12 Steps to Raw Foods: How to End Your Addiction to Cooked Food

by Victoria Boutenko, Gabriel Cousens (Foreword)

The book tells why raw food diet is superior and how to maintain successfully a 100% raw food lifestyle. The text is illustrated with stories from author's personal experience which makes reading easy and plesurable.

Genres: Health, Food, Nonfiction, Cooking, Nutrition, Vegan, Diets

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Victoria Boutenko is an author, teacher, inventor, researcher, artist and mother of three. She teaches classes on healthy living and raw food all over the world. As a result of her research and teachings, thousands of people are drinking and sharing green smoothies.

Source: http://greensmoothiesblog.com/who-is-...

Reviews

[Emily Mellow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, we are doing it! I thought VB was kind of a nut when I saw one of her dvds, but this book has me convinced otherwise, and now we are going raw. She has some very compelling arguments, a simple plan, and just makes the whole thing very doable. We are not going to go 100% raw instantly, but we are slowly heading that way. And damn, if we are not feeling better already. The results are indeed quick. We basically have one mostly cooked meal a day, and try to have everything else, breakfast snacks and lunch, be raw. It's going great. It's hard with kids who are hardly into eating anyway though, so now my goal is to find all the recipes for raw meals that my kids will eat.

[Karina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here is another whole foods book I had to settle for. There were definitely some good and bad things about this book. I thought the author had some interesting info about the importance of raw food and the good it can do for your body. Her book was almost inspirational, everytime I read it I actually considered trying a 100% raw food diet (ha!). But some of her ideas are a bit extreme for my taste, and although she was motivating, I could never go 100% raw. I did try one of her recipes, and I must say for being all raw, uncooked veges, it wasn't too bad, and my kids even ate it. But afterward I dreaded having to finish the leftovers on my own. I guess the search is on for a great whole food cookbook...

[sleeps9hours · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not going raw, but reading this book did encourage me to stay mindful and vigilant about what my family and I eat. Every now and then I need the reminder that diet is very important to overall health, and therefore worth the time, money, and effort that it takes to stay on the health track in a very unhealthy food environment. Bring on the fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds.

[Max · Rating 2 out of 5]

Whoo, this was way too intense for me. I don't plan on eating raw foods only, but I was interested. This took it a little too far.

[Maria Huyette-arrizza · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is extreme. This makes sense when you consider that the author's personal journey was born out of extreme illness. Her family needed to go %100 raw at the time that they did. The biggest takeaway for me is the need to incorporate more of these foods into a standard American diet before cancer or diabetes strike thereby incresing a sense personally responsible for our bodies and learning to trust ourselves. Blindly entrusting a healthcare provider who will only gain from chronic illnesses is just asking for trouble. These arguments are made very well in this book. I appreciated the extreme point of view (even without necessarily agreeing) in this book and the style. The personal experiences she shared were just as effective facts. I have not gone %100 raw or even seriously considered most of the steps but I have to say that I think about this book and its lessons almost everytime I grocery shop.

[Maxime · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Mainly for teaching me about green smoothies. I would say the step by step claim of the title is somewhat of an exaggeration though. I don't honestly feel like I gained 12 new innovative steps to end my addiction to cooked food. But, it's a great anecdotal reference to hear about Boutenko's journey to raw foods.

[okyrhoe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found it very hard to take the author's point of view seriously. The premise that we are all addicted to cooked foods is ridiculous. This is not to say that one can't have an addiction-like relationship with food. But there is a difference between addictive-type behavior and an actual chemical dependency. The author flits from the first to the latter and can't quite make up her mind as to what form this "addiction" takes.
Definitely, making the switch from a culturally-acquired preference for cooked foods to a self-motivated decision to stick with a raw foods diet is difficult and possibly more likely to succeed by following a structured transition process. That the author proposes the 12-step formula is to me arbitrary and mostly based on what title is most likely to appeal to readers. I am not saying it is ineffective or wrong. It is more likely to sell copies, for sure. Basing one's thesis on a "12-step" method makes for an easier to write and easier to read narrative. Starting with her "salvation" story to hook the reader and then following a tried and tested formula to lead the reader from there to "conversion."
As for the scientific evidence presented again there is much to be said about the benefits of eating raw food, that is a no-brainer. However the oft-repeated assertion that most cooked food is ultimately toxic and/or lacking nutritive benefit is a stretch. There is a difference between consuming industrially produced foods or "badly" cooking home foods, and consuming freshly- steamed broccoli minutes after preparation. There are healthy ways to cooking food, and that too requires making lifestyle choices and radical changes to one's acquired habits.
For me the last straw was the suggestion that life threatening diseases including cancer can be cured by a strict adherence to a raw-foods diet. She cites the work of Ann Wigmore, whose pamphlets/books I read many years ago - they were my first introduction to raw foodism. Wigmore's beliefs about the healing properties of raw foods were extreme and rightly discredited. Despite that I was influenced by Wigmore's writings to the point where I do make an effort to eat raw when possible and whenever I sense my body "needs" it.
I cannot accept this author's assertion (like Wigmore's) that it is necessary for one to make a 100% transition to raw foods or else we are doomed. As long as one is mindful of avoiding industrially prepared processed foods and opting for "whole" foods then it follows one will eventually incorporate more raw foods into one's diet. The "program" (based on my experience) is basically about training your palate to enjoy the flavors and textures of raw food rather than "recovering" from an "addiction" or other negative behaviors. Over time it becomes "natural" to snack on a raw beet just like one would eat an apple or an orange, instead of chips and cookies. That doesn't require a mindset shift or an espousal of new concepts or anything like that.

[Yakov Pyatnitskov · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book helped to answer the question why even knowing that raw food makes me feel good and tastes good it's so damn difficult to just give up the cooked food. It's an addiction and once you start treating it as such many things start making sense.

Victoria made a tremendous work reviewing the sources to present her argument - cooking kills the food and it kills us. The nutrients are destroyed at above 41 degree Celcius and the crust we like so much is actually a carcinogen coating promoting cancer.

I was astounded to know that Otto Warburg got a Nobel prize for discovering the cause of cancer - too much acidity in the body. It happened in 1931. And the most acidic food is what? Meat, diary, cheese - the foods many people believe are essential for us.

Read the book but be warned it can revolutionize all you knew about food and nutrition.

[Pamela Szepa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am revolted by the claims of the book such as raw diet curing cancer, diabetes etc.
There are also claims of animals transmitting the mood to humans or the microwaves having bad vibrations.

When i focus solely on the raw diet advice, i like the soft encouragement and practical advice she gives, how to try and how to continue. I like the advice on finding a higher purpose that helps staying there long term
I have tried it for 1 week and found it does not work for me. I have less energy and a nearly constant headache. I eat all the fresh and organic fruit and vegetables, soaked nuts and seeds and do not feel hungry. But i also do not have an appetite and lost my lifestyle of fun weekends.

I guess this book can help people who were on a grossly poor diet but i lead a healthy life so do not need to go to such extremes.

[Liisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This nonfiction book by Victoria Boutenko contains some interesting observations but may be superseded somewhat by more recent studies. For example, Mrs. Boutenko shuns cooked food, but science seems to be saying that cooked tomatoes are more potent for one's health than raw ones. Yet Mrs. Boutenko is adept at inspiring and motivating readers to consider her premises. As in many nonfiction books, there are shreds of truth, which makes reading this one of some value.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Les 12 étapes vers une alimentation crue

Un livre fort intéressant, stimulant et motivant. Les 12 étapes sont celles qu’utilisent les « Alcooliques anonymes » pour se défaire de leur dépendance. Manger cuit serait contre nature et les possibilités du cru sont pratiquement infinies. Allez hop, dans la cuisine !

[Suzanne Eastman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great introduction to why and how to adopt a raw food diet. Easy to understand with delicious recipes in the back.

[Peculiar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book .This book explains why we're addicted to cooked foods and to go Raw step by step.

[Mira · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book got me into eating more raw foods (smoothies, salads) but never at 100%.

[Marty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delicious and informative book with lots of examples and guidance.

[Hilary Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started this book right when I got pregnant with Melissa. I ended up returning it to the library before reading all of it because I was so nauseous. I finally got around to reading it again and I'm glad I did! This book is not an instruction manual on eating raw; rather, it is informative and gives tools necessary to successfully change your diet.

The first section of the book is Why Raw Food? The author has an amazing understanding and appreciation for the human body. She does a great job explaining the idea behind eating raw and why/how this type of eating can help us.

The second section is Human Dependency on Cooked Food where she talks about "comfort foods" and the addictiveness of common foods.

The last section is what surprised me. I figured "12 Steps to Raw Foods" would be a how-to. It turns out, however, that the 12 steps are really 12 things to help end your dependency on cooked foods and succeed at changing to a raw diet. Some of the steps are: nourishing your body to eliminate cravings, avoiding temptations, gratitude and forgiveness, gaining clarity, actualizing dreams. After reading this book, I more fulling appreciate that success in life ties in to success in feeding your body what it needs. I love that she has a spiritual side and teaches the importance of gratitude.

This book also includes some basic recipes. I've only tried one (which I didn't like, but only because it turns out I don't like the sogginess of spring rolls). I love that she gives templates for making your own dishes so there isn't the pressure of buying a whole bunch of new ingredients or anything. For example: Basic Formula for Delicious Soup, and Basic Formula for Delicious Nut Burgers.

For anyone interested in trying to end addictions to cooked/unhealthy food, this is a great first book. By the end you have a greater understanding of and appreciation for the human body. You also have the tools necessary to succeed in making any changes you'd like to make.

[Maggieoh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best way I can sum up this book is that it's like reading something written by your kind of crazy but well-intentioned Russian auntie.

I picked up this book because I've been interested in working on some health goals in 2015 and it's one of three on my shelves regarding raw food. Beyond that, it was the luck of the draw.

Overall, it did have some good information and recipes I'm eager to try. I especially liked the little section where it gave basic recipe "templates" for soups, nut burgers, desserts, etc. Unfortunately, a lot of the information was padded by stories that any person questioning the raw lifestyle is likely to give either a suspicious sideways glance, a full-on eye-roll or even incredulous laughter accompanied by a toss of the book across the room. My strongest negative reaction came with the statement that numerous people she knew with cancer died because they would not/could not stick to a raw food diet. I won't go into all the reasons I strongly disagree with that but will say that she discredits herself by making these kinds of statements.

Re: the "steps," they don't really feel like clear-cut steps to me, but rather suggestions for following the lifestyle. I originally purchased this book because I have an interest in hearing more about food addiction, which isn't often talked about. But I didn't finish the book feeling like addiction to cooked food, specifically, is a real thing.

I can't help but root for kooky Aunt Vicky because I feel like she's coming from a positive place and sharing what has helped her deal with her own food addiction issues and her family's health problems. So even though this isn't likely to become my "raw food bible," I appreciate it for what it is.

[Ahemx · Rating 2 out of 5]

Finding a raw foods book that isn't written by a zealot is a very difficult thing to do, and this one fits in quite nicely in my craaazy shelf. It starts off really well, the first couple of chapters are written in very practical terms. The author gives a very honest account at her horrid eating habits, but I can see that any change in diet would have probably saved her life. A brief historical account of human food consumption was very interesting and eye opening.
But then she went craaazy by suggesting that the reason her raw food students were having a difficult time sticking to the raw food diet was because they were addicted to cooked foods. The author couldn't actually mean addicted in the clinical term surely, but she does, hence the title of the book. After attending AA meetings and researching books about addiction she qualifies herself as a psychologist. This works well for her since over 80% of those who attend her raw food classes fail to stay raw and she then claims is because they are all addicts.
She fails to consider that her own stimuli (her family's eating habits were outrageous) for seeking the raw food diet is not shared by anyone. Many of us are in good health but want to continue to better ourselves and why not add a green smoothie to our lifestyle and slowly integrate our families to the idea. Unfortunately, the raw food zealots are not okay with this choice, either you do it their way or no way and that is just crazy. Like most zealots they lose their ability to relate to others and this author is no exception.
One star for the first couple of chapters and one start for the recipes in the back.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I stubbled upon this book '12 Steps to Raw Foods' at the used bookstore I work in. Initially, it only mildly interested me. Being a vegan already, I am naturally quite curious and interested in health and nutrition. However this book sat on my shelf for months before I started reading it. One serendipitous day, I visited some friends in London, UK and had an amazing experience dining on gourmet raw food with them at a trendy raw vegan restaurant. That definitely changed my perspective on what "raw foods" could mean! When I came back to the States I immediately became more interested and started reading this book. I'm so glad I did. Victoria's arguments and narrative are very convincing yet sensible. Everything about the diet she suggests and attitude about nutrition that she conveys seems to me like the most necessary antithesis to today's nutrient-less and thoughtless eating habits. It's empowering to take such a fierce hold on your own health and vow to not become another statistic. After reading her book and being about 80% raw for the last couple months (I'm still beginning, but I WILL get to 100%), I feel better than ever. I highly recommend this book to the already-curious mind. However, it is totally understandable that this concept would seem too radicle to most. Perhaps start by replacing one meal a day with a green smoothie (and there are a few basic green smoothie recipes in Victoria's book), and see how amazing it makes you feel!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of her ideas are waaaay out on a limb, but when she talks about food she makes a lot of sense. She starts by sharing the incredible story of her own family. She, her husband, and their two kids were all incredibly unhealthy -- her husband was literally about to eat himself to death -- and out of desperation they went raw and completely turned their health around. This book got me started on green smoothies and I have found much of what she says to be true. For example, adding greens, which are rich in iron and other nutrients, to your diet gives you energy and also helps change your body's metabolism so that you start to crave them more, and crave synthetic foods less. It's been about six months since I started incorporating green smoothies into my diet on a regular basis and I feel more refreshed and detoxified than I did when I was eating more processed foods. Several benefits of eating green smoothies and other vegetable/fruit-heavy dishes is you save money and will likely lose some weight. I recommend this for anyone who's dabbling with the idea of a raw or vegan diet.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Healthy addictions*

As you can tell from just reading the title of this book, it's on the extreme end of the raw food movement (i.e. "Go 100% raw or die!"). But, if you can take it with a grain of (raw Celtic sea) salt, there's actually a lot of good stuff in here for whatever percent raw you chose to go. In addition to containing some great and well-researched information on the health benefits eating raw (and yes, also on some of the toxic byproducts of cooking foods which you may rather not know), the book provides the basic formulas for un-cooking soups, dressings, desserts, "milks," green smoothies, and nut burgers which you can build upon to invent your own creations.

Whether or not you have an addiction to cooked foods (I'm still trying to digest that one), this book is certainly worth the read. In the very least, you'll pick up some useful information and a recipe or two for packing more raw-ness into your life. The good thing is that if, by chance, you do become addicted to raw foods, you'll probably just get a lot healthier.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Some of her suggestions were kind of wacky but I liked the tone of the book. The author seemed very concerned with delivering the information in a methodical way. I can tell she learned from her mistakes on trying to force people to jump into the 100% raw diet right away, hence the reason she gives 12 powerful steps.

I don't think I could ever completely give up cooked food for more than a few weeks and the recipes in the back all included using a blender or dehydrator so I don't see how you can still get the nutrients you need from a bunch of blended up watered down goulash. I thought the recipes would be more simple keeping the fruits and veggies as raw as possible. Not really helpful to tell someone trying to go raw that they should take a hammer to their microwave, go buy a juicer dehydrator and blender on top of the expensive organic fruits and veggies. So as other reviewers said, she was kind of extreme but I enjoyed the book.

[Jen Grauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy and interesting book to ready.

So far I am back and forth between step one and two with a fridge full of vegetables.

The recipe for Green Spinach Soup is really yummy... reduce the jalapeno amount.

The author gets a little extreme when she talks about sleeping outside every night and going for ice cold polar bear swims. Each to their own.

She sites some great facts and really gets you motivated to start eating more raw foods.

My side note... some foods are not meant to be eaten raw, such as broccoli & cauliflower. Cooking is what helped the human race survive longer by allowing us to consume foods otherwise not available on a raw diet.

Boutenko made a good point in saying that with our current western society the availability of fresh, raw foods year round is no longer a problem and it is not necessary to eat processed and cooked foods as a survival method.

[Iva · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't even know where to start! complete waste of my time! There are some useful facts and how to's about raw food but I this author is a complete amateur! she actually claims that 132 people who had cancer and were placed on a strict raw-food diet all died because they couldn't stay on a raw-food diet!!!
when I came to this page in the book I decided to draw a line and quit wasting my time reading this!
I give credit to healthy life style and all the benefits it has on our health but above mentione citation made me furious. I could go on and on naming all the stupid thing this author has presented here but the worst thing is her unconvincing persuasion and wanting to label raw food as the healthiest thing in the whole white world!
I gave it two stars just because there are some useful things I read in the first few pages.

[ShaiJai · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I wasn't so impressed with the way book was written, the information gives you much to ponder. I was motivated to read this book after watching the documentary called "Simply Raw." After watching 6 people reverse an "incurable" disease (type 1 & 2 diabetes mellitus) in less than a month with raw foods, I realized that I must learn more about this. Since increasing my raw food intake to at least 70-80% a day, I've already noticed a marked improvement in many facets, including my energy levels, body stiffness, and even brain function. While I'm not there yet, I think that Victoria Boutenko has indeed set the foundation for ending my dependency on cooked food. When you experience the long-lasting benefits of a fully raw meal, as opposed to the short-term satisfaction of a cooked meal, it's hard to continue with that old tradition.

[Xenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't necessarily agree with all of the author's arguments for why raw food diet is the way to go, but this book is interesting nonetheless as she writes more about the lifestyle changes that accompany any major change in one's life.

The author believes that humans have an addiction to cooked food and therefore sets up the majority of the book on the template of the 12 step process utilized for many addiction recoveries. Her exploration of the psychological ties we have with food is very interesting. The book is full of citations so it is nice to see that she has done her fair share of research!

[DG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok let me just say yes this is anecdotal and yes it may come off as preachy at times but she does back up a lot of claims with good references to scientific research conducted by reputable institutions.

I read one review that made me pause. Se does back up her claims that raw food is toxic to the body with the research of good sources, one of which is Mount Sinai hospital in NY.

I think it's worth the read. However I can understand why people would e turne off, because again she does use a lot of anecdotes. If you want a more concrete and scientific read go to the thrive book set by Brendan brazier.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in food and/or your health at all, you must read this! A very simple, beginner's approach to understand how raw foods are nature's way of healing our bodies and helping us live with more energy and happiness. The author used to be extremely overweight, had a husband and son with diabetes, and a daughter with asthma. Within weeks of beginning a raw food diet ALL of their chronic illness symptoms were gone. Just think what raw foods can do for people who don't have chronic illnesses! Definitely helped me transition to eating more raw foods in my diet.

[Lynette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know if I'll ever adopt a raw food diet, or many of the other lifestyle habits explained in this book, like polar bear swimming, or sleeping outside every night. However, I've also learned never to say never. I was a vegetarian for 3 years and I believe I waas healthier when I didn't eat meat. I would like to start eating healthier, and this book gives some excellent recipes and ideas. I also agree with many of the author's philosophies on life, human nature, and spirituality. Over all, I did find this book to be very inspiring and informative, if a bit pppreechy.

[Belann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise that cooked food addiction is similar to other addictions such as alcohol or food, but I don't think it is so. My personal feeling is that the craving that people feel for cooked food, is because they often need what is in foods that are best eaten cooked, such as grains. Grains are part of every culture. I don't believe they can be omitted or used only occasionally, sprouted. They truly are the staff of life. That being said, I think it is important to base a large part of the diet on raw foods with nutrients intact, and I have enjoyed some of the recipes so far.