The AIP Diet 101: What It Is, Why It Works, and How to Start

If you've been diagnosed with Hashimoto's—or suspect your thyroid issues are autoimmune in nature (spoiler: they usually are)—chances are you've heard whispers about the Autoimmune Protocol, commonly referred to as AIP. But what is AIP really, and can it actually help?

In this beginner-friendly guide, I’ll walk you through what the AIP diet is, why it works (especially if you're managing Hashimoto’s or autoimmune thyroid issues), and how to get started in a way that feels doable, not overwhelming.

Don’t just learn about AIP—learn how to live it.

Along with this 101 blog post, I’m sharing three more free resources (included below) to help you get started:

• A short YouTube video that explains the basics of AIP in just 15 minutes
• A full-length podcast episode where I share my real-life experience and top AIP survival tips
• A 1-page PDF cheat sheet on the AIP Reintroduction Stages (FREE download below!)

If you've ever wanted to learn more about AIP and understand what it takes to get optimal results, you're in the right place. Let’s dig in!

What Is the AIP Diet?

The Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) is a specialized elimination and reintroduction diet designed to:

• Reduce inflammation

• Heal the gut

• Balance hormones

• Regulate the immune response

It’s especially helpful for people with autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, IBD, and more.

Think of AIP as a nutrient-dense reset. For a set period of time (typically 30 to 90 days), you remove several common food triggers, give your body time to heal, and then slowly reintroduce foods one at a time to identify which foods work for you (and which do not).

Let's not sugarcoat it: There are a lot of restrictions on AIP, but it’s not about restriction for restriction’s sake. The goal of AIP is to heal the gut, calm inflammation, reduce symptoms, restore homeostasis (i.e., balance) in the body, and ultimately, end up with a personalized style of eating that supports vibrant health, lasting energy, and feels sustainable.

Core AIP vs. Modified AIP

Before we go further, I want to make note that in 2024, AIP was updated to reflect years of clinical experience and emerging research. Now there are two versions:

• Core AIP: The original, more restrictive elimination protocol used in research studies.

• Modified AIP: A less restrictive option designed to be more accessible while still offering therapeutic benefits.

Modified AIP allows for the inclusion of foods like white rice, ghee, certain nuts and seeds, and some legumes, which are excluded in Core AIP. This version is ideal for individuals who need more flexibility due to life stage, food access, or other health considerations, while still supporting healing goals.

Choosing between them depends on your individual needs, health history, lifestyle, and practitioner guidance. Both options emphasize high nutrient density and an eventual reintroduction process to personalize your diet.

This blog post focuses primarily on Core AIP. 

What Foods Are Eliminated on AIP?

During the elimination phase of AIP, several foods that are common triggers for inflammation, gut health issues, or immune reactivity are removed. This includes:

• Gluten

• Grains (including gluten-free grains)

• Dairy (even ghee on Core AIP)

• Eggs

• Legumes (including peanuts and soy)

• Nuts and seeds (including flours, butters, oils, or spices derived from them)

• Nightshades (including tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers, and ashwagandha)

• Refined, artificial, and non-nutritive sweeteners (including stevia)

• Ultra-processed foods and food additives

• Alcohol 

• Caffeine

Note: These eliminations reflect the stricter Core version of AIP used in clinical research.

What Foods Can You Eat on AIP?

Don’t worry—AIP isn’t all bone broth and boiled meat. With a bit of menu planning and some trusted recipe resources, AIP eating can be satisfying, flavorful, and delicious. The elimination phase focuses on anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense foods like:

• Vegetables (except nightshades)

• High-quality animal proteins (grass-fed, pasture-raised, wild-caught, organic when possible)

• Organ meats and bone broth

• Healthy fats (like avocado, coconut, and olive oil)

• Fermented foods

• Fruit (especially berries)

• Herbs
• Spices NOT derived from nightshades or seeds (i.e., cinnamon, ginger, cloves, mace)
• Natural sweeteners in moderation (i.e., maple syrup, honey, molasses, coconut sugar) 

The nutrient density of AIP is one of its greatest strengths. Many people end up eating a greater variety of foods than they did before, just from a different set of ingredients.

Note: The above food inclusions are based on the Core AIP elimination phase. Modified AIP includes a slightly expanded list.

The 3 Phases of AIP (Plus Phase 0!)

The Autoimmune Protocol has three official phases: Elimination, Reintroduction, and Maintenance. But there’s a valuable step before all that—what I like to call Phase 0: Preparation.

This "Preparation Phase" isn’t required, but after helping hundreds of Thyroid Thrivers with this (in addition to my firsthand experience with AIP), I find that it can make a huge difference. Giving yourself time to wrap your head around the Autoimmune Protocol and get set up and ready is so worthwhile—especially if you’re brand new to AIP or managing thyroid-related fatigue and brain fog.

Let's cover how to get prepared and started with AIP, through each phase of the journey. 

0. The Preparation Phase

This phase is designed to give you time to get ready mentally, emotionally, and logistically for your AIP journey. It's also a great time to begin the shift and start gradually removing foods to prepare for elimination. This can be done over a weekend or several weeks, but in my community, I find that a week is typically sufficient.

How to Get Started: Take this time to stock your pantry with AIP-compliant basics, plan some simple meals, gather AIP recipes, and ideally, do some batch-cooking to set yourself up for a smooth start. If the elimination phase of AIP feels overwhelming, you can use this transition time to phase out foods one by one. Begin by removing the biggest offenders first—like gluten, dairy, refined sugar, and ultra-processed foods—while gradually increasing nutrient-dense whole foods. 

1. The Elimination Phase

This is the time to stick to the full AIP elimination guidelines (either Core or Modified), usually for 30 to 90 days. During this time, it's important to carefully track your symptoms, energy, sleep, digestion, etc., and note any changes (including physical, mental, and emotional) as your body responds to this new eating style. 

How to Get Started: Create a simple meal plan for your first week using simple, AIP-friendly recipes. Incorporate some batch cooking if possible, and keep easy options on hand like cooked protein, roasted veggies, and healing broths. Start a symptom tracker or food journal to document how you’re feeling. Once those things are in place, you're ready to dive in and start your elimination phase.

Remember to give yourself grace as you get the hang of things. This phase is about healing, and slip-ups may happen, but just focus on giving yourself the support you need and doing your best. You might feel some dramatic changes quickly, so be sure to record anything you notice. 

2. The Reintroduction Phase

Once you've reached the end of the elimination phase, marked by measurable improvement in symptoms and/or lab markers (such as autoimmune antibodies, inflammatory markers, or gut-health indicators), it's time to begin reintroducing foods one at a time to identify which foods you tolerate and which you don’t.

How to Get Started: Familiarize yourself with the four Reintroduction Stages of AIP (see below), which are designed to maximize your success and keep inflammation down as you reintroduce foods. Start by choosing one food from the first reintroduction stage (like egg yolks or ghee), and give yourself 3 to 5 days (or more!) to reintroduce it before reintroducing additional foods. This is important as some reactions may be delayed, and it's crucial to isolate any reactions in order to get clear results regarding which foods cause which symptoms in your body.

As you reintroduce foods, carefully track any changes you notice. If symptoms arise at any point, make a note of that and stop the reintroduction of that food. Wait until symptoms resolve before reintroducing additional foods. If no symptoms arise, you can reincorporate this food into your regular diet and move on to the next reintroduction.  

Remember: This process takes time. Go slowly, and give yourself grace and support. The goal is to personalize your approach to which foods you eat and which you avoid so you can continue to feel great, not rush back to old habits (and old symptoms). 

Want a visual guide to the four AIP reintroduction phases?

Here’s a helpful cheat sheet I created for my Thrivers Club members. It outlines which foods to reintroduce, and in what order, to increase your chances of success.

👉 Download the AIP Reintroduction Cheat Sheet (PDF)

(No opt-in required—just a little support to make your journey easier.)

3. The Maintenance Phase

After you've completed your elimination phase, reintroductions, and identified your personal food sensitivities, you’ll shift into the maintenance phase, where you continue to eat in a way that honors your unique needs, without unnecessary restrictions.

The Maintenance Phase is essentially the long-term goal of AIP—a personalized, sustainable way of eating that supports your energy, health, and lifestyle. During this phase, you'll begin to implement that, making this custom-tailored eating approach your new normal, so that you can maintain those positive results and feel better long-term.

How to Get Started: Take what you’ve learned from the elimination and reintroduction phases and create your personalized template. Keep eating a variety of nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory foods and including the foods that work for you, while avoiding the ones that don't. While some foods may require complete elimination, you may find you can tolerate certain amounts or types of others, so this is where you can start to discover those personal thresholds. This is a great time to explore variety, scout out new recipes, and build more dietary flexibility into your lifestyle.

With time and continued healing, many Thrivers find that they are able to successfully reintroduce additional foods they may have previously been unable to tolerate. In other words, you may not be "locked in" to your current dietary restrictions forever. You can attempt further reintroductions at any time, when you and your healthcare practitioner feel like you're ready for them.

As the body changes and time goes by, sometimes new food sensitivities, health issues, or setbacks may arise. You can return to AIP whenever you need a healing reset or a refresh on your current eating approach. 

Note: AIP and the elimination-reintroduction process are meant to help you identify your unique food sensitivities. It is NOT meant to determine food allergies, which can be dangerous and life-threatening. Talk to your doctor if you suspect food allergies may be an issue for you. 

Beyond Food: Why Lifestyle (and Support) Matter

What many people don't realize is that  AIP isn't just a dietary protocol; your lifestyle habits play a huge role in the healing process and are built into AIP. Stress, sleep, movement, mindset, and even social support all influence how your immune system functions—and how your body responds to the changes you’re making.

Here’s the truth: Things will come up. Life will throw curveballs. You’ll have questions, you’ll face challenges, and you might hit moments of doubt. One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is trying to do AIP alone.

Having the right support system—like compassionate coaching and a healing-focused community—can make all the difference. It helps you avoid common pitfalls, stay consistent when motivation dips, navigate the inevitable bumps, and ultimately follow through long enough to see real results.

Inside the Thrivers Club, that’s exactly what we offer: a safe, encouraging space to take this journey one doable step at a time, surrounded by others who truly get it.    

Does AIP Really Work?

While AIP may not be the right fit for everyone, there’s a massive community of autoimmune patients who shout a hearty YES to that question. This is what’s known as anecdotal evidence—meaning it points to real-life success stories, even if you won’t always hear about it from your conventional doctor.

For AIP to gain widespread recognition in the medical community, more research is needed. And let’s be honest: food and lifestyle interventions often don’t get the funding that pharmaceutical research does. That said, a small but growing body of research is beginning to back what many of us have experienced firsthand.

Emerging research says YES:

• A 2019 pilot study on patients with Hashimoto’s found that AIP significantly reduced symptom burden, health-related quality of life, and inflammation markers (like CRP). 

• A 2017 study on patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), as in Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, showed that 73% reached clinical remission after just 6 weeks on Core AIP.

What’s extra exciting? Both studies used online, community-based programs with health coaching as key components—three cheers for The Thrivers Club! 🙌

More studies are needed, and more are underway, but the results so far are promising, especially for those of us navigating the frustrating maze of thyroid autoimmunity and the politics of conventional care.

WATCH: AIP Explained in 15 Minutes

If you want the quick version of all this, watch my short YouTube video:

🎥 The AIP Diet Explained: How It Works + How to Start

It’s beginner-friendly, no-fluff, and designed to help you feel less overwhelmed about taking that first step. 

LISTEN: My Honest Take on AIP

Want the real talk? In my full-length podcast episode, “The AIP Diaries: Surviving the Autoimmune Protocol,” I share:

• What it's really like to do AIP (I've actually done it 3 times)

• My top AIP survival tips (like don’t skimp on carbs and watch the coconut overload)

• Mindset shifts that helped me stay sane throughout AIP

Listen/Watch on Your Platform of Choice:

• 📺 Watch/Subscribe on YouTube
• 🍏 Listen/Follow on Apple Podcasts
• 🎧 Listen/Follow on Spotify
• 💻 Listen on the Podcast Page 

Is AIP Right for You?

AIP isn’t for everyone. If you’re prone to disordered eating, under a lot of stress, managing multiple food restrictions, or dealing with complex food intolerances (like histamine, sulfur, oxalate, or FODMAP intolerance), it might not be the right fit. Always discuss with your healthcare practitioner before embarking on AIP. 

If you’re ready to:

• Gain clarity about your unique dietary triggers

• Calm chronic or systemic inflammation

• Reclaim your energy and vitality

• Reverse pesky symptoms that medication sometimes leaves behind

…AIP can be a powerful tool, especially with the right support.

You Don’t Have to Do This Alone

Inside the Thrivers Club, we have AIP recipes, resources, workshops, wellness challenges, and a community of people who get it. This high-vibe community is where we take the stress out of healing, together.

👉 Learn more or join us inside The Thrivers Club!

The bottom line? The Autoimmune Protocol is a powerful tool, especially for those of us with Hashimoto's. It can be challenging, but it can also provide invaluable answers about the foods on which your body thrives (and those it doesn't). For best results: Don't go it alone. Give yourself the gift of support, and you'll get so much more out of your AIP experience.

Whether you’re just getting started or looking for new ways to approach healing, I hope this post gave you the clarity and encouragement you need to get started and on your way to feeling your best. 

Always cheering you on, 

Disclaimer: Always talk to your medical provider before making dietary changes. This article is for educational and inspirational purposes only.