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A Simple Guide to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol by Eileen Laird

Struggling with AIP?

A Simple Guide to the Paleo Autoimmune ProtocolI am both pleased and excited to write about Eileen Laird’s latest book called “A Simple Guide to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol“.  Eileen is one of my favorite bloggers and I am going to tell you why.

But first, let me introduce this great lady, if you aren’t already acquainted!  Eileen Laird blogs at Phoenix Helix, where she features recipes, research and personal success stories about the autoimmune experience.  She has already published two valuable resources for the autoimmune community: Reintroducing Foods on the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol and 85 Amazing AIP Breakfasts.  Eileen is also the host of the Phoenix Helix Podcast, focused 100% on autoimmune healing.  Eileen is using the paleo AIP diet and lifestyle to manage rheumatoid arthritis, so she has been in the trenches, just like you and me!

Eileen_laird2Most of you probably know that I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease attacking my thyroid gland, in 2009.  At that time, I was really sick and struggling with debilitating symptoms including anxiety, panic attacks, severe insomnia, swollen and painful thyroid, brain fog,…

Eileen’s blog, Phoenix Helix, was the first blog I turned to to gather information and figure out a way to heal myself.  The amount and quality of useful information I found on her blog helped me greatly on my way back to health.  Eileen’s posts are hugely informative, but in a simple way that I was able to grasp, even when my thinking was impaired by brain fog.  I found great comfort reading her own story of recovery.  Her compassion and gentle soul comes through in her writing, and her deep knowledge of the autoimmune protocol was a lifesaver for me.

Today, Eileen is coming out with this Simple Guide to the Paleo Autoimmune Protocol.  It is a formidable resource for all of those who are fighting chronic illness and autoimmune disease.  She has written this guide as a simple conversation between friends, where she shares the essential information you need to get started on the autoimmune protocol.  Her book is easy to read and will provide you with a roadmap to embark on your own healing journey.

Here are the main topics included in this guide:

  • foods you need to avoid
  • foods you should add to your diet
  • grocery lists
  • meal planning tips
  • advices for traveling and eating out
  • navigating holiday traditions
  • getting support from family and friends
  • lifestyle interventions
  • food reintroduction process
  • how to survive a flare
  • trouble shooting tips

Focus on the bounty!

One of my most favorite parts of the entire guide is this AIP food pyramid graphic that Eileen created.  You can find the full colored version on Eileen’s blog!  This is a perfect reminder that we have a bounty of healing foods available to us.  In Eileen’s own words, “you can eat delicious, satiating food every day on the AIP”.

AIP food pyramid by Eileen laird - Phoenix HelixNow let’s get on with the fun stuff!  I asked Eileen to share with us 5 little known facts about her.  Here are her answers!

  1. She started cooking meals for her family when she was 10 years old after her mother went back to work!
  2. Eileen is a Christmas Eve Baby!
  3. She is a therapeutic bodyworker for her day job, specializing in lymph and craniosacral therapies, which just happen to be two of the best bodywork therapies for autoimmune disease.
  4. Eileen has 6 grandchildren, getting a jumpstart on it through marriage, and it was one of the biggest perks of marrying her husband.
  5. She is an introvert and needs some solitude every week or she gets easily irritated and covered in symbolic porcupine quills. For this reason, Mondays are her solitude day – She spends them alone and offline (no connection to the phone or internet) and finds it deeply peaceful and completely rejuvenating.

Eileen’s #1 piece of advice for people starting the AIP: PREPARE!

“The autoimmune protocol is a big change, and it’s not something you can do ‘on the fly’. Read this book – learn how the protocol works and how to implement it. Then do some planning. Remove the foods from the kitchen you can no longer eat. Create a shopping list of the foods you’ll be eating instead. Come up with a meal plan for your first week and include all 3 meals plus snacks. That way, you’ll always have an answer to the question, “What will I eat?” Lastly, get support – whether it’s your spouse, your family, a friend, or the online community. It’s hard to make big changes, and we’re much more successful when someone is there to cheer us on. ”  – Eileen Laird

Enter the giveaway!  The giveaway is over.  The winner is Emma F. 

Eileen has graciously agreed to give away a print copy of her new book “A Simple Guide to the paleo Autoimmune Protocol” to one lucky reader! To enter the giveaway, subscribe to my newsletter and leave a note here in the comments to let me know you have done so.  Please note that you have to confirm your subscription in order to enter the giveaway.  Let me know also if you found this review helpful!  That’s it!  This contest is open to US domestic participants only.  The winner will be chosen randomly and will be announced on Monday January 11. Good luck everyone!

If you don’t want to wait and wish to purchase your own copy right away, click here!

Disclaimer: I was given a review copy of this book as well as a copy to give away, with no obligation. I’m 100% honest in my opinions. If I didn’t love it, I wouldn’t have written the review, nor hosted the giveaway.

This post contains affiliate links.  Click here to read what it means.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above may be “affiliate links or Amazon affiliate links”. This means that if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive a small affiliate commission. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Struggled with food allergies, skin issue, etc for a long time and randomly stumbled upon your IG. It’s so inspiring to see the AIP community guide and support each other and I’m grateful for this wonderful review..

    Still new to all of this, but I’m hopeful that it gets easier thanks for folks in the community like you!

    Reply

  4. I subscribed to your newsletter. Love your blog! Thank you so much for making a difference in lots of peoples’ lifes. I would love to participate in the giveaway! I have my fingers crossed, so excited!

    Reply

  6. So thankful for you and people like Eileen, to help me cope with my autoimmune disease (hypothyroidism, Sjogren’s syndrome), many thanks!

    Reply

  7. Sounds like an incredible book and I’d love a copy to help me manage my Ulceratove Colitis better. It seems like such a good guide. I love your blog and it inspires me to be more creative with my AIP meals because it can get boring if you’re eating the same stuff every day. Thanks for all your hard work-you’ve helped me so much!

    Reply

  8. Great review! Eileen is one of my favorite autoimmune bloggers. I love her podcasts because she asks great questions and often has multiple people on one podcast. I’d love to win this book to help others who are cooking for me understand my diet. I have both Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis which I unknowingly controlled with diet for years, and Sjogren’s Syndrome that was most likely triggered by mold toxicity.

    Reply

  9. Already subscribed! Eileen’s blog was also one of the first AIP resources I came across and I’m super excited about this giveaway.

    Reply

  14. I’ve been subscribed to your blog for some time now. I’m not able to do my own cooking and it’s a challenge trying to help the people who cook for me to understand the diet.
    I would love, love, love to have a copy of this book.
    Excellent review. You made me really want this book.

    Reply

  16. I started reading your blog this fall because of yournAIP recipes. This giveaway is interesting to me, too. I have multiple undefined autoimmune symptoms and continue to try to adapt my diet. I have always wondered about AIP and actually feel awesome after eating AIP recipes. Thank you.

    Reply

  22. Eileen is one of my favourite bloggers…along with you!…and I’d love to win this book. It would give me just what I need not only for myself but to show to other interested suffering souls that there is a way out of the misery without drowning them in science!

    Reply

  23. I’ve been a subscriber for quite some time. Good review on the book and I would love a copy so I can take it grocery shopping with me to help me become better prepared!

    Reply

  24. I’ve been a subscriber for a while! 🙂

    I love Eileen’s work and The Phoenix Helix so I can’t wait to read this. I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed that I win!

    Reply

  25. I joined your newsletter and after reading your review would love to win this book. I have Hashimotos and am trying to learn as much as I can about AIP to help the healing process. Thank you.

    Reply

  27. Just subscribed! Would love to have This book as a resource. I’ve been battling eczema and psoriasis and I’ve been amazed at the impact my nutrition has on controlling it.

    Reply

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