Frugal Foodie Author's Advice Includes Soaking In Epsom Salt Bath To Relax, Improve Health

The Frugal Foodie Cookbook, a new book filled with practical advice for working Moms, suggests soaking in an Epsom salt bath because it’s “not only luxurious, but can also improve your health.”

“When I was doing the research for the book, Epsom salt kept popping up,” says author Lara Starr. “It fell in line with who I was writing the book for — working Moms like me, who want a treat and don’t have a lot of time.”

The Frugal Foodie (Viva Editions, $15.95), which hit shelves Sept. 1, is the second book for Starr. She also co-authored “The Party Girl Cookbook,” but jokes that was 10 years ago, before one kid, two layoffs and a recession.

Instead of party-planning tips, much of The Frugal Foodie is devoted to helping Moms prepare quality meals without expensive ingredients. There’s also a “Frugal Beauty” section, which Starr describes as “food for the outside of your body.”

Starr suggests three recipes for bath treatments that use Epsom salt. She also has a section called “Worth its Salt,” where she describes how Epsom salt is made of magnesium sulfate, which means you can get many of the same health benefits from soaking in it as you can from eating foods containing the same vital minerals. Among the benefits: reducing inflammation, improving heart and circulatory health, flushing toxins and heavy metals from cells, relieving muscle pain, improving the body’s ability to use insulin, improving nerve function and, of course, reducing stress.

“You can spend a lot of money on beauty products,” Starr says, “or you can just whip it up on your own for just pennies and create your own spa night.”

Reviewers have said the book is especially appreciated during a difficult economy, because it provides good food mixed with simple wisdom and humor. It’s served, says Jennifer Sauer, author of The Way to Tea, with “a generosity of spirit that will keep a smile on your face and extra change in your pocketbook."

Note: For human use, the Epsom Salt Council recommends only Epsom salt with the USP designation.