Customer Reviews

Conscious Eating: Second Edition

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I bought this book because I wanted to become a better vegetarian/vegan and gain a healthier attitude toward self-nourishing (without giving up coffee and chocolate!). I found the analysis sections extremely eye-opening, and learned that the high-carb vegan diet I was having such trouble sticking to is not at all suited to my body/metabolism. I've made some real shifts in my diet based on this book, especially including both more protein and more raw foods, and have a lot more focus and energy now.

I highly recommend this book, especially for people who want to move further toward or into vegetarianism. It will help a lot with that transition and guide you to finetuning what you eat to suit your metabolic needs. It will also change your perspective and understanding of food and how it affects mind, body, and spirit.

Unfortunately, some of the information is a little confusing: I couldn't always figure out how to apply or use what I'd learned. And while I personally agree about the spiritual dimensions of diet, others may find that focus (especially in the beginning of the book) a little too strong. I think Dr. Cousens would have done better to shift that focus to the second half, so he could gradually build up to it.

Written by holistic medical doctor, psychiatrist, family therapist, and licensed homeopathic physician Gabriel Cousens, Conscious Eating is a health-centered eating and nutrition guide that carefully walks readers through individualizing their individual food choices based upon the needs of their bodies (including the option of vegetarianism and making the sometimes difficult transition to a vegetarian diet), as well as numerous and invaluable "tips, tricks, and techniques" with respect to food preparation, and so much more, Conscious Eating is an insightful, fact-filled, "user friendly" guide to improving dietary habits straight away. A number of healthy recipes embellish this worthy 850-page reference, yet its primary focus is information accessible to non-specialist general readers concerning overall nutritional improvement rather than just another compendium of specific dishes.

I've been a vegan for about 4 months and a raw foodist for about 1 week. "Conscious Eating" answers any question you have or may have on this lifestyle. The book is a great education tool for the reader. I trust my intuition and I started the vegan lifestyle due to the way I felt after completing 3 weeks of bowel cleansing, liver detoxing and kidney detoxing. During that time I eliminated chicken and fish from my diet and cooked foods. I've always been sensitive to the reaction of anything I ingested. After the 3 week I felt so much better I decided to reframe from chicken & fish and continue with the vegan lifestyle. I continued to eat about 5% cooked and 95% raw. I noticed that previous aches,pains and joint inflamations were no longer there. My body feels alive. My skin had a vibrant glow and I started dropping a few pounds. The mental clarity and the inner connection is just amazing.

When an acquaintance recommended the book and I started reading, I became clearer on what caused the changes and why I felt so good. This was my confirmation that one's intuition will lead you in the right direction if you allow it.

I love the gourmet recipes in the back of the book as well as the 14 day menu plan. He also gives information on the resort in Arizona that I plan on visiting one day soon.

If you live in Los Angeles, you must connect with Juliano's raw food dinner group, in Santa Monica. His gourmet meals prove that raw food is with out a doubt the best tasting food on the planet. He also has a book called "Raw - the uncooked." These books are sensational & amazing. Do yourself a favor and buy both of these books and start really living!

There's lots of "stuff" out there on nutrition, but few have integrated the scientific and spiritual aspects of food as deftly as Mr. Cousens. No text is more comprehensive and informative. The distinguishing aspect of this book is its approach, which is anti-dogmatic. Cousens provides a template and encourages the reader to apply it in understanding the effects of food on her individual body. Anyone serious about nutrition, food toxcity, weight loss, and harmonizing with nature will find this book a must.

Gabriel Cousens is a trained physician who operates the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Arizona. I remember reading the first edition of "Conscious Eating" years ago. It was one of the first vegetarian books I read, and one that influenced me deeply. Gabriel explores food and its relation to health taking in consideration its effects on different levels: physical, mental, and spiritual, as well as each person's individuality. Gabriel Cousens tries to "Individualize the Diet" instead of saying that there is one diet ideal for everyone. I was more enthusiastic about these ideas when I first revised this book, but now I am not so impressed by all these theories anymore. Dr. Cousens has adapted the Indian health system of Ayurveda to vegan, raw food nutrition. The chapter on vitamin B-12 will be of great interest to all vegans and raw-foodists. Doubts about a vegetarian diets are dispelled. The part on Vegetarianism in world religions, and also the vegetarianism of Jesus are also fascinating chapters included in this part of the book. Part three is titled: "Transition to Vegetarianism," but is also about transition to living foods and the reasons behind such a diet. Gabriel outlines the best way to make this transition as easy as possible. The transition is in four stages, from a meat and dairy based diet to a vegan, raw food diet. The final stage of 95% living foods, a difficult step for most people that can be made easier understanding the psychology behind it. "Stage Four diet is more intense and more likely to be successful for those who are mature and balanced in all areas of their lives. For most people, it requires several years of experience and self-experimentation to become balanced and grounded with the full life-force power of this diet." Other chapters of interest in this part include information on pesticides in our food, and a list of the most sprayed fruits and vegetables. The book also contain many raw-food recipes.

Dr. Cousens has done pioneering work in creating this precious, easy to read, wisdom-filled book. As a medical doctor, he represents the new breed of physician that will help our society and world achieve high level wellness. Unlike other limited conceptions of health, he keeps the highest goal of life in mind--communion with the Divine. I love him for sharing this message with us.--Eliot Jay Rosen, LISW, author of Experiencing the Soul

This book is one of the best health books I've ever read, no question about it. It combines pretty much every diet fad you've ever heard about into a raw, living food diet.

In this book, Cousens teaches us how to follow the Ayurvedic principles through a 80-90% raw food diet. He also teaches us how to individualize our diets for our metabolic body types. This is one of the only books I know that teaches how to individualize diet for a vegetarian.

The book covers religion, meditation, toxins in our environment, and has a nice living foods recipe section in the back of the book. The nice thing about it, is that with the recipes, he doesn't try to offer dishes that are similiar to those which are cooked. I see a lot of vegetarian recipe books doing that. "Try our delicious all vegan pizza!" and of course, it tastes no better than a branch off of the Maple tree in my back yard. These recipes offer new tastes.

I like a particular section in the book where Cousens tries to explain the logic behind why people think he looks much more unhealthy now than when he did when he was a bulky college football player. We live in such an obesce society, that someone of a healthy weight appears too slim, or unhealthy. Because Cousens doesn't have a pot belly, and sagging male breasts, many people say he looks "thin and puny". This book teaches us that through living foods, we can sculpt and shape our bodies pretty much any way we'd like. He chooses not to be muscular anymore, because he feels he has no need for 30 extra pounds of muscle. Steven Arlin on the other hand, is 230 lbs, and likes to feel big and strong.

All in all, this book takes you on a journey through the fascinating world of raw, living foods. It could change your way of thinking.

In a world that is becoming so conscious of the word conscious I am glad that Dr. Cousens got to this title first. This book is wonderful. It is filled with many truths about many different things mostly to do with food, digestion, and health. This book is also very powerful for it enlightens and empowers poeple. It empowers people to challenge their own diets, and to see what the perfect diet is for humans. It gives you a lot of support in getting there to or atleast keeping your eyes on the goal. Dr. Cousens fills this book with lots of interesting points and observations.
It is perfect for all people interested in the human diet. It is perfect for all raw foodists both strict and loose as well as anybody even interested in the Raw foods movement or philosophy. This book can be enjoyed in many ways. You could simply flip around with, and read here and there or to study. It is also a very interesting, and fullfilling read for Vegetarians, and vegans as well as anyone interested in Vegetarianism. I especially enjoyed the Chapters that point to vegetarianism in each of the World's largest religions. I really enjoyed the speculation about Jesus and his links to Vegetarianism as well as Christianity in total. I found the book worth the price for these chapters alone.
I should mention also that I am a Raw foodist Vegan with about 80% of my diet being Raw. I enjoy the recipes in this book as well as the guidance in preparation and storage. I was only a Vegan when I stumbled up on this book and after studying it for a while I decided to give it a try and with the nice results that I felt I decided that it was true and to keep with it. I loan this book out a lot and I find that various different types of poeple find it equally interesting and informitive. There is something in this book for everyone from the guilty meat eater to the hard core vegan raw foodist. I enjoy having this book around to look through and to reference with. This is without a doubt the best book that I have read on nutrition, and diet not to mention Raw foods as well.

Gabriel Cousens strikes at the heart of poor nutrition issues facing all of us. His education and experience have come together to share insight and direction on how you as an individual can discover what to eat, why to eat it, and when to eat it to benefit the most - mentally, physically, and spiritually. He provides powerful questionnaires that aid the reader in discovering the path that suits them appropriately, and discuss the science and beliefs that come into supporting that path from various positions. I highly recommend this book to everyone! It has changed and continues to change my life and the lives of my family.

Gabriel is more than a nutritional expert he is a holistic Healer. If one were to read AND study this book seriously, one could revolutionize their life. Gabriel is in some ways the Grandfather of the Raw food movement and this is it's BIBLE. He provides a spiritual context that is all too often lacking in the Raw movement. There ara quite a few holier than thou, head in the clouds types roving around today. Gabe's spiritual perspective cuts through such nonsense. Unlike David wolfe (for all his energetic brilliance, gabriel brings years of experience as a hardcore spiritual practice (This guy is an amazing over achiever, he is an excellent psychiatrist and radical nutritional expert. Blah blah blah. This book is excellent, beyond excellent. With this book and david Wolfe's , you will have all the info you need for years to come.