Lose Weight FAST: 9 MAGIC Steps to Lose Weight and Keep It Off FOREVER!

Dec 16 by Joanna

There is so much contradicting information about weight loss out there, that it is sometimes hard to find out what’s true and what is just marketing hype. If you have been spending a fortune on recommended supplements and “super foods” (like I once did), but didn’t feel healthy and felt disillusioned, keep reading to discover what’s the healthiest and the fastest way to lose weight and keep it off forever!

But first, let’s get something straight here.

Conventional diets and fad diets do not work for most people. Calorie-counting diets, the detox diets, B-12 Shots, hCG diet, the low-carb high protein diets, diet pills, protein shakes and powders, Sensa system – in my opinion these all will fail you and, even worse, most of them are tedious, pointless and even dangerous to your health.

Sure, you may lose a few pounds in the process, however, in the long run, the majority of people are not able to stick with these dietary regimens and gain the weight back on quite quickly, often putting on even more than they lost in the first place.

A “diet” should not be about starving yourself, or depriving yourself of vital nutrients, but instead, a new lifestyle with plenty of healthy food choices that make sticking to it long term so much easier.

Instead of “quick-and-easy” weight loss that doesn’t work, you want a steady approach. Less time efficient, but better off in the long run. Commit to a lifestyle change, eat well and healthy (grazing like animals do throughout the day), sleep for as close to 8 hours as your schedule permits, and exercise regularly. I know the results aren’t instant, but it’s so much healthier.

If it took you years to get to where you are, you can’t expect immediate results!

Steps To Take If You Want to Lose Weight (Fat) Naturally and Keep It Off Forever

1. Consume at least 60% or more of your daily calories in the form of RAW FRUITS and VEGETABLES.

If you really want to lose weight fast, 70%, 80% or 90% is even better; 100% is best but few people can stay 100% raw diet successfully long term.

The average American diet is roughly 7% fruits and vegetables, even less than that in raw state. We are told to eat 5 or more portions a day, but to get real impact on your weight or health, you need to RADICALLY and DRAMATICALLY increase daily intake, and put a special focus on green vegetables like spinach, broccoli and salad.

High levels of fresh fruits fruits, vegetables, and greens help you lose weight because they are low in calories, high in volume and high in critically important nutrients. There is also a growing body of evidence that shows that plant-based foods help to control food cravings and overeating. They are nutrient dense, which simply means they are packed with all sorts of good things for you, which is something most of us know.

The power of raw foods is not only one of the most well-known “rejuvenation” secrets of celebrities and Hollywood stars (such as Demi Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Sting, Edward Norton, Carol Alt, and many others) it is also a concept that has the potential of giving you what you’re looking for: incredible health, increased energy, and a youthful and slim body.

(Keep in mind, that not all raw-based diets are created equal, some, for example, recommend you limit consumption of fruits, having you consume excessive amounts of fatty foods instead, which is NOT what I’m advocating here).

This can certainly seem daunting at first, so to make it easier for yourself, each time you go grocery shopping, start by filling up your basket in the produce section.

2. Drink GREEN SMOOTHIES every day.

Green smoothies are rich in fiber but low in calories so they will you up quickly. They are also DELICIOUS tasting – so they are excellent to combat cravings for unhealthy stuff!

They are easier to make than juices, and take much less time to prepare and to consume than salads. Think about all the chopping and chewing you will need to do in order to eat a big bowl of greens and veggies – if you blend them with some water and drink, it only takes two minutes for the whole process! The blender will do all the chewing for you!

It’s important to become creative with blending. Experiment with various greens, fruits and vegetables, trying as many combinations as possible. The possibilities are endless. I discovered so many good combos just by asking, “I wonder how this and that taste together in a smoothie?” I encourage you to do the same.

For example, try apple-celery-spinach, apple-celery-spinach-banana, blueberry-pear-celery-spinach, lettuce-honeydew, Romaine lettuce-strawberries-banana, pears-kale-mint, kiwi-celery-banana, strawberry-apple-spinach, or more savory tomato-celery-onion-pepper-avocado, or other combination.

Try adding various types of greens: lettuces, kale, parsley, spinach, and other. Add some water, blend and drink!

The best blenders to use to make green smoothies are Blendtec blenders and Vitamix. No other brand will produce such smooth results, especially if you add such tough greens as kale, celery, or collard greens. Unfortunately, both of them are quite expensive – although well worth the price if you consider them a long-term investment in your family’s health.

However, if you have a blender already, you may just as well start with what you have.

3. Include RAW VEGETABLE SALADS in your diet.

Even if you are drinking your smoothies, you can still enjoy your salads.

But, what is a salad, really? It’s any combination of fresh RAW VEGETABLES, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, celery, okra, zucchini and other squashes, cabbage, peppers, eggplant, etc., etc., with possible addition of fresh fruits, and small quantities of nuts and seeds. Vegetables are great because they are lowest calorie foods. The absolute best vegetables to help speed up weight loss are green vegetables – Lettuce, Collard Greens, Spinach, Swiss Chard, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Cabbage.

Adding cheese, beans, chicken, tuna, eggs, mayo, commercial dressings and other ingredients, turns a salad into a tossed meal. So if you are one of the people who live only on “salads,” and yet cannot lose weight, take an honest look at the ingredients – and proportions of ingredients – raw veggies versus everything else – of your tossed meals.

Instead of fat-laden commercial dressings, have some fun and experiment. Blend some lemon juice with avocado, or strawberries with parsley, or blend pineapple with tahini as the dressing. Other combinations you may try: pineapple-red pepper, grapefruit-tahini, strawberry-almond, oranges-bell pepper-Brazil nuts, orange-pistachio.

If you are worried that you will not consume enough fats, especially the beneficial omega 3 fats, you should know that everything we eat contains some amount of fat. In fact, a natural diet of fruits and vegetables, along with some seeds and nuts or avocado, provides the body all the essential fatty acids it needs!

4. Eat LOTS OF FRESH, RAW, RIPE FRUITS.

I said before in number 1, but I feel this needs more emphasis and explanation.

Fruit contains three keys to weight loss: fiber, vitamins and water. Fiber creates a feeling of satiety and helps clean the digestive tract. The vitamin content of fruit allows the body to crave less food because it satisfies nutrient requirements. If the body is depleted of nutrients, one becomes hungry to satisfy those deficiencies. Therefore, diets high in foods that contain these nutrients such as fruit keep hunger at bay. Fruits are also rich in water, which keeps the body hydrated.

Many people have misconceptions about sugar found in fruit. Refined sugar is very different from natural sugars. Refined sugars can cause a shock to the body, causing a spike in blood sugar levels that set the pancreas into overdrive. Thanks to the rich fiber content, sugars from fruits are slowly digested and burned at a steady rate. So, even though fruit is high in sugar, such natural sugar should not be avoided. If you compare a soda and a piece of fruit, although they may contain the same amount of sugar, the sugar in each can cause very different reactions in the body. Ditch soda to lose weight, but keep the strawberries.

The human body requires fuel to operate and you must get that fuel, via calories, from somewhere. Fruit is excellent fuel for humans. It is very easy to digest, provides fast energy and is alkaline-forming. Fruit is a way to obtain simple carbohydrates which match our physiological needs. We must stop eating mostly acid diet, and consume more alkaline foods, i.e. raw fruits and veggies.

Eating fruit as the basis of our diet is a new and revolutionary concept for most of us, and often people fail to realize how much fruit it takes to provide energy for an entire day. Forget the saying “an apple a day” – certainly one serving is not enough. Eat enough fruit to meet your calorie needs – which means eating a LOT of fruit by most people’s standards. Allowing lots of fruit in your diet makes succeeding in this weight loss plan easier than any other approach to eating.

To develop the healthiest and sanest relationship with food, and in order to stick with a dietary plan that will work for you for the rest of your life, have all the fruit you care for to eat for breakfast, lunch meals and snacks. Even your vegetable meals should begin with as much fruit as you like, until you are certain that you will not crave sweets at the end of the meal.

Strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are at the top of the list when it comes to helping speed up weight loss. You might be worried about the calories in strawberries but you need to realize there are only 74 per cup and those are the calories you want. There are even fewer calories in raspberries. They will give you energy, make you feel great and help burn off fat very quickly. They also help to fight cancer.

The only caveat is that you should not eat lots of fats when eating diet high in fruits. Fats make it difficult for the body to properly digest sugar, possibly leading to some increased blood sugar levels.

If the idea of eating such large quantities of raw fruits and vegetables seems daunting, and you cannot imagine yourself ever getting even close to 60%, let alone 80 or 90%, don’t worry. Start by replacing some of the foods with healthier alternatives.

5. Make water your primary drink

Throughout your day, focus on water instead of soda. Drink lots of it – it’s great for weight loss!

5. Make yourself FRESH, RAW VEGETABLE and FRUIT JUICES.

This is another tasty way to add more fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. Raw juices, especially green juices, are vital. A juicer separates the juice from the fiber of the fruits and vegetables leaving you with only the pure organic water. This organic water that is extracted from plants contains all of the vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, that go straight to the cells to do their work, so your body will not waste energy on digestion. By juicing fruits an veggies we can consume much more of the organic water because the fiber doesn’t fill you up. Also, the juices (especially green juices) provide perfect cellular hydration and can take the place of drinking glasses of water.

There are many juicers on the market today, but the Breville juicer is probably the easiest to use when you are juicing lots of greens. Look for a juicer that extracts the pulp, as it will allow you to make more juice without having to stop to empty it. This is important, since you need to be juicing a lot of greens.

I used to do quite a lot of juicing, however, since I bought my Vitamix and started blending green smoothies, I noticed that I have been juicing less and less. Green smoothies have numerous benefits for human health AND are easy to prepare (especially the cleanup is much faster).

6. Other Foods to Eat

Add beans, whole grains, and nuts to your diet in moderation.
Limit the amount of animal protein in your diet. Eliminate all processed foods from your diet.

However – this is very important – don’t deny yourself any foods that you crave.

Just tell yourself that you can have them as soon as you are finished with your smoothie, salad or other healthy snack. You may find that you don’t crave it any more, or if you still do, have a really small portion.

Treat high-calorie foods as jewels in the crown. For example, take a spoonful of ice cream the jewel and a bowl of fruit the crown.

7. Be active and exercise.

Walk for 45 minutes a day. Walking is great and the reason I’m suggesting 45 minutes instead of the typical 30 is that some studies found that while 30 minutes of daily walking is enough to prevent weight gain in most relatively sedentary people, exercise beyond 30 minutes results in weight and fat loss. Burning an additional 300 calories a day with three miles of brisk walking (45 minutes should do it) could help you lose 30 pounds in a year without even changing how much you’re eating.

In addition to walking, if you are up to it, try running, weight lifting, yoga, jumping rope, boxing, or any other exercise program that you like. You don’t need any special equipment or even gym membership to do that. If you don’t want to spend any money, start with walking 20-30 minutes a day. It’s also important to some weight bearing exercises. There are many exercises that you can do that use your own body weight – squats, lunges, presses. Eventually, though, you should add some weights to your routine. If you never worked out with free weights, think you are too old, too young, too fat to start, or whatever, read “No fat chicks” “Old broads: the golden years of pumping iron,” and other articles on the www.stumptous.com blog.

To add variety to your workouts – and make them more fun, you may want to invest in some basic exercise equipment. Get a mini trampoline to keep you moving when watching tv. Get a bike – ride it every day. (If the weather is bad, you might get yourself a bike trainer, such as one of the fancy Kurt Kinetic bike trainers or Minoura bike trainers, or just a cheap, second-hand stationary bike that you may find on craiglist). The important part is to start moving. If you need some motivation, get yourself a Bodybugg or Gowear Fit armband. The point is to start moving. It will get easier with time – I promise.

8. Listen to your body.

Whenever possible, eat with other people as much as you can and don’t eat if your are not hungry. Have a piece of fruit, a small raw vegetable salad, a glass of raw juice or a glass of water.

However, don’t put up with hunger pains either. Far too many people place their meal times around the clock. It is much healthier to place your meals around your hunger in the same way that children do, and pay less heed to the clock. Also, don’t feel like you have to finish eating everything on your plate, even after your hunger has been fully satisfied.

8. Keep a Food Diary

Carry a small notebook everywhere you go for one week. Write down every single morsel that enters your lips. Studies have found that people who maintain food diaries wind up eating about 15 percent less food than those who don’t.

Questions? Comments? Weight Loss Tips?

Why not add to the conversation in the comment section below! Are you trying to lose weight? What type of diet are you following? What are you struggling with?

Want to share some weight loss tips with other readers? I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you!

Thanks!

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Protein Shakes For Weight Loss: Powder-Less Protein Smoothie Recipe

Nov 1 by Joanna

High protein diet plans are among the more popular diets promoted these days by mainstream fitness magazines and media, and many people who are trying to lose weight and build muscle turn to protein shakes.

They are said to be good for people wanting to lose weight and because of the high protein content, dieters don’t need to be worried about losing muscle.

I am quite skeptical about high protein diet plans for a number of reasons about which I wrote about in other posts. Today, let’s look at the protein shakes and powders.

What are protein shakes?

Protein shakes are dietary supplements that provide protein for consumption. There are various types of protein powders available on the market today. Whey protein powder is the most common. Soy protein is an alternative protein for vegetarians. Egg white protein is for people who are lactose intolerant. Hemp protein is another popular one.

90% of the protein supplement companies source their raw materials from third parties, often importing them from third world countries.  Inferior resources usually found in cheap protein shakes may have high level of heavy metals and cattle hormones. This has been elucidation from recent tests and published widely in the consumer reports.  Then there are the additives and artificial sweeteners.

So, are protein shakes really needed and/or recommended for weight loss?

Protein shakes for weight loss

Manufacturers of protein shakes claim that their products decrease body fat or promote weight loss, but protein shakes aren’t a magic bullet for weight loss.

While it’s true that replacing certain meals with protein shakes may help you reduce your daily calories, which will result in weight loss; however, if you rely on protein shakes for regular meals, you’ll miss out on the nutritional benefits of whole foods.

And consuming too much protein can actually make losing weight more difficult — especially if you drink protein shakes in addition to your usual diet.

How much protein do we really need?

There is a lot of discussion about how much protein we need and a lot of misinformation regarding this subject. The need for protein has generally been greatly exaggerated by market forces, and protein’s functions have been misrepresented.

Most people are convinced that we need large quantities of protein for energy or to keep us from getting sick.

Nothing can be further from the truth.

The primary function of protein is growth, which is negligible in adults, as well as repair from injury and replacement of worn-out cells. The average adult needs 46 to 56 grams of protein a day, depending on weight and overall health.

Even if you work out a lot, as long as you’re eating a healthy diet, adding extra protein — either through protein shakes or other sources — isn’t necessary.

There is no such thing as “protein deficiency” in the Western World.

For most people the low consumption of protein isn’t the problem, it’s the low consumption of whole foods: fresh fruits, vegetables and greens.

That’s why I keep promoting the green smoothies for weight loss.

Without any protein powder in them (or any green powder either, for that matter).

They will help you lose weight naturally, without any additives or powders.

Remember, the key to losing weight is burning more calories than you consume. Choose whole foods — with lots of fruits, vegetables, and greens — and include physical activity in your daily routine.

So, should you add protein powder to your smoothies?

Again, if you read my post about green smoothies for weight loss, you know that I don’t recommend adding any protein powders to the smoothie.

I don’t believe additional protein is needed and I have to say that I don’t like any “artificial food”. This includes commercially produced liquid diet powders or shakes. I just don’t like the idea of eating highly processed foods. In addition, the side effects and possible toxicity of commercially produced shakes has not been studied adequately.

I highly believe in eating whole foods – fresh and raw – as much as we can.

Green Smoothies are Rich in Protein

No, really.

They are chock full of amino acids because greens contain lots of amino acids. Your body uses these amino acids to produce protein.

The more greens you eat, the more amino acids that you provide your body with.

Dark green leafy vegetables contain similar or larger amounts of amino acids than the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). However, because of the confusion between vegetables (roots) and greens, we are told that vegetables, including greens, are a poor source of amino acids. Dr. Joel Fuhrman wrote in his book Eat to Live: “Even physicians and dietitians… are surprised to learn that …when you eat large quantities of green vegetables, you receive a considerable amount of protein.”

I like the explanation provided by Victoria Boutenko on her blog:

Let me explain the difference between complex proteins found in meat, dairy, fish, etc. and individual amino acids, found in fruits, vegetables, and especially in greens.

It is clear that the body has to work a lot less when creating protein from the assortment of individual amino acids from greens, rather than the already combined, long molecules of protein, assembled according to the foreign pattern of a totally different creature such as a cow or a chicken. I would like to explain the difference between complex proteins and individual amino acids with a simple anecdote.

Imagine that you have to make a wedding dress for your daughter. Consuming the complex proteins that we get from cows or other creatures is like going to the second hand store, and buying many other people’s used dresses, coming home and spending several hours ripping apart pieces of the dresses that you like and combining them into a new dress for your daughter. This alternative will take a lot of time and energy and will leave a great deal of garbage. You could never make a perfect dress this way.

Consuming individual amino acids is like taking your daughter to a fabric store to buy beautiful new fabric, lace, buttons, ribbons, threads, and pearls. With these essential elements you can make a beautiful dress that fits her unique body perfectly. Similarly, when you eat greens, you “purchase” new amino acids, freshly made by sunshine and chlorophyll, which the body will use to rebuild its parts according to your own unique DNA.

Contrary to this, your body would have a hard time trying to make a perfect molecule of protein out of someone else’s molecules, which consist of totally different combinations of amino acids. Plus, your body would most likely receive a lot of unnecessary pieces that are hard to digest. These pieces would be floating around in your blood like garbage for a long time, causing allergies and other health problems. Professor W. A. Walker from the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, states that, “Incompletely digested protein fragments may be absorbed into the bloodstream. The absorption of these large molecules contributes to the development of food allergies and immunological disorders.” Source: Raw Family Blog

The Basic Protein Smoothie Recipe

Feel free to use this basic green smoothie base and experiment. (Remember #11!)
• 2 Bananas
• 5 Strawberries
• Handful Spinach (increase greens gradually over time, and you’ll find you crave more of them!)
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 cup water

After you make your first green smoothie, you’ll want to learn about trying new recipes and rotating your greens.

Questions? Comments? Weight Loss Tips?

Why not add to the conversation in the comment section below! Are you trying to lose weight? What type of diet are you following? What are you struggling with? Have you tried green smoothies for weight loss?

Want to share some weight loss tips with fellow readers? I’ll be looking forward to hearing from you!

Thanks!

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Smoothie Maker Review: What You Need to Know To Choose The Perfect Smoothie Blender For Slim and Healthy Body

Oct 21 by Joanna

Why use a blender when trying to lose weight?

Here’s the bottom line for weight loss: with a healthy digestive system, it is virtually impossible to be gain weight when eating mostly whole, raw foods!

If you’ve been reading this blog, then you already know that when trying to lose weight and improve your health – you should be eating more fresh and raw fruits and vegetables, and – of course – more of that green stuff that everybody knows it’s “good for us” but most people avoid like the plague.

Eating that raw and green stuff – including kale, lettuce, spinach, arugula, collard greens, and other – will give you amazing energy, slimmer body, help get rid of cravings, and improve your overall health - without the need for any pills, powders, vitamins, appetite suppressants, colon cleansers, and other things you may be hiding in your kitchen cabinets.

Picture that! You can eat anything you want, as much as you want – so no more calorie counting – as long as it is raw, whole, live food – and NOT GAIN AN OUNCE of weight in most cases.

(There may be some exceptions, for example, people with digestive or glandular disorders – though they will probably do better on raw, live foods. Also, keep in mind when you first start eating more raw foods, you may need awhile to cleanse, detoxify and rebuild your digestive system before noticing substantial weight loss.)

The problem with eating lots of raw stuff is you need to do a lot of chopping and chewing, which — for some impatient, busy people — may be too time consuming. That is why I recommend smoothies and blended salads, which are basically vegetable smoothies, except they have not been blended to a smooth consistency, so the texture remains a little chunky.

And to make smoothies – you need a blender.

If you are just starting out or already have blender – then you can just use any blender that you have available. It will probably do the job just fine with most recipes. However, when using tougher greens and veggies, such as kale or celery, to really get the smooth consistency that you desire – you need a more powerful blender.

So if you are looking for a new blender and are ready to invest some money into your health – I recommend choosing a Blendtec Total Blender or a Vitamix. From what I’ve heard these are really the two best choices on the market today – strong, powerful, durable and versatile – they are like kitchen-robots that will not just blend, but make flour, nut milk, nut butters, baby food, ice cream, etc.

I have been using my Vitamix at least 2-3 times a day making smoothies and it blends everything into one homogenous shake – and it’s delicious! No yucky bits of leaves, chunks of stuff, etc. It gives me tremendous energy – and you should try it too – at least two or three times a day.

Blendtec or Vitamix: Which blender to get?

Everyone who ever used a Blendtec or Vitamix admits that these two blenders are in the class of their own. No other blender can really compete with them. They both cost about the same and have similar features—so which one should you buy?

I own a Vitamix – I bought it before I even knew Blendtec existed, and I wish I knew about this blender BEFORE I purchased it – I would surely consider it as a serious candidate for my blending needs. 

Vitamix does has some advantages over Blendtec. For example, Blendtec warranty is not as competitive as the Vitamix: just a 3 year warranty on the motor base, 1 year on the jar, and a lifetime warranty on the coupling and blade (Vitamix 5200 comes with a 7 year waranty on all parts). I also read some reviews that it cannot handle frozen and whole uncut fruits as well as it’s advertised. The reason is that it does not come with a tamper – and without a proper tool to push the food into the blade it won’t blend. So if don’t plan to use much frozen or uncut material then you might consider this product, otherwise, you may want to look at Vitamix.

Here is a helpful review that compares Blendtech to Vitamix.

“I purchased this blender after reading THE CHINA STUDY, EAT TO LIVE, and GREEN FOR LIFE (all Highly recommended and if you are buying this blender you’d be missing out if you didn’t read these books, particularly GREEN FOR LIFE).

All three books really drive home the importance of eating Greens (Swiss Chard, Kale, etc.) on a daily basis. For me, this was a challenge. The only way I could tolerate kale was to slather it with olive oil or butter and salt and cook it, thereby destroying most of the benefits. Even then I ate it dutifully and without pleasure. Then I read GREEN FOR LIFE and got the idea to blend up raw greens with bananas and other fruit into nutrient dense green smoothies.

You need the high power blender for this sort of thing, other blenders can’t handle it. Thank goodness the Blendtec was mentioned in reviews for GFL, or I would have never even known about it. I ordered it with fingers crossed. It was a lot of money to plunk down for a blender and I was a little scared I wouldn’t be able to drink the green stuff.

Not only did the blender perform like a dream, it makes a killer green smoothie–no taste of kale! The cost of the blender is worth it for this reason alone. Now I can get my daily intake of greens without having to endure it. It’s actually delicious and gives you a buzz of energy way better than coffee.

I’m telling you all this because I think that Blendtec has missed a major market demographic. The recipie book that comes with the blender can be discarded for this demographic. A lot of people need these blenders for a vegan or raw food and greens lifestyle and I think most of them end up with a Vita-mix because of the way they are marketed.

I have had a Vita Mix and can tell you this is Way better. One thing not mentioned in the specs is that the blendtec is only about 15 inches tall (unlike the Vitamix which is 20). That means it fits on your counter under your cabinets–very important for an appliance you might be using every day. Mine now occupies the space where the coffee pot used to be and I use it at least twice a day.

You can make nut butters, various flours, breads, soup….etc. It’s so powerful I think the motor could fly a small plane.

You can walk away from this blender and it knows when to shut itself off, it is not as loud as the Vitamix even though it is more powerful, and the clean-up is a cinch. This is the single best appliance I’ve ever purchased. The only thing I wish it had is a retractable cord and better customer service.

If you are on the fence about this–buy it! ”

From Amazon Reviews: Blendtec Home TB-621-BHM The Professional’s Choice 1500-Watt Total Blender.

Here is another review I just came across, by Green Smoothie Girl – the author of the “Green Smoothies Diet.” She is recommending Blendtec blender over Vitamix – and she owns both, so she knows what she is talking about.

1. BlendTec’s motor is 3 horsepower (compared to VM’s 2.5), and I’m a sucker for faster/bigger/better.

2. BlendTec is the best blender because it’s a smarter machine, with 17 settings for what you want to do-for instance, green smoothies! The smoothie setting alternates high and low to pull greens down into the “blending vortex” centrifugally during the slow cycles. That way you don’t have to muscle your greens down with the tamper thingie that the VitaMix relies on.

3. BlendTec has a lifetime warranty on the blade so you don’t have to worry about it getting dull. I never worry about something going wrong with my BlendTec-and by the way, I’ve sent my VitaMix back to the manufacturer several times, but haven’t needed to repair my BlendTec.

4. BlendTec’s product is smaller and fits under standard countertops (unlike VM, which does not fit). I take mine to hotel rooms, condos, anywhere I go, so my family’s nutrition doesn’t suffer on the road-and my BlendTec is smaller to fit neatly in a suitcase.

5. BlendTec has the square jar design is easier to pour from, and wider (where the VM is deeper, and I have a hard time scraping stuff out of its bottom with a spatula and get stuff all over my arm). Stuff gets stuck at the narrow part of the bottom of the VM and usually goes to waste.

Green Smoothie Girl | 12 Steps to Whole Food Eating » Best Blender

Read some reviews from Blendec Total Blender users:

“I have owned this blender for about a month. So far it has worked great. It is a great tool to have if you expect to blend stuff on a daily basis. The larger blades and powerful motor makes my Oyster beehive blender feel like a toy. It will blend things that conventional blenders would not even begin to blend. Baby food can be puree very well. Much better than with the food processor. This machine can basically replace a food processor, a juicer, and a grinder.
-
Things I like:
1. It blends just about anything do to the large blades and powerful 1500 watt motor. And it does it much faster than a conventional blender.
2. It’s built in the USA and the parts seem to be good quality.
3. One push button operation allows you to blend w/o having to time it or supervise it.
4. lifetime warranty on coupling and blade.
5. It fits under standard counters.
-
Things I do not like:
1. The base has a cheap feel to it because of the plastic. For the price, I think it should have been metal.
2. Has lesser warranty than its competitor (Vita-Mix).
3. I expect an expensive tool like this to have better dampening to absorb noise and vibration.
4. The plastic container (polycarbonate) scratches easily when mixing grains, seeds, etc.”
By P. Estrada

You can replace up to nine other kitchen appliances with this easy-to-use countertop blender–no need for a separate grain mill, juicer, bread machine, ice-cream maker, smoothie maker, blender, milkshake maker, coffee grinder, or ice crusher. With its powerful commercial-quality, 1,500-watt 3-horsepower direct-drive motor, the blender can handle almost any kitchen task. The all-in-one appliance makes smoothies, fresh juice, ice cream, milkshakes, cappuccinos, margaritas, soups, sauces, breads, dressings, salsas, and more. It can even turn ice to snow and comes with an ice-crushing guarantee.

It even has a cycle button – and when it’s pushed, your Blentec automatically speeds up and slows down, then shuts off when the cycle is complete. It comes with 6 preprogrammed cycles: ice cream/frozen yogurt, ice crush/milkshake, soups/syrups, sauces/dips/dressings/batters, whole/juice, and smoothie. There are also speed-up and speed-down buttons for altering power, as well as a pulse button. The Total Blender has so much power that it turns ice to snow and actually comes with an ice-crushing guarantee! Its 1,500 watt, 3-horsepower direct-drive motor that spins the blade at 29,000 rpm makes it the most powerful home blender on the market.

Blendtec Total Blender vs Vitamix – Conclusion

The bottom line is this: Whichever one you choose, you are going to be happy about it. Both of them are awesome machines. They blend stuff like you’ve never seen before. AND….it isn’t just a blender. It’s an all-in-one appliance that makes smoothies, fresh juice, ice cream, milkshakes, cappuccinos, margaritas, soups, sauces, breads, dressings, fresh salsas, and more.

You can use it to blend, chop, grind, freeze, cook, hash, crush, mince, dice, mill, purée, and more, replacing up to nine other appliances with one fast, easy-to-use appliance. These blending machines are used in restaurants, coffee shops, juice bars, gyms, and health clubs around the world. The reason for this popularity is simple: they are known for producing the great, consistent results in taste and texture of blended foods.

Smoothie Recipes

I’m sure whichever blender you choose, it will satisfy even the most demanding home gourmet chefs. Plus each of them comes with a recipe book with over a hundred recipes if you are not sure where to start.

However, for weight loss, I recommend that you get some books about making green smoothies. There are several good books right now available on Amazon – the trend of making green smoothies is catching up. The one I have is a few years old and called “Green for Life” by Victoria Boutenko.

I just looked on Amazon, and it turns out that Victoria just released another one “Green Smoothie Revolution: The Radical Leap Toward Natural Health” – you may want to try that. Another one that I’ve seen that looks promising is ”

Here are three recipes for you from the Victoria’s Green For Life:

Freshness Green Smoothie Recipe
6 to 8 leaves of Romaine lettuce
1/2 medium honeydew
2 cups water
Yealds: 1 quart of smoothie

Victoria’s Favorite Green Smoothie Recipe
6 leaves of red leaf lettuce
1/4 bunch of fresh basil
1/2 lime (juiced)
1/2 red onion
2 celery sticks
1/4 avocado
2 cups water
Yields: 1 quart of smoothie

Igor’s Favorite Green Smoothie
1/2 bunch spinach
4 apples
1/2 whole lime with peel
1 banana
2 cups water
Yields: 1 quart of smoothie

Blender Noise Reduction Secret

Some people complain that these blenders are loud – so here is a noise reduction trick that works for any loud countertop appliance.

N O I S E….R E D U C T I O N….S E C R E T !!!!!! ( works for any blender! )

What to do?  JUST PUT A FEW MOUSE-PADS UNDER THE BLENDER!

So, if you don’t already own one, buy yourself a new blender today!

Questions? Comments? Weight Loss Tips?

Now that you read some of my thoughts on blenders, why not add to the conversation in the comment section below! Are you making smoothies? What blender are you using?

Read my other posts How to Stop Food Cravings: 2 Proven Tips to Stop Sugar Cravings and Stop Craving Food When Trying to Lose Weight; Weight Loss Tips: Are people in your life sabotaging your fat loss efforts, about using Hypnosis to Lose Weight., and about the latest gizmo in weight loss industry – the Body Bugg Calorie Management System to help you lose weight.

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