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AIP Spotlight: a real look at Bethany Turner

11/5/2016

Today I am very excited to introduce what will become a regulate feature on The Emancipated Epicure! AIP Spotlight. In this series, each article contains an interview with a different person. It will focus on keeping it real and learning from their experiences with the Autoimmune Protocol. There is immense knowledge, experience and heart within the AIP community. I hope to use this series as a platform for sharing some of that with you. Whether you're new to AIP, or an AIP veteran, I'm sure the interviews will provide some great ideas and inspiration!

I am in the process of conducting interviews with some extremely knowledgeable and wonderful people! I am very excited about sharing them! In the meantime, I will go first. I am by no means an expert, but at almost 1 year into following the Autoimmune Protocol I suppose I count as a veteran now. I'll share some of my thoughts and tips from the past year.

I'd love to get your input! If you have questions you'd like to see featured in the future, or ideas of someone I should interview, please comment below or email me! (See Contact page)

Interview with Bethany Turner follows:

To start, tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm a happily married 29 year old living in rural Alberta, Canada. I have Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroiditis, Endometriosis & Fibromyalgia. I love good food, good company, and good humour! I am an emotional, outgoing introvert who is passionate about the people and ideas I believe in. (Which can be exhausting!) I recently started a website about my experiences with the Autoimmune Protocol.

How long have you been following the Autoimmune Protocol, and what prompted you to start?

I started approximately 11 months ago. It was what I decided to try after a complete physical crash and AI disease diagnosis. I needed an option for healing, which I wasn't getting from the medical system.

What have you found most challenging about following the Autoimmune Protocol and what has helped you overcome this?

For me, the biggest challenge has probably been physically managing all the cooking while so ill. It got easier by learning efficient cooking practices. As well, simply remembering it was a necessity. When I saw progress in my health it kept me determined to stick with it.

(See my article7 Tactics For Saving Time & Energy In The Kitchen)

Other than food, what aspect of AIP living have you found to have the biggest impact on your health?

Sleep! Both the quality and quantity I get. I knew previously that it was important, but I now recognize it as a major part of my healing. Now, if I start to backslide or have a flare, I look at my sleeping habits and they are usually one of the culprits.

How have you incorporated AIP into your household?

I follow strict AIP eating while my husband still eats mainly a standard diet. (Typically he eats an AIP dinner with me.) So, communication and planning are necessary when it comes to meals. Especially on days I don't have the strength to cook. I make sure we are stocked with quick, easy meal options that my husband enjoys for these days. Then he doesn't resent the fact that I can't cook as much for him, and I don't feel like a horrible wife!

Share 1 thing you wish you had known when you started the Autoimmune Protocol.

I wish I had realized more fully that healing is not linear. At all! It can be discouraging (and maybe even make you rethink AIP life) to see yourself get "worse" again after having seen improvement. Knowing it is all part of the processes is immensely helpful. The road to healing zigs and zags, but that doesn't mean you're not making overall progress forward. Be patient. Remember that!

What rewarding results have you seen from following AIP?

When I look back to where I came from a year ago (not being able to get up from my bed by myself) I am amazed at my progress. Now I can function fairly normally at home most days. It gives me great encouragement thinking about where I will be a year from now! Seeing AIP helping me heal is extremely rewarding.

Do you have a favourite AIP resource?

Honestly, my favourite has been finding and connecting with the AIP community through Instagram. Seeing other people's tips and tricks, successes and setbacks has really helped me. I was able to see it is possible and worth it to stick with AIP. A sense of community is so helpful.

What is your go-to AIP recipe, and why?

I make big pans of crispy roasted chicken thighs over and over! They are so easy & tasty. Plus, it's something we don't get sick of.

You can get the recipe I use here: Perfectly Crispy Chicken

What are your top 3 AIP pantry items?

Coconut oil, coconut milk, and plantain chips. I use these pretty much every day!

What are your 3 favourite kitchen tools for AIP cooking?

My Vitamix (I have a retro, solid stainless steel one that was my dad's), citrus squeezer, and garlic press are used constantly in my AIP cooking!

Now's your chance, share one AIP related pet peeve with us.

Hmm. I can't stand comments about how my "diet" has made me so "skinny"! First of all, I am slim, not emaciated! And secondly, I don't view AIP as a "diet" but rather as a way to live & heal. Really not big issues, but they are definitely a pet peeve. Ha ha!

There you have it, the first AIP Spotlight interview. Keep an eye out for further articles in the series. I am working on some very special ones! Please share your thoughts and ideas for future interviews below.