Old Post # 11: Book Review: Living on Live Food

This post is the eleventh in a series of posts taken from one of my old blogs.  It is a review of a book I still own and use to this day.
 

Living on Live Foods - originally posted July 22, 2007

This week I finally found Alissa Cohen's Living on Live Food book at my local raw food restaurant.


This book has it all. Most raw books I've bought or seen are little more than recipe books with a couple of chapters of very basic information about the raw food diet in the beginning. Alissa's book has very good information about the science behind the diet (but in a concise, easy-to-read format), the hows and whys, the benefits, success stories, before and after pictures, and much more. Plus all the recipes, which look really good. I'm really enjoying reading this book.


There are two negatives to the book, however. First is it's price. At first, I didn't mind the $30 price tag because it is a very large, high quality book. The pictures are great, the pages are glossy, and the layout keeps the reader's attention. But after reading the book, I realized quickly that this book didn't NEED to be so big...which brings me to negative point number two: the size.


This book is HUGE. It is very heavy. I feel like I'm carrying around a dictionary. It doesn't make for easy transporting. The easiest way to read it is to lie it flat on a table, or possibly in your lap, if you don't mind the weight. Laying on your side in bed is impossible...it is forever sliding off the bed, or slipping out of your hands. I dropped it spine-first onto the side of my foot while sitting in bed--a six inch drop--and it HURT!! Really hurt!


Also, the words on each page are in narrow columns, with one column per page. Only half of each page is used. Then, each chapter uses one whole page just to display the chapter number on it. And many of the chapters have less than one page to them...and remember, only half of each page is used! While this does make for an easy-to-read format, it goes too far. I think the book easily could have been condensed into a smaller, easier to carry book without sacrificing quality or readability.


I do like the heavy, glossy pages, as I think this will be a book I will read and use often, especially in the kitchen. But when so many people in the raw food movement are environmentally conscious, the amount of wasted space in this book seems to be a bad business decision. I think the size and weight of the book could be reduced enough to lower the price to $25 , which would make the book easier to sell to people on a limited budget.


All that being said, I'm still glad I bought it. I'm sure it will prove very useful. There is also a companion DVD available on Alissa's website. The price of that seems extremely high to me...$29.95! There is a discount if you buy the book with it, but again, people like me might not be likely to buy such an expensive DVD without reading the book first to see if they like Alissa's style. But having read half the book so far, I would like to check out the DVD someday, when I can afford it.


Alissa carries other products on her site, such as raw food items and appliances. Be sure to price shop, though. I think a lot of her prices seem to be okay, and she's running a really great special on the Vita-Mix right now. Her raw food forum is a great resource as well.


I haven't finished the book yet or tried any recipes, but based on the first half of the book, I'd give it at least four stars, maybe five. Definitely a great introductory book for those wanting to go raw.

UPDATE:  Some of her recipes I really like, and others I don't.  But the info and the before and afters you simply must read.  One great recipe is the regular salsa.  It's really good--even my husband likes it, and he hates fresh tomatoes.  The one thing is that the garlic is super strong to me.  Since the garlic is raw, you should keep that in mind when it's called for in recipes, and consider cutting it in half.  Or try elephant garlic, it's very mild.


 
 Note:  The first link pic is the book, the second is the DVD, and the third is another book of Alissa's.

Old Post: A Raw Family

This is installment four of old posts I had made on my old blog, about three years ago. 

A Raw Family- originally posted June 3, 2007 

Wow, that last post was long! Sorry about that. So much to say, so little space.

I'm planning this week to phase my family into raw food. My husband is starting to read about it and show interest. So far the kids are enjoying their slow transition. I don't know if I'll go 100% with the kids, or not. I've read good things about kids on raw who have never gotten sick. If you know what you are doing, it is easy to make sure they get enough fat, calories and protein. I've found that it's a myth that you have to have meat to get enough protein. Pound for pound, nuts have way more protein than meat. Many veggies do too. Plus, cooked meat loses half it's protein, and what's left is denatured and harder to assimilate than plant proteins. I'm going to see how the kids do on high raw, and what my husband thinks about going 100% raw, before I consider having them go all-raw.

Right now I'm just doing research for recipes and ideas as I become more and more raw. I wanted to post a few links and other info I have found helpful.

I Beat Obesity - as mentioned before, great inspiration. She has a raw bootcamp, but she charges for it, and it's too expensive for me.
Raw Food Talk - also previously mentioned, it is Alissa Cohen's raw forum, and there are links to her other sites. I haven't read her book yet, but it comes highly recommended by many people
Raw Family - a whole family that went raw, and experienced weight loss and healing from several illnesses. Their book "12 Steps to Raw Foods" is a really good intro to raw and how to defeat your cooked food addictions. Their books "Raw Family" and "Green for Life" are also good, from what I've heard. [UPDATE:  Green for Life is awesome, very informative, and if you start doing green smoothies it will change your life.]
Raw Times - click on the Recipes link at the top
The Sunny Kitchen - a blog with really good recipes...this link goes straight to the All Things Chocolate post, which is great, but the whole blog is good
The Raw Table - some interesting-sounding recipes
The Raw Food Gourmet- some of these sounded good, especially the carrot "cake"

Some of the recipes you read or see pictures of may sound unusual at first, but remember you are used to eating food cooked down to a sodden mess and then spiced like crazy to make it taste better (I now find cooked food very bland, after only two weeks). Many foods used in raw cooking may sound new and weird, but as your palate adjusts, you will find it easier to try and like new foods. In my next post, I'll tell you how I am making the transition to raw foods in an easy and tasty way. 


Update:  I plan to share more links of great raw sites, especially some YouTubers with good videos, in the next week or so.

Old Post: Raw Results!

Here is the second installment of posts from an old blog, written three years ago.  This post was written two weeks after starting on raw foods, while I was pregnant with my fifth child.

Raw Results! - originally posted June 3, 2007 

Two weeks have passed since I started my raw food lifestyle. I have refrained from posting about it, because I wanted to make sure I made it past the first week. On low carb diets, the first week was easy, and after that it got harder. But on raw, it's still just as easy. Let me start with the fun stuff: results!

In two weeks I have:

• lost 10.2 pounds (most of it the first week)
• eliminated my insomnia
• gotten deeper sleep every night
• almost eliminated the need for naps, even on only 6 hours of sleep
• virtually eliminated my depression
• eliminated my anxiety
• become more patient with my children, and I'm yelling a LOT less
• suddenly become happier, even giggly on occasion
• gotten softer skin
• significantly reduced pain from some kind of groin muscle that was giving me trouble
• stopped needing to use the scooters at Walmart (boy was that embarrassing!)
• eliminated the stiffness I got whenever I sat or laid down for too long
• significantly reduced my back pain
• increased my energy ten-fold
• stopped getting super-sleepy when driving
• virtually eliminated my cravings for carbs, soda, fast food, and yes, even CHOCOLATE!
• had some improvement in my breathing while in bed
• had a big increase in libido (enough said)

I'm sure there is more, but that's all I can think of. Really, that's enough, isn't it?! Just the elimination of the depression and the increase in energy is enough to have me thrilled. I feel sooooo much better. I could see most of these changes in the first 48 hours. It was amazing. I feel like a different person!

Now, onto the less exciting information. Keep in mind I'm a newbie and this information is what I have gathered on my own...I may not get everything exactly right. Also, there are some variations in what each raw foodist believes is the right way to eat.

What is raw food? Raw food is any fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, or grains that have been prepared without heating of any kind over about 105-118 degrees farenheit. Basically, nothing is cooked, although sometimes it may be warmed, or dehydrated (at 105 degrees or less). Most raw foodists are also vegans (meaning they don't eat any meat, fish, or dairy products). Anyone who is 100% raw is almost always vegan.[New edit: a very small percentage of 100% raw foodists might eat raw meat, eggs, and other dairy--I wouldn't recommend eating raw eggs or meat, at least not unless you raised the animal yourself, or are well-acquainted with the person who did.] A lot of people only eat 80-90% raw: this is considered "high raw". Some eat 50%-80%. These people (on 50-90% raw) may eat some meat or dairy, but a lot don't.

Usually the people eating a lower percentage of raw are trying to eat whole foods when they do eat cooked food...meaning their cooked food may be cooked whole grains and legumes (possibly soaked or sprouted first, a la "Nourishing Traditions" style), and possibly some all natural meat and/or raw dairy products. If you eat at least 50% raw (and absolutely everyone should do at least that much) you will see improvement in your health, and probably your weight. On high raw, you will definitely feel much better, and on 100% raw, you will feel amazing.

What do you eat if you are all raw? Many people have fruit or fruit smoothies for breakfast, fruit or a salad for lunch, and usually a more elaborate raw vegan meal for dinner. To drink, they'll make fresh raw juices from fruits and/or veggies, nut milk, or water. They usually don't use soymilk, from what I've read, because of all the health concerns lately with soy.

I had planned to start out 50-60% raw, but quickly got to 70-80%. Lately, I have been more like 90%, as I have cut back on the whole wheat crackers and hummus, and the egg salad pitas I had been having once a day. Now, usually the only non-raw food I have is ranch dressing, cheddar cheese sprinkled on my salads (trying to phase this out), and every few days 2-3 ounces of cooked chicken breast or fish. I've chosen not to go 100% yet, because several people have suggested it wouldn't be a good idea to go through "detox" while pregnant--I'll explain more about that in my next post.

The great thing about raw is you can eat as much as you want, and you can still eat this way while you are pregnant or nursing, and still have a healthy baby. I've met several people online who are all raw, and pregnant or nursing (they were already raw before, and had already been through detox). Some people who are wanting to lose weight have to be careful how much avocado or nuts they eat (high in fat and calories), but not everyone does.

This way of eating may sound crazy to those who are addicted to cooked foods, particularly dairy and meat. You don't have to give up dairy and meat, you can still eat some if you want, just not as much, and try to buy organic/all natural, and prepare it properly. [Edit:  I strongly recommend looking into raw, organic dairy at RealMilk.com.  If you can't or won't use raw organic dairy, or organic meat, then I believe you shouldn't consume it at all.] However, you will probably eventually start cutting back on it, once you read about the good effects of eliminating it from your diet. If nothing else, do some reading, and start out eating 50% raw. I know you'll feel the difference fairly quickly. Try it for a week or two...what have you got to lose?

Old Post: My Discovery of Raw Foods

I was considering writing an introduction to raw foods post, but when I looked back at an old blog of mine, I found that I had posted a nice, basic intro to raw foods back then, from the point of a newbie.  I thought you might find it interesting to see what the discovery of raw foods was like, through my eyes.  

 So I will be posting several posts from my old blog, dated three years ago, back when I was pregnant with my fifth child and had just discovered raw foods.

Raw Foods - first posted May 20, 2007  

I recently came across a website while looking up natural diets. It was about a woman who had lost 136 pounds in NINE months! I was impressed. Check her out at I Beat Obesity . She did it by going on a 100% raw food diet.

I know what you're thinking...exactly what I thought: "ugh, all raw fruits and vegetables?"..."I could never give up meat, dairy, etc."..."raw diets are for tree-hugging new-age hippies." But I was intrigued. Anything that helps you lose that much weight, that fast gets my attention. What interested me more, was the number of other stories I found, particularly from people who had radical improvement in health, got rid of many diseases, and felt fantastic and had fabulous hair and skin after going raw.

Surprisingly, on one board I found a bunch of pregnant women, many of whom had four or more children. Now THAT surprised me. I figured they'd all be women with one, maybe two kids. I know that healthy eating is becoming big with quiver-full, serious Christians, but I didn't expect to find out that some are going vegan/raw. Interesting to know.
 
I have come across websites of raw foodists who continue to eat raw when pregnant or nursing, and had very healthy babies. A lot of women weren't able to stay 100% raw while pregnant, because they either didn't feel satisfied or got major morning sickness. They added in a little cooked food, meat, etc., but they returned to all raw afterwards.

It was recommended to me on a raw food board that I not try to go all raw while pregnant. As with any diet that is healthier than the SAD (Standard American Diet), you will "detox" as your body gets rid of the unnatural poisons you have filled it with. For some people, it can go on for several days of feeling cruddy...not something you want when you're already pregnant, lol.

I'm researching it more, but I think I will definitely go at least 50% raw. Really, we all should get at least that many fruits and vegetables. I'm a little concerned what all the fruit with do to me, with my g. diabetes. But I've heard people actually kick their diabetic symptoms on raw diets, despite the large amount of fruits and juices.

Fruits and veggies are a no-brainer, but it's the other weird stuff that I'm hesitant about...nut "cheeses" and "cakes" (quite frankly, if it's not really going to taste anything like cheese or cake, you shouldn't call it that...you're just asking for folks to be disappointed) and other odd things. Odd to me, anyway. It's hard for me to see eating NOTHING cooked. But I'm definitely willing to give it a shot, and go 50% raw, then see how I feel. If I could avoid much more weight gain (the way I'm going, I'll be over 300 *sob*) for my last 13 weeks of pregnancy, and end up slimming down and feeling healthy afterwards, I'll be thrilled. I might be up for anything at that point!

I'll let you know what I find out, and how it goes.