Neal’s Yard Remedies Beauty Book
The Neal’s Yard Remedies Beauty Book is a guide to home-made natural bodycare products, make-up looks and at-home remedies compiled by the experts from the well known brand.
Beautifully illustrated, as you would expect, this beauty bible has a directory of 60 natural foods and ingredients with beneficial properties to revitalize a tired complexion and bring nourishment to skin, hair and nails.
Throughout the book there are step-by-step instructions to make over 100 organic face and bodycare products at home, including face masks, cleansers, moisturizers, scrubs, deodorants, conditioners, balms and oils. Some are quick and easy, others take a little more time but are well worth the effort. Recipes include Wild Rose Moisturizer, Exfoliating Cleansing Balm, Two-Phase Cleanser, Cooling Eye Mask, Herbal Toothpaste, Palmarosa and Lemon Deodorant and Tea Tree Foot Cream.
The book shows how you can produce natural and organic bodycare formulas at home – from skincare basics to pampering spa-like treats – and gives you the tools and know-how to do so easily and often really quickly.
Also included are six make-up looks based on the natural elements of water, earth, air, fire, metal and wood, as well as ten-minute pampering treats for foot and hand massage, facials and body brushing.
The Neal’s Yard Remedies Beauty Book makes a great personal treat or gift for anyone who would like to try their hand at formulating their own bespoke bodycare treats.
£16.99
Fresh & Fermented
by Julie O’Brien and Richard J Climenhage
Written by the founders of US Firefly Kitchens, producer of organic naturally fermented foods, Fresh & Fermented is a beginners guide to fermenting vegetables to create good bacteria for good health.
The book begins with an introduction to fermentation, how good bacteria is created and the health benefits of ferments, followed by a section on how to make classic kraut, with a list of everything you need and handy hints on what to do if things go wrong.
The following chapter shows readers how to create other Firefly Kitchens ferments, including Ruby Red Kraut, Yin Yang Carrots and Firefly Kimchi – all surprisingly easy to make – and then the main body of the book provides recipes into which the various ferments can be incorporated.
The recipes are divided into smoothies and drinks, breakfasts, quick bites, salads, sandwiches, wraps & burgers, veggies & grains and sweets.
This is definitely not just another healthy cookbook with the same old recipes – it presents tasty recipes ideas (many, but not all, meat-free) where health-giving ferments are included as an ingredient in sometimes surprising ways. Dishes include Cardamom Chia Breakfast Bowl, Strawberry Yin Yang Salsa, Greek Orzo Salad, PowerKraut Salad, Black Bean & Sweet Potato Hand Pies and Kimchi Red Curry.
Easy to read with interesting recipes which are really easy to make and colourful, attractive photography, this book will appeal to raw foodies, veggies, vegans and omnivores alike.
£16.99
Tel: 01273 488005
The Alkaline Cure
Dr Stephan Domenig
With the recent spate of media interest, including celebrity endorsements by the likes of Uma Thurman, Sarah Ferguson and more unexpectedly, Bez from the Happy Mondays, you can’t have failed to have heard about the purported health benefits of an alkaline diet.
In The Alkaline Cure, Dr Stephan Domenig, the medical director of The Original FX Mayr Health Centre, introduces the concept of the alkaline diet and the science behind it. Pioneered by Dr Franz Xaver Mayr, this approach to wellness aims to rebalance the body’s pH number to a neutral reading (around 7) in order to rid the body of problems caused by acidity, including constipation, bloating, lack of energy, weight problems and a poor immune system.
The book sets out a surprisingly easy to follow two-week diet plan with handy shopping lists and recipes for meals as well as teas, spreads and dressings. As well as a food plan, each day has a suggested exercise, beauty treatment and a list of what to prepare for the next day’s meals.
A great starting point for anyone interested in following an alkaline way of life in order to promote health and wellbeing in our stress-filled modern world, this book would make a welcome addition to any store’s bookshelves.
Modern Books, £14.99
The Vegan Book of Permaculture
by Graham Burnett
The Vegan Book of Permaculture by passionate, long-term vegan Graham Burnett, aims to show how easy it can be to eat a vegan diet that also takes care of the environment around us.
Beginning “Permaculture can be summed up as using ethical design to create abundant yet sustainable ways of living for all Earth Citizens”, Burnett then leads the reader through the basic tenets of permaculture and veganism, onto looking after our personal health, the benefits of a raw food diet, how to reduce your ecological footprint and how to design a permaculture garden.
There is a comprehensive section on growing your own vegetables, with tips on soil, crop rotation, companion planting and seed saving, and chapters taking in ethical shopping, community woodlands, foraging and the power of community.
Scattered throughout this vegan journey are recipes galore which are indexed at the front to make them easy to find. Covering breads, dips and sauces, drinks, light bites, mains, salads, soups, snacks and sweets, some of the delicious yet simple recipes include Nettle & Spinach Pesto, Marrow & Butternut Squash Tagine, Vegetable Pakoras, Raw Energy Nut Loaf, Spinach & Chickpea Curry, Parsnip, Kale & Lentil Soup, Spicy Apple & Fig Crumble and Quinoa & Raising Pudding.
This fascinating book is a perfect fit for health food stores – with quirky illustrations and an easy to digest format, this is a practical guide to living using permaculture design mixed with great recipes and inspiring ideas.
As poet, lyricist, musician and self-proclaimed trouble-maker, Benjamin Zephaniah, says of the book: “Sometimes we need help. Here is help. After reading this book I didn’t just think, yes I can, I said, yes I will.”
£14.95
Tel: 01273 488005
Cooking Allergy-Free
by Jenna Short
With an increasing number of people choosing to eat a gluten- and/or dairy-free diet, whether or not they have allergies or intolerances, Jenna Short has written Cooking Allergy-Free to cater for those with dietary restrictions.
Although for some it may not seem too difficult to cook while avoiding specific allergens, those new to this way of cooking may need some pointers and the recipes are interesting enough to appeal to all.
Covering everything through starters to desserts, taking in breads, breakfasts and dressings on the way, recipes include Barley, Asparagus & Mushroom Salad topped with Gingered Tofu; Iced Pumpkin Scones; Cajun Wasabi Trout with Buttered Potatoes; Caramelized Cauliflower Soup; Coconut and Almond Crusted Chicken topped with Raspberry Basil Jam; and Quinoa & Herbed Fennel Salad.
Each of the 150 recipes presented has a range of easily recognizable symbols at the top of the page to denote if it’s milk-free, wheat-free, vegetarian, vegan, soya-free, and so on. The reader is also given a variation of each recipe as well as nutritional information, including calorie content, total fat, total sodium, etc.
This book would be particularly useful for those who want to avoid specific allergens in cooking, or who are cooking for those who are, due to intolerance, as well as customers who eat a free-from diet as a healthy lifestyle choice and would like a bit of inspiration in the kitchen.
£19.99
Tel: 01273 488005
