Whether you’re already into journaling or if you’ve just had a stressful day and need to clear your head, write down whatever thoughts you have racing around, then set them aside for the night. Add the leek, celery and carrot and continue cooking on a low heat for about 5 minutes, until they soften. 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. 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.

What’s it about? A recipe and self-care book rolled into one, this is the first of its kind. With over 60 delicious recipes including fiery bean stew for the days we feel we need some comforting, calming miso pasta to give your gut a boost and indulgent chocolate pud for those days you need a treat. This is a recipe book for anyone who feels they need some good mood food to replenish and restore – the type of food that takes away guilt and makes you feel good inside and out. Good-quality rest—and enough of it—is vital for body and mind. Experiencing even low-level tiredness can lead to fluctuating moods and even forgetfulness. Although eight hours a night is often considered the Holy Grail when it comes to sleep, as a mum of two with a busy job, I know that this is not always possible for everyone. We also all need different amounts of sleep, so it’s important to work out how much you need personally and then to try to aim for that whenever you can. Not until my husband and I were struggling to have kids. After having five late miscarriages over the period of five years, I examined my diet. I wasn’t brought up on a vegetarian diet, but I soon discovered how a plant-based wholefood diet can reduce inflammation and improve mental health. I started feeling more positive when going through a really difficult time. Stir the tamari, thyme and parsley through the pulses mixture and spoon it into a large pie dish (remove the bay leaves if you can find them!). The Healing Cookbook takes self-care to the next level. In this four-colour illustrated book, plant-based chef Gemma Ogston shows readers how to supercharge their immune system and boost their mood, to feel better and stay well. It comes at a time when many of us have struggled with our health and are looking for ways to recover from illness and stay well.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. Chef Gemma Ogston once worked as an addiction counsellor, but now runs the plant-based business Gem’s Wholesome Kitchen from Brighton. Her second book will be published by Penguin in September Gemma Ogston is a plant-based chef and mum of two with her own company Gem’s Wholesome Kitchen based in Brighton.

To help support the growth of healthy bacteria,” she continues, “we need to eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fermented foods.” The best part? A batch will keep up to three months when frozen, so you can always have some close at hand. Eating well is a vital part of good health, and yet so many of us are not fuelling our bodies in the right way. Presented in 4 parts: Recovery, Replenish; Staying Well and Supercharge, with a wellness toolkit, this beautiful book outlines how to harness the power of plant-based eating to recover from illness, and create a strong foundation of long-term health. 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. Broke Vegan (Picture: Supplied) Broke Vegan: Over 100 plant-based recipes that don’t cost the earth by Saskia Sidey 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 first chapter is all about retreating into yourself for a little while, slowing the pace down so that you can gather your energies together again. I’ve included sections on how to get more rest into your days, with ideas and recipes to calm the nerves and reduce anxiety, and to aid properly peaceful sleep. I’ve also shared an easy restorative mindfulness exercise, which you can even practice while you are preparing a delicious meal for yourself! The chapter closes with one of my favorite sections in the book—Cozy. Whether it’s a sleep-in on the weekend or snuggling down into the sofa after a long day, I believe getting cozy is essential to our well-being. It should be a MUST in your self-care routine.This is where her passion for mood foods really began, but cooking has always been a big part of Gemma’s life. Growing up in a big family, as the youngest of five, everyone had chores to do around the house, so Gemma’s mum taught her to cook. Drain the spuds and mash them with a little plantbased milk and olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. That feeling of being tranquil, with the absence of any strong emotions or stressful thought patterns is such a nice idea, isn’t it? But daily life, chores, family commitments, and worries can often mean that calm isn’t something we feel or practice often enough. Maybe we have even forgotten what it actually feels like to be calm?

Having worked as an addiction counsellor in women’s projects for more than a decade, Gemma has an in-depth understanding of treating yourself with compassion, especially while in recovery. 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 While the potatoes are cooking, heat the olive oil in another large saucepan set over a medium heat. Fry the onion and garlic for 2 minutes, until starting to soften. 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.I was in the mental health sector for 15 years, working in the NHS with women with serious drug and alcohol issues,” says Gemma. 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.