Archives for June 2016

Enhancing My Reverence for Nature at The SnowMansion

June 30, 2016 By Jamie Stephenson

Sunset at The SnowMansion.

For two weeks, I spent my vacation time at The SnowMansion, north of Taos, New Mexico, for a permaculture design course. Permaculture—derived from the two words “permanent” and “agriculture”—is a philosophy based on the concept of producing an abundance of food in a manner that won’t run out while at the same time, creating little or no waste. It’s derived from the template of nature: she produces in abundance, and rarely produces waste…for the benefit of us all.

Throughout the course I asked myself, “How can The Juice Standard provide abundance in the Las Vegas community while minimizing waste?” It’s so simple: We can maintain THE highest standards in the industry (i.e., “Only ORGANIC food is served here”). We can (and do) operate with the utmost integrity—the people who work with us want to be here, and they want to learn and grow to be stewards of quality in service and in personal growth. And we can, do and will continue to steward the health of our citizens by serving THE highest-quality medicinal food.

The right thing and the hard thing are often the SAME thing. We take our bottles back, sanitize, and re-use them, just like restaurants do. YOU help us to do this, and we thank you for your help.

Below is a snippet of my two-week journey to a land of extremes…Taos, New Mexico.

The full moon on the summer solstice… June 21, 2016.

This is an example of a “bee garden.” Bees tend to gravitate to blue and purple flowers. Their eyes have a type of color spectrum that draws them to the color. Through their eyes, they see patterns on those flowers that point to where the nectar is. Then, they stick out their long bee tongues and drink the flowers’ nectar.

Honey bees return with tummies full of nectar that will be dried by the beating of thousands of bee wings. This turns raw flower nectar into raw honey.

Bees are statically charged thanks to the rapid beating of their wings. When she mounts her flowers, her positively charged body attracts pollen instantly. She collects it into pouches seen here, and hands it off to her sisters as protein-rich “bee bread.”

Raw goats milk, along with a bit of culture and rennet, covered and left for 18-24 hours, then strained through cloth and a colander, yields the most gorgeous raw cheese! Serve cheese with homemade berry or chili sauce. Fresh tomatoes from the garden are served with Brigid’s fresh raw honey, backyard lavender, and her famously simple raw goat cheese. Backyard to patio table: hyper local, uber fresh and nourishing for the body and soul!

Backlit honey bee.

Harvested lavender can be consumed fresh or dried. Lavender for tea, cheese and aesthetic beauty. Chamomile picked and dried for afternoon tea.

Check out Paul Stamens TED Talk, “Nine Ways Mushrooms will Save the World.” Did you know that mushrooms have taken over Chernobyl? The Albert Einstein School of Medicine finds that mushrooms, “have the capacity to use radioactivity as an energy source for making food and spurring their growth.” (Nuclear waste-metabolizing FUNGUS. Is that not insane!? Nature….)

Scot and Rachel drill 20-25 holes into these freshly cut Aspen logs. Fresh lumber that hasn’t been treated is key as the wood itself is the food source for the mushrooms.

We opted for the edible Blue Oyster variety.

This is an example of what these Aspen logs will look like: japantwo.com

Cob is an extraordinary building material made of four simple ingredients: clay soil, sand, straw, and water. It is foot-mixed and feels a lot like cold dog poo between the toes. Since it’s NOT cold dog poo, however, it feels WONDERFUL! This elicits a reversal in aging while simultaneously softening the feet. (BONUS!) Cob structures act as thermal mass, heating you in the winter and cooling you in the summer.

I made new friends! Pictured left to right: Nile, Miles, Emery, Paloma, Rachel, Kelly, Judy, Kim, Alex, Chris, Cecil, Scot, Teresa, Rebecca, Stephanie and Jamie.

Adaptogen Abounds: Much Ado About Maca

June 9, 2016 By Jen Chase

By virtue of our name, The Juice Standard is a juicery…but if you haven’t explored our whole menu–maybe even dabbled in our “chewables,” too—you’re missing out. Especially on our smoothies. Co-founder, COO and mum of three, Marcella Williams, is kinda the unofficial Smoothie Maven in these parts because she’s deft at creating some kickass combos that are so much more than bananas blitzed in a Vitamix. And one of the things the TJS smoothie menu loves to rely on is its “superfood upgrades”…a list of more than a dozen powders, seeds and greens that up the nutritional ante of any smoothie you choose to sip.

Now, amid TJS’s list of superfood upgrades is an add-in that’s growing in popularity thanks to companies like Moon Juice and Healthworks making it more available for home consumption: Maca. Maca is a special little somthin’ known in the health world as an “adaptogen”—a plant, root or herb that when introduced to the body it “adapts” to what the body needs. And when we talk about how maca adapts to what the body needs, it soothes the things that put stress on us. Anxiety. Inflammation. Lagging energy. Stuff that happens to us, but not stuff we want.

A Little About Adaptogens

Because they come from nature, adaptogens work with our insides to soothe and normalize us without meds or chems. They’re recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a real thing in the herbal medicine world, and some folks who are sensitive to medications (or just choose to steer clear) integrate adaptogens into their diet to either right a wrong that’s going on, or stay their already healthy self.

There’s a goodly list of ‘gens that do everything from energize (American Ginseng and reishi) to immunize (cordyceps) to calm us the eff down (ashwagandha). Filled with amino acids and key vitamins like B and E, maca’s benefits brilliantly tow the line as a combatant of more than a few stressors, making it an excellent addition to your diet if you want to better deal with life’s typical ups and downs. (Though key point here: As you know, we here at TJS aren’t medical professionals, nor did we stay at a Holiday Inn last night or any nights of recent past. So any time you introduce something into your diet, do what we do and do it with great care or under a healthcare advocate’s watchful eye).

More About Maca

So back to magnificent maca. How doth it tow? It can be good for…

Coping with stress
Normalizing anxiety
Decreasing menstrual symptoms
Energy and stamina performance (and apply that to annnnny activity you wish)

It’s that last benefit that TJS particularly loves…especially our Smoothie Maven. “I clearly like maca because it enhances the libido…and I’m a Libido Lover!”

Right on, Marcella! Course she’s talking about The Juice Standard’s newest menu addition, the Libido Lover smoothie (which you can learn more about by clicking here). It’s just one in our menu’s lineup that contains this mystical, malty powder. Along with the Libido Lover’s other ingredients (alkaline water, cashews, cacao powder and nibs, banana, dates, avocado and mint), the smoothie’s secret weapon is the maca that can help give you energy and, er, “flow” in all the right places. Plus, it plays super nice with chocolate, coffee and vanilla flavors thanks to maca’s slightly sweet caramel notes. At home, experiment adding a teaspoon to steaming cups of creamy hot raw cacao or “Bulletproof”coffee; milkshakes or frappes; or even top your chia seed puddings, oatmeals and cereals. Better yet, upgrade your fave summertime dessert the old-old-old Newport Creamery way and make it a Dusty Sundae. (Holla to our ice cream-eating, East Coast readers.)

Adaptogen? AdaptoTHIS…and enhance your diet with maca, one of nature’s many culinary, restorative gifts that giveth as much as you taketh.

The Juice Standard’s Summertime Slimdown

June 9, 2016 By Jen Chase

Summering. It’s hard work.

The research. The day planning. The outfit planning. (Gawd.) The deciding who in your tribe you trust enough to spend a sun-filled, judgment-free day in your yard or cabana while you’re suited in something that could land you in a Saudi slammer.

See? Stressfest.

Until a decade ago, “summering” was a verb reserved for Hamptons- or Malibu-bound elites. But in Las Vegas and in other Fun Capitals of the United States and beyond—where folks go to savor summer both despite the heat and sometimes for the fun of disrobing in it—adult summering is serious business and something that requires a little planning.

We talk an awful lot about health here at The Juice Standard. We beelive in eating for health, drinking for health, and healing what ails us by looking first at what we feed our guts. You could say it comprises the core of our beliefs. But let’s be real: From the pull of the pool to rocking the weddingwear we’ll don seven ways to Sunday during this, the season of “I Do,” we can’t deny our desire to look good. Damn good. It’s natural, right? So to that end, we’re offering some snippets of the stuff on our menu—and in our hearts and head—that can help you, too, balance your approach to WHealth™ and glowing self inside and out.

Tip #1: Low-Sugar Singletons

All juice has sugar but not all juice is created equal. When you want energy, a little more natural sugar is the way to go (think good stuff from beets and carrots). But sometimes you want energy and to feel lithe. For those moments (or for Bees with diabetes or systems that are sensitive to the sweet stuff) there’s a juice for that.

Our pick? TJS’s lowest-sugar Singletons:

Bee Resilient
Bee Vibrant
Bee Pure
Bee On Point

Tip #2: Choice Chewables

It can be hard to motivate to cook when it’s hot, but skipping meals can lead to bingey bouts and bad bloat in between. (Say that 10-times fast.) But you can avoid the blech with something simple like a cooling smoothie, which goes down easy on a hot day and, unlike juice, can be filled with adaptogens and protein powders and other tasty bits to fill you up while cooling you down.

Our picks? TJS/’s kickass smoothies:

Green & Good
Libido Lover
Lipofunction
Protein Power

Tip #3: That Packable Snackable

Littletons aren’t the only ones who need snacks on busy summer days: We groan-ups are on the move, too. This season, look for portable bites that don’t take up too much room in a pool or beach bag–preferably something you can eat in hand—and that are filling enough to hold you through your day’s activities.

Our pick? TJS Banana Leather with Cashew-Walnut Butter

Tip #4: Beauty and the Bees

Need solutions for keeping cool, collected and oh-so pretty the TJS way? Here’s how our top Team TJS Bees maintain a balance of activity, beauty and health during the summer’s hottt demands.

Jamie Stephenson, co-founder and CEO

I, for one, realize that when it gets super hot in Vegas—recently, there was a heat warning and a temp of 109—I tend to drink waaaay more juice.

Why?

1) It keeps me light on my feet, and the reduction of food to digest gives me more energy for work and play.

2) I feel hella trim. To me, there’s nothing worse than feeling hot and full from a big meal.

3) All this cuke-drinking really does keep my core temp more comfy in this heat. Frankly, I can feel chilly when I drink a juice. And when it’s hot outside, that’s downright refreshing!

4) My skin stays hydrated amidst the desert wind and heat, and that always makes me feel pretty.

So, yes: I LOVE juice…but especially in the summertime

Marcella Williams, co-founder and COO

I use a gradual self tanner to give my skin that sun-kissed glow without increasing my chances of skin cancer.

I also change up my exercise routine by getting outdoors much more…but sometimes that takes a little creative planning. The kids and I take trips to the local parks in the evening since the daytime may be too hot (at 110 degrees!). That way, they can burn off their energy.

Workouts involve more laps in the pool and even a few dips in the ocean during these summer months.

I also remember to drink more water (and juice!) to keep my skin looking healthy since the summer heat can have the opposite effect.

(And…I really focus on keeping my toes pretty because it is sandal season!) 😉

Love Your Libid-OH With Our New Smoothie

June 9, 2016 By Jen Chase

Man, we love announcing new products, especially when they taste as good as they are good for us; and by all accounts, this new TJS baby is all kinds of crazy good. Why are we so confident? Beecause we’re about to talk about orgasms. And energy. And body heat. The kind of stuff we love talking about beecause we figure you Bees are interested and we have lots to say about pretty much everything.

So…orgasms. How do they relate to smoothies? We’re gonna tellya.

Research shows that orgasms are good for everything from blocking pain (thanks, endorphins); increasing sleep (hello, oxytocin); and reducing cardio-vascular disease in men (getting blood flowing to alllll the right places). So with our company’s dedication to total-body care—and we do mean TOtal body care—how better to set ourselves up for sexual success than with a smoothie made from stuff that enhances the lovin’ our partners have to give? Or…the love we give ourselves?

Meet “The Libido Lover,” a chocolatey, creamy, minty concoction that seems like it couldn’t possibly be good for you but is. If you didn’t know it already, both avocado—which lends creaminess to so many raw and vegan desserts—and raw cacao (which is just awesome because it’s raw cacao) have libido-increasing properties. But the Libido Lover’s key ingredient is maca, a powdered root with a malt-like flavor that’s rich in vitamins B, C and E, as well as calcium, zinc, iron, magnesium, and phosphorous…all of which are necessary nutrients for increasing endurance and the sex drive. You can read more about maca in our article over here. Other ingredients include alkaline water, cashews, and nibs, banana, dates, and mint.

You should know, though, that for all the hype about aphrodisiac-like foods, if a big O isn’t your game, the very same ingredients are excellent for increasing your energy and overall creativity, which makes this smoothie an especially good breakfast, pre-work and pre-workout meal replacement either enjoyed on its own or with one of The Juice Standard’s superfood upgrades of protein-packed chia seeds or protein powder.

The Libido Lover is being Vitamixed and served at both neighborhood locations (at The Hive near Summerlin and The Rose near Henderson), and at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. And at The Cosmopolitan, as with all Juice Standard smoothies on the menu, you can spike it with a liquor shot of your choice. Notably, brown liquors like whiskey, bourbon and rum pair nicely with the creamy, chocolaty base…though you’re at liberty to add whatever will give you the best, er, “happy ending.” So you just do you.

(Get it?)

Friends Who Juice: Sheree Clark

June 7, 2016 By Jen Chase

Who’s made it her job to alight the health and wellness industry’s brightest bulbs through her evocative speaker series (after nailing her very own 92-day juice fast)? All thumbs should point to nutrition expert Sheree Clark, owner and founder of Fork In The Road, her wellness consultancy that helps people eat, drink and move in ways that helps them achieve what we hope to lead our Bees toward: a life of WHealth™ that’s filled with a sense of one’s glowing self.

From helping people rebound from a health crisis to simply shedding pounds to get back to their natural state of bliss, Clark uses several techniques to help shape the healthy habits of her clients. And since education’s her jam, she does what she can to promote things like speaker series (our very own Jamie just participated in a biggie!), and taking her skills to the small screen where she airs a regular television segment on wellness.

So meet Sheree Clark…health expert, juice fan and leader down the proverbial path to WHealth™.

All About Sheree

Currently, I live in…Des Moines, Iowa.

In my experience, the biggest misconception about living where I live is…that it’s a cow town with very little to offer. But it isn’t. It’s a small city, but also small-town enough. My neighbor has a key to my house.

The thing I (not-so-) secretly love most about living here is…that you can do whatever you want. It’s a supportive community, in that if I wanted to access someone, it’s like two-degrees-of-separation here. The governor goes to my farmer’s market….

My daily mantra or “quote to live by” is…”If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve got.”

Don’t get me started talking about…food. Healthy food. And nutrition.

Every day I strive to…remember to smell the roses.

Something people would be shocked to know about me is…I have a lot of kind of bizarre things. I get up at 4 a.m. every day except Sunday. I love to get up early.

True or false: Some days, I want to trade in my curly locks. False. False! No. Never.

The health habit I get teased about the most is…I’m a believer in colonics and hydrotherapy.

About Sheree’s Work

When people ask about my job and what I do every day, I tell them…I hold open a space for people to become the best they can be.

What prompted me to found my company Fork In The Road was… two things. One, I felt like what I was doing wasn’t the authentic “me” anymore; and I felt that my authentic me could really help people to be the best they could be.

These are my absolute favorite things about my company, and my work: No two days are the same. And, when people break through a barrier. And that I get to work from home. And, being able to look at my printer and see my cat, Lotus, sleeping on it.

My days are pretty varied, but the bulk are spent like this: I go to yoga at 5 a.m. and by 6:15 a.m. I’m home. Sometimes I walk, or I meditate and I journal. I spend the morning in reflection, because for me, if I plan for it to be later in the day it can be robbed.

I try to have clients or meetings throughout the day. I spend time writing. I do a weekly television show segment [Des Moines’ KCWI, Ch. 23), so I’m sometimes filming that. It’s all about holistic living, which could include [healthy] food, herbal remedies. I also take classes. I might take an online class, or sometimes I teach. I’m usually in bed by 10 a.m. Then the next day, I do it all over again.

True or false: “Juice helps me stay healthy when I don’t have time to chew.” Oh my God, yes.

The perk I enjoy most about my job is…flexibility.

My favorite advice to give to other entrepreneurs is…know what you’re good at and hire people to do the things you’re not.

The best advice I ever received was… “Don’t make it hard. Let it be easy.”

The number one thing I’d tell my younger self is… “You’re not fat.”

My top-three goals for my company are…to grow my reach; I’m probably going to write a book; and to expand my team.

The number one thing I feel deeply proud of where my company is concerned is…I’ve made a difference in people’s lives.

Sheree on Juice and The Juice Standard

The first time I realized I loved cold-pressed juice was…in 2006. I went to a juicing/fasting retreat in Arizona and I fell in love there.

What made me know I wanted juice as a part of my healthy lifestyle was…the fact that I had mental clarity and energy…and it started from drinking juice.

On my company’s blog, I write about my 92-day juice fast. Here’s some background about why I did it for that long. I did the fast because it was part of a program a bunch of raw fooders were participating in. We all signed up for it on the same day…but I felt ready to start it before it was supposed to start, so I started mine early. It was Dec. 29, 2007. I felt called….It was kind of a weird day to start a fast but I ended it March 29, 2008.

It felt right [about the length of time]. Like when you meet someone and are like, “Oh my God, I know we’re going to be friends.”

I drank only juice, and I did have a tablespoon of flax oil or hemp oil every day for some healthy fat. Toward the end I ate some bee pollen.

The aspect of my juice fast that I loved most was…the clarity and the feeling of connectedness. I felt plugged into the world and aware of myself. Less anxious. Less concerned.

The hardest thing about fasting for that long was…that there were days when you felt like your body was detoxing some, which resulted in lower energy. Some days I’d get a pimple…and I’m not a pimple girl. But then the next day it would be gone.

While I was fasting, the food item I can remember NOT being able to get out of my head was…chewing. Toward the end, I really missed chewing. I really wanted to sink my teeth into something.

The first semi-indulgent thing I can remember eating after my fast was…fruit salad. Really: I wanted a big fruit salad, with shredded coconut and nuts, and raisins.

The funniest juice-related thing that happened during my fast was…well, it wasn’t funny, but I dumped a half gallon of beet juice all over the counter. I’d juice two quarts, and I was sealing them. And I had white cabinets, so I had to work quickly. Plus, it was a lot of work! I wanted to get it a straw….

I first learned about The Juice Standard from…a friend who lives in Las Vegas who’d sent me a clip from a magazine about the cold-pressed cocktails.

I interviewed Jamie Stephenson for my online wellness summit, “What The Fork?” Something I learned from that interview that’s really stayed with me is…Well: I loved it when she geeked out about the microbiome, and the concept of soil. I’m a composter, so…. It’s the whole ‘circle of life.’ It was so cool to meet someone who knew so much.

When I’m not drinking juice, my favorite cocktail is…wine. I’d also say mojitos, which I sometimes toss cucumber juice into.

When people see me drink green juice and give me face, I want to tell them to…not knock it ‘til they try it

My advice to a newbee juicer is…Do it every day for 21 days. Drink it first thing in the morning and you may find you don’t even need your morning java

And, if you’re really serious about how you can live the best life possible, for your time here [on Earth], try adding things. It’s so easy to add juice [to someone’s diet] and it’s the first step I advise. It’s the first thing I add. If you can add one thing to your life, make it juice.