Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine [Paperback]

I normally don't write reviews at all, but this book certainly deserves one. The highlights:

* It doesn't consists of all these sweet recipes but has great tasting alternatives (I could never get into all that sweet stuff); there are no dates, bananas, etc., and there are some good explanations as to why
* The recipes don't require a lot of strange ingredients of which I never even heard before; ingredients are easily found
* You don't have to plan days ahead of time to just produce one dish; a lot of it can be put together quickly
* It does have its share of nuts, but for some reason I don't resent that here as I did in most of my other books; they don't seem to be everywhere
* There are NO wheat recipes (yeah!); I'm terribly allergic to that... Instead there are lots of recipes with flax seeds, and there is a very good explanation as to why wheat/grains are not used.

I ordered two other books at the same time I got this one and I already owned two raw food books, but this one is the only one I use. The recipes appeal to me much more than the ones in the other books. There still are tools that are necessary for the raw food kitchen, like a dehydrator, juicer, high-speed blender, etc., but there is a section in the beginning that outlines which ones they recommend.

I received my copy hot off the press only a few days ago and already it is quite evident that Gabriel and the Tree of Life chefs have provided us with the best live-food book currently existing. The few recipes I have tried are outstanding, and I am having a difficult time deciding which to try next, since all of them appeal to me.

Perhaps the single best thing about this book are Gabriel's updates concerning live-food nutrition. Though he frequently cites Conscious Eating for a more thorough discussion of many topics, Gabriel also extends his previous theoretical insights with new, exciting evidence published for the first time. His extended discussion of mycosis and the concept of a "compost button" vis-a-vis body metabolism are particularly intriguing. For instance, Gabriel cites the brilliant work of Dr. Robert Young (cf the book, Sick and Tired?) as support for the fact that high-glycemic foods, including many of our favorite raw fruits (e.g. dates, mangoes, bananas, etc.), create biological conditions favorable for the proliferation in our blood of bacteria, yeasts, fungus, molds and other nasties whose primary function is to compost dead matter. So long as we continue eating foods that undermine the vibrancy of our internal biological terrain, our "compost button" remains switched "on" and organisms which compromise our health continue their nasty business. Gabriel provides vivid evidence of this process of degeneration by presenting a series of color photographs that clearly show, via darkfield microscopy, the breakdown of our red blood cells and the proliferation of bacteria, yeasts, fungus and molds. Only by switching our "compost button" to the "off" position, via rainbow green live-food cuisine can we transform our biological terrain and reverse the process of mycosis.

Gabriel outlines how rainbow green live-food cuisine in particular, and not mere raw foods and live-foods per se, facilitates the transition away from mycosis to a friendly biological terrain and optimal health. He identifies three phases, beginning with low-glycemic foods, that we can follow in this process. Most importantly, the authors designate each recipe according to which phase it supports, meaning that we know precisely which recipes we can follow contingent upon where we are in the process of transition. And, Gabriel discusses how he himself, and everyone at the Tree of Life, altered their live-food diets by beginning Phase I and transitioning through Phase I.5 to Phase II, which is the lifelong maintenance diet. In an through this process, Gabriel and his staff experienced even more energy and feelings of well-being than experienced on their previous live-food diets. In other words, rainbow green live-food cuisine is NOT mere "live-food" but a specific, unique approach to live-food preparation and eating.

Finally, of particular importance for the live-food movement is the presentation of burgeoning evidence in support of the fact that Excalibur dehydrators require higher temperature settings (e.g. 145 degrees) during the initial stages of dehydration and then need to be adjusted down to the usual temperatures (e.g. 95-115 degrees) live-food preparation previously utilized from start to finish. The authors note that more research concerning this issue is currently underway as part of the Master's program in Vegan Live-Food Nutrition (see the Tree of Life site for more info about this program). Nevertheless, the recipes in the book reflect this new research, so adherents to live-food preparation ought not to be confused by the recipe instructions calling for higher intial temperatures (in other words, read the intro chapters!).

In short, an awesome book that is accessible and highly informative, and a must have for both long-time live-foodists and those interested in the possibilities for using live-foods to improve their health and experience optimal well-being. Hurray for Gabriel and everyone who contributed to this beautiful, insightful book! Thanks!!!

The first book I read by Dr. Cousens was There Is A Cure For Diabetes.
Then I realized, in order to obtain a lot of his recipes,
I needed to buy Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine.
The book is about a lot more than recipes.
I particularly appreciated learning about the composting button,
what it takes to turn addictive patterns around
and what it takes to turn the composting button off.
(I think I have since learned that the composting button
is related not only to Gastaon Naessens' work
and the work of Enderlain, but the huge amount of research
that is reported at Bryon Richards, M.D.'s site
on the pathways and relationships with leptin.
I never knew about the term 'authentic food'
and much appreciated the explanations and criteria provided.
Even though I don't have children and I don't fly,
I appreciated the additional information.

I have used the recipes for 63 days and this has enormously helped
my husband and I.
My husband has lost 57 pounds as a result
and feels much better.
He is hardly taking any insulin now and he has stopped
a few of his medications.
He has a long ways to go, but he is very motivated.
I wish that the recipes were all written
in terms of 2 - 4 servings, or in terms of how many
dehydrator trays are required, some sort of consistency
throughout the section,
but I am, for the most part, able to sort it all out.
It would have been nice if a Shopping List had been provided in the book.
The recipes require time in the kitchen
and require the purchasing of 3 or 4 useful items in the kitchen.
But I am seeing results of the efforts quickly,
and I feel that over time meal preparation will become much faster.
(The few things that are lacking in the recipes section
are a few green drink examples and a few more soups,
there are a lot of variations on tomatoe soup which are good,
but these recipes are supplemented in the other Cousens' book.)

I would suggest that this book be read in conjunction
with There Is A Cure For Diabetes
(which is for anyone, it isn't just about diabetes).

I would strongly recommend this book, these two books,
for anyone seriously wanting to make better choices for their health.
Thank you. S. J. Gray