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As
summer draws to a close
the nights will soon be drawing
in. Time to put away the barbeques
and turf out the salads - it's
the time of year when we return
to lovely warming, comforting
food to sustain us through the
colder weather to come. It's often
difficult to find inspiration,
even for those of us who love
to cook but don't despair, there
are hundreds of good books on
the market that can help to inspire
us to try something different.
If you usually cook for a family,
including children best selling
author and mother of three Annabel
Karmel has many books aimed at
this market. Favourite Family
Meals has 150 recipes for the
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whole
family including tips on nutrition,
meals for various occasions and
loads of lunchbox suggestions.
If your kids have flown the nest
and are in student accommodation
its worrying to think that they
may be living off fast food and
beer! Send them a copy of the
Really Useful Ultimate Student
Cookbook by Silvana Franco. Full
of ideas for those on a budget
and with little thought or time
for cooking it may inspire them
to have a go. Also Sam Stern's
Student Cookbook could hit the
mark.
For all the vegetarians out there
the traditional and reliable Good
Housekeeping Magazine is always
a great source of ideas.
Try their Good Food: 101 Veggie
Dishes for some inspiration. |
TV
Chefs are always popular when it comes
to cookbooks, especially for present
giving and Rachel Allen's Food for Living
is a great book of straight forward
and easy to follow recipes. Re-visit
your childhood foods these recipes are
described as 'food to make you smile'
and we agree.
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Finding
the energy to exercise
when the weather is so damp and
miserable can be difficult. However,
with light levels falling it is
even more important for health
and well being to get out into
the fresh air for part of the
day. No-one feels like tramping
the street and the pouring rain
but you'll be surprised how, if
you dress correctly, you can still
really benefit from a brisk walk.
Make sure you wear suitable footwear
and a waterproof jacket and set
yourself a reasonable target.
A long trek through the countryside
might be out of the question but
a swift march twice round the
block is do-able. If you're a
cyclist take extra care in this
rainy weather, its easy to under-estimate
the difference between a wet and
dry road surface. |
Whatever you choose to do, look
at it as an investment in future
health - getting run down in the
autumn can lead to niggling illnesses
further into winter and you wouldn't
want to miss the Christmas Party
would you?
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September/October
is a good time for those of us
who take winter supplements to start.
Starting an Echinacea course around
now can help lessen the effects of winter
coughs and colds, and for older citizens,
joint care supplements can help with
the discomfort and pain that damp weather
conditions seem to aggravate.
Hair, nails and skin can really suffer
damage in the windy months to come so
if you need help in this area, again,
now is a good time to begin.
For many of us a change from summer
salads and fruit to heavier winter meals
can mean a drop in our vitamin intake,
so a good multi-vitamin supplement can
help if you're not as careful as you
should be with your diet.
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If you're not sure about what you need, arrange
to speak to an advisor - pharmacy's like Boots
do a great range and can offer advice when
you need it.
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