What Is the AIP Diet? Everything You Need to Know Before You Start

What Is the AIP Diet?

If you’ve been Googling “what is AIP diet,” chances are you’re looking for relief from some sort of chronic inflammation, autoimmune symptoms, or persistent health struggles that feel impossible to get to the bottom of.

Same here—and let me tell you, the AIP diet is no joke.

It’s a restrictive, intentional eating plan designed to help you identify food triggers by temporarily cutting out entire food groups.

The AIP Diet (short for Autoimmune Protocol) is built around two main phases:

• Elimination Phase: This is where you cut out foods that are known to cause inflammation or irritation. We’re talking grains, legumes, dairy, processed foods, seed oils, nightshades, nuts, seeds, eggs… yep, it’s a long list.
• Reintroduction Phase: After sticking with the elimination phase for a set period (often 30-90 days), you start to slowly add foods back in, one by one, to test how your body reacts.

The whole idea is to give your body a reset—calming inflammation and then reintroducing foods methodically to pinpoint what works for you and what doesn’t.

What Is the AIP Diet For?

The AIP diet is designed specifically for managing chronic inflammation and autoimmune conditions.

Whether you’re struggling with Hashimoto’s, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), or in my case, endometriosis, the goal is to calm your immune system by removing potential irritants and then, over time, learning what foods your body can safely tolerate.

It’s not a “forever” diet—it’s a tool.

You slowly add foods back in and keep track of how your body responds. Over time, this helps you build a personalized diet that minimizes flare-ups and supports your long-term health.

Who the AIP Diet Is For (and Who It’s Not For)

The AIP diet is best suited for people dealing with autoimmune conditions or chronic inflammation who haven’t been able to find relief through other approaches. It’s especially popular among those with conditions like:

• Endometriosis
• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Psoriasis
• Lupus
• Crohn’s disease
• inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)

That said, the AIP diet is not for everyone.

It’s very restrictive and can feel overwhelming if you don’t have a solid reason for doing it. It’s not meant to be used as a quick-fix weight loss plan or a long-term lifestyle diet. Because it removes a lot of nutrient-dense foods (like eggs, nuts, and nightshades), it should be done thoughtfully and—ideally—with guidance from a doctor, nutritionist, or dietitian to make sure you’re staying balanced and healthy along the way.

In short: if you’re battling inflammation or autoimmune issues and looking for answers, AIP could be a powerful tool in your toolkit.

But if you’re just casually curious or hoping to shed a few pounds, there are likely better options out there.

Why I Decided to Start the AIP Diet

If you’ve followed my journey, you already know I’ve been open about my battle with endometriosis. (You can read my full story [here].)

In 2024, the pain hit a peak. Daily aches that made life exhausting, and a period I genuinely feared every month because of how debilitating the pain was.

I’d reached a point where I couldn’t keep living like that. I knew I needed to take agency over my body and try something different.

I’ll be honest, I was super hesitant because “diets” are so not my thing. In the past I’ve used diets to help with weight loss and trying to lose weight was a battle for me. So going into this “diet”, I had the mindset that I’m not doing this for weight loss, this was 100% about trying to find relief from endometriosis pain.

So I made the decision to dive in, and within the first 7 days, I saw real changes.

As I write this, I’m 32 days in and can confidently say that it’s been life-changing in more ways than one.

Pros and Cons of the AIP Diet

Let’s be real: no diet is perfect, and AIP is definitely no exception.

Here’s my honest take on the pros and cons based on my experience so far:

Pros:

• Helps identify food triggers and sensitivities
• Can significantly reduce inflammation and pain
• Offers a structured plan if you’ve felt lost or overwhelmed by your symptoms
• Encourages whole, nutrient-dense eating
• You might see bonus perks like clearer skin and better sleep (I did!)

Cons:

• It’s socially isolating.
  
  • At the beginning, it’s. your. life. Reading about it, grocery shopping for it, meal-planning, cooking every meal. It’s all consuming. My best advice? Remind yourself this is not forever. After the fist two weeks, you’ll start to learn what an AIP grocery haul looks like (and where all those niche items are located in the store). You’ll start having go-to meals that you remember how to cook. You’ll stop needing to check your list of In & Out foods. So just get that self-talk talkin honey! Bonus tip: If you can find someone to do it with you (even if they’re online!), it makes a huge difference.
• Dining out is hard. Period.
  
  • Eating at restaurants used to be my thing. Whether it was quick stop for a morning coffee or a full on dinner at a new local restaurant, not having this as a part of my routine has been one of the hardest adjustments. It was my “fun”. How I handle it? It’s twofold. One, I had to shift my mindset (shocker). I had to realize that I could still go out and have fun without it involving food. Second, if I have to go out the whole day, I plan ahead as much as possible. I literally pack a cooler full of food for a long day out. Oranges. Yogurt. Strawberries. Sweet Potato chips. Tuna. Raisins. I mean I throw everything in there because I do not want to be caught off guard.
• Did I mention it requires a ton of planning?
  
  • You can’t really wing it with AIP, at least not at first. I’ve learned to keep a stash of “safe” snacks and get creative when I’m in a pinch. But it take a couple weeks to get to this place. Be intentional with your start date and ensure you don’t have anything major on your calendar for the first two weeks.
• It can mess with your mindset around food.
  
  • I had a random realization one day when I bought strawberries while I was out and caught myself thinking, “I should only have 3 or 4.” Then it hit me: NO. I’m on this super-restrictive diet, I have nothing to eat in the car, I’m starving, and there’s nowhere out I can go to get a “complete meal”. If I want to eat the entire carton of strawberries, I can. Food is fuel and sometimes a whole carton of strawberries or tossing some ground beef and carrots on the stove top for 5 minutes is. the. meal. Because skipping meals will leave you miserable. You learn little things like that along the way.

A Typical Day on the AIP Diet

If you’re wondering what a day in the life looks like on AIP, here’s a quick snapshot of what I’ve been eating:

• Breakfast: A breakfast bowl with sweet potatoes, bacon, spinach, mushrooms, green onions, and cilantro
• Lunch: Tuna wrap with plantain chips (so good)
• Snack: Fresh fruit (think: strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries), fruit leather, or freeze-dried fruit
• Dinner: Mango-marinated Chicken with Tostones
• Dessert: Frozen Grapes (tossed in lemon juice) and frozen blueberries with a little honey

Honestly as you start making these foods the not going out to eat part gets a little easier because the food you’re making is SO GOOD. Like the recipes I’m finding and how they come together are incredible.

Tracking It All In My AIP Food Journal

One of the best tools that’s kept me sane is my food journal, which I keep in Notion.

Every day I log what I ate, how I felt, any symptoms, and general notes.

This helps me track patterns and will be especially useful when I start reintroducing foods.

I’m working on a full blog post about how I set up my journal (plus a free template you can grab!), so stay tuned for that—I’ll update this post with a link as soon as it’s live.

Final Thoughts

The AIP diet is a big commitment—but if you’re like me and have been struggling with chronic inflammation, it can be so worth it. I went into this nervous, skeptical, and honestly a little intimidated… but 30 days later, I’m blown away by how much better I feel.

If you’re thinking about starting AIP, my best advice is: don’t overthink it. Prep as best you can, be patient with yourself, and remember that progress (not perfection) is the goal.

Whether you’re thinking about trying the AIP diet yourself or just want to understand what it’s all about, I hope this gave you a clear, no-nonsense look at how it works and why it can be a game-changer for chronic health issues.

As always, I’m sharing my personal experience—not medical advice—so be sure to consult with a healthcare professional before making big changes.