This submit comprises affiliate hyperlinks. Click on right here to see what meaning!
That being stated, we solely promote authors, merchandise, and companies that we wholeheartedly stand by!
AIP Kitchen Tour is a month-to-month function wherein we profile a member of the AIP neighborhood and their kitchen setup in hopes that it’s going to additional encourage us to get our kitchens organized and arrange for achievement! We’ve interviewed of us who’re making the AIP way of life a actuality in every part from faculty dorms and small metropolis flats, to massive households with non-AIP members of the family, and every part in between. By way of these interviews, we hope to share how they make it occur throughout quite a lot of budgets and residing conditions, and provides the neighborhood a wealth of inspiration. Learn extra Kitchen Excursions right here!
Title: Erika Schlick
Location: Los Angeles, CA
AI illness: celiac, Hashimoto’s, alopecia, psoriasis, lyme illness, mildew, CIRS
How lengthy have you ever been consuming AIP?
I began AIP in 2013,
Have you ever efficiently reintroduced any meals?
Once I first began AIP in 2013 I used to be so sick I used to be solely in a position to eat 8 AIP meals! After utilizing the weight-reduction plan to heal myself and likewise discover my root trigger for my a number of AI ailments which was lyme illness, I’m now in a position to eat most meals once more!
At present, I eat a principally Paleo weight-reduction plan however there are some things that I’m nonetheless delicate to love chilis/peppers/eggplant and several other seed-based spices like cumin which I nonetheless keep away from and I discovered I used to be delicate to on AIP.
Having the ability to reintroduce eggs, nuts, potatoes and tomatoes once more has been actually wonderful for me as these have been meals I actually missed. I used to be very strict AIP for about 4 years till I used to be in a position to reintroduce a whole lot of meals and am a lot extra resilient now and my intestine and physique can deal with so many extra meals with out inflicting irritation or flares. I’ve not been in a position to reintroduce different nightshades or grains with out experiencing irritation so I hold these out of my weight-reduction plan.
How has the AIP modified your life?
Once I began having debilitating well being points in 2012, considered one of my first diagnoses was celiac illness. This dove me deep into how weight-reduction plan can have an effect on how we really feel and have an effect on our well being. I began with a conventional gluten-free weight-reduction plan and felt terrible. Everybody talked a couple of euphoria you have been presupposed to really feel while you went gluten-free and actually I used to be simply consuming a SAD weight-reduction plan, however a gluten-free model and I nonetheless felt symptomatic.
My physician advisable I’m going on a strict paleo weight-reduction plan and I made a decision to take it one step additional and do AIP and it modified my life. AIP taught me to actually learn the way my physique reacted to meals and to dive deep for the way meals sensitivities may manifest for me. I found some meals that brought on cognitive points, bloating, joint ache, pores and skin flares and a lot extra and it taught me to hearken to and talk with my physique in a manner I had no concept was attainable.
I, sadly, developed 4 AI ailments in a brief period of time and had over 100 signs that may come and go. It took two years to search out out that my root trigger for this was lyme illness, as it’s common for lyme to set off AI ailments. I actually imagine that one of many causes I used to be in a position to get into lyme remission inside 3 years as soon as I used to be identified was due to AIP and altering my weight-reduction plan so early on.
In these first 2 years earlier than I used to be identified with lyme I spent all my time engaged on weight-reduction plan and intestine associated analysis and being so conversant in meals and weight-reduction plan and what labored for my physique actually arrange me to be in a great place for after I began my lyme remedies. I used to be identified with meals allergic reactions, candida, SIBO, leaky intestine and a lot extra and being on the AIP weight-reduction plan actually helped me heal from these points together with different remedies my physician was having me do in conjunction.
I discovered a lot about meals typically and what meals labored for my physique and what meals trigger irritation for me personally. To today, the information I discovered about the right way to learn alerts from my physique is crucial to staying wholesome. AIP taught me a wholly new suggestions system inside me that I didn’t know existed or the right way to use it and that has helped me in locations past my weight-reduction plan.
Measurement of your AIP kitchen: I’ve a big kitchen I share with my fiance.
Favourite factor about your kitchen:
We simply moved into our new home six months in the past and the kitchen is what offered me on this home! It has tons of house, plenty of pure gentle and is ideal for taking pictures wholesome cooking recipe movies in it. I really like that I’ve massive home windows to see exterior whereas I prepare dinner and a big island that makes meals prep simple and it’s nice for when we now have friends over and so they can collect whereas I prepare dinner.
I wrote my first cookbook, Wandering Palate just a few years in the past and I did a media tour doing cooking segments on TV in numerous cities, after which Covid hit. I’ve been recording cooking segments for over 20 cities throughout the US sharing wholesome and principally AIP recipes on TV! I’ve been on over 300 TV segments now and my kitchen additionally turns into a TV set which is I completely love sharing with the world my story of therapeutic with weight-reduction plan and the right way to eat scrumptious and easy therapeutic recipes.
Least favourite factor about your kitchen:
My Bertazonni Vary and present fridge haha! I’m engaged on upgrading these very quickly and looking out ahead to getting a Wolf Vary. Sadly, since we moved into our house, our oven has not labored and I truly use my oven fairly a bit to roast veggies or prepare dinner bigger cuts of meat so we acquired a short lived counter oven to have the ability to keep on observe with maintaining a healthy diet whereas we save as much as improve our vary, hopefully quickly. In any other case this kitchen is the kitchen I’ve been dreaming of and manifesting for a really very long time.
Are there any low-cost devices or little instruments that you’ve got discovered make AIP simpler?
I really like utilizing a handheld citrus squeezer to have the ability to totally juice my lemons and limes for dressings and cooking and I actually love this useful Oxo Avocado Slicer! It makes it really easy to slice and pit your avocados which I appear to make use of at the least as soon as a day!
What’s the largest factor that modified in your kitchen setup while you adopted the AIP?
Since celiac illness was my first analysis I needed to make some main updates in my kitchen and get new cookware, cooking utensils and chopping boards. Principally, something that was porous or wooden was going to probably harbor gluten so it had to get replaced since I’m so delicate to gluten and I wished to make sure my kitchen was a protected house for me.
As soon as I acquired by way of that, among the different adjustments I made for AIP particularly was getting some glass mason jars to retailer soups and batch-cooked recipes.
Fortunately I didn’t need to have a shared kitchen with non-AIP members of the family but when that’s your state of affairs I extremely suggest having a devoted space/cupboard to retailer your protected cooking gear in addition to substances that that you must hold protected only for you.
If somebody was simply beginning to put money into some helpful however dearer kitchen instruments, which one would you inform them to purchase first?
I might say my prime 3 suggestions are:
I like to make an herby AIP chimichurri for my steaks and my meals processor helps me put it collectively in just some minutes! It may well actually elevate your AIP meals if you’re feeling such as you want some extra flavors and sauces and need to prep them very simply. I additionally like to make my AIP Avocado Crema Lime Sauce for lettuce tacos or AIP bowls with cauliflower rice, veggies and shredded meat.
Are there any methods you’ve discovered to make AIP work in your house?
Once I first went AIP, I did an enormous purge of my complete kitchen and all my substances and spices. I removed something that was not AIP or gluten free to ensure that I didn’t by chance use one thing that might set again my well being or tempt me to eat off my weight-reduction plan. I feel ensuring you don’t have something that may make you sick in your kitchen is vital and crucial. You need to really feel like you’ve a protected and therapeutic place in your house to nourish you and you’ll management what meals you retain in your house.
How do you cope with meals for members of the family that aren’t AIP?
Happily, after I was identified with celiac illness my now fiance determined to go gluten-free with me to be supportive. In doing so, he discovered that he himself could be very delicate to gluten as effectively and determined to do AIP with me and he additionally felt wonderful on the weight-reduction plan.
I feel I used to be very blessed and fortunate to have the help system in place and it made it simpler once we each ate the identical manner and far simpler to prepare dinner one meal that we may each take pleasure in. To be trustworthy, consuming AIP isn’t boring and could be fairly scrumptious. I feel if you end up utilizing high-quality substances (natural produce, grass-fed meats, wild fish) the meals itself tastes so nice and you may make so many scrumptious dressings and sauces with contemporary herbs and citrus that you simply actually received’t really feel disadvantaged or like it’s a particular weight-reduction plan. It’s actual meals that’s nourishing and scrumptious. I at all times encourage you to see if your loved ones or family can take part for at the least 30 days to see how they really feel as a result of they might additionally uncover some sensitivities that may assist them really feel higher!
Are there any instruments or home equipment that you simply’ve stopped utilizing now that your weight-reduction plan has modified?
I might say my toaster for certain. As soon as I went AIP and minimize out grains I don’t actually have a necessity for a toaster. I sometimes use it if I discover a Paleo bread to make use of however typically, that doesn’t get a lot use anymore and I simply don’t crave bread or any objects that should be toasted. As of late I’m all about sugar-free, pasture-raised bacon and grass-fed steak!
What are your favourite meals to batch prepare dinner?
I like to make shredded meats in my Immediate Pot. You may make a big batch after which use the shredded meat on salads or bowls with cauliflower rice and even make tacos in lettuce wraps with avocado on them. I take advantage of shredded beef and hen rather a lot and it’s such an incredible and straightforward versatile protein and I make it in my Immediate Pot so its simple and versatile.
I additionally like to make massive batches of bone broth-based soups that you could take pleasure in for a lighter dinner and so they additionally freeze effectively in glass jars so long as you permit slightly house on the highest :).
What are your favourite AIP and Paleo cookbooks?
I’m going to brag a bit right here and say I truly love the recipes in my very own cookbook Wandering Palate. 95% of the recipes are both already AIP or have a modification within the recipe to make them AIP and the guide began as a manner for me to make a 28-day meal plan of my favourite travel-inspired recipes.
Mickey’s The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook was additionally an incredible useful resource to me to start with of my AIP journey. The recipes have been all so easy and scrumptious that it made diving into the AIP way of life much less overwhelming and gave you a great basis to begin making your individual AIP recipes.
For Paleo cookbooks, I really like Danielle Walker’s books and her weblog and likewise like No Crumbs Left, her salads are wonderful.
Do you’ve any ideas for these beginning an elimination weight-reduction plan and establishing their AIP kitchens for the primary time?
I might suggest to undoubtedly do a purge of your kitchen and donating or eliminating something which may tempt you to de-rail in your weight-reduction plan or compromise your well being if you happen to use it accidentally. It is rather vital to attempt to be as strict as you may, particularly to start with so that you may give your physique a while to heal and reset and get some suggestions on what meals be just right for you and don’t. You need to set your self up for achievement and you’re doing this to heal so making it as simple as attainable is vital.
I additionally suggest that if you’re going from SAD to AIP it’ll be a tough transition for a couple of week and sugar detox is brutal! I bear in mind having the worst headache I ever skilled after I was detoxing sugar so I like to recommend having some protected AIP carbs readily available to ease the transition like candy potatoes or taro root as that may actually assist ease among the detox transitions. Carb flu is actual however when you get previous the detox part you’ll really feel so good and never even crave sugar or grains!
Comply with Erika’s AIP journey on her web site, Instagram, Pinterest, Fb and YouTube channel.
Would you wish to be featured in an AIP Kitchen Tour? We function members of the neighborhood who’re keen to share the true areas the place they prepare dinner, in addition to their tales of transitioning to this way of life. If you’re , fill out our curiosity kind!
