In progress...
The journey I have chosen requires that I invest in some equipment, special foods/superfoods and supplements. Most of these are inexpensive, a few of them are very expensive, but since I believe that they are well worth the money, it doesn't matter to me. In this post I have listed the supplements I use either on a daily basis or from time to time. Link/s to reseller/s and articles where available. Also a short comment on what to look for if you are looking for alternatives.
Florinas Equipment List:
This is genious! I've looked for a non-electrical blender for ages, and I finally found it. I was actually googling for organic freeze dried fruits and vegetables, when I stumbled upon this excellent find. Ideal for people living off the grid, and a must have for camping, travel and trips. And it's only $70... YAY! This is now officially the most coveted item on my wishlist. (See also gadgets and helpful thingies)
Juicer/juiceextractor - (GreenStar Gold) - greenstar.com
You can definately settle for a blender and a cheesecloth or metal mesh-thingy (what's the word?) in the beginning. But it won't be long before you get tired of doing things the oldfashioned way, I'm sure.
When you decide to get a juicer, make sure you choose one with twin gear technology, or at the very least the kind that crushes and NOT the kind that spins and shreads! The ones that use a centrifuge technology (spins and shreads) leaves the pulp very wet, and harms a lot of the good stuff in fruits/vegetables as it gets too hot. Imho. you should go for the greenstar gold, or don't go for it at all.
Blender - (VitaMix or Blendtec) - vitamix.com or blendtec.com
Which one to choose... that is the question!
Part of a personal review reads: "...I know, it sounds like I prefer VitaMix… but I think I will use the BlendTec more often..."
I bought a "Smoothie-blender" with a faucet (KENWOOD New York Smoothie) some 5 years ago, and it does the trick (for now). It doesn't come anywhere near the VitaMix or the Blendtec in performance, though. I have to add a lot of liquids for it to blend stuff really smooth, which is a problem at times. But it's what I already own, so that'll have to do untill I can afford to buy a really good one.
VitaMix is probably the best blender on the market, and is very popular in the raw food community. Some raw-fooders use their blender for roughly every second meal of the day, which should tell you something about endurance, performance and quality. However it is quite expensive.
Blendtec has a good reputation in the raw food community as well. It's about 20-30% cheaper than the VitaMix, which might be a good argument for some.
Suggested reading if you're yet undecided:
"Pro-both" personal testimonial at the goneraw.com forum with a few comments. The author actually concludes: "...I know, it sounds like I prefer VitaMix… but I think I will use the BlendTec more often..."
and/or
"Pro-VitaMix" review of VitaMix vs. Blendtec at perfectsmoothie.com
and/or
"Pro-Blendtec" comparison chart at totalblender.com
When it comes to real life users of VitaMix vs. Blendtec, it seems like it's more a matter of taste, habit and opinion rather than any actual difference in quality. Mostly it seems that people who prefer the Blendtec over the VitaMix are arguing that the Blendtec will fit in your cabinet, whereas the VitaMix is supposedly too tall. On the other hand, the VitaMix supposedly deals better with whole fruits and frozen foods because it comes with a tamper. Also, most raw food coaches and chefs recommend the VitaMix over the Blendtec, which is the final argument that makes me side with the VitaMix.
Surely you can use other brands, but make sure you choose one that has enough power, and is designed to blend icecubes.
Hamilton Beach (commercial models) are also very powerful. They are widely used in bars and restaurants in Denmark. You might be able to find a used Hamilton Beach commercial blender at ebay or amazon for a little less than the VitaMix or Blendtec. But if you're willing and able to spend some money on a blender, I'd still choose the VitaMix (or Blendtec) any day.
Waterpurifier/ionizer - (Jupiter) - ionizers.org
If you only take one thing about weight loss with you from this lil' blog o' mine, then let it be: BUY A JUPITER WATER IONIZER!
I cannot emphasise this enough. Drinking the right amount of the right water will make you loose fat! A lot of fat. In addition to fat loss, drinking "Jupiter-water" has a huge number of other health benefits.
I'd go as far as to say that even if you don't make any other changes in your diet, then drinking
1 litre (34 ounces) of "Jupiter-water" per 18 kg (40 lbs) of bodyweight will make you loose weight.
Unfortunately they are VERY expensive. Definately worth the money, but that doesn't really help people who can't afford it.
I'm amazed that none of the resellers I could find has come up with some sort of payment plan or lease-option. I bet a lot of people really want it, but can't afford it. It is sooo frustrating when you get to the point where you are 100% determined and motivated to loose weight and just don't have the money to buy the equioment/supplements do it.
If you don't have the money to buy a Jupiter Water Ionizer, then you can buy a water-distiller and add pH drops (like AlkaLife) but it just won't be the same.
You can do you own research online, but let me save you some time and tell you this:
Water filters or other brands of water-purifiers won't give you even remotely the same quality of water.
Accept no substitutes. Jupiter really is the only brand worth spending your money on.
I've spend at least 50 hours of serching to find a cheaper alternative, and there simply isn't one.
(To get started, visit ionizers.org for a detailed informationpage about other types of water-filtering systems/methods)
Dehydrator - (Excalibur 9-tray with timer) - excaliburdehydrator.com
You can just use your oven, really. But make sure you DON'T turn your oven above 50°C (120°F) and open your ovendoor a tiny bit so the moisture can get out... which is the point in the first place ;-D
Portion-sized blender - (Tribest Personal Blender) - personalblender.com
I have both a "Magic Bullet" kind and a Personal Blender. The Magic Bullet-one isn't really a Magic Bullet, but it is exactly the same, and only cost me 1/5 of the price of an original one. The only difference is the logo on the unit. I would definately recommend the Personal Blender of the two, since you can buy spare parts and extras for it. On the Magic Bullet-type, the rubber-rings that ensure the "cup" and lid/bladeholder is sealed tight, tend to fall out and get caught in the blades from time to time, and it is almost impossible to get it back in place when you've taken it out to clean underneath it, thought you don't have to do that too often.
Make sure you get one that will blend icecubes. If it doesn't say so in the description of the blender, then chances are it doesn't.
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