Archives for June 2015

Friends Who Juice: Q&A With Keli James

June 30, 2015 By Jen Chase

Local real estate agent Keli James is a TJS devotee who didn’t even know she liked cold-pressed juice until she set foot in one of our stores. Now, she’s hooked…and not just for the flavor. Complementing her smart portion control strategy for achieving WHealth and glowing self, read what she says about the secret to her workout success.

All About Keli

I grew up in Iowa, but I moved to Vegas in 1992. What sparked the change was…a military relocation.

In my experience, the biggest misconception about living in Las Vegas is…that it’s a big city. While it is a big city, it’s actually not!

The thing I (not-so) secretly love most about living here is…Las Vegas’ location. It’s close to beaches, mountains…lots of places.

My daily mantra or “quote to live by” is…It all works out in the end. If it hasn’t worked out…it’s not the end!

What motivates me out of bed in the morn is…life!

Don’t get me started talking about…real estate.

Every day I strive to…be the best person I can be.

If I could fly anywhere TOMORROW, I’d SO be on a plane to…Belize.

Keli’s Career

When folks ask about my job and what I do every day, I tell them…I’m a Windermere Prestige Properties realtor.

During my down time I like to…explore new places.

The best part about doing my job in Las Vegas is…helping people.

My favorite advice to give female professionals is…know what you want and where you are going.

The best advice I’ve ever received was…“Live so you can look at yourself in the mirror with your head held high.”

The number one thing I’d tell my younger self is…“Love yourself!”

What scares me is…nothing!

A Woman Who Juices

The first time I realized I loved cold-pressed juice was…when I went into The Juice Standard.

I was approached for the “Friends Who Juice” feature because while at one of the TJS locations one day, I mentioned in passing to TJS Co-Founder and CEO Jamie Stephenson that juicing really helped me bump up a notch my exercise routine (and overall health). Here’s what I meant by that: My body loves the juice. I burn more calories, and I have even more energy. My body is toning up faster.

My fave TJS flave is…I love them all.

My advice to a newbee juicer is…“Try it. You’ll love the way you feel.”

Re-Live A Rosey Opening

June 30, 2015 By Jen Chase

We weren’t exactly shy about our opening a second store, so though it may not be news to you, if you didn’t hit the opening of our Henderson addy (affectionately called “The Rose”), here’s a little re-cap of the night’s events.

We’re sure everyone says this about their parties, but for us, The Rose’s grand opening really was a night! It was a night to remember that even though something takes tons of planning, perseverance and positivity, it doesn’t mean for a minute that the reward isn’t worth the sweat that went into it.

Before March 2014—for a few years leading up to what we’ve built today, actually—we were squeezing out ideas, gathering data and surrounding ourselves with people smarter than us (think Franklin Roosevelt’s “Brain Trust”…the juice version!). Back then, few would’ve done cartwheels to hear we wanted to open a second location only 14 months after our first. But we did it, and couldn’t be happier.

So take a look at these beeautiful pics of the beeautiful bees who came out to support us. The sangria was sipped, the Champs was poured, music played, and juice shots were aplenty. We were thrilled that so many people joined us for what turned out to be one sweet, juicy celebration!

Check out our Facebook album here.

A Book And A Pack: A Patriotic Giveaway

June 30, 2015 By Jen Chase

You know how when you read something you love, sometimes you want others to love it, too? The Juice Standard is giving back to the community this July 4 by giving out a specialty freebie that will help you bees think…while you drink. Read on.

If you follow our Facebook or Instagram posts around holidays with something to do with freedom, you might’ve sensed that The Juice Standard (TJS) would bleed red, white and blue if we cut her open. Probably blue-green algae, actually, since we’re a juicery and all. We just love this country and what it stands for.

So far this year we’ve reflected our patriotism in our “funanthropy” when we handed out juice at our local fire and police station on Memorial Day, and in May, when we collected your generously donated dollars from glass Singleton returns for the Wounded Warrior Project. And with July 4 being the momma of U.S. freedom-ringing holidays, TJS co-founder Jamie Stephenson wanted to (literally) spread the word of one of her favorite authors, Eric Greitens. Particularly, his book Resilience.

Resilience is Greitens story of being a Navy SEAL and using his experience to help teach others that hardship isn’t something one “bounces back” from, but is something that everyone can learn to move through and navigate. Not unlike many Buddhist teachings that advocate leaning into our pain as much as we embrace our happy, in the wise words on Greitens’ website, “…there is a path through pain to wisdom, through suffering to strength, and through fear to courage, if we have the virtue of resilience.”

You know how when you read something you love, sometimes you want others to love it, too? Jamie’s wholehearted passion for Greitens’ work means that from July 1-5 (but not the 4th because TJS is closed that day), the first 100 bees who purchase a Singleton Six-Pack—your choice of any six juices or nut milks—will receive a free copy of Resilience that has been personally signed by Greitens, courtesy of The Juice Standard.

The book retails for $17-$26, but if you’re already a Greitens groupie, his John Hancock on the inside cover is beyond worth. We encourage you to read it yourself but also hope you’ll consider picking up a six-pack and paying the book forward to someone in your world who you think will appreciate it.

Our road to WHealth and glowing self should edge a little beeyond our individual selves, don’t you think? We hope you’ll take advantage of this treat. And remember: #ItTakesAHive.

New Menu+ Remedies=TJS Helping You

June 13, 2015 By Jen Chase

Our menu’s new “juice remedies” and their easy-peasy codes are helping bees relieve (almost) anything life throws at us.

“C’mon, Life! Show us what you’ve got! Give us your germs, your fatigue and your post-workout aches. Give us your hangry-ass pangs, your sniffly allergy noses and the feeling that you might—just might—be getting and early visit from Aunt Flow.”

So that’s basically what our new menu would say if it could talk as it wagged a finger at all the health drama that tries to hold us back. Because along with a pretty big pair of sassy pants our newly designed menus are sporting a cheat sheet that beeautifully hollas out which TJS juices are good for what. Just pick up a menu and flip it to the back. On the far right there’s a handy list with an even handier, color-coded, acronym-filled key giving you at-a-glance access to what each TJS juice can help alleviate.

Here's a snapshot of our new menu. We hope our thoughtful 'Juice Remedies' help lead you toward your very best selves, no matter how you feel.

TJS’ “Juice Remedies.” We hope our thoughtful ‘Juice Remedies’ help lead you toward your very best selves, no matter how you feel.

Full disclosure, here: As it is for other juiceries and throughout some alternative-therapy industries—think essential oils, herbs or adaptogenics—TJS can’t claim that cold-pressed juice will full-on heal you (even though we cheekily say on our menu disclaimers that we know it often can!). But we can say that TJS-suggested remedies may (ahem) alleviate what ails you. And that’s what our little key points out.

So: If you’re feeling a little ick and want to, well, not, pick up a menu and chat up one of the wholehearted staffers behind the counter at The Hive or The Rose. They’ll help you not only navigate what tastes fantabulously good, but will point out what’s fantabulously good for your body in the areas of…

Immunity Boosting (IB)
Allergy Relief (A)
Meal Replacement (MR)
Post Workout (PW)
Extra Energy (EE)
Everyday Nutrition (EN)
Menstrual Relief (M)
Skin Glow (G)
Stress Reduction (SR)

Friends Who Juice—Q&A With Marcella Williams-Melnichuk

June 3, 2015 By Jen Chase

The Juice Standard’s COO and co-founder dishes on her juicy passion, the tunes that make the company sing and how you never EVER ask a mom-preneur to pick her fave store.

All About The Co-Founder

I grew up in…Oregon and Arizona but I finished and continued my education in Vegas, which is one more reason why Vegas is home.

I used to live in…Yuma (yes: that podunk Arizona town by the border where the only thing to do is get in trouble in Mexico), and I moved here to stay in…1996. What sparked the change was…family, and the booming economy Vegas had to offer.

In my experience, the biggest misconception about living in Las Vegas is…that we all work/live/play on the Strip. Couldn’t be further from the truth. The only time I’m there is when someone is visiting and we are “playing tourist.”

(…but, the thing I secretly love most about living here is…) the sudden blossom of local business and the local love and support of people who are trying to make a difference, one square foot at a time.

My expertise spans motherhood, culinary operational standards, and entrepreneurship; but when I was little, I *really* wanted to be…a gymnast. I remember watching a movie about Nadia Comăneci and seeing Mary Lou Retton and later Dominique Dawes (1996). I remember wanting to choreograph my own floor routine and practicing in my living room.

My daily mantra or “quote to live by” is…“Remember: It all works out in the end.”

What motivates me out of bed in the morn is…the fact that I get to do what I love, which is to help people.

If I had to pick a theme song for The Juice Standard it would be…Hakuna Matata from Lion King (LOL). Or maybe What A Feeling from Flashdance.

A hidden talent of mine that gets people giggling when they find out I can do is…karaoke. But maybe they are giggling because it’s not really a talent. (LOL)

DON’T get me started talking about…bees or the golden ratio because we could be here for days.

Every day I strive to…be better than I was yesterday.

The health habit I’m most teased about is…washing my hands and reminding others to do the same…especially after they are on their phones. In a word: Eww.

Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate. Dark, preferably, because it’s good for the heart.

The Boss’ Jobs

When people ask about my job at The Juice Standard and what we do every day, I tell them…I help people feel better.

The charity I hold deepest to my heart is…March of Dimes, because I was there with two preemie babies in the NICU and remember the daily struggles and fears as a new mom.

The perk I enjoy most about being my own boss is…the flexible schedule.

The best advice I enjoy giving to female professionals is…don’t listen to anyone negative. Believe in yourself and go for it!
The best advice I’ve ever received was…learn not to take anything personally. No one is doing [x-thing] to me.

The number one thing I’d tell my younger self is…well, there are two things: Travel more, and yes…you will do something awesome!

Something that scares me is…my kids growing up and my somehow missing it.

Something I do that people say is scary is…go back and re-read about my so-called “hidden talent.” (LOL)

If I could go anywhere tomorrow, I’d so be on a plane to…a beach. Any tropical beach would do, where I could sink my toes in the sand, listen to the waves crash and hear the laughter of my children in the background as they make sand castles.
My top-three goals for TJS are…to create a product with standards (see what I did there?) that truly makes it better than all the rest; to raise awareness about the importance of organic farming, cooking and eating; and to raise awareness and motivate people to help save the bees!

The very best part of me is…my sense of humor! I love to laugh and make others laugh, too!

The one food that’s so good for me that I wish I loved more is…honestly, I really love all fruits and veggies.

True or false: Answering the “Of-your-two-locations-which-one-is-your-favorite-location” question is like naming your favorite child. You just don’t do it. True…and, impossible. Both hold very dear spots in my heart and each is very different.

(So, we’ve gotta ask: OF your two locations, which is your fave. [wink]) LOL! I plead the 5^th.

And of your kids, who’s your fave? (Double wink.) I’ll actually answer that one: I’m one of those people who can actually and honestly say I do not have a favorite. When the twins were born I saw Damian go blue and they had to resuscitate him. For a couple of years I had this strange connection to him, but I think it was more a fear of losing him than anything else. It faded though, thank goodness, and now I just love them all very differently.

(The Humble Bee: Wow. Didn’t think you’d touch that with a 10-footer. Brave. Honest. We love it.)

The most rewarding thing about founding The Juice Standard has been…hearing the customers speak so highly of us. I’m so proud to be part of something that makes peoples’ lives better.

Something that goes unreported in the media about cold-pressed juice that I just WISH I could straighten out is…the back-and forth attitude about whether organic is legitimate. If it’s not organic, it’s just not worth it.

In my opinion, the biggest misconception about juicing is…that all cold- pressed juice is the same. It’s not. Juice that’s preserved using the HPP process has up to a 6-week shelf life. YUCK! How fresh is that?

In my opinion, the most challenging thing about starting a juice company in Las Vegas has been…sourcing organic produce. But we did it. And we continue to do it. So when a company claims it “presses organic when possible,” it is full of shit!

In our humblebee-bumble opinion, what truly sets The Juice Standard from the rest is…our standards. We have them, and they’re high. Which is why we wouldn’t press watermelon until mid-May despite the call for our fan-favorite watermelon-cucumber-lemon juice, Bee Chill. Organic watermelons weren’t ready yet, so we waited. It was worth it.

True or False: Some days I could just SWEAR I feel a little chunk of pulp in my hair…but then I realize I don’t have to make juice at home anymore because I own two juice bars. TRUE! But then I look on my ceiling and there it is a pinkish-purple reminder that beets stain and I really should paint.

Gal On Juice

The first time I realized I loved cold-pressed juice was…when I started making it myself.

Today, I drink it because…I don’t have time to chew that much produce.

This is how often I do cleanses and when we like to do them: Seasonally, to help curb any bad cravings and get back on my health track.

The one veggie I can’t stand in a juice is…I’m not sure, but I probably woudn’t care for juiced okra.

My kids were 3 years old when they started drinking green juice, and they were 4 years old when they realized they liked it. (That’s also when they realized there were things in their juice that they didn’t like but they still drank it.)

My best advice for getting kids to try new foods is…don’t force them to eat it all. They just have to eat one bite, and each time you make a new dish (or the same one), just have them try it. Eventually they will like it, they just have to acquire the taste.

When I’m not drinking TJS juice, my favorite cocktail is…Champagne or a beautiful vintage imported red wine.

What made me know I wanted juice as a part of my healthy lifestyle was…when my kids became picky eaters and I had to sneak in produce.

When people ask, I tell them my fave TJS flave is…oh, it’s impossible to say! It’s like asking me which kid is my favorite and we’ve pretty much covered that. (LOL)

The funniest thing that ever happened to me while drinking juice OR when I was on a cleanse was…when it went down the wrong pipe and out my nose.

When people see me drink green juice and give me a face, I want to tell them…to go do a juice tasting! TJS offers complimentary ones to anyone who asks!
My advice to a newbee juicer is…work your way up to the greens.

I respect my partner Jamie because…without her vision and sense of style, TJS wouldn’t be what it is today.

Juice Yourself Healthy…With Ginger

June 3, 2015 By Jen Chase

You’ve probably long known ginger is a powerhouse in the healthy lifestyle department, but do you know why? Decades of research backs this root’s benefits. Here’s why TJS loves it (and why you should, too).

Our Wellness and Flu Shots are just two ways to spice up your life (and health) the TJS way…with ginger!

TJS’ CEO and Co-Founder Jamie Stephenson is our resident juice-u-cator when it comes to keeping us honest about the bennies in our products’ ingredients. But since even she (and the rest of us!) have to look stuff up every now and then, a recent surf of the Internets pulled up a not-so-recent yet still-so-relevant study about one heck of a powerful little root. And as usual, one bite from the ol’ Information Apple led us down a path to more research and taught us even more about one of The Juice Standard’s most relied upon ingredients: Ginger.

BACKSTORY ON A RIGHTEOUS ROOT

The article that really opened our eyes—Ginger Inhibits Cell Growth and Modulates Angiogenic Factors In Ovarian Cancer Cells—lives at PubMed.gov, a site maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, D.C. Though written in 2007, the abstract calls out ovarian cancer as “the most lethal gynecologic malignancy” and the fifth highest cause of death by cancer in women.

Scary.

But once you get over the article’s fright factor, it’s enlightening to learn how ginger may potentially prevent the development of a certain pathway in an ovarian cancer cell thanks to its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anti-carcinogenic properties.

Not-so-scary.

That spicy research is far from isolated as ginger has been the focus of medical studies for decades. In the abstract of a 2005 study, Ginger—An Herbal Medicinal Product With Broad Anti-Inflammatory Actions, it’s noted that since the 70s, ginger has been identified as an “herbal medicinal product that shares pharmacological properties with non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs” and that it “modulates biochemical pathways activated in chronic inflammation.” All that from something you can pick up from your local grocery store.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU

The mentions above substantiate what The Juice Standard has long beelieved:

The road to WHealth and glowing self is paved with the tops of juice bottles…not bottles of meds.

Course we beelieve there’s a place for Western medicine. A huge place. But isn’t it a good feeling to know there’s a food-based tool like ginger that when added to our let’s-keep-ourselves-healthy arsenal, we can stave off disease-causing inflammation? Isn’t it a good feeling to know that YOU, our Beeautiful Juicers, may choose to control some of your own health destiny?

Yepper. We think so, too.

HELP US HELP YOU TAKE ACTION

If you want to inject more ginger in your diet, here are the TJS products that will help put you in the driver’s seat of your own health by keeping your internal inflammation down, and your gorgeous health up-up-up:

Bee WHealthy™
Bee On Point
Bee True To You
Bee Royal (this baby has EXTRA ginger!)
Bee Grateful
Bee Legendary (nut milk)
Flu Shot
Wellness Shot

Crafty ‘Juicetails’ For Father’s Day

June 3, 2015 By Jen Chase

He may have said, “Don’t play with your food!” but we’re pretty sure if Dad saw these playful juice-based cocktails in the offing it would’ve been more like, “Fill-er up, Kiddo!”

The Juice Standard was psyched back in April when Vegas Seven magazine’s Xania Woodman paired her mixology smarts with a TJS Singleton Six-Pack to concoct some luscious libations. It wasn’t the first time we had some Seven love. That was here back in 2013. But Ms. Woodman had the good graces to write about her tasty exploits here and for that we’re grateful. So for your free press (boom!) and your delicious suggestions, Ms. Woodman…we salute you beecause you juice.

But now it’s June, Bees, and this month we’re featuring our own cocktalian machinations to honor the gents in our lives who’ve gone out of their way to show us what being a real man is all about. And while we love the Dad bod as much as the next bee, for the pops trying to keep it (healthy) real while indulging in ~~all that’s deliciously sacred in this world~~ alcohol, beehold…TJS Juicetails for Dad’s Day. Drink up, sweet men.

The Bee On Vacay

…By far the healthiest piña colada you’ll ever make, and the easiest vacation-in-a-glass a Dad’ll ever take.

Spirulina’s grassy quality in TJS’ Bee Excellent lends some pretty interesting depth (and health) to what would be an otherwise calorie-laden riff on a piña colada. Please: Don’t skimp on the lime zest topper. Makes a difference. And for God’s sake, ain’t Dad worth it?

Makes 1 drink.

Ingredients

¾ ounce coconut rum (Trader Vics’ is coconutty and not too sweet)
1 ounce TJS’ Bee Excellent nut milk, chilled
½ tablespoon fresh organic lime juice
Lime zest to garnish

Method

In a shaker with ice, combine the rum, Bee Excellent and lime juice, shake vigorously, and pour over a short glass filled with ice. Using a microplane, gently grate the skin of a washed organic lime. Take care to only grate green and avoid the white pith.

Bee On Vacay. Don’t skimp on the zest. It makes it. Really.

Frozen Mexican Haute Chocolate

Creamy, cold, spicy, sweet…complexity at its best, just like Dad.

Papa gotta sweet tooth? Papa like a little Mexican? Kids love TJS’ Bee Happy but it goes to a whole new level with some heat and spice. And alcohol. Patrón XO Café Incendio is the brand’s latest baby that mixes rich chocolate flavor with ancho chili. Not for the faint hearted, if you like-a da spice, add more Patrón. Too hottt-with-three-Ts to handle? Add more nut milk. Easy peasy.

Makes 1 drink.

Ingredients

½ ounce Patrón Incendio
1.5 ounces TJS’ Bee Happy nut milk, chilled
One pinch each cardamom and allspice (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper for garnish (optional)

Method

In a shaker with ice, combine the tequila, Bee Happy and spices (if using), shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds, and pour into a chilled martini glass. Top with a grind of freshly ground black pepper, or serve and sip as-is.

Like with the Bee On Vacation's lime zest, adding a sprinkle of spice or the suggested grind of black pepper keeps this drink way interesting.

Like with the Bee On Vacay’s lime zest, adding a grind of black pepper keeps this drink way interesting.

The Buzz-Inga

Chocolate and coffee are two great tastes that taste great together, but if Dad likes his coffee straight up, swap out Bee Happy for Bee Magnificent or Bee I’m Possible.

Kahlua? We hardly knew ya. TJS staff at The Hive and The Rose suggest adding espresso to nut milks for added energy, but seriously…energy never tasted this good! Patrón steps it up with its XO Café, a coffee-laden liqueur that’s great on its own but better in chocolatey Bee Happy. If Dad likes his coffee straight up, sub Happy for something more vanilla-y like Bee Magnificent or Bee Legendary.

Makes 1 drink.

Ingredients

1 ounce Patrón XO Café
2 ounces Bee Happy (for mocha) or Bee Magnificent or Bee Legendary (for coffee)

Method

Similar to the Frozen Mexican Haute Chocolate, in a shaker with ice, combine the tequila and your nut milk of choice and shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds. Pour into a chilled martini glass, and serve.

The Bee WHealthy™ Cocktail

There’s a ton of play in this recipe, so take Dad’s palate into consideration and experiment since variety is the spice of life (said every dad, everywhere…or maybe just mine). Love you, Daddy!

Martini purists loathe fancy-schmancy takes on the classic martini, so whatever you do, don’t just throw stuff in a shaker and call it something it’s not. This, Bees, is a cocktail, and a forgiving one at that. Use the recipe as a guideline, but tweak to your palate toward more vodka, juice, bitters, or anything else that tickles Dad’s fancy.

Makes 1 drink.

Ingredients

Equal parts best-quality vodka (we like Tito’s and Ketel one) and TJS Bee WHealthy™

Optional add-ins:

Dash celery salt
Fee Brothers Old Fashioned Aromatic Bitters or Angostura Bitters
Fee Brothers Lemon bitters
Freshly ground black pepper
Dash Tabasco sauce, chipotle version

Method

In a shaker with ice, combine the vodka, Bee WHealthy™ and your choice of add in and shake vigorously for at least 30 seconds. Pour a sip into a glass and adjust for taste before serving in a chilled martini glass.

Original recipes by TJS Content Director Jen Chase.

Bee Chill Is A Special Summer Sipper

June 2, 2015 By Jen Chase

Eating seasonable is just plain reasonable…and this is one TJS special that will keep your summer sipping interesting.

We love consistency just like the next bee, but part of the joy of sourcing The Juice Standard’s organic produce, nuts, grains and seeds (from as many local purveyors as we can) is that we get to weave flavors in an out of our menu as the season allows. And for summer, that means one of our favorites is back in the rotation.

WHAT: Bee Chill

This beeautiful juice isn’t just delicious…it even looks pretty in the bottle!

WHY: Packed with super-hydrating watermelon, cooling cucumber and alkalizing lemon that helps undo some of the acidic hurt we suffer from digesting processed foods, not only does Bee Chill help keep your insides clean but it’s the antidote to heat no matter where you live. How? Bee Chill’s main ingredient is watermelon…and if all you ever thought was that this quintessential picnic add-on was just a go-to portable fruit, watermelon has some unsung health bennies:

We bee grateful for orgs like OrganicFacts.net that help keep us juice-u-cated about the produce we freaking love to press!

It’s low in sugar (so it’s good for diabetics);

It flushes out kidneys (which helps keep them in good health); and,

It has decent amount of vitamins and minerals that make it a sweet treat that’s actually good for you.

HEALTHY THINKING BEYOND THE BOTTLE: If you haven’t already, something you’ll notice when you start replacing processed sugars or other foods with tasty bits from Mother Nature (like watermelon) is that your body will start craving the new tastes…but if you’re smart, it won’t just be your body that does the craving!

TJS COO and Co-Founder Marcella Williams-Melnichuk has had her kids on a healthy diet for so long that when they were littletons, they thought of dates as candy! Our point? With enough exposure, drinks like Bee Chill and others in the TJS repertoire can taste just as good as that craptastic carbonated canned stuff we thought was a treat when we were kids. So when you can, see what you can swap out of your everyday repertoire and swap in from ours. From hardcore organic green juice to more newbee flavors with natural sweetness from organic carrot and apple (and even honey and spices in our nut milks), there’s something for everyone with an open mind and an open mouth.

(And seriously: Just THINK what our health would be like today if one of the most iconic ads in all of ad-dom featured colorful, juice-filled bottles?)

We really think we can change our drinking habits a bottle at a time. Don’t you?