Foodie-focused Paleo cookbook? Austin writer Melissa Joulwan’s new book ‘Well Fed’ makes me drool.

December 31st, 2010: New Year’s Eve. The cedar count is at a record high. I want to die. I’m not just coughing like a coal miner, I’m also hacking up an alien green substance. My eyes, crusted over, painfully and relentlessly itch. Plus, they’re so swollen that I look like I was just hosed down with pepper spray. In this state, there’s no way in hell that I’d be seen in public. I decide to skip New Year’s celebrations for the first time in my adult life. I also decide to take control of my health and alter the true source of my allergies, my eating habits, and switch to the Paleo diet on January 1st.

Yes, we Austinites love to blame cedar for our allergies, but in fact, it’s our own eating habits that contribute to a good deal of the suffering. It sounds hippie, but many of the foods we eat, grains (like wheat and corn), sugar, alcohol, dairy, and processed foods, irritate our body, open us up to infection, and keep us in a state of low-level inflammation. And when our body is inflamed, it turns our immune system into a gang of trigger happy teenage boys hopped up on meth and testosterone, overreacting to the slightest perceived threat, even if the threat isn’t real. That’s why our white blood cells attack everything, including things like pollen or our own cells.

The Paleo diet attempts to return us to a time of simple eating by eliminating the foods our ancestors didn’t eat: grains, legumes, sugar, processed food, and dairy. Not only did our bodies not evolve to eat those things (especially the processed food), but they are all the top inflammation-causing bad guys. By kicking them off your plate, you take control of your health, look younger and lose weight.

Fast forward to December 31st, 2011: For the first time in almost a year, I had allergies–bad, bad allergies. After a week of heavy sweets and lots of holiday drinking, my body was once again pissed off. Thankfully there’s a new tool to help me get back on the clean eating train: Well Fed, a Paleo cookbook by Austin writer Melissa Joulwan.

Mel works with me at my jobby job. She’s the person that originally suggested  I go Paleo. Not only has it helped my allergies, it has also been the perfect solution for my Celiac’s Disease.

Making the switch to Paleo was difficult at first; I love cooking–but I often felt severely limited by ingredient choices. We’ve been programmed all our lives to think that every meal has to have grains or a starch. To cook Paleo, to me, felt like I was learning to cook all over again.

Mel made me realize that it’s usually not the starch that we love, it’s the stuff that you put on it. But when I checked out Paleo cookbooks, I felt still like I was in for a bland existence. One of the few sources of inspiration was Mel’s blog, The Clothes Make the Girl. It had recipes that were not only easy to make, but also super tasty.

This past December, with the release of Well Fed, Mel has taken her blog one step further. Full of beautiful photographs of delectable looking dishes, Mel makes even the most refined palate water. And the recipes aren’t bland. Whether you like Middle Eastern, American, Asian, Pacific Islander, or European Cuisine, there’s a recipe in Well Fed that will whet your whistle.

But don’t let the varied dishes scare you, Mel makes it super easy for everyone:

• It won’t cost a fortune. Well Fed isn’t full of crazy veggies or spices that you have to spend a lot of money on. Almost all of the ingredients can be found at the farmers market or at H-E-B, so cost doesn’t get in the way of health.
• You don’t have to be a rockstar chef. From basics to advanced, Mel walks you through everything you need to enter the Paleo world.
• Even busy folks can benefit. One of my biggest obstacles to eating healthy is time–and Mel takes that into consideration. Well Fed not only has tips and tricks for planning and saving time, but it also includes several adaptable “Quick Meals” and snacks.
• Better than going out to eat. Mel really considers all the hassles of going Paleo, but doesn’t make you compromise. Whether it’s salads, sauces, or extravagant dishes, Well Fed includes everything to make you NOT want to go out. It’s even got DESSERTS and comfort food!

And all those beautiful pictures? Mel’s husband shot them…and then they ate the food. No tricks. This ish is REAL.

REVIEW: Overall, Well Fed is a well-thought, beautifully shot foodie-focused foray into the Paleo diet. It’s recipes are broad enough that I’m giving it to my athletic college-aged, short-on-time cousin and my struggling-to-get-healthy, only-care-about-cost mom.

FREE SNEAK PEEK: Mel’s got the first 30 pages of Well Fed up on her site for free download. Check it!

BUY IT:  You can buy Well Fed directly from Mel’s site as an e-Book or a printed, softcover version.

WIN IT: We’ll be giving away a copy of Well Fed on the Republic of Austin Facebook page from 2-4PM TODAY. Head over there to learn how to win.

Mel will be signing the book this weekend at CrossFit Austin. She’s super personal and loves to answer questions. Copies will also be available for purchase!

What: Well Fed cookbook signing
Date: Saturday, January 28
Time: 12:00 noon
Location: CrossFit Austin, 8708 South Congress, Suite A180

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