Battling an Autoimmune disease, juggling a busy career while also being on AIP is something I know first-hand.

The year was 2015. I was working as a filmmaker, and a wildlife magazine editor. I was busy, but genuinely loving every minute of it. I had been dealing with chronic joint pain, weight gain, and severe asthma for well over a decade at that point but thought it was just, well, part of life. After a particularly emotionally challenging year, I started to develop additional symptoms including severe memory loss. I began consulting numerous doctors and eventually received a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. I was told my memory loss was most likely early onset of Alzheimer’s disease, and that I should make the most of the time I had left. There was no cure for my autoimmune disease and although I was sick, I wasn’t sick enough yet to warrant other treatments. I was told to just wait. 

As isolating as this made me feel, I now know stories like this exist by the thousands. Determined to find a better answer I turned to functional medicine, hoping to get to the root cause of my symptoms and was introduced to AIP.

AIP had its challenges for sure. I was a vegan at the time and had to give the diet some serious thought. I had to adjust my work schedule, figure out how to do AIP on a budget, postpone projects, and so on. However, for me, the results came quickly. Within 6 weeks my asthma, joint pain, allergies, crushing fatigue, and those scary memory loss episodes were gone. I was blown away.

 When I went back to the doctor, my thyroid antibodies were down significantly, and my thyroid function was balanced. I felt invincible! As I returned to my normal schedule, maintaining AIP became impossible. So I figured, “bah, if I get sick again, I’ll just get back on it and be better within 6 weeks” …not quite...

 Most of us get diagnosed while living busy lives, and shifting schedules and responsibilities around isn’t so easy. Between the stress of navigating a new diagnosis, the stress of finding the “right” way to heal, the stress of keeping up with everyday obligations despite being completely exhausted, there are simply not enough hours and energy left in the day to overcome the vicious cycle of autoimmunity. 

 As I began indulging in my favorite pizza and on-the-go meals, it didn’t take long before I was right back where I started, flare ups and all. When I went back on AIP, the relief didn’t come as quickly either.

That’s where I learned that AIP isn’t a miracle cure. It’s simply a tool to add to your bag along your autoimmunity journey. It's a powerful tool, but a tool, nonetheless.

I also learned that, how long it will take for someone to feel better on AIP depends on the individual and the health of their gut. That autoimmune disease can be reactivated at any point, and choosing to be healthy is a decision we need to renew daily. I learned that lifestyle is just as important as food. And that it’s ok to cry, scream, want to kick a teddy bear and pout for having to say goodbye to Gluten forever. 

 I was eventually successful at reaching remission using AIP. But for me, the challenges that came with the dietary portion of the protocol never went away. The better I felt, the more things I wanted to do. The more things I did, the less time I had to cook and the more frustrated I felt having to choose between maintaining my health and pursuing my dreams. 

I wanted a solution that would give me the time to pursue the things I loved to do, to live, laugh, enjoy my friends and family and play. I wanted to feel nourished not just with food but with everything life had to offer. And I wanted to help others feel the same. And so Urban AIP was born. 

 The few years that separate us from the moment the idea came to me until today were spent building every aspect of the business in order to best serve you. I went back to school and graduated as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner and AIP Certified Coach. I started my own practice, focusing on women with chronic inflammation and autoimmune disease. I found a wonderful chef with a diverse culinary background, and began laying out the foundation of Urban AIP, making sure Care and Quality would be reflected in every component of the business - from the food itself to our sustainability practices, to our giving back programs. Then we brought on a savvy and creative food scientist to help bring it all together, ensuring the best product quality. And so here we are. 

I am humbled and grateful to be able to share Urban AIP with you and I hope it will serve you as a new tool to add to your autoimmunity wellness bag. A tool to heal, and a tool to help you add hours back into your day, and regain the freedom to pursue all the things that bring you joy and happiness.

To your health!