I'm SO TOTALLY excited to share this interview today. Co-founder of Suja juice is not only sharing a lot of fun info with us via her interview but we're doing a SUJA giveaway: 3 days worth of SUJA juice. Yep, you heard it right. It's a GOOD one to say the least. See below...
Co-founder, Annie Lawless, is the sweetest thing on the planet. She's so hardworking and cool. I had the wonderful opportunity of temporarily working with Annie at Kookie Karma. She interned for a few months and it was so darn fun. She loves KOOKIES and wanted to just LEARN and absorb and help out. I think she could care less about the pay at the time.
She was like the smartest, most eager-to-learn 20 something person I could ever imagine having help in my office. I was shocked, a year and half later, to find out she was one of the brains behind this SUJA masterpiece. But I have to say, I'm NOT surprised. Find out more below!
Juli: Tell us about your new
company and anything we might need to know!
Annie: My company is Suja Juice and
we make raw, organic, cold pressed juices! We started very small with my best
friend Eric and myself, and quickly grew as the demand for high quality
nutrition spread throughout San Diego. Now, you can find us in Whole Foods
Markets throughout the country, Jimbo’s in San Diego, and several other select
natural food retailers which you can learn on our website. We are committed to using the highest quality local,
organic, non-GMO verified produce in a cold process that retains all of the
good stuff your body craves!
Juli: Why Juice?
Juice is one of the most
nutritious substances you can put in your body if it’s done right (organic,
raw, cold pressed, balanced sugars). There is no fiber, which is actually a
benefit because your body doesn’t have to break anything down to unlock the
nutrients, vitamins, enzymes, and minerals. It’s like an IV of pure health to
your bloodstream with very little digestive labor.
What makes your juice
unique {besides your genius flavors}?
The shelf life and nutrient
content! We use a special high pressure method after the juice is cold pressed
to lock in the nutrients, push out the oxygen, and kill any pathogens – all done
in an ice bath. This means there is no flash pasteurization with heat, and a 30
day shelf life with no degradation in the nutritional value (we’ve had it
tested!)
Were you nervous about
selling $9.00 juice?
Nah, we know it may seem
steep, but we also know what goes into each bottle! You can’t put a price on
your health and a lot of people may not realize the areas in their lives they
can cut back (Starbucks? take out? convenience foods?) to work high quality
foods into their diet. There are 2-3lbs of produce in each bottle and the care
and effort that goes into each bottle from press to shelf is really special.
What is your favorite food
and any simple tips on staying healthy?
My favorite food is kale! It
is so jam packed with nutrition and you can do anything with it (raw salad
massaged with avocado, sautéed with onion and garlic, blended in a smoothie,
juiced, used as a wrapper, dehydrated into chips…the list is never ending!)
For
me, staying healthy means balance. I like to make sure I’m getting enough of
everything. I love working out hard, but I know I also need serious rest. I
love a plant based diet, but know my body thrives with high quality fish or
eggs occasionally. I love time with friends, but I also need quiet down time to
recharge. I’m always busy, but will crash and burn without enough sleep.
Do you have a favorite raw
recipe you'd like to share with us? {it can be super simple and easy}
How do I choose?! Normally, I
would say my favorite is a raw avocado kale salad, but lately I’ve been all
about smoothies! They are so easy and packed with nutrition. Here’s what’s in
mine, but you can make any substitutions you want:
For the base: 1 Bottle of Suja
Vanilla Cloud (coconut almond milk with vanilla bean, cinnamon and nutmeg) OR
Choc-Full if you like cacao!
Add:
½ banana
1T chia seeds
1T flax seed (I grind mine in
the coffee grinder first, but you don’t have to)
1 scoop green powder (I rotate
all the time, right now it’s Vibrant Greens)
1 T almond butter
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 big handful of spinach
A few leaves of kale
(de-stemmed)
Splash of organic vanilla
extract
Blend together and top with:
Sprinkle of dried coconut
Cacao nibs and chopped almonds
for crunch
Blend together until smooth.
Tell us a little about your
day and how you stay healthy and stay focused?
My day is never the same, but
there are a few non-negotiables that I hold sacred. The first thing is 20
minutes of quiet time in the morning. Every morning I wake up and have yerba
mate tea (I just throw organic loose leaf in my French press). While the water
boils, I don’t check e-mail, turn on the TV, or text. I just hang out in
silence and enjoy the quiet.
After that, I have a Suja Fuel and check a few
e-mails before working out. I can’t eat before working out that early, but I
also can’t go on empty. Then I either got to a yoga or pilates class, run
outside, or hop on my elliptical at home.
After that, I have a really hearty
breakfast (usually my biggest meal of the day!) This can be anything from a
couple poached eggs, oatmeal, a smoothie, or raw granola. The rest of the day
gets busy and involves a little of everything. Computer work, packing juice,
ordering product, phone calls….the only constant is stopping for meals,
hydrating with plenty of juice, and taking 10-15 minute breaks to chill out! I
went through a period of forgetting to take mini breaks or eat at regular
intervals and I got worn out fast. Now, I don’t let anything get in the way of
taking care of myself and I’m much more efficient that way. It’s all about the balance!
GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. WINNER IS: LISA MORFORD of Lisa In The Sky
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