Michelle Hoover - The Autoimmune Protocol Comfort Food Cookbook: 100+ Nourishing Allergen-Free Recipes

100+ Nourishing Allergen-Free Recipes Michelle Hoover, NTP of Unbound Wellness Foreword by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, Ph.D.,
New York Times best-selling author of The Paleo Approach DR. SARAH BALLANTYNE, PHD,
New York Times best-selling author of The Paleo Approach. AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE IS EPIDEMIC in our society, as tens of millions deal with diagnoses ranging from multiple sclerosis, to Hashimotos thyroiditis, to rheumatoid arthritis, to psoriasis, to lupus, and morethere are over 140 chronic diseases confirmed or suspected of falling under the autoimmune umbrella. The symptoms of autoimmune disease can have a severe impact on our daily lives, and overall vitality. The Autoimmune Protocol, or AIP, is a template created for those struggling with autoimmune disease to reduce inflammation and support the bodys natural ability to heal.

Through its focus on selecting nutrient-dense, healing foods; eliminating inflammatory foods; and making specific lifestyle choices, quality of life can be drastically improved. There is scientific evidence that the AIP is indeed effective. In a 2017 clinical trial of patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, 73 percent of participants experienced full remission within six weeks of starting the protocol. Similarly impressive results were seen in a 2019 clinical trial of Hashimotos thyroiditis patients, who experienced a significant decrease in symptoms as measured by health-related quality of life scores, accompanied by lower markers of systemic inflammation, within the ten-week study period. Though the AIP diet temporarily eliminates many foods that we are accustomed to enjoying in the context of holidays, celebrations, and other fun settings, there is still plenty of opportunity for enjoying comfort food made from nourishing and compliant ingredients! The Autoimmune Protocol Comfort Food Cookbook is a fantastic resource for those looking to enjoy nostalgic dishes, holiday classics, decadent treats, tasty snacks, and family favorites, all while on the AIP diet! This cookbook features over 100 creative and delicious recipes, written by Michelle Hoover, NTP, who has shared her popular AIP creations for several years on her blog. Healthy living relies heavily on the foods that we eat and the choices that we make daily, but it is also dependent on the sense of community and human connection that we have in our lives.

For thousands of years, humans have gathered around a common table to share, bond, and celebrate with food. The Autoimmune Protocol Comfort Food Cookbook allows you to share cherished comfort food flavors with loved ones while unreservedly enjoying nourishing AIP foods yourself! Michelle aims to make sure that those who are following an Autoimmune Protocol dietor who have food intolerances to gluten, dairy, soy, nightshade, nuts and moreare able to feel a sense of joy and abundance with the food that they eat. This book is your key to do just that!

GROWING UP, I was never a healthy kid. I often experienced dizziness and usually had some kind of infection or stomachache. Although I was labeled a hypochondriac, everything changed at the age of 17 when I was diagnosed with Hashimotos disease. Hashimotos is a disease in which the immune system attacks the thyroid gland, which is responsible for many of the bodys functions.

It is the most common cause of hypothyroidism, or underactive thyroid. Hashimotos is a chronic condition. Signs include fatigue, depression, sensitivity to cold, joint aches, constipation, a puffy face, pale, dry skin, brittle nails, and more. The diagnosis turned my life upside down. I was overwhelmed, confused, and scared for what the rest of my life would look like and plagued by myriad symptoms. I would sleep up to 18 hours a day, and I suffered from fainting spells, food intolerances, mood swings, weight changes, and more.

Youth is supposed to be a vibrant, carefree time, but I felt like my body was deteriorating, my life was out of control, and that I was completely alone. Conventional medicine told me there was little I could do and certainly nothing I could do holistically. Though I was prescribed medication, it wasnt the right balance for my body and little changed. After several years of battling debilitating symptoms, I learned about the gut connection to autoimmune disease, as well as possibly restoring my health with personalized functional, or alternative, medicine, different medication prescribed by my doctor, and real foodvia the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) diet. My doctor explained that our gut health is tied to our bodys overall health, and when our gut health is compromised, it can trigger autoimmunity. After testing, I learned my gut health was severely compromised and several other aspects of my health needed support and rebalancing, including vitamin deficiencies, mineral imbalances, hormone imbalance, adrenal fatigue, and more.

With personalized recommendations, such as proper supplementation, a new medication, and lifestyle changes such as healthy movement, I started to see they were having a positive effect on my life. It took years for me to commit to a healing lifestyle. I often told myself that one little bite of pizza wouldnt hurt, or I would just start the diet on Monday. To me, giving up my favorite foods was unbearable. After weekly pity parties, I wound up back at the local gas station, buying and digging into bags of my favorite candy. Needless to say, I wasnt getting better.

Things finally changed when I had one too many health scares and decided I needed to get serious. I finally shifted my mind-set away from obsessing over what I couldnt have to embracing what I could have. I stopped pining for grocery store cookies from a box and started experimenting and making my own cookies with ingredients that agreed with my body. I stopped telling myself I was unfortunate for not being able to eat delivery pizza without feeling ill and started feeling grateful for the foods that were nourishing my body and for feeling better physically when I made healthier choices. There were plenty of missteps, and this process took years, but it changed everything for me.

I adopted a healing lifestyle and found ways to make it fun by re-creating healthier versions of my favorite childhood foods, such as chicken nuggets and chocolate chip cookies.

And, I felt so much better! My thyroid antibodies stabilized, my symptoms subsided, and I was inspired to go back to school to become a nutritional therapy practitioner and share my story and recipes on my blog, Unbound Wellness.com. Although my health has improved, my healing journey is far from over. Since I was diagnosed with Hashimotos, Ive also dealt with numerous gut issues, such as food intolerances, as well as mercury toxicity, estrogen dominance, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. My lifestyle, outlook, and diet have made me better equipped to deal with these health challenges. Above all, Ive maintained a heart of gratitude for all the amazing things God has put in my life. Even in the darkest times, this faith helped me on my healing journey far more than all the kale in the world!