For many of you, Meghan Telpner needs no introduction. She’s the inspiring, Canadian (yay!), and playful voice behind her website, Making Love in the Kitchen. After being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the age of 26, Meghan made it her mission to regain her health via non-traditional methods. That’s when she rediscovered the powers of her kitchen and found healing through plant-based food, a yoga mat, and other alternative treatments. Her first book, UnDiet: Eat Your Way to Vibrant Health, shows you how to live well without painful restrictions. Much like my own approach to wellness, Meghan forgoes calorie counting, dieting, and deprivation while focusing on vibrant foods, nutrition information, and wellness tips she has picked up along the way.
UnDiet is jam-packed with health and wellness tips, infused with Meghan’s authentic and inspiring writing style. It’s hard not to get excited about a healthy lifestyle when you read this book.
Some of the topics include:
- A handy guide for storing produce (I love this because my fridge is a hot mess most days)
- Food additives and preservatives to avoid
- Plastics, BPA, and waste
- 10 best reasons to drink loads of water
- A 7-day UnDiet Meal Plan
- Natural beauty products and cosmetic additives
- Optimizing your time in the kitchen
- and much more…
While this is a wellness guide as opposed to a cookbook, you will still find 40 easy gluten-free recipes sprinkled throughout the chapters. Many of the recipes can be made vegan with a simple swap like using a chia egg for a hen’s egg or maple syrup for honey. Some examples of the recipes include: Veggie Rice Wraps, Booyizzle White Bean Green Curry, Blue Green Power Smoothie, Morning Green Juice Shazaam, Spiced Apple Carrot Muffins, Super Berry Fruit Crumble, and more.
After spending a good part of the weekend with my nose in book, I got thirsty. Really thirsty. Thankfully, her Easy Ginger Ale recipe came to my rescue. I’ve never been a big ginger ale fan, but something just told me I’d really love this au naturel version.
With just 4 simple ingredients – fresh ginger, carbonated water, lemon juice, and sweetener – I had a much healthier version of ginger ale ready to quench my thirst. It’s bursting with digestion and immune-supporting ginger and lemon juice making it a fun drink that’s also good for you. I also have a feeling this would be amazing with some orange or pineapple juice mixed in! And you know, maybe spike it on one of those hot summer evenings….
Meghan’s Easy Ginger Ale
Excerpted from Undiet: Eat Your Way to Vibrant Health. Copyright © 2013 Meghan Telpner. Published by McClelland & Stewart, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients:
- 3-inches (8cm) fresh ginger root
- 2 cups (500ml) soda water
- 1 tbsp (15ml) raw honey (I used 2 tbsp maple syrup)
- 1-2 tbsp (15-30ml) lemon juice (optional) (I used 1 tbsp lemon juice)
- Ice cubes or frozen grapes
1. Drape a cheesecloth or milk nut bag over a bowl or jar, and grate ginger over top.
2. Once fully grated, squeeze out juice. (Angela’s note: I had about 1 tbsp of ginger juice after squeezing)
3. In a pitcher or jar, stir together ginger, soda water, sweetener, and lemon.
4. Serve chilled with a few ice cubes or frozen grapes, and add a glass straw for a party in your glass.
It’s GIVEAWAY time! (update – see below for winners)
You have a chance to win:
1. A copy of UnDiet: Eat Your Way to Vibrant Health.
2. Meghan’s online course UnDiet Meal Prep Made Easy (this course is vegan aside from honey which you can swap out for other sweeteners) valued at $279.
This book giveaway is open to anyone in North America and the online course is open to anyone, anywhere!
[Contest now closed]
1. Leave a comment below.
2. For a second entry, follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram and leave a second comment letting me know you did so.
Thanks to Meghan and the folks at McClelland & Stewart for the wonderful opportunity to review UnDiet. Goodluck to all of you in the contest! Winner will be chosen at random on Thursday April 4, 2013.
Please note: The UnDiet link in this post is an Amazon Affiliate link – if you click on the link and purchase something I will receive a small percentage from Amazon which helps support costs involved for this blog. Thanks in advance!
UnDiet Giveaway Winners!
Thank you to everyone who entered the UnDiet giveaway! Without further ado, the winners are…
1 copy of UnDiet goes to #394 – Carol E. “I’ve followed you on Facebook for ages, but I just started following you on Pinterest.”
And the winner of Meghan’s online course UnDiet Meal Prep Made Easy goes to #1512 – Jackie P. “This book looks amazing!!”
Congrats to you both! I will email you shortly to collect your information.
That book looks fantastic! Can’t wait to grab a copy (winner or not!)
Well you gotta be in it to win it they say, thanks for the opportunity to win such a life giving prize!! Cheers from Australia!!
Looking forward to learning from your experience and book!
Well you gotta be in it to win it they say, thanks for the opportunity to win such a life giving prize!! Cheers from sunny Australia!
Had to go and re-check where I stalk you – I am now an official Facebook, twitter, blog, instagram stalker though I don’t spend a lot of time on instagram! Off to see what more I can find out about this great new book!
The book looks so interesting! Thanks for the chance to win and looking forward to fooling the weather into thinking its summer again with that cool ginger drink! Sal from Sydney
My grandmother used to swear by flattened Canada Dry ginger ale for an upset stomach. When I was old enough to read and understand the ingredient list I have my doubts it helped much with a tummy ache but it still makes me think of her when I see it. This version looks yummy. I think I’ll be trying it out very soon!
I follow you on Pinterest :)
This looks like a great book! Would love to win!
I also follow you on Facebook!
The book looks great. I’m going to make the gingerale today!
This is such a wonderful giveaway! The cookbook looks fabulous!
Following you on Instagram too!
I also am a fan on Facebook!
This book sounds like just my cup of tea, or glass of ginger ale!
That drink sounds amazing! Definitely hoping to make.
Pick me pick me!!!
This giveaway is fantastic! The book looks terrific!
I follow you on facebook, pinterest, and instagram!
Have seen lots of food recipes, this ginger ale looks great! I am looking forward to changing my lifestyle and eating better and healthier, this looks like a plan that I could live with.