The Anti-Inflammation Diet and Recipe Book: Protect Yourself and Your Family from Heart Disease, Arthritis, Diabetes, Allergies--and More

by Jessica K. Black

The connection between inflammation and heart disease, arthritis, and other chronic ailments has become increasingly clear. Many food allergies and poor dietary choices over stimulate the immune system and cause inflammatory responses that erode the body’s wellness and pave the path for ill health. Based on her naturopathic practice, Jessica Black has devised a complete program for how to eat and cook to minimize and even prevent inflammation and its consequences. The first part of the book explains the benefits of the anti-inflammatory diet with an accessible discussion of the science behind it. The second half contains 108 recipes. The author offers many substitution suggestions and includes a healthy ingredient tip with each recipe. Most of the dishes can be prepared quickly and easily by even novice cooks. A week of sample menus for summer months and another for winter are included, as well as a substitutions chart, allowing readers to modify their favorite recipes to increase their healing potential.

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

240 pages, Paperback

First published August 18, 2015

Reviews

[Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually picked this up more out of curiosity than anything else.

What I found was this to be an easy, informative read, with great recipes in the back. I was actually pretty surprised and impressed with all this book held and had to offer.


*An ARC Copy of this was provided by the Publisher, in exchange for an honest review.*

[Christina Wilson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Picked up this book cause I'm interested in anti-inflammatory food and have a dietetic degree. This cookbook had no sense of personality outside of fear mongering and being excessively restrictive. Cutting whole categories of veggies and discouraging anything that isn't "whole" foods creates an environment of disordered eating that can cause a more harmful mindset. I found 3 reasonable recipes that didn't include a paragraph shaming the choices of the reader or having shady descriptions about the digestion of certain foods. I agree on limitation, but having a potato or a canned fruit won't hurt someone.

I think including some pictures of the food and limiting the excessive babble talk of why all foods are harmful would have made this book more appealing. Also wouldnt hurt to be mindful about affordability when including ingredients in a recipe. I just couldn't get the bad taste out of my mouth from the pages of restrictive charts to enjoy any of the suggestions the book made.

[Heidi Cullinan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good but got too pedantic and order-you-about. Were this the first book I read on moving to an anti-inflammatory diet, I'd have put it down and given up. Recipes are good and so is the science, but the delivery is rather a dry and unforgiving crust of whole-grain bread. Toast it and add some Earth Balance for next time.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like cookbooks which combine recipes with nutritional information, so this book fit my preferences, and so overall I think it's quite a nice book. I can't really comment much on the nutritional information since I'm not so knowledgeable in that area; however, being quite sympathetic to naturopathic medicine, I found that it generally coincided with how I approach food and nutrition and certainly expanded my limited knowledge. However, I don't agree 100% with her. For example, I'm not on board with the whole "avoid tomatoes and potatoes" thing... But I do agree with her general advice on avoiding dairy and gluten. It's worked for my husband's digestive issues - especially avoiding gluten. However this is information that is fairly common knowledge now. I'm not sure if this book is the best source for advice on how to pursue a gluten- and dairy-free diet. And the recipes are a bit of a mixed bag: I made the lentil and nut loaf and it was delicious, but not too many other things really caught my eye... it's all quite general and a little too heavy on the pseudo-curry recipes.

Overall it's a great place to start if one is interested in naturopathy and changing one's diet from the standard American diet, but for someone who's looking for something either a little more exciting or a little more in-depth in the nutritional information, this book will be found to be too basic.

[Loraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book beginning with an overview of inflammation, what foods cause inflammation, and what foods protect against inflammation in the body. The last 3/4 of the book is a large variety of recipes using foods that help reduce inflammation and protect against inflammation. I believe the book will be very helpful for those dealing with inflammatory diseases. I look forward to trying out many of the recipes.

[Dean C. Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a few arthritis sufferers in my family who I thought could benefit from this book. I read it before recommending and forwarding it. The author does a great job at presenting the medical theories behind what causes inflammation and how to avoid flair ups with simple dietary alterations. The bulk of the book is devoted to practicing what she preaches with one great recipe after another, which makes it easy on those who don’t cook much, or find they lack the creative energy and wherewithal to do all the dietary modifications on their own without a little hand holding. I myself enjoy the recipes and can say that most anyone could benefit from this book even if they don’t have arthritis, as the advice pertains to living a healthy lifestyle in general. Individuals with high blood pressure, adult onset diabetes, and those who suffer from a wide variety of maladies might be surprised to learn how much they can help themselves with shifts in their eating habits. Your personal library will likely need more than one of these books if you’re prone to let others do the hard work for you with the meal planning. But this title is an excellent start.

As to my willing guinea pigs, each family member I recommended the book to uses it to some degree or another. To the degree that they don’t use the book much, I find it has never been the fault of the author, but the individual’s unwillingness to give up the very things that are causing them strife. Alas, changing habits is the hard part for us all.

[AmberBug com* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has made me realize how much processed junk can do to your system. I've been having stomach issues and decided now was the time to make the change. The author pumps you up with great information (even though she can sound a little condescending) and yummy recipes. She helps you restock your cupboard so you have many of the unusual staples that are used for substitutions - such as coconut oil, flax seeds, etc... You'll learn to omit certain foods and how to live without them. I don't know if this diet is sustainable (probably not for me) but I do know it has taught me a bunch. The granola recipe is a must!

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quarantine book - I had checked this out before the quarantine started, and even got about 20% through, when I just couldn't intellectually handle non-fiction any more. It sat, along with several other new nutrition / anti-inflammation books, on my desk for weeks and weeks. Finally, I decided I was ready to delve back into the non-fiction waters when my renewals ran out at the library. Ms. Black covers some of the same territory as other writers of anti-inflammatory diets and nutrition. The important thing - eat more veggies and fruits (the RIGHT kinds), and less meat, no processed foods, dairy, soda, even caffeine.

Easy to say. Hard to commit to for the short haul. The longer you go, the easier it gets and the less you miss the crap you used to eat.

[Nina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was given to me 9 years ago by my acupuncturist. It didn’t really resonate with me but I got a great coconut chicken curry recipe that my family likes. Then I watched the Amazon Prime movie ‘Unflame Me’ where the woman in the documentary said this book changed her life. After watching the movie, I could see the point of the book. I didn’t have any allergies or inflammation so I didn’t know why I was given this book. Now I can see the overall health benefits of eating clean. So I thought I’d try reading this book again. It still didn’t resonate with me. I made a zucchini bread recipe which my kids hated.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like that the author prefaced her recipes with all of the research to back up an anti-inflammation lifestyle. I truly believe that if we watched what we put in our mouths that our bodies would respond positively.

[Dusty · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has absolutely opened my eyes to what food in general really is. What reactions and roles things play at a molecular level. I have a much better understanding of the anti inflammatory diet. I love the creative recipes. I'm always one for trying authentic dishes.

[Dr NSCA-CPT · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Filled with useful information to reduce inflammation & improve health. Intelligent approach to nutrition by Dr Black that should be read by all.

[Sherry · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe it's because I need to change my entire way of life, but this was a so-so book to me. There was one recipe that was of interest and that was about it.

[Anne Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good book detailing holistic methods for fighting inflammatory processes, with lots of recipes to make the going easy. Recommended for anyone looking to improve their health.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually, you can only prevent Type 2 diabetes as it is usually due to lifestyle choices (diet and exercise). Type 1 is an autoimmune condition, so if you have Type 1, this book may not help you.

[Julie L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information, a few excellent recipes (cream of carrot and ginger soup), some so-so ones. I've noticed a few errors in the recipes (maple syrup in the instructions, agave in the ingredients, a few measuring errors, etc). The other limitation is in the bread and baking recipes most things have eggs--nit great if you can't eat eggs.

[Sara Q · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must confess that I did not read all of the first section of the book, in which the author explains anti-inflammation diets and health concerns, but the bits I skimmed over all looked really helpful and I'm looking forward to spending more time with that section when we get our own copy. She does have a wonderful chart that details which foods to include and which to avoid, plus sample meal plans for summer and winter.
I focused on the recipes in the book and there were many, many ideas in here that even *I*, who hates spending a lot of time in the kitchen, could easily make. She includes plenty of options for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike. Each recipe also has a "Health Tip" at the bottom, which I found just as interesting as the food.
Sadly, the page numbers in the table of contents do not jive with the book, but I was happy to see that the recipes and Health Tips are included in the index. Highly recommended for anyone trying to eat healthier and reduce the gluten in their diet.

[Carrie Kellenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book highlights the connection between autoimmune disorders and poor choices in diet. Many foods, especially processed foods, act by overstimulating the immune system and cause inflammation. While some of the information in this book is a bit contradictory, I was still inspired to start tracking my own diet in an attempt to determine which, if any, foods that I am consuming are causing my AS to flare. I started an elimination diet shortly after finishing this book and discovered that I definitely have food allergies that cause my condition to worsen from time to time. Overall, I think anyone with an autoimmune disorder should read this book. It has some excellent dietary advice and the recipes are quite good.

[Arlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black explains the diet while also explaining doing what you can (of the diet) is better than doing nothing at all. She maintains that being realistic (about what you will and won't cut out or add to your diet) is better than going about this diet aiming to be a perfectionist about it. I find that refreshing.

She isn't trying to convert anyone into something they won't be able to maintain in their own lives.

Meanwhile, her reasoning (why should I eat the anti inflamation diet) is to the point and compelling.

We all face potential illnesses - either hereditary or induced by environmental factors and so on. It's good to be proactive to the degree that one wishes to be. This book enables you to do just that.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Anti-Inflammation Diet and Recipe Book etc. was a First Read-Giveaway Win (free book sent by publisher).

I love this book. The first 57 pages are chock filled with concise information on Anti-Inflammation with good reference onf stress. The How to Use the Book really teaches How To Use with pracitical and common sense direction.

The Recipes are well-worth reading through. Each offers substitutions as well as a "Healthy Tidbit". Then each recipe has a Nutritional Analysis per serving. The only exception to this would be recipes that offer alternatives and if you used, they would not be able to provide the Analysis segment.

This topic is well covered and the recipes offer a good basic diet with being cost-effective.

Highly recommend obtaining a copy!

[Cindi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of many health related books I've read lately. I'm trying to glean ideas from here and there. This one has many recipes (the book is actually mostly recipes) and I plan to try some of them. It helped me to understand inflammation, which in my mind had been akin to water retention and that's not what it's all about. Some in depth talk about food allergies. The "diet" she suggests takes you off milk, wheat, nightshades, citrus and more for one month and then adds them back in slowly to see what things you are allergic to. I've long thought this would be a good thing to do, but for just as long I have thought it would be too much work. Still thinking about that.

[Tess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from Goodreads Giveaways. Thank you Turner Publishing!

I appreciate cookbooks that provide a combination of nutritional information with recipes that target a specific health issue. Dr. Black is very concise and clear in her presentation of naturopathic medicine. It can be hard to change your diet and focus on healthy eating if you don't have some practical ideas. I like the quick reference list of items to have in your kitchen and the summary diet table. I also appreciate the healthy tidbits with each recipe. Some of the recipes are quite tasty and I am looking forward to trying more.

[Elaine Roberson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book from Goodreads. The book is well written and gives an easy to understand explanation of how diet can cause inflammation. It describes how to use diet to reduce inflammation. Many great recipes are included to help you obtain this goal. The recipes are simple to do and do not sound complicated. I especially like the healthy tidbit included at the end of each recipe that gives information of the health benefits of one of the ingredients used in the recipe. It also includes the nutritional analysis per serving.

[N.L. Riviezzo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Immensely impersonal writing with a bit of superiority complex. The book contradicts itself on occasion which is entertaining but makes me question the overall content. Some of the recipes are flawed especially the gluten-free baked goods - the proportions are off. Some have too much liquid, others have too little. I do a lot of gluten-free baking and know a bad GF baked good recipe when I see one. :) All in all, a disappointing read.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good advise, but pretty general as to what to eat or not depending on your problem I think I will give this book to Diana as it talks about psoriasis, asthma and chronic cough, both of which she has. The book did suggest that the nightshade vegetables, potatoes and tomatoes might cause arthritis.

[heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think my friend Rachel said it best. "The diet of a vegan with celiac disease and leukemia heals everyone?" This book scared me and then I thought about the Nietzchean ascetic ideal and how it's embodied in contemporary medicine so it wasn't a total waste of $15.

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why are naturopaths so annoying? I truly love their work but cringe at their humorless writing and speaking. Not particularly well written. I totally believe in the diet but only through experimentation - not through the logic and words of its advocates. Haven't cooked recipes yet.

[Alisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, simple intro to those with chronic inflammatory disease who don't want to get bogged down in the science. There are also lots of recipes, substitutions. If you want an all-in book, this is not it.

[Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

No photos. I disagree with a 60%carb diet and believe that certain cuts of porks or beef are not harmful. I have read and follow other anti inflammatory books which I find more aligned with my needs.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice concise look at how to reduce overall inflammation through diet. I've tried a handful of the recipes so far and they've been very tasty and easy to make. Like all diets, it's not going to be right for everyone. For me though, it's been working quite well.