Vitamix

"Vitamix," says the young lady on the introductory DVD, "is not just an appliance, but a way of life."

I hope so. I bought my very expensive Vitamix a couple of weeks ago when I came across a demo at Whole Foods. It was not an impulse buy, however, because I have been mulling the purchase for years. The idea of having a blender powerful enough to liquefy whole, raw vegetables has had an appeal for me that I think is due in part at least to my body's yearning for real nutrition.

My first vegetable smoothie -- a kind of V8 with fresh vegetables that is the first entry in the "Getting Started" booklet -- gave me truly a physical jolt, almost like caffeine. The concoction -- with tomatoes, spinach, carrots and Bloody Mary condiments -- was not exactly to my taste, but it bowled me over with its sheer vitality.

I'm finding that I like drinks with fewer ingredients better. So, for instance, a tomato-carrot-red pepper smoothie tasted better to me than that first drink. I'm still experimenting with how much water and ice to add to get the right thickness. Kale and banana, oddly enough, was quite tasty, with the sweet banana tempering the bitter kale. In the demo, the guy made quite a point of combining vegetables and fruit -- for instance, putting grapes in a green smoothie with cabbage and cucumber.

Andrea teases me about my "vegematic" because she's convinced this will be a passing fancy. There's a good chance she's right, but I hope not. My first goal is simply to wean myself off of diet soda by substituting tea or smoothies for my soda and/or snacks.

Beyond that, I do believe breaking down raw, fresh food like this is a huge boost to nutrition and more balanced eating habits. My hope is it will give me more energy and help me lose weight.