Discover the Power of Food as Medicine
At Asheville Alternative Wellness Center, we believe that food can be one of your most powerful tools for healing. For many of our patients, the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) and Elimination Diet are pivotal steps in identifying hidden food triggers, reducing chronic inflammation, and reclaiming energy, clarity, and resilience.
These protocols are more than diets—they are diagnostic and healing tools, carefully guided by functional medicine principles to help you understand how your body responds to food and environment.
What Is the AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) Diet?
The AIP Diet is a targeted anti-inflammatory nutrition protocol designed for individuals with autoimmune or inflammatory conditions. It eliminates foods that commonly disrupt the gut, immune system, and hormones—while focusing on nutrient-dense foods that promote healing.
Key Features of the AIP Diet
- Eliminates: Grains, legumes, dairy, nuts, seeds, nightshades, processed foods, added sugars, and inflammatory compounds (including some medications like NSAIDs), corn, soy, and eggs (for some people)
- Emphasizes: Non-nightshade vegetables, wild/grass-fed meats, fish, bone broth, fermented foods, organ meats, and healthy fats
- Phases:
- Elimination (6–12 weeks): Remove all known triggers
- Reintroduction: Add foods back slowly to identify your personal sensitivities
- Personalization: Build a long-term, nourishing plan around your body’s unique needs
Benefits of the AIP Diet
- Calms autoimmune flares and chronic inflammation
- Supports gut healing and microbiome balance
- Improves fatigue, joint pain, digestive issues, and skin conditions
- Helps restore nutrient status and immune system regulation
What Is an Elimination Diet?
The Elimination Diet is a structured, short-term eating plan used to uncover food sensitivities and intolerances. It is considered the gold standard in functional medicine for identifying hidden contributors to symptoms like brain fog, fatigue, rashes, digestive upset, and more.
How it Works
- Elimination Phase (6–12 weeks): Remove common food triggers like gluten, dairy, soy, corn, eggs, processed foods, caffeine, and alcohol
- Reintroduction Phase: Slowly reintroduce one food at a time every 72 hours, observing for physical, mental, or emotional symptoms
- Personalization Phase: Use insights to design a sustainable eating plan that avoids personal triggers and supports long-term wellness
Why Try an Elimination Diet?
- Pinpoint hard-to-identify food sensitivities
- Reduce inflammation and chronic symptoms
- Restore gut health and immune resilience
- Feel empowered and informed about what your body truly needs
A Functional Medicine Approach to AIP & Elimination Diets
At AAWC, these diets are not about restriction for the sake of restriction. We use them as temporary, powerful tools for root-cause discovery and healing—never as one-size-fits-all solutions.
Is this right for you?
The AIP or Elimination Diet may be right for you if you:
Ready to Start Your Healing Journey?
If you’re tired of guessing what’s causing your symptoms and ready to discover how nutrition can help you heal, we’re here to help.
Ready to experience truly integrative healing?
Call us today at (828) 242-0990 or schedule your consultation here.
At Asheville Alternative Wellness Center, we help you harness the power of food as medicine—one informed, nourishing step at a time.