Although fresh pressed fruit and vegetable juices are nothing new, it seems that they are now more popular than ever. They not only taste delicious, but provide an incredible amount of nutrition: when you see the amount of veggies that go into making a 24 ounce cup of juice, it really is the equivalent to eating a salad.

While some enjoy these fresh juices occasionally, others use them for a higher purpose through cleansing. A juice cleanse is a short term, fresh, raw, all liquid diet that can last anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. During a juice cleanse you receive plenty of sustenance, all through freshly-pressed veggie and fruit juices. This gives your body — including filtering or-gans like liver, kidneys and gall bladder — a break from heavy proteins, fat and other diet components that take a lot of work to process, so your body is able to eliminate toxins accumulated in the tissues. After a juice cleanse people usually feel healthier, energized and focused, they sleep better and crave better foods. I first did a juice cleanse in 2012 and loved the results. I even lost weight as an unintended side effect!

JUICELAND

But juice cleanses require commitment and endurance. I was lucky to receive support and guidance from the folks at JuiceLand, Austin’s premiere, award-winning juice bar. Owner Matt Shook has been in the fresh juice business since 2003, when he opened Daily Juice with a friend. In 2011, Matt parted ways from Daily Juice, transforming the Barton Springs Road and Deep Eddy locations into JuiceLand. With a new and revitalized menu, and the original core team members, JuiceLand now has seven locations all around Austin, and continues to grow.

The staff at JuiceLand doesn’t offer guidance on cleansing (“people can consult with a nutritionist or dietitian if they want,” Shook says), but they certainly offer support. Their website features a whole section dedicated to cleansing, with information and advice as well as custom cleanse packages that customers can tailor to their needs, order online, and pick up at their preferred location. Popular juices that can be used as part of a cleanse are the tangy and savory Ninja Bachelor Party (pineapple, jalapeño, celery, kale, spinach, parsley and salt), the Thai-Salad-in-a-Glass Tree of Life (carrot, turmeric, coconut, ginger, lime, cayenne and beet), the creamy and filling Tri-Pinnacle (coconut, avocado, spinach and kale), and the cleverly named Xtra Holla Pain Yo! (jalapeño, garlic, carrot, orange, cilantro, lime and salt). But you don’t have to cleanse to enjoy these delicious beverages. Any of JuiceLand’s fresh-pressed fruit or veggie juices and smoothies is a great start for the day, and makes a perfect afternoon pick-me-up.

FARM TO JUICE

In San Antonio, Robert and Lisa Baughn recently started a new business, Farm to Juice. Aside from a Master’s degree in nursing with a certificate in Natural Wellness, Lisa has 10 years of work experience in the food and beverage industry, and is a board certified Family Nurse Practitioner. The San Antonio native has always felt nutrition is key to good health, and brings her knowledge of health and wellness to the business. “I had already been a juicer myself off and on for years,” she says. “Then in 2012 I watched the documentary ‘Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead’ from Joe Cross, and that’s what revived my interest in juicing, both personally and as a business.” Utilizing every available resource, their entrepreneurial spirit and good credit, the Baughns opened Farm to Juice in Stone Oak in 2013 and their second location in The Elms shopping center at the end of January 2014. Thanks to their resounding success, they hope to open a third location this year as well.

Farm to Juice uses B. Catalini, a local, family-owned produce company in business now for 100 years, for most of the produce. “They source local first, then outsource when growing seasons don’t accommodate it,” says Lisa. “All the produce is certified and we feel confident in the quality. We soak all the produce in an apple cider vinegar rinse for 10 minutes first, followed by a fresh water bath twice before it’s juiced.

We press at our main store in Stone Oak, then bottle and distribute it.” They don’t currently sell their incredibly inventive juice blends in any retail stores. Because it’s fresh pressed and unpasteurized, it wouldn’t have the shelf life most stores would want. But, they do hope to get into the New Braunfels Farmers’Market soon.

“Our vision is to continue growing and expanding across the city and beyond, spreading joy and good health to all. We hear every day from our customers how many positive changes they are experiencing since incorporating juice into their lives. One told us she recently was taking five cardiac prescriptions, and is now off all of them. Another did a 30 day juice cleanse through us, and lost 45 pounds! Yet another told us her total cholesterol went from 180 to 100 after about 6 months of juicing. It’s these testimonials that affirm what we do and give it meaning and fulfillment.” 

FARM TO JUICE
Stone Oak: 210.332.5853
The Elms: 210.257.9584
www.Farmtojuice.net

JUICELAND
Barton Springs: 512.480.9501
Deep Eddy: 512.628.0782
North Burnet: 512.524.1129
Hyde Park: 512.380.9046
Oak Hill: 512.865.7081
E. Cesar Chavez: 512.351.8439
Lakeway: 512.284.9044