The Self-Care Cookbook - by Frank Ardito (Hardcover)

About the Book

A first-of-its-kind cookbook that explores the intersection of cooking, eating, health, and wellness with 130 recipes designed to support one of 10 dimensions of holistic wellness and self-care. A distinct departure from other health and wellness cookbooks.

Book Synopsis

The Self-Care Cookbook, written by health and wellness expert Dr. Frank Ardito, explores the intersection of cooking, eating, health, and wellness by offering 130 recipes designed to help you improve every aspect of your life.

Unlike most diet and health cookbooks, The Self-Care Cookbook acknowledges that eating well means sometimes eating "bad." Ardito doesn't believe in bad food, restrictions, or denial. True wellness--complete wellness--addresses both ends of the spectrum: fresh, light dishes that strengthen our bodies and wonderful indulgences that feed our souls.

The first of its kind, The Self-Care Cookbook is divided into 10 chapters, each of which focuses on one dimension of personal wellness: physical, spiritual, emotional, environmental, intellectual, nutritional, protectoral, social, occupational, and financial. Each chapter includes 13 recipes--from starters to mains to desserts--that support well-being through carefully selected ingredients and cooking methods. For example, the intellectual wellness chapter includes foods that improve cognition and kitchen techniques that challenge the brain.

This book encourages you to prepare these recipes by yourself, for yourself, as a way to create a true sense of wholeness and satisfaction. A balanced life includes both celebratory and health-supportive foods, and this book helps you decide which you most want or need at any given moment.

Review Quotes

"As a coach I constantly remind my athletes that high-performance is affected by more than just physical practice. If athletes pay attention to all aspects of holistic wellness, their performance is sure to improve. Dr. Ardito's book reminds us that cooking and nutrition is a fun and important part of total health, and it provides an easy to follow road map to help us feed and maintain all aspects wellness." --Mike Gattone, MS, CSCS, senior international coach, USA Weightlifting

"This book awakens your senses with beautiful recipes and photos and your realization that feeling well is the best sensory pleasure of all." --Margaret Moore, cofounder of the Institute of Coaching, McLean Hospital

"This book is a gem! In an insightful and meaningful way, Dr. Ardito perfectly combines cooking healthy, easy-to-prepare recipes with eating and wellness. Love it!" --Dr. Kim Rostello, exercise physiologist, Chicago Blackhawks

"I love how Dr. Ardito's book shares the important role food plays in our overall well-being. It teaches the difference between dieting and a diet focused on supporting self-care." --Mary Jane Clark, MS, RN, CHES, wellness coordinator, Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network

"Looking for a book that provides concise and accurate information on how to improve personal wellness through making simple food choices? This self-care book does the job." --Dr. John W. Munson, former president, National Wellness Institute

"Integrating unique aspects of wellness into delicious recipes is such a wonderful way to bridge our well-being with one of our most basic needs--food." --Scott Morcott, MD, FAAFP, chief medical officer, PathFinder Health

"Dr. Ardito artfully uses his PREVENTION tool to blend the concept of wellness with healthy, delicious recipes helping the reader expand their culinary skillset." --Gary Libretti, Jr., MS, RDN, LDN, CSCS, wellness coordinator

"Focusing on prevention through wellness, The Self-Care Cookbook is a unique approach to cooking and eating. It's full of recipes designed to enhance the multiple aspects of your personal well-being." --Michael S. Bahrke, Ph.D.

About the Author

Dr. Frank Ardito has been a professor of health and wellness sciences for more than 20 years. He is the author of seven academic titles as well as numerous scholarly articles and publications. He currently serves as professor and department chair of health and wellness promotion at College of Lake County in suburban Chicago. As a wellness educator, Ardito has worked with hundreds of organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Cancer Society, and has coached or consulted with several Olympic athletes and the Chicago Blackhawks. Ardito established the Center for Health and Healing, one of the first truly holistic health and wellness centers in the United States, and founded the Wellness Registry. He was recently inducted into the National Wellness Institute's Circle of Leadership for his contributions to the field of health and wellness. He lives in Spring Prairie, Wisconsin.