Brad's Raw Made Easy

December 2, 2013
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.

January 1, 2014

Gruno, founder and CEO of Brad's Raw Foods, contends that switching to a predominantly raw food diet literally saved his life. In his new book, he attempts to demystify and simplify what eating raw food is all about, encouraging readers to understand that it means adding to their diets, not taking away from them. Gruno follows a dietary regimen based on 80 percent raw food (meaning uncooked or heated to no more than 115) and 20 percent cooked food. He shares the dramatic health results in his own life and offers testimonies from those who adhered to his basic food plan. Gruno explains the role of enzymes in digestion, elucidates the drawbacks of dietary sugar, and reassures readers who are concerned about the amounts of protein in a raw food diet. Included are charts showing the food sources of essential nutrients, detailed daily food plans, and many recipes. VERDICT Less scientific than the classic book on the subject, Dr. Edward Howell's Enzyme Nutrition, this is an easier read. Recommended for committed health food advocates and for those struggling with dietary health issues such as excess weight and digestion problems.--Linda Petty, Wimberley, TX

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