I saw [The Anti-Inflammation Diet and Recipe Book] at a friend's house last fall, and I was intrigued. She let me take it home and doesn't want it back, so it's another cookbook for my collection. I held off writing this review because I wanted time to try out several recipes.

[[Jessica K. Black]] is a naturopath, and this book is very much a product of that tradition, without getting into pH and food residues and the other minutiae of that credo. I consulted a naturopath toward the end of my first year of treatment at the behest of my cancer mentor. Indeed, the person I consulted was a grad school classmate who moved into an entirely different field. While I enjoyed her assessment process, most particularly the blood drop under the microscope to analyze cellular level conditions, projected onto a computer screen, I was put off by a few things. First, the relentless marketing of supplements etc. (I have the same beef with a recent chiropractor). Second, the somewhat subtle victim blaming (admittedly, this was more of a problem with her colleague)--once I've been properly educated and stop my bad habits, the cancer won't be a problem--really, you think I brought this on myself?? Actually, my lifestyle and diet have been generally healthy, thankyouverymuch. Third, I managed to poison myself with a naturopathic detoxifying tea by steeping it far too long. Wow, some warning of the potential hazards might have been nice. Fourth, my consultation was toward the end of winter, and the two weeks of cleansing diet consisted entirely of organic fruits and vegetables--exceedingly expensive during that time of year. I really can't afford $300 per week. Again, admittedly, with better planning and preparation and relying on produce of the season, etc., it probably wouldn't have been so bad. But the grocery bill, poisoning, we-know-better-than-you condescension, and please buy expensive supplements all added up to an end to that relationship. And hey, these are by no means special problems limited to naturopathy. I have an Ayurvedic friend who is also very much into the victim blaming--maybe your stressful life and can-do attitude led to your cancer (cause-effect, see how that blaming works?). I readily acknowledge that diet, exercise, relationships, and stress affect our ability to cope with problems, physical or otherwise, and can make us vulnerable (or stronger!), but that's very different from *causing* the problems.

But hey, none of this has to do with this book, beyond explaining that I do have some familiarity with the tradition that informs this particular author and dietary approach. Now I tend to agree with complementary/alternative medical traditions and the well-known truism, "You are what you eat," in the sense that inputs can influence our system more than most conventional doctors seem willing to consider. Certainly, my medical oncologist seemed supremely uninterested and unconcerned about diet and dietary supplements, considering their potential effect trivial, but maybe lay off the antioxidants during chemo. Admittedly, the body may be able to shrug off the effects of our habits for years, whether it is diet, posture, repetitive motion, etc., but the body doesn't have endless recuperative powers. At some point, that lifetime accumulation starts to manifest. And so now that I'm middle-aged with shoulder problems, I am trying to retrain myself, change my sleeping positions and posture so that I don't have to continue to deal with chronic pain and discomfort. Plus, permanent and slowly growing symptoms that are a direct result of treatment mean that I not only have to pay attention to my body on a daily basis, rather than taking it for granted, but also diligently practice various exercises and activities to keep the symptoms manageable. It's certainly reasonably to consider diet as part of that process.

The first part of the book consists of various introductory items and five chapters, the second part of the book is the selection of recipes. The introductory items are pretty standard: foreward, preface, acknowledgments, along with "Why an anti-inflammation diet." These are followed by "Modern health paradigms," "Inflammation: what's the big deal," "The importance of diet," "The anti-inflammation diet," and "How to use this book." All of that in 54 pages is quick reading. The author points out that what's presented in this book is the most extreme and restricted form of the diet. Partial adoption will still lead to health benefits.

The first chapters discuss precepts of naturopathy, maintaining the body's homeostasis, and avoiding "toxic overload"; how the body's immune system works, inflammation as an immune reaction, the role of prostaglandins and other biomolecules; how chronic inflammation can be associated with various health problems and diseases: heart disease, fibromyalgia, insomnia, etc. Indeed, autoimmune diseases seem to be some of the most prevalent and sky-rocketing health problems, from Crohn's to lupus, and certainly many respiratory problems are triggered by allergens.

Anyway, what's the general prescription? Avoid conventionally produced food that's full of pesticides, hormones, antibiotics, etc. Avoid highly processed foods, particularly wheat flour and sugar and artificial sugar substitutes. Avoid all of the foods known to cause allergic reactions (or digestive intolerance): dairy, peanuts, shellfish, gluten and wheat in general, also tomatoes and potatoes. And avoid all of the vices: alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, trans fats and hydrogenated oils, fried foods, etc. No pork because pigs are very close to us biochemically, and the proteins and fats in pork can potentially trigger the immune system. As a side note, consider swine flu historically and the avian flu recently out of China that originated in areas where chickens and pigs were penned together, creating a cross-infection breeding ground for viruses to jump from birds to pigs and thus readily to humans. Have more omega-3 fish (salmon, tuna, etc), garlic, ginger, turmeric, nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables, flax and olive oils, and lots of water.

The recipes are a mix of (often vegetarian) unchanged standards like guacamole, Mexican egg skillet, baked chicken, steamed vegetables and modified standards to eliminate verboten ingredients: mango salsa, mashed "potatoes" using Jerusalem artichokes, pesto and chicken pizza, almond satay sauce, etc. The recipes and approach frankly aren't that different from the [South Beach diet], which I tried back in 2008. Both discourage starches--potatoes, pasta, breads--to varying degrees.

However, this book relies on vegan or at least wheat substitutes for baked goods. That's been an interesting exploration for me. So far, I've tried the banana bread and three of the cookies. I see a recipe for spelt tortillas that I'll have to try. Certainly, the vegan cookies perform quite differently from those relying on a great deal of butter and sugar. I thought the ginger spice cookies were quite good, and the tahini-almond butter cookies acceptable. I was disappointed by the ginger snaps, but that had more to do with my using commercial ginger paste instead of grating fresh ginger root, and especially the all-forgiving banana bread.

The book provides handy charts for substitutions for baking, as well as the list of foods to include or avoid in various categories. However, I found that the recommended ratios for substituting rice syrup for sugar did not match the instructions on the jar, and the outcome following the former was somewhat disappointing. Next time, I'll follow the recommendations on the jar. It is handy to have some direction, instead of flailing about on my own.

The almond satay sauce was fabulous, and the accompanying salad rolls would have worked well if I'd had the appropriate rice paper. The green beans and other recipes have generally been fine, much as I've found in vegetarian cookbooks. The stuffed mushrooms was the biggest disappointment so far (besides the banana bread), but I think that's largely a matter of taste. The filling was far too sharp for me, relying on ginger and lemon, which I like very well in other cooking, but a far cry from the traditional parmesan and bread crumbs for mushrooms. I'm afraid my palate needs to be weaned slowly not shocked into change.

I am particularly looking forward to trying the alternative beverages. I am happy with water most of the time, but something more interesting once in a while is appreciated, and avoiding sodas and juices limit the options for cold beverages.

So it has been a mixed bag, just like any other cookbook. We are generally following the prescription, but stray when dining out or at potlucks or entertaining certain friends. My querido has noticed a tremendous improvement in his digestion and has sadly concluded that his beloved dairy has been causing havoc in the absence of the gall bladder. The good news is that largely dairy free means that he can occasionally enjoy a traditional pizza without immediate recourse to the bathroom. However, milk and cookies will never be the same... ( )