This important subject is only covered very briefly in my book, in a tiny two-page chapter called Sample Menus/Tips. In the future I will be writing a small book that gives more information on the subject that you want. I have been thinking that people need a structured guide, at least in the beginning. But this small book will not be out soon, because I am in the midst of writing a companion book to Hooked on Raw.

After Hooked on Raw, Book 2 comes out, hopefully in the beginning of 2006, then I will work on the small guide book which will pull together menus, shopping lists and other information of the type that you want, utilizing the recipes from my two Hooked on Raw books (which will be more than 700 recipes). Yours is not the first query that I've gotten and that is why I thought that this would be a good book to do, but unfortunately, this does not help you at the moment.

I cannot think of any book that has this info, but this doesn't mean that there might not be one. I am just not aware of it.

I would suggest that you eat a wide variety of vegetarian foods. Do not exclude any categories of food, except meat, fish, dairy and processed. Rotate foods, meaning don't eat the same things every day or every week. Have different fruits, different vegetables, different leafy greens, different herbs, different seed cheeses – be inclusive rather than exclusive. Some people tend to get into ruts with their food and eat only a few things, day in and day out. Look into vegetables and fruits that are unknown or unusual to you. It has been written that the American Indians ate a huge variety of plant foods as compared to the available plants we have today. I believe that this is very important. Also, look into eating heirloom varieties where available or if possible grow your own. Growing your own food, where possible, will be emphasized in my new book. If you can't grow outdoors or on a porch, then at least grow the indoor greens, like buckwheat lettuce, sunflower greens, pea greens and wheatgrass. Also, look into foraging for wild edible plants… disparagingly called weeds. These are potent sources of nutrients. I believe in eating fruits but not exclusively. I do not believe in fruitarianism and this is covered in Hooked on Raw in a chapter called… A Little Controversy.

Sometimes, especially in the beginning of a changeover to the raw diet, the body will guide you… you might find that you have a yen to eat one type of food, apples as an example. If that happens, then just go with it and eat the apples, until you get your fill. Let me tell you a story of what happened to my partner Leigh's father, once. Leigh's father was not a raw food enthusiast. We live in NY and Leigh's father lived in CA, so we did not know that he had gotten skin cancer on his face (they kept the news from us, so we should not worry) and had an operation to cut it out, which left a hole in his face. After he got out of the hospital, he got a yen to eat apples and he told us that he was buying them by the box. He didn't understand why he got this yen, but very soon the hole in his cheek filled in. That's just one example, I could give you more. Sometimes the body will tell you what it needs, but this is different from getting a yen for junk food, based on an addiction. Cooked foods are addictive.

Hope these suggestions are helpful.

With blessings and peace,

Rhio