This week’s show is all about inflammation. What is it? What role does it play in gut health, cancer, heart disease, and other chronic conditions? What can we do to keep inflammation at bay? And what role does diet play in both causing it and preventing it? My guest is Carolyn Williams, PhD, RD, author of one of my favorite new cookbooks, Meals that Heal: 100+ Everyday Anti-Inflammatory Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less. This episode may change the way you eat forever!  Carolyn Williams, Ph. D., is a registered dietitian, culinary nutrition expert, and author of Meals that Heal: 100 Everyday Anti-inflammatory Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less. Carolyn’s recipes are simple, easy, and family-friendly--and they feature many of my favorite foods. Carolyn received a 2017 James Beard Journalism Award, and her work is regularly featured in top magazines like Cooking Light, Eating Well, Real Simple, All Recipes, and Prevention. She teaches culinary arts and nutrition classes at a local college, where she is a tenured faculty member. She lives in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, with her two children. In this episode, we talk about some of Carolyn’s recipes like Avocado and Tomato Chicken Salad, Salmon with Quinoa and Kale Salad, and her Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bites, made with chickpeas.    Show Highlights:   Get to know Carolyn better How Carolyn honed her cooking skills with outdoor mud pie creations as a kid Why Carolyn wanted to understand nutrition better How Carolyn’s book, Meals that Heal, came to be Carolyn’s “Aha” moment of realization about inflammation and multiple health issues Low-grade, chronic, and acute inflammation: the good, the bad, and the ugly Foods to avoid to minimize inflammation: fast food, fried foods, and processed foods Guidelines for reading food labels to look for minimally-processed foods Foods we should eat more often: leafy greens, olive oil, berried, cruciferous vegetables, fatty fish, green tea, cultured/fermented foods, and nuts and seeds How a healthy microbiome keeps inflammation in check Carolyn answers Liz’s questions about dairy, gluten, and inflammation Salmon with Quinoa and Kale Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette (use frozen quinoa from Trader Joe’s for an easy shortcut!) Avocado Chicken Salad: shredded, cooked chicken, cherry tomatoes, scallions, ripe avocado, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and cumin Some favorite recipes at Carolyn’s house: Zucchini Taco Skillet, made with zucchini noodles Yogurt Bark, made with fruit and granola Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites: made with chickpeas, peanut or almond butter, brown sugar, almond milk, vanilla, salt, old-fashioned oats, and dark chocolate chips Liz’s healthier version of 7-Layer Bars: made with chickpeas, sweetened condensed milk, nuts, dried fruit, oats, chocolate chips, and shredded coconut Benefits of incorporating more anti-inflammatory foods for people of all ages A random question from the Mason jar about Carolyn’s worst kitchen blunders Carolyn’s inspiration to dig more into inflammation and foods that heal   Resources:   Liz's Lightened-Up 7 Layer Bars Carolyn's website   Carolyn on social media: Pinterest Instagram Facebook   Liz Weiss, MS, RDNFood & Nutrition Blogger, Podcast Host, Author, Speaker, Spokesperson Author, Color, Cook, Eat! coloring book series Website: Liz's Healthy Table Listen to my Podcast Read my Blog Media Excellence Award winner - Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics