Products That I Recommend
Vitamix Powerhouse Blender is the best blender on the planet!! I love this blender; it does so much. Though it isn’t necessary to have this blender when following the diet, I highly recommend it because it makes it easier to consume large quantities of fruits and vegetables as well as use nuts and seeds in the place of dairy products. Buy it through me and you get free shipping.
*note* I followed the diet faithfully for six weeks without purchasing any new appliances. The Vitamix was the first one that I got, and it really kept me going.
Excalibur Food Dehydrator is a good dehydrator. If you really decide to go 100% raw, having a food dehydrator is a good idea. I have this dehydrator, and I use it. I love making fruit leathers and raw granola as well as raw cookies and other treats in this machine. Not necessary, but good for variety.
*Note* I suspect you could dry your food by lining a cookie sheet with parchment paper, spreading dryables on top of that and loosely covering and securing a piece of cheescloth over that, then placing a low-powered fan blowing onto the food. I'll try it and let you know if it works.
Cuisinart Food Processor is a great multi-purpose kitchen appliance. I am so glad that I have one. This baby chops, slices, shreds, and dices all of my vegetables and really cuts down on in-kitchen prep time. It also grinds my nuts and dates a little better than the Vitamix, and it kneads bread dough a lot better than the Vitamix. I used it for that purpose almost daily until I got my stand mixer. This is not a necessary appliance, but if you have the space and money, it is a really handy tool to have around. I use mine every day. If you really can't afford a vitamix, then a regular blender and this machine would be my next recommendation.
Juicers can be very expensive, but I found another method for press juicing that utilizes my Vitamix, and it works very well for carrots and apples. The most important thing about the juicer/extraction method you choose is that it meets your needs and is something you will use! Here are a few types of juicers to consider:
Greenstar is a twin gear centrifugal juicer that is easy enough to use and easy enough to clean. It produces quite a bit of foam, however, and the juice does not last in the fridge; you have to make it fresh. If you are willing to juice every day, this type of juicer will work just fine. Greenstar is between $400 and $500. I've used the greenstar, and it works well.
Omega and this wheatgrass juicer are masticating juicers. They grind the vegetable or fruit and squeeze out the juice with a single gear. I own the manual wheat grass juicer in the picture and it juices greens really well. It is also inexpensive and durable, even though it is plastic. Juicing hard fruits and vegetables, however, is better left to a different type of juicer, these just can't handle them. The omega is electric and costs between $200 and $300 and the other is manual and costs less than $50.
Norwalk and Welles are press juicers. They are time consuming and messy to use as you have to grind the vegetables first and then press them. However, they produce a superior quality of juice with the least foam and retaining the most vitamins and minerals. The juice will last in the refrigerator for two or three days or can be frozen. The Norwalk costs over $2000 dollars. It is electric and has a grinder and hydraulic press. The Welles press is a manual press without a grinder and costs about $400. It requires a grinding tool like a food processor, blender, or hand grater.
The Nutriteam water distiller is a great and inexpensive way to purify your water. I own this model and love it, but it does take up counter space. There are more expensive filtration systems, and less expensive systems. This is the best for distilled water. If you choose distilled water, I recommend adding mineral salts back into the water, but be sure to use half or less of the recommended dosage as it will make your water very salty otherwise.
Books:
Fresh Vegetable and Fruit Juices
Herbal Home Remedies:
I took a course from The School of Natural Healing that I really enjoyed. I recommend taking this course if you are honestly interested in using herbal medicine as your primary source of health care or becoming certified. If you aren't interested in becoming certified but want to learn a little something about herbal medicine, just reading the herb books recommended above will provide you with plenty of helpful information for adding herbs into your healthcare program. I buy my herbs in bulk from Mountain Rose Herbs. They are always fresh, fragrant and organic, and their prices can't be beat.
Website Stuff:
For educational purposes only. This information has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.