The Glycaemic Loading Diet

“The GL Diet Recipe Book and Health Plan: Everything You Need to Know About the GL (glycaemic Loading) Approach to Weight Loss and Health, with Expert Advice and More Than 70 Delicious and Nutritious Recipes, Shown Step-by-step”  by Maggie Pannell

As the title indicates this book is all about the relatively new Glycaemic Load (GL) diet. This extends the concept of the GI (Glycaemic Index) by considering the quantity of carbohydrate in a typical serving, as well as the effect of that carbohydrate on levels of blood sugar, available energy, and weight gain. 

The introductory section provides clear explanations of the diet, the methods of categorizing foods according to their GL levels, and recommendations about foods to choose and to avoid.  Cooking and shopping tips, ideas for healthy breakfasts and lunches, and comprehensive low-GL meal planners make preparing for and following the diet plan simple.   Each of the more than 70 recipes is beautifully illustrated, carefully explained and uses ingredients which are widely available.

The only improvements I can think of would be a convenient table listing GL levels for a wide range of foods, plus more of the delicious and appealing recipes.  Overall this book provides an attractive, informative and easy-to-read introduction to the GL diet and health plan. 

Alison

Can any mother help me? by Jenna Bailey

This book took me by surprise. When I ordered it from the website I thought it looked interesting, but once I started reading it I found I couldn’t put it down – which you might expect from a good novel, but not often with a social history.

In 1935 a young mother wrote to a magazine, admitting she was lonely and bored with her domestic life and asking readers for help. The letter drew responses from women all over Britain, from all walks of life, and so a private magazine began – the Co-operative Correspondence Club or CCC. The contributors all wrote under pseudonyms and sent their articles to the editor, who put together a fortnightly magazine which then circulated on a mailing list. The women wrote candidly about most aspects of their lives, readers added comments, and some continued to do so for the fifty year lifespan of the magazine.

The author of this book discovered a number of surviving articles, which had been donated to an archive; tracked down the few surviving members of the club and the families of others, rounded out their biographies and assembled a selection of the articles chronologically and according to subject matter.

I found this book funny, sad and absolutely fascinating and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys history and biography. It is available at the Hawarden library.

Susan

Gardens of water by Alan Drew

This novel, set in Istanbul, tells the story of a Kurdish family whose lives are torn apart by an earthquake which destroys their home, their extended family, their livelihood and their way of life.  This brings into focus tensions between the Kurds and the Turks; the people of Turkey and the Americans; Islam and Christianity; parents and their children; conservative Muslim morality and western freedom.

The story is told from two viewpoints – Sinan, the husband and father of the family, and his teenage daughter Irem, both of whom are rounded characters and not just mouthpiecesfor their opposing views.  The Romeo-and-Juliet-style romance between Irem and Dylan, the son of one of the American missionaries, is woven through the book, adding to the tension and personalising some of the issues.

I found it a well written, thought-provoking book, which had a few harrowing moments. I would recommend it to those who like a novel with a bit of substance, but not to those who prefer a light, cheerful read. It is available at the Hawarden library.

Susan

Under the Osakan sun : a funny, intimate, wonderful account of three years in Japan by Hamish Beaton

When Hamish Beaton, from Christchurch, New Zealand, steps off the plane and struggles, sweltering in his woollen suit, to his new home in a suburb of Osaka, Japan, to become a teacher of english at the Kanan Town junior high school, it is the beginning of three years of exciting, funny, bewildering and sometimes embarrassing experiences. 

He meets an amazing cast of characters among the teachers, pupils, and residents of the town; is always prepared to try something new, and to laugh at himself when he gets it wrong.

I found him a likeable young man with a good sense of humour and the ability to tell a good story.  I would have liked to see some photos of the people and events he wrote about, but this is just a small criticism of a very enjoyable book.

Susan

Treasure trove

     ‘Ethnic jewellery from Africa, Asia and Pacific Islands’

This is a beautiful book! It is the result of some 25 years of travel, research and collecting by Dutchman Rene van der Star. The close-up colour photographs show the jewellery in intricate detail and the collection includes items created from beads, precious metals, enamel, and natural materials.

The individual chapters are introduced by experts in the history and culture of the various regions and contain a wealth of information on the production, use and symbolic meaning of the jewellery.

Higly recommended for anyone with an interest in cultural artefacts or those looking for inspiration to create their own jewellery.

Sylvia

Living well gluten-free

      There is a growing public awareness of individual sensitivity to certain types of food, and gluten is high on the list of culprits. However, recognizing symptoms of gluten-intolerance is not always straightforward. Also, once diagnosed as gluten-intolerant, how to avoid an ingredient which is so commonly used?

‘The living gluten-free answerbook’ by Suzanne Bowland answers many of the most pressing questions, such as the difference between food-allergies and food-intolerance, how to decipher food-labels, and how to negotiate eating out.

For practical recipe advice, the following book is highly recommended by one of our Hurunui library borrowers:

‘Everyday gluten-free cooking: living well without wheat’ by Bette Hagman

It tells you how to make your own gluten-free pasta, muesli, muffins, pies and even hot-cross buns from ingredients readily available in most supermarkets.

Sylvia

Inspiring artist

   ‘How to make a watercolor paint itself’

                                  by Nita Engle

Nita Engle’s striking landscape paintings seem to radiate light and vibrancy, yet the techniques she uses are relatively simple. In this book she encourages others to have a go and in particular to discard any inhibitions and simply play with the paint, including squirting, pouring, throwing, finger painting, stamping. The results are remarkable!

Nita Engle is an award-winning American artist who originally trained in commercial design and illustration and worked in advertising for many years. After experimenting with a plethora of different media, watercolours became her passion and she developed a unique style of painting dramatic and atmospheric landscapes which still retain a large amount of realism. Her most important source of inspiration is the ever decreasing wilderness.

This book is a must-read for both experienced and budding watercolour painters as well as for anyone with an interest in the visual arts.

Sylvia

“Laying the ghost” by Judy Astley

  “Laying the ghost” by Judy Astley

Have you ever wondered what your ex was up to?  When Nell was a student, she and Patrick were a serious item. But then Alex came along…the safer, more restful alternative, and she opted for him instead. Now nothing is going right. Alex has left her to live in New York with a younger, blonder woman. Returning from a recuperative holiday in the Caribbean, Nell is mugged at Gatwick and her bag is stolen. It’s crisis time – and she makes two decisions: First – she will take lessons in self-defence. Second – she will try to find Patrick again.

Meanwhile daughter Mimi is doing her best to cope with her newly-single mother while making the most of being fifteen. She has her own first-love decisions to deal with and feels that her mother does not need to know about these…

This is a funny, warm, and realistic look at the life of a recently separated wife and mother.  It is a light afternoon’s read, with the added bonus of a number of useful self-defence tips.  It will go on display in the District Library on May 1^st.

 

Alison

Gallipoli diary

   To commemorate Anzac-Day, the New Zealand Electronic Text Centre has published the diary of Major Edward P. Cox, which he kept between October 1914 and August 1915 when he was wounded during the Battle of Chunuk Bair.  Keeping a personal diary was against Army regulations; however the ‘official’ tone of Cox’s writing suggests he perhaps considered it a regimental diary.

Cox was evecuated from Gallipoli and returned to New Zealand because of his injuries; he donated his diary to the Dominion Museum (now part of Te Papa Tongarewa). The diary provides a first-hand account of the Gallipoli campaign and life on the front line.

The complete text of the diary can be read online at:

http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-CoxDiar.html

 More information about the diary is available at Te Papa Tongarewa:

http://collections.tepapa.govt.nz/ObjectDetails.aspx?oid=247211

Sylvia

Famous ghost stories

    ‘Dust’n'bones’ by Chris Mould

Most children love ghost stories and I remember wanting to be read the same creepy stories over and over even though it would keep me awake at night! In this book, Chris Mould retels 5 classic spooky tales (including ‘The legend of Sleepy Hollow’ by Washington Irving and ‘The tell-tale heart’ by Edgar Allan Poe) as well as 5 original stories. He stays faithful to the basic storylines, but they are adapted to be suitable for younger children.

The lavish illustrations (both colour and black and white) are terrific: ghostly without being too gruesome. Chris Mould has degrees in graphic design and illustration and is an award-winning children’s writer. This book is highly recommended for the young and the young at heart!

Sylvia