Smoothies

Chinese Vitamix Knock Off 220v {13}

Vitamix copy ST-767

Last year or so I wrote about my green smoothies, and how I was enjoying getting into those. It is really exciting for me as I look towards my eventual retirement in the Philippines, because frankly it had been a little difficult to see how I was going to eat healthy there. The change of my diet to these smoothie (or shakes as they are known as there), allows me to take advantage of one the true benefits of the Mindanao region, the abundance of delicious fruits and vegetables.

At the heart of my smoothie making is the Vitamix blender. I have an older model – Total Nutrition Center VM0103. I do have plans to take that with me, if it’s still running, when I finally make the move. The problem with it is the voltage, which I’ve touched on before. In anticipation of that I have plans to use a 2000 watt step up/step down transformer, as the Vitamix consumes 1380 watts at peak. I consider this a temporary, or back up, solution.
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How To Live Cheaply In The Philippines {6}

Thirsty Shakes & Smoothies

Normally I’d like to give you a little teaser and get you to read the whole article, or at least skim most of it. This time I’m going to spill the beans right off. The secret to living cheaply in the Philippines is the same as anywhere, buy cheap (inexpensive) things – especially those that are local.

Sounds obvious, right? Well it may be a little harder to do so for those of us that have lived our whole lives elsewhere, but with a little effort you can learn to get by with what’s here and not try to buy so many imported items. Some things, like services, you don’t need to consider. You are going to get those here anyways. At least most of the time.
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Green Smoothies {4}

Green smoothie

Seems I’ve been on a bit of a health kick lately. Specifically I’ve been writing a lot about food, and this is another in that vein. As I’ve mentioned previously, I’m a vegetarian, or more accurately – I don’t eat meat. That includes fish and fowl. It can be a little challenging in the Philippines, as meat is a major part of most meals. This is true in a lot of places, of course, not just the Philippines.

Thankfully there is an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables in the Philippines, and that fits in perfectly with my new favorite food, Green Smoothies. I’ve not been much of a fresh fruit eater in the past, partially due of laziness and partially because of habits I’d gotten into.
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