Occasional stress is inevitable and doesn’t have to be a bad thing. But when stress becomes an everyday occurrence in our lives, our body’s fight or flight hormone, cortisol, goes into overdrive. This causes your body to fight back and lead to something called chronic inflammation.

Symptoms of chronic inflammation include relentless fatigue, mood swings, weight gain, poor mental health, and digestive issues. The good news? With the right diet, your chronic inflammation can be treated and you can return to feeling your best, most balanced self.

That’s why I have put together this article on the best books for eating an anti-inflammatory diet. When you need some guidance on eating to cure inflammation, you want to do it the right way.

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What is an Anti-Inflammatory Diet?

Acute inflammation happens when you cut your finger, and your immune system sends signals to cause inflammation in your cells. This type of inflammation is incredibly useful and helps our body to heal.

On the other hand, chronic inflammation is inflammation that persists over time. An anti-inflammatory diet aims not only to curb chronic inflammation, but to prevent it from occurring in the first place.

Anti-inflammatory diets put a focus on whole foods, and aim to minimize the amount of processed, sugary food you eat. There’s no single anti-inflammatory diet with a do and don’t eat list.

Most of these diets center around whole grains, healthy fats, lean protein, nuts, seeds, and of course an abundance of fruits and vegetables. So, let’s get to reviewing the best books for eating an anti-inflammatory diet.

The Best Books & Cookbooks To Learn About Anti-Inflammatory (or Inflammation) Diet

Whether you want a book with guidance for eating to stop inflammation and improve your gut health or prefer an anti-inflammatory cookbook, the list below has both options. Read on to see which anti-inflammatory diet books are best for your goals.

Uninflamed: 21 Anti-Inflammatory PRIMAL HABITS (Stillman)

The brainchild of community leader, Cate Stillman, Uninflamed aims to get you unstuck from habits that are wreaking havoc with your health. From rewilding your circadian rhythm to your microbiome, this book contains 21 primal habits to help people restore balance to their life, no matter their previous knowledge of health.

Pulling from hundreds of studies as well as ancient wisdom texts, Stillman offers up a new way for us to live – and it’s all about creating healthy habits.

Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom (Urban, Hartwig)

Based on Melissa Hartwig Urban’s hugely successful Whole30 program, Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom offers a step-by-step plan to break unhealthy habits, improve digestion, strengthen immunity, and reduce cravings.

You’ll learn the basic meal prep and cooking skills you need to succeed, as well as a month’s worth of recipes designed to make you healthy and happier. Plus, you can read real-life success stories and enjoy access to an extensive FAQ section.

I also want to mention that this book is at the top of my list as one of my personal favorites. I highly recommend it as one of the best books for eating an anti-inflammatory diet.

Books by Dr. Mark Hyman

There are so many excellent books produced by Dr. Hyman, I couldn’t choose just one! Dr. Hyman’s work focuses on cultivating long-term healthy habits and focuses on filling your diet with whole, nutritious foods.

The 10-day detox diet is perfect for those experiencing inflammation. It can ward off any unwanted weight loss you’ve experienced as a result of your hormones being out of balance.

Dr. Hyman’s books are again one of my personal favorites. I have read his work extensively and highly recommend his books.

Click here to check out the full selection of books by Dr. Hyman

Anti-Inflammatory & Alkaline Diet for Beginners (Stewart)

If you want to say no to chronic inflammation and discover a sustainable approach to weight loss (no more yo-yo dieting), this is the book for you. The Anti-Inflammatory & Alkaline Diet for Beginners takes a science-based approach to food, using the facts to help you make informed choices for your body’s health.

You’ll learn about all the foods recommended to minimize inflammation, as well as a wealth of meal plans and recipes to help you put practical steps in place toward reaching your goals.

Dr. Sebi Alkaline and Anti-Inflammatory Diet (Wilson)

If you’re looking to rid your eating habits and lifestyle of processed, packaged, and pesticide-laden foods, Dr. Sebi is the person to help you do it. Dr. Sebi’s Alkaline and Anti-Inflammatory Diet book offers a practical and simple path to improving your holistic health from the foods that you eat to the supplements you take.

Dr. Sebi’s tested diet is free from elements that are proven to harm our health, and it’s focused around foods with anti-inflammatory effects on the body. If you’re suffering from symptoms such as hair loss, adult acne, feeling sluggish, or fatigued, this brilliant book contains the secret to getting your body into balance.

The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Beginners (Collins)

The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Diet for Beginners aims to tackle inflammation head-on with proven techniques to reduce your body’s chronic inflammation and return to equilibrium. This book shows you how to reduce those long-term symptoms that seemingly have no cause – dry eyes, skin issues, fatigue, brain fog, and more.

You can expect to go on a deep dive into what an anti-inflammatory diet is, how it works, and how it benefits your body. Plus, you’ll enjoy access to 28 anti-inflammatory recipes as well as a 7-day meal plan which aims to transform your health in a week.

Food Pharmacy: A Guide to Gut Bacteria, Anti-Inflammatory Foods, and Eating for Health (Clase)

Food Pharmacy goes further than simply encouraging healthy eating, it gives in-depth actionable tips to help you create a healthier lifestyle for good. You’ll learn all about gut bacteria, how to create healthy gut bacteria, and how to reduce inflammation through the power of food.

This book explores the ins and outs of intestinal flora, the difference between good fats and bad fats, and foods like turmeric that supercharge your health. If you’ve ever known that you need to eat healthier, but felt unsure about how to make that happen this book is for you.

The best part is all the facts are substantiated by a former chief surgeon and stomach bacteria scientist. That means you know you’re getting information backed up by data.

Fix It With Food: More than 125 Recipes to Address Autoimmune Issues and Inflammation (Symon)

If you love cooking, but you’re not just sure how to make your meals healthier try Fix It With Food! Filled to the brim with recipes designed especially to address autoimmune issues and inflammation, you’ll find dishes in this book that are as delicious as they are healthy.

You won’t have to go without old classics either. Michael Symon has managed to transform family favorites like mac and cheese into recipes that won’t trigger inflammation. There are an abundance of tasty recipes, and you’ll also find tips on how to identify your food triggers and create a meal plan that suits your lifestyle.

The Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook for Beginners (Newman)

Reducing chronic inflammation doesn’t have to mean removing all the foods you love from your diet. The Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook for Beginners proves this with its approach to creating foods that aren’t just healthy, but absolutely delicious too.

You can expect recipes for tasty dishes such as baked shrimp, kale, beetroot, miso maple salmon, chickpea and farro salad, and quinoa and chicken stuffed peppers. In addition to tons of delicious recipes, you’ll enjoy a 30-day meal plan and an explanation of how inflammation occurs and the best ways to reduce it.

Eat to Beat Disease (Li MD)

A phrase you’ll commonly hear in the wellness space is “food is medicine”. While pharmaceuticals play an important role in treating health problems, we often underestimate the role that food and lifestyle play in treating long-term, chronic issues like inflammation and weight gain.

In Eat To Beat Disease, Dr. William Li aims to help you make changes to your lifestyle by empowering you, not shaming or scaring you. His book includes the most effective anti-inflammatory foods for your diet and practical explanations to help you understand exactly how inflammation works. If you want to dive into a book that’s backed up by science, but written in a way that’s accessible for all, look no further than Eat to Beat Disease.

The Easy Anti-Inflammatory Diet (Frazier)

The Easy Anti-Inflammatory Diet book makes it simple to learn which foods trigger inflammation and which foods reduce it, in order to cultivate an all-round healthier lifestyle. It’s filled with recipes to tickle your tastebuds and is built around whole foods with soothing properties.

There are more than 90 easy-to-make dishes included in this book, most of which don’t take more than 30 minutes to make. If you’re worried about how to fit an anti-inflammatory diet into your busy lifestyle, this book will make it simple for you.

Tips for Eating an Anti-Inflammatory Diet

Now that you know the best books for an anti-inflammatory diet, let’s discuss some tips for eating this type of diet the right way.

The Less Processed, the Better

Eating processed foods from time to time or when you are on the go is fine. But when the majority of your food choices are made up of processed foods rather than whole foods, you risk inflammation.

Processed foods alter the makeup of our gut bacteria, which can trigger our immune system to go into overdrive and cause chronic, long-term inflammation. Stick to whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and unprocessed meats for the best chance at reducing inflammation.

Opt for Quality Proteins

Protein is one of the key macronutrients for our bodies, and it provides the building blocks for growing muscles and improving strength. Where possible avoid ultra-processed forms of protein, such as chicken nuggets, bacon, and sausages.

Aim to get your protein fix from lean, healthy proteins that come with essential vitamins and minerals, such as chicken, beef, and pork. Vegetarians can look to legumes such as beans and lentils to build protein. However, be careful with consuming too much soy, which can wreak havoc with your body’s hormonal balance.

Understand the Different Types of Fat

Fat is often wrongly maligned in the media, and while you should avoid including too much fat in your diet, it’s important to distinguish between helpful and hurtful fats. Fats like saturated fat that come from ultra-processed foods can be harmful to long-term health.

Many healthy fats, on the other hand, are great for your heart health. Included in the list of healthy fats are nut butters, olive oil, avocados, and certain nuts. Additionally, you can look into substituting ghee for butter.

Add Exercise to Your Routine

While diet alone is excellent for preventing and reducing chronic inflammation, pairing healthy eating with an increase in exercise will guarantee even more effective results. Taking part in regular cardiovascular activity is great for your heart health, and strength training helps to increase your metabolism and help you achieve a more toned look.

If you’re looking for a way to reduce stress using exercising, there’s nothing better than yoga. Because yoga combines breathwork and mindfulness techniques with poses and strength exercises, it benefits the mind as much as the body. As a yoga teacher and wellness counselor I know!

Unlike some forms of exercise, yoga reduces cortisol, which is a key culprit of inflammation. Plus, more gentle forms of yoga are perfect for helping you to engage your parasympathetic nervous before bed, and getting plenty of sleep is one of the key factors in keeping inflammation at bay.

For more help, check out my bundle of yoga courses. It includes short videos (less than 30 min), making them easy to fit into your busy day.

Check out one of the best books listed above for eating an anti-inflammatory diet to get started on a healthier lifestyle.

Following an anti-inflammatory diet can transform your life and your health. The good news is it doesn’t have to be difficult and or mean that you are missing out on meals that taste great.

If you experience stress, unexplained weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, or any other symptoms associated with chronic inflammation, you’ll benefit from picking up one of these books and using them as the basis to form your long-term lifestyle changes. With consistent lifestyle habits and a new way of eating, you’ll see results in no time!