Raw Food Boot Camp for the Morbidly Obese

Before you can go all raw, you need to understand what raw is about and whether or not you think you can do it. Below is a list of some of our favorite books. Some we sell here at the Raw Store, others you will have to get from the authors themselves. Some you may be able to get through your library. You don't have to read them all, but you should read a couple of them.

12 Steps to Raw Food by Victoia Boutenko
Everyone who has read this book, loves this book. It is considered the best first book when moving to a raw food diet.

Living on Live Food by Alissa Cohen
Many of Alissa's recipes won't work on the boot camp diet, but this book is motivating, informative, and easy to read. Alissa shows how you too can successful transfer to raw and experience the health and vitality this amazing lifestyle offers. This is the book that transformed my life. I recommend it highly.

Eating for Beauty by David Wolfe
Review by Angie
This was the first raw food book that I read. The title caught my interest because who doesn’t want to be beautiful? This book is simple to read and follow and understand. David says in the book “The Beauty Diet” is simple. You only need to take a few things from this book that you will use. Simple shifts work. The more complicated a diet is the more likely it is to fail. This is why I provide simple information in this book that you can use immediately.”

The Krilian Images in the book of the raw foods show the life force energy of the food. That is what really hooked me on raw foods was I felt like I was eating energy, life force, god/source energy.

The Raw Food Gourmet -- Going Raw for Total Well-Being
Written by Gabrielle Chavez
Forward by Victoria Boutenko
Review by Annette

"Gabrielle Chavez holds degrees in biology and religion from Yale University, and she is an accomplished herbalist, gardener, flower essence practitioner, Reiki master, and founding pastor of Christ the Healer United Church of Christ, an interfaith spiritual community in Portland, Oregon. In 2001, after embracing a raw and living foods diet for its spiritual value and her own increased vitality, she trained as a raw food chef, hosted a weekly gourmet raw potluck, and founded Share the Love Catering for people who want food that nourishes the soul as well as the body."

This is currently my favorite raw food book. Gabrielle has a warm sense of humor and includes personal stories with information and wonderful recipes. She includes a chapter on Traveling Raw with suggestions on how to stay successfully raw whether in a hotel, a hospital, or backpacking and camping. The book's last chapter is on Raw Spirituality, and Gabrielle addresses our need for self-forgiveness if we are unable to overcome "hereditary eating habits and primal cravings for addictive, but unhealthy comfort foods." The chapter on Gardening in the Raw lists numerous fruits, veggies, and herbs, including edible flowers, as suggestions of what to grow in a Raw Garden.

The recipes included in the book are truly delicious. Most are quick and easy, and don't take a huge number of ingredients or forethought.

Reading List