The Humble Bee

Blog of The Juice Standard

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

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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.

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TJS News: And Baby Makes (Store) Four

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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.

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TJS Events: Sofar Sounded Sogood.

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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.)

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Ingredient Spotlight: Almonds

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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.

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

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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.

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Juice Hacks: Got Kiddos? Hack These Drinks For The Holidays.

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Congratulations! Got kiddos in your life? Then the rest of your holiday season will probs be filled with nights of shopping and cookie-baking, and not as much grown-up play as you’re used to.

Congratulations! Got kiddos in your life? Then the rest of your holiday season will probs be filled with nights of shopping and cookie-baking, and not as much grown-up play as you’re used to.

We know you wouldn’t trade in the werk for all the littleton delight this time of year spreads. Neither would we. But that doesn’t mean we can’t inject a little extra cheer into our own late-night reindeer games.

(And you go right ahead and take that any way you want.)

If your date nights out have morphed into wrap-fests in, huzzah! Here’s our slapdash list of tasty add-ins, swaps and ooh-la-las you can apply to some of our favorite nut milks and juices. Promise they’ll make you taste like you’re out on the town when all you’re really doing is libating through another Elf On A Shelf tableau.

We bee here for you. We admire you. So go fix these drinks. Most serve two or four adults but sharing’s optional. Beecuase while holidaying for a month is hard AF there’s no reason why it can’t taste great. #IfYoureGonnaBeeBadBeRealGoodAtIt

Non-Nog: 1 Singleton (16 ounces) Bee Magnificent; 4 ounces of either rum, brandy or bourbon or for a more traditional interpretation, a combo of all three; 1 strong shake of cinnamon and nutmeg. Combine in a high-speed blender (for froth…and if the kids are still up) or a shaker (for speed) and serve over ice. Repeat if necessary…beecuase spoiler alert: Santa really doesn’t know when you’re naughty. Note we said “when” not “if.”

Goldish Milk: 1 Singleton (16 ounces) Bee Legendary; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; 1 teaspoon rose water (optional); 2 ounces rum (not optional); freshly ground black pepper to taste. Gently heat on a stove until warm but not boiling OR combine in a high-speed blender (for froth…and if the kids are still up) or a shaker (for speed). Drink before bed and not a moment before you’re done with that elfin effer.

UnCosmopolitan: 1 Singleton (16 ounces) Bee Cosmopolitan; 2 ounces no-sugar-added cranberry juice (we like Apple & Eve); 4 ounces organic vodka (we like Prairie Organic Spirits); 2 ounces triple sec or cointreau; two shakes Angostura bitters. Combine in a shaker over ice and serve as many people as you’re willing even if it’s only yourself.

Rock Toddy: 1 Singleton (16 ounces) Bee Royal; 4 ounces bourbon or rye whiskey; ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, allspice or nutmeg; ½ teaspoon organic vanilla extract. Warm over a low flame to preserve the alcohol as well as your sanity.

For sleep, for stress, for sanity. The holidays can’t get enough maca and neither should you.

Hot ChaCha: 1 Singleton (16 ounces) Bee Happy; 3 teaspoons matcha (we think GotMatcha’s black-label is bomb); 2 teaspoons maca (we like Moon Juice’s but you can use any brand); 2 teaspoons coconut butter or coconut oil; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Combine in a saucepan over low heat and don’t allow to boil. Best enjoyed at the end of your night when you can smile on your accomplishments and gear up for another day of do-gooding.

 

 

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TJS News: Book Our Space in 2018

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Since the day she opened, The Juice Standard’s St. Rose location has been a prime spot for lingering at our farmer’s table and hunkering down deeper into the dining room at our couch and chairs. But since all girls can stand a little makeup, District Manager Amber Cariker worked her intrinsic design-on-a-dime skillz to increase Rose’s coze-factor, and with a few smooth moves of tables and chairs she made the space perfect for one thing:

You!

#NewishSpaceForANewishYou: Host Your Next Meeting With Us

From our quiet study corner to a sprawling space for groups, our little revamp has made the store’s floor more inviting for small businesses or community groups to gather for things like meetings and workshops, and has already accommodated classes on essential oils, and a professional development night for licensed aestheticians that was hosted by Integrative Aesthetics founder Jenna Kent.

Have a meeting you’d like to host at TJS? Want to enhance it with a juice tasting or a snickie-snack sample of some of our most popular chewables? Book at The Rose and fight #meetingboredom with healthy treats from TJS.

Making Your Work Delicious, Every Sip Of The Way

Bonus to hosting with us? Any group that books at St. Rose gets the chance to introduce attendees to TJS juices and nut milks with a complimentary juice tasting . It’s our way of giving back to the hive that serves us so well while letting our bees beehind the counter vegucate folks about our products.

How To Book

Easy-peasy: St. Rose is avail on a first-come, first-served basis by calling District Manager Amber Cariker at Amber Cariker 702.325.0965.

(While we’re at it, know what else you can book for January 2018…or February or March? Call our Henderson location at: 702.979.9803 or our Summerlin location at: 702.476.9800.)

 

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Menu Update: New You? Noö Nectar.

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“Nature meets neuroscience” is the party line from the noöest menu item The Juice Standard is offering for the way it’s designed to increase cognitive function, nudge neurological synapses and boost energy so we can bee the creative machines we were meant to be! (Or at the very least, to live-work-play-parent like the badasses we are with energy left to spare.)

Noö Nectar contains a combination of carefully curated brain enhancers—”nootropics“—to help the body operate optimally. Specifically, these four key neurotransmitters (plus a lot of other stuff):

  • Dopamine
  • Norepinephrine
  • Epinephrine
  • Acetylcholine

It’s important to note that a big component to the nectar’s mix includes a mass amount of vitamin Bs. If you’re noö to liquid Bs, be aware that high doses of ’em can lead to some pretty immediate skin flushing, tingling, itching, or nausea if they’re taken on an empty stomach. And while the Noö Nectar recommendation is to ingest on an empty tum-tum, you might need to fill your belly with food, first.

The potion is delivered via a 1.7-ounce bottle that’s meant to be split into two swigs a day (though some folks who are noö to noötropics may do better spreading a bottle across two days).

At TJS we’re selling this $5/shot (Remember: One shot can be a two-day dose if that better suits your system.)

Bees, if you glean nothing else from this little update, simply do this: Run from fakemeout vitamin and biohacking boosters and toward this noö treat at our stores.

(And for the record, this “noö” spelling stuff doesn’t get old. In fact it’s noö. Soooo very noö.) Wink.

 

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Friends Who Juice: LeAndria Holliday

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Before you bees even ask, no, we did NOT feature LeAndria Holliday in December beecause her name is crazy coincidental with the reason for the season. But it’s a nice bonus.

Instead, we featured her beecuase TJS District Manager Amber Cariker knows this beeautiful beauty for her daily visits to The Rose; her stellar smile and attitude; annnnd all those daily visits to The Rose…as in, Holliday buys juice and nut milk from TJS on the reg.

Committed to a healthy diet that gives her the proverbial juice to fuel her brainy work as a credit consultant with Financial Education Services, Holliday is as passionate about steering people down a healthy financial path as she is getting folks on board with cold-pressed you-know-what.

Wholehearted, positive, and decidedly hooked on buying not making juice (#nojudgmentgirl), bees like Holliday give TJS all the feels about pressing the best stuff we can at this festive—daresay holliday—time of year and all year ’round.

Meet LeAndria.

All About LeAndria

I’ve lived in Las Vegas since…I was born. 😉

I can remember when I decided I wanted to start my adult life here. It was the year…1990: When I was born. (Haha!)

In my experience, the biggest misconception about living in Las Vegas is… that the only entertainment is on the Las Vegas Strip. There is fun in a lot of local areas, as well.

The thing I secretly (or not-so-secretly) love most about living here is… that there are actually so many things to do locally in Las Vegas besides going to the Strip. (Shhh: Don’t tell the tourists!)

If I had to pick a daily mantra or a quote I try to live by, it would be…“All progress takes place outside of your comfort zone.” I feel this is important simply because without taking the first step you have no idea how things will turn out.

A favorite Vegas spot that never gets old to me is… The Juice Standard. (Did you have to ask?)

If I had to pick a theme song for my life it would be… Eminem’s Phenomenal. Whether I’m going to the gym or no matter what mood I’m, in this song makes me feel INVINCIBLE.

As a grown up, I work with numbers; but when I was a little girl, when I grew up I wanted to be…a talk show host.

People who inspire me every day are…Les Brown and Tony Robbins.

…and the way they inspire me is this: Their drive and motivation are out of this world! [So is the] way they can confidently speak and move an entire room with their words.

Something people would be surprised to know about me is…I’m all about progression and working. I sometimes forget to have fun.

My favorite way to volunteer or to give back to my community is…feeding the homeless at shelters here in Las Vegas.

About LeAndria’s Work

When people ask me about the kind of work I do, this is what I tell them: I help and consult others with fixing their credit reports.

LeAndria Holliday credits juice for giving her the energy and health to do the work she loves. (Credit. Heh. See what we did there? We drink juice, too.)

What prompted me to go into finance was… I felt credit is something everybody needs, and so many are still misinformed on how it works, how to make it better and how to maintain it. Through this job I am able to help and inspire others.

My first business mentor was…James Hsu.

…and this is what I learned from him: He taught me how to learn who I am; [choose] what I wanted to do; and become a successful entrepreneur!

The most surprising thing I’ve learned about myself through my work is… I absolutely love meeting new people! And I talk a lot so the fact that I could be a chatterbox and still help other makes me thrive!

…and, the thing I’m most proud of is… I have a job where I can travel and see new people and places all the time.

True or false: If you’re bad at math, you won’t be good with a budget. FALSE. Anyone can stick to a budget if they really want to. Just need a little discipline and something that motivates to stick with it.

The best financial advice I received as a young woman was…invest in something…but don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

The advice I’d give my younger work self is…to RELAX. Be anxious for nothing.

My advice to someone who feels like they’re inherently bad with money is this: “Fail to plan. Plan to fail.” Look and see where your money is going. Draw up a realistic budget you’re comfortable with and you’ll see that you’ll be ahead of your money in no time.

The new years’ words of encouragement I’d give someone who is looking to get their financial house in order in 2018 are these: It’s never too late to start! No matter how bad you think your situation is, it’s never too late to start over and turn your life around.

About LeAndria and Health in Las Vegas

In my opinion, the biggest change in Las Vegas’ healthy-living scene in the last few years has been…Juice! I feel more people now are looking for healthy alternative outside of the Dr’s office. Juice taste great and its also an prevention method to get your daily nutrition in.

No matter how busy I get at work, this is what I do to make sure I eat well during the week: I’m always conscious about what I’m eating. I usually Plan ahead or meal prep.

The fruit(s) or vegetable(s) you’ll always find in my kitchen are…avocado, PINEAPPLE and lemon.

My don’t-even-think-about-judging-me-guilty-pleasure food is…a Honey Natado, exxxxtra honey please. There was a time where I was drinking this every day! Whew. Luckily, The Juice Standard is a judge-free zone.

The health habit that gets me teased the most is…drinking juice! But I love it. And I am always advocating the goodness it brings to your health. Some people just see it as salad in a bottle but it’s so much more than that.

LeAndria on Juice

The person who introduced me to cold-pressed juice was…The Juice Standard. In the beginning, when the store first opened, I got a BEE MAGNIFICENT every day and didn’t even look at the juices. I only cared about what was sweet…until one day I tried a BEE ON POINT. And I said, “Hey I can do this! This is YUM!” And from then on I would still get the nut milk but also a juice to start my day.

The first time I drank green juice, I thought it was…great! It shocked me because, naturally, you’re like: “If it’s healthy it doesn’t taste so good.” But I was definitely in for a surprise.

The reason I drink cold-pressed juice today is because…it’s adding more value to my life and it taste great.

This is how I incorporate cold-pressed juice into my lifestyle: Except for when I’m traveling, I literally go to The Juice Standard every day. (Yes: Every day.) I feel the company does the hard part for you and it’s already bottled up and ready to drink.

Yes or No: “I love juice so much I make it at home.” NOOOOOO! (LOL) I tried making it a couple times at home but it was a disaster. I found carrot purée everywhere in my kitchen.

True or false: “Making juice at home is a royal pain in the tail.” False. But it definitely requires time and patience sent from the Juice Gods. 😉

The reason I like TJS’s cold-pressed juice is because…they are very dense in nutrients. The company knows the perfect combo of fruits and veggies to make it taste AMAZING.

My advice to a newbee juicer is…don’t give up. Your palate is most likely used to high carbs and processed food. Once your palate is re-set, cold-pressed juice tastes like a dream!

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Juice Hack: Mock That Toddy

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Admit it: Sometimes during the holidays you wish five-o-clock-somewhere was around 10 a.m.

S’okay. We do, too.

For when all of us just hafta, hafta adult hard—when daydrinking wouldn’t bring us anywhere but down, or for when we happied our hours too hard and need a kinder, gentler hair of the dog—The Juice Standard’s Co-Founder and COO Marcella Williams gives you a fantastic spirits-free spin on a classic.

The hot toddy is a known cocktail cure-all for cold and flu symptoms thanks to its ingredients that mimic (and in some cases mirror) the stuff in over-the-counter meds…but with hella more taste and way less dye. But the toddy’s also a delicious cold-night sipper. Or on any night. And despite not having the whisky, bourbon or rye that makes a hot toddy all that and more, this recipe’ll do the trick.

All you need is…

  • The Juice Standard’s Bee Royal (roughly 8 ounces)
  • Splash of raw apple cider vinegar (roughly 1 ounce)
  • Pinch of cinnamon (roughly 1/8 teaspoon or half that, pending your taste for it)
  • A stove-safe pot or microwave-safe mug

We like stirring our potions on the stove so we can better control the heat, but a microwave will do. Just stir it every now and then so the cinnamon doesn’t clump.

As we’ve said before, our bees beehind the counter are so damn crafty, it’s a rare day that our juices or nutmilks are only used in one way. We’re always thinking of new thises and thats…which is why we wholly support hacking any and all our menu offerings so you can get the most from your purchases…no matter when you buy (or sip). Or, what time of day. #BeecuaseNoJudgment.

Got some hacks of your own? Email ’em to info@juicestandard.com and TJS’ Content Director, Jen Chase, will be happy to share ’em on our social channels (once we test them…natch). As for our hacks, we’ll be adding them in dribs and drabs to our own social media and right there on these pages. Keep an eye out so your belly will be satisfied.

#ThinkOutsideTheBottle

Ingredient Spotlight: Pumpkin Is Not The New Black

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We’re a few days past Halloween’s sweetness and that means only one thing: With Thanksgiving on approach and December holidays close behind, the food world’s officially drenched in pumpkin and the orangey, spicy forecast ain’t changing soon.

Does that bring glee to your pumpkin-lovin’ heart or is your palate on squash overload? If you thought cold-pressed juices were safe from flavors of da-spice, you’re wrong: At The Juice Standard, we get psyched each fall for the return of a few pumpkin-spicy menu treats (which you can read about here). But unlike lots of other p-based products on the market, when we say our sumpin’ sumpins have pumpkin, we really use pumpkin. As in, real 100 percent organic pumpkin puree.

The ingredients in our Harvest Spice Bee Invincible make for one kickin’ pumpkin latte thanks to our not-so-secret ingredient: Real, honestagoodness pumpkin. (Photo courtesy of TJS Kitchen Supervisor Giselle Caceres and Bee Grace Rincon)

Here’s why: Aside from being a dependable holiday flave in everything from coffee to ice cream, pumpkin’s one of the world’s oldest members of the produce family, dating to when Colonists were introduced to it after arriving in America (thank you, Native Americans). All it took was that first Thanksgiving to fall in love in love with its fleshy orange insides, and by the end of the century—when Colonists chatted up alllll the pumpkiny fun they’d have making pies and lattes standing strong with their new BFFs for their every joint-Thanksgiving to come (sorry, Native Americans)—pumpkin became the First Fruit of the New World. Right along with the corn we stole were gifted by our new friends.

Food history lesson aside, we use pumpkin because it tastes good. And, beecause…

  • vitamins A and C (for peepers and immunity)

  • beta carotene (also good for peepers)

  • fiber (for digestion and weight loss)

  • low-cal (49 per cup)

  • phytosterols (in the seeds, which reduces bad cholesterol)

  • carenotoids (for pretty skin)

  • troptophan (an amino acid that helps your gut produce smile-inducing seratonin)

  • potassium (more than a ‘nana; way less sugar)

Moral? Like we said in this month’s inbox e-newsie, maybe we oughtta cut pumpkin some slack and not whine so loud when the industry goes a little cray by adding it to anything that’s edible. It’s the foundation of Thanksgiving, after all, and dang if it cures a lot of what might ail you. We should show respect, and not just in November.

(And we know just where you can start….)

#KnowPumpkinKnowThanksgivingNoPumpkinNoThanksgiving

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Menu Madness: Seasonal Specials (Plus Some Swoony Weeklies)

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Thanks to viewers like you who keep our seasonal standbys returning, faves like our pumpkiny Harvest Spice Bee Invincible is a welcomed repeat, year after year. But the brainpower of our Executive Chef David Suppe has brought us something else new that’s helping us anticipate the weekend even more than usual.

The Juice Standard’s new Weekend Specials are one-off recipes available at our neighborhood stores (The Hive on Ft. Apache near Summerlin, and The Rose on St. Rose Parkway in Henderson). Designed to delight, these treats are Chef’s way of keeping our menu even fresher than it already is, by injecting some serendipity into our tried-and-true menu.

On weekends of recent past we’ve welcomed the Bee Thankful (velvety pumpkin and cashew nut milk served over ice and with the seasonal spices Chef knows you love); the Bee Churro Invincible (dates, honey, cinnamon, vanilla, espresso, MCT oil, coconut oil/ghee, love); and the Bee Fearless (as our clever Chef put it, “a frightfully delicious spicy-savory cilantro and lime juice”).

If they sound good and you want in, here’s the trick: Buy early and buy often, beecause once product runs out each weekend, that’s all, folks. So starting at 7 a.m., head over to see what the new weekend fuss is all about. And if you want to learn what’s on tap (er, in the press?), check out TJS’s Facebook page on Fridays where there’s bound to bee a mention of what’s to come that weekend.

#ItTakesAHiveToBeThisJive

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TJS News: Getting To Know Us

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In the last few months we’ve had a lot of new faces join The Juice Standard’s managerial and leadership team. And with some 4,000 bees getting our monthly e-newsie and thousands more following TJS content on social, over the next few issues we’ll bee introducing you to the folks you see beehind our counters…in some cases, ones you may never lay eyes on but you’ll sure taste what they have to offer.

So for a little something old and something new, we’re shining on the people who make us proud to bee a company that loves its employbees as much as we love the products they diligently prepare, serve and sell.

David Suppe, Executive Chef

August 2017

David Suppe, The Juice Standard’s executive chef, started concocting juicy goodness for us back in August…but it cheffery his first love? Inquiring minds.

What’s your role at TJS? I oversee all back-of-house operations and

procedures.

What was it about TJS that made you want to work with us? I was drawn to TJS due to it being a smaller company, and creating a great product. for great reasons.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job? Knowing I am making a difference, and aiding in the advancement of this company.

What was your favorite fruit/veggie when you were the age you were in the photo you sent us? I was about 3 years old in that photo, and I loved corn and green grapes.

Today, what fruit/veggie is your kitchen never without? Potatoes and pineapple.

What’s your favorite TJS juice or nut milk? Hard to say as all of them have such unique characteristics and qualities. If I had to choose, I would have to say Bee Energized (this week at least).

(Truth be told…it is one of the new items being created but I can’t speak about that at this time!)  #tease

What advice would you give to a juice-fasting newbie, based on the info you know about TJS, juicing, and the health benefits that come from flooding your bod with goodness? My advice would be to give it a 100-percent buy-in. It’s amazing to experience what benefits this product has to offer.

Stephanie Saccucci, Assistant Manager, Buzz (at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas)

August 2017

Stephanie, age 2, and her brother, who Stephanie says is still her bestie. (Awww!)

What’s your role at TJS? My role has been to inspire and motivate the team to uphold the high standards of the company, as well as to be alongside the staff and help them grow and develop the skills required to help them be their best at The Juice Standard.

What drew you to TJS? I was very excited to find TJS! I have always loved eating healthy but the piece I was missing was the vegu-cation. I am very excited to learn about the functions of the juices and the benefits to the body and to help pass that on to others.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job? It feels amazing to be a part of people’s “lightbulb” moments daily…where people can learn something they did not know before. Customers can learn something that can really change their health and life, and that’s amazing!

What was your favorite fruit/veggie when you were the age you were in the photo you sent us? Sweet potatoes!

Today, what fruit/veggie is your kitchen never without? Avocados!

What’s your favorite TJS juice or nut milk? Bee On point. SO good! I love how balanced it is for your nutrition and it tastes amazing. I also love the radish in the finish.

What advice would you give to a juice-fasting newbie, based on the info you know about TJS, juicing, and the health benefits that come from flooding your bod with goodness? I would suggest to start slow. I have detoxes before from things like caffeine or sugar, and the headaches are crazy! So I would say get your body ready by slowly cutting back on those things leading up to a juice fast.

Also, make sure to start the morning (especially in cooler months) with warm water with lemon! And then drink warm water or tea throughout the day to help curb appetite (lemon is great for that). Hydrating is important during a fast but I’d say warm water is also important.

Also, make sure to include green juices! If you can do a green fast, do it. There are such tremendous things found in green juices that are not in the others…like protein (there are 13 grams in Bee Resilient!). So go green if you can.

Ben Ream, Store Manager (St. Rose location)

October 2015

Ben Ream, the green bean. At age 6 he was already forecasting his love of all-things leafy (even if he was a picky kid!).

What’s your role at TJS? I have worn a few hats during my time with The Juice Standard. I started as a front-of-house bee and was then promoted to a supervisor (“Superbee”); and then, on to my current role of store manager. I am a working manager, meaning I spend the majority of my time behind the counter, side by side with my team…and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

What drew you to TJS? Health, nutrition and fitness have been my passions for over 10 years and I love to help people improve their lives in these areas. I worked in surgery for years before this and never got the satisfaction of helping people quite like I do here, mostly because I get to see the continual progress that our customers make toward reaching their health goals.

What’s the most rewarding part of your job? Hearing customers’ stories of life-changing benefits they’ve received from incorporating our products into their lives.

What was your favorite fruit/veggie when you were the age you were in the photo you sent us? As a child I was incredibly picky and didn’t like most veggies and only some fruits so I would have to say cherries.

Today, what fruit/veggie is your kitchen never without? Any kind of leafy greens.

What’s your favorite TJS juice or nut milk? It’s very hard to pick a favorite from our bounty of amazing juices, so I’ll pick two: Bee Resilient and Bee On Point, because of their ingredient profile and nutrient density.

What advice would you give to a juice-fasting newbie, based on the info you know about TJS, juicing, and the health benefits that come from flooding your bod with goodness? Go all in and commit to a three-day fast! Know the first day will be a struggle, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel and your body will love you for it.

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TJS Juice Hacks: Hacks Are Where It’s At

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#ThinkOutsideTheBottle

Honestly? That’s what we want you to do. To think outside the box, er bottle. #RethinkWhatYouDrink. Take what you know about TJS products and deconstruct them juuuuust a little…Singleton by Singleton. Sip by sip.

Beecause a hack-is-a-hack-is-a-hack. And a hack (as we ‘splained in our cray-informative feature last month) is something you do in an effort to improve something…even if that “something” is you. You usually drink something cold? Warm it up! Steam it! Or do the reverse and order that Bee Invincible or Raw Cacao Mocha, throw it in the fridge and enjoy an icy treat whenever you’re ready.

Honestly, the possibilities are endless. But for this month’s purposes, we’re starting easy with a hack that anyone with a microwave (or a saucepan) can do…

Bee Royal Gets The Royal Treatment

Bee Royal. So much more than a cold, cold-pressed juice.

For as long as we can remember we’ve been lovin’ on the versatility of our Bee Royal.

Made from three delicious little ingredients—apple, lemon and extra ginger (and, yes: the Southern Nevada Health Department made us say “extra” since Royal’s got so much of-a da-spice…)—while this baby’s scrumptious cold, from the get-go, our bees have been…

• Heating this one up during cold-and-flu season

• Steaming it for a delicious non-caffeine warmer-upper drink, any time of year; and…

• Using it as a mixer in upleveled cocktails.

It’s a rare day that any of our juices or nutmilks are only used in one way. That’s why we wholly support hacking any and all of our offerings so you can get the most out of your purchases…not matter what time of year you buy (or sip).

Got some hacks of your own? We’ll be adding these in dribs and drabs to our social media and right there on these pages, so keep an eye out so your belly will be satisfied.

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TJS Events: Where We At

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If you follow us on Facebook here and Insta here, you see that there are in fact days when “minding the store” means hitting the pavement outside our three locations so we can better bring our product to you.

We get things added to our calendars all the time since TJS’s District Manager is a blonde-little hound when it comes to sniffing out excellent opportunities to share our juices with you. But for what’s on tap this month so far (and, for the very beginning of November) we bring you a snippet of old and a sneak peek at new things to keep on your juicy radar.

On Saturday 30 September, TJS was honored to join the Las Vegas VegFest in its quest to present healthy lifestyle options to folks interested in biohacking their systems toward supreme wellness thanks to a plant-based diet. (And if biohacking is a new term for you, learn a little more about it by clicking here on our feature from last month.)

Our bee, Angela, did a beeautiful job representing us at last week’s Las Vegas VegFest.

One of our beeautiful bees, Angela, represented the company with this bountiful table filled with vegu-cation about our products, juice fasts, and  by our very own district manager Amber Cariker.

We’ll have tons of info; the event is free; and we’ll even bee handing out coupons for product! So if you were gonna head over, find us! As always we’d love nothing more than to meet the very bees who support us (…and that means you!).

 

You, too, can look this glowy if you do some learnin’ with Integrative Aesthetics’ Jenna Kent.

Calling all licensed aestheticians (and you aestheticians-in-training, too)! On Oct. 25 at our St. Rose location, local aesthetician and owner of Integrative Aesthetics, Jenna Kent, is coordinating a meet up of like-minded industry professionals, interested in…

  • Learning on-point topics about their field (i.e., handling late clients and no-shows);
  • Hearing about new treatments;
  • Understanding how juice helps skin; and more.

Please note that this event is specifically for aestheticians. Does that mean you? Go ahead and learn more about it (and sign up/RSVP, too) by clicking on the Eventbrite link right here. Also note that for the lucky ducks attending, The Juice Standard will be serving up sips and snacks. You know. To keep you alert as you do all that learnin’.

Finally, a heads-up about November: This year the time change is Sunday, Nov. 5, which means you get an extra hour of shut eye; an extra hour to party; or an extra hour to drink juice. It also means our hours will be a-falling back as we tuck in for the start of Las Vegas’s true fall and winter. Closer to the time we’ll remind on our socials that the neighborhood stores will closer a little earlier on Sundays.

Note: We just love to collaborate! Got an event that might jive with our mission of promoting WHealth™ and wellness? Hit us up at info@juicestandard.com and someone from our end will reach out to someone on your end to see if we can make some magic happen.

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Vegucation 101: Biohacking Defined

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Biohacking is a techie term referring to the ways we can all tweak the best parts of ourselves (or, improve areas that need improving!). The beauty of it? Different tweaks to our diet, sleep and exercise can be tested based on our individual needs with the endgame goal that’s usually the same for all of us: total WHealth™.

Clear mind. Lithe body. Springy step.

Sound like feelings you’d like to reclaim from your youth? Or maybe you’re already one fly young buck who has time on their side but not a healthy constitution. 

Honestly, it matters not why you want to get WHealthy™ since we’re here to say there’s a proverbial “app” for that…or rather, a “hack.” And it’s called biohacking.

Heard much about biohacking lately? Probably, since it feels like everyone and their doctor’s bruh has something they’re testing on themselves to improve their health. If biohacking is bio-new to you, in simplest terms, it’s kinda like conducting your very own DIY biology experiment, where you, your bod and your diet are the control for testing health-improvement tactics in the name of feeling better, shining brighter and living longer (read: healthier!). 

In recent history, one of the foremost health-crazed biohackers has been Dave Asprey…basically, the Godfather of Bulletpoof Coffee™. (Shameless plug: If you like your coffee all buttered up…must try ours.)

In The Juice Standard’s world, biohacking is incredibly significant since it’s at the core of what we do when we help our Fanbees to fast using scrumptious, cold-pressed juice made from the freshest 100 percent organic produce we can get our hands on. But in the true spirit of biohacking, even the concept of fasting goes beyond simply lowering your calorie intake.

“You are what you eat” is an old adage that rings true today…but more than being the sum total of every bite you put in your mouth, eating smartly in today’s world isn’t always about what you eat… it’s also about when you eat. And if poor eating habits or a maddening sluggish digestive system have ever reared their ugly heads in your world, science says that the simple act of fasting is having far more of an impact on our health than simply making it easier to drop a few quick pounds of water weight.

The Juice Standard’s Green Fast can be great tool for folks dabbling in daily intermittent fasting (or, intermittent fasting two days a week). Its carefully combined juices deliver everything you need to give your digestion a hard-earned break. And kinda like feeding cars the high-test stuff, bennies include increased energy, glowy skin and a re-calibrated system.

Fasting is helping people live longer, better and healthier lives. Fasting can also be a lifelong tool in nearly everyone’s healthy toolbox—a “biohack,” as we mentioned earlier—for making sure our bodies are always working in the most primo way possible…from our joints and muscles right down (or up!) to our brain health and cognitive function

How does restricting when we eat make a difference on health? It’s something called “Intermittent energy restriction” or “intermittent fasting.”

According to many health professionals here in the United States and in the United Kingdom (which is where much of this research was first conducted and written about), intermittent fasting—often called “IF”— can help contribute to our improved brain health when we restrict calorie intake to set times of the day. And by set times, health professionals recommend fasting for 16 hours—basically, from your nighttime meal through to your first meal the next day around lunchtime—or, by limiting calorie intake to 500 or 600 calories for two days each week while eating 100 percent normally for the other five days.


Why does this method of fasting help with our longevity?

Similar to how weightlifting exhausts our muscles and causes them to shred and stretch before growing back harder-faster-stronger, when we push our bodies and cells to the edge of what they can handle—in a controlled way, mind you—our biological systems strengthen and learn to handle daily stressors so much better. By fasting, we are actually able to grow and improve our brain function. And frankly, that’s something that many doctors wouldn’t have believed even 10 or 15 years ago. And when cold-pressed juice (preferably vegetable juice, since it is much lower in sugar than fruit-centric recipes) is a part of someone’s IF regimen, whether you drink only juice for two days each week or you incorporate the greenest juice you can stomach for even just one meal during your day’s proverbial “eight hours of eating,” there’s no better way to flood your bod with the nutrients you need to think clearly, move swiftly, and live your healthiest life.

So if your life goals include things like…

1) Increased energy
2) Mental clarity
3) Eliminating food cravings
4) Achieving your body’s natural weight
5) Mood enhancement
6) Longevity

…our fave way to push our body’s cells toward wellness is with the greenest, most low-sugar juice we can get our lips on.

Fasting has been a game changer for a lot of people, but don’t take our word for it. Do your own research. Biohack away! See how good you can feel by replacing a few meals each week with green juice, or even by drinking only juice a few days each week. We think you’ll see, that fasting for any duration is a biohack you can live with…for a long, long time.

Friends Who Juice: Carrie Stamps

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Meet Carrie Stamps.

It’s hard to cry that summer’s gone since the season brought The Juice Standard a gift that’ll keep on giving for a long, long time.

Carrie Stamps joined TJS as a seamless addition to the leadership team by sharing her education, insight, intuition, and creativity as the company’s new creative director. Tasked with maintaining the handiwork of her predecessor while injecting the brand’s visual presence with her own sense of fun, if there’s something we’re learning about Stamps is that her can-do attitude is rooted in balance.

She comes by it naturally: Schooled in architecture and raised amid some good ol’ sing-songy Southern gentility, this bold little lady is as deft at identifying the facets of what makes something beautiful as she is talking about them. (See? #Balance.) Like her work with TJS, her graphic design consultancy, Scaled Design Studio, (named for something that sounds #balanced), Stamps gives visual voice to her clients’ presence of choice. And amid the happy madness of her work, she willingly dedicates 4 percent of her every day to the betterment of her bestness (…and, maybe because she’s #HookedOnStroopwafels).

((#BalanceRulesHerDay)

So now, whenever you see something about the brand that makes your wings go aflutter, you can know whose handiwork it is. We’re so proud to have this kind spirit bee a part of our team.

Meet Carrie Stamps.

ALL ABOUT CARRIE

I’ve lived in Las Vegas since… 11.11.11. Almost 6 years! And eleven just happens to be my favorite number.

Before I was a Vegas gal, I grew up in… Music City USA: Nashville, Tennessee!

Stamps and her beloved furbuddy, Meatball.

The biggest lifestyle difference between my growing up in Nashville and living in Las Vegas is… the pace of life. There’s an ease about the South. I have grown to appreciate the high energy and faster pace (hustle) of Vegas, but it was definitely an adjustment!

In my experience, the biggest misconception people have about my living in Las Vegas is… I don’t live in a hotel, I don’t go to nightclubs nightly and I don’t gamble (often)!

The thing I secretly (or not-so-secretly) love most about living here is… the sunsets! The colors and patterns are truly spectacular.

If I had to pick a daily mantra or a quote I try to live by, it would be… The Golden Rule: “Treat others how you want to be treated.” If everyone embraced kindness and respect a little more, we could make this world a more beautiful place.

A favorite Vegas spot that never gets old is… Ohh, geez. Just one?! Red Rock Canyon, Chandelier Bar (for guests) or my backyard.

If I had to pick a theme song for my life it would be… Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys. It’s about finding your own inner freedom and strength and channeling it in a way you’ve never tried before. It’s about claiming your power, living your passion and shining your light.

From Stamps’ trip to Tel Aviv.

This is how I like to spend my free time: Exploring! Local or foreign, I love experiencing new cultures and getting (semi) lost in unknown places. This spring I visited Israel for the first time…WOW! Next week, I’m headed to Europe for my first SOLO adventure…EEK! When I’m home, I volunteer quite a bit of my time with the Junior League of Las Vegas. Whether we are packing school lunches or Thanksgiving meals for needy families, tending vegetable gardens at local schools, supporting LV’s homeless youth population or training our members with new skill sets, all of it feeds the soul.

Any advice on how others can help give back to the community? Volunteer your time! There are so many wonderful non-profit organizations here in the community that need your help. Most of them rely on volunteers. Three Square always offers food packing events. HELP of Southern Nevada just opened the new Shannon West Homeless Youth Center and are always looking for enriching training opportunities or activities for the youth.

Something important I’d want folks to know about my friends and family is… they mean the world to me. Vegas didn’t feel like home until I had my tribe. I’m so thankful each of them are in my life and I’m ever so grateful for their laughs, advice, inspiration, support and encouragement. I only hope I do the same for them.

CARRIE ON WORK

Fun is something Stamps reminds herself to enjoy erryday. We should, too.

I work for The Juice Standard. My title is Creative Director and when people ask me what I do, this is what I say: the FuN stuff!

What appealed to me about working with TJS was… the ability to creatively spread the WHealth™ of knowledge and health benefits of juicing.

It’s only been a few months but (so far) the most exciting part about my TJS job is… getting to work with unBEElievable women. Each of them are extraordinary in their respective fields, and there is a massive amount of love, respect and kindness between the leadership team. I believe company culture starts at the top and filters throughout. I think that’s why TJS makes such great products.

Believe it or not, TJS isn’t my only gig. I also do this: I’ve owned Scaled Design Studio since 2013.

What inspired me to go into this field was… the ability to empower people to live their truth, make their dreams reality and start their own businesses. Ever since I was little, I’ve always loved to design and create. My background is architecture, and believe me, there is something pretty special about designing a building and seeing how individuals live in/interact with the spaces you created. However, I found graphic design to be much more fulfilling. Now, I have the opportunity to create identities, branding and websites for people and their passions/businesses. In the digital world, I help shape the public faces for these ventures, and it’s extremely rewarding to see them thrive.

Best thing I’ve heard a customer say about TJS juice is… that it’s “life-changing.” Some of our customers’ health journeys are truly inspiring. You can read about many of them here on thehumblebee.com.

The advice I’d give my younger work self is… don’t hesitate. I thought I had to do the school and get the experience BEFORE I followed my dreams of starting my own company. There isn’t a rule book or a specific path you have to follow. If you feel passionately about something, DO IT. Don’t think twice.

As my own #girlboss, one worky thing I try to remind myself daily is… have fun. Take risks. Set goals. Make time for play. And work your ass off.

CARRIE ON HEALTH IN LAS VEGAS

Stamps, gettin’ her peace on in Hawaii.

In my opinion, the biggest change in Las Vegas’ healthy-living scene in the last few years has been… finally, more healthy options!

No matter how busy I get at work, this is what I do to make sure I eat well during the week: Exercise! It keeps my cravings in check. I exercise at least one hour a day (only 4% of your day), so I like switching up the workouts to keep it interesting.

The fruit(s) or vegetable(s) you’ll always find in my kitchen are… AVOCADOS, apples, berries, carrots, kale, spinach, lemons, tomatoes, garlic, fresh ginger, and fresh turmeric.

My don’t-even-think-about-judging-me-guilty-pleasure food is… manchego cheese or stroopwafels direct from Amsterdam. Just not together! Gross.

(Thanks bee to you, Wikipedia, for reminding us what these bad boys look like. Yumma.)

CARRIE ON JUICE

What introduced me to cold-pressed juice was… the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead (2010).

The first time I drank green juice, I thought it tasted like… grass.

The reason I started drinking cold-pressed juice was because… I noticed a significant difference in my energy levels, immune system and complexion.

The reason I kept drinking cold-pressed juice was because… I knew the health benefits and FINALLY found some great recipes that don’t taste like a lawnmower. Besides: I think your tastebuds adjust and now I LOVE the taste of green juice. The greener the taste, the better!

True or False: “Making juice at home is a royal pain in the tail.” If I said False, I’d be lying. That’s why I grab 6-packs from TJS!

True or False: “A ginormous perk of my job is free juice.”  Wait, we get free juice?!?!

[Ed. note: Somebody get this girl some juice.]

The reason I like TJS’s cold-pressed juice is… because, the flavors! Honey, our bees know what they’re doing. My personal favorites: Bee WHealthy™, Bee Chill, Bee Vibrant, and Bee Excellent.

My advice to a newbee juicer is… try at least six to start. Everyone has different taste, so you’ll find one (or more) that you love. I promise.

TJS Editorial: Coupling (With Kids) The Second Time Around

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What happens when you and your Exceptional Other aren’t the only considerations in your blossoming relationship? When your one-plus-one equals an immediate four (or five, if you count the on-the-periphery parent that helped make yours or your love’s children possible)?  

When it comes to coupling the second time around even simple math can be tricky math…but it doesn’t have to be. Especially if we’re willing to lean on the openhearted bees in our hives who are equally willing to share their been-there-done-that-and-here’s-how-to-nail-it perspectives.

So in the spirit of this, our back-to-school issue (#FallIsTheNewNewYearAfterAll) comes a narrative from TJS Content Director Jen Chase that might not have been possible without TJS Co-Founder Marcella Williams’ gorgeous advice in her June editorial on blended families.

Jen Chase, Jen Chase’s right hand, and the left side of Parker Corwin’s cheek. Kind of.

Two weeks ago, I posted that pic of my love Parker and me on Facebook with the following caption:

Who could’ve known that glances across a college acappella stage would lead to the love of my life. Anyone who questions life’s inexplicable tribulations: This.

(And since hashtags make me laugh…)

#WhatLoveLooksLike
#FinallyLivingOutLoud
#HeMakesTheBestEggs
#IAmTheLuckiest
#NotEngagedSoStopItGirls

As a stand-alone post it was a far cry from earth-shattering. Or so I thought. In my short 3 years on Facebook I’ve seen lots of folks post endearing pics of their significant others. At face value, I didn’t think mine would seem so special.

But it was.

…Far too busy figuring out how to say we were public, neither of us changed our status. Irony, oversight or totally unnecessary? Inquiring minds wanna know….

It was, because just as I’d carefully tappa-tap-tapped out my post seated so paper-close to Parker you couldn’t have slipped a sheet of Dunder Mifflin between us, he thumbed his side of our story on his iPhone. And in the aftermath of digi-inking the carefully chosen words we read aloud to each other before becoming Facebook Official, we received a ton of likes and some of the kindest comments imaginable from friends and fam who supported this very public yet very technical announcement that we are in fact a couple.

(And.good.effing thing we went public when we did. Because being overshadowed? By these two overachievers? #CantCompeteWithJamKat.)

On the surface our pic looked like two goofs in love. But the reality behind the smiles and social media was that they represented nearly 20 months of balancing a relationship we’d kept on the down-low with some and out loud with others. The “others?” Folks we’d methodically chosen to unfurl our relationship with: mums, sisters, BFFs you can’t hide jack from, and a few who could tell at first blush that after our starts and stops with pivotal people in our former lives, we’d quite obviously found our personal holy grails.

Meeting the girls? Priceless.

But the “some” who’d had zero idea that Daddy was dating? Parker’s daughters, ages 8 and 5. And they’re the “some” who made our e-reveals so sweet, since we wrote them the night of the day Parker painstakingly curated as the day to say that while Jen’s fun in a pool, a sucker for a “spa day” and the maker of uplevelled almond milk…”she’s not my friend; she’s my girlfriend.”

While our future talks had been appropriately tempered with both #daydreaming and #HopeForTheBestPlanForTheWorsting (as only the formerly spoused, difficultly uncoupled can relate to), I’d been readying for my hopeful new role for a long time. From child development blogs and evil-doer step-parenting articles to my mind’s constant screening of Stepmom, being 42 and still (yet?) not having my own child has made me highly attuned to absorbing all I can about co-parenting kiddos who aren’t mine.

I’ve known I have the tools: former nanny; younger sis with several significant special needs. I dated a wonderful man with equally wonderful twins. I love children and  know my proverbial mommy gene runs hot. But it’s never run hotter than during this relationship with the man I show daily, somehow, some way, that I was put on this earth to love him, admire him, respect him, and care for him. And, for his kids.

The girls didn’t seem to care that I traveled with Daddy to visit their grandmother up in Vermont without their knowing…but if they knew we were with horses, in the woods in winter? Might be a different story. #WhatHappensInVTStaysInVT

Don’t gag. Like most grown-ass women little girls I’d fantasized about my future love. Wherever we went, harps were gonna play, haters were gonna hate and we were finally gonna hear what it sounds like when doves cry. It took about a decade of significant loss—a parent; a marriage; intimate friendships and relationships—but I was gifted. And he’s dreamy.

It didn’t take long to become hard AF to temper waiting to game out what I could already picture as our family-of-four’s future. That is, until the perspective of Marcella Williams.

(And for those who knew I’d get here eventually, thanks for sticking with.)

When I met Marcella in 2013 I admired her graceful juggle of life, independence, #mompreneurship, and deep commitment to motherhood. And like the attuned confidante she is, she listened and advised on the topics she could tell were important to me…suggesting I get tested to ensure me girly pipes are whistle-clean in case having a baby is in my future, and not to forget adoption and fostering. Yaknow. Just in case.

Marcella’s advice always insinuated that “knowledge is power,” and that partner or not, a woman’s future is in her own hands. When she learned Parker was my future and that he has two little girls, our convos deepened. A step-mum and a birth mum, she’s also helped her own step- and bio-kiddos navigate their relationship with their new step-mum, too. And when she spoke, I soaked in her best practices for navigating what one day would become my blended little family:

Be forgiving. Be thoughtful. Be grateful. Be respectful. Be kind. Be patient. 

Followed by be patient. And more be patient. 

You can actually read her editorial about blended families right here. I’ve read it, like, 20 times, because it typifies the kind of co-parent I want to be for and with Parker; for his girls; and alongside the girls’ mum whom I’ve yet to meet. And knowing I can only control my behavior, I feel deep peace in knowing that already in the young history of this growing foursome, Parker and I are committed to showering the girls with as much positivity as possible as we show them that the addition of someone in their life doesn’t subtract someone else. In fact, joy multiplies when we groan-ups remember those tenets above and kick our egos’ collective ass.

I’m beeyond grateful I have a true north for my step-parenting compass and that I received it from a beeautiful woman who was willing to open herself to help open me. Marcella is why I wanted to share this with you. You know. Just in case you need it. Because as we like to say around here at The TJS (wait for it), #ItTakesAHive.

When littletons take the camera you never know what you’ll find….

When littletons take the camera you never know what you’ll find…take two.

 

In the last 20 months, building a relationship with the love of my life and preparing to co-parent beside him has at times broken my heart as much as it filled it. Lots of stealth tears. Intimate eyelid kisses. Pep talks. Kajillions of texts and memes to pave the way for it all to start coming together. And like Game of Thrones and killer pour-overs—#thingsworththewait—the girls’ well being had to come before our ache to spend more time together. It took faith. Lotsa fucking faith. Faith that wasn’t about staying positive until there was an outcome, but staying positive no matter the outcome.

And for us, the outcome’s still a-coming! We still live an hour and twenty apart but are committed to “more time together than not.” We’re super conscious of everyone’s need for Daddy Time (and the occasionally requested time with me…*blush*). And, we’re striving to see all sitches from all angles since we won’t be the only two parents in the game. But in this world that, in my opinion, views openheartedness as weakness—where success often means being tough, tired, busy, and worst of all, just a little bit hangry to get.shit.done—we vow to project love, and meeting each one of us exactly where we’re at. I want the girls to see Parker and me navigate our relationship and our corporation of four with genuine lightness, positivity, patience, faith, and respect. I want them to see us touch. Laugh. Kiss. Be silly. Be willing to drop everything for each another as fast as we’d drop it for them. I want them to see that I unabashedly love them. And when they’re old enough, I want them to understand it’s hella easy for people to profess love from proverbial rooftops (and for lotsa folks that works, so no judgment, Hunnies); but that in Daddy’s case, his forever keeping their best interest in mind and my implicit trust in him was the best and only path for us…20 months of waiting or not.

So many core relationship values go unlearned until the ink’s long dried on a divorce decree. But if we can model love for our kids from the get-go so they may learn to apply, appreciate, give, and demand love and respect from their first coupling or marriage, not their second or third, we groan-ups have a shot at changing what love looks like. In our case, now that the girls know Parker and I are a team, they’re finally getting to see what I’ve known since my reconnecting with their father 18 years after we first met singing at Wheaton College (the one in Massachusetts): I was made for him, and he was made for me.

So were they.

#WhatLoveLooksLike

 

 

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A Story Worth Telling: News…From You.

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While we here at The Juice Standard sure love our buzzy mascot, we’re all about helping our human bees achieve their optimum sense of good: good WHealth™, good self…good stuff. Earlier in the year we launched a format called “A Story Worth Telling,” where we share our most favoritist, goodest interactions with you—our glorious bees—about you…our glorious bees.

Whether we hear ’em through TJS District Manager Amber Cariker and the TJS managers and beehind-the-counter bees she supports, or they come in here through our site, these snippets reveal stories from you and yours, and how you’re all so very willing to lean into cold-pressed juiceness as a potential holy grail of WHealth™.

(And we purposely say “potential” because people can get so damn itchy get about medical claims and all….)

Got some feedback of our own? Wanna #PayItForwardBees? Go to our website and share yer thoughts here at our comments page. Write TJS’s Content Director, Jen Chase, even. We’d all love to hear how we can better serve you…or simply hear some of your juicy love.

Love, TJS

INSPIRING STORY OF THE SUMMER

Hello.

I woke one morning passing blood to find out I had large kidney stones. I went to my doctor, where I also out also that my blood sugar was in the mid 300s.

I had also been told before by my doctor that I had Type-2 diabetes but I never did anything about it. I found myself falling asleep after eating and waking up not remember falling asleep, all due to high blood sugar. I was referred to The Juice Standard by a person I met at the dog park one evening, so the following morning I went to the location in Green Valley. I met a young man employed there name Ben, and he recommended that I drink greens. And I decided to do more of a master cleanse-type of cleanse with the greens.

I started out with five a day for the first five days, and then I dropped down to two a day. And I brought my blood sugar down from the mid 300s to 107 in around 2 weeks. I went to my doctor, and she said to continue doing what I was doing. I never took the Metformin she prescribed, and she said not to take it and instead, continue doing the cold-pressed juicing.

I want to thank the two owners of The Juice Standard, and Ben from the Green Valley store, for saving my life. I lost 36 pounds during my first 30 days and I’m continuing to feel better than I ever felt. My diabetes is gone, and my stage-3 kidney disease is gone. I have sent several friends there recently and they all can’t believe how good they feel when they drink cold-press juice.

Thank you again.
Kurt B.

COMPLIMENTS THAT MAKE US BEAM

Hi!

We recently visited your location at The Cosmopolitan and we can’t stop thinking about the delicious juice and the great experience we had. We live in San Diego and we would really like to be a part of your business. Are there any opportunities to assist you with opening The Juice Standard here?

Dawn L.

…Funny how a year ago I looked forward to going to Vegas to get drunk and party with my friends, now I look forward to the juice. Absolutely delicious!

Anonymous

AWESOME JUICES! DELICIOUS!!

YOU REALLY NEED TO HAVE ONE OF THESE PLACES IN THE BAY AREA!!

ASAP!

Anonymous

Is your juice available anywhere else in the country? I’m from TN and visited Las Vegas back in June. I can’t believe I paid $12 for a bottle of Bee Royal, but it was worth every penny. I crave it now and wish I could order a case of it.

Anonymous

TJS Events: Oh, The Places We’ll Go….

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Worker bees can’t stay in the hives all the time, right? Gotta get out there and spread #NewsYouCanUse about what we’re doing behind the scenes. So since all cold-press and no cold-play makes our bees super dull, we’ve got some outside events that’ll bring us closer to our greatest commodity: You.

Aug. 17, 2017

On this day, TJS will provide juice tastings and vegucation to some 300-400 attendees of the Healthy Body, Mind and Soul event at Mountaintop Faith Ministries’ three-day Women’s Conference, “Activate Your Power.” (You can learn more about it by clicking here.)

 

July 12, 2017

And as we rearview mirror to last month real quick…there was some happy TJS news to share when The Juice Standard was honored to accept TMG Entertainment’s 2017 Silver State Award for “Best Juice Bar.”

How’d we do it? Thousands of juicers had cast their votes among some pretty heavy-hittin’ juiceries, and we were grateful to have been grouped along with Juice NV, Pressed Juicery, Fruits and Roots, and Elevated Juice. And while there could only be one winner, we were super proud it was us.

But there was more to the story than just #TJSForTheWin.

If you’re familiar with our Facebook page (and seriously, Bees, you are, right?), we shared this story last month but it bears repeating.

Sophia working her business face with style with mum, Marcella Williams.

The night of the awards, TJS Co-Founder and COO Marcella Williams took a super special guest to accept the award on the company’s beehalf: her daughter, Sophia. And while the schmooze and schpiel factor was in overdrive—participants from across Nevada’s wellness community excitedly sharing their products and success stories with all who’d listen—a night that could’ve overwhelmed Miss Sophia and her first award event (!) turned her into a prideful, seasoned pro by night’s end as Momma Marcella watched her little girl blossom with each new person she met. And like a bee to blossoms, Sophia navigated each booth, table and rep with the grace of TJS’s very best worker bee…making her momma proud to watch Sophia’s confidence unfurl.

So, Bee Parents: Don’t underestimate the hidden beeauty in gently nudging your littleton outside their comfort zone. Confidence can be cultivated in the darndest of places…even at a red-carpet awards events, dressed in pretty purple frocks on their birthday. (Wink.)

Congrats, Sophia, for helping TJS add even more meaning to an award we’re proud of!

(And if you didn’t click on that Coldplay link way up above, this is why you should always click on TJS links:)

 

Friends Who Juice: Malik Hansbrough

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The numero uno compliment we hear from fanbees (after folks shine on our recipes, natch) is about our customer service…and if there’s a worker bee beehind the counter who takes his making-people-happy skillz cray serious, it’s this guy.

A Las Vegas native who chose to make the city his forever home (and yes, there’s a goodly lot), Malik Hansbrough has brought more than his youth and vibrancy to his post at The Juice Standard. Working both sides of the counter both making product and serving it, Hansbrough is a head-down hard worker… but this youngest of six sibs and longtime church volunteer really shines when his mission is working with customers…leading them (as he poetically puts it), “on a journey of delicious and organic fuel for the body.”

And the former green-juice face-maker now proselytizes more than just the morals he was raised with: Seeing juice as a path toward total wellness has helped Hansbrough change his old wicked dining ways. A  jokester who doesn’t hide the things that make him happy (Walmart’s really your fave place, Dude?), we here at TJS are grateful to have such a mindful, wholehearted bee in our corner to preach the good word of good health…which we all know is available to anyone and erryone, one Singleton at a time.

Praise bee to Malik. Meet him.

All About Malik

I’ve lived in Las Vegas since… July 7, 1993, because I was born here.

I can remember when I decided I wanted to start my adult life here. It was…the year 2011, directly after I finished high school

…and what appealed to me about living in Vegas was…the fact that this place is my home, and home is where the heart is. I could never see myself living anywhere else but good old Vegas.

In my experience, the biggest misconception about living in Las Vegas is…that we only have the Strip to offer. Somehow, tourists have the idea that all the citizens of Las Vegas live in one of the many hotels on the Strip.

The thing I secretly (or not-so-secretly) love most about living here is...the size of this place: It is very small, which is great on gas: Nothing is out of reach since you don’t have to drive more than 30 minutes to get anywhere in the city.

If I had to pick a daily mantra or a quote I try to live by, it would be...“Fear God and keep his commands.”

A favorite Vegas spot that never gets old is…Walmart. It has everything I could ever want in life and more.

If I had to pick a theme song for my life it would be…the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers theme song, without a moment’s hesitation.

Malik and his wife, heading toward some quality time with family. Sabbath is sacred to the Hansbroughs, and in today’s busy lifecycle, it’s an admirable time-out tradition they protect so they can focus on themselves, their family and their spirits. (Naturally they *must* drink juice on Sabbath, too, right? Say we’re right, Malik!)

A person who inspires me every day is…my wife. She is my best friend and she inspires me to be a better a version of myself each and every day.

The way she inspires me is…by not letting me make excuses. She holds me to my word on everything which has molded me into the person I am today.

Something people would be surprised to know about me is…I keep the Sabbath day every single week.

This is how I like to spend my free time: Preaching God’s word to any and all who give me the opportunity. I also like to play basketball with my brothers, and spend quality time with my immediate family and my wife.

The worst hack-job pronunciation of my name I’ve ever heard is…“Moo-Lake.” (I know, it’s terrible right?)

Malik On Work

I work for The Juice Standard. When people ask me what I do, this is how I explain my job: My job is to introduce people to the unknown side of eating healthy and living a healthy lifestyle. I take them on a journey of delicious organic and beautiful fuel for the body.

What appealed to me about working for TJS was...that I could be a vessel through which the extremely important knowledge of how to treat your body could be conveyed, and that I’d be able to create bonds with others through nutrition.

Since working for TJS, the most surprising thing I’ve learned about myself doing the job that I do is…how terrible my eating habits were. It was truly embarrassing.

The most exciting part about my job is…seeing people walk away happily educated and newly motivated to start a new journey in life…after experiencing just a few tastes of our product.

Best thing I’ve heard a customer say about TJS juice is…“You guys are lifesavers.”

Most awesome thing I’ve witnessed on the back-of-house staff side of working at TJS is…seeing 10 to 15 smoothies be made with love (and the same time) and presented to our guests quickly and efficiently.

When I’m not working at TJS there are other creative endeavors I love dabbling in, like…singing, writing and drawing.

The advice I’d give my younger work self is…to be the hardest worker in your establishment at all times, no matter what the circumstance.

Malik On Health In LV

Ever the volunteer, Malik (far right) is pictured with his church brothers James and Ronnie at a cleanup for Las Vegas’ City Hall Community Cleanup in 2015.

In my opinion, the biggest change in Las Vegas’ healthy-living scene in the last few years has been…the presence of organic juicing. Everyone, all of a sudden, now has taken a big interest in the juice life.

No matter how busy I get at work, this is what I do to make sure I eat well during the week: Prep my meals at home, and only eat what comes from my own living space. This is a great way for me to avoid eating fast food and sugary snacks to suppress my hunger.

The fruit(s) or vegetable(s) you’ll always find in my kitchen are...bananas, asparagus and broccoli.

My don’t-even-think-about-judging-me-guilty-pleasure food is…macaroni and cheese, straight from Mom’s kitchen.

The health habit that gets me teased the most is…exercising.

Malik On Juice

The person who introduced me to cold-pressed juice was…my best friend James Dixon.

The first time I drank green juice, I thought it was…mortifying. It was like nothing I had ever tasted before.

The reason I started drinking cold-pressed juice was because…I wanted my body to perform to the best of its ability.

The reason I kept drinking cold-pressed juice was because…I saw the results in a shockingly short amount of time and I started to find cold-pressed juice delicious.

True or False: “Making juice at home is a royal pain in the tail.” True

True or False: “A ginormous perk of my job is free juice.” True

The reason I like TJS’s cold-pressed juice is…because I know exactly what’s in it, as well as all of the health benefits. There is no fine print. We are up front about it all and promote it proudly.

My advice to a newbee juicer is…make sure to properly cleanse your body first. It’s important to get as much of the bad stuff out of there as possible and then begin the process of putting healthy juice into your body.

Bee Wanderlusty: Coastin’

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We’re continuing our annual recs for desert-leaving trips between now and Labor Day (beecause though it bee August, there’s still.so.much.time. to get your vacay drive on!)

This feature? Shares the gorge coasts of Oregon and Cali from a bee in our hive who knows ’em well: TJS District Manager Amber Cariker. 

What kind of traveler would be down with these choices? “These places connect me to the Earth, and to a community of people who are present and open-minded,” says Cariker, who’s managed the beejesus out of TJS’s three locations for the better part of a year. “I am very interested in cultivating growth in my life, and I feel an overwhelming sense of connectedness to spiritual environments. Now, I think these places run slower than the average vacation, but for the right vacationer or family, I feel these places will also help people slow down, oberve more, appreciate the stillness, and explore the unknown without fear.”

(What she said.)

Wanna slow down? In her words, here’s Cariker’s turn-by-turn account. And since, around here, if Cariker says it we beelieve it, we’re going out on a limb to say we think you should, too.

California

Avila Beach=Slice of Amber Cariker’s Heaven.

Avila Beach 

Take Avila Beach Drive to San Luis Bay Drive and then take the street for See Canyon. You should have an off-road vehicle, but let’s just say it’s been done in a Honda civic.

“You’ll drive through windy roads of rich color—trees and lush tall golden grasses—until you come out into Los Osos Road where you’ll find a treat….

Montana De Oro

The Spanish translates to “Mountain of Gold.” And from Los Osos Road, you’ll drive all the way to the end and exit at Montana De Oro. Quite a long drive, but there is an area that becomes very wooded. You’ll park and use the man-made wooden stairs to begin a trek through the trees into the forest. Staying on the trail, you will come across a rich, dark brown sand that will then lead you to a slivered opening of ocean rocks and a beautiful quiet state beach. Bring a blanket and a picnic. You won’t want to leave.

Shell Beach.

Shell Beach

A beach…with cliffs? This is THE place to watch a sunset. But you should also visit in the morning when the tide is down, and collect some pebble-like beach sand to build your at-home terrarium. The post-vacay high you feel from seeing that sand will take you back to Shell Beach with every glance. #NaturesGiftShop

Joshua Tree

Pappy and Harriets in Pioneer Town (Insider intel? Take Pipes Canyon road to get here).

So, nostalgia. I grew up dancing next to my parents on the planked hardwood floors, and the walls are cement with colored bottles in them like an old biker cantina! Harriet used to make all the food and desserts from scratch and when Pappy passed on, she sold the business to a Power Woman couple. They have gone on to turn it into an amazing music venue where Paul McCartney played last year, and they are about to have some amazing upcoming concerts: Bonobo, Iron & Wine, City & Colour.

Pioneer Town was a product of the early Western movie genre. Gene Autry helped the making of it, but it never really made amazing movies. Pappy and Harriet’s is the landmark of the Pioneer Town, but go and you’ll also be able to “walk the town” and soak in the western buildings. To think they’re now having contemporary concerts under the stars….

The Art Queen

Green enough forya? Photo courtesy of Tumblr.

Want some kitch in Cali? Head to “The Art Queen” and walk to the back of the Museum of Crochet, a sprite little building shaped like a lime-green viewfinder. When you see a key in the door, turn it. Go inside. You’ll find it filled with vintage crochet animals and sundries that’ll surely make you smile.

Sam’s Spa in Desert Hot Springs

In the heavenly place, mineral pools and soaking tubs are surrounded by grass and a man-made lake with fish and birds. Plus, there are peacocks that roam around the pools while you’re hanging out.

Peacocks, people. Peacocks. Need I say more?

Portland Oregon

Sauvies Island. Beeauty just beeyond Portland.

Sauvie Island 

This slice of heaven is great for two reasons. First: berry picking! (Entire pick-your-own flats for only $12-$15…in a place like this.) Second? Walk the aisles of lush fruit trees before heading to your next (and last) stop: The river. A river, you ask? Yes: Sauvie Island is the largest island that runs along the Columbia River…which, you can get to from the main road. If you choose to drive to the river (and I absolutely think you should), take a blanket and lay beside it. And don’t forget your parking pass for the day. I doubt you’ll want to leave.

The Overlook Park

Second on your Portland Nature Itinerary? Overlook Park.  (“Skidmore Bluffs” is also what I’ve heard it called). Many years ago, a family allowed its back yard to be turned into a park. It is now open to the public, and at first glance you feel like you’re entering a grassy field where an umbrella of a tree drapes over a bench overlooking the city, a forest park, bridges, and train tracks. But really, it’s so much more. #SeeingIsBelieving.

Where to eat, you ask? Dove Vivi features cornmeal-crusted pizza with toppings like sautéed red onions

#CouldItBeMagic? At Dovi, we say yes.

and corn and roasted poblano peppers. And Por Que No?—which, mind you, you’ll never find without at least a 30 minute wait—is beyond colorful and layered with art and lanterns and serves luscious agua frescas (cantaloupe, papaya+coconut, mango+lime, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera)…among other delicious bits. Definitely get the chips and salsa and sample the eclectic menu…especially veggie options like the seasonal taco. (Last one I had was beet, turnip, pumpkin seed, and rutabaga. A-m-a-z-i-n-g!)

Want some shoppin’? Hit Paxton’s Gate. There’s one in San Francisco, too (the original location), and no joke: #FavoriteStoreInTheWorld. It’s like the Natural History Museum…but a shop: taxidermy; bones; gardening supplies; dehyrdrated seeds and pods; books on making your own products; science; and odd collections of amazing things.

Ingredient Spotlight: MCT Oil=Superfood for a Super Summer

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Hiya, Bees!

So, since we’ve still got another month left of Summer 2017, who doesn’t want a lil’ more energy for work and play? Right: No one…and precisely why we’re highlighting a superfood upgrade that is continuing The Juice Standard’s juicy journey toward #MissionNutrition (and #HellaFunDaysAndNights), by being a naturally occurring energy source that can be seamlessly—tastily!—added to any of our juices, smoothies, nut milks, and hot cacao and specialty espresso drinks.

(And even if the mere thought of a hot bevvie makes you sweat, for the days when your office AC is JACKed…you’ll thank us for this. You really will.)

For years, NOW has been a popular entry-level brand for folks dipping their toe in wellness waters.

MCT oil is clear and flavorless, and can be added to everything from beverages to salad dressings (seriously: sub out your olive or flax oil at home with one of the brands we mention at the end). MCT stands for “medium-chain triglycerides”—also referred to as “medium chain fatty acids”—and to fully appreciate TJS making MCT oil an available upgrade, we’re gonna vegucate you a little about different fatty acids and how they can benefit our health.

All Fats Are Not Equal

Fats are classified as one of three types depending on their chemical structure:

  1. Short-chain (meaning the fat has a structure with five or fewer carbon atoms);
  2. Medium-chain (the fat has six to 12 carbons); and
  3. Long chain (it contains more than 12 carbons).

Now. When we’re talking MCTs, there are four types:

  1. Caproic acid (abbreviated as “C6” which means it has six carbons);
  2. Caprylic acid (C8);
  3. Capric acid (C10); and
  4. Lauric acid (C12).

Truth? All you need to know is that the fewer carbons in an MCT, the faster the carbons are absorbed by the body. We’ll explain why that’s important next.

So…Why Fatty Acids? And Will They Gimme Me A Fatty A(ss)cid?

(Cute.)

Well: It’s all about energy, Bees! When digested, fatty acids are used as energy…and what dictates how our bods break down fat is the fatty acid’s structure.

Most dietary fats that comprise standard American diet are long-chain triglycerides, and because of the many carbons in a long-chain triglyceride, our body has to do some hard w-e-r-k to digest it. But that’s where the awesomeness of MCT oil comes into play:

MCTs’ fewer carbons mean our body can break down the fatty acids fast…allowing them to passively diffuse from our GI tract to our bloodstream where our liver converts them to energy really quickly.

The Amazing Metabolization of MCTs (And Other Cool Bennies)

Bonus? Instead of metabolizing through digestion (like other fats), MCTs are taken straight to the liver where they act similarly to carbohydrates by providing instant and sustainable energy. But it’s not just the energy you get that’s interesting. MCTs improve blood sugar regulation (yay!), improve metabolism (especially fat metabolism), they may improve thyroid function, and they improve appetite regulation.

The most common whole-food source of MCTs is coconut oil: About 65 percent of its fatty acids are considered medium-chain. Palm kernel oil and full-fat dairy are two other food sources of medium-chain triglycerides. But nothing says energy-lovin’’ like a pure MCT oil, and that’s what TJS is bringing you.

Enjoying MCT Oil at TJS

Wanna feel the effects for yourself? Ever hear of the Bulletproof® coffee phenomenon? It’s a riff off an ages-old Tibetan drink called “yak butter tea” that uses yak butter the way Westerners use typical dairy in our coffee. (Tibetans have more yaks than cows so they turn yak milk into butter…butter that can be kept shelf stable for up to a year if wrapped properly.)

“Buttered coffee” became all the rage when a bee named Dave Asprey researched the tea he tried on a Tibetan trek. After understanding the energy it gives Tibetans living and working the land in high altitudes, he learned that yak butter tea is super high in—say it with us—MCTs. Once back in the United States, to mimic the Tibetan drink’s health bennies he combined a serving of freshly brewed coffee with a tablespoon of coconut oil (which you now know is high in MCTs and lauric acid and rootin’-tootin’ tasty). He also added a tablespoon of grass-fed butter or ghee (close cousin to that yak butter…and, very tasty) to create “buttered coffee.” When you blitz it all up in a high-speed blender, the coffee froths like a latte. And it’s just as creamy, without the dairy.

It’s true: From chocolatey cacao drinks to espressos (even all our icy sips), MCT oil can go into any of ’em.

There’s a lot of info on the Internets about how the oils combine with coffee’s caffeine to slowly release energy rather than in a typical surge or crash. TJS’s Bee Invincible is Marcella’s own riff off Bulletproof® Coffee, but for a super-simple recipe without sweeter or cashew cream, add a tablespoon of our MCT oil to your coffee and we’ll blitz it up for you. It’s also terrific in smoothies.

Seriously: Especially in coffee, you’ll be rewarded with an effect you WILL feel—and the feel will be like there’s rocket fuel in your system. And really, who doesn’t want that?

Curious? Try our MCT oil. We think you’ll be glad you did.

Insider Intel

Curious about MCT oil but aren’t sure where to begin? There’s a lot on the market. Here are a few to check out:

• This brand has been ’round for ages and the price point is usually friendly.

• This is Asprey’s “octane oil” that he sells for your cuppa. We’ve sampled it, and it’s as colorless and odorless as the rest.

• Whole Foods’ trusted 365 brand jumped into the market last year. It’s pretty much avail across the country, now.

Shout Out to TJS Manager Bean Ream for handily helping us compile this MCT goodness!

 

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Friends Who Juice: Amber Cariker

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Meet Amber Cariker.

When retail is in your soul and you’ve worked for some of the spendiest names in spendom, where do you take your career? For Amber Cariker, The Juice Standard’s district manager, the answer wasn’t up, but in.

After years of mighty success helming stores of high-end brands, Cariker claims that life felt on the half-full side. After committing to some soulful switcheroos, fate led her straight to the hiring table across TJS co-founders Jamie Stephenson and Marcella Williams…and so far it’s been a match made in juicy heaven as Cariker has used her boundless energy and business acumen to help TJS deepen its public outreach into the hearts (and bellies) of Las Vegas’ health enthusiasts.

A pint-size pixie with a bionic heart, Cariker casts sunshine on everyone from the folks who walk into our stores to our blessed bees that buzz beehind the counters. Bonus? She’s never met a green juice she didn’t like. Do we have Cariker’s sweet momma to thank for her palate? Survey says she’d slurp something she didn’t like if it meant selling on beehalf the company she loves…and boy, if that doesn’t spell #ItTakesAVillage, we don’t know what does.

So…meet Amber Cariker. And while you’re at it, next time you see her at a store, thank her. Most likely she made getting your order a little easier, in ways you’ll never know. (We may not, either….)

ALL ABOUT AMBER

I’ve lived in Las Vegas…off and on since I was little. I formerly moved here when I was 8. Since then I have lived in California, Texas and Oregon. I most recently moved back from Portland in March 2012. (Vegas has a way of pulling you back in. Plus my Momma is here.)

I can remember when I decided I wanted to start my adult life here. It was the year… 2014, I was sick of living a toxic lifestyle, and I wanted a job that matched how I wanted to live my life, not how I was living it. I always seem to associate a lot of my happiness with what I am doing for work since I am a work-a-holic. (Literally.) During my early 20’s, I was sort of lost—partying and living free-spiritedly—and I decided I wanted to learn more about nutrition, plants, flowers, the desert, wood, conversations, the present, and mindfulness.

What appealed to me about living in Vegas was…my Momma lived here, and my Pops lives near Joshua Tree, Calif. It felt right to be close to home, and when I started to appreciate the outer beauty of Vegas away from the nightlife and partying, I found a new way of partying. What intrigued me was the forest, Cold Creek, Nev., where the wild horses roam, off the path trails in Red Rock.

In my experience, the biggest misconception about living in Las Vegas is…that everyone who lives here maintains 24/7 availability. Even though the city runs 24 hours, it is important to find your core values and un-plug every once in a while. The other misconception? That everyone in Vegas is superficial. Some of my closest friends, who I would call my “tribe” or “village,” are from Vegas. We can pick up wherever we left off, even if months go by.

The thing I secretly (or not-so-secretly) love most about living here is…the heat. The desert.

People who know me well know that I’m super close to my sister. Her name is…Stephanie. I love her with all my heart. But the thing that drives me nuts about her is… she lives so far away, in Rosario, Argentina.

(…and the thing she’d say about me that drives her bonkers is… I never make time to visit!)

If I had to pick a daily mantra or a quote I try to live by, it would be… “Bringing sunshine to people’s lives”

A favorite Vegas spot that never gets old is… Cold Creek, Nev. If you go up early enough in the morning, or as the sun is setting, you usually can catch the wild horses walking along the desert.

If I had to pick a theme song for my life it would be… Tycho by Spectre.

A person who inspires me every day is… my sister, Stephanie.

…and the way she inspires me is: She runs her own business in South America. She is committed to inspiring people to take part in their culture, and she hosts things like: book clubs, “bar-lingual” (a hopping around of bars), and walking or bike tours in her city of Rosario. She has two young babies—both are bi-lingual and play soccer—and she teaches English, does yoga, and plays guitar. She’s just amazing.

Something people would be surprised to know about me is… I collect dead things. (Hahahahaha! The whole company laughed when we introduced a new employee and they were waiting for me to say that and I didn’t!) I am a geek for natural history…like, when you were a little kid in a museum. I love taxidermy, bones, insects, wood grains, plants, and cacti.

I don’t have a ton of free time but when I do, this is how I like to spend it: Hiking, gardening and cooking.

AMBER ON WORK

I work for The Juice Standard as the company’s district manager. When people ask me what I do, this is how I explain my job: Usually, I get asked if I am the owner  (I think this is because I am a Chatty Cathy and love to talk all things TJS), so I usually say: “NO I am not the owner…but I wish I was because this is a pretty amazing company!”  Right now, I assist in being whatever role the company needs me to be in: hiring, development, networking, eventing, and being an awesome support system for everyone on our team.

What appealed to me about working for TJS was…the company’s transparency, ethical practices, and its fresh, organic product – product that’s really organic, not just partially.

The other factor? Jamie and Marcella. I fell in love with them during our first meeting. How they speak, listening to their ideas and needs, hearing their passion, seeing their investment in people that are already on their teams….They painted this beautiful picture that expanded the Las Vegas community and its culture.

When it comes to managing or working in retail, this isn’t my first rodeo: I got my first job at a store when I was 15 years old, when I supported my sister where she lived in Avila Beach. She managed a cute little coffee shop called The Steaming Bean and Tea Leaf, and it was a place where they served yerba mate (my favorite thing in life); made fresh sandwiches (think fresh-baked croissants with feta, sunflower sprouts, cashews, cucumber, and cream cheese). Seriously? I want one right now.

After that I worked for Aveda for close to 8 years in Texas, Oregon and Nevada. Then I went on to work for companies like Lush Handmade Cosmetics and Ted Baker.

One of the things about working for big brands that I loved was… that 4 weeks of vacation…unpaid or paid. (Ha: No s#@t!)  I learned a lot about structure and problem solving without becoming frantic. I learned a lot about tools, and how to use them with your teams to be more successful.

Something about working for big brands that I loathed was…how larger companies lose sight of their bottom line: the people. Most of us can all agree we have had leaders who didn’t care about us as people. What’s worse is when large corporations have district leaders and executives who are snotty, entitled or pretentious. They never know who you are or what you look like, and your usual contact with them comprises their telling you that you didn’t perform well enough, or that you could have done better…and there is no checking for clarity or development beyond that.

Best perk or discount I ever had thanks to one of my jobs was…Aveda: 74 percent off plant- and flower-based beauty product…are you kidding me? (Die-hard Aveda girl over here…)

Since working for TJS, the most surprising thing I’ve learned about myself doing the job that I do is…not necessarily surprising, but more like an aha moment: I was told long ago that I wasn’t a very present person. I am one of those people who seems like they’re in dreamland or daydreaming (or, talking up a storm), and since I have worked for TJS, being around Jamie, Marcella, and our team, has really taught me the importance of conversation, communication and present listening.

The most exciting part about my job is…meeting new people and sharing our story! Jamie and Marcella’s story.

Best thing I’ve heard a customer say about TJS juice is…that it saved their life. Andrea Millsap, whom I believe you interviewed in last month’s newsletter… she was told she couldn’t get pregnant because of her Lupus and she did!

Most awesome thing I’ve witnessed on the back-of-house staff side of working at TJS is…everyone singing and dancing to Tupac. Everyone is always joking and talking while they work. Very hard and consistent workers in our kitchens and on our teams….

True or False: “The most challenging part about my job is deciding whether to valet or self-park at The Cosmopolitan when I go visit The Buzz…because like butter and bacon, valet makes everything better.” True…hahaha! But I have never valet’d

The advice I’d give my younger work self is…Take that harsh constructive criticism and look at it as a challenge. Don’t become defeated. Don’t give up. And don’t ever let anyone tell you that you talk too much or have too much energy, because it’s usually what lands you a job in the future.

AMBER ON HEALTH IN LAS VEGAS

In my opinion, the biggest change in Las Vegas’ healthy-living scene in the last few years has been…not only are we now seeing new healthy options bounce onto the scene, but we are seeing local, smaller run businesses trying to bring culture into the city.

No matter how busy I get at work, this is what I do to make sure I eat well during the week:  I think about meals and what the leftover options look like. I literally steam artichokes four times a week and eat them with a little bit of soy sauce, lime juice, garlic powder, and salt. It’s so delicious.

The fruit(s) or vegetable(s) you’ll always find in my kitchen are… Valencia oranges, limes and lemons (citrus fruits are my favorite). Love berries, too. Always making agua frescas in my Vitamix.

My don’t-even-think-about-judging-me-guilty-pleasure food is… nachos with freshly sliced jalepeños but with real cheese!

The health habit that gets me teased the most is… I swear your hair grows like a miracle when you drench it in olive oil straight from the kitchen cabinet. I apply, then shampoo and condition about three times per week.

True or False: “Thanks to Facebook we hear you recently made cashew cream for the first time and that it.kicked.ass.” Hahahaha! TRUE. I have taught myself to make so many things with cashews since working with TJS.

AMBER ON JUICE

The person who introduced me to cold-pressed juice was… my Momma. Her very first job was in Yucca Valley, Calif., where she worked at Sue’s Health foods, and she got that job in order to buy herself a Champion Juicer which still sits on our counter to this day.

The first time I drank green juice, I thought it was… amazing. I never struggled drinking juice. I knew how good it was for you without the research.

The reason I started drinking cold-pressed juice was because… to get my nutrients. (Hello, 3.5 pounds per bottle of greens?)

The reason I kept drinking cold-pressed juice was because… it made me feel more alive. More centered, more focused, less stressed. It made me feel motivated. And it helped me sleep through my nights, eliminated my acne and helped my hair grow!

True or False: “Making juice at home is a royal pain in the tail.”  True: I never make it at home. But, I also would never buy it from anywhere that uses high-pressure processing (HPP) now that I know the difference between fresh and processed juice. I want my juice made fresh today, please…not 15 days ago and then packaged and delivered under the notion it is fresh.

True or False: “A ginormous perk of my job is free juice.” Huge bonus. I literally make sure I get my greens every day!

The reason I like TJS’s cold-pressed juice is because… it’s fresh; truly 100 percent organic; and it has a mission that is committed to integrity and transparency.

My advice to a newbee juicer is…take a deep breath and take small bite-size chunks out of all the knowledge you’re about to absorb. I usually tell them give it 6 months until they feel like a pro!

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Ingredient Spotlight: The Thrilla of Vanilla and its Sad Organic State

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Organic vanilla is having a moment, and unlike the actual Thrilla in Manila between prize scrappers Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, not much cheering will emerge from this story.

As of this writing, the world is massively short on organic vanilla beans, making them massively expensive. The cause? To understand…a short ag-lesson.

Similar to harvesting things like saffron threads and poppy seeds (not to be confused with milk of the poppy, for all Game Of Throners), vanilla beans are one of the most labor-intensive foods on the planet, according to this June 17 NPR feature. Orchids produce vanilla bean seeds, and if flowers are not naturally pollinated (and in some parts of the world they are not), pollination must be done by hand much like how U.S. crops have needed help from pollination farmers in light of the bee plight.

From pollinating, to harvesting, to soaking, to all kinds of other ing-verbs that have to happen to result in a vanilla bean being born, the months-long manual labor exceeds most expectations and leads to why vanilla is so damn ‘spensive. As a result, a whole lotta fake vanilla started being made under the not-so-crafty name “vanillin,” which smelled good yet tasted like bunk…but was so much cheaper than the real stuff, it was a way for butchers, bakers and vanilla-stuff makers to flavor their goods without going broke. But when more and more companies started opting for all-natural flavors, vanillin was out and vanilla was in…except that there haven’t been enough orchid plants to support the world’s craving for chocolate’s cousin.

Add to all the above an organic designation to the mix, and prices really skyrocket: In the last few years, it’s all but quadrupled.

#DilemmaOfVanillicPorportion

So, what’s The Juice Standard been doing about v-beaning products with the quality of vanilla you’ve come to depend on? In days of recent past, organic vanilla beans have been so hard to source, the only sub deemed suitable by Jamie and Marcella has been conventional vanilla beans (…beecause even liquid organic vanilla extract can’t compare to the warm depth lent by a bean, the whole bean and nothing but the bean).

“It was a difficult decision to switch to conventional, especially beecuase we have built a business whose cornerstone is using organic produce 100 percent of the time,” shares TJS Co-Founder and CEO Jamie Stephenson.

Nothing shows off our vanillovin’ like our nut milks, and Bee Magnificent is da vanillabomb.

“We felt, however, that we would be doing our clientele a bigger disservice by not providing the quality our products are known for—especially our creamy nut milks—beecause even we love seeing those floating vanilla-bean specs as we sip! That’s why after interviewing many of our customers, we learned they would rather we inform them of our choice to use conventional vanilla beans rather than simply discontinue product, or move to extract.

“We value 100 percent transparency…and clearly, our customers do, too.”

That said, last week, TJS caught a beany break when Jamie and Marcella found organic vanilla beans priced at 40 percent higher than typical organic pricing, but far less than recent costs for conventional vanilla beans. Course, the world’s still in a shortage, so TJS can only tap this source for six weeks until the farm we’ve partnered with runs out, too…but at least that’s six more weeks of vanilla bean specs as we’ve all grown accustomed.

Our point in all this sharing? Like Jamie says, TJS hearts transparency, and having these worldwide convos close to home is important in our adult understanding of where our food comes from, and it’s important if we wanna help the littletons in our lives to better understand why global warming; supply and demand; and taking care of Mama Nature is so important to the food we eat, too.

As for vanilla, we’re gonna keep bringing you the good stuff as long as we can. And when the big-O runs out, we’ll move to conventional for as long as it takes before we can get back on track. And as long as you can see those bitty brown flecks of goodness in every nut milk you open, know that we’re looking out for the best interest of your tastebuds, too…one nutritious sip at a time.

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Menu Update: Newz About Booze

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Love The Juice Standard’s cold-pressed cocktails at our location at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas (which we affectionately refer to as “The Buzz?”) So do we, and we’re not the only ones: we’ve been thrilled that they’ve gotten press like this love note from Vegas Seven, this one from Las Vegas Weekly, and this one from VegansBaby.com, and we’re more thrilled that our fanbees have kept these drinks on their tongues since we launched ‘em last year.

Last year. Has it been a year already? While #TimeFlies means that’s kinda cray, we’ve got news about a handful of new cold-pressed cocktails on the menu, as well as a few changes to a few tried-and-trues you might want to know about as this summer gets her rightful start.

NEW

Chill The Eff Out.

Chill The Eff Out

Fuhgetabout chocolate and peanut butter, beecause these are the two next great tastes that taste great together. Combining Bee Chill (watermelon-cucumber-lemon) with Effen’s™ Cucumber  vodka and ginger beer makes for a refreshing bevvie that’ll keep your cool no matter how hottt Vegas is outside.

 

The Pineapple Express. Don’t leave The Cosmopolitan without one.

Pineapple Express

For you savvy-sav bees in the know, this has been on our secret menu for a while but we’re making it available for all the world to sip: Bee Grateful (carrot, pineapple, apple, ginger, lemon), vodka, ginger beer. Period, end of recipe.

 

 

 

SLIGHT-OF-HAND CHANGES

Shake Your Money Maker

Know our WHealth Maker? The drink with Bee WHealthy™, vodka and ginger beer (see a theme here? Our bees love it, and we love to keep our bees happy…) well this is the same drink, new name. #Catchy.

NON-BOOZY CHANGES

  • Our smoothie the Libido Lover is now the Sexy M.F.
  • You can now get collagen and MCT oil superfood upgrades at The Buzz.
  • Love our Kale Granola Salad? You’ll still love it with its new name, “Baby Kale Salad,” with granola. (See? Same, yet different.)
  • Chloro-Water will be available at our neighborhood stores only
  • Chai-Chia Pudding and Choco-Mint Chia are no longer available

Yep: Lotsa updates. Know what we still serve, though? Juice. All day, erryday. So come enjoy.

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TJS Travel Edit: Bee Wanderlusty—LA

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Nope: Bee Wanderlusty’s not a new Singleton (though it should be, right?).

No, Dear Bees. This is better.

See, summer solstice was but a blink ago yet Vegas is bees-knees deep in obscene heat. That means it’s time for The Juice Standard’s annual summertime get-the-hell-outta-dodge suggestions for non-desert trips you can sked between now and Labor Day with peeps you’ve deemed travel-worthy.

(You do have folks you’d bee willing to travel with, right?)

To kick off a few non-desert travel articles, we’re starting with by far the easy-peasiest local(ish)drive: LV—>LA.

To the rest of the world, Los Angeles may be a backdrop for all-things glitz and glammy, but when desert heat hits friggin’ 118, La La Land’s cool is the one we crave…both in vibe and thermometer.

Carrie Stamps: Our in-house graphic design and LAexpert extraordinaire.

So this month, sharing a litany of her fave LA haunts is TJS’s Carrie Stamps—owner/founder of Vegas-based Scaled Design Studio—whose graphic-designy nose for style, beauty, function, and fun helps guide her to the goods in LA and beyond.

“Los Angeles is an easy destination for a weekend getaway,” says Stamps, who along with TJS Creative Director Mallory Dawn is charged with designing our dedicated inbox e-newsie, From The Humble Bee, and with making TJS print and digi-collateral look luscious.

“After a 45-minute flight from Las Vegas (or a short 3-4 hour drive), LA’s temperature drops 20 to 30 degrees and offers vibrant city life mixed with beach life.” 

Stamps is always looking out for local favorites and hidden gems (“I love the outdoor hikes, beach activity, restaurants, museums, culture and walkability in West Hollywood—WeHo—and I’m such a foodie, I have one million restaurant recommendations!”). Her best insider intel for experiencing any city? “Get out and see and do! Walk the streets. Get lost. Try something new and different.”

Don’t mind if we do, PrettyGirl. Below are places Stamps has deemed worth visiting over and over…no matter how you like to spend your time.

Get to the Griffith at night.

For Love Of The Great Outdoors

Hikes? In a city? You bet, says Stamps. “City hikes like Runyon Canyon and the Hollywood sign get crowded and touristy, but they are a worthy view. However…hiking to Griffith Observatory overlooks all of LA. A sunset hike is a real treat when it’s dark, you’ll see all the city lights for as far as the eye can see. For a real dose of Mother Nature, Topanga State Park just above Malibu is a short drive.

Broad+Museum_la_jeff+koons_la+museums_what+to+do+in+la_flowers_fun+things+to+do+in+LA_yayoi+kusama_art_art+exhibition+in+la_fashion+meets+art_fashion+blogger_Savvy+javvy_lichtenstein+art_infinity+mirrors_broad+infinity+room

Boldly hit the Broad.

For The Love of History

Hardly mere collections of old dusty stuff, LA museums are as varied as wallet-busting retail on Rodeo. “The Broad, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and The Getty offer worldly art and culture,” suggests Stamps. “The Museum of Ice Cream is a sweet treat, and The Getty is even free!”

Say yessabel to Ysabel.

Get Into My Your Belly

Beehold this summary of Stamps’ faves and you’re welcome in advance.

Get Outta My Your Belly

What goes in must come out, right? LA is notorious for its beautiful people…and how do they get their beauty? Exercise. While a fave activity is simply renting a bike on the beach in Santa Monica or jogging the beachy boardwalk from Marina del Rey, to Venice, to Santa Monica, these brick-and-mortar haunts are 100 percent Stamps-approved:

For The Love Of Nightlife

Living in Las Vegas has taught Stamps a thing or two about what appeals in a club. Rest assured these are top-notch pics for hottt (er, cool?) LA nights. #StilettosNotRequired

Piñata District doesn’t disappoint.

For The Love of a Weekend Market

“Melrose Place Farmer’s Market and Melrose Trading Post are great things to see and do on Sundays!” says Stamps, adding that not-to-miss sights also include Grand Central Market and Piñata District in Downtown LA.

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TJS Editorial—On Blended Families: They Take A Hive

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Memorial Day may bee the unofficial start to summer but we all know what really kicks off this season: the last day of school.

With today’s family as hexagonal as a honeycomb as opposed to old-school triangle or square, there can be many more personalities to traverse beyond mom, dad and kids during these seemingly endless wonderful weeks of vacation. From potential step-sibling rivalry to navigating niceties with your former spouse’s new one (#CoParentWithoutStepMurder), building a blended family with grace is certainly the #ParentingGoal but it’s not always easy…or is it?

Can building a blended family really be as easy as keeping an open mind, respecting all the parents involved and always keeping the needs of the children front and center? It can…but it takes work; patience; and maybe even some presents (though not for the fam member you might think).

To honor the onset of this, the Season of Together Time, this beautiful first-person account written by TJS COO and Co-Founder Marcella Williams shines a light on her personal experiences with her own children, and what it takes to bridge the byways of today’s blended family.

In May 2004, I found myself married and soon realized it was a package deal since, overnight, I became not only a wife, but a mother…and a stepmother at that. I had entered my stepson Drew’s life when he was just 5 years old and was even there for his first day of kindergarten, yet I had no idea how to be a stepmom since I was just learning how to become a wife. Luckily for me I had the best teacher: Drew’s mom, Kelly.

Marcella and her family celebrating Christmas—together!—in 2016. Pictured (l-r): Marcella, Maximus (8), Damian (8), Sophia (9), and Drew (17).

You always hear the drama-filled stories of blended families and thestruggles that ensue. But this story is different. This one is filled with love and gratitude, and I’m hoping it will act as a reminder that it doesn’t ever have to be ugly between birth parents and stepparents unless a family chooses it to be. And I can tell you from experience that ugly serves no one…least of all, the child.

Shortly after the wedding, we were settling into our new house…adding all of the finishing touches that turn a space into a home. While I was adjusting to new surroundings and new roles, I began to wonder if I would be a good stepmom. I wondered if I had the empathy, patience and kindness I knew it would take to be the kind of caretaker that Drew deserved. So when I was in doubt, I chose to look no further than toward the one who brought him into this world.

Honestly, I felt so lucky that I even had the inclination to do it! Kelly was one cool mama and we instantly became friends. And it was through that friendship that we were able to be the best moms for our son. (Because that’s exactly what he became the day that he and his father and I married: “Our” son.)

Together we discussed schools, homework, bedtime, and even had great communication about disciplinary actions. In other words, if Drew was grounded because he did XYZ at my house, the same rules applied in Kelly’s home, and vice versa. When we began to notice some missteps in his personality—a little more argumentative, a little less attentive at school—together, we quickly ascertained that what Drew needed was structure. Going back and forth mid-week between her home and ours wasn’t what he needed, and without second-guessing it for a moment, Kelly volunteered to let Drew stay with his dad and me Monday through Friday (which instantly made life easier on our boy since school was around the corner from our house).

Faces of well-adjusted happiness: Marcella’s family. Pictured (l-r): Damian (8), Drew (18), Maximus (8), and Sophia (9).

This move impressed me beyond measure, because in one swift decision Kelly proved herself secure enough to put aside her ego for the sake of what was best for Drew. Her grace and mental agility proved to be one of many lessons I learned from her and called upon as different situations unfolded during our evolution as a blended family.

Fast forward to the following May. Mother’s Day was around the corner and when Kelly came to pick up Drew, she had a special present for me. It was my first Mother’s Day present, a Dooney and Burke purse which, until that point in my life, was the nicest purse I had ever owned. I was honored and shocked, to say the least. It was such a heartfelt gift that I still have because of the memory attached to it. She didn’t have to gift it. She didn’t even have to show me kindness, or go above and beyond to bridge gaps or pave roads for better communication. Yet she did. Why? Because it wasn’t about her or me, but about him, our son Drew, who is now 19.

Today, I strive to be similar and supportive for my own birth-childrens’ stepmom. I want her to know that I am rooting for her to succeed every step of the way. I know she has no intention of replacing me, or turning the kids against me. And I know this because I left my ego back in 2004.

But I also know this because I am confident in my role as their mommy. When my three children asked me if I was happy or sad that Baba (Greek for “Dad”) was re-marrying, I smiled with sincerity and assured them that they were so lucky, and that his new bride was just one more person to love them. This assurance helped them be more accepting of her. It helped the transition to be more smooth, and it minimized any extra stress they may have had during what society deems as an intrinsic time of challenging change.

People do not always remember what you said or did, but they do remember how you made them feel. I always work to ensure my kids know that they can express their concerns, their dreams and their struggles without fear of judgement or condemnation with me. With me, they have a kind ear and unconditional love.

So. If I could lend advice to my children’s new stepmom (or any new step- or co-parent), it would be this:

  1. Bee Patient. Great relationships aren’t built overnight. They take time, and an endless amount of compassion and nurturing (and that goes for both the co-parent/stepparent relationship, as well as the relationship between the children and new stepßparent). Count the mini victories rather than wait for the big reward. It could be a genuine smile from across the room from a child who is grateful to see you at their school performance, or their rush to you when they fall off your bike.(Also…bee patient in the warming up of your partner’s ex. Patience is very important at this time.)
  2. Bee Forgiving. When children go back and forth between homes it can take a toll on their spirit. There is generally a transition day or two where they need to adjust to your house rules. In a perfect world, both houses would have the same ones, but that is not always the case. Learn to work with your situation, not fight against it.
  3. Bee Thoughtful. When you make plans, whether together or apart from the stepchildren, think about how it effects the entirety of the group. Make sure your actions cannot be deemed as alienation. Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself how you would feel. This goes for the children as well as any step-parents.
  4. Bee Grateful. The universe has blessed your child(ren) with more people to love them. While old wounds may not be healed, and words may have gone unsaid, your children have new beginnings and need your support to see the brighter side of the situation. They will look to you for guidance in these ever-evolving relationships. They will mimic you. So lead by example with a grateful heart.
  5. Bee Respectful. Do not bad mouth anyone in front of the children. Just don’t. It is very hurtful for the child to ever have to hear ill words about someone they love so much. No child deserves to feel that pain. Honestly, I can’t stress this enough other than to say just.don’t.do.it. Remember: The child will remember what they hear, and when they grow up, they will resent the badmouther, not the badmouthee.
  6. Bee Kind. And bee kind especially to yourself. Don’t buy into the whole “love them like your own.” That does not happen overnight. (Truth? Sometimes it never does.) You did not fall in love in a day, and you did not give birth or help conceive them. Allow time to play its role. Bee friends first. And do not beat yourself up if your “motherly” or “fatherly” instincts don’t kick in right away. Remind yourself that you are doing the best that you can, and trust that through consistency in your words and actions, you will in fact build bridges and mend gaps.

Together—collectively—we are raising the future leaders of this world, and that’s something that has never taken just one person. It truly takes a hive.

 

5 From The Hi5e: Summertime ‘Bee Inspired’ Gift Guide

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We bees know what we like when it comes to the hive-and-honey stuff. And with end-of-year teacher-present time just weeks away (and plenty of reasons to pre-stock hostess or birthday gifts for the summer), we’re having a little summertime funnertime with a roundup of beeautiful honey-inspired stuff we love.

Whether it’s for your face, your belly, your bod, or your walls, there’s honey- and bee-inspo all around. And we luv that, since, yaknow, we think bees are the proverbial bees’ knees.

(And hey: Since we can’t possibly try everything out there, if you’ve some things you want us to shine a light on, reach out and touch us by contacting TJS’s Content Director Jen Chase at jen@juicestandard.com and we’ll consider your suggestions. After all…#ItTakesAHive!)

May Lindstrom’s Honey Mud 

As creamy and dreamy as a TJS nut milk, this mud might be your new favorite way to get clean by getting dirty.

What? Daily wash and occasional enzymatic face mask for bees with temperamental skin.

Why? If your complexion requires orchid-like care, this magical mud is a