Aloha!
I wanted to share with you the book I have been following & have talked about a few times in past blog posts. This book has helped me tremendously on this new journey of managing my own autoimmune disease. It is called "The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook" by Mickey Trescott.
From the start, this book gets right down to business to explaining why this book was created, how it can help you, what this lifestyle is really all about & even includes Mickey's own relatable story. By page 18, which should really be page 8 without the pictures, you are given an easy to follow chart of which "Foods to avoid" and which "Foods to Include." The next few pages explains the importance of having a nutrient dense diet which includes organ meat, seafood, fermented foods & fruits/vegetables. It goes onto state other factors which need to be added in this lifestyle including but not limited to, sleep, stress management & exercise.
What I really found helpful was where Mickey went into detail about going through the elimination period and the reintroduction period. There are two whole pages dedicated to explaining the reintroduction period with an easy to follow stage chart. Two pages doesn't seem like a whole lot but it is in small print & straight to the point so it is jam packed full of helpful information. After this section, there are roughly 20 pages full of helpful tips & tricks. The information within these pages tells you which items should be in your pantry at all times, describes different gut-healing foods, & gives you a few recipes on batch cooking such as Bone broth, Sauerkraut & Kombucha. It also gives you a list of recommended kitchen tools you will need at your disposal at all times.
Moving forward is where I think many people will benefit from but for me personally, I skimmed past. Mickey thoughtfully included two complete 4 week meal plans with a shopping list for each. This meal plan gives you a no-brainer "what-to-eat-when-to-eat-it" plan to follow. The reason it wasn't going to work for me is because I am someone who can't prepare everything for the week and eat it later. I know...Life would be so much easier if I did. However, I never know what I will be in the mood for until the day of. On a rare occasion, I'll know the day prior. For my mornings, it is easy - my ShakeO & maybe bacon & sausage. Done. I'm not hard to please for breakfast. For lunch, I'll eat leftovers if there are any. I think lunch is probably the only meal I can prepare ahead of time or at least know what I'll be eating ahead of time. I don't know why, but lunch to me is kind of one of those eat-if-you-have-to meals. I don't place as much emphasis on it as I probably should. It is when I get to dinner where I tend to get picky. As I have said before, I am a foodie. With such limited options through the elimination phase, I am finding myself becoming picky because I want to enjoy what I eat. For my family, dinner is time when we all gather after a long day & enjoy each others company. Where breakfast is the most important meal of the day for your body, dinner is the most important meal for the soul.
The rest of the book is dedicated to recipes which is about 3/4 of the book. Mickey broke up the recipes by category: Appetizers & Snacks, Beverages, Dressings & Sauces, Salads, Soups & Stews, Vegetables, Poultry, Seafood, Beef & Lamb, & Sweet Treats. As you can see, there are are lot of different categories you can choose from. What I also love is each recipe has beautiful, artful pictures of what the dish is suppose to look like. For us visual people, it is very helpful. Each category probably has anywhere from 10 to 12 different recipes. To finish off the book, Mickey has included many sources - Online resources, sources for finding a practitioner, links for more info about Hashimoto's disease, AIP blogs, food sourcing, books & references. This is so you can continue your education about this lifestyle and your autoimmune disease.
Overall, this book is a great addition to your personal library. It was lovingly created with lots of time caressed into it. It is backed up with loads of research & helpful guides. I cannot begin to explain how much this book continues to help me. I refer to it at least 3-4 times a week. No joke. I picked mine up at Barnes & Nobles but it is also available through Amazon & I believe through Mickey's website. If you feel lost in managing your autoimmune disease, give this path a shot. It is really meant to hold your hand and guide you through the process. If you have this book, let me know how you like it! If you have any questions, ask me! I'll answer your questions to the best of my ability or lead you to where you can find the answers.
Mahalo!
Brittany Bowman
Links:
1.) AIP Cookbook: http://autoimmune-paleo.com/cookbook/
2.) Mickey & Angie's blog: http://autoimmune-paleo.com/
