cover image Brad’s Raw Made Easy: The Fast, Delicious Way to Lose Weight, Optimize Health, and Live Mostly in the Raw

Brad’s Raw Made Easy: The Fast, Delicious Way to Lose Weight, Optimize Health, and Live Mostly in the Raw

Brad Gruno. Harmony, $25 (256p) ISBN 978-0-385-34812-6

After losing everything, including his marriage, in the dot-com crash of 2001, Gruno moved to Pennsylvania to start a new life. Once there, he discovered the raw food movement, in which devotees consume raw or minimally cooked/processed foods in an effort to get the most nutrition out of the ingredients. Much to his surprise, the raw chips he created became wildly popular, ultimately leading to his own line, Brad’s Raw Foods. Here, he offers an approach to raw food that’s one-third educational pep talk and two-thirds instruction and recipes. After making his case for consuming unprocessed, uncooked foods in order to avoid hidden sugars, chemicals, and fats, and sharing case studies of fellow converts, Gruno advises readers to increase their vegetable intake while cutting back on caffeine and drinking lots of smoothies, in addition to “normal” meals. For the committed, Gruno offers a number of recipes to fight palate fatigue (some of which may require more time and planning than anticipated), including: Coconut Yogurt, Cauliflower Popcorn, Burritos, and BBQ Veggie Burgers. Tips for managing cravings and engaging other family members will also help readers stay on track. Gruno’s enthusiasm and healthy perspective (even he doesn’t eat raw 100% of the time) make this an informative and accessible introduction to an increasingly popular method of dieting. Photos. Agent: Alex Glass, Trident Media Group. (Dec.)