Help Yourself

Starred review from February 3, 2020
Recipe developer and writer Lindsay Maitland (Healthyish), who long struggled with digestive issues, takes a deep dive into digestive wellness and shares 125 gut-healthy recipes in this sensible approach to healthy eating. Stating that her book is not a weight loss guide or prescribed diet, Hunt expertly illustrates that diners are able to maintain good health by eating more plant-based foods (such as vegetables, nuts, beans, and legumes) in order to maintain a healthy balance of gut microorganisms. Tempting recipes include caramelized baked apples with yogurt and granola; swordfish with a simple grilled pineapple salsa; coconut chicken and rice stew; and a must-try potato salad with chive-bacon vinaigrette and sauerkraut. Hunt’s recipes use easy-to-source ingredients, and her directions are clear, ensuring confidence as well as success. While nutritional information isn’t provided, readers will appreciate the icons used to identify recipes that are quick, vegetarian, and “good for sensitive guts,” as well as suggestions for complementary dishes to round out a meal (e.g. smoky roasted fennel can be served with lamb meatballs or baked white fish). This is a lightning bolt of lucidity in a crowded and jargon-laden field of often impractical and unsustainable dietary approaches.

Starred review from April 1, 2020

Following up her best-selling cookbook Healthyish, recipe developer Hunt offers an original collection of recipes that don't necessarily fit labels, such as vegetarian or vegan. Rather, they are, in her words, "plant-focused," allowing for mindfully incorporating dairy and meat products. Beginning with an overview of her own health issues, and efforts to create meals allowing for good digestion, Hunt continues with an array of innovative, thoughtful dishes. Soups are standouts here, including spiced carrot soup with coconut cream as well as lemony chicken and quinoa soup, but there are stars in other areas, such as a parsley, kale, and pumpkin seed pesto that can accompany other dishes throughout the book. In a relatable voice, she explains how to embrace meal prep, reminding readers to eat what feels best for them. VERDICT This is not a weight-loss cookbook, and Hunt doesn't intend it to be. Instead, she considers it a starting point for anyone living with chronic illness or autoimmune disease to get ideas and inspiration. A worthy follow-up to Healthyish that can more than stand on its own.--Stephanie Sendaula, Library Journal

Copyright 2020 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2020
Longtime editor, recipe developer, and author Hunt (Healthyish, 2018) jumps on the latest scientific findings and fashions a diet intended to produce healthier guts and, thus, healthier bodies. In a very accessible way, Hunt cites the growing evidence that points to good gut microbes leading to fewer aches and pains, lessened inflammation, and a healing (and overall healthy) self. The book's second half is devoted to 100-plus recipes that emphasize whole foods and high-quality ingredients, majorly reduced sugar, plenty of water and, of course, plants. The tenor of her recipes falls between a holistic earth goddess bent and time-mindful practicality (veering more toward the latter). Think caramelized baked applies, spiced pumpkin shakes, spiced carrot soup, roasted eggplant and chickpeas with slow roasted chicken, all with tips, icons for quick cooking, occasional photographic how-tos, and more. Hunt's sincerity and belief in the benefits of e-gut-ilibrium is 150 percent contagious.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)