Why I Wrote "Meals That Heal" : PART 2
I’m pretty stubborn, and I’ve got to see LOTS of data before I get fired up and go changing my career focus and lifestyle. (I mean, really, y’all - that’s three different paper or digital planners to update!!) SO, in appropriate, strong-willed fashion, I had no interest in digging into the concept of inflammation even winning a James Beard aware for an article on it (SEE PART 1 HERE). Honestly, I was WORN OUT, and I was excited for life to go back to my “normal” –teaching nutrition and culinary arts classes and writing a few freelance articles for various media outlets.
And that’s exactly what happened. I got settled back in my routine, and from a freelancer perspective, I was more than lucky because a bunch of new of article assignments steadily dropped in my lap. And the assignments were on nutrition and food topics that I hadn’t read up on in a while - things like multiple sclerosis and autoimmune issues, gut health, cancer, irritable bowel, diabetes, obesity. So I dug through research to find out the latest on each condition, gradually checking the assignments off my to-do list. However, it wasn’t until I had finished and had a chance to sit back and catch my breath again that it became overwhelming apparent to me:
EVERY CONDITION THAT I’D JUST REPORTED ON - EVEN THOUGH ALL UNIQUELY DIFFERENT - STEMMED FROM OR IS EXACERBATED BY CHRONIC INFLAMMATION.
What I’d been trying to avoid was actually the real KEY to health for all ages and conditions - reducing inflammatory foods and increasing certain nutrients. I knew I couldn’t be the only one seeing this connection, but when I searched, there were few books and cookbooks available. But was I really ready to fall down this rabbit hole? My stubbornness finally met its match when inflammation hit home, and my daughter was diagnosed with an inflammatory condition that had neurological effects. So during her recovery, my mission became this:
HOW DO I MAKE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY EASY, QUICK AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, TASTE GOOD… AND IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE?
I’m a busy single mom with two kids going in different directions, so I needed easier, realistic recipes and ideas – not recipes for 8-hour bone broth or homemade almond milk! And, I figured that if I could find a way to get my family to adopt a more anti-inflammatory way of eating (and sustain it long-term), then I really had something.
After months of recipe testing and writing, this “something” became is MEALS THAT HEAL, a family-friendly cookbook with recipes that you can use to stay healthy or tailor to treat most health condition. I can’t wait to share it with you!
