Rejuvenate
Within hours of receiving Heidi Swanson’s new book, Super Natural Cooking (Ten Speed Press, 2007), I was elbow-deep in espresso-banana muffin batter, eager to try the recipe so beautifully pictured in the cookbook. As it turns out, Swanson is not only a fantastic photographer—she’s a great chef to boot. But the book isn’t just any other cookbook; it’s meant to inspire and educate, utilizing natural and native ingredients and worldly flavors. The premise of the book is not deprivation or conforming to a rigid idea of what to eat. Instead, recipes build on natural ingredients like teff flour, lentils, fruits, and vegetables, creating an entirely new meal repertoire. While some recipes are a bit time consuming, many are designed to be weeknight meals, including the Red Indian Carrot Soup. Chapters are divided by topic and include Build a Natural Foods Pantry, Cook by Color, and Know Your Superfoods—she even provides a recipe for the acai berry since many of us don’t have a clue how to use it. Super Natural Cooking is a great addition to your culinary library as you expand your definition of healthy cooking.
As many women know, menopause isn’t just a slew of symptoms, it is a complete life change and unfortunately, a lot of books neglect certain aspects of this period in a woman’s life. In Rejuvenation: Spa Secrets for Menopause (Chronicle Books, 2007), Mary Beth Janssen—beauty expert, yoga teacher, and massage therapist—dives into the heart of the matter, discussing everything from the relationship between your diet and energy levels to at-home beauty treatments designed to add moisture to your dry skin. Breathing exercises, visualizations, and even laughter therapy balance the more serious topics in the book; so depending on your mood, need (or symptom), you’re certain to find something to uplift your spirits and get you moving. With fun illustrations by Amy Saidens, this book provides an important lesson about menopause: it really is a time to rejuvenate.
—M.B.W.
May/June 2007
