Healthful Cuisine 
The Hippocrates Health Institute has been around for more than 60 years. They have been the leaders in raw food movements and the number one health spa for a couple of decades by teaching and healing through the raw food lifestyle. Directed by Br Brian Clement and his wife Anna Maria Clement, this institution has been very successful. They have authored and co-authored many books on the raw lifestyle, my personal favourite is Healthful Cuisine (3rd edition).
This splendid book is dedicated to recipes that are consumed everyday at the Hippocrates Health Institute and makes eating raw, fun and easy. The book is spiral bound, which is useful because it stays open, unlike many recipe books that close while you are busy gathering ingredients and, in most cases, you cannot remember the page number. The recipes are written on glossy A4 pages with over 50 beautiful colour photos of the food. Anna Maria Clement understands health and the benefits of a live food diet and the healing power it has on the body, very well. Co-author by Kelly Serbonich is a professional raw chef. Together they have mastered the art of preparing raw meals that are appetising and irresistible. It is hard to believe that these recipes are completely raw. The final push that takes this book from great to phenomenal, is the contribution from accomplished celebrity chef, Chad Sarno, who is known worldwide for his creative, versatile and exquisite approach to food preparation.
The book starts with the basics that you need to prepare these recipes. A blender, a juicer, a dehydrator and a food processor are handy tools to have for the complete raw experience. There are other tools that will assist in making your meals look appetising like a spiral slicer, that turn most root vegetables into ‘pasta’. Healthful Cuisine informs you of all the grains, seeds, herbs, spices, vegetables and fruits that you need for a raw lifestyle.
Why eat Raw? I always had a vague idea of the benefits of raw food to the body. I now clearly understand the importance of enzymes, the correct food combinations and how all this affects digestion which, in turn, affects the functioning of the body. The raw food lifestyle is more than basic fruit and vegetable salads - it includes sprouts, dressings, nut milks and pates, patties crackers, frozen desserts and so much more. It is important to get the basics right and I am glad that this aspect is covered very early in the book. Now for the fun part - the recipes.
There are over 170 recipes of salad dressings and sauces, soups, sprout based dishes, nut and seed dishes, vegetable and seaweed dishes, desserts and dehydrated delicacies. What caught my eye for a tasty meal is the stuffed avocados paired with cabbage and peas tarragon and, for dessert, some brazil nut and date cookies with fresh almond milk. 
Food can harm us and food can heal us, which is why it is important to invest in food that will sustain us for the long run. A beautiful guide like Healthful Cuisine will steer you in the right direction towards optimum health. It will always be a good reference for when you need ideas and guidelines to prepare simple, effortless and time-saving recipes that are nourishing to the body and tantalising to the taste buds.
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About the authors
Anna Maria Clement : Anna Maria Clement is married to the director of the Hippocrates Institute, Dr Brian Clement. She has a Ph.D. in nutrition and has vast experience in natural healing methods, weight loss strategies and iridology. She is the author of several books and has assisted in the creation of the DVDs on the Hippocrates life transformation programme.
Kelly Serbonich : Kelly has a degree in Culinary Nutrition. She learnt about the raw lifestyle after receiving a graduate internship at the Hippocrates Health Institute. The more she adapted to this lifestyle, the more her health challenges disappeared. Soon after her internship, she was promoted to ‘Executive Chef’ at the institution. This gave her a challenge to prepare raw meals that are enjoyable and easy to make. Kelly has a passion for nutritious wholesome food preparation, this can easily be seen in this book.
Chad Sarno : Chad is a celebrity chef, consultant and speaker. He has contributed to a number of recipe books and has appeared as a guest on numerous television and radio shows. Chad grew up indulging in milk and sugar, which resulted in asthma in his early life. The more he read and learnt about diet and wellness, the more he realised that dairy products were the culprit for his asthma. He subsequently stopped eating and drinking dairy products and his asthma cleared 6 months later. This started his journey worldwide, learning how to prepare vegan meals from different cultural aspects Chad's meals have been enjoyed by celebrities such as Charlize Theron, Tommy Hilfiger and Donna Karen.