Over three months into the Paleo Approach and Autoimmune Protocol diets (AIP for short) and it’s time for an update from my (rather grubby and well-used) kitchen. As faithful followers of this blog may recall, I began the elimination journey back to my hunter-gatherer ancestors’ fireside feasts on the first day of August. And, despite the formidable lists of forbidden foods and ingredients, bounty from this year’s autumn harvest has been my saving grace.
Every week, besides our usual visit to the regular grocery chain, I travel to a local orchard’s farm store to consciously purchase pastured meats, as well as fresh cider and the perfect cooking apples for homemade applesauce and crisp. I buy fermented raw kraut from the Saturday farmer’s market, and gorgeous multi-colored chard from a vegan/GF restaurant that grows its own vegetables behind the building.
I’ve taken to hanging around the organic sections, and familiarizing myself with strange, misshapen fruits that hide their beauty on the inside. Sarah Ballantyne, well-known AIP author and cook, challenged herself to buy and prepare any exotic produce that she’d never seen before. I’m not that adventurous yet, but I’m making friends with some pretty homely root vegetables.
As winter sets in, I’ve stocked up on every kind of squash and lined them along my counter, where they wait patiently for me to whip up enough courage to cut into their hard exteriors before softening them up in a slow-roasting oven. I’ve discovered that braising in a tightly covered pot can tame any wild beastie or vegetable into delectable submission. And I utilize everything, from poultry innards and bones, to the tops of beets and fennel — nothing goes to waste if I can help it.
Granted, all of this takes commitment. If I still worked at my old job, I wouldn’t have the time or energy. Slow food can take hours, even days to see results. Crock pots, pressure cookers and heavy cast iron utensils can take a toll on your arms, patience and wallet. Our lack of space in the new galley kitchen often leads to a frustrating dance while family members prepare different meals for separate diets. More than once I’ve caught myself longing for the generous side-by-side fridge that we left behind as cabbages and cauliflower roll out of our currently overstuffed apartment refrigerator.
But is there a payoff, you ask? How about no more joint pain, considerably less inflammation even after injuries, weight loss without your friends becoming alarmed, and lower doses of medicine, all while chronic conditions grow quiet or go into remission. The benefit to eliminating misbehaving dietary culprits, however socially painful, is that when I reintroduce them, I can usually tell within a day or two whether we can play well together yet. If not, the offending foe is placed on a back burner for another day.
While I had hoped for these intended results, what I didn’t expect was the spiritual connection I’ve discovered from taking this often rocky road to recovery. As in life, I’m learning not to wait until I’m starving and desperate to cook and nourish myself. This should be second nature, but in the modern world, we find it so easy to reach for the quick, impersonal calories of convenience that leave us unfulfilled and a little sick. Now, I can take a bite into something that has slowly simmered and stewed in the warm glow of an Indian summer afternoon, and really taste the thought in it.
Suburban Satsangs 
You give some very compelling reasons for trying AIP. I may start with that cookbook and that stew; it look really delicious!
It’s a beautifully photographed cookbook, Bonny, and the recipes are fairly simple and healthy. What takes time is preparing the ingredients but you can substitute and not go to the extremes like I do.;-) Most libraries have this book now, too, I believe.
This is inspirational and I’ll look into the Paleo Dite if there’s a vegan way to do it?
Unfortunately there are no grains, nuts or seeds in strict AIP, Shirah, a lot of meat and fish ingredients for protein, but also plenty of good vegetable and fruit dishes that use coconut and avocado oils. So, some vegan dishes, but not enough for the vegan diet. I’m slowly bringing back seeds, nuts and other grains besides wheat.
Food for thought indeed! I am struck by your reference to “impersonal calories” and “tasting the thought.” I understand the spiritual side of it. And you are so right about the time involved. Not to mention mess. There is nothing convenient about what you’re doing (and I’d love it if you could somehow film the do-si-do in the kitchen amid rollng cauliflower — I can see the cat just shaking his head in disbelief).
That stew up top looks wonderful. Thanks for the inspiration.
Well, I imagine our recorded dance would fit right into an episode of “Hell’s Kitchen” or one of those restaurant nightmare cable shows with Gordon Ramsey. The cat is nowhere to be found when food preparation involving sharp instruments is underway. He’s no dummy.
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