Health & Wellness, Kitchen & Dining

What Is a Blender

A blender is an electric kitchen appliance used to crush, mix, emulsify or purée food and other substances,increasing the consumption of super nutrition boosters and increasing nutrient absorption in people’s daily food consumption. It was invented by Stephen Poplawski in 1922.

The benefits of a blender include; improved nutrients absorption, offers the best way to keep the fibre in food, and helps us to consume the less tasty but beneficial foods by mixing them with the tasty ones.

 

How do blenders work?

At the bottom of the blender are spinning blades that are attached to a motor. There is a control panel that has several different speeds, allowing the operator of the blender to switch the speeds that the spinning blades spin with.

You push a button to start the machine, and the spinning blades create a spiral effect or a vortex. The first step of the blending process is to cut down, smash and chop the food component. This step allows the food in the blender to be fluid. The spiral effect of the components, or the vortex in the blender which includes both now the liquid food and air creates a vacuum at the center of the spiral movement. This pulls all the food components towards the center, which ensures a perfect mixture of all ingredients in the blender.

The end result in this step is a rich emulsion or a smooth puree, with a homogenized blend of ingredients and a consistent texture.

Benefits of a Blender

One may be tempted to ask whether blenders have been overrated. Let us try to analyze the benefits of a blender and find out whether they are overrated or not.

1. Best way to eat more Fruits and vegetable.

Topping in the list of the benefits of a blender, is that with a blender, you get to eat more fruits and vegetables. Now, because most people have grown accustomed to highly processed food, readymade or convenient food, many people simply don’t like the taste or texture of vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are a great source of vitamins and minerals. From Vitamins A, C and E as well as Magnesium, zinc, phosphorus and folic acid.

With a blender, you can actually make smoothies with fruits, vegetables, ice and your favorite flavors. To an amazement, vegetables in smoothies don’t even taste like vegetables

 

2. Improved Nutrients Absorption

Did you know blending is one of the most efficient ways of maximizing the intake of nutrients from the food we eat. Food that is not broken down properly will lead to a number of nutrients failing to be absorbed. It can also lead to constipation or bacterial infections in the gut. Blended food is already partly predigested and in liquid form. This will automatically maximize the amounts of nutrients absorbed from the food. It also improves your health and general happiness.

Even though the fibers remain, the cell walls of the food are broken down, allowing a super improved absorption.

 

3. Faster Meal preparation.

If time is of essence to you, then the blender is a mega time saver when it comes to kitchen equipment. With a blender, you avoid all the hustle of hand-mixing, chopping and mashing. Just add your ingredients to the jug, and blend. It takes less than 5 minutes to make most blender recipes,  whether it is smoothies, dressings, sauces, frozen treats, dips to name but a few.

Amazingly, you don’t only save the time to prepare the food, but also the time to digest and absorb, what a mind-boggling device to have in your kitchen.

I have tested and proven the Sayona Blenders, and the following clip is an evidence of the faster meal preparation as one of the benefits of a blender.

 

4. Blending is an opportunity to mix the less tasty but beneficial food with the tasty food, and consume them together.

Citrus Fruits like the Oranges, lemons, lime and grapefruits are some of the fruits that are very bitter, but very essential in our bodies, not living out vegetables like the artichokes and arugula. Some people will not attempt to take them alone, and when mixed with sweet fruits like the pineapple, they become bearable to eat. To those people, the benefits of a blender being part of their kitchen are enormous.

 

 

5. Blending keeps the fibre

Fiber is very essential in the digestion process in the body of a human being. It is a tough food, and it actually does not get digested, but passes through your system simply as intact as it is, in order to help move all the other food through the system effectively. If the fibre is able to pass through your teeth, the stomach acid, and all through it does not break down, well, then neither can the blender destroy the fibers.

All pureed food has the fiber as much as the whole fruits version. Smoothies therefore retains all the fiber contained in fruits and vegetables. Juicing is however a bit different, in that juicing separates the juice of the fruits from the pulp and peel, that has the fibre. Below are few reasons why fibres keeping makes it to the list of the benefits of a blender.

 

Importance of fiber in a diet

• Keeps you satisfied for a longer time
• Helps maintains bowel health.
• Helps in achieving a healthy weight. Since consuming more fiber makes you full faster and for a longer time, you tend to eat lesser.
• Fiber has been proven to reduce constipation. Fiber is believed to absorb water, and speed up the movement of stool through the intestine.

 

6. Blending is a way of simplifying our fat consumption

Many seeds and nuts found in fruits, and many fruits themselves contain omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids, that play a major role in our bodies. These are healthy fats that we cannot do without in our bodies, present in fruits, like the avocado. The benefits of a blender is that it gives you the opportunity to consume these fats without our knowledge, hence improving our health.

7. Cleaning a blender is very Easy

Since all the fibre and peels from the fruits are completely processed, there are no leftovers left to make cleaning hard. So, when compared to other kitchen appliances, it is one of the easiest to clean.

To add on the benefits of a blender is that, it is a self cleaning machine. By simply adding water and soap in to the blending jar, closing the lid and turning on the blending function, the blending will clean itself, what an amazing benefit.

 

8. Blending gives you a chance to include new foods In your diet.

For those foods that are hard to ever include in our diet, simply because we do not love them, they are almost like those tv stations we never know exist in our list of programs on your tv, yet their value is exceedingly great. The benefits of a blender is that, blending gives you an opportunity to mix them with your favorite foods and you don’t have to love them to consume them, just enjoy the nutrients they offer to you.

 

 

Why Eat Vegetables and Fruits

• Lowers the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. They also prevent some type of cancer, eye and digestive problems. Amazingly, most vegetables and fruits can be used as appetizers, as they have a very low glycemic load, which prevents sugar spikes, increasing hunger.
• Great source of vitamins and minerals, including Vitamins A, C and E as well as Magnesium, zinc, phosphorus and folic acid.
• They are rich in fiber. Fiber is very important in your gut health, preventing constipation.
• Fruits and veggies tend to be low in calories, and replacing your high calorie foods with them can greatly reduce your calories intake and hence promote weight loss.
• Healthy for the brain. Researchers have linked the consumption of the antioxidants in the leafy greens to reduced risks of Alzheimer’s disease and also dementia.

 

 

What fruits and vegetables blend well together

• Melons are not recommended for any pairing. Research has shown pairing melons with other fruits lead to stomach discomforts.
• Kale, Cucumber and Pear go well together
• Strawberry go well with plum, pineapples, banana and Apple
• Pineapples go well with Kiwi, Oranges, Grapes, Strawberries and blueberries.
• Oranges go well with pineapples, Avocado, tangerine, Mango, Pomegranate, plum, apple, strawberry, pear
• Mangoes go well with Oranges, banana, peach, blueberry, pear, avocado, grapes, plum

Tips:

• Always pair a maximum of 6 fruits for optimum results and to avoid stomach upset due to digestion problems
• Never mix acidic fruits, like Oranges, Grapes and strawberries with sweet fruits like banana, for digestion purposes.
• Never mix vegetables with Fruits. Let fruits go with fruits and vegetables with vegetables, with an exception of Carrots and Apples which go with practically any product.
• Melons are celibates. Melons go with melons only.

 

 

 

Most hated Fruits And Vegetables of all time

1. Broccoli
2. Mushrooms
3. Figs
4. Durians
5. Beetroot
6. Artichoke
7. Guava
8. Brae burn
9. Brussels Sprout
10. Turnip

 

How to clean a Blender

• Add hot water to the blender halfway
• Add liquid soap to the water
• Close the blender with the lid, turn on the blender, and the blender will simply clean itself.
• For the outside, mostly only a few, if any spill overs will be present. You only need some warm water and a soft cloth and you wipe it clean
• Finally, rinse the blender in cold water, and the blender is ready for use for next time

NOTE: The base of the blender that contains the electricity components need not be washed with water, only wiped with a soft cloth.

 

What should you look for when buying a blender?

1. The size and capacity of the blender

One of the key factors you can never really ignore is the capacity the blender you want to purchase. You can purchase a blender either for commercial purposes or for home use, and this will highly determine the capacity you go for.  Sayonapps blenders that I have interacted with come with all sorts of capacities, depending on the purpose of your blender.

A standard size can serve up to 6 people, while a high performance size can serve up to 15 people.

 

2. The power of the motor

 The amount of power that a blender packs is the greatest determinant of differentiating high performance, conventional or commercial/home use blenders. The powerful the motor, the more the benefits of a blender will be.

Sayona’s Blender with the lowest Power has 300W, which is capable to blend most foods except the hardest of ingredients.

High performance blenders with a wattage of over 800W have the ability to work with dry ingredients, and you can make peanut butter, process grains into flour and has no limitations in your adventures of cooking.

So, depending on the intensity of what you want to blend, you will chose the blender with the wattage that serves you the best.

 

3. The Speed settings

 Many blenders are multipurpose, and are featured with different speed settings, and controls for different purposes.

Sayonapps blenders for instance come with a minimum of 2 functions to a maximum of 7 functions, and speeds of up to 5 settings, ranging from low, medium and high speed. As you would expect, the benefits of a blender will increase with increase in functions and speed settings, and so will the cost.

 

Speeds and Settings Guide 

• Fast Speed

Fast speed is essential when mixing liquids, purees or pastes. This speed will do a perfect work of mixing them to a fine and perfect mixture. This speed is not essential for hard ingredients.

• Medium Speed.

If you are interested with a coarser and rougher texture, then this speed is the one to go for. This speed is also very important when it comes to chop vegetables, and to prevent nuts from turning into a paste, but leave them almost powdery.

• Low Speed

When you want to mix a liquid with a solid systematically, then this is the speed to go for. It is best set for ingredients, and crushing them into a paste slowly.

• Pulse

This one is not recommended for blending for a long time, only a short time. It comes in handy for crushing something like ice, and for cutting ingredients into smaller pieces.

 

4. The material of the jar.

For material, there are two options, the glass jars or the plastic jars. If you chose the glass jar, it will be a little expensive than the plastic jar. Glass jars are loved more and preferred because through them, there is elimination of any consumption of chemicals.

 

5. Cost.

Most important factor to consider in the whole process is the cost of purchasing. It is important to note that for every price range, you will find a blender, from as low as Ksh. 3,000. So, do not squeeze yourself on a budget that does not fit you. Even the cheapest will do most of the blending needs, but the more expensive, the more options you have (benefits of a blender will increase with increase in cost)

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Is it worth having a blender?

A blender is one of the kitchen appliances that have been categorized for championing healthy living, especially in these days where healthy living is being emphasized. The benefits of a blender are way too many for it to be ignored. So yes, it is essential to have a blender.

 

What are the best uses of a blender?

Blenders are used to crush, mix, emulsify or purée food and other substances. They can be used to crush ice, and make pastes or liquids from solid foods.

 

Can you use a blender to juice?

Yes. A normal blender will make a liquid juice from fruits, but the juice will be a little thick than you would get from a juicer. For better results, very watery fruits are recommended.

Why is it important to clean to blender after using?

It is recommended to wash the blender after every use to avoid the growth of bacteria from food remains, and also to keep the blender in prime condition.

 

What do you put in a smoothie?

A well prepared healthy smoothie may consist of a liquid, a fruit, mostly the fibrous fruits, a veggie to give the green effect, a little plant based fat, example from the Avocado or Chia seeds and ice.

 

What can you not put in a blender?

Avoid putting whole foods in the blender, but chop into smaller pieces. Avoid also using boiling liquids to avoid steam explosions. Finally, avoiding over filling the blender, as this will overload it, may lead to damage and poor results.

 

Can I use blender to make cake

You can try mixing cake butter in a blender but the results will not be the best. This is because the blender will over mix the butter leading to gluten formation. Also, it is not very efficient for mixing flour. Cake preparation does not major among the benefits of a blender.

 

What is healthier juicing or blending

Juicing separates the pulps and peels from the juice of a fruit, while blending crushes the whole fruits, hence blending will give you more nutrition benefits than juicing will. This one majors when it comes to benefits of a blender.

 

Is blending the same as juicing

No. With Juicing, you eliminate all pulp, fiber and peels, while with blending, you crush everything together.

 

Do you lose nutrients when blending?

No. unlike juicing, not a single nutrient is separated from the final product, hence the benefits of the end juice are similar to the whole food

Why is green juice good for you?

Green juice is a major source of nutrients, ranging from vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals which are readily absorbed to the body once consumed.

 

How can blenders save energy?

Most blenders will range with a wattage of between 300W and 1000W. This is a good range in terms of power consumption, hence blenders can be categorized as low power consuming appliances.

 

Who invented blender

The blender was invented by a Polish-American called Stephen Poplawski in 1922.

 

Can you blend ice in a blender?

Yes. There are blender that come with the ice crushing technology, like the Sayonapps blenders. The best way to blend ice is to ensure the ice is in small amounts and also should be in small size as well.

 

What is carrot juice good for?

Carrot juice is one of the essential nutrient providers in the body, contributing vitamins A, C and K. Carrots have been said to improve human eye health, and boost the strength of the skin.

 

Which foods should not be eaten together?

Some good examples of foods not recommended to be eaten together include: Any two high proteins,  Banana and Milk, Milk and any Citrus fruits,  among others.

 

Which fruit is good for empty stomach?

The best fruits that will not give any discomfort are the fresh seasonal fruits which include Mangoes, Guavas, bananas, and Watermelons.