Wholistic Jen

By Jennifer Whitmire MS, MEd, MH, CHES, NEP

If you’ve ever Googled foods to avoid with autoimmune disease, you’ve probably seen the same lists over and over again: nightshades, nuts and seeds, beans, and the usual suspects, gluten and dairy. But here’s the thing, I don’t follow those lists. And I don’t recommend my clients blindly follow them either.

Don’t get me wrong—there are foods and food-like substances (think Pop-Tarts, Oreos, and Cheetos) that I avoid and believe everyone should avoid, regardless of their health status. Those are not FOOD. But lumping nutrient-dense foods like tomatoes and nuts into the same category? That’s where I have to question things.

I did it! Believe me, when I got my news at the dr, I kept seeing the AIP diet which eliminates almost everything that I eat. And I followed it. And I don’t eat animal products, so it left me pretty much with fruit, greens,  and starchy vegetables.

I followed this way of eating for 3 months, lost a lot of weight, lost a lot muscle, and became very depleted. I wasn’t overweight when I started, so it caused a lot of unnecessary stress to my already stressed and inflamed body.

Why Blanket “Avoid” Lists Don’t Work

These lists oversimplify the complex relationship you and your food and health. 

1. Oversimplification: What triggers symptoms in one person may be completely fine for another. Diet is highly individual. I’m like a broken record, We are ALL UNIQUE!  I cannot tolerate corn, at all! But other people with autoimmune thyroid do fine with corn.  I can handle dairy, though I don’t for a million other reasons, while most people with autoimmune thyroid or celiac cannot tolerate dairy at all.
2. Nutrient Loss: Many “off-limit” foods are actually packed with nutrients. For example, tomatoes are rich in lycopene, an important antioxidant, nuts provide essential fatty acids that support the brain and hormones, and seeds are high in vitamin E which is low in diets across the board regardless of health. And beans?!  Beans are so nutritious!  We just have to be sure to buy organic and prepare them properly. Now, some people do have issues with certain beans, and I think it is more important to remove those specific beans than eliminate the whole category.
3. Context Matters: Foods like nightshades or seeds might be a problem in certain situations but beneficial in others. It’s all about balance and understanding your unique triggers. And, if tomatoes bother you, it doesn’t mean that eggplant will.  Even though they are in the same category, you may have an issue with one but not all. 

(It’s not a nightshade, but my personal example is beets – a well-known oxalate. I get gritty eyes when I eat beets, and maybe TMI, stinging upon urination when I eat beet greens.  Do I need to avoid oxalates?  I’ve never had a kidney stone, and it doesn’t happen when I eat spinach, chard, or any of the other high oxalate foods. I don’t avoid all oxalates).  

4. Sustainability: Overly restrictive diets lead to burnout, yo-yo dieting, and a strained relationship with food. Not to mention what it does to your metabolism!  Your body becomes an energy storing machine and weight literally sticks to your ribs as you start to eat more. And these diets are meant to be temporary. If you follow something like this, only do it short-term, and add foods back in a structured manner.  This is meant to show you what foods are YOUR triggers.
5. You don’t have to eliminate it all at once. Do one group at a time.  BUT, remember that it took me 6 months to see my antibodies go down when I went gluten free. Don’t eliminate beans, nuts, seeds, nightshades, gluten, dairy, etc, all at the same time like me. Eliminate 1 group for a period of time.  Then test individual foods from that group to see if you have a reaction.  Jennifer Swank and I, The Jen Twins, have a program where we walk people through a 6 week elimination program in the summer.  Join our list to find out more.

The key is finding what works for you. That doesn’t mean throwing caution to the wind; it means being strategic.

When to Avoid Certain Foods

Now, I’m not saying food sensitivities aren’t real—they absolutely are. In cases of elevated antibodies or inflammation, changing your diet can make a huge difference. 

Gluten is a well-recognized trigger for most people with autoimmune disease.

• Gluten can damage the intestinal lining which leads to increased permeability and an increased immune responses.
•  Gluten triggers systemic inflammation which leads to autoimmune symptoms and flares.
• Even small exposures can set off a chain reaction which can increase inflammation for weeks. That one “cheat” (I hate the word cheat) or one bite, can set you back for weeks!

If you suspect certain foods are triggering symptoms, an elimination diet can be very helpful.

Why an Elimination Diet Works

Elimination diets are meant to be temporary!

1. They reduce inflammation allowing your body to heal.
2. They help you identify specific trigger foods unique to you.
3. They remove inflammatory foods which improves gut health which is foundational to immune function.
4. They empower you to make the right choices moving forward.

But—and this is important—these diets are not meant to last forever. The goal is to heal and reintroduce as many foods as possible without triggering symptoms.

My Approach

Instead of following strict “avoid” lists, I focus on building a nutrient-rich, anti-inflammatory diet unique to my body’s needs or my client’s needs.

• Eating whole, plant-based foods that support health and hormone balance. Being sure to eat all of the colors of the rainbow and as many different fruits and vegetables as possible each day.
• Avoiding processed junk and things found in boxes and bags that provide no nutritional value.
• Staying flexible and open to adjusting the diet as health evolves.

Choose foods that feel good to your body, and don’t live in fear of every bite. I can’t have corn or gluten, and that is very difficult if I go out to eat, so I admit, eating at a restaurant or on the road is scary to me.  But if I plan ahead, look up menus before we get there, and use my apps, I can make the right choices to keep me strong and healthy.

Join The Zen & Zest Zone

Ready to take control of your health without the overwhelm of one-size-fits-all advice? In The Zen & Zest Zone, we focus strategies to help you thrive. This January, not only are we offering our gluten free plant based cooking class, and our herbal workshop, we’re going to have a movement class, and we’re introducing Neuro Art—a way to retrain your brain and reduce stress. Combine that with practical tools for healing your gut and calming inflammation, and you’ve got a recipe for lasting wellness.

Join us today and discover the tools to build a diet—and a life—that truly works for you.