The Anti-Inflammation Cookbook: The Delicious Way to Reduce Inflammation and Stay Healthy

by Amanda Haas, Erin Kunkel (Photographer), Bradly Jacobs (Contributor)

Recent research reveals that inflammation has a negative impact on general wellness and can worsen many common health conditions, including migraines, diabetes, heart disease, weight gain, arthritis, and gastrointestinal disorders. The good news? Eating certain foods and avoiding others can be a highly effective way to diminish and manage inflammation. In The Anti-Inflammation Cookbook, professional cook and inflammation sufferer Amanda Haas joins forces with Dr. Bradly Jacobs to explain which foods are beneficial and why and to share 65 delicious, simple inflammation-busting recipes. Sometimes good food can be the best medicine.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Health, Nonfiction, Reference, Food, Ebooks

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 29, 2015

Reviews

[Kelleen (The Story Graph, try it. Stop giving Amazon your data. See link in my profile) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Even after discussing why sugars are bad for anti-inflammation diets the cookbook has recipes that call for raw cane sugar and brown sugar. Same with dairy, there are recipes that call for cheeses. This was disappointing because it wasn't a matter of ignorance (as she points out by discussing the problems with these foods in the opening), instead it felt like the recipes were being compromised to make it more appealing to a mass audience as opposed to the people I thought it was for (those struggling with inflammation issues). Additionally, the recipes that didn't call for these ingredients weren't impressive enough to make up for this.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sugar is an inflammatory food. Why would you have it in your recipes?

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good information and a good amount of recipes with easily found ingredients.

[Tracey · Rating 3 out of 5]

nonfiction/cookery (health). This was written by a food-sensitive chef, but for a more mainstream audience (including people with health issues not traditionally thought of as food-sensitive). Diet is one of the hardest things for people to agree to change, so I think this is why the recipes offered aren't as specific to sensitive people, though she does sometimes offer alternatives if you do happen to be sensitive to one of the ingredients.

I did like the intro/preface (written by the non-celiac but still food-sensitive author and a doctor who is at least familiar with the connections between foods and certain inflammation-related ailments), but didn't see anything special in the recipes. More of a book to check out from your library and browse, rather than for purchase.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Supremely unhelpful for those of us with a million food allergies. I'm sure this will make someone's life easier, but not mine.

[Leslie Conner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely inspiring. Great resource for one who is navigating a healthier diet. Each dish has been bursting with flavor, worth planning and prep. Compliments abound when I cook these recipes.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inflammation is a natural occurrence in the body, but if it happens too much it can wreak havoc. This cookbook has a great introduction that explains inflammation and gives some personal stories of how food healed inflammation-related issues for the author and others. I really liked that she gave a list of "feel-good" foods and foods to avoid that are the most likely causes of food-related inflammation. There were quite a few recipes that looked really good and most of the recipes look really easy too. Overall, it looks like a good cookbook.

[Jessika]

Lovely photography, a decent blend of fussy and not fussy recipes. A lot of "rinse and dry chicken" directions, which is weird, considering I'm pretty sure we've known for a while that we definitely shouldn't be doing that. I'm also side-eyeing some of her prep time estimates; I think she's definitely underestimating some things to keep them all at under 30 minutes of prep.

Some interesting vinaigrette and bean recipes,, but overall pretty standard recipes.

[Jurene · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of this book is the gold. It has great explanations of the anti-inflammatory theories and even a prescribed course of action. The recipes were standard and it always irks me when a recipe doesn't have a photo along with it - not every photo needs to be a full page, I'm sure a nice Polaroid sized photo would fit here and there too. I'd highly recommend it for the beginning of the book.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, but the recipes that I would or could actually make, were pretty limited.

[John’aLee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read this book 3 times this year (2021) and it’s helped me figure out so much about my health. Highly recommend it to anyone who deals with chronic pain.

[False · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a re-read for me. I didn't find anything of interest to pique my making a trip to the kitchen. Won't read it again.For an anti-inflammatory cookbook that acknowledges nightshade sensitivities/allergies in its introductory section, there is quite a lot of nightshades in most of these recipes.

This is, of course, a concern for someone like myself who was hoping to find a good source of recipes that cater to many food sensitivities. Myself being nightshade sensitive, there are recipes that include tomatoes and peppers, for example, that she offers to omit, however, she doesn't mention to omit the chipotle peppers within that same recipe. Aren't chipotle peppers also nightshades?

Or curries that she suggests to omit the curry powder/paste for nightshade intolerant readers. But omitting the ingredients that make it curry, seems unappealing to me. You might as well offer "flavorless curry" to the nightshade sensitive readers. Or just say "hey, don't make this if you've got a nightshade intolerance."

Admittedly, I haven't made anything from this cookbook yet. But browsing the recipes, I've found myself a little disappointed. One recipe titled "Pan-Seared Mushrooms with Caramelized Shallots," had instructions where the shallots were only added to the pan towards the last 90 seconds of cooking. That's not... caramelization though? That's just sautéed shallots. Which is fine. But why not just call it what it is? Anyway, moments like this make me question the quality of the recipes.

Basically, I was looking for a book that catered to multiple food sensitivities, without feeling like you were sacrificing the flavor of a dish as a result.

This seems like a good option for gluten and dairy free folks. But for those of us who have multiple food sensitivities, we can probably find a better source elsewhere.

Basically, I feel like, if you're going to title something "anti-inflammatory cookbook," it should include recipes that cater to ALL the major inflammation triggers listed in the introductory segment of this book.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

it's a good book but didn't meet my expectations. it should more adequately be called gluten free healthy cooking. for anyone new to nutrition the first part of the Book is informative and a quick read on what inflammation is, the nutritional value of different food groups, and her personal journey. I understand that everyone's food sensitivity is a unique journey and expected that not everything provided would be something I can eat. the cookbook caters to her sensitivity - gluten, and modifies recipes for nightshade - which most people on a skin condition journey likely already know.
a lot of the foods she cooks with are pretty typical of food sensitivity or high histamines (eggs, hot spices, dairy). when I compare her List of ingredients to the list of ingredients provided by a doctor they don't align. she simply eliminates tomatoes, no subsitution, and uses goat cheese. recipes certainly look nutritious and I'm excited to try some new recipes but it didnt quite meet the dietary restrictions of histamine elimination which is a big trigger for inflammation. it came a little short in addressing other effects of inflammation not just gi issues.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the "feel good foods" list at the beginning - reminds me that there are lots of good healthy foods I really do enjoy & that eating better isn't necessarily a deprivation. Some of the recipes here did sound good... but many of them seemed fairly basic (I already have good versions of a lot of them). The main thing that bothered me was the health info at the beginning - I would have preferred footnotes, etc. to back up the broad health recommendations. And I thought juicing / smoothies / liquidified calories were frowned upon these days? Oh well. Some good "food for thought" here, just not my fave book.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

The informational part of this book was good, talking about the types of foods that trigger inflammation and giving guidelines for eating to avoid inflammation. However, the book didn’t have a lot of recipes - a lot of smoothies, dressings, etc. The small bites chapter was the best.

This is worth checking out if you’ve been having digestive issues. But you may have to look elsewhere for a more comprehensive diet plan.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great look t foods to make you feel good.i hsve

I am looking forward to making so many of these dishes. The most valuable gift is the great information I have gotten on foods that I don't often think about. It helps to know how to restore gut health and have recipes to help it stay happy. Great Cookbook.

[Leah Lambart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice compilation with issues

A few things bothered me about the book. They used soy for several recipes, which I'm not a fan of. I liked the ideas because there was a huge variety. I especially liked the night shade substitutions.

[Nancy Young · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some very helpful dietary guidance for chronic inflammation. An excellent resource to start the elimination diet journey. The recipes don't really provide a lot of help in the way of alternatives for allergens encountered (e.g. dairy).

[James · Rating 1 out of 5]

thai red curry in the book says 1/4 cup fish sauce, every other reciepe calls for 1 tablespoon even from the authors website. Ruined the meal, wasted money and time making all for a disgusting amount of fish sauce. Clearly a editing mistake and should have been caught at some point before print

[Judy Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book with realistic recipes

[Mimi]

didn't care for this book, nothing personal just didn't find it helpful.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally found a cookbook that has recipes adjusted for my allergies. I have this on my Kindle but will probably end up buying the actual book.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cookbook for healthy recipes, especially the quinoa salad!

[lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curry spiced nuts.

[Miranda Cheyenne · Rating 3 out of 5]

The information in the book was good. However, I felt like some recipes sound like they were more on a sweet side. I’m looking forward to trying some of the recipes as there is a nice variety.

[Sheri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. It looks super cute! I love the cover, the layout of the book, and the food photographs. But the content was, meh.

[Marcea Frazier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good recipes

Lots of good recipes with easy to follow instructions and great pictures. I like her style of writing, it’s a must read.

[Toi Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book and not just because I love to cook. I liked reading about the author’s story and why she wrote the book as well as gaining a fresh stock of new recipes. I liked learning about the role inflammation plays in our health and learning about food that addresses the issue of inflammation.

The book was an easy read with helpful images and lots of practical tips and alternatives.
The only thing I felt the book lacked, since the author seemed to take a “look at me I’m relatable” approach to sharing her story, which was effective and true, was the failure to acknowledge that many people, even in first-world nations just don’t have regular access to the resources required to cook as this book suggests on a day-to-day basis. The author does a great job of pointing out budgeting issues and seems to understand that this is a financial commitment, but again fails to hit home the fact that there is a large population that her book won’t be able to help and not because they can’t get access to her book.

Still, I currently have the means and regular access to most of the resources needed to try out at least some of these recipes on a regular basis. I simply need to make it a priority.

Highly recommended to anyone wanting to learn some anti-inflammation recipes.

[Margaret Metz · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a few things I love in cookbooks:
Hardcover - yes!
Lies flat on counter - not totally flat, but I can set it there and read w/o it flipping to a different page. It may get even better with time.
Lots of color pictures - yes!
Clear instructions - yes!
Storage instructions - yes!

I have fibro and a few related disorders, and inflammation is one theoretical cause/trigger for symptoms. So, I got this as a recommendation and decided to try the cookbook and see if I liked and could pull off the recipes and then think about changing my diet depending on the results.

I like that she does a kind of mini explanation of her approach, and why and how it's supposed to work.

I have already tried two recipes and both came out well. I especially loved that she gives info about possible substitutions if an ingredient is a problem for you. I have been frustrated in the past when I read one chapter that tells me to eat "---" but then I find out in the next that it is a food that triggers a different issue - and nowhere is there an explanation of what to do in that case. I also loved that she gives storage directions. When you have people just learning to cook -- or to cook with these kinds of ingredients - it's important to tell them whether it needs to be refrigerated, kept in an airtight container on the counter....

I can't wait to try more recipes. :-)

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some great recipes in here. However with my auto-immune disease sugar (even the natural kind such as molasses and honey) can cause flare ups. There were many recipes that called for these. I would have rated this book higher if it would have had less recipes containing these ingredients.