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Buy Smart. Live Better.
My purchase choices, why I selected them, how they hold up, and what I recommend after years of use.
I don’t buy things on whims or impulses. This takes discipline, but it is a vital life skill when one grows up with limited resources. Leveraging limited resources and making the most of my life despite obstacles has been a theme. I have been questioned and doubted by many, which is why I wrote the book I now call 8K for short. (The full name is Living Big & Traveling Far on $8,000 a Year or Less!)
For anything over $80, I go deep — part research dive, part intuitive check-in. If it’s something I’ll use often, I want it to last, to work well, and to support my long-term health and values.
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Back when I was looking into juicers, I read
so many reviews it bordered on obsessive.
Jack LaLanne’s model came up constantly, but the deeper I looked, the more disappointed users I found — too many complaints about parts breaking down or design flaws that made it a pain to clean. That nudged me toward the
L’Equip instead. Not flashy, but more durable, and it did what I needed it to do. Each one of my kitchen appliances went through a similar vetting, and I have not needed to replace either of my two juicers, my food processor, or dehydrator in the fourteen years I have had them (as of 2025).
I care deeply about the ecology of things — not just how they’re made, but how often they’ll need replacing, and what kind of stress they’ll either add to or remove from my day. A product that lasts twenty years is almost always more ecological than something labeled “eco” that requires replacement in two. Effectiveness and longevity are part of sustainability.
It’s not just about energy efficiency on paper. It’s about real-life efficiency. If something makes my environment smoother and reduces friction in my daily flow, that directly improves my capacity to care for myself, my community, and the planet. A broken appliance doesn’t just create waste — it creates stress. Since I have been a medical anomoly since birth with inherited and unusual health issues, excess stress is not something I can easily afford. I have learned to think of the stress impact as part of the ecological impact, as increased stress decreases our overall positive impact on everything around us.
At first, I did all this research just to make my own life easier. Three hours of comparing reviews felt like a fair trade if it saved me days of frustration later. But over time, people started asking me what I use — which juicer, which dishware, which supplements — and why. So back in 2014 I decided to organize it all here. Now in 2025 I am making an effort to update this page.
This isn’t just a list of favorites. It’s a reflection of the tools that genuinely help me live with more ease, consistency, and intention — tools that I’d still choose, years later, because they’re worth it.
Consumerism tells the lie that purchasing something can fix just about anything. That is not true, but nonetheless, buying the right product (or food!) for your specific situation can make the difference between days struggling with customer service and days basking in newfound ease or simple moments of satisfaction.
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I adore my 14-cup Cuisinart Food Processor. If I had to crown just one kitchen appliance as royalty, it would be my 14-cup Cuisinart food processor — no contest. Whether you’re raw, paleo, practicing GAPS, plant paradoxing, or just trying to eat without losing your mind to prep time, this tool is essential.
The grating attachment turns five pounds of carrots into fluffy slaw in minutes — no blood sacrifices to the handheld grater gods.
The slicing disc gives me effortless, gorgeous piles of onions, peppers, and mushrooms for salads or stir-fries.
And the S-blade? That’s my go-to for virtually everything: raw brownies, cheesecakes, apple muesli, guac, mango ice-cream, and even nut-based pâtés.
I brought this beast on a two-month East Coast road trip in 2012, because when I say it’s irreplaceable, I mean it — a high-speed blender can not take its place.
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A 9-tray Excalibur Dehydrator makes food that stores well, packs well, and lasts a long time. A good dehydrator can completely reshape how you relate to food — especially if you’re transitioning into raw cuisine or just trying to kick junk snacks to the curb. For the first three months of owning a dehydrator I ran it all day, all night. I kept it full to the brim, making healthy chips and crackers of all kinds, and eating them directly off the trays.
I’ve been using my 9-tray Excalibur dehydrator since 2010, and I still love it. It’s helped me turn mountains of produce into long-lasting kale chips, carrot pulp crackers, cinnamon watermelon slices, cardamom apple rings, tomato crisps, and even spirulina snack bars. It runs quietly, holds temperature beautifully, and has never once let me down. I use it for everything from preserving garden excess to a temperature-controlled enviornment for making yogurt in glass jars. I’ve also saved money by rescuing produce before it spoiled — 40 pounds of organic bananas for $25 turns into (somewhat) shelf-stable gold when you’ve got the right tools. Four watermelons from my CSA share in 2012? That's when I learned the magic of cinnamon-coated watermelon slices dried to insanely deliciously fruit leather.
The default plastic mesh trays work for sturdy slices like zucchini and kale. But for a plastic-free option, you can trade these out for stainless steel (304) trays. Look carefully for trays that are a compatible size.
If you’re making anything wet or goopy — chia crackers, cacao pudding fruit leather, or flax crips — you’ll want a solid liner. Often people use Teflex sheets, which are made with PTFE (Teflon) — a plastic polymer that doesn’t break down easily and may release microplastics over time, especially once scratched or overused. I’ve since learned that silicone-coated parchment paper or uncoated reusable glass-fiber sheets are better alternatives. They’re not perfect, but they’re a step up for your health. I will discuss paper options in more detail in the section about chocolates, but when it comes to your dehydrator, consider shallow stainless steel trays. (We will talk more about stainless steel and silicone after appliances.)
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The Omega 8005 Masticating Juicer is an excellent appliance for making nut-butter, ice-cream, wheatgrass juice (or any green juice) and puddings. A masticating juicer uses an auger to squish the food, making the juice come out through a mashing or “masticating” motion. The word mastication essentially just means mashing – which is the same thing your teeth do. It has two attachments: one is the “screen” that separates juice from pulp, and the other is a “blank” that ejects everything in one place.
With the “screen” attachment, the masticating juicer makes juice. This is the optimal juicer for leafy greens, wheatgrass, cilantro, spinach, etc. Green leafy juices aren’t extracted very well by “cutting” – which is what a centrifugal juicer does.
A masticating juicer like the Omega 8005 is the only kind of juicer that makes nut butter, ice cream, and green juice. You can see a video of me making ice cream with my juicer by by clicking here. That video is from 2012 in a kitchen belonging to a friend in Florida.
I chose this appliance because I wanted to make optimal juice that would help me detoxify and get more nutrition into my body – something vital for those of us with a compromised microbiome, history of mold exposure, or inherited traits that impair effective methyalation. (For me, all three apply – yikes!)
Click here for juice recipes I developed for my masticating juicer. As with all of my online content, check the dates if possible. While I am making an effort in my thirities to revise, rewrite, update, or take down the several thousand pages I created in my teens and twenties, it is a big task!
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It’s absolutely worth owning both a masticating juicer and a centrifugal juicer, and here’s why: while the masticating juicer shines with leafy greens, herbs, and anything delicate, the centrifugal juicer is the workhorse for volume.
A centrifugal juicer can devour pounds of carrots, beets, celery, and apples in minutes — no chopping, no drama. If you’re trying to batch juice for the week or just don’t want to spend an hour processing root veggies one stick at a time, the centrifugal style will save you 95% of the time.
If you are making a week of juice, be sure to freeze the juice immediately, and avoid ingredients which are highly volitile (such as green or leafy vegetables). Juice a huge batch of apples, carrots, beets, and ginger. Fill six pint jars and put them in the freezer. (Apple-ginger juice keeps very well like this!) Keep a seventh jar or glass out for today, and if you are inspired, add celery or cucumber to today’s juice!
Over the course of the week, pull out a frozen pint jar even evening, place it in fridge overnight to thaw for breakfast tomorrow. For added bulk or greens, you can use the juice as a smoothie base and add fresh greens, green powder (like wheatgrass juice powder or moringa), and some frozen mango or banana for creaminess. And, of course, smoothies are the ideal place to add your daily nutritional powders. (For me, I always add milkthistle because my liver needs the extra support.)
I find it totally liberating to use both strategically: the masticating for medicine, and the centrifugal for momentum. While my L’Equip model is no longer being made, Breville and NutriBullet have similar models. Look for a centrifugal juicer with good reviews now.
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If you’re only going to own one cooking appliance, let it be a counter-top pressure cooker. It’s a highly space-efficient, time-saving, nutrient-preserving tool. Whether you're making collagen-rich meat broth (include those skins and organs!) or steaming low-lectin veggies, a pressure cooker handles it all without overheating your kitchen or stealing your time.
As always, skip anything with a non-stick coating — they scratch, flake, and raise long-term health concerns. Go for a model with a full stainless steel interior and a stainless steel steaming insert, which lets you keep vegetables elevated above the waterline for better texture and nutrient retention. It is also ideal for batch-cooking ingredients like beets or squash without them turning to mush.
Pressure cookers use very little water and retain more minerals than boiling or traditional stovetop simmering. They can also be used to rehydrate dried mushrooms, sterilize jars, or gently cook peeled potatoes overnight alongside meats, making them an excellent multitasking solution. I set mine before bed, and by morning I have deeply nourishing food ready.
That said, I’ve had to replace my pressure cooker four times in fifteen years — mostly under warranty. For some reason, this type of electronic seems prone to failure. Despite this, it’s still an essential tool in my kitchen. Not as reliable as a good old cast-iron frying pan, but then, my frying pan will not slow cook soup for me overnight.
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A spiralizer is a fantastic gadget for creating healthy gluten-free pasta. While most spiralizers are plastic-heavy, you can minimize contact and microplastic risk by choosing a handheld or pro-grade model with stainless steel or alloy parts and avoiding cheap plastic clones. If you’re mostly spiralizing soft vegetables like zucchini or cucumber, a handheld compact metal style will serve you beautifully. For firmer veggies or larger batches, look into a slicer made with more metal hardware. And no — just because the blade is metal doesn’t make the whole device safe – friction adds up. And ideally, let us think about the land it’ll eventually rot (or not) in.
Today I seek a kitchen as low in plastic as practically possible. I can not acquire a food processor made of glass, but I can use a spiralizer made entirely of stainless steel! If veggie-based noodles are an adventure that intrigues you, look into these stainless steel spiralizer options.
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Despite Vitamix becoming a household word, I standby Blendtec highspeed blender as a practical alternative. It is more compact, more versatile, more reasonably priced and similarly powerful. Whatever you do, avoid cheap blenders! My friend broke two cheap Hamilton Beach blenders with just frozen strawberries!
I’ve worked with many blenders. Vitamix performs like a loyal workhorse, but the narrow-tall shape makes them harder to extract your smoothie from, not to mention harder to clean and store. Yet for blending thick, fibrous mixtures, the manual control, tamper, and durability of the Vitamix is a solid choice. If you are more into fast, simple smoothies and want something that fits easily under the cabinet, Blendtec is a great contender — but don’t expect the motor to last forever. We had to get our Blendtec replaced twice on warrantee. But the third time has been a charm as we have had ours for close to a decade now.
If zero-plastic food contact is your goal, high-speed blenders will be a compromise — but you can minimize risk by blending at low temps, avoiding acidic or fatty foods, and storing in glass immediately after. (The low-fat part is the real bummer here. Cherry milkshakes are practically what blenders were made for!)
If you want stainless steel and true high-speed performance, you will need to look at commercial blenders like Waring, and they come with trade-offs: louder, heavier, less sleek, and no fancy presets. They’re more tank than tool.
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The Unfortunate Truth About Silicone: How To Shop for Stainless Steel Instead
For years, I praised silicone as a safer alternative to plastic — it seemed like a dream for frozen treats. But after some research, I’ve changed my stance. Most silicone products aren’t fully inert, especially when exposed to extreme temperatures. Unless they've gone through rigorous platinum-cured processing and third-party safety testing (which most consumer-grade molds haven’t), they can leach chemical residues into your food — particularly oily, citrusy, or acidic recipes. Ugh, and I learned this after I already had two dozen silicone staple products in my kitchen!
Studies have shown that certain food-simulating solvents (like fatty substances) can cause even food-grade silicone to release siloxanes — compounds that may disrupt hormones and bioaccumulate. While the research is still emerging, it’s enough to raise eyebrows, especially for those of us already dealing with endocrine, liver, or detoxification challenges.
For popsicles, I recently ordered a
stailess steel popsicle mold set which has been working well for me. Instead of folding back (or pulling off) the silicone, I run them briefly under hot water and the popsicles come right out.
You can still make any of the recipes I’ve crafted — popsicles, truffles, brownies, chocolates, caroblets, cheesecake — just use stainless steel whenever possible. No fancy molds required. If you find steel molds you wish to use, you can coat them with cacao powder or coconut flakes to allow your treats to pop out easily after freezing. When shopping for stainless steel, however, you must still be careful. The actual number (grade) of steel matters. The safest, most commonly used food-grade stainless steels are:
✔️ 304 stainless steel (similar to 18/8 or 18/10):
🥕 18% chromium, 8–10% nickel
🥕 Corrosion-resistant, durable, and generally non-reactive.
🥕 Used in most food containers, baking sheets, and utensils.
✔️ 316 stainless steel (surgical-grade):
🥕 Same as 304 but with molybdenum added for extra corrosion resistance.
🥕 Better for salty or acidic environments, such as fermenting and pickling.
🥕 More expensive, but top-tier if you are dealing with long-term contact.
🛑 If a listing doesn’t specify the grade at all, or only says “stainless steel” with no number, I consider that a red flag. The same goes for silicone. If there is nothing specifying that it has been platinum treated, do not buy it. Some silicone brands, like
Stashers, use this process, but most silicone is cheaply made.
Chocolates: Wax Paper, Parchment Paper, & Compostable Cups
Many of my books have raw chocolate recipes. Even if you have no interest in raw foodism, raw chocolates are for everyone. Over a decade after leaving raw foodism and they are still a go-to household staple for me, my friends, and my clients. But sadly, all my books and videos suggest silicone! Yikes! But there are many other ways to make the same recipes without silicone.
For making raw freezer chocolates, I recommend using
unbleached, compostable paper cups. You can find these as two-ounce cups marketed for giving people samples. Fill these halfway for a perfect one-ounce portion. Look for cups that are specifically
Quilon-free and
chlorine-free, ideally with no PLA (Polylactic Acid) or plastic coatings — because even though PLA is plant-based, it’s still a processed bioplastic that can become brittle in the freezer and isn’t proven inert with oils or acids. I avoid anything with a white interior (usually bleached), a “non-stick” advertisement, or any claims without ingredient disclosure.
Non-stick coatings may save you a few seconds of frustration and destroy your liver instead.
Your results will not look quite as adorable as heart-shaped (or owl-shaped!) molds, but using paper or stainless steel keeps unwanted compounds out of your food. (Sadly, this is more important than chocolates shaped like owls.)
If you want to make chocolate bark or smooth sheets of chocolate rather than serving-size bites, you can use metal trays and compostable parchment/wax paper. Again, it’s simple, effective, and safer than silicone. For chocolates, pour into a parchment-lined metal pan, freeze until solid, and then cut them into bars or bites after they’re set. For your
parchment paper or
wax paper, ensure it is unbleached, chlorine-free, and compostable. If it is bright white, it has been bleached. Read the label carefully: compostable will always be the safest choice, as something that decomposes safely in your garden is going to also be safer for your home and body.
Containers, Utensils, & Dishware
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I can not rave enough about Glasslock Storage Containers. Glass keeps food fresher longer than plastic. The square/rectangular shape of these containers is more space efficient than using rounded glass jars. And, when you buy a set (sixteen to twenty pieces), you pay as little as $2.50 per container. These containers are dish-washer safe (lids in the top of the dishwasher only), and oven safe (without their lids), and they are also quite durable and break-resistant.
In fifteen years, none of mine have broken despite daily use, bringing them on road trips, airplanes, picnics, and potlucks. And I have dropped mine so many times! Admittedly, the lids are still plastic and they utilize a silicone gasket (which you can remove to clean, which I recommend doing yearly). This is what enables these to be water-tight, easy-to-transport, and easy-to-use. It is not a plastic-free solution, but it is still far healthier than most alternate options.
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For picnics, it is lovely to have reusable options that are lighter than glass or ceramics. But are the wooden or bamboo bowls sold at your nearest box store actually ecologically sound?
Raw bamboo is just grass – a fibrous, lightweight, totally natural material which does not resemble most of the bamboo products being sold commercially. Nearly all bamboo dishware is made from bamboo fibers that are molded with adhesives and resins into shape. The most common binder is melamine-formaldehyde resin — a type of plastic. This resin leaches when exposed to heat and acidic foods (such as tomatoes), and even when simply kept in contact with food for a long time period. Leached melamine has been linked to kidney damage in animal studies and is considered a substance to avoid for infants and sensitive individuals. Formaldehyde, a component of the resin, is a known carcinogen. 🥴 So . . . Most bamboo bowls are not truly non-toxic — especially for oily or acidic foods. For daily use, your most affordable option is to stick to old-school ceramics and glass.
Seeking an exception? I know I am! For eco-conscious folks who don’t want melamine, polyurethane, or glue gunk sneaking into their meals: look for solid carved wood or bamboo made without glues or adhesives. It will be maded from a single piece of wood, coconut shell, or bamboo which has been carved, sanded, and finished with natural oils (like linseed, walnut, coconut, or beeswax). As always, read the labels! If something does not adverise the use of natural oils and beeswax, then it probably has not utilized it. Also, when it comes to hardwoods, a low price tag is a red flag. And, when it comes to bamboo and wood, describing itself as dishwasher safe is actually a red flag indicating that plastic permeates its structure.
But I have good news! You don not nessicarily have to buy a hand-carved, artisan wood bowl for the price of two weeks worth of groceries. I recently discovered these coconut-shell based bowls by Jungle Culture. They are polished with coconut oil instead of plastic-based resins, and many third-parties agree they are legit. I just ordered some for myself, as I am trading out my malamine-bamboo-hazards. (And why is this important to me? You guessed it! I am a neurodivergent who can not stand that metal-on-ceramic scraping sound . . .)
If you don't mind the sound or weight of metal, quality stainless steel is also a great alternative for small children (who throw dishes), camping, and picnis, and overall durability. While I already love my coconut-shell bowls, they are very thin and I know they are likely to break in my lifetime. But stainless steel? Who knows – maybe your great-grandchildren will use them too!
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Just like we discussed with bamboo and wood bowls above, the same goes for utensils. I have been a long-time fan of wood and bamboo spoons. They have a nice light feel in your hand. And, unlike metal, there is no unpleasant clang when placing wood or bamboo utensils against your teeth. While bamboo utensils are great for scraping pots without scratching them, I now have to sadly report that bamboo utensils are, due to their construction, similar to eating with plastic. Yikes! While occasional use (for travel) is (probably) better than plastic, I can no longer recommend these for daily use. They look like the idea of being an eco gal – but that look is, unfortunately, a form of green-washing that has been marketed into our psyche. Just because something appears ecologically sound does not make it so. The ecological impact anything we consume is very complex, as I illustrate in my article Beyond Veganism.
But thankfully, there are some untreated bamboo options! As usual, a product advertising that it is compostable is a very good sign – because you can not compost conventional petrolium-based plastics in your backyard compost. Check out Bambu brand compostable dinnerware. Of course, because these are intended to be composted, these will not last for years, but these are still more ecological than many other light-weight, portable, non-clangy* options. (Because the autistics in your life really hate when the metal scrapes on the ceramic!) Another option is seeking brands like Earlywood which use solid, hard wood and natural oil finishes. You will notice these say they are not dishwasher safe, which (unlike with silicone) is a good sign.
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If bamboo is smooth due to plastic then . . . What about ceramics!? Here is the scoop: most ceramics are glazed with mineral-based coatings that vitrify in the kiln, essentially turning to glass — not plastic. So, thankfully, that glossy finish on your favorite mug isn’t leaching petrochemicals like BPA or phthalates. But that doesn’t mean ceramics are automatically non-toxic.
Here’s the catch: some ceramic glazes still contain lead, cadmium, arsenic, or other heavy metals — especially in bright reds, oranges, and yellows, which are notoriously difficult to produce without stabilizers. If the firing process isn’t hot enough or if the glaze chemistry is off, those metals can leach into your food. Acidic and hot foods accelerate this — so your tomato soup or citrus smoothie could actually pull trace toxins right into your meal.
Vintage, artisanal, and imported ceramics are the biggest culprits here — especially pieces that say “for decorative use only,” have no labeling at all, or are sold on Etsy or at craft fairs without full transparency. I adore a good handmade piece of art as much as the next creative cat, but I don’t want to be microdosing lead while sipping my herbal tea. If you are going to support your local artists (which I hope you will!), ask them questions about their process. You can still buy their ceramics and choose to use them for displaying wildflowers instead of serving meals!
Seeking ceramic that’s genuinely safe:
✔ Always read all markings and labels. If something is not dishwasher safe, is that because it will leach toxins when exposed to heat?
✔ Look for “lead-free” or “food-safe” labeling.
✔ Brands that follow California’s Prop 65 standards are a good bet — they’ve passed tests for known reproductive and carcinogenic toxins.
✔ Avoid low-temp-fired earthenware, which is more porous and prone to leaching.
✔ Skip anything cracked, crazed, or vintage for food contact — beautiful, yes, but potentially toxic.
✔ Choose high-temp-fired stoneware or porcelain from third-party-tested manufacturers.
The good news? There are plenty of ceramic brands providing safe dishware out there. Check out
Fiestaware for brightly-colored plates and mugs,
Emilie Henry for beautiful dutch ovens and tart dishes made in France,
Le Creuset Stoneware for shock-resistant ceramics meant to last (you will pass these dishes on to your grandkids!),
Sweese for gorgeous pasta bowls, and
Corelle for simple, inexpensive dishware.
There is even
Tuxton Home for ceramic frying pans . . . Wait, ceramic
non-stick frying pans? What is going on
there? Ceramic frying pans are
not clay pots with handles which you put on your stovetop. Most ceramic pans are built from a stainless steel base, often with an aluminum disc layered within to ensure even, responsive cooking heat; then they are topped with a ceramic-based, PTFE‑free,
nonstick coating – a safer alternative to traditional Teflon. Note: PTFE stands for polytetrafluoroethylene; PFOA and PFAS are related chemicals which you have likely heard of. All of these should be avoided!
Ceramic pans are not as toxin as the non-stick pans they came along to replace, but some cooks report that they only last about a year before being too scracthed up to continue to use. Yikes! And what do all those so-called ceramic chips (that you are eating) contain? The base composition is silica, and consuming this is like eating sand – harmless. However, the binders and stabilizers, such as alumina (Al₂O₃), titanium dioxide (which is linked to oxidative stress and microbiome disruption), or zirconium oxide can be more problematic. There are often colorants, and these can also be concerning, although using cadmium or other heavy metals as part of the coloring process has been made illegal in the U.S. and EU. Most concerning is that some coatings may still contain trace PTFE or silicone resins – so be especially skeptical of cheap pans lacking transparent labeling.
Once again, if it is marketed as “non-stick” then your best bet is to simply avoid it. The first year with your ceramic pan will likely be pretty safe. Besides, you are likely already getting more titamium dioxide from your supplements if you have not checked your labels carefully. However, the second year, after it has become much more scratched up, could lead to intestinal inflammation, nano-particle accumulation in your body, and possibly heavy metal buildup if pigments are involved. My solution? Cook with plenty of oil in a cast-iron pan. So maybe don’t get those Tuxton Home frying pans after all – although you can find nice ceramic plateware by the same brand.
Now we have to discuss those inherited Corelle dishes you may have found at the thrift store . . . While modern Corelle ceramics (made in 2005 or after) are safe, vintage Corelle plates and mugs contain lead or cadmium in the painted patterns — particularly reds, yellows, and oranges. These decorations were applied with lead-based enamels that can wear down and leach over time, especially if the plate is scratched, faded, or used in the dishwasher. Corelle itself has issued a statement recommending that vintage pieces not be used for food contact — they suggest using them for decoration only.
The bottom line is that ceramic can be an optimal choice for your plateware. The brands above all offer gorgeous, durable, properly-fired wares that are tested for safety and built to last. And they won’t secretly poison your pesto. But remember: if you want the sacred to stay sacred in your kitchen, choose your glazes like you choose your food — with curiosity, discernment, and a touch of reverence. Read the labels!
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Another must-have in a health-conscious kitchen is a quality stainless steel salad spinner. If you are eating greens everyday (which you should be unless you absolutely require a fiber-free diet for microbiome rebalancing reasons), then you likely have frequent cause to be washing greens. Shaking them out, in my strong opinion, just does not cut it. And the more salad you eat – and the more greens you grow in your garden – the more greens-washing you will be likely to do. Especially if you avoid plastic packaging – which is what all the pre-washed greens come in. When seeking a salad spinner you will find that all of them have some plastic parts, but you can at least find some models which have both a stainless steel exterior and a stainless steel strainer.
My only complaint with owning and using a salad spinner daily is that after use, they need somewhere to be upside-down to dry. Over the past fifteen years I have generally had a dedicated drying rack for my salad spinner. 🤦🏻♀️ 🤷🏻
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Many food items are simply more practical to order online. They’re often less expensive online, and they arrive right at your door — no more pacing the aisles of the health food store, hoping it’s in stock and affordable. Just put it on autoship and have it arrive monthly, every three months, or every six months.
A good pricing rule of thumb with “superfoods” like spirulina, cacao powder, chia seeds, goji berries, and goldenberries is that the price will be findable at $1 per ounce or less — that’s $16 per pound or less. In grocery stores, you’ll often find these at $1.50 per ounce, bumping the cost up to $24 per pound. Online, I often find these same foods (even by the same brands!) as low as 75 cents per ounce, or $12 per pound.
That said, not everything is better online. I highly recommend using cold-pressed, refrigerated oils on your salads (such as flax, hemp, or chia oil), and for these, I absolutely suggest buying these from your local store’s fridge. When shipped, they’re often sent without cooling, spending five days—or more—at room temperature. This damages the delicate omega-3 fatty acids and undermines the health benefits.
⚠️ A few more important caveats:
While online shopping can save money and effort, it also comes with ecological, ethical, and scam concerns. Shipping food across long distances increases carbon emissions, and excessive packaging — often plastic — is still the norm. Many warehouse workers and delivery drivers face poor working conditions, low wages, and high stress during peak shipping seasons. Furthermore, it is easy to run a scam when selling a powder or supplement, and these are increasingly common – especially through big retailers. Whenever possible, consider supporting small, ethically-minded companies, seeking sustainable packaging, offsetting emissions, and/or choosing slower shipping to lower environmental impact.
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Raw organic nori sheets are a practical addition to any diet. They are nutrient dense, convenient, travel-friendly, and delicious. And, when you buy them online in bulk, you pay as little as 33 cents per sheet. Compare this to spending $1 per sheet when you buy 10-packs at the supermarket. Making your own nori wraps at home is an easy, inexpensive choice.
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Chia seeds have become all the rage in health food. While the nutritional benefits are often over-stated, the fact these seeds are much easier to digest than most seeds is still a tremendous benefit.
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Dried mulberries are one of my favorite snacks and recipe ingredients. These little berries are chewy (or crunchy if you refrigerate them), mildly sweet and taste a lot like honey. I use them as the vegan honey in my recipe Honeyed Turmeric Muesli.
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Raederle, 2014, Mint-Stripe Chocolates
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Raw cacao powder is simply ground, unroasted cacao beans, after the cacao butter (the fat) has been extracted. (For me, as someone sensitive to cacao butter, this is a plus.) Compared to cocoa powder (which is roasted), raw cacao has a richer, more complex flavor and often a far less bitter bite, depending on the variety.
Cacao does contain caffeine, but in relatively small amounts. A tablespoon of raw cacao powder typically contains about 10–15 mg of caffeine, which is less than a cup of white tea. However, it also contains theobromine, a gentler stimulant that affects the heart and smooth muscle tissue more than the central nervous system. Theobromine provides a more sustained, mellow energy boost than caffeine — often described as uplifting without the jitters. I have been known to consume as much as half a cup of cacao in a sitting and then bounce of the walls with a sort of mania; I do not personally recommend mimicing this behavior.
Commercial chocolate bars, especially darker ones, often have higher caffeine levels due to roasting, concentration, and sometimes added caffeine in the case of energy bars or certain flavored varieties.
Making your own chocolate at home using raw cacao, coconut oil or organic lard, and unprocessed sweeteners (such as date paste, honey, or green stevia leaf) isn’t just fun — it’s healthier, tastier, and actually a lot more affordable. If you love chocolate bars and find yourself paying $3 to $5 a bar on a regular (or even daily basis), then making them at home will safe you bundles! I highly recommend it!
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Schisandra berries are revered in traditional Chinese medicine as a “five-flavor fruit” that supports the liver, sharpens the mind, and enhances resilience to stress. Rich in antioxidants and adaptogens, they help the body balance hormones, boost energy without overstimulation, and promote glowing skin from the inside out. ✨ All those antioxidants equals a very potent flavor; I enjoy snacking on these with a ratio of a single schisandra berry to a non-heaping handful of mulberries.
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***July 24th 2025: I have not finished editing this page yet. This is where I am up to thus far! Most of what follows is still the original text from 2014. Hoping to finish this soon! I've been working on this for days!***
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Raw carob powder is nutritious, delicious and relatively inexpensive for a superfood. Many have bad memories of disgusting carob muffins baked by health-nut aunts and friends, but this gives the wrong impression of carob. Carob is naturally sweet when it is raw. Roasted carob isn't nearly as tasty. Try raw carob powder blended with frozen bananas for a simple, healthy, home-made ice cream.
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Cinnamon powder makes a very sensible online purchase if you use as much cinnamon as I do. Online, you can find it as inexpensive as $8 for an entire pound of organic cinnamon. Try buying a pound of regular cinnamon as well as a pound of ceylon cinnamon. If you're going to take a while to use all of your cinnamon, keep the extra in the freezer for maximum freshness. Cinnamon helps slow the release of sugars, so this is a great addition to all desserts, especially for hypoglycemic and diabetic people.
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Vanilla powder is hard to find on grocery shelves and expensive even when you order it online... Yet, it lasts a long time because you only need to use a pinch to get a tremendously delicious result. Try mashing a ripe banana with a pinch of vanilla powder with a fork. Easy, delicious and healthy. I recommend powder instead of extract because the powder is pure vanilla bean, whereas the extracts all require a carrier such as alcohol, glycerin and/or sugar.
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Spirulina powder is a great source of easily digested protein (amino acids), as well as chlorophyll (evidenced by its dark green color). Like most sea vegetables, spirulina is very dense in nutrients, even compared to other nutritious vegetables. It does have a strong flavor. I recommend using a pinch in ice-cream, chocolates and other sweet treats.
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Kelp Noodles are a raw pasta alternative. They come in a moist packet and only require rinsing before consuming. If you prefer your noodles soft (these come fairly firm/chewy), then after rinsing, soak these for a few hours in fresh lemon juice with a little sea salt and a dash of fresh cold-pressed organic oil. These, unfortunately, are not available organic. That said, they are not GMO as far as I know, and conventional zucchinis are GMO, so if you're going to opt for zucchini noodles, make sure you choose organic zucchini!
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Effective Supplements
Not all supplements do something. In fact, many of them are a complete waste of money. I've tried literally hundreds of different probiotics, enzymes, powders and so on, and below I've only listed the ones that had a clearly noticeable difference for me. Better yet, each of the products mentioned below has phenomenal reviews and they have also proven effective for my clients, friends and family!
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Lugol's Iodine 5% has been a miracle for me and many people I know. Iodine deficiency is rampant in America. Healthy salts (non-table-salt) don't contain it, and you'll never get enough from consuming spirulina and nori.
To make matters worse, most people never experience any benefits from taking it in tablet form, and friends of mine also tried it at 2% dilution and didn't get any results. Something about this particular iodine really works. Iodine is a halogen molecule, similar to chlorine and fluoride. Chlorine and fluoride get into your thyroid when you don't get enough iodine and don't come out of the thyroid until you get enough iodine.
For me, my thyroid problems left me cold all the time. I started taking five to nine drops of this iodine in my hot tea daily and on the very first day I stopped being chronically cold! A friend of mine lost her need for glasses within a few months of starting this product.
Iodine has also been shown to help with the damage caused by glyphosate, which is the main ingredient in Monsanto's RoundUp and present in conventional zucchini, corn, soy, alfalfa, cotton, and canola.
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Natren's Trinity Probiotics is incredible effective for any flora imbalance, including the common cold. Want to nip a sore throat in the bud? Take two of these, one the moment you notice the problem, and the next capsule the following evening. After trying literally dozens of probiotics, I've found this one most effective. I've also had clients, friends and family rave about the benefits of this product. While I'm using an Amazon link here so that you can see it and potentially get it online, it may be best to see if your local health food store has this product in their refrigerator, as it should always be kept cold for maximum potency.
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Ultimate Flora Probiotics is a brand I recommend for additional probiotic support if you're struggling with vaginosis, candida, yeast infections, urinary tract infections, bladder infections and/or kidney stones. Just like with Natren's Trinity, if you can find it locally in a health food store in their refrigerated section, they may have more potent product that has been cold more consistently. However, if you can not find it locally, click here to find it on Amazon.
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Essential Oils
Back in 2007, I bought my first bottle of clove essential oil for a stubborn toothache. One dab, and the pain vanished. It felt like magic. Still, I didn’t fully grasp the potential I’d just opened the door to. It took me years to realize essential oils weren’t just intense little perfumes for hippies and health nuts — they were concentrated botanical allies with numerous practical uses.
Since then, I’ve used essential oils to ward off lice, fleas, and bed bugs – even when these were already present in the same building in different bedroom. Essential oils can even help against ticks — without resorting to toxic chemical sprays. I’ve cleared congested sinuses, soothed cramps, abated mold, impoved oral hygeine, improved my scalp health, and kept my home smelling like a spa.
That said, quality matters — and the terminology around essential oils is full of marketing fluff. “Therapeutic grade” doesn’t mean anything legally; anyone can slap it on a label. “Food grade,” on the other hand, is a regulated term, but it usually means the oil’s been redistilled — which might make it safer for internal use, but it also means it’s been altered from its original full-spectrum form. Whether that’s a good thing is still up for debate. It’s kind of like comparing pasteurized milk to raw milk — safety vs. potency, and context matters.
I’ve consumed non-food-grade organic oils in small amounts with no issues — and I’m about as sensitive as they come. Still, I’m cautious. Internal use of essential oils can be powerful, and not all oils or bodies handle it well.
As of now, finding oils that are both organic and food grade is surprisingly difficult. Many companies aren't transparent about their sourcing or processing. If you find a brand that offers third-party testing, organic certification, and clearly labeled distillation methods — that’s gold.
At this point, essential oils are just part of my life — like forks, books, and kombucha. I use them because they work – without nasty side-effects. And after nearly two decades of trial and error, I trust them far more than most over-the-counter products I grew up with.
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Clove essential oil is incredibly effective for killing off bacteria of the mouth. Put one drop on your finger and carefully trace the edges of your gums outside and inside before bed every other week. This will eliminate and prevent most oral discomfort.
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Peppermint essential oil can be used plain instead of toothpaste. Just put one drop on your wet toothbrush and brush. Kills bacteria, cleans your teeth, and leaves you feeling fresh.
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Oregano essential oil is very potent and powerful, so use with caution. If you have chronic bleeding gums that do not go away when switching to peppermint oil and using clove oil on occasion, then add in occasional use of oregano oil on your gums. Oregano will kill parasites that burrow into the gums and cause them to bleed. While not everyone has these parasites, they are highly common. To use, dilute with fractionated coconut oil or water.
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Lemon eucalyptus essential oil has been my go-to for tick protection for years now, and given that my rural-Ithacan garden has been shown to be tick-rich since I moved here in 2015, I have to say that the oil seems to work. Lavender oil is still my number one for sun exposure; I rarely burn, and when I do, a generous layer usually stops it from peeling or lingering.
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Are essentials oil really ecological in the big picture? That is, unfortunately, complicated. Essential oils can reduce your reliance on synthetic cleaners, air fresheners, and pharmaceuticals, lowering your personal chemical load and household toxicity. But producing just one ounce often requires hundreds of pounds of plant material, and high-demand oils like sandalwood, rosewood, and frankincense come from trees that are now endangered or at risk from overharvesting. Steam distillation consumes large amounts of water and energy, and many oils are shipped globally, adding to their carbon footprint. The ecological impact depends on how they’re grown and used: organic, sustainably farmed oils used sparingly and intentionally can support both health and sustainability — but careless consumption can quietly fuel deforestation and resource depletion in nature’s name.
Remember that anything on your skin also shows up in your blood stream, so don't settle for conventional skin products, and definitely steer clear of parabens and ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate.
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Jojoba oil, while pricey for a skin oil, is the most effective oil I've found for genuinely hydrating and smoothing the skin. Jojoba oil is actually a liquid wax which balances the hormones in your skin, reducing blemishes and hydrating without clogging pores. Whenever using oils on your skin, I recommend using a hot wash cloth to rub the oil in, getting it into the pores and evenly distributed.
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Coconut oil can be used for food, hair, skin and "oil pulling". I strongly believe that the nutritional benefits are hype created by the industry to sell more coconut oil, but it is a delicious culinary oil that is great in raw vegan cheesecake and other specialty foods. I find that it causes me to break out if I consume more than a tablespoon in a day, or if I consume it daily, which adds to my suspicion that this food clogs up the intestines. That said, I love coconut oil for my skin and hair.
To get effective use (and not just clog your pores and gum up your hair), create this mix prior to showering: put two heaping tablespoons of coconut oil in a tall mason jar that has a lid. Add a quarter cup to a half cup of apple cider vinegar. If you're working on increasing the health of your hair, also add five drops of rosemary oil to the mixture.
Then add very hot water, filling up the jar. Then shower with organic soap, scrubbing your whole body twice with something exfoliating. Wash your hair with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water without oil. Then rinse your body and hair until all the soap is gone. Shake up the mixture of oil, vinegar and water. If you have long hair, start by dipping your hair in the mixture and squeezing the excess back out into the jar. Then carefully pour some out onto your scalp and massage into your hair. Continue from there to apply the mixture to your entire body. Rinse with warm water if you feel you applied the mix unevenly and want to redistribute it.
The result is very hydrated healthy hair and skin. In my bathroom, the only shower products are apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, organic soap and rosemary essential oil.
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Neem oil is known for its effective bacteria-fighting properties. It clears acne and is part of many effective blends for healthy gums and teeth. Unfortunately, I've been able to find a source of neem oil which is pure, powerful and organic, so I've been using the ZAJA brand. The way I use mine is by adding ten to twenty drops to a small glass dispenser with organic jojoba oil. I wash my face, then I rub the oil into my face, then I massage it in with a warm to hot washcloth, getting the mixture into my pores. I've found this very effective for eliminating dry skin and alleviating troubled skin.
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I am a writer. The quality and style of writing is crucial to enjoying a novel for me. In ways, it is more important than great characters, story and setting. In fact, if the writing is poor, I don't finish the first chapter. My four favorite fiction authors have above average writing abilities: Jo Graham, Karen Miller, Naomi Novik and Steven Brust.
I recommend ebooks for seven reasons: They're less expensive for the consumer. They don't use up trees. They don't take up shelf space. They don't become dusty/dirty. They're infinitely more portable when moving or traveling. A nook or kindle is lighter in the hand than a book. Many new authors have self-published via e-books and are not yet (or may never be) available in print.
I understand that most people enjoy the turning of a page, but ultimately, ebooks are more practical for you and for the planet. If you use nook, you can download software such as Calibre to convert kindle books into nook books. Calibre can also convert nook books into kindle books.
The one thing to beware of with ebooks is that some have DRM (digital rights management) on them, which makes it so that you can't put your ebook on more than one device without entering the credit card number used when purchasing. This can be a long-term problem if you switch credit cards and can't find/recall the card used to purchase. This is to protect the seller from people sharing the files freely on the web. Not all ebooks have DRM. If this concerns you, you can look up whether an ebook has DRM on it or not prior to purchase.
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The Godspeaker Trilogy by Karen Miller is a fantasy trilogy taking place in a land without technology, but rich in foreign culture and belief systems. The writing is rich and deeply reflects the culture being portrayed. Throughout the trilogy some deep messages about the creation, use, and nature of religion and faith are conveyed.
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Jhereg by Steven Brust is the first in a series about an assassin named Vladimir with a good sense of humor. This series makes me laugh out loud repeatedly, and also stimulates thinking about ethical issues, political issues and societal social dynamics.
The Vladimir series is intended to be readable out of chronological order, but I recommend reading them in order, starting either with Jhereg or Taltos (pronouced Tal-Toe-sh). Taltos is the first chronologically and is about young Vladimir, however Jhereg tells the story of how Vladimir first got his familiar, a Jhereg (which is essentially a dragon the size of a hawk). You can get these with three-stories-in-one-book, however, they're combined in the publication order. I use Steven Brust's wikipedia page to reference the chronological order. This series is only available in ebook format if you purchase the nook books.
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The Temeraire series by Naomi Novik has never failed to disappoint me. Naomi builds fantastic characters, teaches history, and depicts fantastical wars and scenery in a tasteful, enjoyable and engrossing saga. The basic theme is dragons in the Napoleonic Wars. This is the same time period that two books I mentioned above take place in, The General's Mistress, and The Emperor's Agent. I recommend reading these two books near the time that you read the Temeraire series for a different perspective on this time period. The Temeraire series is from the British perspective, whereas Jo Graham's books are from the French perspective.
The Temeraire books are astonishing in their apt ability to convey the culture, values and stigmas of the time through the eyes of dragonlore. The series takes you to China, Turkey, Russia, South America, America, Africa, Britain, France and other places besides, displaying a wide variety of cultures as well as a wide variety of ways that dragons can exist within a culture. The fascinating and fabulous thing is that Naomi somehow manages to insert dragons into history without losing any of the authentic feel of these locations and historical battles.
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The inspiring books I've read have been key in making me who I am. Most of my healing, motivation, and inspiration has come from books. They are powerful in their ability to hold and convey information. They're a bargain, even when you pay $30 for a single book.
These books recommended below are all books that I have read personally and was highly touched by.
The books shown below are more or less in the order I recommend reading them. Book reviews
below.
 
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After reading The Art of Happiness cover-to-cover once I found myself reading it again, and again, in the years following. I never fail to feel uplifted after reading a chapter out of this marvelous book. It is a testament to the beauty of humanity.
Click here to read my full book review and two of my favorite excerpts from the book.
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The Power of A Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian immediately hooked my attention. The wise Stormie opened up with the most important prayer... To pray for yourself to change. Pray to become strength, not for an easy life.
This book comes from a Christian perspective. Even if you're not Christian, I encourage you to try the prayers in this book. Going into a meditative state and visualizing yourself becoming a better, more forgiving, more loving, more honest person, all by itself, will have amazing impact.
"Little by little, I began to see changes... Instead of reacting negatively, I prayed... I asked God to give me insight ... My husband's anger became less frequent more quickly soothed. You have to rise up and say, "I pray for an end to this conflict ... Take away the armor we've put up. Lift us out of unforgiveness..."
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Raw Emotions by Angela Stokes is fantastic for anyone detoxing from emotional baggage. When you start a raw food diet or a vegetable juice cleanse, it is common to start detoxing emotions as well as the rest of it. That is where this book comes in to the rescue!
Angela Stokes is renowned for her remarkable physical transformation - a 160lb weight loss with a raw food lifestyle. Whatever your current relationship with food looks like, Raw Emotions has something to offer you. Inspiring 'self-help' techniques with a lifestyle rich in fresh raw foods is a winning combination.
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My Books
The Ultimate Nutrition Reference — A highly comprehensive reference guide on nutrition from the unique perspective of a master of alternative diets and healing modalities.
Collecting Calcium — A 7-Day Raw Vegan Nutritionally Complete Meal Plan for building bones, an ideal plan for preventing and healing degenerative bone conditions such as osteoporosis.
Experience Elegance — An 8-Day Raw Vegan Nutritionally Complete Meal Plan ideal for raw foodies looking to minimize nuts and seeds while maximizing energy.
Nut-Free Delectable Delights — A 7-Day Raw Vegan Nutritionally Complete Meal Plan with no nuts, but you still get you selenium, protein, omega-3, and zinc from whole foods!
Nut-Free Raw Recipes — A Raw Vegan Recipe Book with no nuts, loaded with gourmet recipes and desserts (and some fun savory items too).
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— Raederle Phoenix
