Every kitchen requires certain tools for the successful preparation of fresh meals. Raw food dieters are especially in need of them, as raw food meals frequently require extensive preparation. If you’re starting a new raw food diet, or you want to make your current one easier and more versatile, make sure you stock your kitchen with these 10 essential tools.

Food Processor

A food processor is like a high-powered blender on steroids. These are great for preparing thicker sauces, pastes, and spreads that are more difficult to create in a blender. They usually come equipped with grater or slicer attachments, which are perfect for shredded raw food salads. Food processors come in a range of sizes, so if you’re only making food for one or two people, a smaller size will do.

Food Dehydrator

Food dehydrators are great for drying and preserving fruits and vegetables. Typical methods of canning overheat foods so that almost all of their nutritional value is lost in the process. Food dehydrators do not overheat foods, so you can preserve the nutrients in your favorite fruits and veggies.

High Powered Electric and Small Low-Powered Hand Blenders

One of each is essential here. Use high-powered electric blenders to make smoothies and fresh fruit and vegetable juices, sauces, raw nut cheeses, and raw nut milks. Hand blenders serve the same purpose but are great for smaller portions, less messy and easier to clean.

Mandolin

Use a mandolin to slice, shred and julienne your favorite vegetables, easily, quickly and even decoratively, if you wish. This handy tool can turn a whole zucchini into a pile of noodles in minutes.

Sharp Knives and Cutting Boards

These are a must-have for any kitchen, but are especially useful for raw food dieters. Sharpen your knives regularly and use non-wooden cutting boards to avoid bacteria build up.

Citrus Juicer

A citrus juicer significantly eases the process of making fresh fruit juices. These are smaller and easier to clean than other types of juicers, and don’t require you to peel the fruit first.

Spiral Slicer

Similar to a mandolin, a spiral slicer can make fresh vegetable “pastas” by shredding zucchini, carrots, beets and other veggies into spiraled noodles. This is a great tool to have when spaghetti squashes are not in season.

Coffee Grinder

People on regular diets use coffee grinders for coffee. But for the raw food kitchen, this is the perfect tool for grinding small nuts, seeds and even herbs and spices in small amounts. Fresh spices are better than dried spices and ground flax seeds are a favorite among raw food dieters. Coffee grinders are relatively inexpensive too.

Nylon Mesh Bag or Cheesecloth

Certain raw food recipes call for ingredients to be strained in a nylon mesh bag or cheesecloth. These come in handy when you need to strain milks, cheeses or sauces. Also known as a “sprout bag” these are often used to drain the liquid from nut milks.

Water Purifier

Just because you’re on a raw food diet, that does not exempt you from drinking lots of healthy, purified water. Though raw foods contain more water than cooked foods, you must still drink water in its purest form, and since most tap water has been treated with chlorine and other chemicals, a water purifier is a necessity in any raw food kitchen. Water purifiers come in many forms from faucet filters to water pitchers that you can store in your refrigerator. Find the model that works best for your household and remember to replace your filters regularly.

Alfalfa grass is a superfood rich in vitamins, minerals and enzymes, which serve a wide variety of health benefits. A person with a weakened immune system can reap great rewards from drinking organic alfalfa juice powder, which provides a concentrated form of the alfalfa plant.

Arabs used the alfalfa plant in past centuries, claiming that it made their horses stronger and faster. They began to incorporate it into their diets and noticed significant health improvements. Those who ate alfalfa were generally healthier than those who did not, and so the plant inherited its name: “Al-Fal-Fa” which means “father of all foods.” Its wide array of health benefits suggests that the name does, indeed, fit quite well.

Alfalfa is rich in all vitamins, including vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E and K, along with trace minerals such as calcium, iron, potassium and phosphorus, as well as eight of the body’s most essential enzymes. It is also rich in fiber, so it acts as an excellent natural laxative. People have reported having more energy after drinking alfalfa juice. In addition, it contains natural fluoride, which promotes good dental health.

Alfalfa grass has the highest level of antioxidants of any vegetable. Antioxidants help to stabilize free radicals. The presence of unstable free radicals in the body can cause the breakdown of tissues and have been associated with cancer and autoimmune disorders. Alfalfa juice is even better than the plant itself, because it allows the body to skip the digestion process, enabling it to absorb more nutrients. Alfalfa is typically grown in nutrient-rich soil, which accounts for its extensive variety of healing properties.

The plant has been used by the Chinese as an herbal remedy for many ailments, including: anemia, asthma, arthritis, diabetes, kidney stones, and treatment for hair loss. It is also used to prevent strokes and heal whooping cough. It efficiently breaks down carbon dioxide and other toxins. Because it is rich in minerals, which aid in detoxification, alfalfa juice powder is great for people who are recovering from drug or alcohol addiction and need a healthy way to push the toxins out of their system faster. Alfalfa contains chlorophyll, which is an excellent blood cleanser. It is also a great alkalinizing agent. What that means is that it helps to raise the body’s pH to more basic, or alkaline, levels. Many medical conditions are caused by an acidic bodily environment, and drinking alfalfa juice can help to neutralize harmful acid in the body.

Alfalfa juice reduces the accumulation of arterial plaque and LDL cholesterol in the liver, helping to prevent heart and liver diseases. It also reduces blood sugar levels and may be helpful for diabetics. People with vitamin K deficiencies can consume alfalfa to help heal nosebleeds and bleeding gums.

Almost anyone can benefit, in one way or another, from consuming organic alfalfa juice powder. This plant has a very impressive variety of healing properties that can both prevent and treat disease. A refreshing, energizing drink, which cleanses the body in multiple ways, alfalfa juice is the perfect ingredient in any series of home detoxification methods.

Use It in Recipes!

Add alfalfa juice powder to you smoothies, salads, dressings and chocolates.

Sources:

http://www.homeremediesweb.com/alfalfa_health_benefits.php
http://ibetyoudidntknow.org/?tag=organic-alfalfa-juice-powder
http://www.livestrong.com/article/260382-what-are-the-benefits-of-alfalfa-juice/