Balancing Senses – the Six Senses Spa Book
by Kate O”Brien
ISBN: 9789 1415 5847 • Published through Thames and Hudson • £20
Jorg Sundermann’s fantastic photography enhances this inspirational book detailing the founding of the Six Senses Spa brand in 1995 by husband and wife team Sonu and Eva Shivdasani. Not only did this innovative couple create one of the spa industry’s most respected brands, but they also founded the luxury Soneva and Evason resorts and hotels in the Maldives and Far East.
Balancing Senses explains the holistic philosophy behind Six Senses with sections on living a balanced life, boosting energy naturally, detoxing, eating well, healthy recipes, yoga, meditation and other techniques, natural beauty and much more. The amazing photography captures the essence of Six Senses Spas around the world. My one criticism of this lovely book is that not all the photographs have captions, making it difficult to identify some of these dream destinations.
Women’s Health for Life by Dr Sarah Jarvis
ISBN: 9781405328975 • Dorling Kinderlsey • £20
Written for women by women doctors, this is the first book to cover every aspect of women’s health without focusing solely on fertility and reproduction. The various sections are organised by body system and structured in their order of importance to women.
The book is broken down into age decades - from the 20s to the 70s - and includes useful information on some of the most common illnesses women are prone to during different stages of life. Sensible lifestyle advice and a recommended check ups and screening tests for each age group are also listed. The book also includes useful tips on all kinds of health topics from nutrition and sleeping to weight issues, exercise and dealing with stress.
An essential reference guide for every woman’s book shelf.
The Viva Mayr Diet – 14 days to a flatter stomach and a younger youby Dr Harald Stossier and Helena Frith Powell
ISBN: 9780007289547 • Harper Collins • £12.99
Nothing beats a stay at Viva Mayr, the cutting edge Austrian clinic run by Dr Harald Stossier, but for those who can’t afford the cost or the time
to visit, this book provides a useful insight into its life-changing philosophy.
The beauty of the Viva Mayr plan is its simplicity and common sense. Helena Frith Powell does a great job explaining how, by adopting the Viva Mayr approach to eating and digestion, it is possible to lose excess weight and enjoy long-term health benefits.
Presented as a 14-day diet and lifestyle plan, a different aspect of the Viva Mayr programme is covered each day. The topics include chewing and digestion, the importance of drinking water, maintaining a healthy acid-alkaline balance, what foods to eat and when, exercise and eating and much more. Shopping tips, recipes, guest case histories and the author’s own impressions of the clinic are interspersed throughout, making the book an entertaining and informative read.
The Viva Mayr Diet will inspire you to change your faulty eating habits (eating too much, too quickly and too late) so that you lose weight and boost your health and vitality.
The Spa List by Jenni Muir and various contributors
ISBN: 9780749558697 • AA Publishing • £19.99
This attractive large format paperback features 42 of the most stylish spa hotels with the pampering facilities in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales – all accompanied with stunning photography, descriptive reviews and useful information such as number of guest rooms, weekend and weekday rates,
number of spa treatment rooms, spa brands used, fitness and disabled facilities.
There’s a useful map showing all the spa locations, plus several chapters on spa etiquette, making the most of a spa visit and definitions of body and beauty treatments and complementary therapies.
The colourful pages are a pleasure to browse through and contain lots of inspirational ideas for that special spa break or romantic weekend.
The Foodie Handbook – The (Almost) Definitive Guide to Gastronomy by Pim Techamuanvivit
ISBN: 9781840914412 • Conran Octopus • £20
Spa goers are usually concerned about healthy eating and ethical issues. This unconventional guide covers both and has lots to interest anyone who enjoys their food! Written by Pim Techamuanvivit, one of the brightest stars of the food blog scene (her food blog
Chez Pim attracts half a million hits every month), it explores new flavours and cooking methods in Pim’s witty and conversational style. Globetrotter Pim shares her recipes and vast knowledge of ingredients with menu plans, ideas and anecdotes from top chefs and gives advice on buying the best quality food. She explains how to spot a mediocre restaurant, out-snob the staff in a snooty restaurant and eat safely on the street in a foreign country. There’s an excellent chapter on wine and pairing food and wine (for example, never drink tannic wines with Thai food as the spices make the wine taste bitter).
My favourite chapter is
Fifty things every foodie should do or try at least once in their life, and the varied list includes
Bake a loaf of crusty bread; Buy a cast-iron frying pan; Have tea at Mariage Frères in Paris; Throw out your entire spice rack and start all over again; Give up trying to like something you hate; Try a stinky cheese; Eat a perfect sun-drenched tree-ripened fragrant peach, among others.
TRAVEL Where to Go Whenby Craig Doyle and various contributors
ISBN; 9781405338912 • Dorling Kindersely • £19.99
Planning an overseas spa trip is always great fun especially when you can source exciting destinations and know the best time of year to visit them.
Organised month by month, Craig Doyle’s colourful tome is the perfect holiday planner, highlighting the world’s most spectacular places and tailoring holidays in six themes (
Festivals & Culture, Unforgettable Journeys, Natural World, Luxury & Romance, Activity Breaks and Family Getaways). Many fantastic spas are mentioned in its coverage of over 130 global destinations.
Each monthly section suggests where to go for the best weather with 24 pages of detailed editorial and practical information on the destinations featured – all illustrated with stunning photography. From a weekend in New York to a spa break in the Maldives, this book provides all the inspiration and information you need to plan an exotic spa holiday.
