The Whole View, Episode 450: Spices on the AIP? What’s In, What's Out, and Why.
Welcome back to episode 450! (0:28)

Stacy and Sarah both have sensitivities to nightshades due to inflammation-driven health issues. 

Nightshades are common trigger foods and can be super problematic to autoimmune diseases and chronic illnesses as well.

This is because the immune system is already in overdrive. Adding an immune stimulant (such as nightshades) to the equation can cause symptom flare-ups.

The logic that goes into the autoimmune protocol requires a little bit of reasoning about how best to apply it to your day-to-day choices.

When writing her book on AIP, Sarah's research really focused on how the immune system works and how it intersects with nutrients, lifestyle, hormones, etc.

Understanding how foods can be problematic for some people is never irrelevant. Even if you're perfectly healthy, the science behind AIP can be applied to optimize diet and troubleshoot any future health issues.

In this episode, Stacy and Sarah plan to do a deep dive into what herbs and spices are awesome when on AIP, which are considered early reintroductions, and which ones are best avoided until the very end of the healing process.

For more references, please see:

When Do We Re-Do the Elimination Phase of the AIP?


Can Food Intolerances Be Fixed?



Food Allergy, Sensitivity, and Intolerance: What’s the Difference?
 



What Do I Do After a Bad Reaction?



Listener Question
This episode was inspired by this listener question from Jeff. (10:30)

Hello,
I'm a chef of 20 years and as most of us in the hospitality industry have experienced, things are not good. During my temporary retirement I've decided to help out a family who has started an AIP diet. I haven't cooked specifically for a person who has said they are specifically AIP, but I have had plenty of experience with similar dietary needs. It will no doubt be a challenge, but it will be a fantastic learning experience and chance to change a persons experience while on their path to recovery.
In my journey I'm looking for ways to infuse the flavors which I like to use in ways that will be in line with the protocol. My inquiry has to do mainly with flavor infusion. Take for example a brine for pork. I use products like whole black peppercorn, whole coriander seed, mustard seed, etc. to add layers of flavor to the brine. Is the main issue with these spices the pieces of the seeds? Are the extracted oils also off limits? My main concern is around spices. I would venture to believe that nightshade oils are the problem (i.e. dried chilies, capsicum, etc).
- Jeff
Stacy reflects on how much she enjoy's Jeff looking at it from a chemistry perspective in the cooking.

Alternatively, people who find out they can't eat raw tomatoes might discover they can have cooked ones as they reintroduce foods back into their diet.

It's very bioindivideal, meaning Stacy and Sarah can't answer what foods will affect you and why. AIP is a way to isolate triggers for you personally to optimize your health.

Overall Philosophy Spices on the AIP
Sarah believes the most helpful place to start is taking a step back and looking at herbs and spices in general. (13:30)

The autoimmune protocol first tries to flood the body with nutrients- both essential and nonessential. Sarah references this show for more information on nutrient toxicity.

Another thing AIP tries to do is remove inflammatory properties from the diet. Herbs are derived from the leaves of fragrant plants and sometimes flowers. 

They are safe to use whole, fresh or dried. It's actually very beneficial to include them since the same phytonutrients that provide the flavor tend to be awesome antioxidants and anti-inflammatory. 

Other properties they often have are anti-cancer, liver protective, neuroprotective, and more. See our Essential Oil show for more on extracts, though. 

These can be more complex and don't get an automatic pass. TPV Podcast, Episode 272