On this page, I have compiled a list of stuff I absolutely love.
I’ve been wanting to share this amazingness all in one place for a long time.
From kitchen products and tools to bathroom products to self-help books, here are the things that make my life easier and more enjoyable. :) I’ve set them up so that if you click on them, you can get them right on Amazon, and I will get a tiny commission from your purchase.
You get cool stuff and I get a few pennies, and you don’t pay anything extra. Win-win for both of us! Thanks for checking it out. xo Cheri
Organic Matcha Green and Red Tea Powder
It’s like Christmas for your insides! :P So a couple of products that I absolutely swear by are matcha green and red tea. I have a very close friend from where I used to live in Florida named Izumi (she’s Japanese:) who imports her family’s tea straight from her family farm where she grew up in Shizuoka, Japan.
I swear this is absolutely the BEST stuff around — if you’re a tea drinker or interested in your health at all, this is the place to start!
This tea has a ton of amazing antioxidants (way more than say pomegranates or blueberries!) and is so easy to drink because it’s in a *powdered* form! That’s right, it’s the entire leaf pulverized, so it’s completely dissolvable in hot or cold water…you don’t even need to steep it like regular tea, and you get all the fiber of the leaf and all the nutrients in a tea that’s a lot more pleasant and mild-tasting than regular green tea.
My two favorites are the Matcha Green Tea, super high-quality, organic and from an amazing family business (you won’t find this kind of tea served at Starbucks or anywhere else!)…
And the other type I love is the Organic Red Tea, which is a super powerful anti-inflammatory tea. It’s great for people with aches and pains, muscle issues, and can sometimes even help with issues like tendonitis or even arthritis for some individuals. I have heard testimonies of some of her customers who use it for these reasons without fail!
This is not medical advice, but merely testimony from someone who knows a lot about this tea — and I drink it myself every single day in my morning smoothie!!! Try it for yourself!
Kitchen Stuff
Veggie Spiralizer – So this is one of my favorite kitchen contraptions ever. It’s a vegetable “spiralizer” and it makes healthy eating super fun. It’s great for gluten-free dishes. Basically, it makes veggies into “pasta”! So imagine eating a huge bowl of spaghetti that’s made with zucchini instead of pasta. The texture is just as satisfying as pasta and it tastes AWESOME. Best part: you can eat an unlimited quantity of veggie pasta! Check out my recipe for Zucchini Pasta with Creamy Avocado Sauce if you’re not convinced. :) Get it here.
Salad Chopper Bowl – With this sturdy salad bowl and double-pizza-cutter tool thingie, you can quickly chop your salads into super tiny pieces without tiring out using a knife. Reduce the size of your salad to eat more at a time. Now you can eat a pound of salad at a time without even flinching! I use this every time I make a salad, every week. Get it here.
Vitamix Blender
Alright I’m giving this a whole section on here because this is really important to me. And I know, getting a commission from you buying a Vitamix would be great for me — but that’s not the main reason I put this here. I made the decision to save up and buy a Vitamix in the middle of 2013. It was a very large purchase. (I ended up spending about $450, after using a gift card from a friend) I bought it because I knew I was going to make a huge commitment to my health, and it has been worth every single penny I spent. I promise you — I use the thing 1-3 times per day and that is absolutely not an exaggeration. I haven’t had a single problem with it the whole time.
I have since created healthy meals for other friends, family and clients, and always notice a huge difference. When I try to make my smoothie recipes with my old blender, it wasn’t even a comparison. Soups come out souper smooth, pun totally intended.
The reason it’s called Vitamix is because it blends practically anything, which means that you retain all the original vitamins and minerals and fibers from the original plant food, when the food hasn’t been cooked. So healthy!
And the best part is, they’re made in the US and they have a lifetime guarantee. These things are freaking powerhouses and they’re meant to stand the test of time. It’s absolutely invaluable for the recipes I create (soups, smoothies, hummus, etc). And you don’t need all the bells and whistles of the more expensive models. I’ve used all of them, and love my model the best. The thing does smoothies like a champ (dates are completely pulverized as if you were using liquid sweetener…in regular blenders you’re left with chunks that you have to chew). And you can even make soup in it, start to finish. Throw all the veggies in, water and seasonings, turn the thing on High and let it run for like 5-10 minutes. It’s so powerful, it actually heats up the soup and cooks it so you can serve it RIGHT FROM THE BLENDER. *gasp*
Here’s the link to the one I have. You really want to have the one with variable speeds and a high power button option. That’s what makes the most versatility without completely spending too much for not much more functionality. Though with a little searching, you might be able to find a slightly cheaper comparable model on Amazon.
Dang, now I wish I was sponsored by Vitamix, but I promise I’m not. If I was, I would tell you! :P Get the Vitamix here
Now, if you’re REALLY strapped for cash and want to spend a little less, you can get go with the Ninja Ultima blender for about $300 total on Amazon. I’ve tested it out, and it does make the smoothies as creamy as my Vitamix does, but because of the drawbacks, I definitely recommend you choose the Vitamix instead. Drawbacks: the lid is an incredible pain in the butt to open and close. (I do that a lot during every use w my Vitamix) and it’s made not in the USA. There’s a good deal of heavy users reporting on Amazon reviews that it doesn’t last more than 15-20 smoothies and doesn’t last especially when doing hummus. And this model has only been out for about a year or so. That means it would probably not serve you if you want to really get healthy. Also, it has a lot of blades that are sharp and hard to get around and it’s pretty annoying to clean.
So obviously I would suggest you spend the extra $100-$200 for the Vitamix. Over the long run, if you’re really looking to get healthy, it’s your best bet and will last long. For the pretty penny you pay for either, it’s worth it to invest in the Vitamix a bit more and get the built-to-last quality.
Knives
So in November of 2014 I went to a dear friend’s house and made him some soup. He had suffered his fourth heart attack and I told him enough is enough. You’re gonna get healthy, dammit!
I didn’t bring my knife to chop so I used theirs instead. And I was completely surprised at just how much of a difference a quality knife makes. I had invested in a few amazing knives last year and forgot how hard it was to use regular grocery store knives or those sets you can get at Walmart.
It’s an AMAZING difference.
Now, you don’t need a whole set of knives. Any home cook can completely and totally get by with just 3 really good knives. Here’s what you should get (and my favorite brand is Wusthof). I’m going to add in another ceramic knife below, that I can’t live without, but you probably could:
A chef’s knife, a paring knife and a bread knife
Here’s a set of the chef’s knife and the paring knife. You’ll use the chef’s knife for pretty much all things chopping, dicing, etc. And you’ll use the paring knife for smaller jobs like cutting cores out of apples, peeling apples, stuff like that where you want more control. Here is a set of the two for a great price ($129) on Amazon. I currently own these two knives and they, plus the ceramic, are all I ever need.
Trust me on this one, your cooking life will never be the same and will be so much more enjoyable with good knives. Of course, just be careful, they’re super freaking sharp. The first time you cut a tomato, you will gasp at how easy it is to get through the skin. Paper thin! Over time though, tomatoes and peppers are best served with the ceramic knife I mention below…
And you’ll need a bread knife as well, because the serrated edge comes in handy. Perfect for cutting bread without smooshing it.
I’m linking here to the double serrated 9″ knife because it is great for larger loaves and the double serration is like…cutting butter instead of bread. It may be overkill for you, so you can always get the traditional one, but with the one I link below, you will never need another bread knife. Not to mention tomatoes don’t stand a chance with this knife in their vicinity!
But if you want to go for the cheaper, shorter, single serrated knife, this one will do the trick just fine.
And my other favorite knife is the first one that I invested some real money into. This was when I was just getting started with Nutritarian cooking in 2013 and my friend Katharine had one and I wanted to try it too. It seemed fancy and I wondered what the fuss was. So, one quick emotional purchase later and I had my very own Kyocera ceramic knife.
I’ll never forget when I brought it home and tested it with my Dad. We sliced a tomato into a more-than-paper-thin slice, just like cutting soft butter…and we were both absolutely dumbfounded. This knife has become the perfect answer to chopping tomatoes and bell peppers — the ceramic material easily gets through those waxy, tough skins. I totally love it. I first bought my chef’s knife for $75 at Sur La Table by itself. You can get this 3 piece set on Amazon now for under $70. I highly recommend them if you’re serious about chopping. :)
While you’re at it, I urge you to also get a knife sharpener for the steel knives. I use this $15 Wusthof one, and you’ll want one of your own after a few months of Nutritarian cooking!
Health and Beauty
Kiss My Face Shave Gel – The weird thing is, I created this page mostly because of this product, I’ve been wanting to share it FOREVER but it’s not food related. But screw it. HERE IT IS. Ya know sometimes how you go through life doing something one way but then find a new way and can’t believe it took you that long to figure out? Yeah, that’s what it was like with this product. PERFECT for shaving, it’s like amazingness. One pump in your hand, lather it up really good, spread it on, and you’ve got the smoothest, most moisturized legs ever. No nicks, no dryness, no razor burn. I hear it even works well for guys beards. Seriously, just get one bottle and tell me it’s not the best ever. Get it here
Life Changing Books
Eat to Live – In no uncertain terms, this book changed my life. Sure, it’s a dry read. But I have gotten a massive education in nutrition to support the way I eat, and it will change the way you think about food. I recommend that if you only buy one other book for the rest of your life — buy this one.
Super Immunity – Same author as Eat to Live above. Dr Fuhrman has a lot of books to buy, and this was the second one I read myself. I think it’s a super important book because it talks all about what are the most immunity boosting foods and which ones you should eat every day. A mini-course in nutrition in each of one his books, you will learn more about G-BOMBS and find out WHY you can’t live without these foods!
Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease – While I may not have heart issues at this time in my life, I am acutely aware of the pain they can cause and the devastation they could bring to a family. My father himself suffered a heart attack and one of my favorite people in the world just came back from his FOURTH. It’s a great book for education about heart disease, and it also has a ton of great recipes that fit in line with Dr. Fuhrman’s Eat to Live plan as well.
The Miracle Morning – I am a lover of sleep. So much so that it causes me to not reach my goals as fast as I’d like. After reading this book, I have changed my habits and am becoming a more productive person in general — all from one small book. Quick entertaining read and it will get you on track for the rest of your life.
7 Habits of Highly Successful People – This book is a timeless classic for a reason. Inspiring and thought-provoking, it will have you digging deep into your self to become more successful. And who doesn’t want that?
Eat That Frog – A must read book for anyone who wants to get more done and wants to stop procrastinating. I am definitely in that group. It comes down to very simple advice, as does the content in most books, but when you hear it put the way Tracy does, you’ll be compelled to act!
Great Books for Bloggers
Trust Me, I’m Lying: Confessions of a Media Manipulator – In a nutshell, this book is kind of a downer, but it explains the blogging world from one of those highly successful people — a guy who manipulates the media for a living, very successfully. You’ll see through the eyes of the great newspapers and content publishers like BuzzFeed and Huffington Post to understand what the world is looking for online. The phrase, “It’s true, cuz I read it on the Internet” takes on a whole new level. You don’t have to practice the “dark arts” of media manipulation, but being aware of them will help you exponentially.
Great Books for Business Owners
Hooked – Why do some products tend to get such a great rabid following and how can you make your own product do the same? Invaluable information for anyone who sells anything.
The E-Myth Revisited – This was one of my first “self-help”/ business books that I ever read. It was a fantastic read and completely changed the way I think about having a small business. Anyone with their own company NEEDS to read this one. Get your priorities straight and act efficiently. Think differently about business, altogether.
Movies I Love
The Secret -This movie is also available on Netflix right now as well. This movie was way too done up and hokey looking, but it conveys an extremely powerful message. For anyone who wants to take control of their lives and destinies, this is where you should start. If you feel like there’s things in your life you want to accomplish but don’t know where to get started, here is your kick in the pants! I try to watch it every couple of years to keep me on track — it WORKS.
Food, Inc. – Be responsible and open your eyes to the food industry. See what’s going into your body and how it gets from farm to your plate. Once you know, you can make better decisions for yourself, your family and our planet. Just suck it up and watch it! This movie is also available on Netflix right now as well.
Fed Up – By Katie Couric. Finally understand what people mean when they talk about why too much sugar isn’t good for you. Here’s the explanation for that. WHY too much sugar is making you fat. Finally get a hold on it and use the information to power your decisions! This movie is also available on Netflix right now as well.
My Free Recipe Book
My favorite book on this page is of course my ecookbook with some of my favorite healthy recipes that I use all the time in my kitchen. Just sign up for the mailing list to get your free copy!
:D And thank you so much for following along, I couldn’t do this without you. xoxo