Foods to avoid on an autoimmune focused Paleo Diet.

I found an excellent post explaining in very simple terms what foods should be avoided and how to follow an elimination diet for autoimmune suffers. I'd like to recommend to anyone who is interested to check out this post. I think the advice to follow a strict form of the diet for 1-3 months is a good one. Then, after those three months, begin to add in the foods that you miss the most and keep a written record of how you feel each day, and whether your symptoms have improved.

On my post last week, I mentioned that most of Loren Cordain's recent research conclusions regarding nightshades have been discussed in the Raw Paleo Forum. While I am not a Raw Paleo follower, there is some good information there, and certainly interesting comments. In addition, I also discovered an excellent interviewwith Loren Cordain about the research that has been done regarding autoimmune disease and the dietary implications of that research.

Basically this is what I have distilled from what he has written in his books, mentioned in interviews and published in his research and newsletters, and what I have gleaned from other researchers and sites over the past couple of weeks:

It is probably a good idea when starting out to try a 1-3 month period of complete elimination. Completely avoid the following:

Grains of all kinds: Amaranth, barley, buckwheat, corn, (including whole cornmeal and popcorn), millet, oats (including oatmeal), quinoa, rice, (brown, white and wild), rye, sorghum, teff, triticale, and wheat (including varieties such as spelt, emmer, farro, einkorn, kamut, durum and forms such as bulgur, cracked wheat and wheatberries.)

Legumes: Including peas, beans, lentils, soy, and peanuts.

Nightshade vegetables: This would include potatoes (not sweet potatoes), tomatoes, green peppers, chili peppers, eggplants and tomatillos. Note that chili peppers include all varieties of peppers from the genus Capsicum, including sweet bell peppers, jalapenos, cayenne, habanero, Anaheim, Thai, Tabasco, cherry, pepperoncini and Serrano (among others). Chili peppers are also commonly consumed in dried powders such as paprika, chili powder and cayenne, and are nearly always found in hot sauces, Tabasco sauces, and salsas.

Dairy: All dairy products, including milk cream, cheese, etc., from cows, goats, sheep, etc.


All processed food: including cured meats (cured bacon too), sugar, pre-mixed seasonings and sauces, jarred mayonnaise, mustard, etc.

There is also some evidence that avoiding egg whites, nuts, and alcohol may help alleviate symptoms.

After the initial elimination phase--cautiously (one per week) begin to introduce items back in to your diet. Nuts, tomatoes, peppers, (foods that are still considered "paleo".) Carefully pay attention to how you feel when you consume them to see if they cause a flare-up. Sometimes you will find that you can eat tomatoes or peppers several times a week without repercussions.

Try to keep grains, potatoes and dairy out of your diet long term.

I tend to let things slip. I haven't been perfect. Far from it. I do drink wine once or twice a week or so, dairy slips in occasionally too, and last night I went out to dinner and had a slice and a half of pizza. I need to be more careful. I am currently having an LS flareup, and this week I have not been exactly strict with my diet, perhaps there is a correlation... :)

On the upside, I am continuing to lose weight, which is a good thing (I think that is due to the low-calorie nature of my diet now--I have been very faithfully IFing each day.)

I hope this information is helpful to some of you, and welcome comments.