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12 Steps to Raw Foods

How to End Your Dependency on Cooked Food

Author Victoria Boutenko

Foreword by Gabriel Cousens M.D.

Paperback

$16.95 US

North Atlantic Books

6.02"W x 9.01"H x 0.79"D | 15 oz | 28 per carton

On sale May 08, 2007 | 288 Pages | 9781556436512

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With eye-opening self-tests and questionnaires, this step-by-step guide will help you replace unhealthy eating patterns with a diet of fresh, raw foods

Why do we overeat time and time again? Why do we make poor diet choices? Why is dieting so difficult? Using the latest scientific research and an open, conversational tone, 12 Steps to Raw Foods addresses these vital questions and explains the numerous benefits of choosing a diet of fresh—versus cooked—foods.

But rather than simply praising the benefits of raw foods, this book offers helpful tips and coping techniques to form and maintain new, healthy patterns. Learn how to make a raw food restaurant card that makes dining with co-workers easy and enjoyable. Discover three magic sentences that enable you to refuse your mother-in-law’s apple pie without offending her. Find out how to sustain your chosen diet while traveling. These are only a few of the many scenarios that Boutenko outlines.

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.

“The first edition of this book (published in 2000) was excellent. The second edition is masterfully outstanding.”
—From the foreword by Gabriel Cousens, MD

“Sensational! The why and how of a raw-foods lifestyle in a nutshell. A must-read for those who want more vitality, happiness, and success in their lives.”
—Victor M. Vieira, DC, fellow of the International Academy of Clinical Acupuncture

“A marvelous book full of useful information for people seeking a better understanding of the relationship between nutritional factors and optimal health. Victoria Boutenko asks probing questions and searches every avenue that can lead to new answers. Her conclusions are remarkable, often surprising, and always illuminating.”
—Melvyn L. Iscove, MD

“Imagine what would happen in a society wherein people would take responsibility for their own health and wellness. Victoria Boutenko’s book provides the basis for this healthier shift in our thinking and daily lifestyle.”
—Jeannette Vos, EdD, co-author of The Learning Revolution and The New Learning Revolution

“For those new to Boutenko, this is a great introduction to her ideas, methods and life experiences, the latter of which includes the inspiring account of how she healed her families illnesses through healthful eating and exercise.”
—Spiritualitea.com

“Victoria Boutenko’s revised and expanded 12 Steps to Raw Foods is magnificent! If you have ever attempted to incorporate raw/living foods into your diet to any degree, and hit the wall of resistance, you absolutely must read this book… Victoria’s 12-Step outline, which is very loosely derived from her personal research into AA and OA, has helped countless people rise above the struggle of changing behavior, and into an empowered state of raw consciousness.”
—Reader Views

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. View titles by Victoria Boutenko

Author’s NoteI 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

Foreword by Dr. Gabriel Cousens . . . xi
Author’s Note . . . xv
Part 1 Why Raw Food?. . . 1
Chapter 1 Where My Search Began . . . 3
Chapter 2 What Was Missing in Our Raw Food Plan? . . . 13
Chapter 3 Ode to a Green Smoothie . . . 15
Chapter 4 Modern Science Studies Un-Cooking . . . 25
Chapter 5 What Is Life? . . . 36
Chapter 6 Your Body Never Makes Mistakes . . . 41
Chapter 7 What the First Humans Ate . . . 49
Chapter 8 Convenience versus Health . . . 59
Chapter 9 How My Family Eats . . . 65
Chapter 10 Bacteria–Nature’s Brilliant Invention . . . 70
Chapter 11 What About Insects? . . . 76
Part 2 Human Dependency on Cooked Food . . . 83
Chapter 12 Is It Really a Dependency? . . . 85
Chapter 13 How Important Is It To Be 100% Raw? . . . 90
Chapter 14 The Addictiveness of Common Foods . . . 96
Chapter 15 Looking for Comfort in Cooked Foods . . . 107
Chapter 16 Feeding Inner Hunger . . . 112
Part 3 How to End Your Dependency on Cooked Food. . . 117
Step 1: Becoming Aware of the Problem . . . 119
Step 2: Nourishing Your Body to Eliminate Cravings . . . 130
Step 3: Acquiring Skills and Equipment . . . 134
Basic Formula for Delicious Soup . . . 146
Basic Formula for Delicious Nut Burgers . . . 147
Basic Formula for Delicious Candy or Cake Dough . . . 147
Formula for Delicious Dressing . . . 148
Basic Formula for Delicious Nut or Seed Milk . . . 148
Step 4: I Love You No Matter What You Eat . . . 149
Step 5: Avoiding Temptations . . . 161
Step 6: Getting Support . . . 169
Step 7: Gratitude and Forgiveness . . . 175
Step 8: Actualizing Dreams . . . 181
Step 9: Embracing Other Healthy Habits . . . 189
Step 10: Gaining Clarity . . . 202
Step 11: Searching for One’s Spiritual Mission . . . 207
Step 12: Giving Support to Others . . . 213
Part 4 Recipes . . . 219
Raw Family Green Smoothies . . . 221
Apple—Kale—Lemon . . . 221
Peach—Spinach . . . 221
Mango—Weeds . . . 221
Strawberry—Banana—Romaine . . . 222
Pear—Chard—Mint . . . 222
Raw Family Green Soup . . . 222
Valya’s Stupendously Magnificent,
Outstandingly Exceptional,
Green Spinach Soup . . . 223
Real Rawssian Borscht . . . 223
Chowder . . . 225
Chili . . . 226
Gazpacho . . . 226
I Can’t Believe It’s Just Cabbage . . . 227
Igor’s Crackers . . . 228
Live Garden Burgers . . . 229
RawFoods.pages.07 2/26/07 2:25 PM Page ix
Live Burgers, Low-Fat Version . . . 230
Live Fries . . . 231
Tomato Basil Sauce . . . 231
Live Pizza . . . 232
Nori Rolls . . . 234
Nut or Seed Cheese . . . 235
Valya’s Spicy Almond Cheese . . . 236
Sunny Spread . . . 236
Sergei’s Hummus . . . 237
Generic Cake Recipe . . . 238
Sergei’s Young Coconut Dream Cake . . . 239
Un-Chocolate Cake . . . 240
Sergei’s Amazing Truffles . . . 241
Alla’s Cranberry Scones . . . 242
Sergei’s Butternut Squash Cookies . . . 242
Sesame Cookies . . . 243
Morning Cereal . . . 244
Nut or Seed Milk . . . 244
Notes . . . 245
Bibliography . . . 257
Index . . . 259