Claire Rogers Cool products and foodie things www.sunlive.co.nz

From the moment you pick up this book you will be fascinated and will find it hard to put down. It is full of life-changing information and recipes with stunning photographs.

The Real Food Chef system focuses on using organic food in its whole form, including all the foods' vitamins and minerals and the natural plant compounds known to support human health. The recipes are all free from refined sugars and dairy products, and are mostly gluten-free. The recipe system covers all meals.

I particularly like the breakfast recipes. I love going out for breakfast but find the choices always seem to be the same. This book gives you heaps of recipe ideas to try yourself at home. The pumpkin pancakes with maple pecans and coconut yoghurt particularly caught my attention, as did the breakfast salad. Coconut and maple syrup feature highly in the recipes; the reason for their usage is explained well in the first few pages on nutrition. There is so much interesting information, and it's written in a way that is easy to understand.

For the sweet tooth, there are still plenty of options. Two that will definitely be on my list to try is the raw chocolate crackle and the beetroot chocolate mud cake. There is also a section in the back with a list of essentials for the pantry, which I found very useful.

Happy cooking. I will definitely be working my way through the recipes. I really like the following words from Dr Libby: Never underestimate the power of an amazing diet. It has the ability to completely revolutionise the way you feel, look and behave. It is very difficult to be kind and compassionate when you are filling your body with stimulants and food that is devoid of nourishment. Give yourself the give of nutrient-dense food… food that loves you back.