WOMEN’S HERBS, WOMEN’S HEALTH BY KATHI KEVILLE

Quinoa - pronounced keen-wah - is a grain, but not just any grain. It is considered to be almost a complete food. It is very high in protein, full of vitamins, gluten- and wheat-free, cholesterol-free and usually organic. And it is simply delicious. An ancient plant native to the Andes mountains, quinoa is known to have been a staple food of the Incas. Quinoa contains more protein than any other grain. It is also a very good source of manganese, magnesium, potassium, phosphorous, copper, zinc, vitamins E and B6, riboflavin, niacin and thiamine. It has more calcium than cow's milk, is an excellent antioxidant, is rich in dietary fibre and has more iron than any grain. It also has the highest content of unsaturated fats and a lower ratio of carbohydrates than any other grain plus a low Glycemic Index level. The health benefits are truly enormous. In the kitchen, quinoa has a huge range of uses and lends itself beautifully to many dishes. When cooked, it has a very delicate texture and is lovely in soups and sweets, and makes wonderful salads, pasta, breads and delicious vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals. It is simple to prepare, easy to digest and most enjoyable to eat. It is very light on the stomach and you don't tend to feel at all heavy after eating a meal made with quinoa. There should be a packet of quinoa in every pantry. Here, you will find many different ways to use quinoa.

At last, here is a comprehensive cookbook to the hottest eating plan around! The Paleo diet-known in some circles as the "Caveman Diet"-is an eating plan based on evolutionary biology and backed up by medical research. Unlike other diets which can incorporate fake, processed foods and artificial sweeteners, the Paleo diet is based on what our ancestors ate: lean meats and fish, nuts and seeds, and naturally grown fruits and vegetables. Low-carb queen and bestselling author Dana Carpender shows how to stay the Paleo diet course deliciously with 500 easy-to-prepare recipes for everything Paleo from appetizers, to main dishes, to desserts.

This book, with hundreds of scientific references and loads of common sense, will convince even the staunchest skeptic that we can no longer get the nutrients we need from our food alone. On the road from the depleted and sick soils in which our foods are grown to the dinner plate, most of our food’s nutrient content is lost, resulting in a global epidemic of nutritional deficiency. Eating well and supplementing our diet with extra nutrients can prevent a great deal of the chronic illness so common today – from Alzheimer’s to arthritis and cancer to cardiovascular disease. Despite overwhelming evidence of the benefits of nutritional supplementing, the modern medical system, which makes money from your being sick, and the media, who make money by making up stories that sell papers, make wild and ridiculous claims that supplements are dangerous. Our modern medical system says supplements are deadly yet dish out drugs, which frequently address only the symptoms of illnesses and have serious and even lethal side effects. The simplest, cheapest and safest means to obtaining optimum health is to eat well and supplement with nutrients. Informed supplementation can lead to a healthier, happier life for you and your family. As Dr Dingle explains in an easy-to-read style, supplementation should play an important part in our daily routine. And we need sufficient nutrients to get us through the daily ‘grind’ of life in the ‘fast lane’. Fresh vibrant foods such as vegies and fruit are critical to our health, but food alone cannot supply what we need in a world full of processed food, pollution and stress.

The European Directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products provides new opportunities for herbs to be restored to their former role as popular medicines. “Traditional use” is defined under the terms of the new Directive. It is taken to mean at least 30 years of use anywhere in Europe, or 15 years in Europe if used for at least 30 years elsewhere. It is assumed that the new Directive will be formally enacted around 2009. The 30-year and 15-year periods therefore will start at 1979 and 1994 respectively. This book is the first BHMA guide to the new opportunities. In this volume are formal references to the uses of 263 European herbs that will help to meet the definition of their “traditional use”. These references are notably BHMA during the early 1970’s, and from the French government “Les Médicaments à Base de Plantes” guidelines and the German government’s Commission E monographs. Where herbs are recognised as combinations these are also listed. Other official monographs are referred to. This first volume therefore provides the most orthodox view of traditional herbal reputations. Manufacturers can use the indications provided as a guide to the labelled claims they may seek for their new medicines. Everyone else can see for themselves the wonderful resource that herbs have provided humans for centuries.