By Megan McGrane
Ah, the inevitable ‘cheat meal’. How much damage can one little meal do, right? When you are following the AIP (autoimmune protocol) the temptation to take a break from your meal plan can be strong. This may be a hard line in the sand, but let me tell you why cheating on the AIP just isn’t worth it.
Whatever your reason for choosing to do the AIP, you felt that it was something you wanted, or needed, to do to be healthier. Can you take a moment and think back to what made you want to improve your health and eating habits? Many times, taking a moment to recall your goals and motivations can help you shake the feeling of wanting a ‘cheat’ meal.
The AIP is meant to help you gain insight about your health; a tool to discover food sensitivities and decrease inflammation. If you feel tempted to enjoy a ‘cheat’ meal, think about how long you’ve wanted to try the AIP. Two weeks? One month? If you haven’t set a start date and end date, this may steer you away from the AIP. When the end is indefinite, you may feel like you will never again eat a white potato or have almond butter. It’s simply human to want the exact thing that you have been told you can’t have, especially when you fear it will never come around again. Remember begging for candy as a child when an adult said no? It’s the same about food cravings and when you have food restrictions. It’s like telling you not to form a mental image of a pink flamingo. Well, now you are thinking about a pink flamingo aren’t you?
If you’ve been following the AIP for any length of time, you have invariably put in a lot of hard work and dedication. By having a cheat meal or cheat food you are telling yourself that the food or craving is more important than the work you are putting.
When a desire to have a cheat meal creeps in, think of how far you’ve come. By starting the process of removing inflammatory agents like gluten, grain, alcohol, nuts, dairy, and legumes from your diet you’ve already helped your body start the repair process. You’ve removed the offending agents and allowed your body to stop reacting or over-reacting to foods, which is the case in autoimmunity. If you re-introduce many of those food triggers—having a cheat meal—you may undermine the quality of the results you’re able to see during your AIP period. Are you sensitive to dairy or gluten? Did the pizza make you feel bloated or was it the beer? If you can stay on course for your set AIP period, your results will be much clearer and you will truly be able to identify trigger foods.
As with any practice there are always a few caveats …
The Unavoidable Predicament
Are you stranded in an airport/plane/boat/island without other food options? Have you traveled far to attend your college roommate’s wedding only to find an Italian feast with pasta—all things breaded—and topped with cheese? When faced with a travel mishap, wedding, work dinner or other commitment where you find yourself without AIP options, here are a few helpful tips to do your best.
- What is the best choice I could make here? Salad, steamed vegetables, a lean protein without sauce? Helpful hint: sometimes the answer is on the appetizer menu.
- Can I ask the server for a simply prepared salad/chicken breast/steamed vegetable that will suffice?
- Am I using this as an excuse to go off the rails? A common response when facing a challenge on the AIP is to scrap all of your hard work and eat all the food … even the things you can reasonably avoid like, a cheese tray, the dessert and of course, alcohol.
Many fall into this trap and believe if you have to make a few cheats to your AIP diet, you might as well forget it all and eat whatever you want. However, you can make some reasonable choices and stay close to the plan so when you’re able to control your circ*mstances, you’re back on track with your AIP diet.
Anytime you make a decision to try a new way of eating or work on yourself, you’ll be faced with temptation. Find ways to focus on your goals while you’re on the AIP to help you stay on track and and learn trigger foods.
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FAQs
If that's the case, cheats like this are completely counterproductive and only make it more difficult to get back on track because you're likely to induce an autoimmune flare or at least some really miserable symptoms.
Is it okay to cheat on paleo? ›
You can follow Dr. Cordain's suggestion and eat 2 or 3 “cheat meals” each week, where you get to eat whatever you want for that meal. Some other advocates of Paleolithic nutrition suggest one whole cheat day every 1-2 weeks, where you eat whatever you want all day.
What happens if you cheat on an anti-inflammatory diet? ›
Stick with Your Anti-Inflammatory Diet Plan with No Cheating
People can physically react to even a small amount of inflammatory food. Thinking “I'm just going to have dessert this one time or once on Saturdays!” can lead to a downward spiral of chronic pain.
What are the side effects of the autoimmune paleo diet? ›
Knowing why you react negatively can further help you on your wellness journey.
- Low blood sugar. ...
- New food sensitivities. ...
- Opioid withdrawal reactions. ...
- Brain chemical imbalance. ...
- Insomnia and anxiety. ...
- Difficulty digesting fiber. ...
- Histamine intolerance. ...
- Yeast and bacteria die-off reactions.
While your metabolism may go up in the immediate aftermath of a splurge, it doesn't stay that way for long enough to make a significant difference. “Cheat day calories can add up fast and bring your weight loss progress to a screeching halt — or even reverse it,” Taylor warns.
Is the AIP diet worth it? ›
The Take-Away
The studies on the AIP diet so far show good results. This special diet has been proven to help bring down inflammation and make life better by easing symptoms and boosting energy. The AIP diet might not work for everyone because it can be challenging.
Why am I gaining weight on paleo? ›
Paleo is a high fat diet—even if they're “good fats,” such as nuts. If you start sneaking carbs on top of that, you get excess calories, which lead to weight gain. And even if you're super vigilant, it's possible to snack too much.
What are red flags of the paleo diet? ›
Over time, people following the diet could see increases in cholesterol, particularly the less healthy cholesterol. This could increase the risk of heart disease. Not getting enough calcium increases the risk of osteoporosis, rickets, and bone fractures.
What is the fastest way to lose inflammation weight? ›
Exercising regularly will help you lose excess weight and naturally fights inflammation. Getting plenty of quality sleep will help you feel more energetic and balance your hormones so you can stay active and reduce inflammation.
What are inflammatory foods to avoid to lose weight? ›
Inflammatory Foods
- Red meat, such as steak and hamburgers.
- Processed meat, such as bologna, bacon, sausage and lunchmeat.
- Commercial baked goods such as snack cakes, pies, cookies and brownies.
- Bread and pasta made with white flour.
- Deep fried items such as French fries, fried chicken and donuts.
Abstain from Eggs
To a healthy person, pastured eggs can be good. To a person with autoimmune, they can cause havoc that probably wouldn't happen in a healthy person. Eggs can allow proteins (usually lysozyme, from the egg white) to cross the gut barrier where they don't belong and contribute to molecular mimicry.
What is unhealthy about the paleo diet? ›
While the paleo diet isn't necessarily unhealthy, it may lead to nutrient deficiencies because it requires cutting out dairy, grains, and legumes.
What are the most common foods that worsen autoimmune diseases? ›
The worst foods for autoimmune disease include foods high in sugar, red meat, dairy, gluten, and nightshade vegetables.
What happens if you cheat on an elimination diet? ›
Starting an elimination diet
Thus, if you “cheat” during the elimination phase, you may never realize the true potential of the elimination. For the best “test,” it's important to be fairly strict during this elimination phase.
Do you have to do the AIP diet forever? ›
Like other elimination diets, the AIP diet is not intended to be forever. After several weeks of an elimination phase, a re-introduction phase will help you understand which specific foods and food groups may be triggers for your symptoms.
What happens if I cheated on my diet? ›
Research shows that after a cheat meal, the body increases its metabolism, causing you to burn calories faster. This is caused by increased levels of leptin, a hormone secreted by fat cells and responsible for maintaining energy balance in the body.
What is the cheat day rule for diet? ›
There is no specific guideline for when or how frequently your cheat meal or day should occur. Often people will include one cheat per week, but this can change depending on what the person's health or weight loss goals are.
