February 3, 2021
(updated March 14, 2023)
What’s Inside: Resources and tips for reintroducing foods after the elimination phase of The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP). Download your FREE AIP reintroduction journal to use here!
Disclaimer: The content and information in these resources are for educational purposes only. It isn’t intended to replace the advice of a physician or medical practitioner. Please see your healthcare provider before beginning any new diet, health program, or interventions.
Cue the confetti drop! You’re reintroducing foods on AIP! After the elimination phase of the Autoimmune Protocol, which can range anywhere from 1-month up to 3-months depending on your journey… comes the reintroduction phase. This phase is just as important and it should not be missed! If you’re new to AIP, check out my starter guide and free 7-day meal plan.
It’s important to remember that the elimination phase is a wide-swipe attempt at giving your body a break while healing. Some non-AIP foods could work great with your body and alternatively, some AIP foods could be bothersome to you. It all goes back to bio-individuality, but you won’t know until eliminating and reintroducing. So, respect the process!
Healing is a journey, not a one-stop destination. Just as with eliminations, you are working on healing by eating nutrient-dense foods, lifestyle changes like focusing on sleep, stress management, and movement, and possibly more interventions like supplements or medication in the care of a doctor or practitioner.
Now, in the reintroduction phase, the focus is to get more in tune with your body as you challenge bringing these foods back into your diet. This can be such an eye-opening journey!
After at least 30 consecutive days on the elimination phase of AIP, you can start reintroductions. Everyone is unique and if you’re working with a practitioner who recommends otherwise (and you agree), or are feeling like you’re not quite feeling the best yet, you can hold off a little longer. But do not exceed 3 months. In my practice, I tend to recommend no more than 6-weeks especially if it’s a source of stress. Know yourself and what you can handle.
If you’re feeling, like, really good after eliminations and you’re thinking of totally skipping reintroductions… it’s time for Mama Alison to snap you back into reality. That’s not a thing. In fact, it will likely backfire on you and I’ve seen it dozens of times. You could develop more food sensitivities, plateau, or decline due to a lack of diversity of nutrients in the diet causing more dysbiosis, and in general, could dramatically damage your relationship to food and your social life (that’s a big deal). You’re still healing and this is a part of it, even if you only get 1 or 2 foods back this round, you keep going and try again.
On the flip-flop, if it’s been the max amount of time around 3-months on the elimination phase and you still aren’t feeling relief, it’s definitely time to get more help. You can find a Functional/Integrative doctor or Naturopath to help dig deeper into your condition and/or a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Functional Nutritionist, AIP Coach, etc. to help reintroduce with you and look at your overall nutrition. And of course, there are other types of practitioners like Chiropractors, Acupuncturists, etc. to help you depending on what you need. I’d also highly recommend looking at your stress-levels and lifestyle because this is often the easiest to ignore. If you need therapy, a vacation, or something else — it’s time to pay attention and take care of it.
Diet is only one aspect of your health, do your best not to overcorrect with diet alone while ignoring everything else. And you don’t have to do this alone. Reach out for help, this is your health we are talking about, and you deserve support.
A major component of gut health (and thus your overall health) is largely related to microbiome diversity. A diverse array of gut bacteria is protective to us in many ways, so by providing your microbiome with a variety of food, you’ll promote having many different species of healthy bacteria in the gut.
You may supplement with probiotics for this of course, but as Dr. Datis Kharrazian has observed, one of the most effective ways to truly feed a diverse gut microbiome is by eating plentiful amounts of many different kinds of vegetables and fruits for balance within the microbiome.
Dr. Terry Wahls, a physician who reversed her Multiple Sclerosis using the Paleo template, also emphasizes the importance of vegetables in the diet. Her research showed that vegetables contain 31 micronutrients that our bodies require to heal, and so the focus of quality, variety, and quantity of vegetables in the diet was a linchpin to her healing transformation.
*Reintroducing foods on AIP is more nuanced than a standard reintroduction protocol I’ve found. Below are specific directions from AutoimmuneWellness.com:
You might be wondering if doing a food sensitivity blood draw would be easier at this point. Hey, maybe! But here’s the thing, even with a food sensitivity test… using this reintroduction method is still considered the “gold standard”. There’s no “reintroduction test” aside from manually doing this work at the moment and repeated lab costs can add up. Knowing how to tune into your symptoms is priceless. It may seem confusing at times, but stick with it! You’re not alone!
(list as of Jan’21)
You won’t just casually try daily coffee or almond butter on day 31 because you miss it… fight the urge! You’ll want to follow this schedule as outlined by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne and AutoimmuneWellness.com for the best results. You’ve done all the hard work, now it’s time to see it through.
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
To bring some joy into the reintroduction process, be sure to check out my friend’s Autoimmune Paleo Reinttroduction Cookbook where you’ll ahve recipes and guidance for each phase of reintroducing!
Whether it’s a reintroduction food or otherwise, both variety in your diet and switching up the frequency is key to avoid further developing food sensitivities. I recommend rotating foods, especially ones that are “maybe” types of foods. So often, the poison is really in the dose. Let’s say having 1 cup of coffee or 1 serving of chocolate is fine at first, but daily… woof, not so much! Simply rotate it and experiment with “the dose”. Have it every other day or once a week… this is a great way to find your bio-individual balance, eat more intuitively, and not feel dependent on a specific food.
Need more recipe ideas? I’ve got tons of Paleo and AIP-friendly recipes you can use at any stage of healing right here.
Feel free to comment below with your questions so I can add them!
Symptoms are messages from your body, not failures. Rather than feeling crushed by a symptom or flare-up, tune into them, read them, listen to your body and take action as best you can.
Your body wants to heal. When we start taking our health into our own hands it can feel like we have to be in control of every bodily function through diet and supplements. That’s a slippery slope to burned-out-ville, friend! Avoid it… have respect for your body, even when you feel confused by it, it’s doing so much more for you daily than you could ever realize.
Healing isn’t linear, it’s messy… so check your perfectionism at the door. Sometimes surrendering control and laughing at ourselves is the best medicine. You’re here so you’re already doing your very best… let it unfold for you.
Attitude makes a difference in your experience. If you’re fearing foods, fearing reactions, or thinking negatively about this part of the journey… recognize it and give yourself some grace. Return to your “why” and get help if you need it.
Wishing you so much luck, love, and grace during this time. I’m cheering you on every step of the way! If you’re looking for more support from me on reintroductions, making this a lifestyle, and a community of like-minded women to grow with… learn more about my coaching and cooking membership right here!
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13 comments
I’m struggling to understand what my symptoms should be now as well as once I begin reintroduction. Bloodwork and life experience has indicated I have inflammation in the very dangerous range. I’ve done AIP for a month and haven’t noticed any difference. I don’t feel any more or any less pain. I’m unsure what I would journal about during reintroductions. I’ll give it more time. My naturopath wanted me to do elimination for eight months. I lost some faith in her then given nothing I’ve read indicates that as sensible. I told her I’d do three. She didn’t want me to have any fruit but did allow me to have coffee. Strange also. I’ve been having both. The coffee prob isn’t the best choice but I have 1-2 cups with maple syrup only everyday. In any case, I’ve been compliant as best I figure. The pain I’m feeling at present is mostly explained by injury. I’m really confused as to how I’m supposed to notice improvement without blood tests. My main issue is what the tests showed in terms of elevated numbers.
I’m sorry to hear this has been such a struggle! Have you been feeling any better since you posted this? I do work with clients if you need more support in finding and supporting root causes in a more sustainable way. AIP can’t and shouldn’t “fix” everything and I don’t agree with eliminations for 8 months, 90 days is more than enough to be able to gauge what your triggers are WHILE working on healing root cause issues.
Is it normal to have gases the day of and the morning after reintroducing legumes? I did the teaspoon part at noon, 1 hour before my brunch and had chickpeas for supper. That’s why I think the gases were still present the next morning.
You’d have to food/mood journal this and track if that keeps showing up with your reintroductions.
How long should each stage last? Is it bad to reintroduce a stage 2 or 3 too early? The things I miss the most are coffee, spices, dairy and occasional alcohol. Coffee and spices are both part of stage one but alcohol isnt until stage 2. Can I go from stage one to stage two and then back to stage one for things I care less about (ex. legumes) or should I not bounce around like that?
It’s bio-individual based on how long it takes for you to feel ready for the next stage. You might not be reintroducing ever single food item (I.e. maybe alcohol isn’t something you want to reintro, or cardamom isn’t a spice you use or care about, etc.). It’s advised to go in order of the stages but skip what you don’t care about!
Everything I read about reintroduction phases list groups of food to reintroduce. Do you only have to pick a representative of that group to reintroduce and test for symptoms? For example, when introducing seeds can I pick pumpkin seeds to test for symptoms and if they are ok all seeds are ok? Or do you have to try every different seed to test for symptoms? I’m worried if I have to test every individual food in a group that this phase may in fact take years!
Hi Kate. I had a similar question and was wondering what your experience was like? I would say I have a pretty diverse diet – for example, I probably eat 10 kinds of nuts and seeds and 15 kinds of beans. Since I don’t want to spend 25 weeks introducing only 3 groups, how does one (or you) go about this?
You’d reintroduce each food in each phase, one food in a phase does not represent the rest as they’re different. You don’t need to reintroduce foods you don’t care about or want to eat so that can weed out and lessen the load!
Thank you for this guide! When reintroducing, how do we realize whether something works or not. For example, when reintroducing egg yolk, I had belly ache. So I did not continue and then when reintroducing the same thing after 3 weeks, it still hurt but was mild. So does this mean this is a sometimes food or I should avoid it or keep trying after a few more weeks?
Hi Usha! It sounds like you could be reacting to it but it could totally be a dose thing too, only you can know 🙂
Thanks for your informative process for reintroducing food! I’m confused how you would eat a teaspoon of spices like caraway seeds or oils like sesame oil in phase one. Can you provide guidance?
Thanks for this question, Jodie! with the spices, just a pinch on your food is fine since that’s how you’d use them “in real life”, no need to swallow a teaspoon (please don’t! haha).