Why the AIP Diet Is Not Enough to Reduce Inflammation

Rita Johnson, functional medicine practitioner and Creighton Model FertilityCare Practitioner, challenges the assumption that diet alone can resolve chronic inflammation: and shows what a complete anti-inflammatory strategy actually requires.

Born from her own struggle with secondary infertility and years of frustration with symptom management, this session covers:

• Why AIP falls short: the Autoimmune Protocol diet is at best temporary symptom management that fails to address root causes, and long-term restriction can worsen deficiencies

• Beyond diet: the real sources of inflammation: poor digestive function, co-infections (Lyme, mold, parasites), disbiotic bacteria, yeast overgrowth, and blood sugar imbalances that signal the body it is "not safe" to produce sex hormones

• Case study: PCOS and endometriosis: a 30-year-old client whose GI map revealed impaired fat digestion directly correlated with low estrogen and progesterone, plus disbiotic bacteria driving inflammation. A 12-week targeted protocol produced dramatic improvement

• Case study: severe endometriosis in a young client: low secretory IgA, disbiotic bacteria, and undetected parasites (tapeworms not caught on initial testing) found through functional lab testing

• Functional testing as the missing piece: GI maps, food sensitivity panels, and the importance of testing before restricting

• Long-term solutions: restoring organ function, targeted supplementation, the role of bile salts and fat absorption, and when to step down from protocols

Includes discussion with Dr. Whittaker on healthy fats for fertility, managing elevated prolactin, and nervous system support.