Book Reviews

Meals That Heal Inflammation

Julie Daniluk, R.H.N.

Inspirational, Health & Healing, Alternative Health

978-1-4019-4034-8

"Making a healthy shift in diet can be tough. Julie provides the tools you need to make the change and have healing foods taste great." - Dr. John Gray, New York Times best-selling author of Men Are f... More

Oct 11, 2012 blessedelements

Julie Daniluk, R.H.N. is the author of 'Meals That Heal inflammation' this inspiring and helpful book of eliminating inflammation that causes so many ailments that we have been told that the only help is through prescription drugs or that there is no cure.

In this book the author begins with her own story in the book explaining how she struggled with health problems until finding the key element was eating the right foods to eliminate inflammation which were causing the problems.

Inflammation in the body has been known to cause any thing from allergies, diabetes, skin disorders, heart disease, gingivitis, to irritable bowel syndrome. Eating healthy and eliminating certain things from your diet is the first step of taking control of any of these ailments and taking back control of your life. I found the book very interesting and eye-opening.

One of the things I found really interesting was a section that connected Alzheimer's with dental infection. The consequence of poor dental health establishes chronic inflammation in the brain and how treating chronic dental infections may reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s. Interesting information like this is all through out the book. Thankfully the information is not just given with out recourse to take to deal with it. There are recipes in this book which creates a MTHI plan (Meals That Heal Inflammation)

This book is very well written and connected to studies to prove the authors point. Being in the health care profession her book is based on medical knowledge that she has or she has researched through other people in the field.
Chapter 4 is about the infection connection. Taking the quiz helps to assess how your body reacts to infections that are preexisting. The reader then learns by taking the quiz what is causing some of their problems and how use the plan established in this book.

A wealth of information, this book is packed with complete tools to get you into a healthy eating plan to take your life back. There are meals that can assist the body's healing process. I haven't tried all of the recipes but the ones I did try are enjoyable to eat.
The recipes covered in this book cover healing teas to balanced meals and desserts. Every recipe in this book contains foods that naturally heal inflammation. Also included are reference charts, diagnostic quizzes, food comparison lists which makes it a valuable book for your kitchen

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Oct 19, 2012 WellnessWoman
I'll be honest. When I was choosing my next book to review for Hay House, it wasn't the title of this book that caught my attention. It was the fact there were over 120 healthy recipes included in the book. On the day it arrived I flipped straight to the pictures and was pleased by what I saw. Twists on two of my all-time favorites, kale chips and kelp noodles were among the beauties I was inspired to try. Sadly not all recipes have a photo companion (small tear) but they sound so delicious and the ingredients so healthy that I couldn't help but be intrigued to see how they turn out, such as the Sweet Potato Frittata and the Puffed Quinoa Bars. Perhaps I'll be posting some pictures myself of these dishes in the near future. If you are a meat-eater reading this, know that there are healthy real meat options included too. While I personally will not be making them, I thought you might like to know. :-)

I expected the recipes to be good (after all, Julie co-hosts the cooking show, Healthy Gourmet on the Oprah Winfrey Network) but an unexpected surprise was the abundance of useful information. Not only does it cover what inflammation is, the causes and concerns it leads to if untreated, but also how your emotions play a huge role in your health and healing. She dedicates a full chapter to Emotional Pain, which is by far the most vital part of the book. As Julie states, "If you're not committed emotionally, then you won't be willing to follow through with the necessary changes." She's right. Our beliefs drive our behavior. If you are not willing to identify the limiting beliefs that are holding you back (e.g. healthy food doesn't taste good, I'll change my diet...tomorrow) and work on modifying them, your success will be limited and unsustainable. There are some great tips on handling emotional eating included, many that I have been using for years now with great success.

In addition, there there are menu plans, modifications, substitutions to cater to your particular diet, food journals and various charts to help you along the way.

If you are looking to reduce inflammation, illness and allergic reactions (which are both types of inflammation) or you just want to improve your diet without compromising on taste, I highly recommend picking up your own copy of this book. It will help you achieve better balance, one bite at a time.


* Full Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest opinions of the product.
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Dec 27, 2012 EvaAtCore
I envy those that can eat anything they want. I used to think I could until I started experiencing terrible stomach aches, joint pain, and migraines. Most doctors back in the 70’s and 80’s didn’t really think about how food affects us. A few mentioned that cheese and chocolate could be triggering the migraines. It wasn’t until I went to an MD that studied alternative medicine that I had a blood test done which showed I was HIGHLY reactive to eggs and bananas. Gluten was third on the list. Go figure. Eliminating bananas was easy, eggs were slightly more complicated because they’re in a lot of baked goods but gluten was almost impossible. Very few stores sold gluten free products back then. And the products that were available were terrible.

I’ve certainly seen a lot of changes since then but I’ve never seen a more thorough book on the subject of systemic inflammation than Julie Daniluk’s book Meals That Heal Inflammation. Julie is a leading holistic nutritionist and co-host of Healthy Gourmet. However, the biggest plus is that she suffered since childhood with the pain caused by inflammation. She knows firsthand how food really can affect the way we feel. She also knows how difficult it can be to first determine and then eliminate the foods that are causing the problem.

This book is full of explanations of how inflammation affects our bodies. She discusses the various diseases that inflammation can aggravate. She provides charts and an anti-inflammatory food pyramid, as well as, tons of recipes and tips. Julie doesn’t just tell you what to eat but she provides instructions for how to build a healthy kitchen and how to “gear up” for the process.

With our busy lifestyles and all the prepared food we tend to eat, eating an anti-inflammatory diet isn’t easy but Julie lays out a plan to help us accomplish it. This is something I’m going to tackle in the New Year. Without this book it would be almost impossible. If you’re suffering from allergies, irritable bowel syndrome, heart disease, skin disorders, etc. and have found little relief. I highly recommend that you give this book a try.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher to review. The opinions are my own and in no way reflect the opinion of the publisher.
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Apr 27, 2013 mena888

As a member of the Hay House Book Nook Club, I received a copy of a book "Meals that Heal Inflammation" by Julie Daniluk to review. I had requested this book because I was interested in learning how to improve my eating habits and health.

"Meals that Heal Inflammation" was written by TV host and registered holistic nutritionist Julie Daniluk. In her book, she reveals how certain health conditions and diseases are affected or caused by inflammation. She shows how you can reduce inflammation through diet and by eating healthier. The book "Meals that Heal Inflammation" contains over 400 pages of information to make it easier for the common person to learn how to reduce inflammation. It includes a nutritional guide, menu plan and 130 easy to prepare and tasty recipes. Danulik provides the reader ways to make healthier and better eating choices. For example, she suggests that one should swap out ketchup with salsa or even cold cereal with instant quinoa to reduce the amount of sugar, calories, and sodium intake.

Inflammation can cause or affect certain health conditions such as allergies, skin disorders, asthma, heart disease, arthritis and any other condition ending in "itis" .

In her book "Meals that Heal Inflammation", Daniluk provides information on the six causes of inflammation and how to pick food that will reduce inflammation. What I like is reading about what health benefits each food ingredients contains.

I found the book to contain interesting and easy to prepare recipes including salmon with fennel and even a delicious vegetarian version of Pad Thai.

I think that it is a great book to read if you are interesting in reducing inflammation and feeling better by eating healthier. I found the information to be useful and I would like to incorporate some of the suggestions into my everyday life. Some of the recipes call for organic produce which you can purchase at your local health store or at a mass chain like Wholefoods or Trader Joe.

Some ingredients like Grapeseed Oil may be harder to find if you are not by a health foods store. I would like to use the more unusual or exotic ingredients if I could locate it or if it wasn't too expensive. I am sure that you can substituted certain ingredients and hopefully, it won't affect the taste or the benefits.

You can find additional articles and videos, glossary of terms, testimonials, and a few recipes from her book. I do hope that you look at her website and try out some of the recipes and then buy the book

Overall the book was a great source of information that will provide a starting point for everyone to start eating healthier and to learn how to avoid foods that may trigger their health issues

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

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Aug 03, 2012 om.harmony
If you are interested in reducing your risks regarding particular health concerns, or, alleviating symptoms and problems related to a current health issue, Meals That Heal Inflammation will be an invaluable manuscript to have in your library. The Cause of inflammation, exactly what it is, and how it affects our health is laid out in a precise and easy to understand format. The definitions provided and the correlation between inflammation and illness helps us to understand why we suffer from certain health issues and more importantly how to initiate a healing course of action.

There are charts that provide menu plans for omnivores, vegans, and those who have allergies. The recipes are marked with a legend so you can clearly choose an option that is egg, wheat, soy, nut or dairy free. This legend also includes the glycemic index score for people who have to keep a watchful eye on their blood sugar. There is resource section in case some of the ingredients are hard to find. There is even a guide that can help you assemble a healthy kitchen. Ms Daniluk also shares information regarding the nutritional value of food groups including precautions for what may seem to be a healthy choice. You will even find a food testing guide on how to decide if a particular food is creating a problem.

While the title is Meals That Heal Inflammation, its content covers so much more. The connection between inflammation and Cancer, Asthma, Diabetes (I & II) Heart Disease, Arthritis, even emotional trauma are just some of the illnesses covered. Most surprising and informative for me was the section that revolved around emotional pain and the chapter that covered allergies. There is so much information in this book that I would have to write another book to cover it. You will not have to read this book from cover to cover. However the Introduction, Chapters one, two (emotional pain), three, nine and ten, I feel, are essential. Once those chapters are digested the indexes and the table of contents should be able to provide you with enough information to expedite a successful healing journey.
FTC Disclosure: This book was sent to me by Hay House at no cost to me and the opinions expressed are solely my own.


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Sep 17, 2012 Free Range Family
MEALS THAT HEAL INFLAMMATION is a wealth of knowledge. Julie Daniluk begins by sharing her story of how she became ill and how she recovered her digestive health. Her story is honest and encouraging.

The gem of this book lies in the fact that Julie acknowledges that there is not one healing path that will help everyone. Each person is unique and must find the diet that works for their body alone.

This book offers several menu plans: One for Vegans, one for Omnivores, as well as many recipes ideal for gluten-free, egg-free, low GI and Soy free diets. This book encourages the reader to investigate the causes of individual sensitivities and allergies which may be causing illness.

Julie makes it clear that the health of your gut is the most important thing in reducing inflammation.

This is a great reference book as so many tips, charts and guidelines are offered for quick and easy reference. I can see myself picking it up for years to come.

The two recipes I tried were both simple and delicious. The grain-free berry muffins lasted for a day in my house and the raw pad thai was a hit as well.

The colourful photos of the recipes have definitely left me wanting to try some more, particularly the Collard wraps and Key Lime pie!

If you suffer from any kind of digestive issues or just want to learn more about the causes of inflammation and roots of all disease, you'll be doing yourself a favour by picking up this book!

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.
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Jul 19, 2012 sacredcircle
I recently signed up for Book Nook, a Hay House Blogger Community through which I am invited to review books that are sent to me… for free! Y’see, while I’m an avid writer, I needed some motivation to get back into reading again… I have joined many a book club only to be the nerd in the corner who can’t stay awake past the first page, no matter how enticing the story-line is. But I love the idea of it. I love getting whisked away by a good writer. And this gives me another platform to practice giving my thoughts and opinions a VOICE. So I thought I’d give this a shot… which means that every other month or so, I’ll be reviewing a new book… sharing with you my own personal relationship to the stories and thoughts therein. I hope you enjoy them…. and that you dare to share you own reflections as well!

It shouldn’t be of any surprise that to start off, I’d choose a book that would go along with my current wellness journey…. Yes, I guess you could say I’m a bit obsessed these days. Meals That Heal Inflammation, by Julie Daniluk. I mean, who can resist that healthy looking woman on the front cover holding a pineapple, and the fact that it has over 120 recipes strewn throughout its pages? (I’m ALWAYS looking for good recipes)

Ms. Daniluk reiterated for me almost everything my nutritionist has had me exploring for over a year now (and believe you me, that’s no small feat!)… I’ve read a good many books about this very subject, but I must say, as I read her thoughts about how and why inflammation expresses itself in the body, I found myself thinking, here’s someone who speaks my language (versus the complex scientific jargon that I then have to research myself to fully understand).

The information is perplexing and convincing to say the least, claiming that just about every health condition, painful or otherwise, is related to inflammation. With numerous studies to back it up, it simply makes sense.

At the same time, Ms. Daniluk’s premise is that every body is different, and there is no one plan that heals everyone. By the time I got to the section on what to eat, well, let’s just say I could’ve done cartwheels! Not only does she break things down into simple-to-follow plans for both meat-eaters and vegans (!!), she also helps you to determine what foods may be causing problems in your body, from subtle sensitivities to full-blown allergies. She also provides numerous charts throughout the book that I’ve dog-eared the dickens out of for easy reference… like which fruits and vegetables are best eaten organic, and which ones are okay to eat conventional… as well as what to buy at the grocery store that would support your anti-inflammatory efforts.

And the recipes… WOW. While I’ve only made a couple of them so far (the Cauliflower Popcorn and the Krispy Kale Chips- yum!), I am simply dying to try the Raw Pad Thai and the Key Lime Pie, which is also raw and made with… drumroll please… avocados!

I know, for the average person out there, these might sound a touch exotic… but what impresses me is Ms. Daniluk makes changes in the diet seem, well no, not always easy, but persuasive and do-able. Adventurous even. And I always love a good adventure.

Just as impressive to me, however, is that Ms. Daniluk doesn’t ignore the unique relationships we all have with food…. and with an entire chapter dedicated to emotional pain, she encourages her readers to take a deeper look at our motivation behind eating what we choose to eat. Whether we tend to use food for comfort or medicine, this isn’t just a book about diet… she includes thoughtful suggestions for creating a loving relationship with your body through meditation, exercise, decluttering, building drama-free relationships, gratitude, and even laughter– all things that I can attribute to my own success at reclaiming my body after years and years of neglect. And oh yes, she tells her own personal story as well, which I find inspiring and a powerful testament to the moxie she brings into the world.

Not only has my nutritionist concurred that this is a fabulous book, but I am also tickled to recommend it to anyone who is suffering from pain in the body, or anyone who simply wants to explore healthier living. It is chock full of clear information and quick tips… and it will continue to be a reference guide for me as I continue my own journey and as I get ready to launch my Wild Women’s Wellness Tribe in 2013!
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Aug 22, 2012 kelthor

Today I’m doing something a little different on the blog. I decided to participate in Hay House’s offer to send a free book if I review it on my blog. I thought that was a pretty good deal. I chose Meals that Heal Inflammation as I am always looking for new ideas and more information about food and how it relates to health. This book in particular piqued my interest as cancer is known to be related to inflammatory conditions in the body. Further, since treatment, I have found that I have had joint issues and it looks like arthritis is developing; and of course arthritis is an inflammatory condition too.

Meals that Heal Inflammation is a thoughtfully written book. I appreciate how it is organized with easy to find information that is recapped and referenced. I have tried out a number of different diets since I was diagnosed with cancer. I certainly think the ideas behind the book are helpful. Author Julie Daniluk states that there is no right diet for anyone, everyone is unique. What Julie provides is a method to figure out what your own food sensitivities are. She covers the various reasons why inflammation may occur and addresses lifestyle aspects that can help reduce the impact of inflammation. The book has point form summaries of each chapter and the layout is easy to read and easy to find information. There are quizzes and easy tables to quickly assess your needs. Then, Julie provides a plan to slowly remove foods from your diet that are likely culprits of inflammation – whether allergen based or a health condition. Also, given the wide variety of sensitivities people have, Julie includes practical suggestions to accommodate, say a soy based sensitivity/allergy so recipes can be altered to individual needs.

I tried out some of the 120 recipes that are included in this book. I think the recipes fared well. My four year old son liked the pesto (cheese and nut free) and the African Nut Butter Stew. The Dijon chicken recipe didn’t fare as well with my son, but my parents both liked it. The only one I tried and didn’t get feedback on is the best carrot cake ever which I brought to friends but we didn’t get to eating it; however I’m looking forward to trying out the recipe again soon along with many more of the recipes. It can be hard to come across good recipes that are dairy, wheat, gluten and nightshade vegetable free; all of the recipes fit these criteria. What a delight.

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Sep 10, 2012 drhiphop
Meals That Heal Inflammation (MTHI) is a step-by-step manual written by Julie Daniluk, R.H.N. that begins with her own personal story of how she discovered the food she was eating were making her sick. Daniluk was plagued with pain, nausea and vomiting caused by inflammation for years, and finally faced a hard reality that she encourages readers to also acknowledge: pain may be directly caused or affected by the food we eat on a daily basis.

I received a gratuitous review copy of this book from Hay House. Moving forward with this possibility or realization that the foods we eat may be making us sick, Daniluk offers solutions for readers to discover the best diets for personally living inflammation-free. Inviting readers to examine themselves closely through meditation, and emotional healing as well as physiological method, Daniluk’s readers receive a holistic picture of how to approach achieving a body and life in equilibrium. In addition to her narrative advice, Daniluk also offers several self-diagnostic exercises that clearly mirror some of the personal work she herself completed . In “The Infection Connection” chapter, for example, a quiz helps readers to assess how their bodies are reacting to preexisting or recently diagnosed infections, such as dental infections, or foodborne pathogenic infections.

Once the reader has determined what is, or might be, making her sick through diagnostics and process of elimination over twelve weeks, Daniluk makes recommendations on how to reintroduce foods. MTHI is full of interest recipes to try, and recommended cuisines to lean on, as if this reader needs any additional reasons to eat Indian and Ethiopian foods! Meals that Heal Inflammation, itself may be considered a step-by-step recipe for readers to live pain-free lives.
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Sep 06, 2012 awatson
I’d been hearing a lot about Julie Daniluk and the meals she created to help heal inflammation of the gut. So I was thrilled when I was able to get a free copy of her book, Meals That Heal Inflammation from Hay House Publishing for review purposes.

Meals That Heal Inflammation is a guidebook and recipe book in one. The color photos of some of the recipes (which are found in Part III) are amazing. The featured dishes are rich in detail, with each photograph highlighting the textures and colors of the different foods in a way that makes them almost leap off the page and onto your table.

In Part I, the author candidly discussed the struggles she had with food allergies from the time she was a baby until she hit her early thirties. Severe and frequent episodes of gut inflammation are what finally drove her to find a way to heal for good. The information she provides is drawn from scientific research which outlines six known causes of inflammation. The author devotes a chapter to each cause, explaining how simple dietary changes can in fact reverse the effects of inflammation, which has been shown to cause certain illnesses and diseases.

The book was written in a light, conversational style which steered away from the overuse of medical and scientific jargon. It was refreshing to read a “health” book that didn’t extol the virtues of one type of diet over another; make the assumption that every person reading the book is on a vegetarian diet; or condemn meat-based diets through subtle use of guilt to convince the reader of a perceived social/moral obligation.

The pages of this excellent reference book are packed with lots of useful information, including food charts, shopping and cooking guides, suggestions for kitchen utensils, and 7-day menu plans for vegans and omnivores.
However for me, the best part of the book was the recipe section. And these recipes cover the gamut: salads, soups, snacks, main meals, decadent desserts, an assortment of teas and liquid cleanses, smoothies, and juices. Plus, preceding each recipe is a short synopsis describing the benefits derived from eating that particular meal, snack, etc., based on its ingredients.

Meals That Heal Inflammation is another great tool for those of us seeking practical ways of eating healthy in accordance to the needs of our own unique body types.
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Aug 02, 2012 judyshome
I was so excited to get Meals that Heal Inflammation by Julie Daniluk as this book came highly recommended by my colleagues in the RHN program - from both lecturers and fellow students. "She's one of us," I thought happily, "and she's so successful. I want to be just like her!" After my moment of completely being a star-struck kid, I cleared my mind so that I could review it unbiased.

Not getting into 10 pages of this book, Julie recounts her personal experience with food and inflammation. It was a tale of ups and downs, where she goes through the process of finding her food triggers. She had periods of eating well and not-so-well and this greatly impacted her health. Remember how I said I wanted to be "just like her?" Never mind. Although I can definitely relate to her in my own journey to health, she's had it way worse.

As I get deeper into the book, it dawned on me that in 400 some-odd pages, Julie has given the reader valuable information that took me two years (and several thousand dollars!) to complete in school, and then some. She addresses inflammation from an integrative perspective, including things like a chapter on the emotional component of our eating habits and one on alternative therapies in acute injuries. And of course, most of the book is on the nutritional contribution to chronic inflammation. It's a fantastic introduction for the reader experiencing feelings of dis-ease, who have "tried everything" but haven't experienced any alleviation. Some examples include arthritis, skin problems (that's me!), hyperactivity, headaches and many other disorders that people wouldn't even think to consider as being related to foods.

I tried at least one recipe from each section. This was the fun part - especially welcomed after finding out how much inflammation was (still) in my body! In general, I found that to make these dishes ingredient by ingredient, pre-planning was definitely needed (though made easy by the shopping guide she included!) There's a ton of variety in terms of the vegetables used, so I found myself short of a few ingredients in each of the recipes - for a lot of the recipes. It's not a bad thing, just an observation. It can be daunting and for some, it may be difficult to find ingredients such as xanthan gum and dulse. Not me though, I live at health food stores...my trouble was not having enough variety of vegetables (a little bit ironic for a nutritionist, I know). The author does suggest playing with your food and experimenting with substitutions, so she's pretty realistic and awesome that way.

Burdock Root Tea - I've actually made this before, but seeing it as a recipe reminded me, "Oh yeah, I haven't had that in a while". Also, the author reassures you that having it turn bright green is normal. Phew, I was concerned about that for a while. I loved this section on "liquid healing" because it gives some great ideas on teas (like combining rooibos and peppermint that I can't wait to try). All of her recipes begin with a blurb about the healing qualities of the ingredients. I might even give ginger tea a second chance because it sounds so healthful.

Flax Apple Pudding - This one was fairly tasty and contained no added sweetener. I'm okay with that because I haven't had sugar (neither natural nor synthetic) in over 2 months, but people coming from the Standard American Diet (filled with processed sugars) may need some time for their taste buds to adjust. I didn't find this one to be very aesthetically pleasing, but I find cooked breakfast cereals typically aren't.

Sesame Green Beans - With only 8 ingredients (most of them, I didn't measure and just tossed on), this one is quick and easy to prepare. The fragrance from the toasted sesame oil worked really well with the garlic and lemon. I liked how she made use of the "water saute method" of cooking these green beans instead of oil.

White Root Mash - I tried this with a turnip, as is recommended in the book (because I didn't have the other two options available - celery root and Jerusalem artichoke). I don't think it's actually fair to harshly judge a cookbook author based on a vegetable that I'm not sure I like, so I'm not going to say anything. I might try this again with another one of her vegetables.

Dairy-Free Pesto - I've done pesto similar to this before and it's always a winner. You get slightly different flavours depending on the type of basil and type of nuts or seeds you use and it always seems to work. I treat this one as a no-measure recipe because you really can’t do wrong.

Raw Pad Thai - Ingredients I was missing: carrot, purple cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts, almond butter, and tamari. I subbed in other veggies like light green pepper green cabbage and cilantro and used salt instead of tamari and all was good. It was fresh and summery, perfect for a day like today.

Berry Pie - I tweaked this recipe too, based on the ingredients I had: pecans, arrowroot powder, agar, lychee and water. I also soaked my nuts beforehand, so that they would form a good crust. The original one looked about 1000 times better than mine (with the colours of blueberries and raspberries), but I expected that when I decided to use plain, white lychees. This recipe provided an awesome idea (doing the arrowroot and agar created a jelly-like filling) and inspired a unique and tasty creation. Hmm, just comparing the images, perhaps I was a bit stingy on the fruit too :P.

Overall impression of the book was awesome! I found that it had a lot of creative suggestions (like crumbling rice cakes and topping them with seasoning to replace popcorn - genius!) It was also a user-friendly guide to making permanent lifestyle changes and that I'll definitely be returning to again and again.

FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for this review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.
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Aug 20, 2012 ASimpleGuide
Meals that Heal Inflammation, by Julie Daniluk, R.H.N, is really more of a users manual for the body when it comes to understanding what causes inflammation, and also what can be done to heal it.

The book is written in somewhat of a textbook manner, in that, you can skip around and browse sections independently, and yet, Julie does manage to keep each section well-rounded with the books main theme and purpose which is inflammation.

Julie shares her personal story that led her to take her own healing journey to uncover what she could do to stop the assault on her body and thusly promote healing on all levels. In Chapter 2-Emotional Pain: Let’s Talk, she boldly claims that this chapter is the most important one in the book. After reading it, I feel that this is something refreshing to hear when reading a book that deals with healing of any kind. A lot of nutrition books, discuss the various components of diet, what to eat and what not to, but healing has to occur on all levels and it was nice to see this chapter and the importance that she put on it.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. At close to 400 pages, there is a lot of information to take in, but I will keep this book and use it as a reference. The information is clear and the take home message that I got from it was that there is no one perfect diet nor food for everybody. And the purpose of this book is to find out and become aware of what foods trigger toxic and allergic responses in you and to then make the necessary changes in your diet. We all know that eating more plant foods, is a good thing, and eating whole foods, in their natural state versus highly processed ones is good for us, and this book shares its message to do just that, and has some tasty looking recipes that I look forward to trying.

I received this book for free from Hay House Publishing for review purposes.
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Sep 14, 2012 yogamama522
"TV host and nutritionist Julie Daniluk reveals just how much pain is caused by inflammation and shows how to relieve it through diet. Featuring a practical nutrition guide, menu plan and 130 easy and delicious recipes, Meals that Heal Inflammation makes healthful eating a true pleasure.

Inflammation is on the rise. Conditions such as allergies, skin disorders, asthma, heart disease, arthritis and any other condition ending in "itis" all have an inflammatory component. In Meals that Heal Inflammation registered holistic nutritionist Julie Daniluk shows how to change our immune response through diet. The first part of the book outlines the six causes of inflammation and gets to the root of the pain we experience. She then shows how to build a healthy kitchen full of foods that will contribute to our well-being. The book's easy and tempting recipes include quinoa salad, salmon with fennel and even key lime pie. Extensively researched, and full of information about the healing properties of everyday foods, Meals that Heal Inflammation will be a mainstay in any kitchen with a healthy focus"

I agree that it is a great book, but for the majority of the American public, they may shy away from some of the recipes. I know, even as a Health Coaching student and person who is into natural and whole foods, there were some things I wasn't sure of.

I think it is a great book for those people who are advocates for themselves in working on Celiac, yeast issues, arthritis and many other conditions and would definitely recommend it to them!
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Aug 06, 2012 alpha_andy_omega

Meals that heal is a beautiful concept. So many of us, who deal with food issues, need to replace emotional attachments that no longer serve us with positive, beneficial ones. In Meals That Heal Inflammation, author Julie Daniluk R.H.N. has put together a wonderful book. It clocks in at almost 400 pages. The last half of the book consists of recipes that aren't too complicated to pull off, and very satisfying and healing. The first half is dedicated to the studies and the science of inflammation, and how it affects us.

Inflammation is at the core of most of the disease and pain that we can experience throughout our lives. Inflammation is also a side effect of some pharmaceuticals prescribed by physicians to fight these same diseases and pain. That's not to say that this book takes on the conspiratorial tone some health and nutrition books embrace, far from it. Meals That Heal Inflammation offers a lot of choices. Read it, and you will find yourself armed with good information, and scientifically supported food choices.

The book is set up very well, in that each chapter reiterates important points made in previous chapters. I wish more nutrition oriented books would take that approach. It clears up a lot of confusion. Actually, there were several questions I've had for years that Julie Daniluk answered for me. The sections in the book that deal with food cravings really got me thinking. The idea that the foods we crave most, are often the foods we are most sensitive too, never occurred to me before. The eating plans offered, are easily managed, well thought out, and thoroughly explained. As someone who loves training with weights, and long distance running, I'm quite familiar with inflammation in the form of Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness. This book has opened my eyes to some previously unconsidered options, lessened my pain, and cleared up more time to engage in the training activities I love. For that I am truly grateful, and recommending this book to anyone who trains on a consistent basis, or struggles with food and/or weight issues.

I was not financially compensated for this post. I received the book from Hay House for review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.

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Oct 05, 2012 lavishlynatural

Meals That Heal Inflammation (MTHI) is both a mega guidebook and cookbook in one written by Julie Daniluk, Nutritionist Extraordinaire! Julie's experience as a nutritionist comes through in how clearly she describes how each food (and an excess or deficiency of it, affects our health). She includes simple steps to start adding anti-inflammatory foods to your diet now and which foods to toss out. One of the things I can't stop eating is actually a honey mustard dressing she has with raw honey--DELICIOUS!

Three Highlights from the Book…
1. Don't underestimate your emotional health.

You can't heal inflammation in your body without healing your mind as well. Three mind balancing activities: meditate, get moving, and don't take yourself so seriously:)

2. Stop turning off your pain response (in other words - put the aspirin down and listen to your body!)

The author explains that you need to know when you have an ache or a pain since this is your body's way of letting you know something is wrong. Pushing through the pain because it's dulled by aspirin or over-the-counter pain meds could be decreasing your opportunity to identify inflammation and permanently heal a nagging condition.

3. Meals are easy and good (they're even for picky little eaters - ages 3, 5, 7)

I love the freshness of each meal and that I'm getting a powerful vitamin, mineral, anti-inflammatory burst of goodness with each bite! My kids on the other hand loved the smells and taste of each crispy kale chip and sesame green bean! This is different from the shrieks and shrills I usually hear when anything green appears on their plate.

I found MTHI to be very enlightening and answered a lot of questions about my own gut, childhood and adult food poisonings, gut linings and how to live without stomach discomfort. My family and I eat a gluten free wheat free diet (sometimes casein free as well) so I'm always looking for new meals and new meal ideas we'll all enjoy that are also good for us.

It is important to note that you don't have to have a stomach issue (or be wildly obsessed with anti-inflammatory foods) to enjoy this book. The meals themselves are worth cooking up for mind, body and inner health!

**I received this book for free for review purposes from Hay House Book Nook.

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Oct 07, 2012 hhreviewer2
This is my review of Meals That Heal Inflammation by Julie Daniluk. First let me acknowledge that I received this book free from Hay House Publishing to review. The opinion in this review is unbiased and reflects my honest judgment of the product.

I will be honest in saying that I have been having some difficulty writing this review. Julie Daniluk has a lot of really great information in the book yet, as some others have pointed out, this book probably isn't going to be for everyone.

Personally, I have been trying to heal my own health issues through diet for several years so much of the information in this book isn't new to me. In fact, the diet that I most closely followed for much of that time was similar to the one found in the book.

That being said, it didn't work for me. I believe that sometimes health issues cannot be healed through food alone. Although Meals That Heal Inflammation has a really great message about finding the diet that is right for you, it cannot be denied that Julie Daniluk advocates for a particular type of diet.

For anyone with multiple food allergies or who is interested in restricting their own diet by avoiding nearly all allergens, this may be the book for you.
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Oct 17, 2012 Reading Room
I have a keen interest in learning about how what we eat affects our health and I know that inflammation is probably one of the biggest health issues we face today. I really liked the format of this book, giving an anti-inflammation eating plan and includes lots of great meal ideas. It also includes a good section on anti-inflammatory foods and the anti-inflammatory Food Pyramid. The book is well-researched and is packed full of information that is easily accessible. It is the type of book you will refer to over and over, so keep it in your library!
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