How a Keto Diet and Autoimmune Protocol Can Benefit Your Health

By Jessica Swartz March 18, 2023 33 mins read 115 Views

While autoimmune disorders affect more people than ever before, there is growing evidence that a diet and gut health can play a role in reducing inflammation and symptoms.

The ketogenic diet is one of the best-known low-carb diets and can have a positive impact on autoimmune conditions like MS, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), lupus, Crohn's disease, and psoriasis. It is also known to enhance glutathione production.

What is the autoimmune protocol?

The autoimmune protocol is a food-based approach to healing. It eliminates foods that trigger inflammation and symptoms in people with autoimmune conditions, allowing the immune system to rest and heal.

Autoimmune diseases occur when the body’s immune system mistakenly recognizes healthy cells and tissues as foreign invaders. This can affect the organs, joints, skin and brain.

Symptoms may include headaches, anxiety, mood wings, itchy eyes or nose, stomach pain, itchy skin and other issues. They could also be digestive-related like heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, bloating or undigested food particles in the stool.

The autoimmune protocol diet is an elimination plan that limits grains, legumes, dairy, eggs and nightshades. It also focuses on nutrient-dense, autoimmune-friendly foods to restore nutrient status and promote healing.

How can the autoimmune protocol benefit my health on a keto diet?

The autoimmune protocol can benefit your health on a keto diet by reducing inflammation, which may decrease symptoms of autoimmune conditions such as lupus and Crohn’s disease. Autoimmune diseases are caused by the body’s immune system attacking healthy cells, causing them to malfunction and produce antibodies that attack and destroy the body’s tissues.

Symptoms of autoimmune diseases can be difficult to control, and they can lead to fatigue, joint pain, swelling, fever, depression, and other issues. Fortunately, many of these disorders can be controlled through diet, lifestyle, and stress management.

In the autoimmune protocol, you follow an elimination phase where you remove certain foods and ingredients that are known to trigger inflammation and autoimmune flares. Once your inflammation improves, you slowly reintroduce those foods one by one to see how they affect you.

While the autoimmune protocol is a restrictive diet, it does provide an abundance of nutrient-dense foods that can help support the immune system and other key systems. Additionally, it limits processed foods and sugars that can exacerbate inflammatory responses in the body.

What foods should I avoid on the autoimmune protocol?

The autoimmune protocol is an elimination diet, which means you should avoid all foods that trigger inflammation and other autoimmune symptoms. These include certain grains, legumes, and nightshade family vegetables.

Grains such as wheat, barley, and rye should be avoided in the elimination phase of this diet. Legumes should be limited to those that are high in fiber and healthy fats, such as garbanzo beans, black beans, and lima beans.

Nightshade family vegetables should be avoided as well, including tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and potatoes. They are high in lectins and other compounds that can cause inflammation in the body.

You should also avoid NSAIDS like aspirin and ibuprofen during this phase of the diet, which can inflame your gut. In addition, be sure to replace these foods with nutrient-dense replacements. You can use our AIP Diet Swaps Guide to find a variety of options! It's also a good idea to start a food journal during this phase of the diet, so you can track how your symptoms change as you replace each eliminated food.

What foods should I reintroduce on the autoimmune protocol?

Autoimmune disorders occur when your immune system gets its wires crossed and starts producing antibodies that attack your own body’s healthy cells and tissues instead of harmful pathogens. This can result in inflammation, joint pain and fatigue in many people who have these diseases.

To combat this, you can implement the autoimmune protocol and keto diet to reduce inflammation, improve gut health, hormonal balance and tissue repair while eliminating food-borne immune triggers and boosting immune function. This diet encourages nutrient-dense foods that support blood sugar regulation and immune system regulation.

The autoimmune protocol is an elimination diet that involves eliminating inflammatory foods for a certain period of time (usually ten weeks) and then reintroducing them slowly, one by one, noting any symptoms. The goal is to identify which inflammatory foods are causing your immune response. Once you know which inflammatory foods are triggering your immune reaction, you can then eliminate them from your diet permanently!

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens in the first week of keto?

The first thing to do when you are ready to start a ketogenic diet is to do your research. Understanding what foods to avoid and how many carbs are allowed daily is essential. It's also important to learn which foods provide the best balance of macronutrients.

Now it is time to build meals that fit your new lifestyle. Your body will adapt faster if you avoid processed sugars and eat whole, unprocessed foods. A few tweaks can make it easier to focus and increase energy, as well as reduce cravings.

The next step in the keto diet is to learn proper portion control. This can be accomplished by monitoring macros or consulting a nutritionist, who may offer individual advice.

All newcomers need to take their time during the first week of transitioning into the keto diet - making sure that their bodies adjust accordingly before going full throttle with their diets. You should get plenty of rest and keep hydrated during this transition. This journey should take at least three weeks before you decide whether it is for you. Everybody reacts differently so be patient and give your body some time.

Do I Really Need a Keto Food List?

Determining if you need a keto food list? Probably an important part of your keto journey. The key to reaping the benefits of the ketogenic diet is eating high-fat, low carb foods. Finding the best fuel to achieve your goals can seem difficult with so many food options and recipes.

But knowing which foods are allowed on this diet can help make meal planning more efficient and ensure you get enough variety each day. The keto food list provides information on what foods you can eat and some ideas for how to prepare them. It can be used to guide you when you go shopping or dining out.

In addition, having a well-balanced nutritional approach to eating can help maximize weight loss results while maintaining overall wellness. This should include between 12 and 15% protein, 15 to 30% fat, and a maximum of 5% net carbohydrates in order for you to enter the metabolic state known ketosis. The main goal of the meal is to provide optimal nutrition while providing minimal carbs.

A reliable list of keto foods that includes healthy options can be a valuable guide in helping you transition to healthier eating habits and better living. You are one step closer towards achieving your lifestyle goals by taking advantage of this resource.

What is lazy keto vs. keto?

Knowing the difference between lazy or keto is essential to determine which one will best suit your lifestyle. Traditional ketogenic eating (lower in carbs, high in fats, moderately in proteins and low in carbohydrates) can lead to weight loss, mental clarity, energy regulation and better moods. Lazy keto offers a more accessible approach with generous carbs intake restrictions.

Contrary, lazy keto doesn't pay much attention to exact macronutrient tracking. Instead it emphasizes a simple lower-carb model that includes fewer restrictions on food choices while still reaping all the benefits of traditional keto diets, such as weight loss and better appetite control. It is often used as a starting point for people who are new to keto.

Keto is a process that requires hours of research and precise macro-nutrient measurements. It can be very tedious, but it can also be effective. As carb intake increases, so does fat consumption. As its name suggests, however, lazy keto embodies a less stringent approach, dispensing with much of this rigour in exchange for simple, adapted low-carb eating habits that don't require careful calculations at every mealtime.

So, traditional ketogenic diets have a lot of benefits but are very intensive. But lazy keto can be an alternative. This is for people who don't want to make a commitment to a diet plan and still get consistent results.

Can I cheat 1 Day on keto?

Exploring options that bend the rules has never been easier. With information flowing like water, it's tempting to ask if you can stretch out the boundaries of your diet and cheat for a day, all while maintaining your healthy streak.

The truth is, however, not what you might expect. When it comes to going keto, there is no room for compromise. You will reap the maximum benefits of this lifestyle if you strictly follow your diet. This will promote long-term sustainability in weight loss and overall health.

Cheating on keto could cause you to lose track of any progress made towards your goals and slow down the process that leads to you achieving your goals. Your body will not respond well to sugary or greasy foods, which can lead to a decrease in ketogenic diet results.

It is possible to have a few lapses in your diet, but it may be harder than keeping up with the diet. It is worth evaluating the impact of these factors on age, activity, genetics and other factors.

Even though temptation may cloud your judgment, ultimately, you are the only one who can decide what is best for your health and well-being.

What happens to your body if you cheat on keto

Cheating on the keto diet can cause unwanted side effects associated with carbohydrate intake. You can quickly increase your blood sugar levels by suddenly eating starchy carbohydrates. Dehydration can result as your cells need to return to homeostasis. Because of the lack essential minerals sodium and potassium, electrolyte imbalances can also occur.

In addition to these problems, keto-cheats can experience constipation or diarrhea from high-carbohydrate diets. Although these symptoms may be temporary, they can cause discomfort and disruption. Extreme cravings from cheat meals can lead to dangerous cycles of feeling depleted, followed by binging high-carb diets. This could cause people not to follow the keto diet.

It's important that you remember that a cheat meal or snack will not ruin your progress on the ketogenic diet for weeks or months. However, you must keep within your net carb limits. There are still consequences for following your meal plan for prolonged periods.

Is the keto first week the hardest?

Preparing for the first week of a keto diet is often daunting. It is a lifestyle change that requires major lifestyle changes. It can seem daunting to think that you will be saying goodbye your favorite high-carb foods.

But don't fear! You can make this one of the most fulfilling weeks of your entire life with the right information. You can survive and thrive on the ketogenic diet if you put in the effort.

Take it slow. Transitioning to a new diet takes time. While you may feel groggy while you adjust to the lower-carb lifestyle, don't despair! Eating healthy fats and low-sugar vegetables will help replenish necessary energy stores while keeping portion sizes in check.

It is also important to understand that it will not be permanent. Your body will adjust and cravings for high-sugar carbohydrates will diminish. You will feel fuller all day.

The key to making this daunting task manageable is mental fortitude. You can also take tangible steps before entering ketosis.

Is it possible to consume alcohol while following the keto diet

It is sensible to ask yourself what you can do and not do when you are following the keto diet. A careful look should be taken when consuming alcohol.

It all depends. Some alcoholic drinks may not be keto-friendly. The type, quantity, and grain content of alcohol can impact your daily carb intake.

Therefore, you need to choose wisely and understand that just because an alcoholic beverage doesn't have visible carbs doesn't mean it is well aligned with the keto lifestyle - as it might still increase your blood sugar levels. You should also consider other aspects, such as the calorie content, before you make your decision.

Additionally, moderation should be key when drinking alcohol on a low-carb diet to maximize its positive effects while avoiding possible drawbacks that could derail your fitness or weight loss achievements related to this lifestyle change.

Better decisions come from informed ones. So ensure you always pay close attention to all details before reaching for a low-carb drink.

Statistics

Proteins should account for around 10–30% of energy needs, while carbs are usually restricted to 5%. (healthline.com)
Fats should replace the majority of cut carbs and deliver approximately 60–80% of your total caloric intake. (healthline.com)
One older study found that the ketogenic diet improved insulin sensitivity by a whopping 75% (25Trusted Source (healthline.com)
Recommended Keto diet includes: Keto sushi bites, olives, one or two hard-boiled or deviled eggs, keto-friendly snack bars, 90% dark chocolate, full-fat Greek yogurt mixed with nut butter and cocoa powder, bell peppers, and guacamole (healthline.com)
But, a 1-ounce slice of cheese delivers about 30% of the Daily Value for saturated fat, so if you're worried about heart disease, consider portion size when eating cheese. (eatingwell.com)

External Links

How To

How to determine if the Ketogenic Diet is right for you

Begin by understanding the power of your diet and exploring its potential benefits. If you have the right diet, your body will be able to function in a healthy and balanced way.

The ketogenic diet is one possible solution that may provide results that speak for themselves - but how do you know if it's working? As someone considering this eating approach, you need to be able to accurately measure whether or not it's affecting your health and lifestyle.

This can be done by keeping track of your responses after you have followed this diet plan. Consider how much energy you feel throughout the day. Do you feel fuller longer after meals? Has your digestion improved? Is your quality of sleep better? Does one activity cause discomfort or increase?

All of these are important to take into account. These are all important factors to consider. Additionally, monitor metabolic changes such as cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels to see if ketogenic plans are helping you achieve your desired goals.

Check your body composition as well. Have you noticed any significant changes in fat loss or muscle gain? If your progress is slow at first but steadily increases over time then the ketogenic lifestyle may be beneficial in many ways.

Resources:

How a Keto Diet and Autoimmune Protocol Can Benefit Your Health