consider Core AIP

There are a few reasons why a person would choose Core AIP to begin with. They may have a condition, like IBD, where research indicates that the elimination phase has a good chance of producing results quickly. Or they may have another condition that is potentially serious and are highly motivated to transition and implement to find relief. Lastly, they may not experience some of the barriers that make Core AIP difficult to implement - like a lack of cooking skill, financial flexibility, or support at home.

That said, there are some instances where Core AIP may still be a better option for those with autoimmune conditions and other chronic health conditions. For example, the Core AIP diet may be best for IBD patients and those who do have the time, cooking skills, and financial means to embark on the original protocol.

Foods to Include in the Modified AIP Diet

The Modified AIP diet focuses on nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods while allowing some flexibility. Here’s a general breakdown of what to eat:

Vegetables: Leafy greens, cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower), squashes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and more. Eating a wide variety of colorful vegetables is the foundation of the AIP diet.
Fruits: Berries, apples, cherries, grapefruit, oranges, pears, plums, and other fruits. Aim for a diverse range of fruits in an array of colors.
Healthy Fats: Olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, animal fats like duck fat, lard and tallow, as well as fatty fish are all encouraged as well as high quality avocado oil, coconut oil and extra virgin olive oil.
Proteins: Chicken, turkey, organ meats, scallops, shrimps, oysters, clams, salmon, trout, tuna (fresh), cod, haddock, tilapia, squid (calamari), halibut. This includes sources like organ meats, fish and shellfish, and also bone broth.
Pantry Staples: Vinegar (balsamic, red wine, white wine, apple cider, etc.), coconut flakes, arrowroot flour (instead of wheat-based flour), cassava flour, baking powder, plain coconut milk, dates, honey, olives, vanilla.
Other Inclusions: Rice, seeds, pseudo-grains, ghee, and most legumes (other than soy). Coffee, cocoa, canola oil, and sunflower oil are also permitted in Modified AIP.
Spices: Lots of fresh and dried herbs and spices are AIP-compliant except those derived from nightshades or seeds (allowed on Modified AIP).

Foods to Avoid in the Modified AIP Diet

While Modified AIP is less restrictive, certain foods should still be avoided:

Gluten: Gluten is avoided in both versions of the AIP diet since gluten is associated with intestinal permeability/leaky gut, and leaky gut is one of the three main triggers for autoimmunity.
Wheat: Both AIP diets exclude other potentially aggravating foods like wheat, eggs, dairy, nightshades, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, non-nutritive sweeteners, alcohol, and processed food chemicals (such as emulsifiers and artificial colours).
Eggs
Dairy
Nightshades: (tomato, eggplant, potatoes, peppers)
Soy: Both AIP diets exclude other potentially aggravating foods like wheat, eggs, dairy, nightshades, soy, tree nuts, peanuts, non-nutritive sweeteners, alcohol, and processed food chemicals (such as emulsifiers and artificial colours).
Tree Nuts:
Peanuts
Non-Nutritive Sweeteners
Alcohol
Processed Food Chemicals: (such as emulsifiers and artificial colours).
Refined Sugars and Oils: Ultra-processed foods (UPF) contain ingredients that could contribute to inflammation, including saturated and trans fats, high amounts of salt and sugar, and other preservatives or artificial products.

Implementing the Modified AIP Diet

Here’s a step-by-step guide to adopting AIP Modified Elimination:

Personalized Eliminations: Identify and eliminate foods that may trigger symptoms for you.
Gradual Reintroductions: After a period of elimination, systematically reintroduce foods to test your body’s response.
Start Slowly: If going all-in feels overwhelming, start with a few eliminations at a time.
Focus on Abundance: It’s easy to fixate on the foods you can’t have, but there’s an abundance of delicious, healing foods to enjoy.
Meal Prep: Meal prepping is key to staying on track.
Pay Attention: Pay attention to how you feel after eating.
Find Support: Navigating the AIP diet is much easier with a support system.

Reintroducing Foods

Core AIP excludes all beans and legumes like chickpeas, green beans, peanuts, peas, soybeans and all soy derivatives like tofu and soy sauce. All dairy milk products and derivatives from all dairy animals (cows, goats, sheep) including butters, cheeses, creams, ghee, yogurts, and wheys. Modified AIP permits ghee. Core AIP excludes all seeds and seed-based butters, flours, oils and spices as well as coffee and cocoa products. This includes white and brown sugars, sugar alcohols and substitutes like stevia and aspartame, and highly processed vegetable oils and trans fats.

Core or Modified AIP should be done for 30-90 days to allow for symptoms to reduce. If there’s no noticeable changes after 90 days, its time to troubleshoot with a professional. Modified AIP will obviously have a different starting place for reintroduction vs Core AIP. Starting with foods in stage 1 will most likely be well tolerated.

Steps to Reintroduce Foods

Avoid reintroducing foods when under high stress, sick, travelling or having a symptom flare.
DOCUMENT EVERYTHING - paper journal or do it digitally. This is personalised info for healing!
Pick 1-2 foods for the week (ideally stage 1 foods)
Have a small amount, note the food, date & time. Wait a day, noting ANY or NO symptoms.(if you have a reaction, go back to AIP elimination foods until symptoms subside. This could be days or weeks)
If no issues in 24h, have a medium amount and wait 3-6 days, noting ANY reactions on day 2, day 3 & up to day 6 or note NO symptoms.(if you have a reaction, go back to AIP elimination foods until symptoms subside. This could be days or weeks)
Rinse & repeat! Yes, this takes time but it is personalised info for a well life!

You now have info about which foods are fine for your body & which ones cause problems. THIS IS LIFE CHANGING INFO.

Tips for Success on the Modified AIP Diet

Start with Gradual Changes: If going all-in feels overwhelming, start with a few eliminations at a time.
Focus on Abundance: It’s easy to fixate on the foods you can’t have, but there’s an abundance of delicious, healing foods to enjoy.
Plan Your Meals: Meal prepping is key to staying on track. Batch cooking and simple recipes can save time.
Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to how you feel after eating.
Seek Support: Navigating the AIP diet is much easier with a support system.
Address Cravings: Cravings often subside after the first few weeks.

Benefits of the Modified AIP Diet

Sustainability: A strict AIP diet can be difficult to adhere to long-term.
Personalized Healing: Not every autoimmune sufferer reacts to the same foods.
Reduced Risk of Nutritional Deficiencies: Since AIP eliminates multiple food groups, there is a risk of missing out on essential nutrients.
Improved Gut Health: Many autoimmune conditions are linked to poor gut health.
Enhanced Quality of Life: A less restrictive dietary approach allows individuals to enjoy a wider variety of foods, making social situations and meal planning easier while still providing autoimmune support.

Potential Drawbacks and Considerations

Nutrient Deficiencies: While the AIP includes some sources of meat and vegetables, excluding grains might result in deficiencies in vitamins B1, B2 and B3, fiber and iron. The Paleo diet may hinder adequate vitamin D and calcium intake, given the exclusion of vitamin D and calcium-rich dairy products.
Social Challenges: Eating out or attending events can be tricky.

The importance of consulting with professionals

Accurately implementation of the AIP requires guidance and support, as it is crucial to correctly follow the phases to address individual food sensitivities and health concerns. We strongly recommend you work with a dietitian when pursuing AIP.

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