Book Review of Food Cures by Joy Bauer

I recently had the opportunity to review a revised and updated #1 New York Times Bestseller book, Food Cures, by nutritionist Joy Bauer.

One of the first statements made in the book is "Life is hard...food should be easy". Those of us who deal with food allergies every day know that sometimes food makes life harder. While this book doesn't directly address food allergies (although there is a very helpful chapter on celiac disease- more on that later), it does help us "think like a nutritionist". Many of the tips like "pre-plan meals" and "load up on vegetables" are universal and easily fit for food allergy families.

Food Cures looks chapter by chapter at 17 different food issues ranging from diabetes to migraine headaches to celiac disease. Each issue is thoroughly explained and text boxes with FAQ's give a more personal flavor to the information. Every chapter then offers meal plans, several recipes, and a web address for more information.

Of special interest to some Food Allergy Assistant readers may be Chapter 18 on Celiac Disease. The chapter includes a list of common foods and food additives that may contain gluten. The included meal plans would be especially helpful for someone just starting a gluten-free diet, or for someone looking to add to their gluten-free repertoire'. The recipe for gluten-free gingerbread muffins sounds delish.  More celiac info is available on Joy's site.

At over 500 pages, Food Cures offers practical assistance for a wide range of issues we all face. Everyone needs to eat, and Joy doles out information and tips in a very palatable manner.