By Frederic Patenaude

Reviewed by Dan Jerke, age 16


Raw Secrets will help you live sustainably on the raw vegan diet and overcome the problems you may have encountered in doing so. If you are tired of the same, boring, repetitive information found in nearly every other book on the subject, then you're in for a surprise." -Frederic Patenaude

If you're into the raw-vegan diet, this book will find its place on your shelf. Raw Secrets is vital for beginners because it exposes all of the common pitfalls of the diet. Frederic's first-hand experiences take you through all of the of the myths, concerns, and major areas of this great lifestyle. Most of the 28 chapters are short and to the point, with personal input from Frederic. The book's forward is an introduction by Patenaude describing his rollercoaster health. After spending years having raw/cooked diet swings, he found it in his heart to write this book. It's purpose: to inform others so they don't have to learn things the hard way.

The first chapter delves into human anatomy and our "natural" diet. It takes us through our instincts and physical characteristics that call us to raw foods. Most of the chapters that follow deal specifically with the diet. Some of the headings include: "Fat," "Protein," "Detoxification," "Teeth," "Sleep," "Giving Up Bad Habits," and "Digestion." From Chapter 16, "Food Combining," Patenaude says, "We should be eating one food at a time and never mixing together anything." He continues, "With a simple, mainly raw diet, we automatically avoid most bad food combining." He then goes into the properties of certain foods and how they will react when eaten with others. Important tips such as these are extremely valuable to even experts!

The closing appendices of the book have daily menu ideas, testimonials, and comments on certain foods. I particularily enjoyed this book because Frederic's voice is felt throughout the entire thing. All of his words show sympathy toward us because he's interested in our well-being. For everyone new to the diet or long-time gurus, check this book out!

Frederic Patenaude is the publisher of Just Eat An Apple magazine and www.rawvegan.com.

Buy this book now!