Sugar, Spice and Feeling Good

For Veda Nugent, Jamaica-born Ottawa chef and restaurateur, and her son Marrett Green, former TV journalist and now media relations specialist for Vancouver regional government, relocating did not mean leaving their wonderful tropical dishes behind. Sugar and Spice and Everything Irie: Savoring Jamaica's Flavors gathers some of their favorites, many of which have been featured in her eateries over the years. Irie, in Jamaican patois, is a greeting meaning things are okay. And they will be after sampling some of the specialties that can be created at home for everyone's enjoyment. 115 recipes such as Jerk Pork and Chicken Paté, Curry Goat, Oxtail and Lima Bean Stew, Ackee and Salted Codfish, Plantain Pudding, and Banana Rum Shake will delight fans of this most agreeable cuisine. (Callawind [www.callawind.com], $16.95 paper 160p ISBN 1-896511-16-3; Feb.)

Rosemary Gladstar's Family Herbal: A Guide to Living Life with Energy, Health, and Vitality is an all-in-one source for all ages. The community herbalist, founder of United Plant Savers and author of Herbal Healing for Women, demystifies the world of herbal healing and shares her expertise and recipes and formulas for herbal soups, salads, teas, tinctures, elixirs, creams, salves and baths for people of all ages. Gladstar points the way to physical, emotional and spiritual well-being, utilizing her natural means but warns of the dangers of improper usage. Sidebars and highlighted sections in this handsome reference discuss controversies and highlight special points. (Storey, $24.95 400p ISBN 1-58017-425-6; Feb.)

Drink water, not soda. Stand up straight. Exercise 10 minutes a day. These are the kinds of simple lifestyle changes that Laure Redmond advocates in Feel Good Naked: 10 No-Diet Secrets to a Fabulous Body. Drawing from her experience as a fitness therapist and exercise instructor (she had a stint on ESPN's Body Shaping), plus her own struggles with body image and weight, she shows how these steps can help women lose weight without deprivation. Her primary message, however, is that how you feel about your body is more important than your actual weight, and she urges women to be comfortable with a figure that isn't stick-thin. (Fair Winds, $24.95 192p ISBN 1-931412-67-7; Jan.)

Homestyle

Susie Coelho's Everyday Styling: Easy Tips for Home, Garden, and Entertaining by the former model and actress, now a Today show contributor and host of HGTV's Surprise Gardener, offers ways to enhance any home. Don't wait, she counsels, start while the ideas are fresh. Be willing to try things, to experiment until something works. First survey what is on hand, maybe something just needs to be used in a new way. Rearrange the furniture, add fabric or color. Collect what you like and think outside the lines, you can always make changes. Making a file of ideas and sources helps to keep the images fresh and encourages creativity. In 200 full-color photos, rooms move and change taking on new character, as do outdoor areas and entrances. And it all looks like fun. (Simon & Schuster, $30 192p ISBN 0-7432-1930-9; Feb.)

In Deckscaping: Gardening and Landscaping on and Around Your Deck, Barbara W. Ellis observes that in many cases, the deck was nothing more than a platform that was stuck onto a dwelling. She goes into great detail, with color photos and drawings, to show how this space can be used and enjoyed year round, even in cold climates. From simple to elaborate, she suggests surfaces, materials, plantings, furniture and gives tips on maintenance as well. (Storey, $27.50 170p ISBN 1-58017-408-6; Feb.)

In The Perfectly Painted House: Foolproof Guide for Choosing Exterior Paint Colors, color consultant Bonnie Rosser Krims explains that redoing the façade of a house doesn't have to be expensive. She begins with a discussion of the elements of the exterior and how they relate to the whole. She then covers the various color schemes appropriate to individual architectural styles, each with color chart reference numbers and full-color photographs, 250 in all. Suggestions for trim, accents and for alternate looks enhance her presentation. (Rockport [33 Commercial St., Gloucester, Mass. 01930; 978-282-9590], $24.99 144p ISBN 1-56496-853-7; Feb.)