RAWvolution Gourmet Living Cuisine by Matt Amsden

"Improve your lifestyle, revitalize your health, and stimulate your senses with sumptuous raw cuisine...Matt Amsden reveals in this vibrant, inspiring book, raw cuisine represents the discovery and innovative use of luscious natural ingredients. More than a cookbook, RAWvolution is the indispensable, all-inclusive guide to the many powerful benefits of raw food...Amsden shares essential advice, information, and encouragement for adopting a raw foods lifestyle."

"When you change your diet, you really become a different person, and your world seems to become a different place...You truly are what you eat. You can choose to be light, vibrant, fresh, and alive...Your body is your temple. Once your temple is clean and pure, there is space for divinity, insight, and virtue to reside."

I have truly enjoyed my adventure in exploring raw foods. A friend recommended RAWvolution to me because she knows I love beautiful photographs in my cookbooks! The photos are stunning and I have tried a handful of the recipes with great success!  It has also inspired me to make my own raw food recipes! I love that Matt Amsden also tells his story of how he got into raw foods and also shares the reasons he only eats raw foods...unbelievable flavor, living water, real vitamins and minerals, enzymes, examples in nature, quality of life, and mental outlook and spiritual progression. Raw food really does have so many amazing benefits and I continue to enjoy making many of his recipes and adapting them to my own tastes! I will be sharing some of his recipes that I have adapted as well!

"The Feel Good Cookbook - Whole Foods and Allergy Free Recipes" by Jonell West Francis

"The Feel Good Cookbook is a "How To" handbook with recipes for real people who seek a nutritional approach to fatigue, headaches, gut trouble or general autoimmune disease (ie. ADHD, arthritis, diabetes, fibromyalgia, IBS, MS and schleroderma) or who want to cut out refined sugar, dairy or wheat from their diet. It details one woman's journey back to health for over a two year period from fibromyalgia, a disease estimated to affect as many as 1 in 3 women between age 25 and 50 in the U.S. In addition to outlining a recipe for recovery from gut linked disease, it includes hundreds of kid-tested sugar-free, dairy-free recipes from appetizers and main dishes to kid's snacks and party food that are fresh, quick, affordable and most importantly, delicious. There is a strong connection between food and feeling good, between diet and disease. Whether you want to eat more whole foods, build your immunity, or heal a specific health problem this book is for you! Read on and be amazed at how directly the foods we eat can affect the way we feel in energy level, in mental clarity and mood, even in the degree of pain, inflammation and stress our bodies experience. Ten years ago, when I learned of the link between food and feeling good, I began looking for ways to feed my family healthier fuel free of refined sugars, refined flours, and allergenic dairy products. Also, wheat and gluten sensitivity for some of my family members invited me to explore the strange new world of gluten free dining. Discovering the goodness of whole foods, (including wheat) has rendered some wonderful new meals that my family actually prefers to the canned soup casseroles of the past. From our kitchen to yours, here are our family's favorite recipes...and here's to Feeling Good!"


This was an excellent book to read...and yes there is A LOT of information in this book besides just the recipes.  Jonell takes us on her journey of health as she discovers what she can do to heal her body from "leaky gut syndrome" and Candida. She shares what worked for her and many of the recipes she now uses in her family that use many whole foods! It is an excellent resource, especially for those with gluten sensitivities. I was lucky enough to also go to one of her seminars and she truly lives what she preaches, and feels much more health and wellness in her life!

"The Green Smoothies Diet: The Natural Program for Extraordinary Health" by Robyn Openshaw

From back cover..."Looking for a quick, flavorful and nutritious way to stay youthful and healthy? The Green Smoothies Diet provides the perfect solution! Green Smoothies are the best way to power up your body and supercharge your health in just minutes a day. Packing a tasty, nutrient-filled punch in every sip, these ultra healthy smoothies pair leafy green vegetables with delicious, antioxidant-rich fruits. Discover how green smoothies help you:
Lose Weight
Detoxify the body
Increase energy
Fight heart disease
Prevent diabetes and certain cancers
Boost the immune system
Make skin and hair beautiful"

I simply LOVED this book and have decided it is one of my top recommended books for health! Robyn is simply amazing and so inspiring as she shares her passion of healthy food and her own powerful story and struggles with being healthy. She has done tremendous research on the subject of health and shares this wealth of knowledge with us in a concise easy read. This book is an invaluable tool to regaining your health and maintaining it for life! Robyn shares so many wonderful ideas that can help us all! Start your journey to health TODAY!!

Green Smoothie Girl's Blog!

I received an email today from Green Smoothie Girl with a saying I absolutely LOVED!!

"Eating healthy and turning your health around is just a matter of finding enough practices and recipes you love, and making habits of them."

She also says in her email..."There are lots of ways to lose weight, but only one way to good health with weight loss as a byproduct, and that's through eating simple, delicious, unadultered whole foods!"

I could not agree with her more, and this has definitely been the case for me.  The more wonderful recipes I try, added to all the research I have done to create healthy habits, is what has turned my health around, with weight loss as an added bonus!! 

Check out Green Smoothie Girl's blog 
It is amazing!!

"Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right" By Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

From back cover..."Cutting edge nutritional science for the family table: In his private practice, Joel Fuhrman, M.D. helps families transform their eating habits and recover their health. His nutrient-rich eating plan can have a significant impact on your child's resistance to dangerous infections, and a dramatic effect on reducing the occurrence of illnesses like asthma, ear infections, and allergies.  Dr. Fuhrman explains how you can make sure your children are eating right to maintain a healthy mind and body, and how eating certain foods and avoiding others can positively impact your child's IQ and success in school.

He also presents the fascinating science that demonstrates that the current epidemic of adult cancers and other diseases is closely linked to what we eat in the first quarter of life. Eating well in our early years may enable us to win the war on caner. Bolstered by this scientific evidence, Dr. Fuhrman helps you do everything you can to protect your child against developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune diseases, and cancer through a solid nutritional groundwork. 

Featuring easy-to-prepare, kid-friendly recipes that will satisfy even the pickiest eaters, your whole family will learn to establish lifelong healthful eating habits. harness the power of a nutrient-rich diet to ensure a lifetime free of illness and full of health!"

This is an amazing and powerful book. It quite clearly presents an abundance of scientific research that shows how what our children eat has such a dramatic effect on the rest of their lives.  He is quite persuasive in explaining how eating exceptionally healthy is the foundation for good health!  As a parent, I feel the need to be very proactive in the health of my children. This book has the potential to help you change any bad patterns in your children's diet and replace them with wonderful, healthy habits! Dr, Fuhrman has shared with us amazing knowledge to help us make correct decisions about the health of our children and ourselves.  You will never view food the same way after reading this book.  It empowered me to continue my efforts for a healthy lifestyle and to never give up, even with the pickiest eaters.  

I especially enjoyed his advice on instilling good eating habits in our children...like to never use food as rewards, teaching by example, and letting children eat when they are hungry instead of forcing them to eat at a certain time. As parents, we need to create the right environment in our home. We need to be responsible for the selection of food and for preparing the food our children eat. Our children need to be responsible for deciding how much and when to eat!  I love the ideas for many healthy snacks he gives, but still need to try his recipes for meals.  Some do seem rather daunting. But overall an amazing book on health and food.

"The Juice Fasting Bible: Discover the Power of an All-Juice Diet to Restore Good Health, Lose Weight and Increase Vitality" by Sandra Cabot, M.D.

This is the second book I read on juice fasting. It tells you everything you need to know about the benefits of juice fasting, what to expect during the detoxing process, what fruits and vegetables are best for juice fasting and their health benefits, juice fasting safety and preparation, and what to expect psychologically during fasting.  It also includes several recipes at the back of the book, but I believe the author relies too heavily on oranges in her juice recipes. The book is well written, full of great information and easy to read. It is current and up to date information and another excellent read on juice fasting. 

From back cover..."In today’s world, it is vital to detox! And there is no better way than by doing a juice fast. Fresh juices are bursting with healthy ingredients: antioxidants, vitamins, natural antibiotics, beneficial nutrients, anti-inflammatories, and even enzymes that vastly improve digestion and flush the intestinal tract. The Juice Fasting Bible helps you harness the natural rejuvenating power of juices to improve your quality of life, enhance fitness, provide extra energy and even lengthen your lifespan. It shows how you can turn your love of juice into something wonderful for your body. The Juice Fasting Bible guides you step by step through the entire cleansing process: Finding the Best Fruits and Vegetables, Choosing the Right Fast, Handling the Fast with Ease, Enjoying Glorious Juice Recipes, Ending Your Fast Properly"

Juice Fasting and Detoxification: Use the Healing Power of Fresh Juice to Feel Young and Look Great" by Steve Meyerowitz

I really enjoyed watching the movie "Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead" and afterwards became quite interested in broadening my knowledge about juice fasting.  This was the first book I read on juice fasting.  It was very informative, an easy read, and gave a review of all the basic principles pf fasting. It offers a great discussion of what fasting is, the benefits of fasting, and the different types of fasts. It offers descriptions of how to begin, how long to continue and how to come off a fast. This book is also a great tool to learn how the body heals itself and detoxifies, what to expect as this occurs and what can be done to help the body during the cleansing process. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about juice fasting and what to do to start my own juice fast!

 

From back cover..."The human body has an incredible capacity for healing and longevity. Within is is an intelligence more powerful than any drugs or a surgeon's knife.  Fasting gives your body the well deserved vacation it needs to repair itself. The power that made the body can heal the body. Fasting and juice therapy revamp your health from the inside out. This book shows you how to tap that power and how to fit it into a busy lifestyle. It's easier than you think. Even just one fast day per week provides 50 rejuvenating days per year. Give your cells and yourselves the opportunity to cleanse, nourish, rejuvenate and heal. *Increase Energy & Improve Mental Alertness. *Heal Chronic Ailments without Drugs. *Lose Weight without the Hassle of Diets. *Maintain Stamina with Absolutely No Hunger. *Fast at Home or at Work - Perfect for a Busy Lifestyle. *Make Quick & Delicious Juice Recipes."

"Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead"

"Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead" is a highly inspirational show.  I enjoyed seeing the transformation eating good food & particularly JUICING can have on someone; not just by losing weight, but actually getting rid of debilitating diseases and taking medications!!  This show is what got me intrigued by juicing! Watch it today! 

http://www.hulu.com/watch/289122/fat-sick-and-nearly-dead

SYNOPSIS

100 pounds overweight, loaded up on steroids and suffering from a debilitating autoimmune disease, Joe Cross is at the end of his rope and the end of his hope. In the mirror he saw a 310lb man whose gut was bigger than a beach ball and a path laid out before him that wouldn't end well— with one foot already in the grave, the other wasn't far behind. FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD is an inspiring film that chronicles Joe's personal mission to regain his health.

With doctors and conventional medicines unable to help long- term, Joe turns to the only option left, the body's ability to heal itself. He trades in the junk food and hits the road with juicer and generator in tow, vowing only to drink fresh fruit and vegetable juice for the next 60 days. Across 3,000 miles Joe has one goal in mind: To get off his pills and achieve a balanced lifestyle.

While talking to more than 500 Americans about food, health and longevity, it's at a truck stop in Arizona where Joe meets a truck driver who suffers from the same rare condition. Phil Staples is morbidly obese weighing in at 429 lbs; a cheeseburger away from a heart-attack. As Joe is recovering his health, Phil begins his own epic journey to get well.

What emerges is nothing short of amazing – an inspiring tale of healing and human connection.
Part road trip, part self-help manifesto, FAT, SICK & NEARLY DEAD defies the traditional documentary format to present an unconventional and uplifting story of two men from different worlds who each realize that the only person who can save them is themselves.

12 Steps to Whole Foods by Robyn Openshaw

I went to a "green smoothie girl" class and was introduced to this book...it is another mind altering addition to my health! This book is great because it allows you to focus on one step each month, or if you can't wait...you can do multiple steps like me!  The book is full of great ideas, nutritional information and also lots of recipes!  It really is a very inspirational book to start eating more healthy! Easy and straight forward information! Can't say enough about how this has changed my life! 

About the book..."You’re sick and tired of being sick and tired. You know that you should “eat healthy,” but with so many voices out there, what does “eating healthy” even mean? Every day you have new resolve to eat right, but with a fast-food joint on every corner, and that darn vending machine at work, the day gets away from you. A Diet Coke, Doritos, apple fritters, Big Macs . . . they’re fast, easy, and cheap. But you know your body and mind are paying the price. It’s time to right the course. Robyn Openshaw has sifted through the vast body of dietary counsel competing for your attention. What is truly worth your time and energy is presented, in a way anyone can follow, in this book. In the course of a year, you can adopt the habits that took the author 16 years to learn, experiment with, and adopt into daily practice–for optimal weight, health, and energy! The focus of this course is on natural, unrefined and unprocessed foods, with a strong emphasis on plant foods, 60-80 percent raw. You’ll learn lots of new and exciting ways to use foods that used to nourish mankind for thousands of years before there was a McDonald’s on every corner! Those foods include, in this order: Greens, Vegetables, Fruits, Legumes, Whole grains, Nuts, Seeds, and Small amounts of unrefined oils, sweeteners, and seasonings. 

The 12 Steps program doesn’t focus on the DON’Ts. You already know that white flour, white sugar, and other processed foods are bad for you. You probably know that cutting back dairy and meat, replacing them with legumes and whole grains, would help your health. What the course does is teach you the DO’s. How you can have a positive experience with whole foods. Robyn doesn’t beat people up about their food choices—she nurtures them into a healthier and happier place.

 These are the 12 steps:

1.Bye-Bye, Stimulants—Hello Green Smoothies

2.Making Salad the Star

3.Dressing Up Your Salad

4.Avoiding Bad Fats, Enjoying Good Fats

5.Reaping a Gardener’s Rewards

6.Making Plant-Based Main Dishes

7.Sprouting and Dehydrating

8.Preserving Raw Foods with Natural Probiotics

9.Replacing White Flour with Whole Grains

10.Starting Your Morning Off Right

11.Creating Delicious Whole-Food Treats

12.Achieving an Alkaline Inner Terrain

Simply Salads by Jennifer Chandler

I found this recipe book on Amazon and I ADORE it! I am a person that likes to look through a cook book for something that is visually appealing to make and this book has utterly gorgeous pictures throughout of every single recipe! Although I do not buy prepackaged greens, I enjoyed reading the different greens combinations the author puts together and the other ingredient combinations for salads. I will be trying many concoctions from this book! Everything looks beautiful and delicious! LOVE!

Green Smoothie Revolution by Victoria Boutenko

"When the solution is simple, God is answering." -Albert Einstein
This is what I felt like when I read this book. 

I found this book on Amazon at the very beginning of my journey to health. I wanted to do more things in my life that would help me and my family become more healthy. This seemed like the best place to start! I enjoyed learning how important adding more GREENS to our diet is and how green smoothies can give you so much energy, along with MANY other added benefits!! After reading the research, I was hooked! Thus began my addiction to green smoothies!  Green smoothies give me TONS of ENERGY, help me with my depression, and add BETTER nutrition to my lifestyle!  They are simply amazing!!

"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." -Winston Churchill
This book got me EXCITED to CHANGE my life! It gave me the passion to start to CHANGE my diet by consuming MORE fresh, raw fruits, greens, and vegetables!! I loved learning how the author pioneered the green smoothies revolution.  I found it amazing that the author came up with the idea of green smoothies partly by looking at the animal that is most genetically like a human (a chimpanzee shares an estimated 99.4% of the same genes) and then seeing what they eat. Chimps eat 50% fruit, 40% greens and the remaining 10% is seeds, bark and insects. These animals possess an extremely strong natural immunity to AIDS, hepatitis C, cancer, and other fatal human illnesses. I found this truly amazing!! I learned SO MUCH from this book! Another thing I thought was interesting is that GREENS are the only food that can be combined with every other food group without any negative results. Try a green smoothie today!

From back cover..."Raw food pioneer Victoria Boutenko takes the chore out of eating your greens with this simple solution to the ongoing struggle for proper nutrition. Thanks to consuming processed and fast foods, being overworked, and feeling stressed while eating on the fly, few of us in the modern rat race eat anywhere near a balanced diet. Even if we are not obviously sick, we may suffer from lack of focus, insomnia, sluggishness, or any host of symptoms caused by nutritional deficiency. Green Smoothie Revolution takes aim at this silent epidemic by restoring balance to out-of-whack diets. Boutenko's answer is the mouth watering and nutrition packed green smoothie. Requiring little prep time, the green smoothie is the easy way to introduce long-neglected fruits, vegetables, and greens back into our diet. Featuring 200 recipes, Green Smoothie Revolution offers simplicity, enough variety to keep taste buds happy, and raw food ingredients that give us nutrition our bodies crave."
 

Watch this show... FORKS OVER KNIVES

What has happened to us? Despite the most advanced medical technology in the world, we are sicker than ever by nearly every measure. Two out of every three of us are overweight. Cases of diabetes are exploding, especially amongst our younger population. About half of us are taking at least one prescription drug. Major medical operations have become routine, helping to drive health care costs to astronomical levels. Heart disease, cancer and stroke are the country’s three leading causes of death, even though billions are spent each year to “battle” these very conditions. Millions suffer from a host of other degenerative diseases.

Could it be there’s a single solution to all of these problems? A solution so comprehensive but so straightforward, that it’s mind-boggling that more of us haven’t taken it seriously? FORKS OVER KNIVES examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the degenerative diseases that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting animal-based and processed foods. The major storyline in the film traces the personal journeys of a pair of pioneering researchers, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.

The idea of food as medicine is put to the test. Throughout the film, cameras follow “reality patients” who have chronic conditions from heart disease to diabetes. Doctors teach these patients how to adopt a whole-food, plant-based diet as the primary approach to treat their ailments – while the challenges and triumphs of their journeys are revealed.

PLEASE watch this show...it is incredibly enlightening!!
(Watch on hulu for free!)

http://www.hulu.com/watch/279734/forks-over-knives?src=sem-plus-google&cmp=205&gclid=CMah8ZTawq8CFakERQodByrgaQ

Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, MD

This is one of those mind blowing books!  It is the first book I recommend to people who really want to change their LIFESTYLE!!  Dr. Fuhrman preaches a simple rule, everything you eat should have a high degree of nutrition compared to its calories. Therefore, meats, dairy, white flour, and processed foods don't make the cut!  We should be eating mainly greens, vegetables, beans, fruit and nuts. This is the lifestyle I have chosen!  I feel SO MUCH better and have TONS MORE energy when I eat this way!  (And when I do not eat this way...I FEEL a lot worse!!)  Once you start eating more healthy (like a "Nutritarian" Furhman says) you will reap numerous benefits!  You will have much less cravings for unhealthy things and you will be feeding your body highly nutritious food! Not to mention, any extra pounds you might be holding on to will simply melt away!!

From back cover..."Eat to Live offers a highly effective, scientifically proven way to lose weight. The key to Dr. Joel Fuhrman's revolutionary six-week plan is simple: health = nutrients / calories. When the ratio of nutrients to calories in the food you eat is high, you lose weight. The more nutrient-dense food you eat, the less you crave fat, sweets, and high-caloric foods. EAT TO LIVE has been revised to include inspiring success stories from people who have used the program to lose shockingly large amounts of weight and recover from life-threatening illnesses; Dr. Fuhrman's nutrient density index; up-to-date scientific research supporting the principles behind Dr. Fuhrman's plan; new recipes and meal ideas; and much more. This easy-to-follow, nutritionally sound diet can help anyone shed pounds quickly-and keep them off."

The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, PhD and Thomas M. Campbell II, MD

 No book has shaken my worldview like this one! The China Study is well written, interesting and informative and is the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted! It conclusively demonstrates the link between nutrition and heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. The study examines more than 350 variables of health and nutrition. The information in this book is clear and concise. It was completely eye opening to read animal protein is singled out as the primary cause of most western diseases. I was also shocked to read about the tests with rats and how they could turn the growth of cancer on or off just by the amount of the animal protein casein they fed the rats!! This book has definitely rocked my world and has helped me completely change the way I eat and on to a road of health!! Once you make the switch to a whole foods plant based diet, your taste buds will change for good! You will feel more energy and a new zest for life!

From back cover..."The science is clear. The results are unmistakable. Change your diet and dramatically reduce your risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity."

By any measure, America's health is failing. We spend far more, per capita, on health care than any other society in the world, and yet two-thirds of Americans are overweight, and more than 15 million Americans have diabetes. We fall prey to heart disease as often as we did thirty years ago. The War on Cancer, launched in the 1970's, has been a miserable failure. Half of all Americans have a health problem that requires taking a prescription drug every week, and more than 100 million Americans have high cholesterol.

To make matters worse, we are leading our youth down a path of disease earlier and earlier in their lives. One-third of the children in this country are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. Our kids are increasingly falling prey to a form of diabetes that used to be seen only in adults, and children now take more prescription drugs than ever before. 

These issues all come down to three things: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The China Study presents a clear and concise message of hope as it dispels a multitude of health myths and misinformation: if you want to be healthy, change your diet."

POWER Foods

 This is an AMAZING Cook Book that I came across!  Not only are the photographs stunning and the recipes mouthwatering, but this book also includes information about all of the ingredients in a beautiful and easy to use format.  The first 65 pages of the book describe all the healthy ingredients and lists the health benefits, how to buy and store each ingredient, preparation tips, and other fun ideas!  Then there are tons of awesome recipes, with a picture of EVERY DISH!!  At the end of the book, you will find information on the basics...oils, alliums, herbs, spices, and alternative sweeteners! Plus, a glossary of terms and a nutritional index!!  This book is truly a phenomenal source and impressed me more than words can describe! The recipes are healthy, imaginative and inspiring!  It was exactly what I was looking for at this point in my life! 

Here is a list of the 38 Power Foods: Asparagus, Artichokes, Avocados, Beets, Bell Peppers, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Carrots, Kale, Mushrooms, Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Winter Squash, Apricots, Berries, Citrus, Kiwifruits, Papayas, Pears, Brown Rice, Oats, Quinoa, Dried Beans, Green Peas, Soybeans/Edamame, Almonds, Pecans, Pistachios, Walnuts, Flaxseed, Pumpkin Seeds, Eggs, Yogurt, Sablefish, Rainbow Trout, and Wild Alaskan Salmon.

From the back cover..."Many of our favorite ingredients—such as berries, tomatoes, and nuts—are among the healthiest foods on earth, and by simply incorporating more of them into our everyday meals, we can all lead healthier lives. Here are 150 fantastic ways to help you do just that. Organized into chapters on breakfast, snacks, sandwiches, soups, salads, main dishes, side dishes, and desserts, the recipes are accompanied by simple instructions and beautiful photographs to keep you inspired to eat well at any time of the day. Stay motivated with tempting recipes such as:

Breakfast: Pecan Pancakes with Mixed Berry Compote; Mushroom and Scallion Frittata
Starters and Snacks: Sweet Potato Hummus; Beet Chips
Sandwiches and Wraps: Salmon Salad and Curried Egg on Multigrain Bread; Kiwifruit Summer Roll
Soups and Stews: Golden Pepper Soup; Chili with Chicken and Beans
Salads: Quinoa and Corn Salad with Pumpkin Seeds; Endive, Avocado, and Grapefruit Salad
Main Dishes: Citrus-Roasted Salmon with Spring Pea Sauce; Soba Noodle, Tofu, and Vegetable Stir-fry; Turkey Cutlets with Tomatoes and Capers
Side Dishes: Cauliflower and Barley Salad with Toasted Almonds; Edamame Succotash
Desserts: Lemon Cream with Blackberries; Double Dark Chocolate and Ginger Biscotti

  Beyond these wonderful recipes, the editors of Whole Living magazine include research-backed information about the health benefits and disease-fighting properties of 38 power foods, along with nutritional data and helpful tips on storing, preparing, and cooking them. In this one-stop resource, you’ll learn all about stocking a healthy pantry, eating seasonally, understanding food labels, and when it’s best to splurge for organic ingredients. With 150 quick, flavor-packed recipes using the 38 healthiest foods nature has to offer, Power Foods makes eating well simple—and more delicious than ever before."