…for Smoothies that Deliver the Vital Nutrition You Deserve.
By Lainie “Sevante” Wulkan
FHOD Favorites is kicking off our blog post series with a subject that’s near and dear to us – Smoothie making. When you live, breathe and eat smoothies, having the perfect blender that delivers on all fronts is an essential piece of our “office equipment”. Yet, as we’ve come to find out, not all blenders are created equal, despite their fancy names, bells and whistles. We seek blenders that stand up to the heartiest ingredients of them all – pits, nuts, skins, cores and seeds, where the plethora of nutrition awaits your mind, body and spirit. Herein lies the bank vault of vitality that we wouldn’t want you to pass up and you need the machinery that’s going to get you there.
While most people are accustomed to tossing the “extras” from fruits and vegetables, we know nutritionally that there’s a hidden goldmine of health waiting to be consumed. The nutrition found within the “throw away parts” is one of the best attributes to that food’s makeup. But finding the right blender with the strength to pulverize them into dust so it mixes right into your smoothie is key. We’ll help you get there with our shortlist of favorite finds. Then you too will be blending up some nourishing wellness and taking your health journey to new levels.
Which pits, nuts and seeds are loaded with the nutritional goodness worth paying the high-ticket blender price of admission? Once we know that, then we can match up the best workhorses that pack a punch and get the job done.
Before we begin, we’ll throw in the disclaimer that there are plenty of studies, both pro and con to eating or omitting these parts of the fruits and vegetables. While we see merit with both sides of the coin, we also believe that small amounts of the parts aren’t harmful, in fact, healthful. Hence this blog to begin with. If you are concerned about these parts, then don’t consume. However, it won’t affect the importance of having a power blender to crush your smoothies into a tasty treat to power up your daily wellness.
Which foods are worth it?
Here are some of our FHOD Favorites:
APPLES (Abundance) – Apples are an extraordinary fruit, loaded with a list of nutrition as far as the eye can see. We see now why the expression “You’re the apple of my eye” is so widely used.
A new study published in the journal Frontiers of Microbiology from Researchers from the Graz University of Technology in Austria have determined out of 100 million good bacterial cells (for healthy gut flora) 10 million of these cells are found in the core. So don’t throw it away!
Besides their great bacteria, apples are loaded with fiber, antioxidants, quercetin (skin) and procyanidin B2 in the peel (hair).
Apples are also known to reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, constipation and more. A super food indeed truly down to the core!
AVOCADOES (Health) – Our favorite fruit in all the land, the list of health benefits also extends far and wide. They’re known to lower cholesterol, help with weight loss, contain healthy fats for brain food, fights cancer cell growth, improves skin and hair, heart health and are filled with vitamins, phytochemicals, antioxidants and protein.
But what about the almighty seed? To pulverize or not to pulverize. As always, in small amounts if you’re wary. However, it’s been said, shared and new research comes out more and more, the seed is where nearly 70% of the health benefits are stored, not in the flesh.
A great article from Dr. Axe may be worth checking out. We’ve been pulverizing avocado seeds since we took the Conquering All Disease Food Healing Course from Jeff Primack.
Although a bit bitter to the taste, the over 150 phytochemicals it’s known to contain may make it worth it. You decide.
GINGER (Feelings) – To skin or not to skin? We say skin on baby! and we’re not the only ones. Ginger peel is edible. The ginger skin contains “2X the beneficial polyphenols as the flesh and has important, unique and distinct compounds,” said Kanchan Koya, PhD in Biomedicine from Harvard University, Health Coaching Certification holder from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition (in a post on Instagram).
Not only is it edible, but imagine the time saver to have a blender that crunches all that down into yummy goodness. But what are polyphenols and why do we want 2x the amount?
Here’s a quick study from Healthline to give you a quick tutorial. Ginger is another FHOD favorite power food.
It helps the common cold, flu, nausea, skin, hair, digestion, fight cancer, burn fat and is a strong anti-inflammatory.
ALMONDS (Power) – A staple to many plant-based eaters, almonds truly are a powerhouse of nutrition for the body. A small handful provides an enormous amount of protein. Almonds have tremendous benefits. Medical News Today lists them in detail. Vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber. Some like to blend their smoothies with almond milk. Others prefer raw almonds, complete with the benefits of the almond skins which are so good for you. No, they’re not just the throw away parts used as a waste by-product for livestock feed. WE are the livestock and should be enjoying the benefits of the skins, unless you are allergic.
In fact, a growing body of the literature, including a study from NIH, the National Institute of Health, has revealed that phytochemicals, including polyphenols and fiber in almond skins, display properties health benefits, including antioxidants, anti-microbial, anti-viral, neuroprotective, photoprotective, and prebiotic activities. So, let’s pulverize these powerhouses in your smoothies and let the healing begin!
So which blenders out there hit the mark with our FHOD favs?
They say “the crème rises to the top” and we can tell you, as Authors ourselves of a smoothie recipe book and teachers of Smoothie play shops, we have spent our fair amount of time prepping, grinding, pulverizing and tasting whole nature’s goodness. We want something that will do the job over and over and not fall into issues or the expense of a broken motor or blade.
Some of our Criteria…
#1 – Horsepower/High wattage – Blenders that have 3 horsepower or high wattage over 1000 do the job of pulverizing. Without a strong motor, you endanger your blades and burn out your blender fast. The idea is to make “crunchies into smoothies” and finding a blender that goes from solid to liquid is key.
#2 – Ease of use – easy to use. No muss, no fuss.
#3 – Self-Clean – While we love having the heat cleaning feature, not all blenders have them. But we still want a blender that is easy to clean without food getting stuck in the blades or fingers getting cut trying to clean the bottom of the pitcher.
#4 – Good Warranty – While we would love 100% indestructible materials, that isn’t realistic. But what is realistic is a warranty that backs longevity in the product and has great customer service should a part wear out. More so, having a company that stands behind extra parts without having to buy a brand new blender is even better.
Here’s our Top 3:
While we could have listed 10 top blenders, there are many reports and reviews that have done that. We try to keep it simple and just zero in on what we would have (and do) in our kitchen and get to the business of smoothie making – literally.
Ranged in order of price:
Ninja – BL610 – Approximately $75
We have been fans of the Ninja blenders since “the bullet” came onto the scene. The Ninja BL610 is a full size blender at a modest price.
Labeled by Ninja as “total crushing technology” this blender is mighty. With an 84% five star rating on Amazon and with over 43,000 reviews, that should tell you something.
One customer review said “this thing will turn rock to sand”. Besides its pulverizing stamina, it also has a nice size pitcher that is BPA free and dishwasher safe.
Blendtec Classic 575 – Approximately $345
As a long term Blendtec user, since back in the day before smoothies were even a thing, Blendtecs consistently show up as a top choice with good reason. They work, they’re simple and they’re easy to clean. Their ability to pulverize is top notch and worth the price.
Clearly the reviews that speak about how they can blend a cell phone or tablet into powder is noteworthy. That definitely trumps an avocado seed. Get one. The Classic 575 also comes with a spatula. Nice extra. Plus, their customer service is great and they are one of the top leaders with an eight year warranty.
VitaMix – A3500 Ascent Series – Approximately $575
Since before smoothie making was even a thing, Vitamix has been a Titan and leader in the industry. With a progressive, forward-thinking company that seems to be well ahead of the trends, the VitaMix A3500 Ascent Series is all the rave. When you think bells and whistles, think Vitamix. Multiple settings, touch screen controls, built in timers and sensors that can recognize how much food is in the blender and adjust blending times, comes with a tamper (tool to mix foods that need an extra nudge) and a cookbook. They say you get what you pay for and with this top pulverizer, you won’t be disappointed.
NOTE: This blog is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. While there is promising research currently evaluating soursop and other similar products, we are sharing collective wisdom researched thus far.
Some of these links may garner an affiliate commission which does not change the price to you.
Lainie “Sevante” Wulkan is the Co-Author of The Food Healing Oracle Deck® – Nourishing Wisdom from Mother Earth series which brings a bridge of Spirit & Science in seeing food in an entirely new light for emotional, mental, physical and spiritual (EMPS) wellness. She is also the Co-Author of Smoothies – Nourishing Wisdom Beyond the Blend! A 33-recipe book inspired from the teaching from The Food Healing Oracle Deck, Vol. I.
She is also Host of the Nourish Your Soul Show on the HealthyLife.Net Network. She teaches classes on a variety of food and spirtual topics related to mind, body and spirit wellness. Sevante is a 4th generation intuitive, an Advanced Food Healing Instructor and holds a degree in Food Science from California State University Northridge’s renowned Marilyn Magaram Center for Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics. Through classes and 1:1 healing sessions, she focuses her energy on showing people how to see food differently and how Mother Nature has provided clues all along in our foods to feed the body temple and nourish our mind, body and spirit.