What is an Autoimmune Reset Diet?

Living with an autoimmune disease can feel like your body is fighting against itself—and unfortunately, it quite literally is. If you’re among the 5-10% of individuals worldwide living with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, multiple sclerosis, or celiac disease, you know the frustration of unpredictable flare-ups and the constant search for relief.

So, what is an autoimmune disease anyway? Essentially, an autoimmune disease occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in your body. While each condition affects different organs and systems, they share a common thread: inflammation and an overactive immune response.

The good news? Studies has shown that the foods we eat can play a powerful role in resetting your immune system and reducing inflammation. While it’s important to keep in mind that diet changes aren’t a cure or end-all, be-all to treatment, what you eat can significantly impact the internal function of your body. It can support other treatments and potentially even decrease the frequency of flare-ups. In other words, it doesn’t hurt to adjust your diet to support your body in the best way possible.

So, let’s take a closer look!

What Is the Best Diet to Reverse Autoimmune Disease?

While there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to managing autoimmune conditions through diet, research shows that certain eating patterns can help reduce inflammation and support immune system balance. An autoimmune reset diet focuses on removing inflammatory triggers while adding nutrient-dense foods that support healing and repair.

Usually, it follows three phases: 

  1. Elimination: This phase lasts four to six weeks and involves eliminating food additives, like those found in processed foods. However, other foods that may also be eliminated include grains, dairy products, eggs, coffee, and alcohol. This takes away any potentially triggering foods.
  2. Reintroduction: Once you experience significant improvements in your symptoms or flare-ups, the reintroduction phase begins. This is where you can either reintroduce the foods in the order you removed them or reintroduce the foods in the order of which ones you find are more beneficial to you. During this time, you monitor yourself for symptoms as you introduce foods one at a time. Any foods that increase symptoms within three to four days may be permanently eliminated from your diet.
  3. Maintenance: This phase is ongoing and involves maintaining a diet without any trigger foods. While this will take effort at first, with time, you’ll begin to understand what foods work for you and what don’t.

So, let’s take a closer look at what to eat and not eat on this type of diet.

What Not to Eat

The first step in an autoimmune reset is eliminating foods that commonly trigger inflammation or immune responses, including:

  • Processed foods and refined sugars
  • Gluten-containing grains
  • Dairy products
  • Industrial seed oils (corn, soybean, canola)
  • Nightshade vegetables (for some people)
  • Alcohol
  • Legumes (during the initial reset phase)
  • Eggs (during the initial reset phase)

Ultimately, the second phase—reintroduction—will help determine what foods above may be triggering for you and your condition. And then this leaves a gap: What can you eat?

What to Eat

Focus on nutrient-rich foods, such as whole foods, to support your body’s healing process. These may include: 

  • Wild-caught fish rich in omega-3s
  • Grass-fed meats
  • Leafy greens and colorful vegetables
  • Bone broth
  • Fermented foods like sauerkraut and kimchi
  • Coconut products
  • Sweet potatoes and other starchy vegetables
  • Fresh herbs and spices (especially turmeric and ginger)
  • Berries and other low-glycemic fruits 

For further support and better results, you may want to consider supplementing premium nutritional products such as Life Nutrition’s foodbased miltivitamins Men’s Everyday Complete, Women’s Everyday Complete, Deep Sea Fish Oil and Rapid Defence C for lowering inflammation, Liver Detox in boosting detoxification, and Advanced Probiotics to balance gut microbiomes and boost absorption.

Last Few Tips…

Here are some last few things to keep in mind:

  • Meal prep is your friend: Plan and prepare meals in advance to avoid reaching for convenient but inflammatory foods when you're tired or busy.
  • Read labels carefully: Hidden ingredients like soy, corn derivatives, and gluten can lurk in packaged foods under different names.
  • Stay hydrated: Aim for half your body weight in ounces of filtered water daily to support detoxification and immune function.
  • Listen to your body: Keep a food journal to track symptoms and identify personal trigger foods beyond the common ones.
  • Don’t skip meals: Maintain stable blood sugar by eating regular, balanced meals with protein, healthy fats, and fiber.
  • Work with a professional: Consider partnering with a functional medicine practitioner or registered dietitian who specializes in autoimmune conditions.
  • Don’t forget lifestyle factors: Combine your diet changes with stress management, quality sleep, and gentle movement for best results.

And remember, healing takes time. Give your body at least 30 days to respond to dietary changes before evaluating results. Patience is key!