
I am so pleased to bring you this review of Rachael Bryant’s ‘Nourish – The Paleo Healing Cookbook’.
Just so we’re clear, I’ve never actually met Rachael, but – it has to be said – she took a giant leap of faith by sending a hard copy of her newly-published baby all the way down under to me here in Sydney, Australia. I’m now paying that generosity forward because, truth be told, I would have bought a copy anyway. I love the cookbook so much, I’m now offering a hard copy to one of you.
Details for the giveaway at the bottom of this post!
Rachael Bryant is the founder of Meatified, a Paleo-focused blog where she shares her recipes and other kitchen antics. As a sufferer of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, she uses the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) to feel her best and is on a mission to prove that following the AIP can be as delicious as it is nutrient dense. She is passionate about filling the AIP with flavour and fun, which is what led to her creating her first cookbook, ‘Nourish: The Paleo Healing Cookbook‘.
Nourish is both a beautiful and comprehensive cookbook providing a multitude of easy-to-make recipes that align with the Autoimmune Protocol.
With a foreword by Sarah Ballantyne, from the very beginning, ‘Nourish’ rates as one of my preferred AIP resources for go-to great recipes.
For starters, it’s a hard-back book (which I love in a cookbook). And, the pictures are great – almost one for every recipe. I can’t abide a cookbook without pics!
And then, it is laid out in a logical and practical manner. There are some great tips about following AIP before the recipe sections launch – ‘Bring on Breakfast’, ‘Maximise Meat’, a healthy variety of ‘Super Seafood’, ‘Eat the Rainbow’ for your vegetable section, learn ‘How to do Dessert’, before the finale – ‘Adding a Little Extra’ to help you add flavour with a variety of condiments (check out the recipe for Creamy Artichoke dip below!).
“Recipes are important but only to a point. What’s more important than recipes is how we think about food, and a good cookbook should open up a new way of doing just that.” – Michael Symon
I’ve been following AIP for quite some time now. And in all the months of experimenting and trying new recipes, I have been missing Indian food. Not every day. Not all the time. Just occasionally for some variety…
One of the biggest challenges for those in the elimination phase of the protocol is the lack of spices available for adding flavour.
Well. For your viewing pleasure, I had LM take some artistic ‘night’ shots of our most recent cook–up from the book – Chicken Curry with Creamy Spiced Pumpkin served with Indian Spiced ‘Rice’ with Lemon and Raisins. Scrummy!
Chock-full of flavour. This combo is a new favourite at our place!

Recipes from the ‘Nourish’ cookbook by Rachael Bryant
(Images by LM for JFC)
And, just in case you want further endorsement, my sister and brother-in-law have just come back from a fortnight in Hawaii and San Francisco. I boxed up a few serves of this meal for them to eat on their first day back. Apparently, this baby rated as one of the top five meals my B.I.L. has eaten in 2 weeks!
To tempt your taste buds even further and give you an example of what ‘Nourish is all about, here’s a recipe from the book…
I’m thinking this Creamy Artichoke Dip with Spinach would be a perfect AIP-friendly dish to serve with veggie crudités at our next AIP picnic in June…
Go on – pick up a copy of Nourish today…!
- 1 Tablespoon coconut or avocado oil
- ⅓ cup diced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup summer squash, peeled
- 2/4 cup chicken bone broth
- 170g drained artichoke hearts
- 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ teaspoon ground mace
- 170g frozen spinach, thawed
- SOFTEN: Add the oil to a pot over a medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic to the pan. Chop the summer squash into pieces the same size as the diced onion. Add this to the pan and stir to coat with the oil. Cook until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally, so the squash doesn't brown (about 10 minutes)
- BLEND: Transfer the softened vegetables to a blender and add your chicken broth. Gently squeeze the artichoke hearts to release any excess liquid before you weigh them out. Add the artichoke hearts, nutritional yeast and mace to your blender. Process until you have a thick, smooth 'creamy' sauce.
- SIMMER: Pour the sauce back into the pot and return to the stovetop at a low heat. Drain the spinach and squeeze out any excess water, then chop finely. Stir the frozen spinach into the sauce and simmer until the dip is warmed through. The dip probably won't need any additional salt because of the artichoke hearts, but taste now and add salt if you wish. Serve the dip warm and enjoy.
And, as promised, it’s giveaway time!
ENTER TO WIN A FREE HARD-COPY OF THE NOURISH COOKBOOK BY RACHAEL BRYANT!
Giveaway Rules:
There are 2 easy steps to enter the giveaway –
1. Subscribe to my newsletter. Either signup HERE or click the link at the top right corner of this page. If you already receive my newsletter, you’re good to go! No need to sign up again.
2. Leave a comment on this post telling me why you want to win a copy of this cookbook. Be sure to enter your email address in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win.
A Few Things to Note:
This giveaway is open to Australian and New Zealand residents only. I know – controversial! So often down here, giveaways are limited to US residents – so, I’m turning the tables for this one.
The winner will be chosen at random on Friday, June 5th at midday Australian Eastern Time.
I would love to receive this cook book! I was recently diagnosed with Graves’ disease and believe this diet could help me get my new found added kg’s off!
Hey Tracey – thanks for signing up, Possum!
Sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis. The thyroid is a tricky beast…
would love to win an AIP cookbook. I am keen to do the AIP diet but finding it hard to get started.
Hey Julie – thanks for signing up! You’re in the giveaway draw!
…and yes! It is hard to get started on AIP. Are you familiar with the Paleo Approach Australia Facebook group?
I am 9 months into AIP with no successful reintroductions and further restrictions. Would love to be able to sit down with our friends at games night on Fridays with my own Indian (my favourite) while they enjoy their takeaway! The book looks fantastic and the recipes would help keep me motivated on this long healing journey. So would love to win a copy!
Hey Jo – I hear you! I was 9 months into elimination before I started any reintroductions AND I hadn’t had Indian for soooooo long.
Best of luck!
SO tired of this new diagnosis of Hashimoto’s……..looking for natural help!!
Hey Suzanne – I can understand that you’re tired of your Hashi’s. I understand it can be awfully draining.
Have you checked out The Nutritinista’s blog? Kirstie is a Sydney-sider who has Hashi’s and is using AIP to manage her illness.
Having lived with agoraphobia for the past 20 years, I am finally making the change to our diet and lifestyle to shake this off. This would be perfect to help me on my way. Thank you for the opportunity!
Hi Monique – good on you! You’re in the draw, Possum. Fingers crossed.
I wish you lots of luck in your diet and lifestyle changes. I have absolute confidence that it will make a difference for you.
Having been paleo for a few years, looking for more information about AIP to see if it can help bring my body back into balance.
Welcome Kylie! I started out with ‘Primal’ and evolved to AIP. It was, I think, a much easier progression!
Sleep and stress – my two suggestions for you!
Good luck!
I would love to win this. My four children, aged 6 – 15, were diagnosed with muscular dystrophy in November last year. We are in the process of changing our diet to encourage their bodies to heal themselves and stay strong. I am hoping that with the right diet of healthy foods and the correct exercise, we can keep them out of a wheelchair for as long as possible.
Penny – I’m without words. All four?
What a hard time you must be having.
hi, I would love to win as I have been following the AIP for over a year and I need new food ideas to inspire me, sometimes it feels harder to stick to the AIP now than when I first started.
Hey Patricia – Thanks for signing up. Good luck!
I completely understand the need for inspiration. Are you familiar with The Paleo Mom’s Pinterest board for AIP bloggers? LOTS of recipe inspiration.
I love her Meatified cookbook. I have been AIP for 1 year but i think i might have some food allergies which i will get tested for as i still flare. Great giveaway! Can’t wait until i get this one 🙂
Tereza – You’re in the draw!
Rachael’s one of those peeps you’d just love to meet, isn’t she?
It’s a funny old rabbit-hole to fall down, this AIP caper. We become so much more in-tune with our bodies.
I am trying to start AIP to manage my hashimotos. A book like this will help!
Hi Sophia. Fingers crossed!
Check out the lovely Kirstie’s blog over at The Nutritionista. She is managing her Hashi’s symptoms with AIP.
What an awesome giveaway – you’re so right about the restrictions on AIP bloggers competitions to those outside the U.S./Canada!
I am the mastermind behind the menu that keeps my husband and myself on track with AIP and stops him from snacking on meat pies and chiko rolls from the servo at smoko time (Once a tradie, always a tradie). I am always on the lookout for fresh inspiration so I would just love a new cook book that fits our way of life. Plus, there’s just nothing quite like a hard copy recipe book!
Hey Megan! You’re in the draw.
You also get first prize for making me laugh! Thanks, Possum. 🙂
What a fantastic giveaway! Thank you for doing this! Great review. I would love to win so that I could have an AIP book that I can actually hold and flip through the pages as I do not own one yet!
Hey Brittany! You’re in the draw, Possum. Good luck!
…and, there is something about actually holding a cookbook, isn’t there?
With 4 people in the family with autoimmune diseases this book would be very well used,
a real book is so much easier to use & find recipes than an ebook I think.
thank you for doing a comp for those of us on the right side of the world 😉
Hi Debbie. Thanks for signing up. Good luck!
A real book is so much easier when it comes to cookbooks, I think.
I would be so grateful to receive this. Diagnosed with Graves’ disease at 22 and diagnosed with RA at 39. I truly believe diet is an important key and would love my family to also be aware and hopefully stop the family history of thyroid conditions passing down to my 22 yr daughter. Im 4th generation with it!!
Hi Larissa
I truly believe diet is an important key, too. Good luck! 🙂
Omgosh YES! I am struggling, I really am. Hypothyroid for 4 years, 5’3″ and 100 freaking kgs. I’ve been working on my body, mind and spirit full on for a year which is going great but I need to step up on the whole healing my body part but find it overwhelming I need a bit of help to do that ♡
Hey Corinna 🙂
I’m short for my weight, too! I’m perfect for long-haul flying, though! – curl up into a wee ball.
Here to help! Good luck with the giveaway…
Hahahahaha, I love that!
Hi Joanna,
I would love to win the copy of Nourish. I’ve recently had a 5 week-long autoimmune flare-up which has resulted in me falling off the AIP wagon a little bit due to exhaustion. The Nourish cook book would rejuvenate my motivation to get back on 100% AIP.
Thanks for the opportunity! 🙂
Hello Elysia!
Thanks for signing up and entering the giveaway! Sorry to hear of your flare, Possum. Ugh.
I would love to win as I have been on a paleo lifestyle change for over 3 years and need some more inspiration regarding recipes. For 3 years I have battled ill health which includes multiple parasites, bacteria and gut issues. Without paleo / conscious focus on food as fuelling my strength and health journey I would not be as strong as I am today. My daughter also suffers from pyrroles and PCOS so finding healthier food options for her is a real win with your recipes – this is exactly what I am seeking to gently persuade her over 🙂
Hi Jacqui – you’re in the draw!
I sympathise – I have personal experience with parasite infections, gut dysbiosis and Pyrrole disorder. AIP has changed my life!
Good luck.
Thank you Joanna! I too get fed up with getting excited about entering a competition, only to find it is for US residents only. Or to go shopping on Amazon with ads telling me to spend a few dollars more to get free shipping… and once again it is only for US residents.
So, why would I love to win a copy of Nourish? Well, obviously, being on the AIP protocol I’d love to get more recipes so I have much more choice for what to cook. But in addition, I love the idea that this is a hardback book. I think of cookbooks as coffee table books. I love browsing through them and looking at the pictures while conjuring images in my mind of making the food illustrated. However, my current coffee table cookbooks are now “out of bounds”. I have Sarah B’s two books in soft cover and I do love poring over those. But everything else seems to be available as an e-book, which just doesn’t do it for me (except of course for the recipes). So I would love to have a hardback copy of this book for my reading pleasure.
Thanks for the opportunity Joanna, and I look forward to meeting you at the picnic in June. Is there a date?
cheers, Melanie
Hi Melanie! You’re in the draw!
And yes, I agree. Cookbooks make the best coffee table books. Especially hard backed numbers like Rachael’s, ‘Nourish’!
There is a date for the next Sydney AIP picnic – 1pm on Sunday, June 14th at Bronte Park picnic area. It’s always posted early on my FB page (under the same name) but I’ll pop a post up in here shortly, too.
Hi Joanna,
I’d love a copy of “Nourish” because it looks absolutely glorious, and I love beautiful books! Those recipes that I’ve seen look as though they are guaranteed to keep me on the straight and narrow of my AIP path, which I’ve only just begun. With food like that, why would I be tempted to stray. My plan is to surround myself with amazing food and to be as organized as possible, so “Nourish” would be a beautiful resource that would keep me grounded.
Thank you so much for an Australian competition; wonderful to see! I’m already on your mailing list and loving your newsletters 🙂
cheers, Jane
Hey Jane! You’re in the draw, Possum.
GREAT plan, my AIP friend – organisation is key to staying on track.
Good luck.
Yah an aus/nz comp 🙂 I would love this book to help with inspiration for aip compliant meals, which I’ve been following since December to help with my postpartum thyroiditis, psoriasis and possible coeliacs disease. The endocrinologist says it’s a matter of time before I develop hashi’s I plan to prove him wrong!
Hi Katrina. Thanks for dropping by!
Go you! I reckon you can do it…! 🙂
I signed up for your newsletter!
So glad to find another website with AIP recipes. I would love to win this cookbook, as I have looked through it at the bookstore and found quite a few tasty looking, not-too-complicated recipes that I’d like to try.
I have a celiac daughter for whom going gluten free has helped, but not resolved all her problems. I’ve been on AIP protocol for nearly two years, and am looking for new recipes to tempt my daughter to join me in my pain-reducing way of eating.
Thanks for the opportunity to win!
Hey Jean. Thank you for signing up, Possum! – and, good luck!
How old is your daughter? – I have a nephew who suffers from Celiac. I think it’s particularly hard on kids.
I have tried AIP last year and only lasted a month, due to lack of good recipes and bland meals. Having a Europian background, I like tasty food. I have M.S. and Lyme and my husband suffering from Chronic fatigue 🙁 Would love to give it another go. All the best with your book, looks great 🙂
Hey Rica – thanks for signing up.
Check out the Paleo Mom’s Pinterest board for AIP bloggers. It’s full of AIP-friendly recipes.
Hi Joanna,
I’d love a copy for my mum who follows the AIP for Hashimoto’s. Between us (her on AIP and me on low fodmap and low carb) eating together can be challenging so I am always looking for recipes to have us both smiling!
Sacha
Hey Sacha – thanks for stopping by!
It is a challenge when you’re combining different anti-inflammatory diets, isn’t it? Good luck!
I had almost given up hope of ever feeling better. “Take this pill, your TSH is ok, anything else must be in your head.” I’ve had Hashi’s for 17yrs and am only just beginning to understand the impact of diet and nutrition on this beast! I have chronic low iron, RA and numerous other things I’m too scared to ask to be tested for. Nourishment is what my body needs as I get a grip on beginning AIP. Nourish is the perfect title. I’d love to have this book.
Hi Susan – you’re in the draw! Fingers crossed.
🙂
Thanks Joanna. 🙂
Hi Jo
Thanks for your awesome recipes and blog!
I’ve been on AIP since January 2015 and haven’t got much time to cook as I work in Sydney and live outside during the week. I checked out Meatify through Pinterest and LOvED the look of her recipes !!! Stoked to read about your competition!!
Hey Sharon
You’re very welcome! Thanks for signing up.
Good luck!
I would love this book because I am contemplating starting the AIP protocol to deal with my eczema and residual pouchitis, which is a leftover of a long history of ulcerative colitis and a total colectomy. I am already paleo, with which I have had great success, but this book would give me the right nudge I need to know what I can cook. Thanks
Hi Karen
It sounds as though you have made great progress already. Well done 🙂
Good luck in the draw.
My son and I have multiple food intolerances. Poor darling has inherited gluten and dairy intolerances from my side of the family and we now can’t have soy or nuts. We’re currently on a tummy building journey. Love new recipes that help keep our tummies happy and him flourishing. Eating paleo is helping us greatly and finding the food easy to prepare.
Hi Sarah – I think it’s extra hard for wee ones to adopt this approach (even when there is little choice). You have my sympathy.
You’re in the draw!
I have been experimenting with a paleo lifestyle… Whilst I feel much better on paleo it has sent my antibodies up! I have Hashimotos AND Graves! (I didn’t know it was possible to have both until my diagnosis!) It’s time for me to start AIP…. I have looked at resources but this one seems to be the pic of the bunch from your review! I also have a friend with Brechets Disease who has just finished listening to Amy Myers book The Autoimmune Protocol on Audible. It’s a fabulous resource and I definitely recommend it to anyone with autoimmune disease…. Amy is a doctor and reversed her Graves’ disease by following AIP. I think Nourish is going to be a big hit Jo. Thankyou for sharing 🙂 x
It’s a pleasure, Megan. You’re in the draw!
And, thanks for your comment and recommendation. I think Amy’s book is a great resource, too. Her take on AIP is a little less comprehensive than Sarah Ballantyne’s – so, I would advise anyone who is not getting the results they seek to consider their intake of animal fats and nutrient dense foods like liver! 🙂
So do tell… who was the lucky winner?
Hey Melanie – Corinna was our lucky winner. The ‘Nourish’ cookbook is winging it’s way to South Australia…!