Episode 73: What I’d Do Differently If Starting AIP Today

If Mickey were starting the Autoimmune Protocol today—not in 2011 during the middle of a health crisis, but now with more than a decade of lived experience, research, and clinical insight—there are several things she would approach differently.

Not because AIP doesn’t work, and not because she regrets the path she took. In fact, AIP was the turning point that helped her regain her health after being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s and celiac disease. But over the years, her understanding of healing has evolved. The science around AIP has matured, the community has grown, and the tools available to people starting today are far more structured and supportive than they were in the early days.

In this reflective episode, Mickey shares the biggest shifts she would make if she were beginning AIP today—from how she would track symptoms and approach nutrient density to how she would think about fatigue, identity, community, and the long timeline of healing.

Rather than focusing only on food elimination, this episode reframes AIP as a broader process of rebuilding health—one that includes nourishment, medical partnership, emotional adaptation, and long-term sustainability.

Mickey also shares how these lessons informed her upcoming book, The New Autoimmune Protocol, and explains the new community experience she’s launching to guide people through the transition phase before beginning elimination together as a group.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

1. Why Mickey would start tracking symptoms from day one
2. Why focusing on nutrient repletion can be more important than restriction
3. The key nutrient-dense foods that made the biggest difference in her healing
4. Why continuing to advocate for proper medical care matters alongside diet
5. How medication and lifestyle changes can work together in autoimmune recovery
6. The emotional identity shift that often comes with chronic illness
7. How AIP can remain a tool without becoming your identity
8. Why community support can dramatically improve the healing process
9. How to set realistic expectations for recovery timelines
10. Why progress is best measured in months and years—not weeks

Resources:

Episode 52: How to Track Symptoms on AIP

Episode 56: Mickey’s Healing Update

The New Autoimmune Protocol (Book) – A modern guide to implementing AIP today, including transition strategies, personalization, and sustainable long-term healing. Available for pre-order wherever books are sold.

Pre-Order Community – When you pre-order the book and submit your receipt at theautoimmuneprotocol.com/preorder, you’ll gain access to a private community, exclusive recipes, live Q&A sessions, and a guided Transition Phase in May leading up to a coordinated AIP start on June 1.

Episode Timeline:

00:00 – Why Mickey would approach AIP differently today

01:08 – Introduction and context for this reflection

03:22 – Why journaling from day one matters

06:16 – Nutrient repletion before restriction

08:31 – Advocating medically and personalizing care sooner

10:36 – Grieving the identity shift of chronic illness

12:41 – Respecting fatigue instead of pushing through

14:05 – Why AIP shouldn’t become your identity

16:06 – The importance of finding community support

18:11 – Measuring progress in months and years

20:07 – The bigger mindset shift around long-term healing

22:00 – The New Autoimmune Protocol pre-order community announcement

24:59 – Closing reflections and invitation to join the community