HEALTY BLOG

I’ve been living in blender hell for years. My basic blender just didn’t blend … anything. Forget about trying to crush ice, it couldn’t even blend fresh fruit. So, I dreamed of someday getting a Vitamix. Life would just be better.

And then the day arrived. I realized I had an extra $350 and got myself the Vitamix 5300 (certified refurbished), in black with the cookbook. And life really did get better.

How? Well, I’m glad you asked. When you own a powerful blender like the Vitamix, you can easily eat more fresh fruit and vegetables.

Since getting my Vitamix, I’ve been able to blend … everything!

I’ve been able to consistently eat breakfast, which has always been a problem for me. I can blend anything (including ice) with ease to make smoothies. I’ve made soup on a weeknight. And been able to put pesto and other healthy sauces on just about everything. But the best thing about my Vitamix is that I can make my own almond milk.

Now, making your own almond milk might seem super time-intensive and only for “those crazy health nuts.” But it takes about 45 seconds and saves me about $10 a week. As a bonus, I know I’m not eating any hidden sugars or additives—check your nut milk labels! Your seemingly “healthy” almond or cashew milk is likely loaded with sugar and other additives and preservatives.

Homemade Almond Milk

1 cup almonds, soaked overnight (I use the raw, sliced almonds from Trader Joe’s or Costco)

3 cups water (I used filtered water)

And … that’s it! All you do is put almonds and water in the Vitamix and power it up. Crank that baby up to 10 for about 45 seconds and … you’ve got yourself some almond milk. You can pour the almond milk into an air-tight, glass container to store in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can strain the almond milk through a nut milk bag to make it more like what you’d buy in the store—if you don’t strain, you’ll get the full fiber from the nuts and the consistency might be more grainy. I don’t usually strain my almond milk–it’s all about your preference. And yes, you can put homemade almond milk in a Nespresso Aeroccino Milk Frother to make an amazing latte!

If you haven’t already made the Vitamix part of your daily cooking and eating routine, I highly recommend it! The ease of use and cleaning of the machine makes it possible to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. And by adding more variety into your meals, let’s face it, cooking is just a lot more fun—who doesn’t want that?!

Did you know that you could actually win a Vitamix by participating in the Pure Health Challenge only at Pure Barre Winston-Salem and Pure Barre Clemmons? Well, you can! The Pure Health Challenge is all about consistent Pure Barre classes partnered with a healthy lifestyle for lasting results. From October 30th to December 31st, we’ll challenge all clients to:

Take 4 Pure Barre classes each week
Use the Pure Health Meal Plan to make healthy choices (the recipes are amazing!)
Have fun and connect with our Pure Barre community
Each week, you’ll receive entries for taking class and attending the Challenge events (grab a calendar at the front desk when you’re at the studio). The more entries you have the more chances you’ll have to win the grand prize of a Vitamix 5300, black (certified refurbished) blender! I’m excited about the Pure Health Challenge and will be participating myself—this is a great way to keep on track with my health and fitness goals through the Holiday Season and into the New Year. Hopefully many of you will join me!

Check out these links to learn more or purchase:

Vitamix 5300 (Certified Refurbished), $359.99

Pro Quality Nut Milk Bag, $8.99

Libbey Glass Milk Bottle with Lid, 33.5 oz., $9.92