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Carol Alt's books

Hey, I’m wanting to buy one of Carol Alt’s raw cookbooks, but I’m wondering which one…If any of you guys have read them, will let me know which one you liked better or was more helpful and inspiring? I want to order soon, so I’d really appreciate some input.

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  • Oh, and the first book is called “Eating in the Raw” And the second is “The Raw 50”.

  • pianissimapianissima Raw Newbie

    i don’t get the carol alt thing actually. salt cured pork and unpasteurized yogurt?

    i hadn’t known until i read her books that you could take the raw thing to a non-vegan level. i personally don’t eat animal products, but i get the fish thing, ok. but dairy just goes against common sense for me. alt recommends buying the kind of grav-lox that isn’t smoked… fine it’s raw, but it doesn’t make it uncontaminated, OR cruelty-free, or not corn-fed…

    hm… books i’ve liked: rainbow green live food cuisine, juliano’s book is FANTASTIC (and non-preachy, just delicious), and i really like this book by wood “eat smart, eat raw.” she’s very creative!

  • I have her book “Eating in the Raw” It was the first book I read on the raw food lifestyle. I liked it.

    She is not a vegan, and that upsets some people, but you don’t have to be vegan to be raw, I’m not.

  • rawmamarawmama Raw Newbie

    Does your library have her books so you can check them out first, or go to Borders or Barnes & Noble to take a “looksie” before buying???

  • Personally, I do not understand the choice to be raw and NOT vegan. Animal protein is linked to so many serious illnesses! This is not news! Why go make the effort to be raw and then not bother to confront the addiction to animal products and to get educated about the health risks involved with them?

    Everyone who goes raw should also read The China Study for a complete understanding of why “raw omnivore” makes no sense at all.

  • BluedolfinBluedolfin Raw Newbie

    LovesPeter~ The simple answer to your question as to why choose to be raw and not vegan is that it works for some at some level (might be an lact of knowledge, convenience, “don’t want to give it up”, being deprived, ???). I think that whatever someone does to improve quality of life, whether I understand it or not, is a good thing, it makes a difference. Just like if everyone just changed in their environment 5 incandescent lightbulbs to 5 compact fluorescents, it would make a HUGE difference. One changed light bulb makes a difference. Some will, some won’t, some will lower their carbon footprint to levels we wouldn’t even think is possible. There is room for everyone including those that think going raw and not vegan is not understandable. :-)

  • Thanks for the feedback. Would you guys reccomend that Ali (Asian) woman’s book more? I forget her last name. With Carol Alt aren’t most of her recipes all raw in the book though?

  • pianissimapianissima Raw Newbie

    patty708- i wouldn’t say i was “offended” by non-vegan choices. it’s just if, hypothetically, i were going to eat animal protein or by-products i would avoid the supermarket products at all costs. they are allowed to write whatever they want on those packs and boxes. “free-range”, “hormone-free and antibiotic free”... all the corn and fungicides (not to mention how they treat them).

    lovespeter- why does “raw omnivore” make no sense? i mean, as opposed to just omnivore?

    speaking of which, i picked up an interesting book yesterday at barnes and noble (for a “looksie” like rawmama says haha) “the omnivore’s dilemna.” has anyone read it?

  • Bluedolfin, I’ll just reiterate that, once one does have the knowledge of the significant negative impact of animal protein on our health, that one would determine that eating raw and eating animal are profoundly inconsistent. I’m following the philosophy that one needs to eliminate what is harmful from the diet first, and then add in what is healthful. For example, if I had to choose either to go raw omnivore, or go cooked vegan, I would go cooked vegan and get the animal stuff out, out, out of my diet. Of course I have compassion for what anyone chooses to do on their path toward health.It is an individual process for all of us. Fortunately, that doesn’t inhibit my use of my brain and my critical thinking faculties. Keeping mum about just how bad animal protein is for our bodies, so that I don’t “offend” is NOT my idea of comapssion and kindness. Empowering people with information to stop harming themselves is, though. :-) I sincerely wish for any and all who still have animal protein in their diets that that they will ultimately decide to eliminate it.

  • Sky princes – I don’t have Ani Phyo’s book, but from the videos she has on her site (aniphyo.com_, it looks like her book would be a good buy. She has a simple and easy style with little dehydrating. Also, read the reviews on Amazon.

    The raw books I have are Rawsome (which is a GREAT reference I’m always coming back to!) as far as the recipes go though, they’re nothing you can’t already get on this site.

    As for Carol Alt, her omnivore-ness scares me from buying any of her books!

  • From what I read she just has a few recipes like that. The rest is supposed to be really good.

  • I have both books and REALLY like them. I have no intention of being vegan so I find it refreshing to find a few books like hers and those of Natalia Rose that talk about eating animal products raw too.

  • pianissima, I don’t think an omnivore diet is good—that’s a given. I don’t think “raw omnivore” makes sense in the context of going raw for great health, which an omnivore diet would undermine.

  • HI
    I checked Eating in the Raw from the library and it is why I am now trying the raw lifestyle. She is awesome! She is very non-judgemental and she talks about eating meat and choosing not to eat meat. I love her open-mindedness. I am not vegan nor vegetarian personally. (I hear others cringing as they read this!) but I agree with Carol, everyone is different and everyone’s diet needs are different. I believe the same about religions and other cultural behaviors.

    Anyway I loved her first book so I bought the new cookbook the 50 meals. What is great about that one is it is not 50 recipes, it is 50 meals. Each meal, say lunch, will include a main entre, a side dish or two and a dessert so it is very complete. GREAT sounding recipes. If it is recipes only you want buy the cookbook as many of the recipes from the first are repeated. If it is information you desire as well, get them both or check it out from the library.

  • Since then, I’ve bought Carol Alt’s books and Ani Phyo’s and I love all three. I can easily skip anyting in Carol’s book that isn’t vegan if I want, and I love her recipes and her open way of writing.

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