Archives for 2016

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.

Friends Who Juice: Michael Tomes

April 6, 2016 By Jen Chase

When we think “daily grind,” most of us measure it in daylight increments; but for a Las Vegas industry entrepreneur like Michael Tomes—owner of Umbrella VIP—the grind is a 24 hour one filled with making (and fielding) phone calls in different time zones, tending the clients that trust him to build their ultimate Las Vegas getaway. And a grind, it can be. “People don’t always appreciate the time that I and my reps put into creating their experiences,” he says. But the butt-busting bustle is worth it when everyone from A-listers to no-listers are so sassafied, they re-hire his party-planning prowess again and again.

Working all hours takes stamina, and for Tomes—who has worked in the nightlife industry both in Las Vegas and in Texas for more than a decade—a fastidious diet and exercise regime gives him the goods to keep going (though the VIP host admits to being a little OCD about something else, too!). A lover of juice and a fan of our brand, we’re thrilled that of all the juiceries in the land, Tomes hearts The Juice Standard not only for the love of Bee Happy, but for getting the energy he needs to do everything the makes him happy.

ALL ABOUT MICHAEL

The year I moved to Las Vegas was…2001 (from Texas).

In my experience, the biggest misconception about living in Las Vegas is…that people can party every night, and that no one has jobs.

The thing I not-so-secretly love most about living here is…the flexibility to do whatever you want, whenever.

Don’t get me started talking about…traveling.

Every day I strive to…be a better person.

Something people would be shocked to know about me is…I’m OCD about cleanliness. My house is seriously spotless.

Fave Vegas spots that never get old are…Firefly and The Foundation Room.

The health habit I get teased about the most is…that I work out constantly. I’m always at Lifetime. But my hard work has paid off.

MICHAEL ROCKS THE INDUSTRY STANDARD

My events-planning company is called Umbrella VIP (and we also run VegasPoolSeason.com). When people ask about my job and what my reps do every day, I tell them…that events don’t plan themselves! When I walk them by a two-hour line [at a club] and get them in, they don’t realize it took 10 phone calls and emails to make it happen….The clients don’t always realize [the nightlife industry] is about relationships.

The reason I’ve been able to do this for 13 years is because I do care about the clients’ experience. You can only be in this business if you’re taking good care of your clients, and I’m proud of [how I do] it.

True or false: “It’s hard for me to get the nutrition I need because my day is so busy.” I say false. I have a home office, and I make sure I go to the grocery store or I stop by The Juice Standard to shop. And, I never eat fast food. Ever. My roommate, Josh Green, is a chef and has a weekly healthy meals service called Meal Thyme. So he brings home healthy, fresh meals for me.

I try to be conscious. It takes months to build it, and only a few short weeks to wreck it.

The charity I try to contribute to most often is…Goodwill.

The perk I enjoy most about my job is…getting to meet lots of different people from all over the world, and showing them a good time in Las Vegas.

My favorite advice to give to other entrepreneurs is…“Stick with it. It doesn’t happen overnight.”

The number one thing I’d tell my younger self is…“Don’t go out so much” and “save your money.”

My top-three goals for my company are…to be the largest VIP company in Las Vegas in 2 years; to build a great staff; and to provide clients with an unforgettable VIP experience.

MICHAEL ON JUICE

The first time I realized I loved cold-pressed juice was…when I did a three-day juice cleanse in Dallas, about 3 years ago.

What made me know I wanted juice as a part of my healthy lifestyle was…I could see the results and felt better and more energized in those first three days.

At the beginning of the year, after the holidays, I did a six-day cleanse with The Juice Standard. This is how it went. What I noticed was that I worked out five out of seven days, and I wasn’t tired…I went about my normal routine. I think it was the difference in the quality of my juices being The Juice Standard’s juices. And, I took a nut milk and at the end of the night. I really felt like I could’ve gone a whole week.

In my opinion, this is what I think sets The Juice Standard (TJS) from the rest. The difference was noticeable [between my last cleanse and this one], and I think it was the quality of the juices. I lost 10 pounds with The Juice Standard, and I felt great. Even my skin. I had so much energy, I couldn’t believe it. And after the sixth day, I continued to lose weight for a whole other day. It jumpstarted me. I was really happy. I felt such a noticeable difference between [drinking] TJS juice and other cold-pressed juice you pick up.

When people ask, I tell them my fave TJS flave is…well I know Bee WHealthy™ is healthy. My go-to favorite nut milk is Bee Happy.

The funniest juice-related thing that happened during my cleanse was…that I didn’t pass out or go crazy! I had as much energy as any normal day.

When I’m not drinking TJS juice, my favorite cocktail is…Ketel, cranberry, Red Bull, and lime.

When people see me drink green juice and give me face, I want to tell them to…come over and talk with me. I’ll tell them why they should drink it, too.
My advice to a newbee juicer is…to continue to make juice a part of your daily routine and you’ll see a difference in the quality of your life.

April=Allergy Relief the TJS Way

April 6, 2016 By Jen Chase

Spring is officially only a few weeks old, but we feel like we’re already upping our A-Is-For-Allergy game, as we sharpen the trusted tools in our tool belts for holding back our yearly wheezes and sneezes.

(Thanks, Trees, for popping your pollen early. Not.)

You may have heard about intermittent fasting (IF)—eating during a window of set hours each day to promote the body’s burning the fuel it has before adding more in. It’s widely reported that IF may be excellent for building immunity, and addressing allergies. And we’ve already talked a little about fasting and our own vernacular shift here at The Juice Standard, we believe there’s a way to combine these tactics of IF and enjoying juice fasts by simply adding a few allergy-fighting Singletons or shots from our menu to your daily sked of eating.

Here’s what we recommend:

TJS SHOTS

The Juice Standard’s wellness shots are potent 2- to 3-ounce sips that can up the ante of everyone’s path toward WHealth™™ and glowing self.

With a concentrated dose of raw, unpasteurized, cold-pressed juice and select herbs, spices and superfoods from nature’s drugstore, our shots are designed to be downed individually but may be combined with juices in the TJS repertoire for a truly optimized, tricked-out taste. (Ask our Bees beehind the counter for perfect pairings since some shots are meant to be enjoyed solo.)

From increasing energy and immunity, to being the tastiest liquid vitamin you’ll ever enjoy, our shots are like the espresso of the juice world: bold and strong, but filled with things like blue-green algae (for optimized health) and raw apple cider vinegar (for fighting colds and increasing metabolism).

“Shoot it and be done with it” is what we like to say! Each shot is a true one-and-done step in your wellness routine.

Name: WELLNESS SHOT

Boastful Benefits: Need some spring in your step? Having some tummy trubs? Not feeling your best? This powerful combo helps boost immunity with vitamin C; increase circulation with the pepper’s heat; and ease stomach discomfort thanks to the ginger’s stellar digestive enzymes. An excellent shot, any time of day.

Ingredients: Ginger, lemon, cayenne pepper

Tastes…hot and spicy with a citrus kick. It’s grownup lemonade on steroids. (And did we say it’s hot? Beecuase it is.)

Name: FLU SHOT

Boastful Benefits: Turmeric is, like, the Superman of Spices, long researched and well documented by The Cleveland Clinic and National Institutes of Health for its ability to improve cognitive function in patients with neurological disorders (Alzheimer’s disease; ALS); as well as slowing the growth of some types of cancer cells. But turmeric is also like nature’s ibuprofen, and if taken regularly can help reduce inflammation in everyone from gym warriors to arthritis sufferers. Bonus? The black pepper in our FluShot helps the bod absorb that turmeric even faster. (And the apple cider vinegar is great for aiding digestion and metabolism.)

Ingredients: Raw apple cider vinegar, oregano oil, turmeric, black pepper

Tastes…pleasantly acidic and herbal (and thanks to that turmeric and pepper—and assuming you like Indian food—faintly reminiscent of your fave yellow curry).

Name: E3LIVE® SHOT

Boastful Benefits: Blue-green algae contains some of the most concentrated amounts of protein known to the plant world, so for vegetarian and vegan eaters concerned about their intake, this special shot helps with all-around health. Blue-green algae is also known for increasing energy, balancing mood, and boosting our overall vitamin and amino acid intake.

Ingredients: E3Live® blue-green algae and coconut water

Tastes…vegetal and grassy, with a hint of the tropics. Think walking through a freshly cut yard while nursing a piña colada. Minus the pineapple. And the sugar. And, pushing a mower.

TJS ALLERGY-FIGHTING SINGLETONS

Want something a little less strong? Any of our juices and nut milks with turmeric will do you no wrong. From Bee Legendary to Bee WHealthy™, there are sips to satisfy all kinds of palates. Ask one of our Bees beehind the country to steer you in the right direction. Which in our hope, is as far away from a tissue as possible.

Facts About Fructose

April 6, 2016 By Jen Chase

If you’ve read this blog; met Jamie and Marcella and heard them wax poetic about health; or if you’ve visited any TJS location in person and have talked ingredients with our Bees beehind the counters, you know that no matter the health concern, we beelieve there’s a healing juice for everything that needs some healing. That’s why whenever we hear folks bestowing green juice with bountiful accolades (which it deserves) and poo-pooing juice with some fruit in it (which they shouldn’t), we worry. We worry, because fruit being considered “unhealthy” couldn’t and shouldn’t be further from the truth.

TJS juices do contain naturally derived fructose—also known as “fruit sugar”—and when consumed in mass quantities, like everything else in life, too much can certainly cause harm. But all TJS juices are in fact healthy (assuming you maintain a healthy lifestyle in the first place).

How?

1) According to this journal article by the National Institutes of Health (and others), we humans were born to detect sweetness…so to some extent, we probably shouldn’t defy nature, right? Our tongues have receptors all over the place that get great pleasure from a drippy bite of watermelon, the sweet-tart pop of ripe berries or the crunch of a crisp apple. And all of that makes indulging in fruit—like, for instance, a chewy date—just as satisfying and so much more healthful than opting for a processed candy bar.

2) Fructose or not, fresh, unprocessed fruit is filled with vitamins, minerals and nutrients. In moderation, fresh fruit is as healthful as it is satisfying.

3) For folks with metabolic issues or conditions that require living in a high-calorie world, TJS’s fruit-forward juices provide a perfect balance of healthy calories and nutrition by serving up two-to-three pounds of produce in every bottle…along with the absorbable vitamin and mineral bennies that come from lovin’ on your fruit.

4) All it takes is 15 minutes (or fewer) for the blood to start absorbing nutrients without having to break down and digest fibrous food to get to the goods. And that makes cold-pressed juice a huge help to people with diabetes, or anyone else with a condition that requires quickly raising sugar levels because the body absorbs juice so fast.

Cold-pressed Juice with Fruit In It: 1

Haters: 0

With all this fruit love, let’s dial it back to the green stuff for a sec so we can remember something important:

TJS’s lowest-sugar juices—ones that are mostly vegetable?—can equally be a part of someone’s healthy diet for the way they won’t send someone down an unhealthy path thanks to their low fructose content.

So, see? TJS juice proffers a win-win for everyone. Every TJS juice is beneficial. And if you’re an otherwise healthy person, the calories and healthy fat in a full bottle of nut milk is never going to be like the calories in a burger, either.

Calories are calories. But for sure, some choices are better than others.

With Our Cold-Pressed Cocktails, Less Is More

April 6, 2016 By Jen Chase

A few choice ingredients added to some tried-and-true Singletons is all it takes to create our newest menu additions (cocktails) at our newest location (The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas). What makes them truly swoony? That Marcella’s recipes allow their juicy and nut-milky bases to shine-shine-shine.

Haven’t had ‘em? Time to meet The Juice Standard’s cold-pressed cocktails.

What: Happy Russian

What’s in it? Bee Happy (think chocolate milk), vodka, kahlua, and choice of optional Crème De Menthe or peppermint oil and/or an espresso shot to make it (and you) “wired.”

Reminds you of…a riff off the best White Russian you’ve hadn’t even dreamt yet.

What: Queen/King for a Day

What’s in it? Bee Royal (think spicy lemonade), bourbon and ginger beer

Reminds you of…a Dark & Stormy with a side of citrus attitude. Perfect fuel for your night on casino or dance floor.

What? The Heart and the Fist

What’s in it? Bee Resilient, gin, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, lemon juice, pink Himalayan salt, hot sauce

Reminds you of? A (spicy garden) party in your mouth.

What? WHealth™ Maker

What’s in it? Bee WHealthy™, vodka, ginger beer

Reminds you of…a Vegetal Bee WHealthy™ and spicy-sweet ginger beer make this drink so unique you’ll create an entirely new food memory.

What? Sex Panther

What’s in it? Bee Cosmopolitan, vodka, triple sec, lemon juice

Reminds you of…sex. And, large cats. Meow. (Er, Grrrr.)

What? Living Legend

What’s in it? Bee Legendary, rum

Reminds you of…guilt-free nog you can enjoy any time of year. And, Ron Burgundy.

What? Dirty Martian

What’s in it? Bee Resilient, vodka, dry vermouth, olive juice

Reminds you of…the best dirty you’ve ever had. (Martini, that is.)

Bentonite Clay: Bee Cosmopolitan’s Secret For Fighting Last Night’s Ails

March 3, 2016 By Jen Chase

What’s pink, sweet and healthy all over? Bee Cosmopolitan! Our newest juice in the TJS lineup has made its exciting debut on the menu at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and it features a very special substance: bentonite clay…a game-changing ingredient that could become your diet’s new antidote to life’s occasional ails and over-indulgence.

What’s bentonite clay?

Ever hear the phrase that something’s “old as dirt?” When it comes to bentonite clays—and there are a few different types but here we’ll talk about the kind you ingest—this ingredient of the earth and from the earth pretty much is earth. According to Camden Whole Health in Maine, some call it “living earth” because clay is basically weathered volcanic ash that formed an electromagnetic charge when the ash was born from thermal-dynamic heat and volcanic action.

So, yeah. Super-special earth. Magic earth, even. Because if taken the right way it really can help alleviate what ails you.

How does bentonite clay work?

When ingested, it is clay’s electromagnetic charge that is responsible for its ability to attract toxic materials in our system, hold them, and then flush ‘em through the body through our digestive tract. And by “toxic materials” we mean everything from germs, heavy metals and pesticides, to parasites and, yes: alcohol.

Why we’re touting Bee Cosmopolitan at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas?

It’s that whole attracting-alcohol-from-your-system-and-flushing-it-through-your-digestive-tract bit we think could help The Cosmopolitan’s Beeautiful Party People have a more pleasant tomorrow after any previous night’s indulgence. Whether you’ve over-done it at STK on a rich meal or knocked back a few too many at Marquee, bentonite clay can act as a magnet for the nasties in your system. And in the recipe that Marcella and Jamie developed, Bee Cosmopolitan’s lemonade-like flavor will make it a welcome nightcap for not only how it makes you feel but how smooth it goes down.

When should you drink it?

Bentonite clay is best taken at bed, so if you know you’re going out, plan a few days ahead and have a few Bee Cosmopolitans in your fridge. We also recommend drinking plenty of water, since clay can absorb many times its weight in liquid and the more you drink, the more you’ll flush. But bee warned: The clay is so good at attracting and flushing, it may effect the efficacy of certain drugs and medicines you take. (“Effect the efficacy?” We’re going with it.) What we mean is if you depend on exact doses of heart, blood pressure, mental health, or anti-convulsant meds, avoid bentonite clay or at the very least, chat up your trusted medical professional for some pre-sipping advice.

In The Juice ‘Cleanse’ Debate, The Word ‘Fast’ Rules

March 3, 2016 By Jen Chase

You say potato; we say potahto. We used to say “juice cleanse.” Now we say “juice fast.”

(Wha?)

Yes: The Juice Standard is experiencing a paradigm shift. In the last few months we’ve paused to re-eval our core beliefs about cleanses, fasts and how we describe the tools we use to tweak our health. Now that we’ve successfully mulled it over for ourselves, we’re ready for the big reveal to you.

And Here’s The Big Reveal

We’ve made a very important decision: We’re moving away from talk of “cleanses” and toward talk of “fasting,” a change that may seem small but one that’s of high import.

Here’s why.

A “fast” is typically when anyone gives their body a complete break from chewing food or drastically reduces their caloric intake. Why would anyone want to do this? All the energy that goes into digesting food diverts to other parts of our body’s daily existence.

The benefits of fasting are the same as cleansing:

You still feel slim in the belly.
Your energy increases and cognition feels a little sharper.
You sleep better.
It’s easier to get up in the morn.
Your body can better heal wounds (or other issues) since more energy is going to where it needs it.
Toxins are removed from your system.

But in addition to all those goodies, in the last few years, well researched books like the UK phenomenon The Fast Diet have touted the medical benefits of allowing the body to rest for 12 to 16 hours between our nighttime meal and what we eat the following day. And those bennies include reversed signs of aging, alleviating arthritis and asthma, and helping the brain turn over new cells quicker, which increases our thinking capacity and makes room for new cells.

What we formerly referred to as the TJS’s “Standard Cleanse” clocks in at just about 1200 calories. Any deep reduction in calories—especially when the only source of calories or nutrients is liquid and not solid—will feel like a fast. And anything that feels like a fast is going to feel healing.

So, Why Not Keep Calling a Cleanse a Cleanse?

For starters, there’s one poo-poo’er in every group of juicers that loves pointing out that we have kidneys and livers to cleanse our bods. And truthfully, they’re right. Our liver and kidneys filter blood that carries nutrients throughout our body, and then those organs help filter, flush and cleanse them fully from our bods via our urine and poo. But we also know that juicing helps facilitate this process more effectively and efficiently…so juicing certainly helps those organs do their organy thing.

Is It More Accurate To Call Flushing the System with Juice a “Fast?”

In a word, yes.

At roughly 1200 cold-pressed calories per day, our newly referred to “juice fasts” provide the same balanced nutrition, hydration and satisfaction that rests digestion, and prime the gut to energize the body—and your busy life!—just like our previously referred to “juice cleanses.”

This is our story and we’re sticking to it:

The STANDARD FAST is a beeautiful entry-level fast. Your juice consumption is spread across six, 16-ounce bottles of original-recipe flavors developed to deliver maximum satisfaction (read: satiety) and crave-ability (read: taste).

The GREEN STANDARD is for the seasoned juicer who prefers navigating an all green-juice fast. Feelings of soaring energy and super-hero stardom can neither be confirmed nor denied.

The “B.Y.O.F.” (Build Your Own Fast) is an exercise in craftsmanship and deliciousness. TJS staff will personally pair our menu with your palate and health goals.

Can you still call a TJS cleanse a cleanse? Course you can. But with all of fasting’s benefits and the research available that touts them, file this paradigm shift Sesame Street style…under the letter “K” for Knowledge Is Power.

Microbes, Gut Health, Juice, Poo and You

March 3, 2016 By Jen Chase

Feeling imbalanced? Know something’s wrong in your bod, gut or head but can’t figure out what? When our internal selves seem externally off, first thing we at The Juice Standard look at is our diet. And since what goes in must go out, we spend an awful lot of time evaluating our proverbial “output”…literally talking shit every day.

Have any friends obsessed with their daily deposits? Are you? Don’t be shy, Bees. Everybody does it. Here’s why knowing your poo is like a secret little key to knowing your health.

Why do you think “you are what you eat” gets repeated so often? Beecause it’s true. And it’s never more visible—prove-able!—than after we poo. Why? At its most basic level, our poo is what’s left from the food we eat once our bodies pull all the vitamins and nutrients from it that we need. But if you’ve lived life thinking all poo is equal, you’re wrong. Capable of varying from day to day, meal to meal, the color, shape and odor of our poo is like our own little Magic 8 Ball about our diet…all that’s good about it, and especially what we might be lacking.

We love this cheat-sheet infographic from HealthWorks.my that shares how much you can glean from a glance at what your behind leaves behind.

But knowing how to read your poo is only the second half of the battle since you can’t read output without understanding input. And that’s where juicing, gut health and something called your microbiome comes in.

What Is A Microbiome?

Microbes are microscopic organisms that live everywhere on earth, and when they organize to live in a singular environment, they form something called a microbiome. Closest to home for we humans, our guts are filled with up to 100 trillion little organisms that create our own personal microbiome…and it’s our microbiome that makes us, us.

Why Does Your Microbiome Matter?

When you feed yourself, you’re actually feeding your gut’s microbiome. And since our miraculous gut is a veritable manufacturing mecca for everything the body needs, what goes into your gut gets turned into miraculous, health-promoting things: immunity-fighting blood cells; glowy skin; and maybe most important for our work-life balance, serotonin. Our gut regulates 90 percent of the body’s serotonin production—our happy feeling, peace-keeping neurotransmitter—and is indeed responsible for the strength of our overall immunity.

That’s why if you control what you eat, you not only control how you fight infection but you can control how you feel, enjoying things like…

• Improved cognition
• Increased energy
• Awakened tastebuds
• Enhanced health
• Heightened immunity

What Should Your Microbiome Eat?
Give your gut too much sugar, meat and processed carbs and you’ll create bad bacteria…you know: bad feels, bad immunity. But nourish your gut with fresh produce, good fats and high-quality carbs, and the gut’s glorious flora and fauna delivers the health riches your body deserves.

Now we may be biased, but nothing feeds the gut its necessary flora and fauna like organic produce…especially the kind The Juice Standard cold presses into our juices and nut milks. And there’s no faster way to feed your gut the beeautiful nutrients it needs to serve your body, mind and spirit than by drinking cold-pressed juice beecause within 15 minutes, the gut can absorb the nutrients in every Singleton.

When it comes to caring for your gut, Bees, it comes down to this: No poo? No health. Know poo? Know health.

And now you know.

TCOLV…Here, Oh Here Come We!

February 4, 2016 By Jen Chase

Pretty soon, Off the second-floor elevators at the Chandelier Bar; Across from STITCHED; and, In direct sight of the line-up line for Marquee, will be three ways to answer what we hope will be The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas’s hottest question of 2016:

Where’s The Juice Standard?

Best part? The answer will always add up to awesomeness.

Following suit with “The Rose” and “The Hive,” TJS’s third outpost will be affectionately called “The Buzz,” and is fixing to open at The Cosmopolitan in February. So when you or your Strip-bound guests are looking to whet your whistle with the most deliciously raw, fresh, cold-pressed sips made from organic produce, nuts, seeds, and grains , remember: Unlike those big-box brands from out-of-state, we’re the real-deal local choice that’s never pasteurized, and always served with advice, a smile and some love. (And, a menu that features faves and a few surprises can neither be confirmed nor denied.)