Russian raw food guru Victoria Boutenko is healthier than she's ever been. At 57, she doesn't colour her hair or wear glasses and feels healthier than she was in her 20s.
In 1990 the Boutenko family emigrated to the US from crisis-stricken Russia. Arriving to the 'land of opportunity', and delighted by the abundance of food available, they were "committed to trying all American food". Their health deteriorated and their weight skyrocketed. Victoria was diagnosed with arrhythmia, her husband suffered from rheumatoid arthritis and hyperthyroidism and her children developed asthma and type-1 diabetes.
Something had to be done. "I didn't have a choice... We were so ill, we could barely work. We were new immigrants with two small children. We had to work very hard to survive. I couldn't afford to pay medical bills." In 1994, Victoria met a raw food advocate who claimed that the diet could cure diabetes.
The family embarked on 'the raw food family' journey in 1994 based on vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds. Her husband's health problems ceased. Her daughter's asthma disappeared. Her son never went on insulin.
For 12 years the family ate a 100% raw food diet, shedding kilos. But after seven years, Victoria began to notice symptoms of deficiency. In 2003, the family replaced nuts and seeds with leafy green salads and green smoothies, and their health improved. Greens provide plenty of protein, says Victoria, but advises supplementary sources of Vitamin D, Omega 3 and B12.
