Welcoming Food, by Andrew Sterman

There is a new book series on dietetics that I absolutely love and would like to share.

“Welcoming Food,” by Andrew Sterman, is a title that I will have on my bookshelf for the rest of my life and will turn to again and again. I think it will take its place among the modern classics of nutrition and dietetics alongside titles like Nourishing Traditions and Healing with Whole Foods.

This is a two-book series: Book one covers the “Energetics of Food and Healing,” while book two covers “Recipes and Kitchen practice.”

These books go beyond the typical food classifications such as whole vs. processed, organic vs. conventional, healthy vs. junk, protein, carbs, fats, etc. Welcoming Food introduces the reader to the concepts of the energetics of food: temperature, taste, directionality, and signature. We have all heard that food is medicine, but Mr. Sterman explains precisely why this is true. 

Let me give an example of this. Garlic and onions are two of the most commonly used and essential ingredients in most kitchens. While it is well established that they can aggravate heartburn and GERD in some people, I have never met anyone who would say that they are not healthy. So how is it that something so widely used and revered can be problematic? Traditional diagnostics categorizes heartburn and GERD as conditions of excess heat in the stomach. Both garlic and onions are classified as hot foods, so adding them to an already hot condition causes things to get worse. Heat rises and expands outward, so hot foods should be avoided or used sparingly for individuals with heat-related conditions. 

There is a lot more to the story, and I am happy to say that the author shares it all!

He breaks it down according to the theories of classical Chinese medicine so the reader can easily understand not only how a particular food affects the body but how food can be used to treat illness by the home cook. Incorporating eastern and western medicine to cover essential topics like digestion, the microbiota, gut health, adrenal and respiratory health (to name a few), and how all of these things fit together to create a complete picture of how the body functions in health and disease.

To top it all off, he gives detailed information on treating many common (and serious) ailments through diet while sharing many recipes for promoting health and treating illness.

I cannot recommend these books highly enough to my patients, and the feedback has been completely positive so far. Enjoy! 🙂

Rob Mills