The Raw Food Lifestyle: The Philosophy and Nutrition Behind Raw and Live Foods [Paperback]

Ruthann Russo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 20, 2009

Ruthann Russo has been a vegetarian and vegan for more than 20 years, and in 2007 became a passionate raw-food enthusiast. She brings that passion to the pages of this comprehensive introduction to raw and live food. In simple, encouraging language, she conveys a wealth of information, from the philosophy of raw-food nutrition, to how it affects the body, to how to transition from a regular diet to one that promotes physical, emotional, and spiritual health.
 
Using examples from her own life, Russo lays out a practical plan for making the switch that starts with realizing the need to change one’s diet (and health), and then stresses small dietary changes to discover what raw foods work, and assessing reactions. She profiles cacao, raw sweeteners, water, pH level of foods, juices versus smoothies, salt, the process of dehydrating food, garlic and onions, and overall food preparation. Russo highlights what supplements (superfoods, vitamins, green products) to include in the diet. She emphasizes the spiritual aspects of the movement as well, exploring meditation, yoga, Buddhism, peacefulness, and fasting.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“This is an excellent, thoughtful, and comprehensive book. It catches the essence of raw food, which is that it is a total lifestyle that helps you become Alive. The Raw Food Lifestyle is an outstanding book for anyone who wants to understand the live-food way of life.”
—Gabriel Cousens, best-selling author and founder of the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center

“What I love about The Raw Food Lifestyle is being walked through the process of shifting not only your diet but your lifestyle as well to better reflect caring for yourself and the planet.”
—Terces Engelhart, founder of Café Gratitude

“[This] book is so great in presenting information in such a balanced, rational, and very clear and compelling way, addressing all sorts of confusions that people have regarding raw food. THANK YOU!”
—Sarma Melngailis, proprietor, Pure Food and Wine of New York City and author of Raw Food/Real World

“Ruthann Russo’s new book, The Raw Food Lifestyle, creates a framework where raw food newbies can assess their values and see if the concept will work for them.”
—Creative Loafing

“[The Raw Food Lifestyle is] an extensively researched book, and a complete overview of the raw and living foods lifestyle. It covers everything from the healing aspects and health benefits of raw/living foods, to the spiritual aspects and eco-friendly, sustainable living benefits… a good reference book and guide for the person who is new to raw foods or is wanting to gain more extensive knowledge on the lifestyle.”
—In My Mind’s Zen Garden

“[The Raw Food Lifestyle] is one of the most thorough and comprehensive books I’ve seen… One thing that’s really cool in this book is the ‘Your Story’ section where [Ruthann Russo] gets you really considering your values, your vision and your mission and there’s space in the book to write that in… If you’re curious about raw food or a beginner, this book is for you. Get two! One for you and one to share! If you’ve been around awhile and would like a book to explain to people what eating raw food is about… get this book.”
—Revvell P. Revati, Weekly Revvellations

About the Author

Ruthann Russo is a lawyer, educator, and health professional. A certified holistic health counselor with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Columbia University Teachers College, she has personally instructed more than 3,000 physicians in hospitals across the country. She lives in Center Valley, PA.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: North Atlantic Books; Original edition (October 20, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1556438370
• ISBN-13: 978-1556438370
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #110,226 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Rawfood Must-Read, November 15, 2009

By 

blizzful - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Raw Food Lifestyle: The Philosophy and Nutrition Behind Raw and Live Foods (Paperback)

I've been "experimenting" with raw foods for over a year; and, I've read several books on the subject. This by far is the best, most comprehensive book I have read. The book is divided into three parts. The first, "The Basics", introduces the reader to raw and living foods in general. This section includes the reasons for raw and living foods, short biographies of the main raw food leaders, and provides the reader with exercises to determine her/his own nutritional goals. The second section, "The Food", looks at the debate around chocolate, sweeteners, pH levels, supplements and preparations. The last section, "The Lifestyle", moves beyond just food to exploring the overall lifestyle which includes fitness and spiritual health. Further, this last section moves to what needs to be done beyond the individual (national, social and economic factors of raw food). Russo provides a ton of resources throughout the book and a useful glossary.

I appreciate her tone. The book reads more like a welcome into the rawfood lifestyle than a didactic list of dos and don'ts and fear-inducing cries about toxins. This book is a well-balanced introduction to the lifestyle. While reading it I could imagine it being used in any nutrition class as a textbook on raw food. Very well done.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad., October 28, 2010

By 

KellyM - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Raw Food Lifestyle: The Philosophy and Nutrition Behind Raw and Live Foods (Paperback)

I have read quite a few books on the topic of Raw Foods, and this one is definitely not the most in depth. Yes, Ruthann Russo is credible, and she vaguely explains how raw foods have helped her daughter overcome epilepsy--but I wish she'd said more.

Any scientific information is a bit watered down; one example is that she says that onions and garlic are commonly avoided by raw foodists, however instead of explaining that these contain enzymes (e.g. alliinase) that may interfere with digestive enzymes, no more is said. Russo is a good writer, but I wish this book was more in depth.

For readers new to raw foods, I would recommend reading "Becoming Raw," by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina or any book by Victoria Boutenko. The authors might be more opinionated than Ruthann Russo, but I do find them to be more in depth.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great place to start, September 26, 2010

By 

Deb (Palo Alto, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Raw Food Lifestyle: The Philosophy and Nutrition Behind Raw and Live Foods (Paperback)

A great starting point for understanding the raw food lifestyle, Ruthann's book provides a comprehensive, balanced, well-researched overview written in an easy-to-digest style. Divided into three key sections (The Basics, The Food, The Lifestyle), the book covers the essentials of the raw food way of life, and encourages you to use this information in the way that works best for you. Ruthann certainly accomplishes her mission for the book which is: "to provide you with good, solid, reliable introductory information to every aspect of the raw and living food philosophy. You can research the parts you find more interesting, and most importantly, decide for yourself which of the concepts, if any, you want to incorporate into your own life."

Most impressive is how Ruthann is able to objectively present all sides of various aspects of the raw lifestyle, while also directly describing what has worked best for her. A nice combination of the facts and the real-life incorporation of them, _The Raw Food Lifestyle_ stands out amongst the books on the increasingly expanding raw food shelf.

Like the raw food lifestyle itself, Ruthann's book is real, satisfying, and worthwhile.