Healing foods

While the children settled in at school and began speaking French with ease, Linda tackled the overgrown land.

'It needed a lot of planning and hard work to turn it into a workable and enjoyable place to be. The vegetable plot was high on the agenda and by the first full summer - although still living in a van and caravans - we were eating organic vegetables regularly. Within a few years there wasn't a day in the year when something could not be picked and eaten. Keeping a few chickens also provided us with enough eggs to feed us and to give away.'

Now back in England to be near her children and three grandchildren, Linda has published her first book.

She reveals: 'The birth of Grow Your Own Pharmacy was my way of getting a lot of useful information into one book and making it available for everyone who has an interest in healthy eating, vitamins, gardening and even cooking.

'I had found that whenever I wanted to know anything about the vegetables and fruits I was growing and feeding to my children, I needed to find three or four sources of information. I personally needed all that information in one place, so I wrote the book which I needed, and hope that it will help many others along the healthy eating road.'

And she is confident that anyone can replicate her efforts to provide a healthier way of eating for her family, even on a small scale.

She adds: 'We don't have to have a gazebo, a water feature or the latest variety of rose bush. That would be nice, but there are plenty of other good things to do with the space we have. Not only will that precious piece of land provide a healthy diet for you and your family, it will also give you some wonderful exercise.

'It should be enjoyed, whether you see it as a chore or a hobby, and it is ultimately going to keep you happy, healthy and living longer. Our bodies are living organisms, just like plants. If we don't nourish a plant with the water and minerals from the soil, the plant will die. The same goes for all living creatures on the planet. We need the right input to gain the right output.'

Linda's book includes advice on how to grow the fruit and vegetables necessary to provide the vitamins and minerals you and your family need, with a list of the recommended daily vitamin requirements, and charts showing which foods supply them.

Recipes and menus have also been included to show how to incorporate your produce into your daily diet, along with information on 13 herbs and their uses in treating common ailments.

Linda's book, Grow Your Own Pharmacy is available from www.findhornpress.com priced at £7.99.