Exposing raw foods to a high degree of heat causes them to lose most of their nutritional value. That’s why there are so many benefits to a raw food diet. Raw foods contain all of their essential vitamins and minerals, plus the enzymes that your body needs to maintain good overall health.
Traditional methods of food preservation, such as canning, take the internal temperature of foods up to 212 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. When a raw food is heated to 120 degrees or higher, it loses much of its nutritional value. Dehydration is the best way to preserve foods like herbs and fruits, making a good food dehydrator an essential part of any raw food dieter’s kitchen. Here is a comparison between two popular, high-quality food dehydrators currently on the market.
Excalibur Food Dehydrator
The Excalibur is USA-made and comes in a variety of sizes with multiple trays so that you can dehydrate a lot of food at once. An adjustable thermostat gives raw food dieters control over the dehydration process. Unlike standard, circular dehydrators, these come in a box-shaped design with a rear-mounted heating system. Certain models also include a 26-hour timer, which turns itself off at the end of the drying period. This adds to the convenience of the process, as you can leave the dehydrator unattended while you’re out or while you’re sleeping. The Excalibur also has a solid dark-colored door. Some vitamins are light sensitive and are easily destroyed by light. Unlike most standard, round dehydrators, which have transparent trays and covers, the Excalibur has a dark door and a light blocking
cabinet designed to keep light out and keep nutrition in.
Good4U Food Dehydrator
This dehydrator is a China-manufactured box design that looks very much like the Excalibur and operates similarly. In fact, Excalibur issued a statement a few years ago claiming that Good4U copied its work and passed it off as its own. Whatever the case, both dehydrators have similar features. Good4U dehydrators come in several sizes and with multiple trays to allow for the drying of several different foods at once. They are also equipped with an adjustable thermometer allowing for more fluid temperature control throughout the drying process. This is important, because certain foods must be dehydrated at lower temperatures to minimize nutrient loss. Some users claim the Good4U models are quieter than the Excalibur models. They are also generally less expensive and since they have very similar features, one might consider the Good4U to be of better value.
As a raw food dieter, you may value the idea of local, organic food, and as such, may prefer to buy a dehydrator that was made locally, such as the Excalibur. On the other hand, you may not care about where it was made, as long as it works just as well and costs less. In that case, you might prefer to go with the Good4U dehydrator. Whatever the case, make sure you do your research and know what you’re doing before you start the dehydration process, in order to reap the maximum health benefits from your raw food diet.
Sources:
http://www.rawguru.com/store/raw-food/excalibur_dehydrator.html
http://www.rawguru.com/store/raw-food/good4u_10tray_dehydrator.html
http://www.excaliburdehydrator.com/vegetarian.htm
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