Make your own! Try these easy and (much) healthier snack recipes using a food dehydrator.

Snacks can easily be one of our biggest and unknown over-indulgences, with most snacks packed with hidden refined sugar, preservatives and colouring. Making your own snacks will not only save money but you can control exactly what goes into them, meaning the end result is much more wholesome and nourishing. Take a look at our dehydrator snack recipes below:

Click ahead to view the dehydrator snack recipes here...

Beetroot & Sweet Potato Chips
Kale Chips
Dried Fruit
Mixed Berry Fruit Rollup
Apricot & Coconut Fruit Rollup
Activated Muesli Bars
Gluten & Dairy Free Bread
Beef Jerky

Beetroot & Sweet Potato Chips

Dried not fried! Use your favourite vegetables to create healthy chips.

1. Thinly slice sweet potato and beetroot, ideally into 3mm slices. The thicker the chips, the longer drying time they will require.

2. Place slices into mixing bowl and toss with oil and paprika.

3. Dehydrate at 55°C for 8 hours. Adjust drying time depending on thickness of vegetable slices

4. Season with sea salt

Vacuum Blender - Sucking the life back into your blended foods

It sucks when you spend time creating the perfect smoothie... thick, colourful, tasty and full of nutrients and by the time kids are called they are faced with an unappetising, watery drink, with brown froth on top? Solve the problem with our BioChef Astro Vacuum Blender.

Oxygen IS life however oxidation of your blended foods does tend to take, not only the fun, but the life, nutrients, flavour and taste out. Bio Chef Astro Vacuum Blenders help suck the life back in to your blended foods and keep it there until YOU are ready to use it.

What is Vacuum Technology?

Vacuum technology in the blending industry is still fairly new. For supermarkets and other food retailers it has been an essential part of food storage since the 1940’s. Vacuum sealed packaging and canning processes helped keep our food fresher for longer and now you can use that technology to prolong the shelf life of your soups, sauces, smoothies, nut butters and other blended foods. Your BioChef  Vacuum Blenders with their built-in vacuum with air pressure sensors, will suck the oxygen out before it starts to blend leaving you with all the nutrients, colour, consistency and flavour. Pour into the provided vacuum storage container and store for longer.

What are the health benefits of vacuum technology using the BioChef Astro Vacuum Blender?

The other day I was digging my way through the built up washing to find my teenage son's favourite t-shirt. Triumphantly I held it up and he told me I was ‘sick’. I wasn’t sure how to take it but apparently it’s a compliment. He rushed off happily and I returned to the leaning tower of washing. As I stared at it I got to thinking. I realised I was sick. I was tired. I was sick and tired. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired. So I googled it.

Apparently, an amazing woman named Fannie Lou Hamer, a black human rights activist, originally coined the phrase, “I am sick and tired, of being sick and tired”.

She was changing the world and had many more reasons that most of us to feel this way. Still, even if we only consider our problems 'first world', it is the way a lot of us feel.

A lot of people out there are constantly feeling sick and tired and I wondered why. The dictionary definition of the saying is that we are bored, fed-up, jaded, sick, tired, wearied and weary. I know life is tough sometimes but why is this feeling so common? Could it have something to do with working too hard or maybe playing too hard? Are we giving too much of ourselves

The concept of living juice was first introduced by Dr. Norman Walker (1886-1985). Dr Walker declared that the enzymes in fruit and vegetables die at temperatures which exceed 50 degrees Celsius. He explained that any juice extractor that used a high-speed blade or centrifuge created friction heat leading to the destruction of enzymes. Nutritionists advise plenty of fresh, raw fruit and vegetables as essential to well-being but we only obtain the maximum benefits from them when the goodness is released from the fibre.

Juicing will provide a highly concentrated nutrient drink. For optimum benefits the process must extract the goodness without destroying vital enzymes through heat. “Living Juicers” or cold press juicers work on a gentle crushing and squeezing principle and living juice extracted at a low temperature holds up to 60% more minerals, vitamins and living enzymes.

Centrifugal juicers work by using a flat cutting blade at the base of a rapidly spinning strainer. Heat, static electricity and large amounts of air are drawn in; nutrients are destroyed as oxidation occurs. Essential enzymes in fruit and vegetable juice die at temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius. Any juice extractor using a high-speed blade or centrifuge creates friction heat and destroys vital nutrients. Juicing machines will allow you to take control of the quality of the produce, but extraction

I love summer don’t you? During the warmer months of the year I feel lighter, happier and more energised. It feels like a holiday. Unfortunately, when the cooler, cloudy autumn and winter months start rolling in so do the blues.

Some of us start to feel a little down, a little depressed and bleak. For most people this is only a temporary thing but for others it can be more than that. Some of us can be prone to SAD, 'Seasonal Affective Disorder’. Can infrared heating at home help?

What is 'SAD' and why does it happen?

According to the National Sleep Foundation, and other experts, Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD is mainly caused by a reduced level of sunlight which can effect the following things:

Most professionals agree that there are many health benefits with regular infrared sauna use.  From muscle relief to heart health, from stress relief to looking feeling younger using an infrared sauna regularly can  improve our quality of life.  These days, however, as we are surrounded by many man made products that produce electromagnetic fields (EMF) we may need to think about lowering our exposure. Using a low EMF Infrared sauna can help keep our exposure to a minimum.

What is EMF?

EMF stands for electromagnetic force (or electromotive force). EMF is found in the natural world by sources such as the local build-up of electric charge in the atmosphere associated with thunderstorms. The earth's magnetic field is used by birds and fish for navigation. They are also emitted from our manufactured products and our own bodies. Mobile phones, television, computers, kitchen appliances, power points etc all emit EMF's in regulated low ranges. EMF is present in just about any situation where electricity is used and is, therefore, part of everyone’s everyday life. Some believe that  due to our modern lifestyles and constant contact with EMF it could be dangerous to our health.

Some studies have shown a correlation between exposure to EMF and incidences of leukemia and some other cancers, fatigue, stress, and even infertility.

The greater the electric current the stronger the EMF and as you sit for prolonged periods of time in a sauna close to the heater you may be exposed to greater levels. Choosing a low EFM infrared sauna and reducing your exposure allows you to reap the health benefits of sauna but k

Dried meat has been popular for thousands of years and it's not hard to see why. It's delicious, virtually fat free, a great source of protein and best of all homemade jerky doesn't have the addition of preservatives or chemical additives so you can be sure that you are eating healthy whole food.

There is no science behind making any meat jerky, all you have to do is know what flavours you like, use the freshest of fresh meat and you can be assured of a yummy snack.

One of the things we get asked for most frequently is how to make meat jerky. Here is a selection of recipes, tried and tested and completely delicious, which you can create using your own food dehydrator!

Homemade Jerky: The Basics

• Select only the leanest cuts of meat as fat can affect the drying times and will become rancid very quickly meaning that your jerky will not last as long
• Be sure to allow adequate space in between slices to allow for air circulation
• Partially frozen meat is much easier to slice into thin strips. For a chewy jerky cut strips along the grain, for a more tender jerky cut against the grain
• The thicker you slice your meat the longer it will take to dry
• Keep your strips as uniform in size as possible to ensure even drying
• Be sure to let jerky cool completely before storing as any moisture will cause the jerky to spoil. Always store in an airtight container.
• Use times as a guide only, if you prefer a crispy jerky dry for longer.
• You may need to use a fine mesh sheet on top of your dehydrating trays depending on how big the holes are in the trays
• Experiment with

Which juicer should I buy? This is by far our most frequently asked question at Vitality 4 Life, and for good reason! With such an array of cold press juicers available on the market today it is easy to become overwhelmed and confused when trying to decide which juicer is best for you.

 

With 20+ years' experience in the business, we are here to help you make the best choice when buying a juicer and our range of cold press juicers are regarded as the best in the world!

 

Cold press juicers retain the enzymes and nutrients of the fruits and vegetables, but how do you know which cold press juicer is best for you? Not just the best juicer on the market, but the best juicer specifically for you, because it depends on your needs - these could be dietary, health, usability and/or functionality requirements.

 

It may surprise you to learn that there are five different types of cold press juicers available today, and each are suited to distinct types of users and their needs. Firstly, it is important to determine where you are on the "road to health" and more specifically, what you are looking for in a juicer.

Let's start with the five following questions:

1. Do you see yourself as a beginner (new to juicing), a health enthusiast (knowledgeable about the benefits of different types of fruits/vegetables) or a patient (looking to overcome an illness naturally)?

2. Are you wanting to juice mostly fruit or predominantly vegetables?

3. What features are important to you - ease of cleaning, ease of use, juicing

In New Zealand over 597,000 people take medication for asthma – this includes an estimated 1 in 7 children and 1 in 8 adults with many more suffering from allergies. Asthma and allergy sufferers are constantly in discomfort caused by dust and pet hair and are now looking to water filtration vacuums to rid their homes of allergens. Let's compare the Sirena Vacuum Cleaner to the Rainbow and see which water filtration vacuum is the best.

Why Choose A Water Filtration Vacuum?

Water filtration systems like the Sirena Vacuum Cleaner and Rainbow Vacuum Cleaner succeed where traditional vacuum cleansers fail.

Instead of relying on dust bags to collect dirt, water filtration vacuums force the vacuumed air into a water reservoir, which keeps the dirt trapped within the water and thus prevents it from being blown back into the air.

This is of critical importance for allergy sufferers who are looking for a hypoallergenic vacuum that can eradicate dust mites and allergens from the home, instead of sucking it in and blowing it back out.

This blog aims to compare the two popular models of bagless water filtration vacuums on the market: the Sirena vs Rainbow E2 Black Model.

Let’s take a closer look at the two water-based vacuum cleaners.

The Sirena vs Rainbow E2 Black

The Sirena Vacuum Cleaner is a Canadian designed and engineered total home cleaning system.

It uses water-based filtration technology that won’t clog as you vacuum. This means you’ll have 100% uncompromised airflow ensurin

Why you need the BioChef Gemini Twin Gear for optimum health.

The BioChef Gemini twin gear juicer technology delivers a significantly higher ratio of living enzymes and nutrients than other cold press juicers on the market. It is specially for those health enthusiasts who want the highest quality juice with the most living enzymes.

A little look at the history of the Twin Gear Juicers...

The Hippocrates GPT-1305 by Green Power was the original innovative design by Mr. Jang G. Kim; inventor of the Green Power juicers and the twin gear extraction process.

Over 20 years ago Vitality 4 Life founder Roger Akins, began importing the first twin gear Green Power juicers into Australia and together with Brian Clement from the Hippocrates Health Institute in Florida, they worked with Mr. Kim to develop the new improved Hippocrates juicer. Now, we have the BioChef Gemini the newest and best twin gear juicer on the market.

The power of the Gemini Twin Gear is the gear's themselves.

A twin gear juicer is a triturating juicer that has two gears that mesh firmly together at a steady pace. They contain magnetic and bio-ceramic technologies which work together to generate an overflow of positive ions, increasing the life and vitality of the juice.

The new superior twin gears of the latest model Gemini mesh together more finely than ever before, so more of the cellulose wall is opened during the extraction process, leaving an abundance of vital enzymes and nutrients suspended in colloidal form, making them more accessible to the body.

This finer meshing

More and more people are suffering from allergies these days, and it only worsens every year with the arrival of spring. The Sirena Water Filtration Vacuum could be just what you need, it's the best vacuum for allergies on the market.

Regular cleaning can help to alleviate some of the symptoms caused by asthma, breathing sensitivities or allergies to dust mites, pet hair, mould and dirt in the home. A high quality HEPA water filtration vacuum cleaner sucks dust, dirt and allergens into water and will not re-emit allergens back into the air...

Regular vacuuming can can do more harm than good by stirring up particles that were previously settled and blowing it back into the moving air that you breathe. A total nightmare for allergy and asthma sufferers!

A hypoallergenic vacuum cleaner is the best vacuum for allergies and is here to relieve your symptoms.

What Makes the Best Hypoallergenic Vacuum Cleaner?

If you’re shopping for a hypoallergenic HEPA vacuum cleaner for asthma and allergies, there are a couple of things to consider.

Surfaces and Vacuum Type

Let’s start with the size of your home and the types of surfaces that you intend to clean. Is your home mostly carpeted or do you need to clean hard wooden or tile floors? Your answer will help to determine which type of vacuum you need. Carpeted floors would be better suited to upright models that have a beater bar to whip up the dust and dirt that is located deeper in the shag or pile of the carpet. But if your floors are wood or tile, a

Horizontal juicers are so much more than juicers

Did you know that horizontal juicers are not just for juicing? Juicers such as the BioChef Axis double as raw food processors. Not only can you make your favourite juices you can also enjoy, nut butters, sorbets, dips, pasta, bread sticks and more.

You can use a horizontal juicer for most kitchen food processing tasks making them more versatile than a vertical juicer. If you have just had a baby the horizontal juicer will be your best friend in the kitchen quietly making fresh, nutritious baby foods to both eat now and store for later.

Most horizontal cold press juice extractors such as the Oscar Neo 1000 come with a variety of different attachments turning your juicer into a food processor. The mincing screen is used to puree, emulsify and crush the ingredients turning them into a paste or sauce. For example, basil, garlic, lemon, pine nuts, olive oil and Parmesan can be alternatively fed into the machine where it is crushed and extruded as a fresh living basil pesto. When made with the juicer you won't believe the taste of this pesto! It is completely different than when using