BECOMING RAW: Reviews
1. ::
Big Raw & Vegan Blog :: Living Food Goodness :: Green Leafy Vegetables ::
A Plant Based, Vegan Food Blog. Recipes, Truth,
Sarcasm and Anti-establishment, DIY, Off the Grid Health & Beauty Tips,
Hints & other Fun Stuff
URL: http://bigrawblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/book-review-becoming-raw.html
Posted:
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Book
Review: Becoming Raw
The book is
called Becoming Raw: The Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets
It is co-authored by:
- Brenda Davis a Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist and author of
Becoming Vegan and has been a featured speaker at nutrition, dietetic,
medical and health conferences throughout the world.
- Vesanto Melina a Registered Dietitian, specializing in vegan and
raw nutrition and healthful eating.
- Rynn Berry a lecturer and author and the historical advisor to the
North American Vegetarian Society.
When Rick Diamond contacted me and asked me if I wanted a review copy of
Becoming Raw I jumped at the chance. So what if I've never reviewed a book
before? How hard can it be? I can read. I have and can form new opinions about
stuff. I have the internet to give me guidelines, don't I? I have a blog with
at least 7 regular readers, right? What can't I do?
Two books for the price of one! The first 249 pages of this 375 page book cover
the history of the raw food movement in the United States, the benefits of raw
food and very easy to understand and absorb information about nutrition, carbs,
fats, vitamins, minerals, acid-base balance and enzymes. There are sections
about the many theories and myths associated with nutrition and factually deals
with concerns about the safety of such raw foods as buckwheat greens, sprouted
legumes and alfalfa, mushrooms and sea vegetables. I would be lying if I didn't
say I learned a LOT from this book and want to read it again! They don't rely
on anecdotal information. I like that a lot about a book.
The second part of this book is a stand alone cookbook. With staples like
smoothies and nut butters; energizing breakfasts like raw granola; snacks foods
including crackers, nut pates, raw cheese and dips: delicious lunch ideas like
soups, salads and amazing looking dressings; hearty entrees like raw pizza,
pasta and Thai spring rolls; scrumptious raw desserts like coconut macaroons
and raw vegan tutti frutti ice cream, there are enough easy to follow recipes
for any aspiring raw chef to get started with. Blender, dehydrator and food
processor are required for some recipes but not all.
I love this book! Not only is the cover just beautiful and the whole book is
printed on paper with post consumer recycled content, processed without
chlorine, which saved
140 trees
5952 lbs of solid waste
51040 gall of wastewater
11,283 lbs of greenhouse gases
98 million BTW of total energy,
but it's
exhaustive, comprehensive and the layout is easy to read and understand.
I have learned so much reading this and I definitely suggest it to any one
considering a raw vegan lifestyle.
They give you the facts about raw and cooked food, good or bad, then allow you
to come to your own conclusion about whether you want to adopt a raw food diet
and to what degree and then give you some simple recipes to get you started.
I'd have to give it 5 hearts ♥♥♥♥♥ I love it that
much! Thanks, Rick for turning me on to
this book :)
2. Vegan Crunk.blogspot.com (Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South)
URL:
http://vegancrunk.blogspot.com/2010/02/becoming-raw.html
Posted:
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Becoming Raw
Now don't freak
out. I'm not actually "becoming raw."
But I must admit, I was hoping some folks would read the title and think for a
second that I'm giving up fried tofu and butter-soymilk biscuits. Psyche! Don't
worry. You can pry cooked vegan foods from my cold dead hands.
I am, however, trying to work more raw meals into my life. I've done away with
Raw Food Tuesday, which some of y'all might remember as my monthly all-raw,
one-day food cleanse. Instead, I'm trying to work a few mostly raw dinners and
lunches into my regular routine ... rather than only eat raw for one day a
month. A great resource for this new plan is Becoming Raw: The Essential
Guide to Raw
Vegan Diets by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina
(hence the name of this post).
Becoming Raw is a new resource book/cookbook published by the Book Publishing Company in Summertown,
Tennessee. The first 249 pages are purely informational, and I would guess that
it may be one of the most exhaustive volumes on raw diets.
Everything you've ever wanted to know about the history of raw foodism,
recommended carb and protein intakes, how the body detoxifies, what minerals
are in which raw foods, how enzymes work, and hundreds of other topics are in
this book. I especially loved the essay on why coconut oil is good for you in
moderation despite its high saturated fat content. And the chapter busting raw
safety food myths was loaded with interesting trivia. Who knew some people
believe raw sprouts could be a potential source of bacteria? That's a myth the
authors busted, by the way.
The back half of Becoming Raw contains recipes, a few of which are
crossovers from the authors' other cookbook The Raw Food Revolution Diet.
Flipping through to pick out a test recipe, I kept coming back to this Pesto
and Sundried Tomato Pizza with Veggies:
The crispy, cracker-like
"crust" is made from soaked and dehydrated buckwheat groats and
sunflower seeds. Italian herbs lend the crust a pizza-like flavor. It's topped
with an out-of-this-world sundried tomato sauce (which I think will be my new
go-to raw marinara ... so good!) and pesto. For the veggies, I used diced red
bell pepper, diced zucchini, grated carrot, and red onion. Those are marinated
overnight in a delicious olive oil/vinegar marinade.
Though Becoming Raw doesn't have a ton of recipes, the ones the authors
included sound amazing — Coconut Macaroons, Celeriac Linguine with Bolognese
Sauce and Hemp Parmesan, Herbed Almond Cheese, Sunflower-Hemp Milk. Sound
delicious? Told ya so.
If I ever decided to give up cooked food (don't hold your breath), Becoming
Raw would be the source I'd turn to for vital information about maintaining
health on a raw or high-raw diet. It's like a freakin' encycolpedia of
rawsome-ness.
Bianca
1. The
Daily Raw Café
URL:http://www.thedailyrawcafe.com/2010/03/book-review.html
Posted: Monday, March 1, 2010
Book Review
“Becoming Raw
The Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diet” by Brenda Davis, Vesanto Melina with
Rynn Berry is the first of its kind to delve into the science behind raw foods.
The book remains neutral in its stance on whether one should become raw, giving
the nutritional pluses and minuses of eating raw foods. It provides a wealth of
information in the form of studies, statistics, histories and facts on raw
food.
“Becoming Raw”
leaves it to the reader to decide for themselves if a raw vegan, high raw vegan
or somewhere in between is the way to go. And if you choose a raw lifestyle,
“Becoming Raw” gets you started with detailed menu plans and recipes complete
with nutritional information. That's just the overall summary of
what the book is, below is reasons why you should include this book in your
raw library.
Top
Five Reasons to own “Becoming Raw”
5. Chapter 2- A
History of Raw Food Movement in the United States. Written by Rynn Berry, this chapter
gives a fascinating history lesson on the pioneers of the raw food movement
dating back to the 1830s all the way to Essene and Christian Raw Foodists of
today.
4. Chapter 11- Food
Safety: Raw Case Files. “The Law and Order: Criminal Intent” of the book”
tackles six raw controversial foods whose nutritional value is up for debate.
The chapter lists each “suspect” food, along with its charge, evidence and a
verdict of guilty or not. Did you know that sea vegetables was on the chopping
block? Who knew?
3. Chapter 3 -
The Raw Report: Scientific Evidence to Date. We all know that eating more fresh
fruits and vegetables are excellent for you health, but now there is documented
scientific studies to prove it.
2. Chapter 13 -
The Recipes. For me, as a raw foodie, it’s really all about the food. And the
authors include easy to make recipes to get you started with a raw lifestyle.
1. When your co-worker (mother, doctor, etc.) wins for being the
ONE MILLIONITH person to ask “Where do you get protein?” you
can smile proudly knowing that triathlete Tim VanOrden, dancer Tonya Kay, yogi
Rainbeau Mars and runner Harley Johnstone rock a raw lifestyle and protein
doesn’t seem to be an issue. Better yet, just give them “Becoming Raw” as the
grand prize, with page 88 bookmarked.
Spicy Mexican
Salad
From the book
“Becoming Raw”
Makes 8 cups
SALAD
3 tomatoes,
chopped
2 ripe
avocados, finely diced
2 cups fresh
corn kernels or thawed frozen corn kernels
2 ribs celery,
diced
1 large orange,
red or yellow sweet pepper, sliced into matchsticks
1 cup sprouted
lentils or cooked black beans*
1 cup finely
chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, packed
3 green onions,
sliced
SPICY
MEXICAN DRESSING
Makes 2/3 cup
¼ cup freshly
squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons
flaxseed oil
2 tablespoons
Nama Shoyu or tamari
1 tablespoon maple
syrup, agave syrup or other liquid sweetener
2 cloves
garlic, minced
1 teaspoon
minced red or green chile
½ teaspoon
ground cumin
To make the
salad, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.
To make the
dressing, combine all the ingredients in a jar or blender. Seal the jar and
shake well, or process until well combined.
To serve, add
the dressing to the salad and toss until evenly distributed. Serve at once or
chill for up to 2 hours.
*I omitted the
lentils.
thedailyrawcafe.com
2.
The
Veggie Table – Vegetarian Recipes and Info
URL: http://www.theveggietable.com/articles/cb-becomingraw.html
Posted: Mar
04 2010 2:21pm
Introducing: Becoming Raw
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A raw diet can be incredibly
healthy if you know what you're doing, but with so much conflicting
information, it can be very difficult to make informed decisions. Becoming
Raw is an in-depth, scientifically-based look at the nutrition available
in raw food, offering detailed information about how to get all of the
essential vitamins and minerals from a raw diet that is entirely free from
animal products. The introductory chapters offer
reasons for eating raw and a history of the raw-food movement in the US, but
the heart of the book is the science. The effects of plant-based diets on
chronic diseases, how plants protect the body and mind, food energy,
carbohydrates, fats, and raw food safety are discussed in detail, as are
vitamins - all of your questions about getting adequate protein, calcium, and
the ever-elusive vitamin B12 are answered scientifically. To give you an idea of the depth
of information, here's a look at what's included in the 7 pages devoted to
vitamin B12:
3. Vegan.com
URL: http://www.vegan.com/blog/2010/02/22/new-release-becoming-raw/ New Release: Becoming Raw
Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina,
the registered dietitians behind the highly regarded Becoming Vegan The raw foods movement contains
tons of sketchy books written by people who are completely unqualified to
address the topic of nutrition, so it’s great that Davis and Melina have
entered the picture with this thoroughly-researched book. I expect Becoming
Raw to soon be the default title that people read when they want to be
sure they’re getting the most reliable raw foods health information
available. Pair this with an easy
entry-level raw foods cookbook like Ani’s Raw Food Kitchen 4. Savvy
Vegetarian – Easy Recipes, Simple Cooking, Healthy Eating, Green Living
URL: mhttp://www.thesavvyvegetarian.org/articles/becoming-raw-review.php
Posted: ? Becoming
Raw: The Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets
Before I read 'Becoming Raw' by Brenda
Davis and Vesanto Melina, I had mixed feelings about raw food diets. Even
though I eat a fair amount of raw food, I couldn't imagine living 100% raw. In the recent past, when
people talked about adopting a raw food diet, my response wasn't exactly enthusiastic, and my
ignorance troubled me.
Since I'm a big fan of Melina
& Davis's previous books, 'Becoming
Vegetarian' and 'Becoming Vegan', and recommend them for all veggies, I
thought that 'Becoming Raw' would probably tell me everything I needed to
know about raw food diets. I was right - this is THE essential guide
to raw vegan diets. I have to say that after
reading the book, I'm
still not a raw foodie, but all my questions have been answered (and then
some). I think that I can now talk somewhat sensibly about raw food! 'Becoming Raw' jumped right into addressing my concerns
about raw food and health, explaining why people go raw, the history of raw,
exploding the myths, detailing the theories, and laying out the facts about
raw food diets. Davis and Melina rely on
science, but they're
aware of the limitations of science set against the value of food traditions.
The entire book has a balanced, thorough, factual, sensible, but sympathetic
approach to raw foods. Raw nutrition is very well
explained and illustrated,
with extensive nutrition charts and food lists. The authors tell us exactly
how to get enough protein, carbohydrates, calories and vitamins on a raw food
diet, covering essential fatty acids, enzymes, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, iron,
calcium, and other vital nutrients. The chapter on nutrition
guidelines and menus has
a nice summary: "Top Ten Tips for Optimum Health on a Raw Vegan
Diet", which would be useful for anybody to follow. The six sample menus
followed by a great collection of recipes are extremely helpful, in my
opinion. To
sum up, here's what I took away from 'Becoming Raw':
The great news about raw food
diets is that they're
bursting with tasty nutrition. Except for Vit. D and Vit B12 (most of us need
to supplement those), you can get everything you need for glowing health as a
raw foodie. And it's a fantastic weight loss diet! The bad news about raw food
diets, for me at least,
is that it seems necessary to spend an unbelievable amount of time figuring
out how to get enough calories, foraging, preparing food, and eating. I don't know if I'm up for chopping & chewing a half bushel of
kale a day, but I feel a lot more comfortable and enthusiastic about raw food
now that I've read this book. I'm excited about sprouting things - like
quinoa. And I want to try raw coconut macaroons! I highly recommend 'Becoming
Raw' for anyone, from
those who are very interested in raw food diets - to total sceptics. It's
always good to know the truth. 5.
Amazon.com
| Amazon.co.uk
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Becoming Raw: The
Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets
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Manufacturer: Book Publishing Co. |
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Customer Rating: |
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List Price: $24.95 |
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Sale
Price: $16.47 |
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Availibility: Usually ships in 24 hours |
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http://www.dietlosingweight.com/diet-weight-loss-books/becoming-raw-the-essential-guide-to-raw-vegan-diets-9725.html |
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Product
Description
|
This book contains a wealth
of information on the raw food lifestyle. Nutrition experts Brenda Davis and Vesanto
Melina once again provide the essential information needed to safely embrace
a new dietary lifestyle. As they did for vegetarians and vegans in Becoming
Vegetarian and Becoming Vegan, they present the first authoritative look at
the science behind raw foods. And both old converts to raw foods and new
recruits alike will be fascinated with food historian Rynn Berry's
presentation of the first narrative history of the rawfoods movement in the
United States. More people are jumping onto the
raw foods bandwagon either to lose weight, fight chronic health problems, or
simply to benefit from the high level of nutrients found in uncooked or
sprouted foods. Readers will find science-based answers to tough questions
about raw foods and raw diets, easy-to-follow nutritional guidelines, and
practical information on how to construct a raw diet that meets recommended
nutrient intakes simply and easily. A section of over forty-five
recipes provides dishes for any time of day and every occasion. Nutritional
analyses are given for each recipe. Also included is a section on what foods
and equipment are needed to get started and what raw food preparation basics
are good to master. This book is a major
contribution to the raw foods movement. |
Product
Details
- ISBN13:
9781570672385
- Condition:
NEW
- Notes:
Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
|
4 of 4 people found the
following review helpful:
This
review is from: Becoming
Raw: The Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets (Paperback) This is so much more than a
simple raw food cookbook or commentary on raw food diets. I was surprised at
the amount of information packed into this book. It has all sorts of
nutritional information and easy to read tables on just about anything you
can imagine relating to this way of eating. Here are just a few titles of the
tables included: Research summary of the effects of cooking on
phytochemicals, Calories, protein, fat, carbohydrate and water in raw food (6
pages long), Fatty acid composition of selected foods, Vitamins in raw foods,
Minerals in raw foods, Vitamins A,C,E,K, and D: adult dietary reference
intakes and intakes on raw and high-raw diets. And those are just a few. I
like tables because I can get information at a glance and compare different
values so this is really a good book for me. |
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6 of 7 people found the
following review helpful:
This
review is from: Becoming
Raw: The Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets (Paperback) This has got to be the most
informative and useful raw-centric book I have laid my eyes upon yet. All the
unbiased information you want and definitely need, you will find it herein.
The book even includes a generous handful of appetizing recipes, and a list
of menus to keep you both healthy and happy while eating raw.
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2 of 2 people found the
following review helpful:
This
review is from: Becoming
Raw: The Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets (Paperback) Becoming Raw: The Essential
Guide to Raw Vegan Diets is a complete guide to the raw diet- a type of
diet/lifestyle that has a strong following and continues to gain more and
more adherents. This book covers all of the essentials of the raw diet and
more. The reader ultimately becomes much better informed on the subject and
completes the book loaded with knowledge on everything related to eating raw.
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Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This
review is from: Becoming
Raw: The Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets (Paperback) Becoming Raw: The Essential
Guide to Raw Vegan Diets is just what it says. It is simply the most current,
authoritative presentation of the benefits, opportunities and challenges of a
raw vegan diets in print today by two of the leading most well qualified
authors, Brenda David and Vesanto Melina, both vegan, both Registered
Dieticians. These coauthors of such books as Becoming Vegan and Becoming
Vegetarian and the co-authors with Cherie Soria of the Raw Food Revolution
have provided cogent, well documented and transparent summaries of the
strengths and weaknesses of a raw vegan lifestyle. No sugar coating here.
Hard science and valuable analysis and interpretation of what has been
studied. There are recipies here, but it's not a recipe book. (Raw Food
Revolution would be better for that). I have gained a great deal of knowledge
and insight from this book. And I strongly recommend it.
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1 of 2 people found the
following review helpful:
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This
review is from: Becoming
Raw: The Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets (Paperback) I've been high raw for
about a month. I "devoured" tons of Raw books and this is by far
the best one I've read! You won't see a lot of the same old same old that you
see in other books but very well researched info and backed up facts.
|
Posted:
March 31, 2010
Becoming
Raw: The essential guide to raw vegan diets
Book Title: Becoming Raw
Subtitle: The essential guide to raw vegan diets
Author: Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina with Rynn Berry
Genre: Diets, Vegan
ISBN: 978-1-57067-238-5
Publisher: Book Publishing Company
Suggested Retail Price: $24.95
This book contains a wealth of information on the raw food lifestyle. Nutrition
experts Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina once again provide the essential information
needed to safely embrace a new dietary lifestyle. As they did for vegetarians
and vegans in Becoming Vegetarian and Becoming Vegan, they present the first
authoritative look at the science behind raw foods. And both old converts to
raw foods and new recruits alike will be fascinated with food historian Rynn
Berry's presentation of the first narrative history of the rawfoods movement in
the United States.
More people are jumping onto the raw foods bandwagon either to lose weight,
fight chronic health problems, or simply to benefit from the high level of
nutrients found in uncooked or sprouted foods. Readers will find science-based
answers to tough questions about raw foods and raw diets, easy-to-follow
nutritional guidelines, and practical information on how to construct a raw
diet that meets recommended nutrient intakes simply and easily.
Becoming raw is an
introduction to the raw food vegan diet. It contains thirteen chapters
that discuss Becoming Raw for Life, a History of the Raw Food Movement,
Scientific Evidence, Why Raw Rocks, Energy and Power, Carbohydrates in the Raw,
Fats, Vitamins; Acid Base Balance, Bones and Minerals; Enzymes, Food Safety and
Nutrition Guidelines and Menus.
A raw food diet is basically, eating all your foods raw in their uncooked
state. As such, the raw vegan diet eliminates things like meat, dairy, harmful
fats, chemicals, and refined sugars and starches. There have been many studies
done that show a raw vegan diet has many health benefits one of which is weight
loss. There are also a number of environmental reasons for eating a raw, vegan
diet. Not raising livestock is reported to help reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. There are also philosophical and ethical reasons for eating a
vegan raw food diet.
The final chapter of the book contains recipes that represent a cross section
of the raw food eating style. There are recipes for beverages, cereals
and crackers; spreads, dips and cheeses; soups, salad dressings; main dishes
and salads; and snacks and sweets. Preparation includes using things like
juicers, blenders, dehydrators, food processors and some require refrigeration.
The recipes are very easy to follow and include a brief description of each
recipe, an ingredient list in both standard and metric measurements, step by
step instructions and many include tips. Recipes also include full
nutritional information at the bottom including calories, protein, carbs,
fiber, minerals, vitamins and fats. There's a great little section on how
to sprout seeds, quinoa and lentils. There is also information on how to bloom
wild rice.
I'm not sure I'm willing to jump totally on the raw food bandwagon but this
book has certainly given me a lot to think about. I definitely think that
incorporating some raw food meals into your menu is a healthy option especially
for those trying to loose weight. I really want to try the Chocolate
Cranberry Nut Balls recipe!
7. Vegan Cookbook Critic
URL: http://vegancookbookcritic.blogspot.com/2010/04/i-feel-like-foolbut-it-seems-fixable.html
Posted:
Thursday, April 1, 2010
I
feel like a fool...but it seems fixable
This is one of those way too
honest and way too long posts but it sets the stage for what I want to share
throughout the month. I promise future posts will be more concise and
picture-heavy.
Three and a half years ago I found myself at the Toronto Vegetarian Foodfair
taking in a number of fantastic lectures on food and nutrition (including a
presentation by T. Colin Campbell and Brendan Brazier). I left the weekend with
a new determination to eliminate processed food from my diet and add as much
raw plant food as possible (highlighting my favourites: kale and apples of
course).
The results were dramatic. I was already a thin, active person with a BMI
around 18.5 but with my new found devotion to the tenets of the low-fat raw
diet I lost 20 lbs. To say that my friends and family members were concerned
would severely understate the issue but I felt fantastic. I had tremendous
energy. I was running faster and engaging in more creative work than ever
before. The digestion issues that had always plagued me disappeared. I was full
and satisfied and thin. It all felt too good to be true.
Well, I'm sure you all know where this is going. Looking back, there were signs
that my body was not in the tip-top shape I believed it was. There was a flu
that knocked me out of commission (I lost 7 lbs in 3 days), a migraine that
left me on the couch for days and the fact that my menstrual cycle ceased and desisted.
I was frustrated because I felt like I was doing everything that I had been
told to do in order to live a long and healthy life. Eat lots of fruit and
leafy greens (check). Eliminate all processed fats (oils etc) and sweeteners
(check). Exercise everyday (check). Eat when you're hungry but not just out of
routine (check and check).
Speaking of checklists, in
Becoming Raw, I came across a list of the problems associated with a calorie
(especially fat) restricted raw vegan diet:
1. Too little body fat
2. A change in hormonal
balance
3. Amenorrhea
4. Deficiencies of protein,
minerals, and vitamins
5. Low bone density
Hmmm...once again I checked
all of the above. I had experienced all of that in the name of achieving
optimum health. I had reduced my body's ability to absorb fat-soluble vitamins
(like iron and zinc), the exact vitamins that I needed to recover during
training and the challenges of daily life (like riding the subway) and was
finally starting to feel the impact.
So, I may have been a fool
but with 308 pages of research and information on how to create a balanced raw
vegan diet I now have a very different perspective on how to fuel my body.
In the last year, I've been
working consciously to return to a healthy weight while continuing to adhere to
the nutritional advice I was given but it wasn't until I read Becoming
Raw that I realized how dramatically I needed to change my consumption in order
to achieve a balanced, nutrient-rich diet. I'm not willing to wait any longer
to start realizing the benefits of raw foods by giving my body exactly what it
needs (which might mean also including more cooked foods).
Over the next 30 days, I'm going to share with you:
1. All the mistakes I was making and the changes I've made to correct them.
2. The realizations I've had about how my motivation issues and physical
challenges are directly related to nutritional deficiencies
3. The impacts of correcting my imbalances on my body, my training and my
emotional wellbeing.
4. Photos for each of the recipes in the book and the meal plans
Let's get started. During my early days of exploring the raw food diet, my
favourite discovery was green smoothies. I was amazed at how much kale you can
pack into a blender with a banana and still have the result taste sweet and
delicious. This Blueberry-Kale
Smoothie (p.258) is low in fat, a rich source of calcium and omega-3
fatty acids, an excellent way to start your day.
8.
Living and Raw Foods
URL:
http://www.rawfoodsupport.com/read.php?2,162501,162534
Posted: March 30/2010
Re: Anyone healed their FIBROMYALGIA with raw food?
Posted
by: pborst ()
Date:
March 30, 2010 11:45AM
hinarera
Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hi everyone,
>
> Has anyone here rid themselves of FIBROMYALGIA
> with raw food?
>
> I am 100% raw and have been for 3 months and just
> love it. I am an EFT practitioner and studying
> Life Coaching with raw as my niche. I am working
> with people with FIBROMYALGIA and would love to
> hear from others.
>
> Thanks
>
> "H"
H,
There is an excellent summary of using raw diets to treat fibromyalgia in the
new book, "Becoming Raw, The Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets" by
Brenda Davis,RD and Vesanto Melina, RD, [www.amazon.com].
Pages 28-29. And the news is good.
The authors conclude based on 3 studies to date studying raw vegan diets and
fibromyalgia, the diet offers significant benefit. I will hit the highlights.
* In the US, Donaldson studied 20 fibromyalgia patients on a high raw food
vegan diet for 7 months. 15 of the 20 reported dramatic improvement in their
condition with a 46 percent reduction in the severity of symptoms. They rated
their quality of life over 20 percent higher post-treatment.
* In a Finnish study, patients following a raw and living food diet noticed
reduction in pain scores and morning stiffness that returned when/if they
resumed a standard diet.
There's more. But in quoting Davis and Melina's conclusion: "From
available data, raw vegan diets appear to offer a viable treatment option for
people suffering with fibromyalgia. Raw vegan diets appear to be even more
effective than standard vegetarian and vegan diets, although further research
is needed to confirm these findings". The weight of evidence overall is
limited, small studies and clinical trials, but encouraging! Hope this helps.
Best.
Paul
9.
Living in the Kitchen with
Puppies
URL: http://livinginthekitchenwithpuppies.blogspot.com/2010/04/book-review-becoming-raw.html
Posted: Saturday, April 3, 2010
Book
Review - Becoming Raw
Becoming
Raw
The Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets
Brenda Davis, RD and Vesanto Melina, MS, RD
with Rynn Berry
Softcover
352 pages
This book is a powerhouse of information on learning about, and adapting to, a
raw vegan diet. Written by two dietitians, it is chock-full of every sort of
nutritional information that you could ask for - a breakdown of vitamins,
minerals, acids and enzymes are given for every raw vegan food imaginable. Even
if you were, like me, only interested in adopting certain aspects of the diet
to your own life - the authors have presented a wonderful reference guide.
The writing is clear and convincing, backed up by copious references.
I know, you are wondering - Natashya, are you giving up hamburgers and
chicken souvlaki? Not on your life. I am not planning on taking the plunge
to raw veganism, although the authors do paint a convincing picture, I am
interested in the health benefits of adding aspects of the raw vegan lifestyle
to our own lives. I love the idea of soaking grains, and of eating large
amounts of fresh, seasonal produce with minimal preparation. These are the
kinds of foods that make you feel good when you eat them and the authors show
you how to balance fresh fruits and vegetables with soaked and sprouted grains
and nuts for protein.
There is a chapter on nutritional guidelines and menus, with lots of exciting
and fresh recipes to try and advice on how to combine them in your day. As a
demonstration, I made the Ruby Red Salad this weekend. It is
delightfully sweet and hearty and healthy, designed to help flush your system
and fill you with vibrant energy.
If you are contemplating the raw vegan lifestyle, even on a part-time basis
like us, Becoming Raw has got to be the most comprehensive guide out
there.
Note: post includes some
lovely photos of the ruby red salad (and the recipe).
10. Healthy Eating Diet
URL: http://www.healthyeatingdiet.net/becoming-raw-the-essential-guide-to-raw-vegan-diets/
Posted:
Saturday, April 3rd, 2010 at 1:45 pm
Becoming Raw: The
Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets
Product Description
This book contains a wealth of information on the raw food lifestyle. Nutrition
experts Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina once again provide the essential
information needed to safely embrace a new dietary lifestyle. As they did for
vegetarians and vegans in Becoming Vegetarian and Becoming Vegan, they present
the first authoritative look at the science behind raw foods. And both old
converts to raw foods and new recruits alike will be fascinated with food
historian Rynn Berry’s presentation of the first narrative history of the
rawfoods movement in the United States.
More people are jumping onto the raw foods bandwagon either to lose weight,
fight chronic health problems, or simply to benefit from the high level of
nutrients found in uncooked or sprouted foods. Readers will find science-based
answers to tough questions about raw foods and raw diets, easy-to-follow
nutritional guidelines, and practical information on how to construct a raw
diet that… More
>>
Becoming Raw:
The Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets
5 Comments
PT
Cruiser says:
This is so much more than a simple raw food cookbook or commentary on raw food diets. I was surprised at the amount of information packed into this book. It has all sorts of nutritional information and easy to read tables on just about anything you can imagine relating to this way of eating. Here are just a few titles of the tables included: Research summary of the effects of cooking on phytochemicals, Calories, protein, fat, carbohydrate and water in raw food (6 pages long), Fatty acid composition of selected foods, Vitamins in raw foods, Minerals in raw foods, Vitamins A,C,E,K, and D: adult dietary reference intakes and intakes on raw and high-raw diets. And those are just a few. I like tables because I can get information at a glance and compare different values so this is really a good book for me.
You don’t have to be a total raw food convert to enjoy this book. Even if you’re just thinking about adding more healthful raw foods to your diet, I think you’ll find this book as useful as I have. It starts out with a history of the raw food movement, gives lots of scientific evidence on why it can be a healthy way of eating, and then goes on to give all kinds of information, things you’ve probably never even thought about, on incorporating raw foods into your diet or going totally raw. It tells you what you need to know if you do decide to take the plunge, about getting all the nutrients you need.
There is a small section with raw food recipes and another section with full meal menus which I found especially helpful. I’m not looking (yet) to totally adopt this kind of diet but I would like to add a lot more raw food to our everyday meals. The recipes are pretty easy and there are a good variety. A few that I’ve tried and enjoyed are: Caesar’s Better Salad, Warm Red Cabbage Salad, Morocc-Un-Butter and Marvelous Muesli. There’s also a section on handling raw food safely and another on food enzymes. It’s all easy to read and understand.
There’s a large reference section, a glossary and an index. To me, this is important because I want to know the science or studies behind statements, not just take the author at his word. This is a high quality book, probably the best I’ve found on this subject.
- CS
says:
This has got to be the most
informative and useful raw-centric book I have laid my eyes upon yet. All the
unbiased information you want and definitely need, you will find it herein. The
book even includes a generous handful of appetizing recipes, and a list of
menus to keep you both healthy and happy while eating raw.
While I am personally not planning on eating a full-on raw diet, I am relieved
to have all the tools I need to at least incorporate more raw foods into my
diet, and to do so the right way.
- Bryan
Carey says:
Becoming Raw: The Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets is a complete guide to the raw diet- a type of diet/lifestyle that has a strong following and continues to gain more and more adherents. This book covers all of the essentials of the raw diet and more. The reader ultimately becomes much better informed on the subject and completes the book loaded with knowledge on everything related to eating raw.
Becoming Raw is a complete guide to the raw diet and, in many ways, it is like reading an educational textbook on raw food nutrition. I am no expert on the subject of nutrition, so I knew there would be much to learn when I opened this book for the first time. My expectations were correct, for Becoming Raw is loaded with information on nutrition and eating raw foods. It teaches you about the building blocks of food, like carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals. It offers recipes, nutritional tables, and other reference materials. It educates the reader on the many benefits that raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and other foods bring to the body. It covers a wide range of topics and serves as a very informative book on this subject.
Individuals who are trying to lose weight will find that a diet in raw foods is certainly a good, viable way to drop pounds and many people will read this book for that reason alone. But Becoming Raw is much more than a book dedicated to those who are determined to reduce their waistline. This book is useful to anyone who wants to eat better and learn about the many benefits that a plant- based diet can bestow on the body. A diet rich in these raw foods can, for example, offer protection against cardiovascular disease, reverse the effects of some common ailments, and shorten the span of common illnesses such as the common cold. With benefits such as these, most anyone can adopt the raw diet, even if only to an extent, and emerge healthier than before. This book discusses all of these benefits and more, and it even offers a short history on going raw and how/why this type of eating lifestyle continues to grow in popularity.
Becoming Raw, at first, sounded like it was going to be a reference book and I wasn’t sure it would be very useful to someone like myself, who is not a vegetarian. However, as you can see from the above commentary, this book is actually a combination reading/reference guide with facts about foods, the meaning of eating raw, recipes that include raw foods, etc. The book does include graphs, tables, charts, etc., but there the majority of the books pages are comprised of reading material intended to educate the reader on the different components of food, why they are important to the body, how deficiencies can affect the body, etc.
Everyone can benefit from introducing raw, unprocessed food into the diet and Becoming Raw is an excellent book about this important subject. It is a book about your eating lifestyle, with complete coverage of the raw diet, explanations of nutritional facts and data, nutritional charts, history of the movement, recipes, and more. It’s an exhaustive guide that can be referred to repeatedly for advice and general information.
- Drew
Brackin says:
Becoming Raw: The Essential Guide to Raw Vegan Diets is just what it says. It is simply the most current, authoritative presentation of the benefits, opportunities and challenges of a raw vegan diets in print today by two of the leading most well qualified authors, Brenda David and Vesanto Melina, both vegan, both Registered Dieticians. These coauthors of such books as Becoming Vegan and Becoming Vegetarian and the co-authors with Cherie Soria of the Raw Food Revolution have provided cogent, well documented and transparent summaries of the strengths and weaknesses of a raw vegan lifestyle. No sugar coating here. Hard science and valuable analysis and interpretation of what has been studied. There are recipies here, but it’s not a recipe book. (Raw Food Revolution would be better for that). I have gained a great deal of knowledge and insight from this book. And I strongly recommend it.
- Rick
Morrill says:
I’ve been high raw for about a month. I “devoured” tons of Raw books and this is by far the best one I’ve read! You won’t see a lot of the same old same old that you see in other books but very well researched info and backed up facts.
11.
Evelyn Parham.com
URL:http://evelynparham.com/2010/03/29/becoming-raw-promo/
Posted:
March 29, 2010
Becoming Raw Promo
BOOK PUBLISHING CO.
ISBN 978-1-57067-238-5
Contact: Rick, rick@bookpubco.com
$24.95 384 pages March 2010
The Raw Truth – Can A Raw Food Diet Be Safe?
The raw food movement is gaining in popularity. Claims of amazing cures, spectacular weight loss, and increased energy and vitality have fueled interest…and concern. In BECOMING RAW, dietitians Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis took on the challenge of separating fact from fiction, dispelling common myths that surround raw vegan diets, and have garnered the support of doctors, raw food nutritionists and instructors in the process.
Becoming Raw will help readers design a raw or mainly raw vegan diet that is nutritionally safe and adequate. And it will provide professionals a standard to refer to in order to help clients. Offering sound nutrition guidelines based on current research from peer-reviewed medical literature, Davis and Melina explain how to meet recommended intake for every nutrient with a vegan diet that is entirely or mainly raw.
They also provide science-based answers to the tough questions surrounding raw vegan diets:
· Can you get enough protein by mainly eating fruit?
· How do you get adequate B12, iron, and calcium?
· Do enzymes in raw foods really contribute to human health?
· Can cancer and other chronic diseases be prevented by eating a raw vegan diet?
· Does cooking destroy nutrients or is it necessary for food safety?
Completely referenced, and including nutrition guidelines, menus, and recipes, BECOMING RAW is the definitive guide to adopting a healthy raw vegan diet. And for the first time, food historian Rynn Berry presents a coherent, objective narrative tracing the history of the raw-food movement in the United States.
12.
Reading
at the Beach
URL: http://www.readingatthebeach.com/2010/04/becoming-raw-by-brenda-davis-rd-vesanto.html
Posted: April/06/2010
Review:
Becoming Raw
Becoming Raw by Brenda Davis, RD, Vesanto Melin, MS, RD with Rynn Berry
Are you thinking about Becoming Raw? If you are, this book
is a must have!! This is the most informative, complete book I've ever read on
this subject. I thought I knew a lot about healthy eating, vitamins and
minerals in foods and what food was good for what ailment, but this book is
full of information I did not know.
The chapters are:
Becoming Raw For Life
A History of the Raw-Food Movement in the United States
The Raw Report: Scientific Evidence To Date
Why Raw Rocks!
Energy and Power
Carbohydrates in the Raw
Fat: Friends and Foes
Vitamins: Inviting Vitality
Acid-Base Balance, Bones and Minerals
The Great Enzyme Controversy
Food Safety: Raw Case Files
Nutrition Guidelines and Menus
Recipes
I've always wanted to try eating raw. With this book it would be so easy to do. The book is full of drafts and charts. In my opinion, there is no biased information in this book, it is just full of facts and you can draw your own conclusion.
My favorite recipes, even though there were only a few, were the Smoothies. I know I'll be using them often.
This is a book that you can either live by on a daily basis, or go to whenever you start feeling sluggish and want a boost. I know there have been many studies on the health benefits of going raw, from diabetes, to cholesterol and high blood pressure. This is one of the best books I've come across about eating raw.