Author: <span>Jen Chase</span>

Friends Who Juice: Jen Chase

November 3, 2016 By Jen Chase

TJS’s Content Director Jen Chase had a come-to-juicing moment long before working for TJS was a twinkle in her eye. From childhood, she’d been a keen observer of food’s preparation, history and its way of connecting people during happy and sad times. But after being a food and lifestyle writer/editor for brands like MasterCard™ and Vegas Rated and working as a behind-the-scenes culinary director on America’s longest-running cooking show—occasionally developing recipes and appearing on camera with Ciao Italia™ ‘s Mary Ann Esposito—her first 12-day juice cleanse revealed an even deeper reverence for food via the raw foods movement, and beelieving that food truly heals from the inside out. Physically. And sometimes emotionally.

Jump to 2012, when a serendipitous Las Vegas meeting of the minds brought together Chase and TJS co-founders Jamie Stephenson and Marcella Williams, who were looking for someone to put words to the ideas of their burgeoning company. Today, from company ads and signage to its sacred Philosophee and brand standards, she’s a voice behind TJS Facebook posts, the e-newsie, the blog, and website.

ALL ABOUT JEN

My first visit to Vegas was…a vacation in 2002, just before I entered grad school in Boston.

Then, I lived in Vegas…from 2012-2015.

Now, my connection to the city is…that while catering to writing clients in Boston and Nevada, I live in Massachusetts but I return to Vegas quarterly to meet with clients I love. Like my wholehearted Team Bees at TJS.

In my experience, the biggest misconception about living in Las Vegas is…that there’s a lack of nature. From Red Rock to the stunning floral displays at Wynn and Encore, there’s beauty at every turn. Sometimes you just have to search it out.

Thing I liked most about living here was…I used to live at The Martin about 600 steps from Vdara and The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas…which effectively made The Chandelier Bar my “local” bar (#Lucky). My greatest juicy sadness is that I moved not long before the TJS location opened at TCOLV. (#LuckyNotLucky)

My ideal Vegas night out is…either some of the city’s great pizza (there’s a ton of vareity); a walk to enjoy live entertainment and crafty cocktails; walking inside properties or Downtown to partake in the lights, sights, sounds, and cocktails; or staying in with my pup, Eli, …watching TV, reading or writing with him and a Manhattan. (When I’m here, I still love the Strip’s electricity. And cocktails, clearly.)

The daily mantra or quote I try to live by each day is… “Never regret your choices, because at one point they were exactly what you wanted.” Helps me not to second-guess my heart and head. So hard.

My favorite inspirational quote is… “There’s a difference between giving up and knowing when you’ve had enough.” A new and profound one for me. So comforting.

If I had to pick a song lyric as a theme in my life it would be… “And in the end/the love you take/is equal to the love you make.” (The Beatles)

Fruits and vegetables you’ll always find in my kitchen are…lemons, frozen blueberries and garlic. And then more lemons.

Advice I’d go back and give to my younger self is…It’s something I heard (TJS co-founder) Marcella Williams say years ago that I’ve gotten great comfort from: “It all works out in the end. If it hasn’t worked out yet, that means it hasn’t ended.” (Sorry if I hacked that, Marce.) Knowing that so many circumstances are beyond our control would’ve been an awesome thing to master a little sooner. I’m still trying to let go. Have even more faith.

Chase, age 4, rolling dough to “help.”

JEN ON WORK

When someone asks what I do every day, I tell them…it’s usually all words, all the time, for one client or another. In addition to my work at TJS I have a small consultancy (Button Soup Consulting) where I craft and edit content for food and lifestyle clients. I’ve edited a cookbook; I’m writing descriptions for the launch of new online eyeglasses reseller; I’m the managing editor for two Vegas-based quarterlies; and I’m helping a dear friend and Italian chef in Boston, Marisa Iocco, to promote the food memoir I edited for her as well as start a new chapter of her culinary career.

Favorite thing about writing/editing for others? Feeling deep pride when someone trusts me to give them the proverbial “perfect words” for a situation they need to navigate…and having them thank me for helping them give voice to their heart or head. This happens both personally and professionally, and I feel honored to be invited into people’s heart processes…from crafting a tagline to editing a resume or helping someone write a hard-to-word email.

Worse thing about writing/editing for others? I rarely write for myself any more. My blog is metaphorically unkempt. My photography is back-burnered. (…What’s lower than a simmer? Off?) I often feel like a producer, not a creative…a human doing, not a human beeing. That’s hard. But I also know I’m in control of that. So.

My first little-girl memory of loving food and seeing its capacity to make people happy was…watching my father close his eyes when he bit into bites he loved. Food completely overtook him, and he’d describe the flavors he tasted in such detail. Now, my greatest joy is giving joy through something I’ve cooked, baked, mixed in a shaker, or written. Food, drink and words are my artistic expressions and how I show love and respect.

What I love MOST about being a #GirlBoss is…working with writers who are eager to hone their craft. I thrive off enthusiasm, engagement and positivity. If I feel like I can help someone do something they love, it fills me up. That honestly goes for anything.

Chase and her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Eli. Typing. Apparently with some wine.

Best business advice I’ve received? My wise former husband used to tease me and say: “You know, no one’s gonna wake up one morning and say, ‘Hey: I haven’t heard from Jen Chase in a while. What’s she doing? I should hire her….’” Point: You have to self promote. No one’s going to advocate for you like you.

JEN ON JUICE

The person who introduced me to cold-pressed juice was…my best soul-sister friend, Nic, in 2008. She decided to do a juice cleanse and since we were living together, we juiced together. Like so many other things she’s gifted me, her suggestion changed my life and health in so many ways.

The reason I drink cold-pressed juice is because…it makes me feel like I’m being so very good to my digestive system (which sometimes needs a little TLC). Juicing is gentle and mindful. Two of my favorite words.

Yes or No: I love juice so much I make my own. Yes. It’s a pain in the ass but I live too far from my fave Boston-based cold-pressed juicery to buy regularly. (But when I’m in Vegas, my first Day 1 stop is always TJS for a Singleton Six-Pack.)

I incorporate cold-pressed juice into my lifestyle by…trying to green-juice juice two full days (or at least through dinner) twice a week.

My favorite TJS flavor is…Bee Alkaline. And, Bee True To You. Greener=better.

What resonates with me most about TJS is…the integrity with which Jamie and Marcella run the company, and the integrity of my partner-in-crime, Mallory (TJS’s creative director)…how seriously and artistically she executes her mission of making the brand look beautiful for Jamie and Marcella. And I feel like no matter who you talk to in the company, there’s a passion for educating customers about using juice and food to heal and soothe. We all take our roles so seriously. For me, I want to do my best because I believe in what Jamie and Marcella have built.

Here’s Team Bees being “serious.” Front row (l-r): Jamie Stephenson and Marcella William. Back row (l-r): Jen Chase and Mallory Dawn.

My advice to a newbee juicer is…embrace the green. My dad used to live by, “Variety is the spice of life,” and so do I. Try any juice once (especially all veggie, no-sugar added juice), and then figure out what you like (or tolerate!). When it comes to juice, your digestion will benefit from every sip. And I really beelieve your WHealth™ and well being will, too.

Ingredient Spotlight: CBD Oil

November 3, 2016 By Jen Chase

What exactly is CBD oil and why should you add it to your diet? Below, the oil of cannabis excellentis is explained.

When this newsletter hits the e-presses, Nevada’s fingers-crossed legalization of the recreational use marijuana on Nov. 8 could mean widespread regulation of a substance already enjoyed by throngs of Las Vegans. (It would also come with a healthy 15 percent tax to go toward enforcing the letters of the law, and be earmarked for school improvement.) But the legalization would mean more than just having the right to toke up without needing a prescription.

What Question 2 Means To You

As evidenced by the media coverage in the last few years about cannabis as a treatment for cancer and uncontrolled seizure activity, cannabinoids—aka, the name for some 85 components in cannabis that make weed, weed—have significant and proven health benefits…even for those of us without diagnoses as threatening as the ones just mentioned.

That last point is what’s most interesting to us here at The Juice Standard. Because it means Nevada’s answer to Question No. 2 could help change how many of us enhance our health with plants rather than meds made from them. And it could all start with the simple addition of a tasteless, odorless, colorless oil that when combined with foods you already love could add some pretty WHealthy™ bennies.

(Three guesses who’s gonna sell you this superfood upgrade, and the first two don’t count….)

WHealth™ Beyond Plain Weed

First…how do we know weed could even elicit such liquid gold? Research into our body’s endocannabinoid system started in earnest in the 1990s, when Raphael Mechoulam—a prof in the Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products department at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem—lasered in on chem relative to the bio-activity of natural products and medicinal agents. (Read more about him at the university’s website here.)

What did Mechoulam find? Not only do our miraculous bodies come pre-loaded with receptor sites designed specially to make good use of cannaboids, but we’re actually able to produce natural endocannabinoids similar to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)…otherwise known as the The Most Well-Known Cannabinoid in Cannabinoidom, or the stuff in weed that can make us feel clear, calm, collected, soothed, and deeper into all of our perceptions.

That’s right, kids: Your bod just might’ve been made for marijuana.

So About Our New Oil

Now that you Bees are up-to-speed on weed, now’s the time to get gushy about our newest menu addition.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of more than a dozen chemical compounds that affect cannabinoid receptors in the body, brain and nervous system. As mentioned, those receptors are tied into our endocannabinoid system…which is involved in a bunch of body processes like appetite; mood; memory; perception; how we feel and regulate pain; and maybe most important for long-term health…how our bodies regulate inflammation and immunity.

Enter CBD oil (also known as hemp oil). The Juice Standard’s new whole-plant CBD oil from the company 2Rise Naturals contains a whole-plant, all-spectrum hemp extract rich in phyto cannabinoids, omega 3s, terpenes, and chlorophyll. The oil is then combined with medium chain triglyceride oil (MCT) derived from coconuts, wild-crafted turmeric oil, and some other wicked good stuff. When mixed into our smoothies, juices, nut milks, and hot espresso or cacao drinks, CBD oil may very well help unlock the benefits of our endocannabinoid system. (At least that’s why we’re bringing it to you. Hopefully, next week…and only at our neighborhood stores, not at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.)

Annnnnd…How Will You Feel?

What CBD oil won’t do? Get you high. High in CBD and low in THC, CBD oil is often dosed out to reverse people’s ick feelings from having THC hit them the wrong way.

What CBD oil could do? Help relieve pain. Or, help you sleep. Or, possibly alleviate side effects from fibromyalgia; pain from migraines. Anxiety. Arthritis. Insomnia. And other things a doc could tell you.

IN Closing….

At TJS, we’re hopeful you’ll put your curiosity and desire for total WHealth™ and glowing self to the test and give our CBD oil a try. We’re equally hopeful that folks won’t let arrogance and ignorance cast aspersions on the benefits of cannabis at large. Because honestly, Bees? Red-wine bennies excluded, when was the last time you heard a doc prescribe a Manhattan to cure cancer?

#MissionNutrition

#FactsBeforeFallacy

#WeedForWHealth™

#StokedUpToTokeUp

5 From The Hive: On The Inside

September 29, 2016 By Jen Chase

From time to time we’ll be running a feature with five questions and five answers about one topic we think is tip-top relevant to your health or your well being (or, something we think is solid funny info you just shouldn’t live without). Called “5 From The Hi5e,” the hope is to deliver the skinny on stuff you’ll find more than moderately rad. Like this featurette on one rad bee we’re happy has flown into our hive.

Weeks ago, Stacie Taylor started working at The Rose as a TJS assistant manager, and in short order she’s earned herself a handful of Yelp reviews of the positive variety for the wholehearted way she shows her passion for our products with a healthy dose of personal nutrition knowledge on the side. She’s a shining example of the kind of Bee we’re so proud to have beehind our counters…someone who takes her role seriously by making it more than a j-o-b; someone who cares about our products like we do; and, someone who’s willing to share her knowledge and personal journey toward WHealth™ and glowing self with the kind of friendliness we all want to see out there in retaildom.

Here are Stacie Taylor’s “5 From The Hi5e.” And next time you’re at The Rose, give her a high one. For the way she serves, we salute her beecause she juices…and for so much more.

1) What brought you to TJS, and what in your past—personal or professional—made you beelieve you’d be a good fit for our juicy lifestyle?

I’ve had a love affair with food all my life. When I was 11, I couldn’t decide if I wanted to be a chef or a hairdresser and my family encouraged me to go for the hair, keeping the food for fun, friends and family. But 4 and half years ago, I started teaching professional cooking classes and writing recipes for restaurants, specializing in “healthy gourmet.” I love to show people how to fall in love with fresh, healthy whole foods, or how to maintain their longstanding love affair with gourmet food without the guilt or bad side effects some rich recipes give you. I’m also a “foodie’s guide” for how to become gluten free, dairy free and/or sugar free.

Along with my work with food, I am still a small business owner of a beauty academy. For the last 30 years I’ve been a teacher and corporate trainer for master classes. I love transforming people and helping them enhance their beauty…but after 30 years in the hair industry, my gut knew it was time to start thinking about a lateral move toward my retirement. I wanted something easy on my body, and something I would do for free but that would still provide an income. Since food has been as equal a passion as beauty, I knew it could be a way to continue helping people transform…only the tools would be organic, plant-based foods. I decided to join The Juice Standard because as a trend forecaster in the hair industry (which means you’re always 2-4 years ahead of the next new thing), I knew right away that the company was on to something! As a result, through my job I provide solutions for customers as individuals…guiding their body toward healing and detoxing, and finally to optimum health.

2) You have a passion for nutrition and a natural inclination to share what you know. What led you down your own path toward, as we like to say, “WHealth™ and glowing self?”

I have had extreme health issues that kept me sick for approximately 8 years. All the years in the beauty industry and the chemicals I was exposed to led to heavy-metal toxicity in my body. I also currently have mercury poisoning from amalgam fillings. As a result, my body just broke down with food allergies, and I was stricken with rashes, hair loss, ear infections, blurred vision, gas, bloating, weight gain….

During the long journey of trying to put my finger on the problem, I learned that I taxed my adrenals to the limit. I polluted my liver with toxic chemicals (beauty products) and bad, bad food.

At the end of the journey, when I was fully awake and aware that if I didn’t do something drastic like effect extreme change in my diet, I knew my body would break. Because I was malnourished at almost 200 pounds, and my body was starving for oxygen and nutrients, nothing I took was being absorbed because of the heavy metal poisons in my body. I just woke up one day and decided to try to go gluten free, sugar free and dairy free. I got myself on excellent probiotics and incredible enzymes to help me digest and process food since mine weren’t working any longer…and I ate healthy food to create oxygen.

I am still struggling today, but it’s much better than it was. Now, I’m on the journey toward optimal health. And I enjoy helping others get there, too.

3) In your opinion, what’s the one thing you wish people thought of more/did more to help their own health? And what’s the thing in your own life that you rely on most to keep yourself balanced?

After I started dealing with my health issues, I realized that you really are what you eat. Food can heal you or it can kill you. So I’d say that viewing food as medicine is an important place to start.

For me to stay balanced? I need food to be gourmet, to look good and to taste delicious enough that I want to eat it. That’s why I started creating recipes for myself where I switched this ingredient for that one, making mealtime healthy and delicious!

After sharing a few recipes with friends, people started asking me to prepare dishes for them…which a year later led to someone asking me about writing a cookbook. That journey led me to local restaurants providing tastings of my food. Soon, I started getting paid me for my recipes…which led to doing a webisode series launching in early 2017. It will be a nonprofit venture where I will continue to share recipes, and inspire and teach kids and families how to “switch this for that,” making healthy recipes that are “to live for,” not the other way around.

Thanks to local sponsors that are helping me pay for the food, I’ll teach cooking skills by preparing my recipes and will then donate the food to families in need. That strategy makes me proud. I’m happy knowing that as I move forward, I can leave a legacy beyond my years.

4) About all these kickass Yelp reviews. What do you “bring to the counter,” so to speak, that seems to make customers so comfy? What’s your secret to connecting with our Bees?

Working with me you can learn to reset the body, first; then, slowly eat your way back to optimal health. And because I work with each customer’s specific health and wellness needs, I think what makes me stand out is that I don’t treat health maintenance like a retail store.

Same goes for The Juice Standard on the whole. To me, it’s not a place where people just come to purchase product, but they come in for guidance and coaching. They want to feel good on the inside and look good on the outside. People are waking up and realizing that nutrition is the fountain of youth.

Now, I am sincere, and what I share with people comes directly from my heart! Because of that, there’s an instant connection. And that turns into loyalty and trust because customers know I’m not just selling a bottle, I’m guiding them to optimum health and wellness. Because wherever they’ve been, I’ve been there and done that, too.

You are what you eat! My take is let’s learn to love the food we give your body as we give our body what it truly needs. Healthy, whole foods are anti-aging, preventative, and will make people notice a difference in you.

5) When you’re talking about TJS, what do you tout the most? What does the company do that makes you most proud to be a part of it?

The Juice Standard offers top-notch organic ingredients…both through the cold-pressed juice and the chewing menu. I think people don’t really consider that our juice is food, but it is…it’s just liquid, so it’s easier to digest. Plus, if you are mindful to swish before you swallow—if you activate your enzymes by mixing your saliva with your sips and bites—the juice and chewables rush into the digestive tract and shoot immediately into the bloodstream for a rush of energy as oxygen generates in your cells.

And for the record…I don’t just work at TJS: I’m a customer, as well! I love the products and fill my body with its delicious, organic, nutritious food every day! I use many of the superfood upgrades, and my favorite treat to myself is hitting the wellness bar, where I do my shot flights several times a week.

Swing by sometime and sit with me at the bar, and I’ll share some of my recipes that I use for our “secret menu!”

(And we know this is technically question No. 6, but inquiring minds wanna know: What are your faves?)

Lots of people ask about my favorites. Because I believe in body balance, one juice alone won’t give me everything my body needs. So I have three.

Favorite green? WHealthy™. I need that extra turmeric for inflammation from the mercury poisoning…plus, it has approximately two pounds of produce in the bottle. I couldn’t eat that much at one time.

Favorite red? Bee Energized. Beets are just amazing for oxygen and I desperately need that. And, it makes me happy knowing that antioxidants are fighting the free radicals in my bloodstream. (Bee Energized is also anti-aging…which is perfect for a woman with 30 years’ experience in the beauty industry who knows the real tricks of the trade!)

Favorite nut milk? Bee Happy. It’s loaded with copper and magnesium and my body needs the extra minerals…and, I know how balanced the amino acids; the omega-3s, 6s and 9s; and the natural fat will keep my body. (And, I love chocolate! I use it to make my refrigerator overnight oatmeal as a treat for breakfast!)

BEE HAPPY is rich with raw-cacao goodness and at least once a week is called “adult chocolate milk” by someone who thinks they invented the compliment. (Nut milk made with filtered water, coconut water, raw cashew, raw brazil nut, raw walnut, raw local honey, raw cacao, vanilla bean, and pink Himalayan salt.)

TJS News: Bottle Returns…RIP

September 29, 2016 By Jen Chase

So if you haven’t heard yet or seen the video we posted on social media at the end of last month, we rolled out some important news: We discontinued our bottle return policy.

Wha?

It’s true. After 3 and a half years, the task of accepting back your bottles to sanitize and re-use them for the sake of the environment and MomsNature was in fact noble…but it also became indescribably water intensive. And since we do live in the desert where water preservation will probs always be an issue (just look what’s still happening to poor farmers in very non-deserty New England), we wanna do our part and help, not hinder the effort.

What does this switcheroo mean for you? For starters, Clark County’s local public services are making it easier than ever to recycle right from your curb each week. And since you’re a part of our hive and you know how TJS hearts environmentalism, we hope you’ll do the right thing: go on a big ol’ scavenger hunt in your house, find all the nooks and crannies where those Singletons are hiding, wash ‘em up and get ‘em back here for the refund you deserve! BUT…don’t wait too long. Bring back every blessed empty you can get your hands on before Oct. 31 and we’ll give you a dollar for every bottle you return. We’ll even wash them and re-use them. But come Nov. 1, the return policy is no longer.

Don’t feel bad. Since we won’t be spending so much time scrubbin’ and a-sanitizin’, we’ll have crazy time to dream up new deliciousness. Our new chewing menu is keeping our Bees full from morning to night, and everything on it is such a complement to everything we sell to sip.

Now we should note that if you still want to bring your bottles back, by all means bring ’em back. We can’t give you the $1 for them any more. But we will sanitize them and re-use them.

So, yeah. Our bottle recycling program has a-changed. But before it’s gone for good, we’re giving you until the end of the month to get back a buck for every bottle you bring back. (RINSEDthankyouverymuch. No science experiments….) Hope to see you soon.

Ingredient Spotlight: Collagen

September 29, 2016 By Jen Chase

Collagen. A lot of space on the Internets has been given to collagen and why (and if) we should be using it to sip our way pretty. Our say? Yes.

In one of our features last month about all the cool new menu items we’ve been introducing to your bellies, something worth an extra holla this month is this new superfood upgrade to any smoothie or juice.

So what exactly is it? Usually derived from cattle (though according to this Well+Good article, sometimes it’s sourced from chickens and fish, and some companies are even trying to tout a vegetarian version that’s collagen “like”), in its truest form, collagen is a short-chain amino acid that’s high in protein, and is found in mammals’ connective tissue. For its healing properties, we humans now use it to help with the healing of our own tissue. And since it’s good for both brain activity and beauty…and who doesn’t want to be smart and good lookin?

The brand we use is called Vital Proteins, and it’s from grass-fed bovine. Plus, it’s non-GMO…so as always, you can feel good about what you’re getting once you walk through our doors. And that’s something we hope you’ll do again and again. Come in to try this odorless, tasteless addition to the already good stuff you’ll put in your bod. And be on the lookout for creative ways Marcella will inject our menu with this truly super food.

Friends Who Juice: Inga Popkova

September 29, 2016 By Jen Chase

Inga Popkova is a woman’s woman: smart, sweet, sexy, and with enough childlike whimsy mixed with big-girl charm to make pretty much anyone want to be her friend. Like TJS. That’s why we’re happy to shine a light on what this FOTJS (that’s “Friend Of TJS”) does to make the world a little prettier, one dress at a time. More on that below….

Popkova’s juice-loving self made her way to California in 2004 from her hometown and birthplace in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. After earning a degree in international business from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, her passion for travel and new cultures led her to call London, Alicante (in Spain) and New York City, home. And it was in each of those cities that her life experience (combined with time spent growing up in her mother’s clothing factory) nudged her to choose a career in fashion.

In April 2016, Popkova collaborated with her idol—her mother Larisa—to bring the clothing line that had existed in their family for 25 years here to the United States. Aptly named, Larisa, it allows the younger Popkova to honor the elder one while bringing feminine fashion to the masses.

For all Popkova does, this month we honor the wholehearted way she shares her fashion vision, and we’re grateful for the patronage and juicy love she’s shown TJS every sip of the way.

ALL ABOUT INGA

I’ve lived in Vegas since…2007.

What brought me to Las Vegas was…UNLV. What kept me here has been…school and friends.

In my experience, the biggest misconception about living in Las Vegas is…thinking that the Strip is all we have. There is so much more here. (…Yet the thing I love most about living here is…) that Vegas has been changing! Life is Beautiful, new cool local spots, Downtown Project, etc….Vegas has a cool-culture feel now. It’s not all about gambling and nightclubs anymore.

A favorite Vegas spot that never gets old is… TJS (wink).

My ideal night out is…a lounge with good music and “fermented grape juice.”

With so many crazy nights, my favorite night-in plan is…homemade dinner and a movie.

The mantra or quote I try to live by each day is…“Everything happens for a reason, so just do it.”

My favorite inspirational quote is…“You can never be overdressed or overeducated.” (Oscar Wilde)

If I had to pick a song lyric as the theme for my life it would be… “Live your life/be free/you know you can have it all.” (Erick Morillo)

Advice I’d go back and give to my younger self is…Spend as much time as possible with your loved ones. Travel, take risks, and push yourself to learn something new every day!

INGA ON WORK

A little background about Larisa, my brand…In my mind, “Larisa” is in fact inside every female…from the littlest to eldest. As most women know, we’re called to wear so many hats throughout a day—mother, friend, worker, lover—that from moment to moment we can can be girls-next-door, socialites and then powerhouses. But let’s face it: With our daily hard work, contributions and commitments…we don’t always wake feeling goddessy! Sometimes, beauty and grace need a little push.

Enter Larisa…a luxury girls’ and women’s brand dedicated to inspiring every female to feel powerful (and beautiful!) from childhood to womanhood, and every day in between.

My fashion icon is…my Mom.

My very first little-girl memory of being intrigued by fashion, makeup, modeling, and looking pretty, was…making “clothes” by picking up pieces of waste fabric off the floor at my mom’s factory and “selling” them all to my dad. (Hey: I was born a business woman! )

So far, the most surprising thing about running my own company is…there are too many surprises every single day to count!

The thing I love most about being a #GirlBoss is…that I am my own boss, which comes with discipline, self motivation, and hard work.

The best piece of business advice I’ve ever received is… “You can’t do it all by yourself.”

The thing I’d tell other designers considering starting their own line is…It won’t be easy, but to share with the world what you are passionate about is priceless!

INGA ON HEALTH+JUICE  

The fruits and vegetables you’ll always find in my kitchen are…cucumbers and bananas.

In my opinion, the biggest change in Vegas’ healthy-living scene since the time I moved here is…that there is finally a “healthy scene” now. I used to love going to LA and NYC and have so many healthy options. Vegas is finally getting there.

The person who introduced me to cold-pressed juice was…Jamie Stephenson [TJS co-founder and CEO].

Yes or No: I love juice so much I make my own. No. I like the convenience of someone else (TJS) making it for me.

True or false: Making juice at home is a royal pain in the tail. TRUE! Juicing=5 minutes. Cleaning=2 hours.

The first time I drank green juice, I thought it was…Missing sugar.

The reason I drink TJS’s cold-pressed juice is because…it makes me feel good, and I am all about the balance. Juice now, Champagne later.

This is how I incorporate cold-pressed juice into my lifestyle: Have to have my TJS shot flight at least once a week. That’s my obsession.

My favorite TJS flavor is…Bee WHealthy™.

The thing I like best about TJS juice is…EVERYTHING! Organic. Delicious. Local. Friendly. The company knows its stuff! The ambience in there is so amazing, I go to work there sometimes. A Bee Invincible, a shot flight and a juice (Bee WHealthy™, usually) and all of a sudden the work day becomes tastier and healthier.

In my opinion, the thing that resonates with me most about how TJS runs its company is…People there truly care. The company is there to help, to educate and to make the change!

My advice to a newbee juicer is…Go to TJS, try a few samples, pick your favorite (my first one had a lot of fruits) and then build yourself up to a green one. Remember…it’s all about the balance. And I am not going lie: I would rather drink my daily dose of greens than eat it.

Five From The Hive: Your Questions Answered

August 31, 2016 By Jen Chase

From time to time we’ll be running a recurring feature pulled straight from the wholehearted comments and questions you Bees submit to info@juicestandard.com (and if you didn’t know you can reach out and touch us there, now you know).

Called “Five From The Hive,” we’ll take your thoughts and pose them to Those In The Juice Standard Know—founders, managers, directors and the like—so we can give you the skinny on the issues that are important to you.

To kick us off, we’re starting with the No. 1 thing you juice-drinking Bees ask about besides #BeggarsGonnaBeg for recipes:

Shipping.

Whether you live in nearby Cali or a faraway Carolina, the most consistent Q we field is how to get our goods to your ‘hood. Beelieve us: We’re thankful for the juicy love! But most of the time we end up having to bee big fat disappointers as we get truthy about our policies. And to set the record straight, The Juice Standard’s Co-Founder and CEO Jamie Stephenson answered some hard and fast ones about TJS’ plans for quiet world juice domination…even if only in Las Vegas.

1) What’s the hardest thing about shipping cold-pressed juice?

There is nothing “hard” about shipping juice. It’s just that juice as fresh and unadulterated as The Juice Standard presses means our juice is incredibly bioavailable and is a powerful source of phytonutrients…but it’s not very shelf stable. Why? Its raw; we make it fresh every single day; there’s no pasteurization; no exposure to ultraviolet lights (UV); no use of high-pressure pasteurization (HPP).

Since we cannot monitor the temperature of the juice during the shipping process, we feel very concerned about what a customer on the receiving end would get: In the shipping process, juice could be subjected to dramatic temperature swings which could lead to someone getting sick. And that flies in the face of our mission, which is to serve juice that enables one to get or stay well.

2) Why does it seem like some companies ship and some don’t?

Some companies pasteurize, UV, or HPP their juice. We don’t. [Ed. note: Want to really get you geek on? Read this white paper that summarizes 92 studies about the effects of UV and HPP on cold-pressed juice.)

3) Is it possible to ship non-HPP juice across the country? What does it take and would it be totes cost-prohibitive for folks in, say, North Carolina, to buy TJS from Las Vegas?

Last we checked it cost over $90 just to ship the juice overnight. We recommend Bees in other states that don’t have access to organic, fresh-pressed juice to learn to make their own. We suggest Norman Walker’s juice press, the Norwalk. It’s the best.

4) If the No. 1 question to the TJS website, blog or Facebook page is whether we ship, the second most-asked question is whether Bees can bring a TJS franchise to their part of the country. What say you, Boss?

There are currently no franchising opportunities at this time.

5) We know you can’t totally spill the beans, but inquiring minds wanna know: Does TJS have any plans for shipping?

No.

Friends Who Juice: Mike Gasca

August 31, 2016 By Jen Chase

If TJS had a king bee, it would be Mike Gasca. Know why? Because having a manager care about your company’s success like he founded the place is bomb…and when he cares about the success of his colleagues like they’re family (probably more than his own but not less than his Pomeranian…more on a boy and his dog later), well it’s beeyond words.

Meet Mike Gasca, the oil in TJS’s wheels, the fist behind our might, the green in our juice…the guy who helps everyone around him do their job to their highest ability so we can continue to bring you Bees the best product in the Las Vegas valley.

ALL ABOUT MIKE

Hi! I’m…Mike Gasca.

I grew up in…Riverside, Cali., but spent the last few years in West Hollywood.

What brought me here to Las Vegas was…I moved here in April 2016 to join the Hive at The Juice Standard.

If I had to pick a daily mantra or a quote we try to live by, it would be…”Make an IMPACT…not just an IMPRESSION!”

What motivates me out of bed in the morning is…knowing that each day I have the opportunity to impact the life of someone else.

If I had to pick a theme song, it would be…Justin Bieber’s Never Say Never because I will always reach for the stars.

Don’t get me started talking about…politics! I ran for local school board at the humble age of 18!

Every day I strive to… do things that make me better, my team better, and TJS better!

The best advice I’ve ever received (about work or life) was…“Flush the toilet!” It’s important to eliminate the waste in our lives, and constantly move forward!

The number one thing I’d tell my younger self is…stop wearing rhinestones! You will regret having a wardrobe that rivals Liberace’s!

Something that scares me is…working too much! I love my job and what I do, but I do not want to look back and think about all the memories I have missed.

If I could go anywhere TOMORROW, I’d be on a plane to…Walt Disney World in Florida! I absolutely love Disney, and have always wanted to go to Florida.

When I’m not working, these are some of the things you may find me doing: Always enjoying the company of my Pomeranian, Aurora! Scenic hikes are something I have gotten into since moving to Vegas…and, driving to Cali to go to Disneyland!

This is Mike’s adorable pup, Aurora, partying at our August Customer Appreciation Night!

The one food that’s not good for me that I wish I liked less is…French Fries! I need to learn to bake my potatoes, not saturate them in fat.

Chocolate or vanilla? Swirl! (Why compromise when you can have everything you want?)

MIKE THE MANAGER

My title at TJS is…“Coach!” I have the privilege of leading, developing and motivating a team of awesome managers.

When people ask about what I do at TJS, I tell them…I empower lives! I empower our guests by offering them wholesome, nutritious goodness in a bottle; our Bees, by enabling them to have a fulling job that they love; and our community, by being part of a company that values giving back.

In my past I’ve done this kind of work at other juice/wellness companies like…Beaming Wellness in California. And if I had to describe what makes working at TJS different, I’d have to say the uncompromising standards, amazing product and gifted people!

I was drawn to work in the wellness industry because…I had reached a point in my life where I was unhappy with my overall health. I didn’t value nutrition, and I had no awareness about the impact of what I put in my body. I realized the power of healthy eating, and wanted to enable others to do the same.

Something I’m proud to have implemented at TJS is…a focus on the development of our people. I want to teach every Bee to be so great at their job they can leave (yet treat them so well that they never want to!).

The thing I love most about managing companies and people is… that it lets me impart strong leadership and a sense of entrepreneurship with everyone I work with. For me, the thing I like most about working with people is watching them grow and prosper. Even if they leave the company, I value what I have been able to teach them.

To me, working in the juice industry is special/important/rewarding beecause…you are able to form real relationships that can produce tangible results. To meet someone at the start of their health and wellness journey and watch them grow is a rewarding experience.

My favorite advice to onpass to folks who want to get into the wellness industry is…“If you wouldn’t continue to do this even if you won the lottery…do something else!”

The number one thing I’d tell my younger professional self is…“Be humble!” Leadership is not defined by positions you hold, but rather, the actions you take to make the company a better place/

My top-three future goals are…to develop each Bee that wants to grow with TJS into the role they desire; to learn to better influence others through strong leadership; and to make TJS the “Starbucks of Juice.”

MIKE ON JUICE

True or false: I loved green juice even before I started working at TJS. True

The first time I realized I loved cold-pressed juice was…when I was extremely thirsty, and on a whim I happened to try some from Pressed juicery.

Today, I drink it beecause…I value the benefits of juice, and I have learned how to make kale taste like candy!

This is how I incorporate juice into my life: At least a bottle a day!

What I think sets TJS apart from the rest is…our STANDARDS! We are organic, we don’t use HPP, and we’re innovative about our approach to making nutritious delicious one sip at a time!

When people ask, I tell them my fave TJS flave is…Bee Effective (if Im feeling green), Bee Grateful if I want some sweets!

When people see me drink green juice and give me a face, I want to tell them to…name their favorite beverage because I’d bet them I could make a juice to rival that taste!

When I drink juice, it makes me feel…in control of my life.

My advice to a newbee juicer is…“GREEN is our friend!”

Newable Chewables For You(able)

August 23, 2016 By Jen Chase

See Marcella? That’s her. She’s a bomb recipe-creating queen that can’t bee stopped.

Lucky You, when she goes on a tear it benefits your belly like nobody’s business. Case in point: In the last month The Juice Standard has added two new iced lattes (and come Vegas’s not-as-hot time you may want them hot, too), and coming up faster than you can say Norwalk juicer, our chewables menu is gonna blow up.

(BLOW up…with deliciousness, that is.)

So for a sneak peek of the almost-here chewables, and an intro to the here-and-now lattes, here’s how TJS is keeping Summer 2016 so freaking tasty.

SENSATIONAL NEW SIPPERS

The Honey Nātado: Named for one of our fantabulous Bees beehind our counters (our staff helps make TJS operate SO smoothly!), this iced brew is the perfect blend of our organic espresso, cashew cream and raw local honey. (Hint: Double the espresso for some added zing-a-zing-zing.)

The Matcha Latte: Green tea lovers, this is so for you. Matcha is a drink served hot or cold that’s made from grinding green tea leaves to a powder-fine consistency and mixing it with water. If green tea has lots of health benefits, matcha has about a kajillion more since you’re ingesting the entire leaf. Combine all that WHealth™ with cashew cream, vanilla, agave, and a little acai, and you have something that’s as nutritious as it is delicious.

ORGANIC SALADS + WRAPS

Kale Granola Salad: Our newest salad features kale leaves that have been gently massaged with a honey-lemon vinaigrette and topped with our raw, house-made granola, and dried cranberries. As with our Field Greens Salad, both can be made portable by throwing them in a wrap. Gently, of course.

TOASTS!

Avocado Chipotle Toast: Simplicity at its best: Avocado (with a lil’ chipotle kick!) is topped with microgreens and sliced radish.

Avocado Granola Toast: Avocado and our house-made granola come together in the same bite to satisfy the savory-sweet crunch you didn’t even know you could crave so much but you do and this is one awesome toast.

Mediterranean Toast: Marcella’s kickass tzatziki—a spread made from Greek yogurt, cucumber, garlic, and herbs—is slathered on bread and topped with microgreens and tomatoes.

Seeds Of Inspiration: A protein-rich toast slathered with our organic house-made cashew-walnut butter, and topped with hemp, pumpkin and flax seeds…all on organic seeded bread.

Bee Bread: This sublime, dessert-like toast features our organic, house-made cashew-walnut butter, spread on toothsome oat bread, and topped with banana, granola, and honey. Served warm and Good Lord it’s good.

WHEALTHY™ TREATS + SNACKS

Chia Seed Puddings: So, our chia seed puddin’ isn’t new—we still combine the same protein-rich ancient grain with our signature, house-made nut milks for a healthy grab-and-go snack or meal. But the names are way easier to remember. Now, simply say the name of your fave TJS nut milk (except Bee Excellent), add “chia” at the end and anyone beehind the counter will know what you’re talking about and serve you up right.

Happy Chia (Chocolate)
Legendary Chia (Chai-spiced)
Magnificent Chia (Vanilla)
Choco-Mint Chia (You got this.)

Vanilla Parfait: Admittedly, this isn’t different, either—still comes with your choice of Greek or dairy-free coconut yogurt, and it’s still a whole lotta creamy, dreamy protein at its best. But now you can get it topped with TJS’s house-made tropical granola or our homemade raw cacao granola.

Vegan Cheesecake: Our decadent noncheesecake comes in two flavors—blueberry and pineapple—and delivers authentic taste with a sweet, walnut-cashew crumb crust.

Lemon Coconut Cake Pop: This vegan cake pop made with creamy raw cashews, lemon zest and coconut flakes, comes on the tastiest stick ever: An edible pretzel!

Banana Chews: Known previously as our “banana leathers,” this is still the same delish recipe: We dehydrate raw, organic banana strips to the perfect chewy consistency, and serve it with our house-made creamy cashew walnut butter.

Seasonal Fruit Chews: Same as our banana chews only featuring our favorite seasonal organic fruit. It’s portable sweetness for health (and taste) on the go.

The Functions of Superfood Mix-Ins

August 23, 2016 By Jen Chase

Remember Dairy Queen, Bees? And those mix-ins? Good Lord, you could blitz up soft-serve ice cream with pretty much anything, turning it into an icy up of your very own whirly, swirly candy-filled fave.

Mmm, the good ol’ days.

Don’t go getting too nostalgic. Because what you were throwing into that little microbiome of yours sure as shootin’ wasn’t doing anything to raise your serotonin levels, or calm our nerves, or improve your digestion. Plenty of studies suggest that sugar’s basically the devil, no matter how good it tastes. But at The Juice Standard, you can relive a little of that mix-in nostalgia without shading yourself with guilt if you hit up any of the three TJS locations, order a smoothie, and then add some whole-food mix-ins to your meal…ones designed to up-level your health, one powder or potion at a time.

Here’s our cheat sheet of how to up the ante of your health (having a little fun in the process), sip after smoothie sip.

Avocado: A heart-healthy fat that adds a delicious creaminess to anything it’s mixed with. It’s also excellent for workout recovery by helping balance electrolytes; aid in muscle activity, nerve function and maintaining a healthy metabolism; and it’s excellent for taming inflammation.

Bee Pollen: A plant-based protein filled with vitamin Bs and essential amino acids that when taken regularly can help boost immunity to local allergens. Plus, all those Bs (vitamins, that is), help keep stress at bay.

Chia Seeds: This phytonutrient-filled, high-quality plant protein is rich in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, iron, calcium, and zinc. It’s a great way to add extra protein to pretty much anything that hits it.

Coconut Oil: The answer to what seems to be everything (Wanna take off makeup? Coconut oil! Wanna whiten teeth? Coconut oil!), this darling of the health world really is all that. This anti-bacterial, thyroid-boosting, metabolism-enhancing healthy fat is high in lauric and medium-chain fatty acids, which means it’s easily digested and converted to energy.

Coconut Yogurt: A tasty, protein-rich alternative to diary yogurt so good you won’t miss the cow, goat or other version.

Flax Seeds: Rich in vitamin B1, fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and manganese, flax seeds can also help lower cholesterol and regulate glucose levels. Add them ground up to your smoothie (…you won’t even taste it).

Ghee: Clarified butter with a slightly nutty flavor and a robust nose unlike butter, yet rich and delicious like butter. Along with grassfed butter or coconut oil, we offer ghee as an addition to our Bee Invincible (our version of buttered or “Bulletproof®” coffee).

Hemp Seeds: Yet another highly digestible plant protein. This one helps improve muscle performance, stamina and recovery, and it’s rich in omega-3s and 6s as well as GLA and vitamin E. Could this be your exercise routine’s BFF? Maybe.

L.O.V.E. Whole-food supplement*: This portion powder is a wholefood super meal made by a company called Purium. We recommend adding it to any smoothie since it’ll truly turn one into a meal.

Maca: Earlier in the year we ran a great piece about the beeauty of this beeautiful little adaptogen. Read about it here. (For a shortcut? It’s a libido- and energy-inducing powder that kinda tastes like malt, so it tastes great in pretty much anything that’s creamy. Nut milk, anyone?)

Matcha: The ground green tea leaf, the whole ground green tea leaf and nothing but the whole ground green tea leaf! Powerful, potent and highly antioxidant, matcha has a grassy, earthy flavor and is supreme at keeping up your energy without coffee’s typical jitters.

Nutritional Yeast: A delicious vegetarian source of vitamin B12 that’s high in protein, folic acid and fiber. Often added to salads and savory foods for the way it mimics parmesan cheese.

Powershake: A superfoods blend by Purium, the same company that provides us with the L.O.V.E. whole-food supplement.

Raw, Local Honey: Like its bee pollen cousin, raw local honey is anti-microbial, and can help boost immunity to local allergens.

Spirulina: A high-quality, plant-based protein loaded with energizing chlorophyll which helps oxygenate our blood.

Collagen: An amino acid that’s protein-rich and good for brain activity and beauty.

Note: All of our add-ins are $1.50 (with the exception of the collagen which is $3.50). The brand we use is from grass-fed bovine and it’s non-GMO…so as always, you can feel good about what you’re getting once you walk through our doors.

Juicing Across The Map

August 2, 2016 By Jen Chase

Vegas is often called the Entertainment Capital of the World, and though it’s got a vibe and vocab all its own (day clubbing, anyone?) something it has in common with other international city destinations is this: Smart locals know when to stick around, and they know when to go. And each summer, go-time is August.

It’s a common custom across large swaths of Europe. Italians leave their homes, jobs and shops to head for the water, and you’ll even find streets amid the City of Lights a little more dim thanks to locals seeking beyond-the-borders respite before school and university bring on the fall.

In Vegas, we leave for another reason.

It’s so damn hot.

It’s not like that’s news—summertime’s hot, right?—but like childbirth and getting dumped, the human spirit knows how to block pain. But for when we do remember the sear of Nevada’s sun on our skin, cooler climes are in order. So, we go. Maybe you go, too? If you do, and if you love juice like we do, working your healthy lifestyle into even your vacation time is primo. So here’s short list of places we love to hit when we get the hella outta Dodge. And if you have suggestions, start a convo at our Facebook page. We’d love to hear where your juice cravings take you.

Jamie Stephenson (TJS Co-Founder and CEO)

A Jamie fave: Glacier Ginger (Whitefish, Mont.)

Why?

“Glacier uses organic ingredients that are sourced locally, since there is quite a bit of agriculture in the area. Its ginger is nice and spicy, and super delicious in the “Mule Kick Shot”…a combo of fresh ginger and lemon juices, with a sprinkle of cayenne over the top (aka, a TJS Wellness Shot). Also, juice is made on the spot using the centrifugal juicing method, and Glacier also make many flavors of craft ginger brew including lime and cherry. This place is a definite go-to, after a Glacier Park hike or local Whitefish craft beer-night!”

Marcella Williams (TJS Co-Founder and COO)

A Marcella fave: Butcher’s Daughter (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Why?

“Butcher’s Daughter is where the farmhouse meets Venice Beach, and everything that’s right in the food world is caught in between. Like so many people probably will this month I recently had the privilege of escaping the Vegas desert heat for just a couple days. The struggle about traveling, for me, is that not only am I a health-conscious eater, but I am usually am traveling with my three niños who are far pickier than I am…and in a different way.

“We stumbled upon The Butcher’s Daughter after a relaxing afternoon on the beach. With sand still in my toes and salt water in my hair (which made it look fab, by the way!) we walked into this restaurant eyeing a table on the patio that looked out onto Abbot Kinney Boulevard…which just happens to be the street-of-all-streets to wander around on in Venice. The menu was vegan with some vegetarian options…and I loved the fact that this pro-life animal house had no fear of cracking an egg over any dish including my spaghetti squash carbonara.

“Classic carbonara calls for cream (heavier the better) egg, cheese, and of course, pancetta or some other form of Babe. If you asked me a month ago if this dish could be pulled off without bacon grease I would’ve laughed…but Butcher’s Daughter nailed it. I could taste the love in these dishes.

“We also had the stone oven pizza with arugula, pears, gorgonzola, and a touch of spice with red peppers. The flavors blended together very well, as most would imagine. We also ordered the smashed avocado crostini because of our love for functional fats. (I actually have a Pinterest board dedicated to avocados…but who doesn’t?)

“Aside from the fabulous food, Butcher’s Daughter’s juice menu is what really impressed me. It serves very unique concoctions, and with an Asian theme throughout, it uses ingredients like lemongrass, kefir lime leaves and even yuzu in a few juices. Jamie has wanted me to play around with yuzu before but sourcing some of these ‘off the beaten path’ ingredients gets tricky when we only source organic and, live in the desert. I left feeling nourished and inspired. I look forward to my next beach getaway and the wonderful flavors that follow in southern California.

Mallory Dawn (TJS Creative Director)

A Mallory fave? Mother’s (Barcelona, Spain)

Why?

“I was in Barcelona earlier this year. And on a rainy day, when I kept getting lost trying to find a famous magazine shop, I smelled cinnamon and honey…and wandered into Mother’s. Turns out they had just pulled their homemade granola out of the oven (which I purchased along with a veggie bowl and some juices). I sat in the shop, talking to the owner about the importance of educating consumers and the responsibility we each shared, being the first juice shops in our respective cities. Everything about Mothers’ brand and intention reminded me of TJS, and I was so happy to be led astray in my search.

“Later in my trip, during my travels back through Spain, I found Teresa’s Juicery. The outpost is located inside the popular shop, Flax & Kale. It has a wonderful selection of organic juices thanks to founder Teresa Carle’s more than 35 years of recipe-making experience. And it shows: You could literally satisfy any taste craving with her assorted menu. (The juice called “Party Recovery” with its purified water, beet, honey, strawberry, coconut water, and hemp seeds) is basically just an extension of any party!)”

Jen Chase (TJS Content Director)

A Jen fave? Cocobeet (Boston, Mass.)

Why?

“I grew up outside of Boston, along Massachusetts’ south shore. After a few years of enjoying a West coaster’s life, though I’m back in New England, a lot of my work remains Vegas based, with my most inspiring being writing and editing for and with The Juice Standard. I’m thankful for my dual-coast work, but with my natural (obsessive?) allegiance to Marcella’s and Jamie’s recipes, the culinary thing I miss most about Las Vegas is not having access to what I ~~totally unbiasedly~~ objectively and humbly beelieve is the best collective juice menu, ever. Thankfully, I discovered Cocobeet in downtown Boston, and its product, mission, dedication to organics, and overall mindset is the closest I can get to TJS’s when life is more Beantown than Sin City.

“The juice world is a lot smaller than you’d think, and the first time I hit Cocobeet, I met co-owner, Onur, and explained what I do for TJS. He knew a little about Vegas’ cold-pressed juice scene and the more we talked, the more names we both recognized. Then came my money moment: When I got home and dove into the stash I’d bought, I finally felt a little less winsome for my TJS faves—Bee Resilient, Bee Happy, Bee Chill—because I had new ones to love: Green Monkey, Chocolate Power Mylk and Watermelon Quench. Cocobeet does it right by pressing every day (like TJS); by committing to organics (like TJS); and by being completely transparent about why sometimes certain flavors can’t be pressed if an ingredient can’t be bought organic (that’s how we roll, too). Cocobeet is even morphing into more and more chewables (um, like who?), which makes every trip feel hella like home to me…even when my heart’s juicy home is 2,735 miles away. But who’s counting.”

Twins Who Juice: Kylie+Jessica McBeath

July 5, 2016 By Jen Chase

For the last 40 years in a town called Twinsburg, Ohio, a special festival has taken place to celebrate a group of very special people.

(You Bees are pretty freaking smart so you probably already know where we’re going with this. Play along.)

Every August celebrates Twins Days, which according to people who know a lot more than we do is the largest gathering of biological multiples in the world (and by that we mean twins, quadruplets, Kate Gosselin’s eight kids). People travel from all over to participate…and by participate, we mean meet others who share what’s been described over and over as a bond like no other, between two beings not only from the same womb but from the same moment of inception.

(Ain’t science special?!)

In addition to our very own Marcella’s very own twin sons (who can be seen pictured with their mum here), The Humble Bee didn’t have to trek to Ohio to find our very own set of twins whose story is beeyond worth telling. Kylie and Jessica McBeath are the founders of Zura Health, a wellness company dedicated to helping people live their best and most healthiest lives. If that sounds like aNOTHER company you know, you’ll understand why these wholehearted women are TJS’s first “Twins Who Juice.” We couldn’t be more happy to showcase their passion, their humor, their love for another (natch), and of course, their love of juice. Our juice.

Here’s their story.

Hi! We’re…Kylie and Jessica McBeath.

Our family has…six family members, and out of all of us, there is…one set of twins.

We entered the world in…Tucson, Arizona; however, at the ripe age of 3 we transplanted to Viva, making us the 4^th generation to call this city home.

What brought us to Las Vegas was….sex, drugs, and rock & roll. (Ha ha, just kidding!) Our roots run deep in Las Vegas.

What has kept us here is….We are still asking ourselves this question. (The 100+ degree summers?Nahh!) To be honest, with the co-creation of Zura Health, our digital health company, it is our mission to empower, heal, and elevate the community in which were raised. Giving back is why we are here.

In our experience, the biggest misconception about living in Las Vegas is….that people live on the Strip, only work in hotels, and party like rock stars every weekend.

The thing we secretly (or not-so-secretly) love most about living here is…this city never sleeps and there is always something to do: shows to see, concerts to go to, and wonderful eats. Added B-O-N-U-S…McCarran allows us to jump on a plane at a moment’s notice to almost anywhere in the world. (Did someone say the beach?)

If we had to pick a daily mantra or a quote we try to live by, it would be…“Let all who need me find me. Let me help relieve suffering.”

A favorite Vegas spot that never gets old is…Red Rock Mountains.

TWIN LIFE…IN AND OUT OF LAS VEGAS

If we had to pick a theme song for us as twins, it would be…Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing. Classic.

Some of our favorite things to do as sibs are…make plant-based bliss. Work out. Travel. CREATE our holistic healthcare company, Zura Health.

When people ask me where we work and what we do, I tell them…Jess: I write, speak, and consult on whole-person healing. From the co-creation of Zura Health, to my book, Unconditional, I am here to heal and build a bridge to a deeper awareness that honors the whole—mind, body, and soul.

While I am not busy masterminding and creating Zura Health with Ky, I work at Optum, a wholly owned subsidiary of United Health Group within its Patient Experience division. We are responsible for bridging the gap between healthcare and hospitality, driving better consumer experiences, inspiring healthy behaviors and ultimately making the health care system work better for everyone.

We’ve been in Las Vegas since 1993. In our opinion, the biggest difference in the healthy-living scene between then and now is… It didn’t exist before. Just within the last 5 years are we beginning to see wellness bars, state-of-the-art studios and an established wellness tribe. We are thrilled and grateful to see the evolution.

When anyone ever mistakes us for the other twin…we almost always just run with it.

No matter how busy we get at work, this is what we do to make sure we eat well during the week: We only buy healthy food, so this keeps our options simple. Healthy or starve…ha ha!

We also bulk prep. If it’s a bulk gluten free grain, roasted sweet potatoes or chopped kale, it is vital to the success of our weekly wellness regimen. Whatever we have on hand that week we toss in a bowl and add some cashew cream heaven and call it a day. If you know you are going to be going full steam, always pack a nutritious snack; I will grab an apple or a banana and some walnut butter or a handful of nuts and seeds to ensure I always have that added boost for mid-day snacking/treat.

The fruit or vegetable you’ll always find in our kitchens are…

Ky: Lemons an avocado.

Jess: Ahhh, can I have three? If I had to pick in order it would be avocado, kale and sprouts.

The health habit I totally love making fun of my sib for is…

Ky: Well to be honest, we have the same health habits so if I make fun of her, I am making fun of me…#twinning]

Jess: What Ky said…but I am sure our families can give you a whole slew of examples.

When we go out, our typical fave fare to eat is…Indian. (Did someone say Aloo Gobi? It doesn’t get better.)

True or false: “I hope I have twins.”

Ky. Having a twin sister is like having a built in unconditionally loving best friend. We always joke and say, “Thank God that egg split in two—because we have a big mission here.” Every day, I wake up in gratitude for my twin sister, she has been the brightest light on my path to wholeness, unconditional love and acceptance. Who wouldn’t want this for their children?

Jess: TRUE. I always tell people that having a built-in-best-friend is quite possibly the greatest gift. I am grateful to share the journey with someone who is always in alignment with my crazy ideas and who will be the first to keep me honest if I get a little off beat.

TWINS ON JUICE

The person who introduced cold-pressed juice to us was…Our Aunt Shannon.

The reason we drink cold-pressed juice is because…it’s the best way to nourish and energize our bodies. For us, green juice is our go-to lift and daily dose of goodness.

The reason we drink TJS’s cold-pressed juice is because…Well, for starters it tastes ahhh-mazing. Second, we support TJS because of the love and passion not only in the product but in the people. The TJS team and community inspire us in BIG ways to show up and execute.

This is how each of us incorporates cold-pressed juice into our lifestyle:

Kylie: Once you know how good healthy feels it just becomes a non-negotiable. Cold-pressed juice is a part of our jam. We just make it happen.

Jess: Cold-pressed juice is a part of our lifestyle. Whether we are traveling or at home we always find a way to incorporate our liquid greens. First pit stop in a new city is a juice bar or a local market.

The first time we drank green juice, we thought it was…liquid gold into our veins. I (Ky speaking) remember my first experience with spirulina in a green juice and it was a nutrition rush unlike anything I have ever experienced. I thought to myself, ‘Whoa, this is a game-changer.’ All I have to say is this: electron-rich foods=powerful.

Out of the two of us, the one who likes to drink TJS juice the most in our family is…When we stop by TJS, we grab a bunch to share with each other…we are all about the gift of health in our family.

The pickier sibling of the two of us is..

Ky: Ha ha! Jess for sure…only because I’m answering these interview questions first.

(Jess: This is not true.)

My favorite TJS flavor is…

Ky: Whew, this is a tough one. But my favorites, plural, are Bee Happy and Bee WHealthy™.

Jess: Honestly, I would probably replace my blood with any of the lovely creations at TJS, but I would have to go with Bee On Point and Bee The Change…and let’s not mention my addiction to the raw cacao mocha.

Yes or No: “I love juice so much I make my own.”

Ky: No. Ha ha! I leave it to the masters—aka TJS.

Jess: I’ve got an internal battle brewing over this but for right now it’s a smoothie or TJS.

True or false: Making juice at home is a royal pain in the tail.

Ky: TRUE

Jess: TRUE, but I’m always optimistic on how this shall evolve.

The thing I like about TJS juice is….

Ky: The love and the passion that arises in every detail, in every bottle, in every sip.

Jess: The people=love=the juice=liquid gold=the mission=a more beautiful and healthy community.

The funniest thing that ever happened to one of us while drinking juice OR when one of us was doing a juice fast, was… Jess here. Ky and I remember the first time we gave our lovely mom a taste of E3Live. Ky and I laughed for a solid three hours because of her reaction. She now is a little weary about what she agrees to when she’s in a juice bar with us.

Our twinsy advice to a newbee juicer is… Be kind to you. You deserve to feel good, and sometimes to get to this space we have to exfoliate the self-doubts, and wash away the layers of limitation to reach wholeness. It’s all a part of the process, just keep moving toward that space that feels good. Imprint with love.

Learn more about the beauty of a company these dynamos have created— Zura Health—by visiting its Facebook page here, or by following on the Insta at @ZuraHealth.

« Previous Page
1
…
3
4
5
6
7
…
11
Next Page »