Gluten-free isn’t the only growing health food trend—juicing companies are popping up all over. Juicing has been around for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks juiced pomegranates in 1700 B.C., calling it a love potion. When I was in Turkey last fall, one of my favourite street vendor options was hand juiced oranges or pomegranates. Yum! Still makes my mouth water.
When I was invited to try out the juices at The Juicery Co., I was game. At home, I regularly make smoothies, but I’ve never juiced, so I was curious about meeting Alex, one of the co-founders of this company.
The Juicery Co. was not initially started as a business idea. It began because Alex and her mom wanted to help Alex’s grandfather when he was diagnosed with stage four esophageal cancer. When they saw how it helped his overall health, they continued developing more juices for themselves, other family member, and friends. Word travelled, and so began the company which started with two stores in North Vancouver.
I visited their newest store at 3570 West 4th Avenue in Kitsilano. Beautifully clean and modern, the store is welcoming. Alex chose 4 juices for me to try. They have 18 juice options on their menu and 5 dairy-free raw nut “mylks”. It would be hard to get bored of their flavours!
All their juices are cold-pressed, raw, and organic. Their produce is from Pro Organics and nuts from Real Raw. They buy local and organic, whenever possible. They use glass, reusable bottles (you pay a deposit that is refunded when you return them so they can sterilize them and use them again). They have done their research for ingredients, enlisting the help of health professionals. Check, check, check, check, check, check. But how do they taste? These are the ones I tried.
The Greenest
Looking for a very green green juice? This is just that. I liked the freshness of it. This is a good detox and cooling blend—a good combo to add during a liver cleanse. I thought it might be too intense a green flavour for my husband, but he really liked the leftover bottle I took home. Looking at the list of other “green” category juices they have, I think next time I’d try The Pacific. They had me at mint for that one.
Turmeric Tonic
They were smart about how they blended this juice. The addition of black pepper boosts the absorption of the curcumin and other phytonutrients in turmeric to support its anti-inflammatory benefits. The OJ and honey soften the flavour, and the ginger further boosts the anti-inflammatory properties. I’d drink this one regularly, especially as summer activities pump up with more possibility of sports-related soreness and injuries. If you’re not into that, but are into BBQ with beer, martinis on patios, or visits to wineries, the turmeric will also help your liver.
Local Rose
Of the ones I tried, this was my favourite for flavour. Grapefruit juice is my favourite juice. Well, that and pineapple juice (maybe I’ll have to choose The Botanist or The Palms next time!). For someone not used to the stronger flavoured juices, the citrus category may be your easiest start for your palate. Grapefruit juice is refreshing, high in vitamin C, and high in antioxidants. Rosemary is good for your immune system, digestion, and focus and memory. And I love that they have burdock root in this one. Burdock is a great blood cleanser and good for skin issues. Be aware that grapefruit may interfere with the absorption of some pharmaceuticals.
Green Mylk
The misspelling of “milk” is intentional here, as “mylk” is not dairy. It’s made from nuts—in this case, Brazil nuts. I had never tried a Brazil nut milk/mylk before. Note that if you choose this one, it’s supposed to be clumpy. That doesn’t mean it’s gone off. If you want something with protein, good fats, and fibre, choose one of the mylk products. Since I’m always hungry, I finished drinking this one first, though I think I’d prefer to keep my greens and my nut drinks separate, so next time I have a nut mylk here, I’ll go for one of the other options that look delicious (from the listing of what’s in them).
In case you can’t get in to one of their stores, The Juicery Co. does deliver. But, if you want some place to meet a friend that isn’t your standard coffee shop, why not meet over a juice? Invite me, I’m in! 😉
