Raw Food books were the foundation of the raw food movement. One of the first books I read about the raw food diet was
Raw Family, which is now considered a classic in the raw food book genre. Both JS and I found this book to be an inspirational read about the real life story of an entire family that went on a raw food diet together to help heal all of their varied health problems.
It has been many years since
Raw Family was first released. The kids are all grown up now and now the name Boutenko has become synonymous with green smoothies since raw food mom and matriarch Victoria Boutenko released
Green For Life in 2005. The family dynamic must have changed a lot since those early days, but Victoria keeps going in her passionate quest to share the message of green smoothies with the world.
In fact, Victoria has recently released two books in the past few months and North Atlantic Books sent us review copies. Most people would be eager to know that Victoria has finally published the much awaited sequel to
Green For Life, a book entitled
Green Smoothie Revolution. In addition, Victoria has released an innovative recipe book that is perfect for raw food beginners, called
Raw Family Signature Dishes.
Both books offer the same level of quality as you would expect from all the other books from Victoria Boutenko. In
Green Smoothie Revolution, Victoria has truly created a companion guide to
Green For Life. Once
Green for Life was released and became very popular, people wanted more green smoothie recipes. The idea of
Green Smoothie Revolution was born. Together, both of these books create all you need to know about Green Smoothies. There are a vast amount of recipes included in this book, with bonus recipes for pets!
And if you are just starting out on a raw food diet,
Raw Family Signature Dishes is truly the best recipe book for absolute raw food beginners. In this unique book, Victoria shows, step by step and in full color photographs, how to make standard 100% raw food recipes. It includes a step by step guide on how to make a salad, a soup, a cookie, a pie, a raw burger, nut milk, cakes, and more. If you are a visual learner and you have no idea how to make raw food, this book is just for you.
There's Just One Other Thing...
That being said, there has been something very obvious that has been so difficult to talk about. We didn't know what to say, because there is a lot of gossip going around about Victoria....it's about her weight.
Many people have tried to tell us stories of Victoria caught binging on cooked food right in front of their eyes. And there are other stories too. We didn't know what to believe, and we don't report on gossip, so we didn't say anything at all.
Many years ago, Victoria lost a lot of weight after starting a raw food diet. There are amazing "before and after" photos of Victoria inside
Raw Family. But
Raw Family was originally published in 2000. It has been nearly 10 years since that book was been released...a lot of time to re-gain all of that lost weight.
Everyone in the raw food community knows that Victoria has gained weight. But since she was the one that brought green smoothies to nearly mainstream status, no one has wanted to say anything.
Last year, health blogger Kevin Gianni tried to ask her about her weight in an exclusive interview with Victoria during the amazing
Rawkathon event. At the time, Victoria admitted that she didn't know why she had gained weight and had consulted with all the top raw food experts to ask for their advice. She claimed to still have no answer for her puzzling weight gain.
There is something I have wanted to say for a very long time on Raw Food Right Now, and I am going to say it, right here and now:
A raw food diet does not guarantee weight loss.
You do not always lose weight on a 100% raw food diet. It is difficult when Victoria, one of the leaders of the raw food movement, has been telling people that they can lose weight on green smoothies and yet she herself struggles with weight.
Last week our friend Matt Monarch announced that he is going to personally interview Victoria Boutenko
this Friday, October 30thon Friday, November 27th on
his radio show. Matt is going to ask Victoria these very important questions...Are you 100% raw, and if so, why do you have extra weight?
These are the tough questions no one has wanted to ask....until now. We could have interviewed Victoria for RFRN radio, but I do not have the guts like Matt to ask tough questions like these.
I urge you to take time out this Friday night and tune in to Matt's radio show and hear Victoria answer these questions live.
Let's Get This Weight Thing Out of the Way I have personally consulted with people who have been 100% raw using perfect organic, properly combined food and still they have not lost weight. I have seen people with my own eyes who have gone on 90+ juice feasts yet gained the weight back.
Other weight loss inspiration stories in the raw food movement are not true for everyone. Angela Stokes and Philip McClusky are inspiring stories, but they do not represent everyone out there. There are people out there who are perfectly raw, and still they are suffering, not only with excess weight, but other health problems as well.
In fact, we've heard many people tell us directly that they
gained weight right after starting a 100% raw food diet and stopped eating raw because they didn't want to gain weight.
My heart goes out to Victoria, because I know what it is like to struggle with weight and body image. Victoria and her family have offered so much to the raw food movement. We don't want to ever hurt her feelings. I think none of us in the raw community want to do that. We as a community just want to know the truth.
If you are struggling with your weight, and you've tried 100% raw food diet but you still have not lost all your weight, I want you to know that you are not alone. There are other people out there, mostly silent people out there, too ashamed to admit to the raw food world that 100% raw is not helping them lose weight.
Keep trying. Keep searching. Keep looking for what works just for you.
I hope you can tune in Friday and listen to Matt's radio show. If not, please take a moment and send some loving energy and appreciation to Victoria Boutenko. After all, she is our generation's Ann Wigmore.
~ Heidi
Raw Food Right Now http://www.RawFoodRightNow.com
Raw Food books were the foundation of the raw food movement.
One of the first books I read about the raw food diet was Raw Family, which is now considered a classic in the raw food book genre. Both JS and I found this book to be an inspirational read about the real life story of an entire family that went on a raw food diet together to help heal all of their varied health problems.
It has been many years since Raw Family was first released. The kids are all grown up now and now the name Boutenko has become synonymous with green smoothies since raw food mom and matriarch Victoria Boutenko released Green For Life in 2005. The family dynamic must have changed a lot since those early days, but Victoria keeps going in her passionate quest to share the message of green smoothies with the world.
In fact, Victoria has recently released two books in the past few months and North Atlantic Books sent us review copies. Most people would be eager to know that Victoria has finally published the much awaited sequel to Green For Life, a book entitled Green Smoothie Revolution. In addition, Victoria has released an innovative recipe book that is perfect for raw food beginners, called Raw Family Signature Dishes.
And if you are just starting out on a raw food diet, Raw Family Signature Dishes is truly the best recipe book for absolute raw food beginners. In this unique book, Victoria shows, step by step and in full color photographs, how to make standard 100% raw food recipes. It includes a step by step guide on how to make a salad, a soup, a cookie, a pie, a raw burger, nut milk, cakes, and more. If you are a visual learner and you have no idea how to make raw food, this book is just for you.
That being said, there has been something very obvious that has been so difficult to talk about. We didn't know what to say, because there is a lot of gossip going around about Victoria....it's about her weight.
Many people have tried to tell us stories of Victoria caught binging on cooked food right in front of their eyes. And there are other stories too. We didn't know what to believe, and we don't report on gossip, so we didn't say anything at all.
Many years ago, Victoria lost a lot of weight after starting a raw food diet. There are amazing "before and after" photos of Victoria inside Raw Family. But Raw Family was originally published in 2000. It has been nearly 10 years since that book was been released...a lot of time to re-gain all of that lost weight.
Everyone in the raw food community knows that Victoria has gained weight. But since she was the one that brought green smoothies to nearly mainstream status, no one has wanted to say anything.
Last year, health blogger Kevin Gianni tried to ask her about her weight in an exclusive interview with Victoria during the amazing Rawkathon event. At the time, Victoria admitted that she didn't know why she had gained weight and had consulted with all the top raw food experts to ask for their advice. She claimed to still have no answer for her puzzling weight gain.
There is something I have wanted to say for a very long time on Raw Food Right Now, and I am going to say it, right here and now:
A raw food diet does not guarantee weight loss.
You do not always lose weight on a 100% raw food diet.
It is difficult when Victoria, one of the leaders of the raw food movement, has been telling people that they can lose weight on green smoothies and yet she herself struggles with weight.
Last week our friend Matt Monarch announced that he is going to personally interview Victoria Boutenko
this Friday, October 30thon Friday, November 27th on his radio show. Matt is going to ask Victoria these very important questions...Are you 100% raw, and if so, why do you have extra weight?These are the tough questions no one has wanted to ask....until now. We could have interviewed Victoria for RFRN radio, but I do not have the guts like Matt to ask tough questions like these.
I urge you to take time out this Friday night and tune in to Matt's radio show and hear Victoria answer these questions live.
Let's Get This Weight Thing Out of the Way
I have personally consulted with people who have been 100% raw using perfect organic, properly combined food and still they have not lost weight. I have seen people with my own eyes who have gone on 90+ juice feasts yet gained the weight back.
Other weight loss inspiration stories in the raw food movement are not true for everyone. Angela Stokes and Philip McClusky are inspiring stories, but they do not represent everyone out there. There are people out there who are perfectly raw, and still they are suffering, not only with excess weight, but other health problems as well.
In fact, we've heard many people tell us directly that they gained weight right after starting a 100% raw food diet and stopped eating raw because they didn't want to gain weight.
My heart goes out to Victoria, because I know what it is like to struggle with weight and body image. Victoria and her family have offered so much to the raw food movement. We don't want to ever hurt her feelings. I think none of us in the raw community want to do that. We as a community just want to know the truth.
If you are struggling with your weight, and you've tried 100% raw food diet but you still have not lost all your weight, I want you to know that you are not alone. There are other people out there, mostly silent people out there, too ashamed to admit to the raw food world that 100% raw is not helping them lose weight.
Keep trying. Keep searching. Keep looking for what works just for you.
I hope you can tune in Friday and listen to Matt's radio show. If not, please take a moment and send some loving energy and appreciation to Victoria Boutenko. After all, she is our generation's Ann Wigmore.
~ Heidi
Raw Food Right Now
http://www.RawFoodRightNow.com