Archives for May 2016

Jamie Stephenson Joins the ‘What The Fork’ Convo

May 3, 2016 By Jen Chase

We know from the feedback you Bees have given us over the years that you care about your WHealth™ as much as Jamie and Marcella (and everyone else here at The Juice Standard). So we’re always looking for new ways to brighten and enlighten your knowledge.

If you want to take some steps toward a healthier, more vibrant life—move from drab to fab, good to great, from faking it to truly making it—we have an online event we think is perfect for you.

Sheree Clark (founder of the wellness website Fork In The Road) is interviewing all sorts of nationally recognized healthy living experts, and our very own Co-Founder and CEO, Jamie Stephenson, was handpicked by Clark to share her story. (Jamie’s interview will be live on May 25—mark your calendar!)

This month-long online event starts May 2, and is a unique chance to listen to dozens of the best health, nutrition, exercise, and lifestyle authors, teachers and researchers as they share insight into what they have found to be true from their experiences. Many of the experts you’ll meet arrived at their “fork in the road” because of an event in their lives…and they’re willing to share what they’ve learned with you.

The experts in this series all want to help you discover the incredible opportunities you have to up-level your life…beelieving that a healthier lifestyle is about more than just what you put in your mouth or how many steps you walk in a day. It’s about viewing yourself—and the things you allow into your life—in a holistic and integrated way.

This one-of-a-kind online event is called What the Fork? A Practical and Nourishing Plan to Feed Yourself For Health and Happiness. And The Juice Standard is inviting you to participate as our guest in the entire What the Fork? event for FREE!

Throughout the month you’ll find out how to:

Leverage insider tips to maintain a fit and healthy body, even as you age;
Incorporate simple practices into your daily life so you eat more healthfully, without feeling deprived;
Incorporate mindfulness and peace into your daily routine;
Identify and overcome personal blocks and fears, reduce stagnation and gain clarity to take the next steps toward your ideal life; and more.

If this sounds exciting, you must listen! Join Jamie and the other experts for FREE by clicking the link below and registering today.

Click here to access What the Fork?

By the end of this event you’ll have the knowledge and the tools that will bring you the vibrant life you’re looking for!

It takes a hive, Bees. Together, let’s raise our vibration, together.

Yours in health,

The Juice Standard

(P.S. Each interview in this series will be available for a limited time. Register now and don’t miss a single tip, strategy or important tidbit!)

Click here to register for What the Fork?

Encourage Mom’s Play With ‘Queen For A Day’

May 3, 2016 By Jen Chase

Question: Did you ever drive your mother to drink? (At least that you know of?) On the off chance you ~~still do~~ did, this month—in honor of Mother’s Day—here’s The Juice Standard’s best recipe for salving the world of hurt our teenage selves laid on Moms. It doesn’t even involve therapy.

It’s a breeze, really: Take her to The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and hand her a bevvie worth all the love and care she spent turning you into the human being you be.

Queen For A Day

So what exactly is this Moms-worthy concoction?

Queen For A Day (also on the TCOLV menu as King For A Day…because we don’t discriminate, Yo) is Marcella’s mixology masterpiece of BEE ROYAL (think spicy lemonade), plus a brown liquor of your choice (like bourbon or whisky) topped with the sassy spice of some ginger beer.

If we had to tell you what to tell Moms it tastes like, we’d compare it to a Dark & Stormy but with a side of citrus attitude. Imbibed by you and your BFFs it would perfectly fuel your night on a casino or dance floor. Enjoyed with you’re with Moms on a Kid-Momma Night out, it would be a perfectly light little pre-supper sipper to get you feeling cozy enough to rehash those stories you know she and your dad are just waiting to roll out the night before your wedding.

Drink up, Sistahs and Bruthas. Grab your mutha. Enjoy a cold one on us. And maybe plan to elope.

Hydrate WHealthfully with TJS Cold-Pressed Juice

May 3, 2016 By Jen Chase

We totes hate to sound like your mom, here but hydration is beeyond imperative for good health. It’s good for the skin, it’s good for maintaining body weight, it’s good for facilitating digestion, and it’s especially important as the temps rise on us during our beloved spring and summertime outdoor activity. (And that last one is especially important in the desert of Nevada.)

But for as much as mag articles and health professionals talk about hydration, there are still some misnomers about it. Truth be told, it’s not only about slogging enough H2O. There are good ways to hydrate…and even better ways to hydrate. The best way to do it is to implement plant-based water. And the best way to learn about it is straight from our resident lover of all-things Touting the Juicy Holy Grail, our co-founder Jamie Stephenson.

In a recent request for info for an L.A. Times article, Jamie had this to share about how to hydrate WHealthfully:

In the bloodstream, there are minerals called electrolytes that keep our brains, muscles and organs functioning well. Too much water but not enough electrolytes can be as dangerous as not enough water. TJS’s organic, daily-made, cold-pressed juices are essentially reverse-osmosis plant water…aka, ‘sunshine water in a bottle.’ The rain falls from the sky onto mineral-rich earth; the plants’ root systems suck up moisture and minerals to their leaves; and we press out that liquid for you to drink. The vitamins and minerals (and everything else that’s good for us in plants and produce) are far more effective in their bioavailability than any supplement because they’re not been denatured in any way. With our juice…nutrition and hydration go straight from the plant into a convenient glass bottle to your thirst-quenched lips!

Something else of high import to remember (and this goes for no matter where you live) is that gauging your hydration levels can be hard when you’re active…and it can be especially hard to judge hydration in littletons as they get their outdoor play on. We’re not medical professionals, nor did we stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night, but we do want to share the common-sense knowledge that summer is a prime time to watch for heat stroke signs.

Headaches, weakness, dizziness, and even cramps, nausea or vomiting can all be precursors to heat stroke. And even more important to remember is this: By the time heat stroke actually hits, the skin presents with less sweat, and more red, hot and dry skin. Over-active breathing and heart rate are also signs that can be mistaken for the normal reactions to activity…but all of it is heat-stroke related and requires immediate attention.

Our point in all of this? Drink more plant water! And while we tout the bennies of cooling veggies like cucumber and watermelon, the truth is, all plant water is beeyond good for you. So to maintain your safety and your body’s optimum levels, during warm weather (and any weather), keep the liquids coming. Beecause we are what we think and we are what we drink!

We Are Motherlovers (plus…a #TJSMomsForJLo Promo)

May 3, 2016 By Jen Chase

Whether it was your mother, your grandmother, a teacher, or a trusted mother figure, this time of year makes us reflect on the women who raised us to bee the Bees we are today. We say it all the time but it bears repeating: #ItTakesAHive. That’s why we’re thankful to the moms out there who gave us wings (…and why some of us can’t wait to onpass them to our litteltons, when it’s time for them to flee the hive).

Below, TJS’s Co-Founders, Creative Director and Content Director (Jamie Stephenson and Marcella Williams; and Mallory Dawn and Jen Chase, respectively) share thoughts and memories about their mothers…the stuff they gleaned from them; the stuff they hope they give back to them; and the ways in which being a mom has moved some of us like nothing else in life could.

Jamie and Mia, and Being Led Down the Garden Path (…Literally)

For as long as I could remember, my mom was a single mom working at least two jobs. It wasn’t until I was 17 that she met Walter, and it was then that I saw her soften into what it felt like to be a woman who could enjoy a life lived with a little more time for her pursuits. He allowed her the time to explore her cooking and gardening skills. Both were parts of her life that would give back to him (and all of us) for many years to come.

I’ll never forget the day I went to their home for dinner. I was 22. Mom handed me a set of kitchen shears and a paper-lined colander, and asked me to go into the yard to harvest our dinner salad. I was freaked out.

“We can’t eat that! We grew it!” I said.

Her reply? “Exactly. We grew it, and it’s the very best. Now hurry up.”

Later at dinner, my mind was blown. Those leaves were delicious and tender, and they’d been growing in her garden just minutes before. That was the day the proverbial seed was planted in my mind—that the power of fruits and veggies—fresh, raw and powerful—was truly food for the body and soul.

Thanks Mom.

Thanks Walter.

Shit Jamie’s Moms Says:
“Eat your veggies, they’re good for you.”
“Maybe. In the future.”

Marcella: On The Inexplicable Joys of Motherhood

I will never forget the day my ex-husband and I decided we were ready for a baby. A month later we were expecting, and I knew it was a little girl. I could feel it in my gut. I could actually see her face in my mind… her warm smile, her kind eyes. I knew her name, envisioned her laughter and could not wait to finally meet her.

She changed my life in so many ways. It was not until I knew I was pregnant did I start to really be conscious about what I put into my body. It began with increasing my fruits and vegetables and minimizing anything processed or refined. I wasn’t just feeding myself, I was literally creating another human…a human who would grow to be a thriving toddler, an energetic child and eventually a young adult. She needed the best quality foods and nutrients I could give her in this most crucial time of development.

They say love is a verb, and though I couldn’t voice it to her yet, I could show her love in the best way I knew how.

I remember sitting in History 102 class and was about 15 weeks along when I felt the first kick. People say it feels like butterflies, but this was just little bit stronger. I pushed on my stomach right where I felt it and she kicked back! We went back and forth a few times and I started to tear up. My professor looked at me kinda crazy. He must have thought I had a soft spot for the roaring 20’s and The Great Gatsby—and I did!—but the welling of my eyes came from my first interaction with my beautiful baby girl.

I remember reading all of those baby books and about how she was developing, and the minute I knew she could hear my voice, I began to sing to her. I sang anything from lullabies to random love songs. One song in particular was You Were Meant for Me, by Jewel. I will never forget the first time I sang it to her at five weeks old, she looked up at me and smiled her very first smile!

Sophia Maria was born on July 12, 2006, 8 pounds, 3 ounces and 21 inches long. I knew I loved her before I met her but never could imagine how much you could truly love someone unconditionally…until 6:30 p.m., when she laid on my chest for the very first time. Watching her grow over the years has been a blessing that so many people do not get to experience. I live each day with gratitude, trying so hard to make each day count and live in the present.

Shit Marcella’s Moms Says:

(To my little brother:) “If you sprinkle when you tinkle, be a sweetie and wipe the seatie.”

“It’s too quiet.”

“Can I pee in peace?”

“Take pictures because it’s gone in a flash.”

“Because I said so…that’s why!”

Mallory and Mimi: Childhood Lessons Enrich Long Into Life

My mother was a teacher while I was growing up. A lot of my friends knew her (and, her large collection of colorful high-top Reeboks). She taught my brother and me a lot of lessons, but one in particular has completely affected my course of life.

You see, growing up I knew my parents were “hippies” because they listened to The Beatles, wore tie-dyed clothes, told us stories of protests they attended at Edinboro University and other rebellious behavior from their younger years. At the same time, they also encouraged my brother and me to create a life we loved, and to love all living things. My mother, unbeknownst to my lack of musical skill, even encouraged us to start a band together.

For the longest time, I thought that these impressions my mother left on me were things all children got from their parents. In fact, it wasn’t until I started sharing this one lesson in particular that I realized that not everyone grew up with parents like mine.

This lesson started in my earliest childhood. I remember coming home from school worked up and complaining about something that had happened (and, about the person who was to blame). My mother said to me: “Mallory, I want you to think of 10 reasons why that person did what they did to you, and none of your reasons can be about you.”

Of course I attempted to use the “They don’t like me,” “They’re mad at me” arguments, but she’d catch me every time, reminding me those were reasons that in fact included me. Sure enough, by the fourth or fifth reason (“They got a bad grade”; “They were feeling sad”; “They got yelled at by their parents,” etc.) I had settled down and actually felt empathy for the person I was upset with.

My mother had me practice this skill throughout elementary school, junior high and high school. So it became natural for me to “step back” from situations that rattled my copacetic bubble, and to mentally address at least 10 reasons why someone could behave in a way that was void of me. Today, I still make those mental lists as I consider what someone who upsets me may be dealing with. Maybe they had a rough drive to work; maybe they couldn’t get their child/pet to eat or potty that morning; maybe money is stressing them out; maybe they’ve lost someone they love; maybe they just woke up on the wrong side of the bed….And maybe—just MAYBE—their behavior has nothing to do with me.

It’s much easier to feel peaceful and calm when you feel a connection to others. My mother’s lesson taught me how to feel connected to anyone, no matter the situation. Today, I love sharing my experience with others because I know the power it will create in their lives and attitude if they choose to hone the ability to understand and empathize with the feelings of others.

Shit Mallory’s Moms Says:

“But are you bleeding?”

“You are my sunshine.”

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Jen and Heidi: Sacrifice Leads To Mother-Daughter Soulmates

Before she was my sister’s mother or mine, she was Heidi Ange Morris. Ange wasn’t for Angela but Ange, with an a sound like in hand. Heidi was because her mother loved the book. The Morris was from a man whose liquid demons pissed away the love he could’ve long enjoyed from his wife and kids but couldn’t. And Chase was from the man who blessed her with her children.

Motherhood hasn’t been my mother’s easiest-won gift, but she’d probably say it’s her life’s greatest. And fortunately, because she shares herself freely beyond the boundaries of blood, her mothering has been a gift to others. As a longtime elementary school teaching assistant, I’ve watched her foster deep relationships with younger colleagues. My lifelong girlfriends have turned to her during times of painful coming-outs, or when they needed care for their children when their own families were miserably unsupportive. My high school sweetheart and his wife are wholeheartedly friendly with her. She’s that mom. And growing up, despite a few naturally occurring blue periods in the lore of estrogen-heavy households, I deeply knew I was lucky.

I wrote most of that recalling our relationship from my youth through college years. But if you’re lucky to have been raised by certain parents, under certain circumstances, a paradigm shift can happen in your 30s if the proverbial shit hits your fan and you start grasping for their experience-based guidance. Maybe we hope their Smart Genes will save us from stupidity, but around 30-something is when you realize your parents are real adults with real-life chapters…and that maybe they really do understand, because they’ve experienced similar challenges long before you did. In my case, one lived out West before admitting like Dorothy that there’s no place like home (…in Massachusetts). One was married when the two of them fell in love. One had a mid-life crisis and lived in a hotel for a week. One lost a business, mojo and life way too young. Both of them had to navigate raising a special needs infant beside a typical toddler. And ironically, neither ventured far from their own mother. Least never for long. They made all these disparate parts of their lives work, coming together to be the kind of parent I often wish I was.

Mum has devoted her life to making my sister’s life comfortable. And as my parent, she’s been selfless; honest; and at times, her advice has been so right as effing rain I’d swear she was a seer. But most important, as she’s balanced motherhood and personhood (and isn’t it amazing that as kids we don’t really see our parents are “real” people?) she raised me with love. Boundless. She is my friend, my comfort, my confidante, my heart. She doesn’t like what I eat but loves what I cook. She rarely finds what I find funny but finds me funny, which is 10 kinds of awesome since hers is a laugh I seek. I choose her company and she chooses mine. And if I’ve learned anything from her, it’s strength. Strength by example. I don’t display her gumption on the reg, but I’m glad it’s in my marrow. Somewhere.

The picture above was from before Heidi Chase was anyone’s mother. It’s a candid from a shoot where she was asked to model hairdos. Frankly, it embarrasses her because she’s incredibly shy—she was 20s-ish, maybe?—but man, I love her look. Quiet and sophisticated. Soft. Eye makeup just so, always and still. She wasn’t thinking about doling out Erin’s seizure meds or worrying if I’d smile again after my marriage ended. It was just her, back when it could be. And the pic drives me to be a daughter that gives her moments of her past life in this one, where she need only think of herself. Like kajillions of adult kids like you or others who have been raised by amazing people (blood variety or not), I’m grateful to be my mother’s daughter, to have her as my friend, and to be allowed to be hers. Because that stuff is never a given, but a blessing to be earned on both sides.

Shit Jen’s Moms Says:

“I wish I liked to eat what you eat.”

“You’re so much like your father.”

“The grass is always greener….”

Now ABOUT that promo….

Mother’s Day 2016: #TJSMomsForJLo

It’s true. TJS wants you to celebrate Mom’s Day with JLo.

And no, we’re not sending her to your house. (Fo sho we’re rad but not *that* rad.) Read to the end, though. This deal’s still the goods….

For everything the mother figure in your life does to keep yo’ shit in line, we’ve got quite possibly the best booty-shakin’ promo of all time. (At least for the first quarter of 2016.)

Since TJS is all about maintaining WHealth™ on the inside and out, we like encouraging you Bees to push your personal healthy-choice envelopes. And since occasional incentives are swell, here’s a doozy.

Ready?

We wanna see you and your three-day fast bottles! Why? Beecuase we frikkin’ heart you, and we want you Bees to have a little extra pusha-push-push to enjoy one of our crazy-delicious three-day juice fasts. We honestly think you’ll love it enough, you might make it a tool in your healthy-living toolbox every quarter or so to improve your WHealth™ and glowing self. So we seriously hope you’ll do this:

1) From now through 31 May, show us your prettiest Instagram pics(s) of you and your three-day fast. And in the comments of your pics, use your very best words to express one of the following thoughts:

Your best “Shit Moms Says” advice (and it doesn’t have to be from your own Moms—it can be from a mother figure in your life). What’s something Moms says that makes your eyes roll? Belly laugh? Heart sing? Do tell.
Best thing you’ve learned from Moms or your moms-ish figure.
Your fave thing about being a moms yourself…either to your own littletons or littletons in your life whom you cherish.
What’s something you’ve vowed to do when you become a parent someday?

2) Hashtag all that with #TJSMomsForJLo.

3) Wake up June 1 and hope like hell you were picked to win two tix to JLo’s June 8 performance at PH (“Planet Hollywood,” if you’re not local).

And that’s pretty much it.

Deets:

* Gift value is at about $517. (Thought you’d like to know.)

* Must you take Moms? No. But if she’s likes JLo you’ll be Kid of the Year. ’Til 2019.

* The show is June 8. That’s the only date. It may not be changed. It may not be exchanged. Do us a solid and don’t ask, beg or plead for another option. We cry when friends cry in front of us.

Play fair. Good luck. And go Moms. (You, too, JLo.)

Families Who Juice: The Morse Family

May 3, 2016 By Jen Chase

About an hour outside Las Vegas on a wee rural microfarm live Helena, Sean and Emmet…a family of three that years ago moved from Las Vegas to live life a little quieter and closer to the land.

While Sean still works amid the city’s bright lights (quite literally: he’s an entertainment technician who works on many of the shows that come through Las Vegas), both he and Helena home school Emmet. And as a family, they all lend their efforts and expertise to building Dualing Cocks Hatchery, their cheeky-named biz where they raise exotic chicken breeds and a variety of other plants and creatures.

But where it gets good is that in the truest sense of their commitment to learning to live in harmony with the earth, their love of The Juice Standard’s juices have led them to repurpose something of ours that maintains the circle of life on their farm. (Hint: You’ll know the glow of their yolks a mile away!)

As Helena answers for herself and on beehalf of the men in her life…meet the Morse family!

ABOUT OUR FAMILY

In our experience, the biggest misconception about living in Las Vegas is…not recognizing that even living in a city, you can make a big impact [on the environment]. It can be as simple as riding your bicycle, starting a compost bin or picking up food waste from a restaurant.

The thing we love most about living outside the city is…having the ability to live a more sustainable, organic, back-to-the-land kind of life. Even though we only have a small desert garden that feeds us—even if we do live in a desert—the challenges this brings are merely new opportunities for us to grow.

If we had to pick a daily mantra or a quote our family tries to live by, it would be…“Waste not, want not,” and “Work hard, play hard!”

A favorite Vegas spot for our family that never gets old is…the parks, such as Floyd Lamb, Red Rock, Wetlands, and all of the great city parks. As simple as it sounds, the parks are really important to our family. We home school our son, and we often meet other families there. And often, in a desert, the only green space you’ll see is at a park.

The greatest thing about raising a family in the desert is this: Personally, I am all about permaculture. I’m obsessed with it. I also belong to a school of consciousness about 300 miles from Las Vegas, and I asked if I could contribute my time…talking about recycling, and the zero-waste movement. I believe in being a part of the solution and not part of the problem, to the extent that it is important to teach that to my son because he is part of the future. In some ways, being resourceful in the desert is a part of that.

…ON HEALTH IN LAS VEGAS AND TJS

When people ask me (Helena) what I do…I’m not quite sure what to tell them. First and foremost, I’m a stay-at-home, home-schooling mom. But I’m also in charge of the daily operations of the growing agribusiness, as well as taking care of all the unexpected events when “life happens.”

Since we have lived in Las Vegas, the biggest evolution in the healthy-living scene has been…people wanting to know where their food comes from. Wow…this is so important, with so many chemicals and additives in our food, as well as the rapid proliferation of genetically modified produce. And as far as how the healthy-living community has changed in this region, and with permaculture becoming more important to me (I am a member of the School of the Natural Order where I incorporate spirituality and permaculture) it’s prompted me to seek out other groups of people who are like minded. The MeetUp community has some really good groups. Had I not started educating myself on this journey I might not have been inspired to seek out new people.

No matter how busy we get as a family, this is what we do to make sure we eat healthy meals and snacks during the week: It’s definitely a challenge…even for a stay-at-home mom! You’re a teacher-cook-chauffeur-laundry lady….So I *do* love being able to walk into a Juice Standard store and get a Bee Royal for Emmet and know he’s going to get the freshest ingredients.

The fruit or vegetable you’ll always find in our kitchen is…bananas. Its the universal fast food!

…ON JUICE AND THE JUICE STANDARD

The reason we drink cold-pressed juice is because…it’s so nutritious, so convenient and so delicious.

The person in our family who introduced us to The Juice Standard’s juice to us was…Sean. He often works near the St. Rose store. He’d been driving by it, and one day he went in and did a juice tasting and suggested that Emmet and I go. We went in one day, tasted the juices and nut milks, and that’s how we got hooked.

The reason we drink TJS’s cold-pressed juice is for…its freshness. I feel The Juice Standard’s product is the closest I can get to juicing myself. Emmet’s favorite is Bee Royal. I love the nut milks.

Beyond juice, our connection to TJS runs even deeper than buying your products. I was at the store and one day started talking with the people behind the counter, asking about the kitchen and how it worked. And I don’t even know how it came about, but I explained what we do with our farm…and now, when we come in, we give them eight buckets to fill and we take pulp home to feed our chickens.

If it’s news to you that chickens eat juice pulp, here’s why we’re doing it: As my husband and I looked for alternatives to feeding grain—and I know this is going to sound weird, but—we turned to raising earthworms, and South American roaches (Dubia Blaptica, which are also often sold for reptile feeders) for their high protein content. Paired with your juice pulp, which is so amazing and looks so good and smells so good, it really helps us to participate in the zero-waste movement.

Now, when my girls [chickens] see me open up the buckets, they come running. And when we run out, and we have a day or two where we have to fee them grain, they are just not happy about it! The smell from the pulp is so fresh and delicious.

The biggest difference we’ve seen in the quality of our eggs is…the fiery orange-red color of the yolks. I know it’s packed with nutrients because of The Juice Standard’s pulp.

If people want to buy our eggs…right now, we sell through our friends. But I’m hoping to soon have enough to start selling at farmers markets. Right now, most of our eggs go to our hatchery. We raise rare and heritage breeds of chickens: at the moment, we have Basque and Chinese Silkies. They are two exotic birds.
Our family’s advice to a newbee juicer is…to go in and start with a tasting. Familiarize yourself with the different flavors. when I saw some of the green ones, I thought ohhhhh, that doesn’t look so good! But really, it’s delicious and so good for you.

To learn more about little Emmet and his chickens, check him out on Insta (@EmmetsHouse) and here on Facebook. Quite the little man.