The Complete Book of Raw Food

Many people helped to create both first and second editions of
The Complete Book of Raw Food
. First and foremost are the chefs and product manufacturers who contributed their recipes and expertise.

Julian Huerta, a new contributing chef in the second edition, also served as an assistant editor and played a major role in bringing the second edition to fruition.

Special thanks go to raw chefs Eddie D. Robinson and Lillian Butler, who gave their time so generously and prepared recipes for the initial photo shoot.

Special thanks also to Dr. Ellen Cutler for contributing the Foreword.

For updates on individual chefs’ programs and publications, contact each of the featured chefs (see
Biography
section).

As a doctor who has worked closely with patients and their eating habits for over 20 years, and as someone who has been eating a raw food diet for seven years, I am excited to introduce the revised, second edition of this important book,
The Complete Book of Raw Food
. My research has shown that it is the enzymes in food that hold the key to health and weight loss. And an easily accessible, ready source of enzymes is available in a raw food diet (enzymes are basically raw food ingredients).

Why are enzymes so important? Well, we’ve all heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” But the real bottom line is:
“You are what your body is able to digest.”
Good digestion is the key to getting the full nutritional value from your meals, staying healthy, and keeping off unwanted pounds. The truth is, no matter how closely you watch what you eat and limit your calorie consumption, you cannot maintain a healthy weight if your digestive system isn’t functioning properly.

Digestive stress from allergies and food sensitivities not only leads to weight gain, but contributes to numerous chronic medical conditions, including cardiovascular problems, cancer, type 2 (adult onset) diabetes, osteoarthritis, and sleep disorders. And an inefficient digestive system is more common than you may realize—today, 20 million Americans are dealing with some kind of digestive problem.

Let’s take a look at the main causes of digestive stress and how the enzymes in a raw food diet can improve digestion and help you shed excess pounds and maintain a healthy weight … for a lifetime.

These days, everyone seems to be climbing on the nutrition bandwagon. Books and articles offering dietary advice abound, and health food stores are thriving. The trouble is, much of the available information is contradictory and inaccurate at best—and potentially harmful at worst.

Working with thousands of patients over the years, I’ve seen almost every weight-loss strategy known to humankind—low-fat diets, high-protein diets, low-carb diets, diet pills, semi-starvation diets, liposuction, and all kinds of exercise programs for fat loss. While all of these methods can enable you to lose pounds in the short run, none of them really addresses the underlying causes of excessive weight gain: a poor digestive system.

When the digestive system can’t properly break down foods due to an insufficient supply of enzymes, our bodies run low on key nutrients. In response, we begin to crave the foods that supply the missing nutrients. We eat more but are still undernourished and keep gaining weight. Because poor digestion is at the root of our weight woes, no diet will be truly effective unless it involves enzymes available in raw food meals. We may drop some pounds, but the loss won’t last.

Let’s take a look at some of the specific benefits of raw food eating and how it can lead to a better digestive system.

Bottom line: there is far too much refined sugar in our diet. The average American eats 156 pounds of sugar per year. In fact, table sugar and soft drinks are two of the top four sources of carbohydrate intake in the U.S.

Excessive sugar is not only a big factor in our national weight crisis but also contributes to many side effects and diseases such as hyperactivity, highs and lows in blood sugar, depression, and restless sleep. This is as true for children as it is for adults.

Sugar is addictive, both physically and emotionally, making it the number-one ingredient in “comfort foods” such as cookies, candies, and ice cream. Food manufacturers capitalize on this by pouring sugar into their products, including foodstuffs that we would never expect to contain sugar. Even if we manage to avoid the biggest offenders, we are still getting sugar from less obvious sources such as ketchup, salad dressings, and even potato chips! From a purely nutritional perspective, sugar contains no fiber, no nutrients, and no enzymes. Basically, it’s nothing more than empty calories. Eating sugar instead of wholesome, nutritious raw foods fills you up without providing any
food value, thereby taking the place of necessary nutrients needed to repair and maintain the body. (This is especially true for children, who have such small stomachs.) And because sugar interferes with the absorption of the nutrients you do take in, it contributes to both malnutrition and weight gain. For our bodies to function optimally, they require very little sugar. It’s best to get your sugar from organic fruits and certain organic raw vegetables such as carrots and sugar beets, which have healthy amounts of fiber, anti-oxidants, vitamins, and other nutrients mixed in with their sugar content.

Most people have trouble digesting carbs, and its quite possible that you are one of them—without even knowing it! Although the types of foods that challenge the digestive system vary considerably from one person to the next, in my experience, carbohydrate intolerance is a much more likely contributor to weight gain and obesity than protein/fat intolerance.

Another culprit is grains. In my practice, I have found that the majority of people have great difficulty digesting grains. In spite of this, we continue to view grains as dietary staples, even though research has shown that they may be behind many incurable chronic illnesses. I know from my own research and clinical experience that most people with chronic illnesses do much better once they eliminate grains from their diets.

Personally, I haven’t eaten grains for more than 25 years—and I am not deprived of any key nutrients. In fact, people routinely comment on how healthy and energetic I am, and how I seem to thrive on less food and less sleep than most.

Eliminating most grains from your diet can do wonders for your waistline, promoting rapid, significant weight loss.

A raw food diet (combined with a carbohydrate digestive enzyme) will gradually minimize your cravings for grains, as well as other sugars and starches. You won’t even feel as though you’re missing anything from your diet! Once my patients adopt a mostly raw food diet and enzyme therapy, they usually tell me, “I can’t believe it—this is the first time in my life that I don’t crave foods!” And they usually notice that difference
within 48 hours
.

As enzyme therapy and a raw food diet coax your body toward a naturally healthy weight, you will find that those pounds that seemed to be a permanent
addition to your midsection will melt away permanently. As a bonus, you’ll feel more vital and energetic than before because you are finally getting adequate nourishment—all because your body is breaking down food and assimilating those essential nutrients abundant in raw foods. The answer to permanent weight loss is that simple.

When you eat an assortment of raw food items such as what is emphasized in
The Complete Book of Raw Food
you will notice energy and vitality unlike you had ever imagined, as well as better sleeping habits and mood and a permanent svelte torso. So what are you waiting for? Jump right in!