BACKYARD HERBAL REMEDIES by Krista Edwards #RBRT

 A Beginner's Guide to Identifying, Foraging and Wildcrafting Herbal Remedies Straight from Nature

4.5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: See the subtitle above!

At 141 pages, this is a nicely sized book for the subject, with the information so easy to take in.  I'm always up for reading more about non-Big Pharma remedies for life's minor ills, and this certainly expanded my knowledge.  From one of my go-to online stores for such items, I've already ordered a violet preparation, as there are not many violets growing in winter in NE England (!!) {for skin rash and mucus}, a bag of dried cleavers {arthritis, lymph nodes, phlegm} and mullein {cough, sinuses}.  So thanks, Krista!

Each chapter contains full details of which ailments the herb/plant can treat, along with recipes about how to prepare, the other plants it might be combined with, and any warnings/pitfalls.  I'll definitely be taking this out and about with me in the spring; I may get the paperback, but the small black and white photos on the Kindle version are, whilst not ideal, enough to identify a plant.

I liked how the book was written, too, in a chatty way with a few amusing asides thrown in.  Nice one.  If you're interested in this subject, I recommend!

SIZE ALWAYS MATTERS by Sally Cronin @sgc58

 5 GOLD stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: I've long been impressed by Sally's nutrition articles on her blog, so bought this when it came out.

In a Nutshell: Comprehensive guide to weight loss, exercise, nutrition and so much more.

This has to be the best book of its type that I've ever read.  Whether you want to lose a lot of weight, the odd stone, or simply to have a better understanding of nutrition and how your body works, I can't recommend this too highly.  Sally Cronin is a qualified, experienced nutritional therapist.

I consider myself to be an 'old hand' when it comes to nutrition, but the book taught me a whole lot more, and reminded me about (a few too many) aspects that I'd let slip.  I've just eaten a (lightly fried in olive oil) egg, smoked salmon and raw mushrooms for lunch - if I hadn't just read this book, the mushrooms might have been fried too, and I'd have included a slice of toast, albeit sourdough!  Also, for a long time now, when I've bought vegetables to last a few days, I've prepared them and put them in plastic zip-lock bags in the fridge, for easy use later in the day.  No longer - I've just discovered that this practice destroys half their nutritional value.  Who knew?

Sally's book reminded me, over and over again, that most of what we eat needs to be in its natural state, cooked from scratch; if we eat too much industrially produced, ultra-processed food we can suffer from malnutrition while still being overweight.  She includes shopping lists of all we need to obtain every vitamin and mineral, and how to facilitate the production of vital amino acids.  Throughout, she does not just give instruction, but tells you why.

As well as nutritional advice, the book contains detailed chapters about exercise, along with details of how many calories are burned by everyday activities, about the emotional reasons for overeating, advice on how to plan your weight loss programme, and there's an excellent recipe section at the back.  Sally also talks (in a refreshingly honest way) about her own experience - the long road that took her from morbidly obese to slim, healthy and positive.

Take it from one who knows.  This book is an absolute 'must have' for anyone who wants to lose weight and/or take care of their own health.