The Healing Slow Cooker: Lower Stress, Improve Gut Health, Decrease Inflammation

by Jennifer Iserloh, Drew Ramsey (Foreword), Alice Gao (Photographer)

“[Iserloh] marries high-octane superfoods (such as mushrooms, ginger, and turmeric) with the comfort of a Crock-Pot, yielding 60 recipes.” —Modern Farmer   This collection of sixty set-it and forget-it recipes aims to support a variety of wellness goals for optimal health. From Detox and Calm to Rebuild and Strengthen and more, each chapter’s recipes utilize specific ingredients that help lower stress, decrease inflammation, and improve gut health. Combining the convenience of a slow cooker with accessible ingredients like ginger, mushrooms, chocolate, and turmeric, these dishes are simple enough for home cooks of any skill level. Each chapter comes with a detailed guide to the featured healing ingredients, making it easy to explore how they benefit the body. Start the journey to healthful eating with the flip of a switch!  “These dishes . . . are packed with fiber and antioxidants, making it easy to get healthy.” —Oprah.com  “The recipes are simple, call for easy-to-find ingredients, and should—thanks to the ease of the slow cooker process—appeal to even novice home cooks interested in adding anti-inflammatory dishes to their repertoires.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Nurture your body and your soul with these slow cooker recipes that can help improve gut health and lower stress.” —Yours, “The Best Slow Cooker Recipe Books”

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Health, Culinary

178 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 5, 2017

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high hopes for this, but alas, I was disappointed. A total of 3 recipes seemed edible, 2 of which I make already. A lot of these recipes are a combo slow cooker cook or boil on stove. Nope.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this cookbook! The recipes are delicious and simple to make. I have been using this cooking book now this it's winter, cold and you can use a slow cooker for the recipes. It explains the what the Superfoods are and why they are included in each of the recipes in eating healthier meals. One of my favorites I made is the Tomato Spinach Buffalo Meatballs With Cucumber Salad on page 71 that is pictured on the front cover. It's one of the delicious recipe's everyone should try. I highly recommend this book for anyone who needs to improve their gut health or wants to eat delicious meals that are healthy for you.

[Reece · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delicious recipes with fresh ingredients that are organized to help address some of the common ailments known to so many of us. The photographs grabbed my attention, but the recipes and writing make this book a keeper.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent. May need to buy this one. Simple, healthy, easy but none too "out there" recipes.

[Chris From RecipesNow! · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Healing Slow CookerHealing Slow Cooker - Review by Jennifer IserlohHealing Slow Cooker - Review was created to help Lower Stress, Improve Gut Health, and Decrease Inflammation. Each recipe focuses on improving your health. Using optimal combinations of foods and spices increases their effectiveness without having to sacrifice flavor.

In his introduction to the book, Nutritional Psychiatrist, Drew Ramsey, MD, describes how he often prescribes specific foods to help improve the Brain Health of the patients in his New York practice. He has worked in the past with author and knows the benefit of the healthy recipes she creates.

In her own Introduction, “Healing Foods Can Change Your Life”, the author describes how she turned her own life around. After kicking a “rampant sugar addiction” and modifying her diet, she lost weight and no longer suffers from IBS. The Introduction continues with explanations of Superfoods, Antigens, and how certain ingredient pairings can increase their effectiveness. The Introduction then describes how various ingredients work in a slow cooker, and ends with more about specific food pairings.

Recipe chapters include:

Detox And Calm
Rebuild And Strengthen
Circulate And Stabilize
Sharpening And Rewired
Sustain And Protect
All Systems Go And Glow

Each recipe chapter focuses on a different outcome for your Brain Health. The chapters begin with a description of how these recipes can affect your body, which ingredients will help, and why.

The recipes themselves begin with a brief introduction, how the pairings within the recipe work, and about the recipe itself. Nutritional Statistics are included for each recipe including Calories, Protein, Carbohydrates, Fat, Cholesterol, Sugar, Fiber, and Sodium. The directions, as with most slow cooker recipes, are very short, easy to read and follow.

Few of the recipes have pictures but those that do are full-page and beautifully photographed. While it is a little overwhelming to completely overhaul your diet, the information provided is approachable. The explanations about the various ingredients, food pairings, and effects are very user-friendly and easy to understand.

If you thought that just because you are improving your diet then the food would have to turn boring, I’m happy to say you would be wrong. The recipes included in this book are unusual certainly, with interesting food combinations that I haven’t seen in other cookbooks but seem to really work.

At the end of the book, a brief resource section lists reference books and websites where you may get more information on healthy eating.

A Must-Read

This cookbook is a must-read for anyone who wants to improve their Brain Health or combat specific symptoms without drugs. For everyone else, you will love the unusual flavor pairings so who cares if you are eating healthy.

See the full review along with the recipe for “Spiced Chocolate Nuts” on RecipesNow! Reviews And Recipes Magazine. Reviewed in response to a complimentary hard copy of the book provided by the publisher in hopes of an honest review.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

“BLUEBERRY BUTTERMILK AMARANTH
Amaranth, a tasty grain from South America that reminds me of corn, makes an excellent creamy porridge. And it will help you get your glow on with its beautifying nutrients like selenium, which aids with hair growth; manganese that boosts your thyroid (and which can play a part in healthy skin and mood); and plenty of fiber that is helpful for weight maintenance and general detox. Floral, antibacterial, calming lavender pairs beautifully with juicy blueberries, which contain plant nutrients that are also protective for your eyes, as they guard the retina from injury”..........ummm, yes please!! This cookbook is fascinating with the details explained so simply. I will be making a few of these recipes next week. If I can use my pressure cooker or crockpot, I’m all over that. A good read for anyone interested in nutrition & health

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This thin, beautiful book offered a lot of information in a slim volume. They explained the properties of each ingredient, why they combined them each way, and what the recipe helped cure. Some of the recipes were combos (stove top to slow cooker), but most were pretty easy and on the light side. There were a lot of fish recipes, and a photo for each dish.

There is full nutritional information for each recipe; I wouldn’t call most of these kid friendly and several called for ingredients I didn’t have on hand. The book is organized by cure. It might have been helpful to have a breakfast/lunch/dinner cross reference.

Worth checking out for healthy recipes and some good information about food.

[Darika Polk · Rating 2 out of 5]

Have made multiple recipes so far and not only are some instructions incomplete but the cooking time isn't long enough. Some of the ideas behind the recipes are good and I'll use them in some other way, but as is, I'm glad I didn't pay full price for this cookbook. Is as if no one actually tried these recipes.

Will keep trying more recipes, but buyer beware-- this cookbook is far from awesome.

[E.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well organized with beautiful photographs and easy to understand recipes. Many are rich in fruit sugars and grains, so only a handful of recipes work with specialized diets like a ketogenic diet. Recommend reading the introduction to learn about pairings like black pepper and turmic that increase their efficiency.

[Bekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grabbed this book from the Hoopla Bonus Borrows simply for the cover. I was not disappointed. The recipes look and sound delicious. Is it a bit pretentious? Yes. But the photography is lovely and the book is full of information. Will definitely cook a lot from this and plan to get myself a physical copy.

[Amy Fleming · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love cookbooks. I especially love slow cooker recipes. This cookbook has 60 recipes to improve your health. The recipes are filled with vegetables, healthy fruits and protein. They are unusual and inventive and can't wait to try some of them. Ginger Spiked Spagetti Squash with Pecans for dinner. Basalmic Goji Oats for breakfast. As I said, inventive.

[Sarah Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of good healthy recipes. Talks a lot about adding spices or certain ingredients to your food to help boost the health benefits. I already use a lot of these anyways but it was nice to hear I was doing it right. Highly recommend if you are looking for healthy slow cooker recipes!

[Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit dissappointed with this one. I was only able to get two recipes from this cookbook.

[Stephanie Stucker McMahon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of recipes I’d actually cook on a regular basis.

[Ariste Egan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Filled with useful information. Not sure how many of the recipes I will actually make, but will definitely integrate the healthful ingredients into my diet.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The shredded steak and raspberry poached pear recipes found in this cookbook will be ones I'll use again.

[Adrienna · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's quite a bit to digest in the introduction, concerning herbs, spices, food and gut health in general. I hope the recipes will speak for themselves even when using a slow cooker. In the month of September, as it gets colder by next month or two, slow cooker will be a good friend again.

Explains the benefits of certain foods, yet regardless of this info and decent photos, couldn't find a recipe to try except fried egg with sweet potatoes as onions and curly kale which didn't share such foods like onions. Sweet potato skins but in slow cooker. Fish in slow cooker, dad had done before.

2.5 stars

[Lpc · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting to me that nobody mentioned the cooking times of the recipes. The intro makes a point of using the slow cooker as a time saver, but most of the recipes are to be cooked for about 2 hours. That means you have to be at home to set your slow cooker at 3 pm for a 5 pm meal. Or, get this, start your slow cooker at 5 am for a 7 am porridge breakfast. Honestly, it’s makes more sense getting up at 6:15 and using the stove top.

I gave it two stars because the nutrition info is sound, and the recipes look good.

[Amber]

#cookbook