Reversing Diabetes with Raw Food

I went raw overnight. Well, not me exactly. My husband did. But I learned how to prepare raw food overnight. And not just any raw food... Raw food without sugar. That means no fruit, no grains, no sweeteners except stevia, which I hear is terrible, and no beans except sprouted mung beans and lentils. You see my husband has diabetes. And he's eating raw to get healthy.

October 16, 2009

Let's Talk Blenders

If you're going to eat raw, you're going to need three appliances: a high-speed blender, a food processor and a dehydrator.

You need a blender to turn your vegetables, especially greens, into soup, to turn nuts into cheese, and to make smoothies (which are a whole lot better when you use fruit so I make those for the kids and myself).

In the world of raw, there are only two blenders worth considering: Vitamix and Blendtec (formerly known by the company name K-TEC). Vitamix is without a doubt the more popular. Anyone who knows blenders, knows Vitamix. And it looks really good. The company has many celebrities endorsing it and offers a free 30-day trial. That was tempting, but I ordered the Blendtec anyway.

Reason #1: Money. The Blendtec is cheaper. I got the newest model online for $350 with free shipping and no sales tax from Harvest Essentials. It arrived in seven days. The cheapest Vitamix model costs $450.

Reason #2: Height. The Blendtec is shorter - 15 inches compared to 19 inches. That makes it easier to use for those of us who stand at 5'4" or lower. Also, the standard kitchen cupboard starts at 18 inches above the countertop. That means a Blendtec blender will fit on the counter underneath a cupboard, but a Vitamix won't.

Reason #3: POWER! The Blendtec has a 3-horsepower motor. It can blend a cell phone to dust if that's your thing. Practically speaking, it can grind dry beans and grains to a fine powder. To do that in the 2-horsepower Vitamix, you need to buy an additional "dry blade" for about $100.