A FATHER who suffers with both mental and physical conditions has written a cookbook to show how cooking can act as therapy.

Ian Taverner, from Dibden Purlieu, was diagnosed with chronic fibromyalgia and arthritis when he was in his thirties.

His way of life was affected in a big way and he said he wasn't able to do a lot of things that most people take for granted.

Last year however, Ian visited a NHS National Centre for Pain in Bath which gave him hope that he could find something to help with his suffering.

After he returned from the centre, with help from his wife and two daughters, he began to cook and found that it was giving him confidence and the ability to be part of his family once again.

Ian said: "My wife had been acting as mum and carer, so for me to do something and take some load off, was a driver.

"I was so looking forward to what I was going to make next, it was brilliant.

"But I realised that trying to find recipe books that worked when your body isn't working very well was really difficult, and that was what sparked me into thinking that maybe I can write something that will help people like me."

Ian decided to write his own cookbook.

His book, 'Cookfulness' went on sale last Thursday and has since received several positive reviews.

To stop people being demotivated, a list of everything you need for a dish is written at the top of each recipe, as well as a simplified step by step to make it as easy as possible to work from.

No pictures of finished dishes are included either as he said: "It doesn't matter what your dish looks like in the end, it's your dish, and you've done it right.

"I've tried to maker the book as simple as possible, the dishes certainly aren't Michelin star, it's just trying to say you really can succeed no matter how you are feeling.

"I hope it helps some families get back together. Cooking can be as good a therapy as anything else if you give it a chance.

Ian says if he makes any money fro book sales, he plans to donate some of it to the NHS Pain centre in Bath.

If this book is successful, he plans to write another one aimed at helping children.