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Unprocessed: How to Achieve Vibrant Health and Your Ideal Weight
Chef AJ has a unique ability to create healthy foods that taste great. Whether you want to lower your cholesterol, prevent or reverse many common lifestyle diseases, lose weight or just look and feel great, Chef AJ can show you how to incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet in ways that are easy, delicious and fun. Foreword by Dr. Hans Diehl and endorsed by several giants in the field of plant-based nutrition,
"Chef AJ knows her way around a kitchen. She's been doing this for thirty years and it shows. All her recipes are incredibly easy to make, really healthy, but totally tasty in every way. She's a gifted chef."
Rory Freedman, Best-selling coauthor of Skinny Bitch
"Chef AJ knows how to make tasty food and how to make it healthy. It's very special. Try it and you'll like it."
T. Colin Campbell, PhD, author of The China Study
"Chef AJ's book Unprocessed deserves a special spot on the bookshelf of all people serious about their health and personal appearance."
Mary and John McDougall, M.D., authors and founders of the McDougall Program
"Chef AJ is one of the few chefs in the world who can design dishes that not only meet my dietary guidelines, but are delicious, too. She represents the best of everything; she's entertaining and engaging, and makes healthy food totally acceptable for everyone. This book is a must-have for the person who wants to not only eat well, but enjoy eating well, too."
Dr. Pam Popper, Executive Director of the Wellness Forum
"Chef AJ is unmatched in her ability to take nothing but whole foods and make them taste so delicious. Couple that with her generosity and passion, and she herself is a recipe for success. It's about time the world got to taste these treats!"
Alona Pulde, M.D. & Matthew Lederman, M.D. authors of Keep It Simple, Keep It Your Guide To Optimum Health
"Half confessional memoir, half delectable recipes, Unprocessed is a 100 percent inspirational, educational, and gastronomical fodder from Abbie Jaye, aka Chef AJ. A junk-food vegetarian since forever, AJ turned to a whole-foods diet to cure her ailments, and now preaches to anyone and everyone through her culinary classes and laugh-a-minute lectures. The recipes are all sugar-, salt-, and oil-free, and all delicious. How can you not like a book that starts with desserts?"
VegNews Magazine
UNPROCESSED will show you how you can achieve optimum health, vibrant energy and your ideal weight, simply by eating real, whole foods and avoiding processed food.
This book All recipes are vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, salt-free and refined sugar-free. Chef AJ shares her personal story detailing the dangerous health consequences of an unhealthy diet, and the body's miraculous ability to recover and thrive when fed healthy, whole foods. An inspirational, fun read.
"Chef AJ knows her way around a kitchen. She's been doing this for thirty years and it shows. All her recipes are incredibly easy to make, really healthy, but totally tasty in every way. She's a gifted chef."
Rory Freedman, Best-selling coauthor of Skinny Bitch
"Chef AJ knows how to make tasty food and how to make it healthy. It's very special. Try it and you'll like it."
T. Colin Campbell, PhD, author of The China Study
"Chef AJ's book Unprocessed deserves a special spot on the bookshelf of all people serious about their health and personal appearance."
Mary and John McDougall, M.D., authors and founders of the McDougall Program
"Chef AJ is one of the few chefs in the world who can design dishes that not only meet my dietary guidelines, but are delicious, too. She represents the best of everything; she's entertaining and engaging, and makes healthy food totally acceptable for everyone. This book is a must-have for the person who wants to not only eat well, but enjoy eating well, too."
Dr. Pam Popper, Executive Director of the Wellness Forum
"Chef AJ is unmatched in her ability to take nothing but whole foods and make them taste so delicious. Couple that with her generosity and passion, and she herself is a recipe for success. It's about time the world got to taste these treats!"
Alona Pulde, M.D. & Matthew Lederman, M.D. authors of Keep It Simple, Keep It Your Guide To Optimum Health
"Half confessional memoir, half delectable recipes, Unprocessed is a 100 percent inspirational, educational, and gastronomical fodder from Abbie Jaye, aka Chef AJ. A junk-food vegetarian since forever, AJ turned to a whole-foods diet to cure her ailments, and now preaches to anyone and everyone through her culinary classes and laugh-a-minute lectures. The recipes are all sugar-, salt-, and oil-free, and all delicious. How can you not like a book that starts with desserts?"
VegNews Magazine
UNPROCESSED will show you how you can achieve optimum health, vibrant energy and your ideal weight, simply by eating real, whole foods and avoiding processed food.
This book All recipes are vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, salt-free and refined sugar-free. Chef AJ shares her personal story detailing the dangerous health consequences of an unhealthy diet, and the body's miraculous ability to recover and thrive when fed healthy, whole foods. An inspirational, fun read.
192 pages, Paperback
First published February 2, 2011
383 people are currently reading
613 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
February 23, 2017
I discovered Chef AJ on YouTube, where she has many cooking demos and vegan recipes, free for the taking. I had been enjoying her recipes, so I was delighted to find out she has a book, too. The first half contains her life story and struggle with food; it also has some dietary information. The second half contains her recipes. I've lost 17 pounds in 7 weeks since I found her and began following her unprocessed principles! And it hasn't been difficult at all-- this has been without exercise!
The dietary information in this book isn't new... most vegan books are based on T. Colin Campbell's The China Study-- that motherlode of vegetarian dietary information regarding the reversal of health problems using plant-based food instead of meds/surgery. But sometimes hearing that one tidbit of information from a fresh perspective can make all the difference between success and setbacks. I was touched by Chef AJ's life story (she, too, had multiple miscarriages and a host of health problems before going unprocessed); and I was impressed that she had managed to lose over 50 pounds during her menopausal years (which is where I'm at) by eating unprocessed, plant-based whole foods. That gave me the incentive to try. Well, that, and the fact that I was diagnosed with GERD a year ago, where my doctor gave me a list of foods I couldn't eat-- that list pretty much put me on the path of veganism whether I wanted to or not (I was lacto-ovo vegetarian before this). I don't know if I would have ever crossed over to the vegan side of the force on my own if not for that specific health problem. But it turns out GERD was a blessing in disguise. My recommendation is to not wait to hit rock bottom with some terrible health diagnosis before changing to a healthier diet.
Chef AJ recommends starting off your day with one pound of non-starchy veggies and ending your day with another pound of non-starchy veggies-- and in between, eating the starchy veggies, legumes, grains, and fruit. The idea is to fill up on the lower calorie greens first, then turn to the starches until satisfied (this is the tidbit that helped me the most-- I used to go straight for the starches and barely got around to the non-starchy veggies). She uses no oil, salt or sugar (the "evil trinity," she calls them). There's no counting calories or fat grams or measuring of portion sizes with this way of eating, so this makes it simple to follow. She quotes from Dr. McDougall's famous words, "The fat you eat is the fat you wear." So the only fat you get in some of her recipes is derived from whole nuts and seeds or avocado or grains (hemp and chia seeds were a new experience for me!) To sweeten her recipes, she purees whole dates into her sauces, salad dressings and desserts. That way you're getting fiber and nutrients, instead of something refined and broken. Nearly all of the recipes are quick to make (under a half hour) with a minimal list of ingredients (some of the ingredients you won't be able to find in a regular grocery store, but Whole Foods usually comes through, and you can get most anything on Amazon these days). Her recipes often lean towards the tangy... in her videos she mentions how the tastebuds for salt and sour are next to each other, so you can sort of trick your palette into thinking it's getting a pseudo-salty meal by giving it something tangy or sour instead. At first I wasn't sure if I'd like this-- I've always gravitated to the sweet and never cared for sour/tangy. But my palette adjusted faster than I ever thought it could. It does require a paradigm shift... folks coming off of meat and dairy may have a bigger leap than I did (I was lacto-ovo vegetarian before this). Now that actual chefs are getting on board with an unprocessed diet, more and better recipes are cropping up all over the place, so it's easier than ever before to eat this way. I am the first to admit that if it doesn't taste good, it ain't gonna work for anybody. But it is possible to re-train your palette and to learn to appreciate the real taste of natural foods. I'm there!
Even better than the weight loss since starting this unprocessed way of eating, my compulsion for sugary junk food has disappeared... there has never been a time in my life when I did not crave pop, chocolate, ice cream, etc., at least not until now. There is junk food in the house because the rest of my family is not eating this way, but it does not tempt me in the least. It's as if a dark spell over my life has finally been broken. My migraines have all but disappeared (they are mild and more infrequent now). And though not yet completely cured of GERD, my stomach is a happier place than before. For once, I can't wait to have my cholesterol checked! Why would I want to go back to processed junk? I feel too good to go back. Chef AJ recommends trying an unprocessed, whole foods way of eating for 30 days (don't be surprised if you feel lousy for the first few days... withdrawal headaches are pretty common in the very beginning, especially if you're hooked on caffeine, but it does get better, I promise!) For motivation, watch Forks Over Knives, and Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, and Super Size Me on Netflix. Look for Chef AJ on YouTube, too. She's funny and has a wealth of information and good recipes to share.
Update 2/24/15: I've now lost 50 pounds in 7 months! This really works!
The dietary information in this book isn't new... most vegan books are based on T. Colin Campbell's The China Study-- that motherlode of vegetarian dietary information regarding the reversal of health problems using plant-based food instead of meds/surgery. But sometimes hearing that one tidbit of information from a fresh perspective can make all the difference between success and setbacks. I was touched by Chef AJ's life story (she, too, had multiple miscarriages and a host of health problems before going unprocessed); and I was impressed that she had managed to lose over 50 pounds during her menopausal years (which is where I'm at) by eating unprocessed, plant-based whole foods. That gave me the incentive to try. Well, that, and the fact that I was diagnosed with GERD a year ago, where my doctor gave me a list of foods I couldn't eat-- that list pretty much put me on the path of veganism whether I wanted to or not (I was lacto-ovo vegetarian before this). I don't know if I would have ever crossed over to the vegan side of the force on my own if not for that specific health problem. But it turns out GERD was a blessing in disguise. My recommendation is to not wait to hit rock bottom with some terrible health diagnosis before changing to a healthier diet.
Chef AJ recommends starting off your day with one pound of non-starchy veggies and ending your day with another pound of non-starchy veggies-- and in between, eating the starchy veggies, legumes, grains, and fruit. The idea is to fill up on the lower calorie greens first, then turn to the starches until satisfied (this is the tidbit that helped me the most-- I used to go straight for the starches and barely got around to the non-starchy veggies). She uses no oil, salt or sugar (the "evil trinity," she calls them). There's no counting calories or fat grams or measuring of portion sizes with this way of eating, so this makes it simple to follow. She quotes from Dr. McDougall's famous words, "The fat you eat is the fat you wear." So the only fat you get in some of her recipes is derived from whole nuts and seeds or avocado or grains (hemp and chia seeds were a new experience for me!) To sweeten her recipes, she purees whole dates into her sauces, salad dressings and desserts. That way you're getting fiber and nutrients, instead of something refined and broken. Nearly all of the recipes are quick to make (under a half hour) with a minimal list of ingredients (some of the ingredients you won't be able to find in a regular grocery store, but Whole Foods usually comes through, and you can get most anything on Amazon these days). Her recipes often lean towards the tangy... in her videos she mentions how the tastebuds for salt and sour are next to each other, so you can sort of trick your palette into thinking it's getting a pseudo-salty meal by giving it something tangy or sour instead. At first I wasn't sure if I'd like this-- I've always gravitated to the sweet and never cared for sour/tangy. But my palette adjusted faster than I ever thought it could. It does require a paradigm shift... folks coming off of meat and dairy may have a bigger leap than I did (I was lacto-ovo vegetarian before this). Now that actual chefs are getting on board with an unprocessed diet, more and better recipes are cropping up all over the place, so it's easier than ever before to eat this way. I am the first to admit that if it doesn't taste good, it ain't gonna work for anybody. But it is possible to re-train your palette and to learn to appreciate the real taste of natural foods. I'm there!
Even better than the weight loss since starting this unprocessed way of eating, my compulsion for sugary junk food has disappeared... there has never been a time in my life when I did not crave pop, chocolate, ice cream, etc., at least not until now. There is junk food in the house because the rest of my family is not eating this way, but it does not tempt me in the least. It's as if a dark spell over my life has finally been broken. My migraines have all but disappeared (they are mild and more infrequent now). And though not yet completely cured of GERD, my stomach is a happier place than before. For once, I can't wait to have my cholesterol checked! Why would I want to go back to processed junk? I feel too good to go back. Chef AJ recommends trying an unprocessed, whole foods way of eating for 30 days (don't be surprised if you feel lousy for the first few days... withdrawal headaches are pretty common in the very beginning, especially if you're hooked on caffeine, but it does get better, I promise!) For motivation, watch Forks Over Knives, and Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, and Super Size Me on Netflix. Look for Chef AJ on YouTube, too. She's funny and has a wealth of information and good recipes to share.
Update 2/24/15: I've now lost 50 pounds in 7 months! This really works!
June 26, 2014
I though I just ordered a cookbook. But It was such a pleasant surprise when the beginning of the book had her personal journey of health. To eat meat or not to eat meat is and very old debate. I found the same question answered by the apostle Paul in Romans Chapter 14 verse 1 through 6. He doesn't answer the question of which is better but addresses the far greater spiritual whirlwind of judging each other. In my mind in verse 2, I substitute the word weakness for disease and herbs for vegetables to understand greater.
I felt her grief when she describes her personal pain of choosing to terminate her pregnancy. She loved her baby and I was so sad the journey she felt she had to take and all the people who sent her on the path. I am glad she has felt some freedom in her pain by learning to eat healthy. I find as I get older there really isn't another path other than to eat healthy if you want a better quality of life. But, how strict you have to be totally is determined by genetics. I loved the indian doctor who believed her.
I felt her grief when she describes her personal pain of choosing to terminate her pregnancy. She loved her baby and I was so sad the journey she felt she had to take and all the people who sent her on the path. I am glad she has felt some freedom in her pain by learning to eat healthy. I find as I get older there really isn't another path other than to eat healthy if you want a better quality of life. But, how strict you have to be totally is determined by genetics. I loved the indian doctor who believed her.
March 3, 2017
I've been a fan of Chef AJ (short for Abbie Jaye) since I first heard her interview on the No Meat Athlete podcast. Shortly after listening to that episode, I listened to Chef AJ speak at our local Triangle VegFest event. I was really motivated by her presentation and the information that she presented, and have been following her career ever since.
So it seemed like it was time for me to give her book Unprocessed: How to achieve vibrant health and your ideal weight a chance. It was available at our local library, and so both my girlfriend and I gave it a read.
Although she spent the beginning of her life eating the Standard American Diet, Chef AJ has followed a plant-based diet for over 30 years and primarily works as a vegan/raw pastry chef in Los Angeles and is a keynote speaker and culinary instructor all across the United States.
The first half of the book begins with telling Chef AJ's story and then follows up with a ton of nutritional information and advice. The second half of the book features whole food plant-based recipes that Chef AJ created or modified.
I was more interested in the first half of the book—mostly because I have plenty of recipe books already, but also because I wanted to learn more about Chef AJ's life story. Since I was already so familiar with much of her nutritional advice, this book was mostly a review for me. It wasn't written as well as many of the other books I've read on the topic and the content didn't stand out very much, so I probably wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it over another book in this genre. However, it still advocates a whole food plant-based diet, which I am in full support of!
So it seemed like it was time for me to give her book Unprocessed: How to achieve vibrant health and your ideal weight a chance. It was available at our local library, and so both my girlfriend and I gave it a read.
Although she spent the beginning of her life eating the Standard American Diet, Chef AJ has followed a plant-based diet for over 30 years and primarily works as a vegan/raw pastry chef in Los Angeles and is a keynote speaker and culinary instructor all across the United States.
The first half of the book begins with telling Chef AJ's story and then follows up with a ton of nutritional information and advice. The second half of the book features whole food plant-based recipes that Chef AJ created or modified.
I was more interested in the first half of the book—mostly because I have plenty of recipe books already, but also because I wanted to learn more about Chef AJ's life story. Since I was already so familiar with much of her nutritional advice, this book was mostly a review for me. It wasn't written as well as many of the other books I've read on the topic and the content didn't stand out very much, so I probably wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it over another book in this genre. However, it still advocates a whole food plant-based diet, which I am in full support of!
January 21, 2012
Everything that I've researched while earning my degree as a Health Educator is in this book. Besides her personal struggle, I couldn't have written it better myself. I've been meaning to buckle down and become a plant-based eater for quite some time now but I figured I'd wait till the new year. Well, it's the new year and I've been animal, dairy, and processed free for 10 days now. I don't feel wonderful yet but I'm determined to become one of the minority :) Thanks for writing this book, Chef AJ!
April 19, 2023
I’m starting on a WFPB diet and just finished Chef AJs 21 day challenge. This cookbook started with Chef AJs story (quite compelling) as to why she started eating this way and a primer on WFPB eating. I’ve tried a handful of recipes that are easy with easy to find ingredients the not so sloppy joes is a regular on rotation that I’ll have with greens and/or brown rice and/or quinoa. Love the soups. The hummus and pea guacamole were a little firm for me but I’ll tweak those recipes. Can’t wait to try the lasagna and some of the smoothies.
August 19, 2016
I am totally on board with not eating any processed foods, but my laziness still wins out! Chef AJ is very generous with her time and recipes- you can also find her on YouTube. It was interesting to read about her life (the first 50 or so pages) and I look forward to cooking the recipes from the book!
April 18, 2022
OMG! The sweet potato nachos are so so so good! I made them as “my” food yesterday on Easter while the rest of my family ate traditional. Everyone just stared at all the beautiful color & didn’t hold back when I offered. Grand slam Chef AJ!
I can’t wait to try more recipes & the personal story is just “icing” on the Unprocessed cake! ❤️
I can’t wait to try more recipes & the personal story is just “icing” on the Unprocessed cake! ❤️
November 24, 2013
This woman went through a lot of health issues and ended up realizing that the way to go was to eat unprocessed foods (among other restrictions on her part.) though I won't follow a diet 100%, I hope to learn from her story to avoid problems! It is written from the heart.
October 30, 2017
I wasn't aware of Chef AJ until she spoke at my local Vegfest a few months ago - apparently she's very popular! Her program documented here is a mash-up of several of the big names in vegan health - Dr John McDougall, Dr T Colin Campbell, Dr Esselstyn, etc. I came across this book while looking for another with a similar name at my local library and gave it a shot. Most of the slim volume is comprised of recipes, though she does begin the book with her own story. I agree that food can be our best resource for preventing and treating disease and also with her advice on page 21: "...just do something. Just because you can't do everything doesn't mean you shouldn't do anything." Any changes we can make and sustain can help us. I think many try to make all the changes at once and fail, giving up on all the changes, because they couldn't sustain such massive change all at once. There are a few recipes I may try, though being familiar with the work of the doctors listed above, there wasn't really anything new here other than her personal story. Yes, most of us should be eating less sugar, less salt and more whole foods.
November 13, 2014
Have only tried one recipe so far (and it was fabulous) but many look not just tasty but easy which is key for me right now. Really quick read and I like that she kind of takes from Fuhrman, Esselstyn, and Ornish (among others, but those are the ones I've already read) and highlights their similarities and plans her menus around that rather than specifying the differences and pushing one over another.
July 12, 2013
I loved this book! It confirmed my convictions to eat a whole food plant based diet. In summary, it will save your health! The "Hail to the Kale Salad" is the one of the best salads I have ever had and every drop is so good for you!
September 27, 2015
May be the answer to my Prayers!
Loved it! Made so much sense to me. I do not have will power but if healthy can taste good and reverse my diabetes, I am willing to try!
Loved it! Made so much sense to me. I do not have will power but if healthy can taste good and reverse my diabetes, I am willing to try!
September 26, 2023
Love Chef AJ!
She is warm, loving, funny and the real deal. Her recipes are fabulous & delish!
As a vegan working towards an oil-free diet, this book is an absolute gem!
She is warm, loving, funny and the real deal. Her recipes are fabulous & delish!
As a vegan working towards an oil-free diet, this book is an absolute gem!
August 14, 2025
Chef AJ went through A LOT of health and personal crisis which prompted her to change her lifestyle.
Good ideas and recipes. For myself I would not be OK with eating just vegetables, fruit, seeds and nuts. Although I am not a consumer of fast food or eating a lot of processed foods or meat, but I do enjoy high quality cheeses, plain yogurt (for smoothies), Culture Cottage Cheese, olive oil, and making occasional desserts.
Chef AJ states, her sister”went from a size 14 to a size 4 in seven months” from following the method explained in this book. I can believe that is possible because you cut out all animal products, all oils, all sugars except fruit, anything made with flour, all alcohol and anything you cannot make in your kitchen. It’s basically eating fresh fruit and vegetables with seeds and some nuts which is great in theory but I feel difficult to achieve on a daily basis. With that said, it did inspire me to reevaluate what I am eating😊
Good ideas and recipes. For myself I would not be OK with eating just vegetables, fruit, seeds and nuts. Although I am not a consumer of fast food or eating a lot of processed foods or meat, but I do enjoy high quality cheeses, plain yogurt (for smoothies), Culture Cottage Cheese, olive oil, and making occasional desserts.
Chef AJ states, her sister”went from a size 14 to a size 4 in seven months” from following the method explained in this book. I can believe that is possible because you cut out all animal products, all oils, all sugars except fruit, anything made with flour, all alcohol and anything you cannot make in your kitchen. It’s basically eating fresh fruit and vegetables with seeds and some nuts which is great in theory but I feel difficult to achieve on a daily basis. With that said, it did inspire me to reevaluate what I am eating😊
December 6, 2022
I am currently reading books on Whole Foods plant based eating. I do enjoy her YouTube videos and cooked food recipes. This book had mostly on raw recipes which was not what I was looking for. However there were some helpful recipes for basics like almond milk and date paste. I enjoyed reading about her health journey.
November 5, 2017
Didn’t read for weight loss advice but for the recipes. Chef AJ’s story of her journey was quite interesting and heartbreaking at times. She has overcome her difficulties and now tries to help others.
June 25, 2025
This book is a bit dated now. No pictures.
Chef AJ is quite a character and I have heard her speak on various podcasts in the past. There are a few things I will continue to make but there are better recipe books out there!
Chef AJ is quite a character and I have heard her speak on various podcasts in the past. There are a few things I will continue to make but there are better recipe books out there!
September 7, 2018
Eat vegan, eat unprocessed. There I wrote the book. The recipes seem fine, but the rest is just filler. Nothing novel here.
June 7, 2019
Inspiring! Can't wait to wrap my tastebuds around those recipes!!
August 20, 2019
Didn't expect half of the book to be recipes.
February 23, 2021
Not into the "raw" thing or dates. First 52 pages are just about the author's story (her food journey), ugh! A few recipes to try.
December 20, 2021
If you’re reading reviews for this book,just buy it
May 12, 2016
This book is by a pretty well-known plant-based-whole-foods-no-oils chef known as Chef AJ. She starts out by telling her story, her journey to plant-based nutrition. Usually when an author shares their story, it's not too exciting, but her story is AMAZING. I won't spoil it for you by telling you why. It just blew me away. The recipes look good, but as is usually the case, I wouldn't recommend any book with recipes to be purchased as an ebook.....to hard to locate specific recipes, especially on Kindle. I usually go with nook because of the ease of bookmarking stuff, but this title was not available on nook. I don't know if I just don't know how to bookmark in Kindle or if it just doesn't have that feature. If you know, let me know, please!
February 5, 2017
I'm a vegan but I am heavier than I wish to be and although I am not exactly a junk food vegan, I know that my diet can most certainly be cleaned up. The author's point on processed sugar - be it agave, maple syrup, brown rice syrup etc - hit home. Certainly, a lot of the raw vegan desserts contain plenty of that. A lot of what she says about fat, sugar and salt makes sense and part of me already knew it but sometimes you just have to be reminded and kick started to get back on track.
Her story which outlined her battles with weight and health, was interesting to read. I was a bit disappointed with the brevity of the book and expected more recipes, however. I guess I will have to look her up online for more on that.
Her story which outlined her battles with weight and health, was interesting to read. I was a bit disappointed with the brevity of the book and expected more recipes, however. I guess I will have to look her up online for more on that.
January 20, 2015
Recently made the change to eating whole food, plant based. I've been reading everything i can about this way of life. Unprocessed didn't teach me anything really new, but her candor about her previous struggles with health impressed me. There are some good recipes in the book also!
I've been reading a lot of books about whole food plant based eating, because I recently made that change. I admire AJ's candor about her struggles. I may not have learned anything new, but at least was able to reinforce some ideas. Also, there are some good recipes included.
'
I've been reading a lot of books about whole food plant based eating, because I recently made that change. I admire AJ's candor about her struggles. I may not have learned anything new, but at least was able to reinforce some ideas. Also, there are some good recipes included.
'
August 25, 2020
I discovered Chef AJ via John Joseph (of the Cro Mags) on YouTube. I know the benefits of a whole-food, plant-based diet, and this book is Chef AJ's account of how ayou cannot outrun a poor diet, especially a junk food vegan diet.
The first 52 pages are her personal history, and it is heart-breaking. She shares her struggles with an eating disorder and various mental disorders, as well as the trials of her family's health issues. It is heavy content, but it is a quick read.
The remainder of the book offers 100+ whole food, plant indulgent recipes and resources.
I recommend this book for anyone interested in plant-based eating or sugar-fat-salt-free eating.
The first 52 pages are her personal history, and it is heart-breaking. She shares her struggles with an eating disorder and various mental disorders, as well as the trials of her family's health issues. It is heavy content, but it is a quick read.
The remainder of the book offers 100+ whole food, plant indulgent recipes and resources.
I recommend this book for anyone interested in plant-based eating or sugar-fat-salt-free eating.
October 13, 2013
The least favorite of my whole-foods, plant-based reads, but possibly because I feel like eating a 100% unprocessed diet is unattainable (not to mention undesirable... I like my treats and unrefined sweeteners and think I'd feel deprived if I had to give those up too). I think this is the weakest book recipe-wise for me that I've read so far, because a lot of her recipes are heavy on nuts (which I am restricting right now), and some of them are just not my style of eating. I still might buy it though for the rest.
May 7, 2014
I liked her open and honest explanation of why she changed her diet from junk-food vegan to eating only unprocessed food. I know I am weak, but I'm not sure I could live that way unless I develop health problems that would give me pause. Giving up meat wasn't herculean for me, but I love bread and chocolate chip cookies too much to stop eating them at this point in my life. A lot of the recipes in the book sound delicious.
July 12, 2016
I can really relate with Chef AJ when she shares about about being a food addict. Her thoughts and ideas about plant based eating have really helped me. She has also made me a huge Fan of InstantPot pressure cookers and I use mine several times a week. I appreciate her recipes although I doubt I will ever make any. I eat a very very simple plan. But who knows I may try one of her recipes in the future. As she said being a vegan for 33 years she could not have done it without some variety.
May 7, 2021
Finally, recipes which excite me
I adopted a plant based diet for health reasons, but I also need to drop a few pounds. I’ve flirted with many dr/chef books and while all the science is sound, the one thing I never been thrilled about are the recipes. Finding chef AJ is a delight. I want to try all her recipes. I’m so pleased to,have finally found a set of recipes which will help me stick to this whole foods
D plant based way of living.
I adopted a plant based diet for health reasons, but I also need to drop a few pounds. I’ve flirted with many dr/chef books and while all the science is sound, the one thing I never been thrilled about are the recipes. Finding chef AJ is a delight. I want to try all her recipes. I’m so pleased to,have finally found a set of recipes which will help me stick to this whole foods
D plant based way of living.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews