Summary

Why do we overeat time and time again? Why do we make poor diet choices while we want to be healthy? What makes losing weight so difficult? These and many other vital questions are addressed in 12 Steps to Raw Foods in an open and sincere dialogue. Based on the latest scientific research, Victoria Boutenko explains the numerous benefits of choosing a diet of fresh rather than cooked foods. This book contains self-tests and questionnaires that help the reader to determine if they have hidden eating patterns that undermine their health. Using examples from life, the author explores the most common reasons for people to make unhealthy eating choices. Rather than simply praising the benefits of raw foods, this book offers helpful tips and coping techniques to form and maintain new, healthy patterns. Written in a convenient 12-step format, this book guides the reader through the most significant physical, psychological and spiritual phases of the transition from cooked to raw foods. Embracing the raw food lifestyle is more than simply turning off the stove. Such a radical change in the way we eat affects all aspects of life. Boutenko touches on the human relationship with nature, the value of supporting others, and the importance of living in harmony with people who don't share the same point of view on eating. Already a classic, this enhanced second edition is aimed at anyone interested in improving their health through diet.

Author Biography

Victoria Boutenko lives in Ashland, Oregon. She is the author of Green For Life, Raw Family, 12 Steps to Raw Foods, and several raw recipe books. She teaches classes on raw food all over the world, and is an adjunct professor at Southern Oregon University. As a result of her teachings, many raw food communities have formed in numerous countries. She continues traveling worldwide sharing her gourmet raw cuisine and her inspiring story of change, faith, and determination.

Boutenko’s Green For Life was nominated as a finalist in health and medicine for the Independent Publisher’s Award (IPPY) in 2006. She has published a monthly newsletter since 2003 on her website www.rawfamily.com. Boutenko contributes regularly to a number of periodic publications including Get Fresh, Just Eat an Apple, Alive, Natuurstemmingen, Neva, Die Wurzel, Naturaleza Cruda, and many others. She is a leader in the raw food movement and her works are recognized as having a profound impact on the development of raw food communities across the globe. Boutenko’s work is referenced in numerous books on the subject, and her books have been translated into nine languages. She has been a keynote speaker at a number of international expositions in Germany, England, Brazil, Canada, Belgium, Iceland, Holland, Jamaica, Spain, France, and the United States.

Foreword	p. xi
Author's Note	p. xv
Why Raw Food?	p. 1
Where My Search Began	p. 3
What Was Missing in Our Raw Food Plan?	p. 13
Ode to a Green Smoothie	p. 15
Modern Science Studies Un-Cooking	p. 25
What Is Life?	p. 36
Your Body Never Makes Mistakes	p. 41
What the First Humans Ate	p. 49
Convenience versus Health	p. 59
How My Family Eats	p. 65
Bacteria-Nature's Brilliant Invention	p. 70
What About Insects?	p. 76
Human Dependency on Cooked Food	p. 83
Is It Really a Dependency?	p. 85
How Important Is It To Be 100% Raw?	p. 90
The Addictiveness of Common Foods	p. 96
Looking for Comfort in Cooked Foods	p. 107
Feeding Inner Hunger	p. 112
How to End Your Dependency on Cooked Food	p. 117
Becoming Aware of the Problem	p. 119
Nourishing Your Body to Eliminate Cravings	p. 130
Acquiring Skills and Equipment	p. 134
Basic Formula for Delicious Soup	p. 146
Basic Formula for Delicious Nut Burgers	p. 147
Basic Formula for Delicious Candy or Cake Dough	p. 147
Formula for Delicious Dressing	p. 148
Basic Formula for Delicious Nut or Seed Milk	p. 148
I Love You No Matter What You Eat	p. 149
Avoiding Temptations	p. 161
Getting Support	p. 169
Gratitude and Forgiveness	p. 175
Actualizing Dreams	p. 181
Embracing Other Healthy Habits	p. 189
Gaining Clarity	p. 202
Searching for One's Spiritual Mission	p. 207
Giving Support to Others	p. 213
Recipes	p. 219
Raw Family Green Smoothies	p. 221
Apple-Kale-Lemon	p. 221
Peach-Spinach	p. 221
Mango-Weeds	p. 221
Strawberry-Banana-Romaine	p. 222
Pear-Chard-Mint	p. 222
Raw Family Green Soup	p. 222
Valya's Stupendously Magnificent, Outstandingly Exceptional, Green Spinach Soup	p. 223
Real Rawssian Borscht	p. 223
Chowder	p. 225
Chili	p. 226
Gazpacho	p. 226
I Can't Believe It's Just Cabbage	p. 227
Igor's Crackers	p. 228
Live Garden Burgers	p. 229
RawFoods.pages.07 2/26/07 2:25 PM Page ix
Live Burgers, Low-Fat Version	p. 230
Live Fries	p. 231
Tomato Basil Sauce	p. 231
Live Pizza	p. 232
Nori Rolls	p. 234
Nut or Seed Cheese	p. 235
Valya's Spicy Almond Cheese	p. 236
Sunny Spread	p. 236
Sergei's Hummus	p. 237
Generic Cake Recipe	p. 238
Sergei's Young Coconut Dream Cake	p. 239
Un-Chocolate Cake	p. 240
Sergei's Amazing Truffles	p. 241
Alla's Cranberry Scones	p. 242
Sergei's Butternut Squash Cookies	p. 242
Sesame Cookies	p. 243
Morning Cereal	p. 244
Nut or Seed Milk	p. 244
Notes	p. 245
Bibliography	p. 257
Index	p. 259
Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Supplemental Materials

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Excerpts

Author’s Note

I believe that we are all designed to be healthy, that our beautiful bodies are perfect, and that sickness is not normal. Yet how many people can you name who are absolutely healthy? I understand that our health and liveliness largely depend on nutrition. Most of us have at least some idea about which foods can make us healthy and energized. I associate being healthy with feeling an enjoyable lightness in my body, having a pleasant mood, and thinking clearly, but most importantly, having the energy to manifest my dreams. I remember how my former sickness eliminated much of the joy from my life; it drained my energy and kept me from doing the activities that would have made me most happy and fulfilled.

In our society, it is common to entertain the hopeless belief that a lot of illnesses are incurable. I contend that for many people this belief is based in a dependence on unhealthy foods and a feeling of being unable to change our eating habits. Unfortunately, doctors are powerless to compensate for this lack of nutrition, even though they do all they know to help.

Every day I observe people around me who are desperate to improve their nutrition but are still unable to change their habits. They find themselves—time and again—eating what they so resolutely had planned to avoid. Through much experimenting and research, I have come to the conclusion that becoming free from this dependency is possible, and that managing one’s diet can drastically improve one’s health.

Over the past twelve years, I have taught thousands of classes and weekend workshops worldwide. I receive “Thank You” letters from the thousands of people who have used my coping techniques to successfully eat healthier. In this revised and expanded edition of 12 Steps to Raw Foods, I have updated my research with the latest scientific data; I have added more of my personal experiences; I have addressed historical issues such as how the human dependency on cooked food formed; and I have included my most successful coping techniques, along with my most delicious recipes. Enjoy this reading—I look forward to running into you at a juice bar!

In Good Health,
—Victoria

Excerpted from 12 Steps to Raw Foods: How to End Your Dependency on Cooked Food by Victoria Boutenko
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.