You definitely need to invest in one thing, and I’m sorry that it’s not cheap. But it is the single best investment I have ever made: it’s the BlendTec Total Blender.

I use mine 4-6 times every single day. It can blend just about anything—check out their YouTube videos: http://www.mefeedia.com/feeds/24175/. (Disclaimer: do not try this at home!)

I have invited hundreds of people to my home or to health-food store demos to see how to make green smoothies, because I LOVE teaching about them! Everywhere I go, people tell me, “I’m still making them, and my kids love them.” This makes my day! When most kids in America eat no vegetables except in the form of french fries, this new trend to drinking (and enjoying, even craving!) green smoothies is a REVOLUTION. I am so passionate about this, because it has changed my life and the lives of many of my friends for the better. I might give up my left arm before I’d give up my BlendTec Total Blender.

In addition to green smoothies, I make a highly addictive, delicious Hot-Pink Coconut Smoothie with several ingredients you won’t believe because I seriously doubt you’re eating them right now (okay, think raw carrots and beets, but you won’t taste them!) —total mineral-rich nutrition for breakfast right before I run five miles. Everyone wants more when I let them try it, even my beet-loathing friend Jill.

Do you love homemade salsa but hate all the chopping? I make salsa in five minutes with my BlendTec Total Blender! And soups—you can make an endless variety, without the chopping, using the variable speeds. Use it to make quick, nutritious salad dressing (so you can quit buying the stuff at the store with corn syrup, MSG, refined oils, and chemicals).

And of course, arm yourself with a small arsenal of recipes that help you get all the good stuff into your diet everyday. My recipe collection is simple but gives you lots of greens, vegetables and fruits, flax seed and flax oil, yeast-free whole grains, nuts, and seeds, sprouts, and all of this at least 60% raw for the enzymes your body needs. Branch out to more recipes whenever you like—but this is a great start that covers all the bases.

Other things to buy and habits to change:

So the BlendTec Total Blender is the big expense. I recommend you also purchase a $10-$20 citrus juicer and coffee grinder at Walmart or Target, two things I use often. And begin to stop buying refined oils, and instead buy coconut, olive, and flax oil. Stop buying sugar and white flour, and instead buy Sucanat, raw agave nectar (lower glycemic index!), and honey (some feel local raw honey ameliorates food allergies).

Whole wheat you can grind as needed. If you don’t have a wheat grinder, you can blend wheat in your BlendTec Total Blender. Hard white wheat is great for baking—most kids won’t know the bread or cookies are from whole wheat. Plan to spend more in the produce department and less in the meat and processed foods department.