DID ANYONE TRIED PALEO - ANTI INFLAMMATORY DIET?

just found out 4 month ago I have Fibromyalgia ,from an RA doctor....and with blood test # that came back .I always try to eat as healthy as possible ,and now I am searching for ANTI inflammatory foods...due to PAIN and lack of sleep ,muscle cramps,and my list is long ,but with Prayer and making wise eating choices my mind is at peace with this auto immune thing.and the big factor was lacking vitamin D 3 ,,ALL in ALL finding STRENGTH in EVERY DAY CHALLENGES ...I will check out the Paleo diet....I dont take any medications.Natural healing .THANKS FOR THE POST.

Strong, when I cut gluten out of my diet, I saw a huge difference in a week. It just got better with time. I also cut nightshade vegetables out of my diet and MSG. Nightshades are potatoes, tomatoes and peppers. It seems that tomato sauces like spaghetti sauce are worse than fresh tomatoes. Potatoes will really get me aching.

Hi, I did the AIP diet for 6 months and then reintroduced foods one-by-one. I was able to identify which food contributed to my aches and pains, primarily nightshades. As I reintroduced them my knees ached as well as by back and neck. I would then stop eating them and the pain would go away. Occasionally I will eat nightshades but I keep it moderation. If I ever get carried away, without a doubt the aches and pains return. I love potatos, tomatoes and peppers but nothing is worth the constant pain.

The key benefit of taking the time to work through the AIP diet is that you can identify which foods are triggers for your body. I know it was a difficult commitment for me in the beginning but in the end I'm glad I did it as I was able to identify food triggers that I never would have thought contributed to the symptoms I was having. I thought I was just aging.

I have Ulcerative Colitis and can get extra-intestinal manifestations such as systemic muscle/tendon inflammation and iritis.

I have been on the Paleo AIP since my last serious flareup. I notice the effects more when I don't follow the diet than when I do. If I eat something I shouldn't, I can get a severe inflammatory response almost immediately. If I stick to the diet, the inflammation will subside, but it can take a very long time. Apparently, it takes six months to rid the body of 99% of the autoantibodies created from eating something that I shouldn't have eaten. That's why it takes so long.

The Paleo AIP is a really hard diet to follow. I don't eat any processed foods. I don't eat out. I make all my foods/beverages from scratch. But the diet is worth it. I almost died a few times with my last serious flareup. I ended up dropping down to 90 pounds and I found out later that I also had a heart attack, probably from not having enough electrolytes.

There are a few foods that I have been able to add back, in particular nuts, seeds, and eggs.

Other than diet, stress also triggers inflammation.

Post Edited (subduedjoy) : 6/14/2018 1:41:18 PM (GMT-6)

hi Bstrong. I am on a diet for about 6 years now. I have RA, sacroiliitis. Not 100% paleo, but with gluten free bread etc.

It works for me 100%. I feel even better than I did when I was in my teens. I used to have gastric ulcers, reflux, random pain in joints, digestive issues, bloating, psoriasis, fatigue etc. and at the end an acute and chronic form of sacroilitis combined with severe sciatica. I didn't walk for months. Now I have so much energy, work out 4 times a week at high intensity. No medication. I feel a subtle pain when I cheat too much. That goes away within 2-3 days of strict diet. All the other symptoms went away and stayed away. I always say getting diagnosed and getting on this diet saved my life. My rheumatologist told me he never saw anyone recover like I did, let alone with no medication. That diet is the ONLY thing right now that will put you into remission. Every other treatment just manages symptoms. My physical fitness just keeps improving, so I know this is not temporary.
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Edit: wanted to also add that I am HLA B27 positive and had Plantar fasciitis as well before the diet change

Post Edited (Cured4ever) : 4/4/2017 9:27:54 PM (GMT-6)

Hi Bstrong,
I am not sure if I had problems with vitamin D, but ever since I had kids I took vit D in the winter times because I gave it to them as well. I take large doses in the winter months: 4000-6000ui daily. There is a study in read where they said that vit D guidelines will change because most adults in North altitudes are deficient. My kids get about 1000-2000ui a day. They are also on the diet with me but less strict on the cheats. They are rarely sick compared to the other kids. I know also people with MS that went into remission with this diet combinedr with medication, where on medication they were getting worse and on this diet with medication went into remission. This diet can benefit anyone and everyone. It's what everyone should be eating vs just people with problems.
I want to say good luck, but I don't think you need it, looks like you created your own luck, good for you. Stick in there. It took me some time to believe in this be a useful it sounds too simple, but after all this time I am learning to listen to my body and it's talking back. The diet is the most important component of my success and combined with exercise I can't be stopped! Lol.
Hang in there!

I, too, am deficient in vitamin D. I have found that eliminating pro-inflammatory foods isn't enough. For some reason, I also have to consume lots of vegetables, in particular spinach. Spinach is high in folate and betaine, so perhaps I need more of those nutrients?

I remember some 10 years ago when I got my first serious Ulcerative Colitis flareup. My GIs told me that diet didn't matter. I got another serious Ulcerative Colitis flareup 1-2 years ago. In the last two years, I've had GIs tell me about how some of their patients say they are sensitive to gluten and have eliminated it from their diet. My rheumatologist didn't prescribe me any meds when I told him that my symptoms had improved greatly after removing all pro-inflammatory foods out of my diet. And my eye doctor, who was very surprised that my eye inflammation went away so fast until I told her I had gotten stricter with my diet and was not eating things like gluten and soy, told me about how her cousin, who has Chrohn's has been able to stay in remission after removing gluten from her diet. Give it another decade, and doctors will probably be regularly testing those with an autoimmune disease for vitamin/mineral deficiencies and hormone imbalances and handing out a booklet about anti-inflammatory diets. They will have to if they want to compete successfully with functional doctors.

Hi all!
It'sounds so nice to read all these answers. I think doctors will change the way they think after they experience it themselves or on the loved ones. So yes, it will take a generation to get there. My dad had ulcerative colitis and now is free of any symptoms for 6 years. He started the diet at the same time as me. I cured ailments I didn't were not normal. Like getting out of the bed and feeling like I need to oil my body first to get it going. I thought I was getting old. Now I just jump up and go. If I sit for two hours, I get up and go. I used to have to hold on to the sides of the chair and assist my way up because my body felt stiff. I used to need to take a nap after lunch( especially pizza, pasta), afternoon fatigue, gas after eating(no I never get bloated, and i mean zero gas, unless I cheat). I feel like my life is just so much easier now. I keep calling it a diet, but it's not, it's just how everyone should be eating, if they want to reach their full potential anyways. What helped me to make the decision to switch is hitting rock bottom. Not walking for 2 months, needing help from everyone around me, not functioning, not being able to take care of my newborn. I would have tried anything at that point. And I did, and here I am 6 years later. But you have to be ready to take the step.

Fad diets. That's exactly why it took me so long to read about the Paleo AIP diet. Not only do I not like to follow fads, but the premise for the Paleo diet, the fact that it contains only those foods that our Paleolithic ancestors ate and nothing more, is false.

However, it turns out that the Paleo AIP diet, although it is considered a variant of the Paleo diet, is not a fad diet after all. It is so much more. It removes all foods harmful to the gut lining and/or promoting inflammation so that those who have an auto-immune disease can reduce their inflammation and even have a chance to live a pain-free life.

I have Ulcerative Colitis, and all of the diets geared to those with gastrointestinal issues and/or inflammation have extensive scientific research behind them. The Low FodMap diet, which helps reduce gastrointestinal issues, was developed by researchers at Monash University in Australia. Led by Peter Gibson, the Monash team provided evidence that a diet low in FodMaps improves symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). You can purchase a booklet listing foods and their FodMap levels from Monash University. The university also sells an app for smart phones.

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) was developed by Dr. Sidney Haas (1870-1964) and later updated and popularized by biochemist Elaine Gloria Gottshall (who died in 2005). Ms. Gottshal dedicated her life to researching the diet. Her daughter was being treated by Dr. Haas for Ulcerative Colitis. The diet helped her daughter achieve lasting remission. Ms. Gottshall's book "Breaking the Vicious Cycle, Intestinal health through diet" can be found on Amazon. The book "Cooking for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet: Over 100 Easy, Healthy, and Delicious Recipes that are Sugar-Free, Gluten-Free, and Grain-Free," can also be found on Amazon. This book was written by Erica Kerwien.

Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, who has a doctorate in medical biophysics, extensively studied food and its effects on the gut lining and inflammation. She presented her results in laymen language in the book "The Paleo Approach: Reverse Autoimmune Disease and Heal Your Body," which you can find on Amazon. Her book "The Healing Kitchen: 175+ Quick & Easy Paleo Recipes to Help You Thrive" can also be found on Amazon.

All of these diets are very similar. They emphasize eating lots of vegetables and fruits. They eliminate gluten, soy, and certain sugars.

Yes, I agree. All foods should be organic if possible, and beef should be grass-fed. The EWG tests vegetables and fruits for pesticides and publishes its results on its website. If you can't afford to buy all your vegetables and fruits organic, then at least buy the organic versions of the ones listed on the EWG's Dirty Dozen.

Post Edited (subduedjoy) : 4/9/2017 11:09:37 AM (GMT-6)

It is good to see so many have figured out that diet is the key to fighting all disease. I think each of use must figure out the correct diet because we are all different. The important thing to remember is we can't eat chemicals and stay healthy. Doctors don't understand this because they have been trained that all disease is treated with drugs and drugs have side effects. Fruits and vegetables are the key because they have the vitamins and minerals necessary for the bodies health. I went vegan for a while and it help me very much with my health. I have introduced a small amount of meat and try to stay away from gluten as much as possible. Once we figure out what we can eat we can get our health back.

Strong, what all are you sensitive to??

I have worked in health care and was always skeptical about the alternative medicine. But, turns out, it worked for me as well. It's good b/c I have a lot of sensitivities including medications. I think that is common in those of us with AI disease.

I've been on it for a couple of weeks. Modified; I can't AFFORD to adhere stringently. Grain-fed, free-range chickens? I can get chicken without steroids, and that's it. I also can't get many organic veggies. I'm a So.Westerner. I usually eat a lot of Mexican foods. It's HARD not to have cheese or foods in the nightshade family: tomatoes, peppers, chilies,; no beans or tortillas. Eating just isn't fun any more. Buffets aren't worth the money. But I do already see a bit of relief. If it will help, it's worth it. I guess. Let's face it...RA isn't fun!