FRESH The Ultimate Live-Food Cookbook by Sergei and Valya Boutenko

You better have some free time when you pick up this book, because it's hard to put it down. Just like their mother, Victoria Boutenko, Sergei and Valya have a way with words. Both talk about their journey to raw foods, and tell the story of how they were able to reverse life threatening medical problem and go on to thrive. They discuss challenges like how to eat raw while traveling, how to get children interested, and maintain a healthy diet in a world where that's not always so easy.

The Boutenkos are so far ahead of their time in nutritional wisdom, but draw from the oldest and most simple, instinctive knowledge. Once they point to it, it's as plain as day and you wonder, how did we ever get so far away from this?

The first quarter of the book is full of insight and information. The rest is comprised of recipes that are accessible and loosely written as to encourage experimentation. At one point they talk about how odd it is that we even need recipes with measurements to consume raw foods. How is it we are the only species who don't know instinctively how and what to eat?

This book is thought provoking and filled with great ideas for yummy food. There are some beautiful photos, but not that many. Normally I like my cookbooks to have a photo accompanying each recipe, but this book is so rich that it didn't bother me. Maybe the Boutenkos will one day do a hardcover traditional photo laden (un)cookbook? I look forward to more from this knowledgeable, inspiring family!

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Book Review: Green Smoothie Revolution by Victoria Boutenko

One of my favorite books is GREEN FOR LIFE, by Vicoria Boutenko. This book had a big effect on me, convincing me for the first time in my life to eat kale. I always tried, but never liked it and only ate it dutifully and smothered with earth balance when I did. Green For Life taught me to put leaves of raw kale in my blender with fruit for an ultra nutritious beverage/meal. I got that book two years ago and green smoothies have been a big part of my life ever since and for that I'm grateful to Victoria.

Her latest effort, GREEN SMOOTHIE REVOLUTION, has about 150 recipes for those needing ideas. There are also many stories of how individuals were able to transform their health by the simple addition of green smoothies into their diet. Public health could be completely revolutionized by following Victoria's advice, so I think it's an apt title.

After two years of green smoothies, I feel like I can't live without them. I often joke that if my house were on fire, the first thing I would grab after my son is the blender. You get hooked. My son loves them too, we drink them several times a week, and in the summer, at least once a day. Green smoothies are for everyone, not expensive, and she even tells you which greens you can find through foraging.

There is an interesting back story. Her family had some health issues the medical system failed to cure or even provide manageable care for. So she did a ton of research and her family transitioned to a raw food diet. Their health dramatically improved and then hit a plateau at one point. After doing extensive research on the chimpanzee diet, Victoria realized the missing link was greens. The story is fascinating, illuminating and very exciting. Why wasn't this obvious to all of us all along--it's so simple!

Green Smoothie Revolution stands on its own, but I would highly recommend Green For Life first. You don't have to be a raw foodist or even heading down that path. This is for everyone, and that's the beauty here, it's accessible to all. If you feel like you need to boost your nutrition levels or know anyone who is suffering from ill health or a chronic condition, these books could be potentially life changing. Highly recommended.

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