It seems we have gone full circle from the days  when  everything was made totally from scratch to  prepared and  processed foods, designed to get  women  out of the  kitchen and into the workforce,  to today’s  rebellion  against additives,  preservatives, and any  ingredient on a  package  you can’t pronounce.

Today we are heading back to where we started and  back  to basics. Finally we are choosing foods  that are  more  wholesome and natural as well as beginning to  understand  that food is more than just fuel. It’s key to  helping us live  longer, healthier lives.

Dale Pinnock, author of The Medicinal Chef (Sterling Publishing), understands this concept  more than many  people. His knowledge of food  and its healing effects has  led him to publish his  new cookbook with recipes that  will most benefit specific conditions of the body.

Pinnock has taken on the role of a medicinal chef. “That’s where I come in: to look at the science about which foods can be useful for certain physiological changes and diseases, assess what dietary changes we can easily make, and use my culinary skills to create practical, delicious dishes that everyone can cook and enjoy in their day-to-day life.”

Each recipe includes symbols indicating which of the body systems and specific conditions it can help. For example, Pinnock suggestsThai Fish Soup might be helpful for arthritis, anxiety, and high cholesterol or bloating. “This gorgeous dish has a lovely exotic vibe about it, is easy to make, plus it’s light and bursting with nutrients,” he says.

We also like the Sesame Soy Salmon and Vegetables with Coconut Rice, which he recommends as a help to those who have asthma or high blood pressure. To start your day off right, try the Probiotic Layer Crunch, an easy breakfast of fruit, oats, pumpkin seeds, and live probiotic yogurt.

As Dale Pinnock reminds us, “We can take pleasure from our food, and at the same time, know it will help our health.”