Ogston, cofounder with her husband of Gem's Wholesome Kitchen, debuts with a guide that is intended to give a holistic approach to cooking. In particular, Ogston aims to help readers focus on self-through through food. The personable introduction includes a guide to pantry staples as well as a pantry cleanse that goes beyond food to philosophy. Recipes are uniquely organized into chapters, such as Restore, with meals including calming miso pasta and overnight oats, along with a section called Rebalance, featuring dishes like smoky stuffed eggplants and creamy sweet potato soup. Home cooks will enjoy the variety of meals, from breakfasts to mains to desserts. The photographs are colorful, bright, and beautifully displayed making even the humblest dish become mouthwatering. Interspersed throughout are sections on lifestyle intended to help readers embark on a self-care path. The index thoroughly covers the recipes, ingredients, and lifestyle sections. VERDICT This approachable book will appeal to self-care enthusiasts, vegan cooks, and many readers looking to start practicing a healthier lifestyle. —Dawn Lowe-Wincentsen, Oregon Inst. of Technology, Portland Broke Vegan (Picture: Supplied) Broke Vegan: Over 100 plant-based recipes that don’t cost the earth by Saskia Sidey As many of us know though, as much as we can have good intentions with self-care, so often busy schedules take over and we just seem to not have enough time. Gemma’s response to that? Prioritise it. Self-care isn’t selfish – it’s essential for life,” Gemma says. “You’re not selfish by taking some time out on your own. It’s something we should all do every day. But people don’t, and it’s a shame because we all deserve it – we all deserve to have five minutes of peace to ourselves, or whatever that may be. And to eat well, of course.”

I hope by the end of this chapter, you will have started to feel a little calmer, recharged, and more in control. Bringing a sense of calm to how you go about your day, however chaotic life may feel at times, will leave you better able to cope with whatever you are facing. Feeling the effects of an especially indulgent festive period? Us too. And with the new year – and indeed, the new decade – just beginning, there’s never been a better time to think about restoring the balance. The Self-Care Cookbook (Picture: Supplied) The Self-Care Cookbook: Easy Healing Plant-Based Recipes by Gemma Ogston

While this is a beautiful little (literally) book, it offers nothing new on the self-care front. The recipes look interesting, but not enough to entice me to finish the book. Whether you’re an annual adopter or this is your first attempt, it can be daunting to ditch the meat in favour of a more planet-friendly diet. Gemma Ogston is a plant-based chef and mum of two with her own company Gem’s Wholesome Kitchen based in Brighton. I grew up the youngest of five kids, with not much money, and was cooking for my family from the age of eight. Later, I was always the one at parties cooking at midnight. I did a degree in addiction counselling and a good way of encouraging people to turn up was by offering free food. Again, I found myself in the kitchen because no one else wanted to cook and people were often more relaxed around food.

Invest in some new bedding. It doesn’t need to cost a fortune—you can get some on sale—but it really makes a difference. With over 60 delicious recipes, including Barley and Miso Risotto with Greens and Crispy Shrooms to boost energy levels and mood, Super Nourish Stir Fry with Kimchi to support gut health and immunity, and Tummy-loving Simple Stew to ease digestive issues, The Healing Cookbook is the path to wellness and vitality. Read more Look Inside Details Unusual to have a cookbook as a goodreads book. But this one had a lot of interesting information on wellbeing, including restore, rebalance, reflect and renew and I read it from cover to cover. The recipes look simple and tasty.Drain the spuds and mash them with a little plantbased milk and olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. When we are stressed or have a million things going around our minds, it can be hard to drop off to sleep. Or maybe you can get to sleep without much of a problem but find yourself wide awake a couple of hours later staring at the ceiling. . . . Of course, if there’s something specific worrying you and keeping you awake, then the best solution is to try and resolve that issue once and for all. But in the meantime, or if that’s just not possible right now, try these simple steps for achieving a deeply restful night’s sleep so you wake up feeling rejuvenated. Hey, how’s your gut doing? We only ask because, well, ours has been all out of sorts for going on five months now. (Could be the carb-y comfort food binges…or the constant anxiety and stress.) This gut-healing broth, from Gemma Ogston’s The Self-Care Cookbook: Easy Healthing Plant-Based Recipes, is designed to nourish and heal your troubled tummy (and tastes downright delicious).

So many of us go about our busy lives without eating wholesome food. Yet without giving our body what it truly needs to fuel us through the day (and night), we get ill, feel low and have trouble sleeping. In this beautiful book, Gemma Ogston introduces us to eating as the ultimate chef, and her journey to becoming a mother and business owner, each recipe has been crafted to be nurturing to your body – and mind. Nourishing and comforting plant-based recipes to boost your energy, help you sleep, and brighten your mood. It’s simple,’ says author Gemma Ogston. ‘When we make an effort to eat more healthily and take proper time to rest, recharge and do more of the things we enjoy, we feel better and happier. This means we’re stronger and more able to deal with whatever life sends our way.’ The gut plays a vital role in our health,” Ogston writes, “by helping control digestion and assisting our immune system. There is also a lot of recent research showing that our gut health has a direct link to our emotions and mood. This is exactly why she wanted the recipes in her book to be both physically and mentally nourishing. She avoids using phrases like ‘guilt-free’ and tells me it’s more about taking care over the food you’re eating, and making it a pleasurable experience.With over 60 delicious recipes including fiery bean stew for the days we feel under the weather, calming miso pasta to give your gut flora a super boost and indulgent chocolate pud because YOU deserve it, The Self-Care Cookbook is for anyone who needs some extra TLC. Read more Details