Cookfulness

Aimed at those suffering with chronic pain and mental health issues, this new cookbook by Ian Taverner turns the kitchen into a place for therapy

When Ian Taverner was diagnosed with chronic ibromyalgia and arthritis, he was forced to give up his work and hobbies, and even family life was a struggle. But taking part in a program run by the Bath Centre for Pain Services sparked his desire to get back to one of his favourite former pastimes – cooking. Now, he’s written a unique cookbook to help other chronic pain and mental health su erers.

‘I wanted to create a new kind of cookery book that’s been optimised for chronic pain and poor mental health symptoms, such as fatigue and brain fog, to make the barriers to bene iting from cooking therapy as few and easy to navigate as possible,’ says Ian. The book has been designed to reduce anxiety, with a full list of equipment right at the beginning to avoid any surprises, key steps marked in bold so they won’t be missed, and no pictures of the inal dishes, because Ian believes that this ‘puts too much pressure on perfection and encourages you to give up’. The recipes are simple to follow, and the book features plenty of handy tips, including how to turn one base recipe into several di erent dishes, and what freezer essentials to have ready for when increased pain means you can’t use a knife, but still want something delicious and nourishing.

Part of the proceeds from sales of the book will go directly to the Bath Centre for Pain Services (bathcentreforpainservices.nhs.uk).

Find Cookfulness: A Therapeutic Approach to

Cooking by Ian Taverner on Amazon and in all major bookstores (£14.99).