Archives for 2018

Beecause Closure: Hello, Instagram; Goodbye E-Newsie and Jen Chase.

April 2, 2018 By Jen Chase

Jen Chase here…TJS’s content director. And it’s with a pinch of sadness, a cup of half-hearted cheer and a 16-ounce TJS Singleton of cold-pressed positivity that I write you for the last time as the voice of this very special company.

After 5 years of working with Jamie Stephenson Goguen and Marcella Williams —penning and editing original words for everything from TJS’s tagline and standards to website content, Facebook posts, op-eds, invites, bios, signs, menu descriptions, e-newsie articles, and print ads that have helped create a company persona as compelling as the Queen Bees’ drive to WHealth™-up Vegas one juice at a time—TJS is tweaking how it communicates with you, its dear bees. And moving forward, the bulk of its energies will be poured (heh) into growing the TJS Instagram account, where TJS can showcase the beauty of its daily cold-pressing labor and all the glorious bees within its hive.

As companies grow (four stores in as many years!), so grows clarity about which efforts offer the best ROI (for our purposes here, our bees’ “return of interest”). And since this company intersects Vegas’s wellness and dining industries—industries that at times shine brightest when more lenses and fewer words tell a product’s story—TJS is dimming the lights in one deli case so it can turn ‘em up in another in hopes that you’ll get even more from the brand.

Moving forward, TJS invites you to bee a part of its thousands-strong hive of Insta followers—and if Facebook is your social flavor of choice (even though it’s hella harder these days for businesses to find their way into your feed)—you can absolutely still find TJS there, too…but the blog The Humble Bee and its sister e-newsie, “From The Humble Bee,” will no longer, well: bee. It’s Jamie’s and Marcella’s hope to pour their efforts into other juicy avenues as they improve upon the brand you’ve come to crave (and sorry not sorry I just can’t help myself from penning those ~~pour~~ poor puns).

As for me, I’ve deeply loved writing you through this company’s wholehearted platform. From funny to food-for-thought features, TJS gave me the freedom to tackle topics that made me proud to associate them with this brand….

• In Polyjuicery: Bee In Love With More Than One , I used the punny veil (okay I’m done now) of how harrrrrd it is to pick a fave TJS juice as a way to discuss polyamory and society’s shifting perspectives on love and marriage.

Polyjuicery: Bee In Love With More Than One (juice…or, person).

• The following year, I got to work with TJS COO and Co-Founder Marcella Williams on an inspirational editorial where she shared her personal account of what it was like to mindfully bring together different corners of the same family—hers— in, On Blended Families: They Take A Hive.

Marcella and her family, Christmas 2016. (l-r) Marcella; Sophia (9); Damian—on top (8); Maximus—on the bottom (8); and Drew (17).

• And last summer, Marcella’s words were the basis for my own navigation into the waters of a new family of my own with this man, which I wrote about in Coupling with Kids the Second Time Around.

Marcella’s words continue to guide me as I create a life with someone who chose me to partner into his second-time-around fam.

From helping parents get kiddos to drink green juice by giving it a funny name, to rounding up spend-worthy favorites in articles like this guide to fly honey products, to shining TJS’s star in my first feature for Mastercard™, to interviews with TJS honey supplier—local company Annsley Northwest Naturals and its owner, Dee Drenta—I’ve used my two decades in journalism and my Master’s degree-smarts for TJS good, not evil. (My last feature about TJS’s involvement with Sofar Sounds was pretty fun to write, too.)

Since I met Jamie and Marcella in 2013, my personal passions have often mirrored TJS’s standards: eat for health more than not; bee good to and for the environment we live in; and value time, energy and people…not things or circumstances. I’ll miss contributing to this brand, but I’ll treasure the joy of using my words and ethics to wholly support something I believed in: a company founded by two women who are leaving their hometown WHealthier than they found it.

It’s been dreamy writing for you, dear bees. Thanks for the acceptance you’ve shown this brand’s beeautiful little voice, and for the respect and virtual high-fives you’ve given my creativity and effort. It will be remembered.

With gratitude and love, jen.

SaveSave

TJS News: And Baby Makes (Store) Four

February 27, 2018 By Jen Chase

Opening our fourth location at TruFusion in Summerlin at the start of the year was a natch move in The Juice Standard’s evolution (#gymandjuice, anyone?), and in these short two months, the collaboration has already helped us spread the edges of our mission: to blanket the Valley with as much organic product as possible.

To our franchise-begging bees…we know it probs hurts your ears to know that Nevada’s where we remain…but for you locals? It means there’s yet one more place to enjoy your juice while getting your bod and mind as WHealthy™ as can bee. Especially since we provide the same, consistent product that’s available at our neighborhood stores and at our outpost at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

“It really has been beautiful to blend right into the community that Trufusion had already established,” says Amber Cariker, TJS’s district manager. “It’s evolved right into a homey, family-feeling sort of place with a bunch of happy, motivated people—all under one roof—being passionate together about their health.

We couldn’t agree more. And if you haven’t been there yet, Amber’s got the pics to prove how beeautiful the space really is. Come check us out.

SaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSave

TJS Events: Sofar Sounded Sogood.

February 27, 2018 By Jen Chase

In late 2017 when The Juice Standard made our location in Henderson available to biz and community groups for meetings, workshops and the like, we didn’t think “the like” would mean “concert venue.” But last month it did, and it was rad; and on Feb. 9—spread out on the floor of the The Rose, with TJS sips and snacks floating by during set breaks, coordinated by TJS District Manager Amber Cariker and her team— it was thanks to two locals, some open-minded bees, a international music movement, and us (whee!) that TJS hosted an excitingly enigmatic event that was part of the Sofar Sounds movement.

Jacob Beck of the band Harpers, from Provo. (Photo Courtesy Sofar Sounds.)

Now, we could call a lot of things a “movement” and be way off the mark, but not when it comes to this group. Sofar Sounds (or just “Sofar”…which, thankfully, is how the group self-refers since it’s weirdly easier to say and type) is an immensely collaborative, nurturing and yet intense string of shows that unfold all over the globe—super-secret like—with a goal of introducing listeners to music they might not never hear otherwise…and, to introduce listeners to one another.

The process goes down like this:

Dates for shows are pre-announced on the Sofar website to pique interest.
Folks apply for free tix to a show they know nothing about but their feels tell them it’s a good idea.
The day before showtime, the concert’s location is announced and folks are emailed whether they’ve won the musical lottery, of sorts, to have the privilege of buying tix to hear three unknowns play a four-song set, in a space that could be someone’s palatial back yard or their palatial back hall.

Sofar concerts go up from London to Barcelona and countless places in between: more than 400 shows happen a day, and rumor has it New York hosts a concert a night. While Las Vegas is a relative newbie to the Sofar team, since November 2016, the Valley has been hosting more and more Sofar shows and has a promising future thanks to the women who help it run.

Elmer Abapo of Las Vegas. (Photo courtesy Sofar Sounds.)

“I think what Sofar does, in general, is promote a safe environment to be a participant of this global movement,” says Anna Karabachev, a Las Vegas attorney by day and fervent (volunteer!) supporter of music, of meeting people and of wholehearted, experiential living. “With the tiny connections and the pockets of people you meet, each time [you attend a Sofar] you’re trusting the process of getting to listen to this music.”

Karabachev and her co-Las Vegas coordinator Molly Higgins are responsible for the back-end machinations that help a Sofar fly. With only a handful of volunteers—fewer than 10 folks help set up the show at The Juice Standard—sound, lighting and staging comes together in venues that literally have ranged from someone’s field to someone’s living room…from the floors of antique stores to—yep: a cold-pressed juicery.

Karabachev is thoughtful as she shares what has to float her boat enough about a space to allow it to make the Sofar cut. “The reason I choose a venue…there’s just an understanding of a Sofar, and I think that’s very important.” Having met Amber Cariker at a decidedly un-Sofar event—they were building bee boxes with popsicle sticks at a sort of bee-MeetUp—Karabachev says Cariker deeply got the Sofar vibe and was equally able to transmit her positive energy for TJS and all our brand stands for: quality, WHealth™; education; connection; high standards; and service to all.

Then, all of a sudden, someone’s need for a space (Sofar’s) was satisfied by someone who had a space to lend (yours truly).

TJS District Manager Amber Cariker, in all her hands-on glory.

“The way [Amber] spoke about the business and the juice…it wasn’t just a business to her, it’s a lifestyle and a cause,” says Karabachev. “I didn’t even have to see the space. I just liked her, and I trusted her.”

Before that Friday night show, Sofar Soldout of tix and filled TJS to capacity to hear Elmer Abapo from Las Vegas; Dan Shaw and Eden Michelle from Johannesburg, South Africa (and who play in London); and the band Harpers from Provo, Utah. “It was a perfect location,” says Karabachev, noting that in addition to the stellar tunes wafting through the air, something else wowed guests that night.

“One difference that we hadn’t expected was the staff,” she says. “We don’t ask [hosts] to put themselves out. We don’t have food. But we took three breaks, and in between, there were TJS snacks and trays of juice. We’re talking every time I looked around, everyone had a different snack….

Dan Shaw and Eden Michelle. (Photo Courtesy Sofar Sounds.)

“It was a very special thing for TJS to do,” she continued, “and everyone cared very much about the production. Amber made a speech about the process of making juice, the bees….I think it felt exactly like a Sofar.”

In a turvy world that can feel more half empty than full if we’re not careful, the Sofar model breeds trust, connection and a belief that the unknown can be—and very likely will be—wonderful. With the credo, “Bee still and listen” (Fine: It’s “be.”), Sofar events curate an atmosphere that invokes pure music, pure respect for others and trust. Trust to invite strangers into your home; trust that, as a musician, your art will be received kindly; and trust in the kindness of others to work together for a group’s overall enjoyment.

(See? #ItReallyDoesTakeAHive.)

SaveSave

Ingredient Spotlight: Almonds

February 27, 2018 By Jen Chase

So…almonds. Let’s think about what we know about almonds (or what we think we think we know about them):

Almonds are brown. They’re oval. They’re actually a little sweet (unless you hit a nasty-bad bitter one). They’re high in calcium and low in sat-fat. And when you soak and blitz ’em up with water, spices and your favorite sweetener, you make a delicious nutmil….

Check it: Did you know that technically speaking—botanically speaking—almonds aren’t nuts? Neither did we, and it stopped us in our cold-pressed juicing, nutmilk-loving tracks. And while we here at The Juice Standard probably won’t stop calling our fave silky-sweet plant-based drink a nutmilk, in the name of vegucation, we wanted in on the skinny so we looked some stuff up.

According to Amy Stewart’s The Drunken Botanist, The Plants That Create The World’s Drinks (2013, Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill), “From a botanical perspective, a nut is a fruit with a dry, hard shell. An almond is a drupe, or a stone fruit whose pit surrounds a fleshy seed,” kinda like peaches. But, Stewart continues, “Unlike peaches, apricots, and other drupes, the almond’s ‘fruit’ is nothing more than an unappetizing leathery outer membrane.”

Huh.

So the reality is that all nuts are actually dried fruits that don’t open at maturity to release their seeds. And almonds, in particular, are closely related to peaches and apricots, and likely share an Asian heritage with them (trees were grown in China some 12,000 years ago before heading to Greece by about the 5th century BC).

Thankfully, whether almonds are a fruit, a nut or a seed, all this backstory does nothing to change our knowledge about how healthy these babies are for us…especially when we eat ones that are organic.

So if you see almonds on The Juice Standard’s ingredients list (or any ingredients list), know that they’re incredibly good for you, for a kajillion reasons. And if you happen to be at a trivia night where you’re faced with the Is-An-Almond-A-Nut-Or-Not question…you’re welcome.

SaveSave

Friends Who Juice: Jessica Buchanan Gives ‘Whole 30’ A Whole New Meaning.

February 27, 2018 By Jen Chase

So, for reals, Bees: What’s the longest you’ve cleansed? Beecause chances are it’s not as long as Jessica Buchanan, a Las Vegas native who in December 2017 decided to turn a very do-able five-dayer drinking nothing but TJS into a confidence-boosting month. And with WHealthy™ results that left her with better-than-her-already-beeautiful skin and a mindset that she can do almost anything, we think we’ll see Jessica back next year for a cleanse that’s even longer…as long as she can eat pho when she’s done.

Meet Jessica Buchanan

Ms. Jessica Buchanan, Cleanse Master

All About Jessica

I’ve lived in Las Vegas since… foreeeeevver. Seriously, I was born and raised here. Aside from the occasional period of living elsewhere here and there, this is where I’m from and where my family resides. It’s home.

I can remember when I decided I wanted to start my adult life here. It was the year…2005. I had just graduated high school. I was informed that I was supposedly an adult.

…and what appealed to me about living in Vegas was…nothing at that time. Not surprisingly, like many who have lived in the same place their whole life, I wanted to move away and see other cities and countries. I did at some point live in several places, but this was always home. When I was younger I didn’t see the appeal of living here, but as I grew older, having family and close friends here became a great benefit of coming home… and the great food and endless hours of entertainment didn’t hurt, either.

In my experience, the biggest misconception about living in Vegas is…that living here is so different from living in other places. When I travel, people like to ask me what its like to live here… probably the same as anywhere else. I don’t do my grocery shopping in a casino or live in a hotel; though does that make for funny conversation.

The thing I secretly (or not-so-secretly) love most about living here is…massages on Spring Mountain at 12 a.m…or the food. That’s a tough one.

If I had to pick a daily mantra or a quote I try to live by, it would be…“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

A favorite Vegas spot that never gets old is…just about any pho restaurant with friends.

If I had to pick a theme song for my life it would be…Manama by the Muppets.

A person who inspires me every day is…actually three people: all three of my sisters.

…and the way they inspire me is…by finding a balance in life. They always have time for family even while pursuing their own goals.

Something people would be surprised to know about me is…that I hate peas.

About Jessica and Health in Las Vegas

In my opinion, the biggest change in Las Vegas’ healthy-living scene in the last few years has been…a lot of raw, vegetarian and vegan restaurants have become both prevalent and popular.

No matter how busy I get at work, this is what I do to make sure I eat well during the week: Have greens in the refrigerator and make sure not to eat out too often.

The fruit(s) or vegetable(s) you’ll always find in my kitchen are…bananas, blueberries, mangos (when in season), spinach, tomato, and avocados.

My don’t-even-THINK-about-judging-me-guilty-pleasure food is…pho!

The health habit that gets me teased the most is…sleeping. I do my best to make sure I get enough sleep. Especially these days as my sleep schedule is so scattered. I’m like a kola bear some days and get by on two hours of sleep others.

(#JustSayin)

Jessica On Juice and her Massive, Massive Cleanse

The first time I had cold-pressed juice was…December 30, 2017 (or maybe the 31st).

The person who introduced me to cold-pressed juice was…My best friend Jill Pham. She had done juicing before and raved about The Juice Standard.

The first time I drank green juice, I thought it was…pretty tasty.

The reason I started drinking cold-pressed juice was because…I knew without a doubt that doing an all-green juice cleanse was going to contain all sorts of healthy benefits. I had never done one before and I just wanted to try it.

And the reason I kept drinking cold-pressed juice was because…I wanted to reset my palate to be more inclined toward green vegetables. I already enjoyed them, but I felt that cleaning out my gut would help with cravings as well as help create better eating habits.

In February, I finished a 30-day juice cleanse. The reason I wanted to do the cleanse was because…of all the aforementioned reasons. I started with a five-day juice cleanse at the end of December and into the New Year. During those five days I found my skin was clearer, my mood was better and I enjoyed the regularity it gave me in making sure I ate throughout the day. After feeling the benefits of five days and speaking to two friends that have also done 30 or more, I felt ready to tackle 30 days myself.

Before I did my cleanse the longest I’d ever done a juice cleanse was… five days.

This is what I drank on my cleanse:

First 15 days:

Bee WHealthy™
Bee Energized
Bee WHealthy™
Bee On Point
Bee Vibrant
1/2 Bee Happy and 1/2 Bee Excellent

Second 15 days:

Bee Alkaline
Bee Resilient
Bee WHealthy™
Bee Resilient
Bee Vibrant
Bee Happy

True or false: “Cleansing made me hangry.” (Wink) False. I just missed savory foods.

True or false: “When you watch television on a cleanse, you realize just how many commercials there are for food and restaurants.” False. Driving around does make you realize how many places there are to eat between your points A and B, though.

True or false: “I thought about chewing food no fewer than 30 times a day.” False. I know others that thought about it a lot during their own experiences, however, that was not my own personal struggle.

The number of days it took for me to start seeing and feeling a difference in my body was …. three.

My daytime consumption schedule—when I chose to drink my juice—looked like this: It varied day to day, but I tried to drink a juice every two hours.

When I stopped my cleanse, I decided that this is how I’m going to incorporate cold-pressed juice into my daily lifestyle moving forward: I really enjoyed doing the cleanse and maybe next year I’ll do another 30 days maybe even bump it to 45 days. On a more regular basis however, I might do a 3-6 day cleanse every month or every other month, if I can.

The most profound and happy difference in my life that’s resulted from doing my cleanse is this: Knowing I can do it. Aside from the many health benefits I felt from juicing, just having the psychological wherewithal to know I can do it was a confidence booster.

Please answer Yes or No: “I love juice so much I make it at home on the reg.” No; however, I do blend fruits and vegetables. Cold pressing looks like a lot of work.

The reason I like TJS’s cold-pressed juice is because… 1. Bee Happy is my favorite! 2) They offered so much support and advice when I decided to do 30 days with them. They were front and center on this journey with me, answering any questions and rooting me on every time I saw them to pick up my juice.

My advice to a newbee juicer is…not to be daunted by how long you might be juicing. It gets so much easier when you’ve done it for a few days since it becomes part of your regular day.

SaveSave