I do appreciate Victoria being so open and honest. I have great respect and admiration for Raw Family they won my heart with their first books and I have been a follower ever since.

Because of awkward social situations I too have been ‘high’ raw for several years.
Like Tanja, Slovenia’s post when I am on 100% raw food, I do not brag about it, when I am on 95% raw food I do not feel bad about it. However, Raw Family was where I first heard of Tanya Zavasta and I plan to keep striving for 100% raw because I want a lovely complexion like hers. Valya is beautiful and has a lovely complexion but she is still young; if I understand correctly Tanya is currently about twice Valya’s age and she still has a teenage complexion. I may be dreaming but if I don’t strive for 100% raw I will probably end up cooked with the exception of green smoothies which I love.

Thank you Victoria and family for the great contribution you have made in the lives of so many grateful people We love you and appreciate you. May GOD Bless you all.

It is not for us to judge if 80% or 100% raw is right or wrong. but that is a choice for us to take individually and I think it’s treasure to have the freedom to do what suits our current needs and acknowledge that they are changeable.

Our diets and various percentages are not what makes one person better than the other. I applaud the stand you make towards this as I don’t like the increasing cult status of 100% followers.

It’s not the diet that made you great but it is your beautiful heart.

You have accomplished a great deal sharing your experiences and I love your questioning mind to find out the answers and your encouraging understanding for those who struggle.

This is absolutely not a failure, but another chapter in your journey and I am riveted

Thank you for your frank openness, I think it will serve to encourage and strengthen others and will bring so much more good.
You are so loved and I love you too! x

Victoria says that the two problems in peoples health are toxicity and deficiency. It’s a good idea to detox to reduce toxins stored int eh body and to nourish the body with as much nutrition as you can. We try to focus on feeding the body with lot of nutrition rather than the calorie count. The best suggestions is to drink 2 quarts of green smoothie every day.

Also where can I find info on what to eat for let’s say a week for me (female & moderately active) and my husband who does half marathon every week (and has high calorie expenditure) throughout the day?

I would be grateful if you can guide me for a site/give info for examplary green smoothie diets for different calorific needs.

Victoria and her family were on a strict raw diet for approximately 14 years. They are all healthy. I’m sure there are many healthy cooked vegans that have gone longer without animal products. Organic greens have been a turning point in the Boutenko’s diet and provide many of the nutrients that we are supposed to get from animals. You can read about B12 here http://greensmoothiesblog.com/victoria-boutenko-vitamin-b12-vega/ and protein here http://greensmoothiesblog.com/abundance-of-proteins-in-greens/. Recently Victoria has discovered that greens are a source of Omega 3′s, she has written about this in the updated Green for Life.

Earlier this year while in Europe, Victoria interviewed many vegans from cold climates. In her newsletter she wrote:
“As I am visiting various communities I use this opportunity to gather valuable data on raw and vegan dieting in different climates. I interview as many raw-fooders and vegans as possible from different towns and countries. I am especially interested in vegans who sustain their diet in northern territories, such as Finland, Sweden and St. Petersburg (Russia), where the sun in December rises for as little as 3-4 hours.

I met with people who lead a vegan lifestyle and had the privilege of discussing with them the particulars of their diets. I was fortunate to gather a lot of valuable testimonials, which I plan to share with my readers in the near future. So far, the main conclusion I have made is as follows:

It is everyone’s personal choice and responsibility what to eat, and everyone has a unique body that may have its own reactions to any type of foods;

Most people enjoy better health on a predominantly raw, mostly vegan diet with the emphasis on consumption of greens.”

Yesli, I think the best advice is to see what works for you and try not to be to scared of experimenting. Perhaps try eliminating meat for 2 weeks and see if you feel worse. If not, then it’s proof that you don’t need meat to feel healthy . If you don’t want to give up eggs completely, perhaps have them once a week. We do not need a large amount of animal products in our diet, limiting them may make you feel good or even no different, see how it feels and draw your own conclusion. I know Victoria would suggest that you have even less animal products than I have, she does not advocate eating eggs or dairy even once a week. We have to be very careful with animal products in this day and age, they are farmed in factories, the animals are pumped with hormones and are fed modified corn. If you chose to eat meat please chose consciously and if you chose to eat eggs, grass fed (greens), free range is best.

Finally (I am going on a bit here), drink green smoothies:)!

I understand that this is pioneering work so how long has anyone gone on at a stretch without animal foods at all and still be healthy? Also what about blood types? Some people with certain blood groups are said to suffer health problems if they do not eat animal products. Also some people have taken to eating raw flesh!

I would be very interested to hear your comments to help me in this hurdle, thanks.

I will always honor my raw food roots, thanks to you my “raw mama” and all that I learned from you, and I know my health and life are so much better for having known you and followed your ways. Thank-you.

With Love,

Mike

A year later I am trying to eat as much raw as possible, but not at all cost. When eating raw would mean extra stress, I will eat not raw foods available and will not make fuss about it. I will choose though cooked vegetables over fried potato, or home made bread over some industrially processed non-food.
And now I can finally say, all pieces are finally falling into their place and I find all areas of my life fulfilling.

Anyway, you and your family are doing a great job!

It’s all made up!

It’s not ” the truth” just possibilities to try out, notice whatever you notice when you keep choosing to choose your choice.

You are loved!

I love how you’ve made us all feel that any % is acceptable, is healthier than 0%, and that we are all doing our best…THANK YOU, “woman in a green dress”! Thank you for making me feel “normal” again, and not under the microscope quite as much! Thank you for being YOU!

I Understand the need & value of these, especially in these crazy times, Under these Unnatural circumstances.
As for myself, and as for the Larger-scale, longer-term purpose-Vision……. my Origins-into raw foods was intimately-linked with core-Philosophical values involving Connecting-with Higher Self, Higher-Purpose.
As an Essene scribe, I lived in Qumran 2000 years ago, and by observing advanced spiritual principles, including total raw diet, I ascended (but reincarnated in the 14th century as a consequence of tangling with a demon…. and falling-out-of graceful balance)
As Much as the present situation Tells me to sort of “Keep quiet with your idealisms” …. I ReMain Steadfast that Total Rawness IS Human Destiny, for all the Right Reasons, ….. which people-in-general are Not! currently ready to Hear. …. and I Simply Ask that the Positive Purpose which the FEW such as Myself HOLD-in-consciousness ….not be UnDuly “Made A Negative” by the Rhetoric of those who are Eager to Appeal-to-Broad-Public-Markets of Ideas ……