eating with an autoimmune disease: a day in the life
Living with an autoimmune disorder is no walk in the park. It takes effort, vigilance, and planning. No matter the disorder, the goal is the same: feel good. With that in mind, we asked CJ Finley, who suffers from Celiac Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), to put together a typical day of eating to help give you some ideas on where to start.
**Every individual has different nutritional needs and responds to various foods and supplements differently. Find what works for you with the help of professional supervision.
Here is an example day in the life that has helped me feel better on my autoimmune journey. All meals follow the same principle: how many single ingredient, minimally processed foods can I fit on my plate with each meal? If it is not a single ingredient, how can I minimize the ingredients in everything that I eat? This reduces the risk of contamination and eating something that might trigger an attack. So, without further ado, let's see what I'm eating today.
BREAKFAST
Larabar or Thunderbird Bar: both typically have less than three ingredients (dates + almonds/cashews + carrots & various veggies/fruits)
Collagen Smoothie:
1/2 Avocado, ½ banana, Tsp. MCT oil, 1-serving Dr Axe. Chocolate Bone Broth Collagen, 4 dates, 1 cup coconut milk, 1 cup FairLife lactase free chocolate milk (I love chocolate)
Supplements – Turmeric Pill, Gut Pill
This breakfast provides the full spectrum of macronutrients (protein, carbs, fats) that are needed to fuel the kick start of any day. Add in the turmeric to aid in anti-inflammatory support and the gut pill for its prebiotic and probiotic effects.
LUNCH
Organic Sweet Potato + Ghee Butter
½ Avocado
½ lb of organic lean ground turkey or organic ground chicken
Cassava Flour Tortillas
Turmeric Powder
Mixed Veggies (beets, carrots, mushrooms, cucumbers)
For lunch, again, it is highly advised to hit the full spectrum of macronutrients. An easy way to understand portion sizes is by following the Precision Nutrition portion size infographic which is much less time consuming than myfitnesspal or other calorie counting techniques.
DINNER
Organic Japanese Yam + sea salt
1/2lb of Atlantic Salmon, Tuna, Swordfish (other various fish)
Squash + Zucchini + preferred spices & seasoning
The familiar theme to all of this is to incorporate a healthy mix of macronutrients into every single meal. In today’s world, where so many different diets are being sold and pushed onto everyone, it is hard to decipher what is considered “healthy.” This is where I challenge everyone to think back to a time before microwaves and processed foods. What did we eat?
We ate what we could grow, what we could pick, and we ate what we could hunt. If you stick to this methodology and make sure to build variety within your nutrition plan, you will find what works best for you, and you will find optimal results. You will feel better mentally and physically and ultimately have less stress when it comes to deciding what you should or should not eat.
For more tips on how to live with an autoimmune disorder, follow CJ on Instagram: @thriveonlife
