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126 of 131 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The ONLY book you need if you are thinking about going raw!, January 30, 2003
This review is from: The Raw Secrets: The Raw Vegan Diet in the Real World (Paperback)
What I like best about this book is that from his own journey, the author seems to have come full circle - making him very human and approachable rather than dogmatic and preachy as many raw food authors tend to be. I have been a raw foodist for many years - and have heard from people who were on their path in that direction but stopped because the information they were getting was an "all or nothing" approach. Reading this book allows you to be human. To make mistakes, to long for your favorite foods and to even allow them into your bodies if that is what your bodies are calling for. His message seems to be that feeding the spirit is equally important as feeding the body and that stressing about the diet may wreck more havoc in your being than actually eating the cooked food! Don't get me wrong - this is not a "so-so" raw foods book... It is very pro raw food and active - but with human understanding and compassion which is lacking in many of the newer books on the market. He refers to the various movements popping up all over the states and shares his own personal quest for truth and how on his journey he found his way back to the most basic core principles and ideology of the raw foods movement. This book is not written from his ego, but rather from his heart - exposing his own pitfalls and sharing what he has learned from them. A wonderful bonus is that he often refers to important hygienic materials published in other countries and languages. This wonderful inclusion opens the readers mind to information from many new sources, previously undiscovered in this country. I found his work to be easy to read and well documented. AS a mother, I found his inclusion and mention of pregnancy and children's dietary needs a very valuable and a welcome surprise. His list of TRULY raw foods will surprise even many long term raw foodists and his thoughts on un-cooked recipes, nut loafs and massive avocados will be a wake-up call for many raw foodists who have wondered why they have not yet achieved their "perfect health". If you will be buying one book on the living and raw foods dietary lifestyle - this is the book!
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59 of 59 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent book, may not be understood by newcomers, July 18, 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: The Raw Secrets: The Raw Vegan Diet in the Real World (Paperback)
This book is important, it does tell the secrets but it takes some people long to get to the point of understanding why that is. If you are trying to go raw without first having practiced food combining as in Fit For Life, for example, you won't realize there's something wrong with eating most of the recipes out of all these gourmet raw food uncookbooks, as you do feel better than usual relative to your usual Standard American Diet. But food combiners who then go raw and eat as currently promoted by Nature's First Law gurus, know something is wrong. If you eat miscombined meals, you're going to miss out on what raw food properly combined can give you. (It is true after a couple years you can miscombine some things without it zapping your energy but not early on and not at every meal.) I'm talking about feeling light and energetic, real happiness, super heightened senses, no body odor, sparkling clear eyes and glowing skin, strong hair and nails, hours of pure bliss, and the best sex you have ever experienced especially when shared with another raw fooder. Fit For Life gives you glimpses of all these even if you eat meat regularly, but keep in that routine and then go raw, properly combined even for only a few weeks and you will experience these things. You may have to have gone through that whole cycle to pick up his book and go, "Ya, I figured all this out too, this guy will save other people a lot of time..." He's got the guts to talk about the fanatasism, binging, and the extremism of treating it like a religion when it's simply the science of digestion and absorption of nutrients from unadulterated whole foods which have a lot of water in them. I applaud Frederic and thank him for his book. Enjoy!
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98 of 103 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Vital for raw food beginners!, June 13, 2003
This review is from: The Raw Secrets: The Raw Vegan Diet in the Real World (Paperback)
If you're into the raw-vegan diet, this book will find its place on your shelf. Raw Secrets is vital for beginners because it exposes all of the common pitfalls of the diet. Frederic's first-hand experiences take you through all of the of the myths, concerns, and major areas of this great lifestyle. Most of the 28 chapters are short and to the point, with personal input from Frederic. The book's forward is an introduction by Patenaude describing his rollercoaster health. After spending years having raw/cooked diet swings, he found it in his heart to write this book. It's purpose: to inform others so they don't have to learn things the hard way. The first chapter delves into human anatomy and our "natural" diet. It takes us through our instincts and physical characteristics that call us to raw foods. Most of the chapters that follow deal specifically with the diet. Some of the headings include: "Fat," "Protein," "Detoxification," "Teeth," "Sleep," "Giving Up Bad Habits," and "Digestion." From Chapter 16, "Food Combining," Patenaude says, "We should be eating one food at a time and never mixing together anything." He continues, "With a simple, mainly raw diet, we automatically avoid most bad food combining." He then goes into the properties of certain foods and how they will react when eaten with others. Important tips such as these are extremely valuable to even experts! The closing appendices of the book have daily menu ideas, testimonials, and comments on certain foods. I particularily enjoyed this book because Frederic's voice is felt throughout the entire thing. All of his words show sympathy toward us because he's interested in our well-being. For everyone new to the diet or long-time gurus, check this book out! ...
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