Hi! I just picked up my first raw/living food book and I want to get started.. but.. there is SO much information out there and I am getting confused already. What books (as books are easier for me to take to my school campus and read versus websites) are the best and most concise, that get right to the point and list just what equipment I need, etc.??

I found one book on Amazon about sprouting, so I just need to find the best overall raw/living food book that everyone recommends, if you would be so kind. Thanks!

-Cara from Seattle,WA

Hi Cara,

I'm fairly new to the raw food way of life as well. I own two books, one is called the Detox Diet by Natalia Rosa, and the other is the Live Food Factor by Susan Schenck. I found the one by Natalia Rosa a great way to start. It's simple and easy to understand. The Live Food Factor I just found had way too much information for me at this stage. The worst part about the second book was if you want to look up something, for example "headache", if you turn to the reference at the back of the book she gives you every single reference for the wood headache in the books, so she might give you 20 references. It is not an easy book to just "look up" things in. The best advice I've been given about this way of life is to just slowly increase your raw foods. I really recommend Natalia Rosa's book, though.

Kind regards,
Julie, Sydney, Australia.

Hi Cara,

Great you are getting started. And, you are so right about the amount of information out there. I got my first book, Detox Diet by Natalia Rose (note: not Rosa) and that has been my "bible" since I began in February this year. My library increased as I went along this wonderful journey to about 10 right now.

I recommend "Living Cuisine - The Art and Spirit of Raw Foods" by Renee Loux Underkoffler. It has everyting from your sprouting (yup, I do it) to quick salsas, fantastic hummus, very fancy foods, simple dishes and just about everyting you could ask. (You can get it from Amazon.)

Good luck, and you are going to have so much fun and feel so good.

NormaJean
Grand Rapids, MI

Cara, You can spend alot of money on raw. So being selective is very wise.

Learn food combining rules. You can find charts on the internet. Eat sweet fruits by themselves. Eat nuts/seeds sparingly if you don't want to gain weight. Get your diet more alkaline. Charts are on the internet, too.

Figure out your nutrient intake. Use fitday.com or some alternative. Supplement when needed.

Some feel one has to become 100% raw vegan immediately. I don't ascribe to that as I experienced intense detox too quickly. I realized that I had to take it in stages. I knew when to eliminate certain foods when my I found my body had a negative reaction.

Incorporate more raw fruits & veggies. That is the simplest advice. Other than that, one can blend (Vita-Mix & Blend-Tec/K-Tec) are the best), you can dehydrate (many like Excalibur but there are others), you can process (food processor, many like KitchenAid), chop (use a knife or chopper), slice (I like the V-Slicer mandoline), spiralize (I don't have a spiralizer but I have a tool that makes thin angel-hair like strips that I found at an Asian store), juice (many like Green Star, I have a Solo Star II), sprout (I use a sprout jar or bowls, etc.), freeze and refrigerate. Some use specialized containers to keep their produce longer but I don't have that.

I buy filtered water and use sea salt. I have just started using Himalayan Crystal salt but regular 100% sea salt works, too.

I also use a parasite zapper and a thryoid/thymus booster and have a colloidal silver generator when needed.

I purchased a Needak Rebounder but don't use it due to alignment issues. The Rebounder was making my injury worse. (I hope to be able to use it one day.)

The books that made made the most impact are not raw: 1. "The Cure for All Diseases" by Hulda Clark, 2. "The Mucusless Diet Healing System" by Arnold Ehret, 3. "Eat to Live" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman.

There are alot of uncook books but most of my ideas have come from experimenting and finding recipes on websites that are free.

Advice is great on the internet, like on this website. Also, listen to your body and how it reacts. If your hair is falling out in clumps, need to check your nutrient levels. Hope that helps. Good luck! Therese

Here is an info site that I like: [www.rawfoodexplained.com]