The Raw Food Detox Diet: The Five-Step Plan for Vibrant Health and Maximum Weight Loss

I ordered this book in "Like New" condition. It came dirty on the cover and the pages, with at least 15 pages bent down in the corner as if it was laid face down and the pages got caught. I am not happy with this purchase at all

I've been raw for over a year. I WISH I HAD READ THIS BOOK FIRST! The first book I read was Carol Alt's "Eating in the Raw" - after I read it, I decided to switch overnight... and I made myself really sick. But I stuck with it and eventually felt better. But even after a year of eating what I though was all the right stuff, I still didn't feel as good as I wanted. Now I understand - it was the wrong combinations, like a piece of fruit for dessert after dinner or the almond butter & banana sandwich on sprout bread. I was mixing food groups incorrectly, but I didn't realize it. The author says in this book that you might feel results as soon as the first evening - IT'S TRUE! The first day I started out with a batch of Green Lemonade, and followed the meal plan all day; I even had dark chocolate for dessert (something I considered off-limits since I switched to raw). That evening was the first time in as long as I can remember that I didn't feel exhausted. It was actually the best I've ever felt! Be warned, though, that some stuff in this book is a little out there - I definitely don't plan on giving myself any enemas! yuck! - but just following the menu plans really can make a big difference in how good you feel, even by the end of the first day! I definitely recommend reading this book FIRST if you want to get into the raw food lifestyle, then read some of the others. START HERE. I don't think you'll regret it. There's no need to go through the horrible detox I went through - and all because I didn't understand the importance of transitioning. Some of the reviewers were upset because this book is not 100% raw... well, it doesn't have to be! If you're just starting on something like this, you shouldn't jump in too fast. Go slowly through the transition levels that Natalia Rose describes. Enjoy this book and good luck reaching your goals. UPDATE: Natalia Rose has written a new book, "Raw Food Life Force Energy," which I just read. You might consider buying the new book, because it has much of the same information as the original book (this one) along with enhanced explanations, a description of food vibrations, a 21-day step-by-step plan, and a Q & A section. Some of my questions from the first book are actually answered in the second.

The beauty of this book is that the recipes (which are so delicious and flavorful) do not require soaking, sprouting, or dehydrating, as many other raw-food recipes do. This simplifies the food-preparation process and makes the raw-food lifestyle more appealing to time-starved people. Rose explains food combining and digestion concisely and in a way that makes sense. It has changed the way I think of food. I used to think that if I never had to worry about my weight, I'd eat everything I wanted. Now I think of food in terms of what it'll do to my body on the inside. The weight loss is just an added bonus (I've lost 20 pounds effortlessly). And once you've been eating "clean," you'll feel the difference when you eat something processed--and you won't crave those processed foods, because you know how they'll make you feel (heavy, bloated, and too full). Furthermore, there is no "falling off the wagon" with this way of eating, because, if you do have something you "shouldn't" have, it's so easy to just eat clean at the next meal. I was so excited by this book that I sent a copy to my mom, and she has experienced the same changes in her body and her attitudes that I have (and on top of that, her hairstylist noticed that her hair has gotten thicker). She then bought a copy for her friend. I also sent a copy to a friend who has Crohn's disease (an intestinal disorder), and after only two weeks, her digestion changed significantly. At the risk of being graphic (but to prove a point to doubters): After following Rose's guidelines, my friend began having solid bowel movements for the first time in more than four years. As a final note, for those who are concerned about increased grocery bills, consider this: You will no longer buy canned, boxed, or processed foods; you will very likely buy less (or no) meat; and you'll be less likely to order take-out for lunch because you'll have lots of healthy, delicious leftovers. You will also spend less money on supplements, because you'll be getting all the necessary nutrients from your food, and you may never need another antacid. I now shop at a farmer's market, and the prices there are fully one-third less than those at the grocery store. Furthermore, everything I buy gets used--there is no waste (no more half-eaten bags of salad that go bad because I forget they're in the fridge). To maximize the food you buy, I would suggest making a menu each week and sticking to it--it not only ensures that you'll use what you buy, it also eliminates that 30-minute period we all waste figuring out what to have for dinner after a full work day. If you've been interested in a raw-food lifestyle but don't believe you have the time for it, try "The Raw Food Detox Diet." It will change your life.

If you are intrigued by the current trend of eating real food, want to take this concept to the next level but are skeptical as to how to implement the raw food lifestyle on a practical everyday basis, pick up a copy of Natalia Rose's "The Raw Food Detox Diet, for a fast and fun introduction that does not require a cold turkey approach to eliminating cooked foods. Rose is in agreement with French dieting guru Michel Montignac on her definition of what constitutes a "legal" food on this plan. Montignac, a long-time proponent of eating real food as opposed to processed junk, urges us to forego the old dieting adage of counting calories and all the newer macro nutritional phobias with regard to too much or too little fat, protein or carbohydrates and instead analyze each food choice with an eye on the food's metabolic reaction with regard to fast and easy bloat-free digestion and elimination. Rose agrees, emphasizing that whereas natural foods are easily recognizable by the body and therefore easily broken down, utilized and eliminated, the processed foods that make up so much of the typical American diet are deemed by the body as the worst kind of illegal aliens that sadly deteriorate into waste that the body can neither utilize nor expel. Waste in this case, has no other recourse than to morph into a variety of problems like weight gain, a degeneration of the organs, a slowing of the metabolism and premature aging. By utilizing a method of food combining where mixing foods in different categories is verboten, similar to that of the Montignac method (minus the glycemic index factor), Rose further expands this theory by grouping nuts - an iffy category on most food combining plans (Somersizing immediately springs to mind) - as a separate category (starches, fleshes and fruits being the other three categories) , to be combined only with dried fruits and vegetables. She provides an extremely helpful hierarchy of eleven types of quick exit foods, where level number 1, the best, contains fruits and vegetables and level number 11, the worst, contains chemicals and artificial colorings and sweeteners. She adds that as eating from quick exit levels 1-8 is doable by everyone; the higher levels of health will be reached when eating only from levels 1-5. In addition an indispensable transitional food grocery list is included to provide brand name items that act as substitutes for mainstream comfort foods that must be eliminated to insure success on this program. She is not a big fan of dairy and as expected pans the consumption of power shakes and bars. Surprisingly she eschews the current 'soy is nirvana' bandwagon, labelling soy products as mucus-forming poisons. Neutral foods, those which may be eaten with any category except fruit include such treats as nut milks, 70% chocolate, olivess and olive oil. how refreshing! Way to go, Ms Rose! On the practical side, the book abounds with menu plans, recipes, and suggestions on what to ea

This book is easy to follow and the diet is even easier. Her recipes are delicious. Even her "Green Lemonade" is so good I look forward to it every morning. My husband and friends have said I have never looked better and I know I have never felt better. It is definitely from all the great food I am now eating.

"I highly recommend The Raw Food Detox Diet book by Natalia Rose if you want to lose weight and obtain very useful information on optimum health, vitality and overall wellness. The book contains a ton of absolutely delicious, surprisingly easy yet guilt free recipes. It educates you with a no-nonsence approach about detoxing and cleansing your body effectively for noticeable results. Since I have incorporated this knowledge into my own life, I lost weight, feel and look much better and have renewed vigor and fitness."