Customer Reviews

Living in the Raw: Recipes for a Healthy Lifestyle

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Living in the Raw is the book that has helped me to leap into the world of raw foods! I browsed the book daily for a month before I actually started the raw food way. Then I made a list of what I would need to get started (and there are clues in the book on how to set up a raw food kitchen). Rose has lots of tips on how to ease your way in to raw foods which I found very helpful. I now have been following the Rose's recipes for four months, and I have dropped about 25 pounds--a bonus that I wasn't expecting!!

Transitioning to a 100% live foods lifestyle, I was looking for a book to help me in the kitchen. It can be a bit intimidating when one is used to cooking and baking everthing. Rose Lee is an inspiration with her own healing and then shares her knowledge on nutrition, enzymes, and raw foods preparation. The first meal I prepared was amazing!! My husband loved it! Delicious, appetizing, nutritious, and RAW!! I highly recommend this book for anyone transitioning to a live food diet or anyone searching for health.

This book is probably not the best there is in the world of raw foods. What I like about the book is the simple, everyday language, ease of reading the recipies and the usage of very common, easy to find ingredients.

What I didn't like was:
The recipies were very redundant; I can't eat bananas so that nearly eliminates a huge portion of the dishes. Within each category she just rearranges all the same ingredients. Not real creative.

Since when hummus, stuffing, or salsa a main dish? The Pasta Mexicana contains no pasta. Why call it that? The Dessert section is 66 pages long, the Main Dish section is 35 pages. I usually eat many more main dish items that dessert. I don't intend on making that many pies and cookies.

She lived on raw foods for under 2 years then wrote a book with no other experience in cooking or nutrition. She's not real high on the list of credible advisors.

I love these recipes! When I first went raw, someone told me about this book and actually showed me how to make many of the cracker recipes! Even though I own almost all the Raw Food books ever published, this and Calabro's new book, Living in the Raw Gourmet are my favorites. Having glass jars filled with her wonderful crunchy crackers makes it so easy to stay raw! The carrot cake is wonderful and anyone, raw or cooked would love it! Five Stars for this book!!!!

I found this book very helpful in helping me transition from a mostly vegan diet into one that consists of 90-95% raw food.

Some of the strengths of the book include helpful sectios on soaking and sprouting beans and seeds, and a list of foods, seasonings, and flavorings that are used throuhgout the book (the vast majority of which can be found in a traditional supermarket).

Moreover, I find most of the recipes very simple to prepare; although I must admit that much of this is due to the fact that I own a Champion Juicer which allows one to easily mash nuts, beans, and frozen fruits (for desserts). I suppose the more common alternative is to own a good food processor. I also save time by simply soaking, but not sprouting, the beans called for in most of the recipes. I simply do not have time for a sprout garden, but the results are still the same, since most times the beans are headed straight for the juicer, and come out looking and tasting about the same as sprouted beans.

As for taste, I feel very satisfied with the results. The curry hummus (wrapped in a lettuce or kale leaf) is some of the best I have ever tasted. I was very skeptical about such a simple and light meal being able to replace my more filling cooked beans and rice, or pasta, but I immediately noticed just how much more peaceful my digestive tract felt, and how much more energy I had after dinner and into the evening.

Finally, I appreciate the fact that most of the recipes in this book, not only seem simple, but call for healthy ingredients. In other words, the recipes are not overly reliant on sweeteners, such as honey and maple syrup, or lots of other processed additives.

My only complaint about the book is that it spends more time on breads and desserts, than on main courses, and that the main-course chapter comes after these chapters. But with that said, there are certainly enough main-dish and salad recipes to keep me satisfied for some time.

I love this book! Wonderful variety of recipes... And, the breads and muffins use grains instead of an excess of nuts found in many raw recipes. Whether eating raw part or full-time... you'll love the way you feel and look!

There is a veritable sea of information about eating a raw/vegan diet to be found out there. Many of the books are complicated, with difficult to make recipes, using difficult to attain ingredients. This book is a welcome change, offering easy, delicious food that isn't daunting to prepare!

I don't get some of the negative reviews. I think 2 years on raw and losing 150 pounds absolutely qualifies for expertise! I have over a dozen raw cookbooks, and this is my hands-down favorite. I'm snacking on "Heavenly Truffels" right now...and they ARE heavenly. I'll make another batch for Thanksgiving next week and my SAD food (Standard American Diet) friends/family will love them. I think the book is very unpretentious (refreshing compared to some of them out there), it is stuffed full of great, diverse recipes. I appreciate her use of the Champion juicer...I finally broke down and got one based on her recipes, and it is one of the best things I've ever purchased. I just ordered her 2nd book "Living in the Raw Gourmet" and can't wait to receive it.

I picked up this book at a recent sustainability living show in Portland, Oregon. I have been looking for a raw food cookbook that uses a champion juicer and food dehydrator for quite some time. This book is exactly what I was looking for!

The first part of the book includes an introduction by Gabriel Cousens, an expert in raw food lifestyles (he has several good raw food cookbooks too). The book explains live (raw, uncooked) food concepts, enzymes, alkaline/acid body chemistry, food dehydration, and shopping for organic foods. These are short sections in easy to read, simple descriptions. I really enjoyed the 3-month week-by-week plan for changing your lifestyle; these are helpful tips to get you into a new way of living.

There's a huge variety of healthy crackers and crisps that are wonderful alternative to processed store-bought chips. For instance there is a wonderful recipe for raw corn chips. You use fresh corn, onion, sprouted sunflower seeds, water, sea salt, and kelp powder. You process all the ingredients into a smooth, fluffy batter and then dehydrate for 10-12 hours.

The book includes a ton of dessert recipes as well. I especially like these because all the ingredients are very healthy and good for you and once again, a wonderful alternative to processed store-bought sweets. For instance the decadent fudge brownies use sunflower seeds, pine nuts, walnuts, dates, banana, carob, vanilla, and maple syrup and the icing is maple syrup, vanilla, and raw carob powder. The main ingredients are formed into dough by running thru a champion juicer or food processor, then dehydrator.

In addition there is a section on sprouting your own grains and seeds and great ideas and recipes for juicing and fruit smoothies. There is also a wide variety of main dishes, salads, pate's, dressings, and soups. I love the Marinated Fava Bean dish. The recipes include simple ingredients and easy to follow instructions.

The format of the book is quite simple and it has large size text. The only thing the book lacked was photos of the dishes, yet it is a nice surprise to see the creations myself. The colors of raw food is beautiful and so much easier to digest. I love this book and many of the recipes will become regular additions to my weekly menu plans that I will use for a lifetime.

Living in the Raw:Recipes for a Healthy Lifestyle should be your choice if you are thinking of starting this eating plan. Essential information to help you to understand the basics of a raw diet are provided in an easy to read format. There are abundant recipes to help you to get started. If you are already eating a raw diet, this is a great guide and recipe book to enhance your existing menu. The colorful pictures and easy to follow recipes make this a first choice selection for anyone. I use this book everyday and strongly recommend it.