WHAT IF I TOLD YOU that the root of most ailments, from skin irritations to the onset of autoimmune diseases, was caused by one primary underlying condition called inflammation? A few years ago, I probably would have rolled my eyes and put this cookbook back on the shelf for being too hippie health nut. So how did I become convinced more than ever that an anti-inflammatory lifestyle is almost as important as wearing sunscreen or buckling your seat belt? And then end up actually writing an anti-inflammatory cookbook?
It started when I was asked to collaborate on an article for Cooking Light in 2016, reviewing emerging research on the role foods play in preventing dementia and brain diseases like Alzheimer’s. Study results were significant, pointing toward the importance of an anti-inflammatory diet that included antioxidants. And while I was intrigued by the results, anti-inflammatory eating wasn’t the nutrition direction I wanted to take—or so I thought!
Over the next few months, life dropped numerous writing assignments in my lap, all on food’s relationship with various health conditions: multiple sclerosis, gut health, cancer, irritable bowel, diabetes, and obesity. It wasn’t until the end of all those assignments, after digging through piles of research, that I noticed something: every condition that I’d just reported on was caused by chronic inflammation. The real key to eating healthy—for all ages—was reducing inflammatory foods and increasing certain nutrients.
My challenge then became how to make anti-inflammatory foods easy, quick, and most importantly, taste good. Was this even possible? I’m a busy mom, so I needed realistic recipes, not 8-hour bone broth or homemade almond milk! While the concepts may be complicated, I was determined that the solution didn’t have to be. And I figured that if I could get my family to adopt a more anti-inflammatory way of eating, then I had something.
Fast-forward 18 months and that “something” is Meals That Heal, a family-friendly cookbook with recipes that you can tailor to any health condition. It is my sincere hope that this book becomes a staple in your home.
Here’s to health and healing! Let’s eat!