I can't tell y'all how excited I am that there are so many specialty paleo cookbooks coming out now! It just means that more super-talented people who rock in the kitchen anyway are making an effort to be healthful without being boring. And isn't that the ultimate goal?

Today I want to tell you about Simple French Paleo, by Sophie Van Tiggelen, the popular blogger over at A Squirrel in the Kitchen. This new book is beautifully and lovingly put together. There are full spreads at the introduction of wonderful photographs from Van Tiggelen's favorite part of France, Provence. And her description behind wanting to give this book to the world is just touching.

Raised in Belgium, Van Tiggelen explains that the food in her home country is heavily influenced by the French style of cooking. After being diagnosed with Hashimoto's in 2009, she suddenly had to be extremely aware of everything she ate. She was constantly needing to think about possible flares triggered by food, and she hated the way that felt. She switched to the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) to try and heal herself from the inside out. Along with this change, she began going back to her roots to re-learn the simplistic approach that the French take to cooking. Her world was suddenly much tastier and less-inflamed than before she made the decision to combine her new-found health goals with her love of French cooking, and she hasn't looked back since!

After telling her own (rather grueling) story about her journey to finding AIP, Van Tiggelen dives into a comprehensive breakdown of the Protocol. She explains each of the 3 Phases, plus how to stock your kitchen in preparation. There's even a mini meal-prep lesson at the end of the introduction! This is always nice to see in books about AIP, because I feel that for some reason there is still so much confusion about this variation of the Paleo diet. Not only does she break down the "rules" for elimination, she also gives a strategy for the Reintroduction Phase as well as how to ensure optimal health when you've reached the Maintenance Phase. No more confusion about how to transition off of Elimination here!

One of the best parts about this book, in my opinion, is that Van Tiggelen makes sure to stress lifestyle practices as a major component of an optimally-healthy body. Mind, emotion, and body all go together and true healing isn't possible under intense stress, no matter how well you're eating. Van Tiggelen makes sure to note that sleep, exercise, and stress reduction are just as important to healing as diet change. I may be biased, but this is 100% true if you ask me!

An extra-special bonus here is that Van Tiggelen has made sure that every recipe in it is compliant with the Elimination Phase. Sure, you may be in Maintenance or heck, not even AIP at all. But with this baby, you can feed yourself as well as anyone still in Elimination without any worries about accidentally including something they're currently not eating. Delicious food that almost anyone can have? Yes, please!

I love this book. Van Triggelen has obviously poured a lot of love into it, and that's incredibly clear in her great recipes and all the extra information she gives at the beginning of the book. If you think Paleo or AIP is hard, you need this book to change your mind!

If you would like to purchase a copy of Simple French Paleo, click here.

And now, a little teaser look at a recipe that Van Tiggelen is letting me share with you. You know, just to convince you a little more. :)

Honey Lavender Roasted Peaches

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes Yield: 4 servings

Directions

Ingredients

Peel peaches and cut into eight crescents.
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat coconut oil, honey, and lavender for a couple of minutes until blended.
Add peaches and stir, ensuring fruit is well coated with syrup.
Cover and cook for ten minutes, basting occasionally.
Serve hot with syrup from the bottom of the skillet.

4 medium peaches, ripe but firm

4 Tbsp coconut oil

1 1/2 Tbsp honey

1/2 tsp dried lavender flowers