Hi there and thanks for dropping by Flawed yet Functional today! I am an adult onset Type 1 Diabetic working through the reintroduction phase of the Autoimmune Protocol (slowly…very slowly…), and I’m happy to report a successful Stage 3 AIP reintroduction: cashews!
AIP Reintroduction Phase
The purpose of the Autoimmune Protocol is to heal the gut and halt autoimmune disease in its tracks. The diet first has an elimination period that cuts out all inflammatory foods. You remain in the elimination period until all symptoms of the autoimmune disease have stopped. Then one at a time, reintroduce potentially inflammatory foods in this manner:
- Take one small bite of food then monitor reaction for 15 minutes.
- If all is well, then take a full-sized bite and monitor reactions for 2-4 hours.
- Then if no reaction occurs, eat one full serving and monitor symptoms for 3-7 days before reintroducing another food.
So far, I have reintroduced the following foods:
- Fruit and seed spices and oils
- Wine (in small quantities)
- Chocolate (soy and dairy-free)
- Almonds
- Legumes with edible pods
The only failure reintroduction has been eggs. I know that I am highly sensitive to dairy too, so I have not tried any of the dairy products in the reintroduction stages: ghee or grass-fed butter. The four stages are below for reference.
Reintroduction Criteria for Type 1 Diabetics
As a Type 1 Diabetic, my benchmark for success or failure is based on my blood sugar levels after I eat the new food, particularly my fasting blood sugar the following morning. If my gut is irritated by food, my morning blood sugar will be higher than 150 which is my primary indicator that something is going wrong. My blood glucose goals for reintroductions are as follows:
Starting/Fasting Blood Glucose Before Eating: <130
Two-Three Hour Post Eating Blood Glucose: <150
Fasting Blood Glucose the next morning: <150
**These criteria are made up by me and use common sense from my knowledge of diabetes management. This is not medical advice, but rather criteria that let’s me know when a food does or does not irritate my gut.**
Stage 3 Reintroduction: Cashews
After I reintroduced insulin to my health routine, my blood sugar quickly stabilized. My goal was to wait for two weeks of stable blood sugar before attempting a reintroduction. However, I went low during a grocery shopping trip and inhaled a Larabar that had cashews in it (I didn’t read the label carefully…or really at all!). Well, I guess I’m testing cashews with only 5 days of stable blood sugar!
Meal: Snack before lunch
Lunch Blood Glucose: 72
Two-Three Hour Post Blood Glucose: 122
Fasting Blood Glucose the Next Morning: 117
Just to be sure, I tested plain cashews 3 days later…
Meal: Snack after dinner
Dinner Blood Glucose: 116
Two-Three Hour Post Blood Glucose: 143
Fasting Blood Glucose the Next Morning: 124
Success! Reintroducing cashews opens up not just snacking options, but all sorts of sauces for dinner. Danielle Walker has an awesome chicken and cauliflower rice casserole that uses soaked and blended cashews as the sauce. It’s so delicious! There are tons of other uses for cashews in appetizers, butters, and desserts. I’m so excited to incorporate these into my diet again!
After almost six months of no changes to my diet, I’m so happy this Stage 3 AIP Reintroduction of cashews was successful. Stable blood sugars and nibbling cashews has made me a happy girl lately. What a great start to the new year!
Any victories in your health lately? Have you made any changes since New Year’s Day? Do you have any success (big or small!) to share?
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