12 Steps to Raw Foods: How to End Your Dependency on Cooked Food (Revised and Expanded Edition)

Victoria Boutenko
North Atlantic Books (2007)
ISBN 9781556436512
Reviewed by Juanita Watson for Reader Views (1/09)


Victoria Boutenko’s revised and expanded “12 Steps to Raw Foods” is magnificent!  If you have ever attempted to incorporate raw/living foods into your diet to any degree, and hit the wall of resistance, you absolutely must read this book.

Through sharing her own experience, Victoria’s humility really serves to strengthen her message. Now a pioneer in the raw food community, Victoria’s enthusiasm for eating raw in her early years led her to teaching many classes on the benefits of adopting a raw/living foods lifestyle. But even though her students loved raw food, and wanted to change their eating habits, it was typically reported that the found it too challenging to stay on a raw diet.  It was a defeating contradiction that puzzled everyone.

It wasn’t until Victoria began researching the field of addiction that she discovered the missing component.  As she can attest from her own experience, the struggle and suffering wasn’t caused by eating raw food, but it was from not eating cooked food. Victoria’s cravings, as well as her student’s were actually withdrawal symptoms – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual withdrawal symptoms!  Armed with a greater understanding of the addictive nature of cooked foods, Victoria devised coping techniques for new students to overcome their cravings and manage their detox from cooked foods.

Victoria’s 12-Step outline, which is very loosely derived from her personal research into AA and OA, has helped countless people rise above the struggle of changing behavior, and into an empowered state of raw consciousness.  To date, Victoria has taught close to 200 workshops worldwide on this subject and continues to this day. 

Her step process guides readers to:

  1. Become aware of their dependency
  2. Acquire the skills and tools needed to go raw.
  3. Recalibrate inner thoughts and emotions.
  4. Avoid temptations and get the support you need.
  5. Adopt healthy habits.
  6. Reframe life goals and/or spiritual mission.
  7. Support others on their raw journey.

There are a few recipes in this book, but it is not designed as such.  It is more a declaration of reasons to go raw, and a realistic and honest look at the road to get there.  “12 Steps to Raw Foods” by Victoria Boutenko is absolutely a must read for anyone that may be struggling on their raw food journey, as well as anyone interested in the addictive nature of food in general.

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