Book excerpt: With eye-opening self-tests and questionnaires, this step-by-step guide will help you replace unhealthy eating patterns with a diet of fresh, raw foods Why do we overeat time and time again? Why do we make poor diet choices? Why is dieting so difficult? Using the latest scientific research and an open, conversational tone, 12 Steps to Raw Foods addresses these vital questions and explains the numerous benefits of choosing a diet of fresh—versus cooked—foods. But rather than simply praising the benefits of raw foods, this book offers helpful tips and coping techniques to form and maintain new, healthy patterns. Learn how to make a raw food restaurant card that makes dining with co-workers easy and enjoyable. Discover three magic sentences that enable you to refuse your mother-in-law’s apple pie without offending her. Find out how to sustain your chosen diet while traveling. These are only a few of the many scenarios that Boutenko outlines. Written in a convenient 12-step format, this book guides the reader through the most significant physical, psychological, and spiritual phases of the transition from cooked to raw foods. Embracing the raw food lifestyle is more than simply turning off the stove. Such a radical change in the way we eat affects all aspects of life. Boutenko touches on the human relationship with nature, the value of supporting others, and the importance of living in harmony with people who don’t share the same point of view on eating. Already a classic, this enhanced second edition is aimed at anyone interested in improving their health through diet.