Daily Greens Cold-Pressed Juice

The Juice is Loose… Cold-Pressed Juice, That is

Daily Greens Cold-Pressed Juice

We’ve all seen the hype around juicing, juice cleanses, juice fasts, etc. I feel like there’s an abundance of high-end cold-pressed juices at Whole Foods and whatnot… $7+ for a juice? Is it worth it? What makes some juices better than others? Is this really better for me than just eating some fruits and vegetables? What IS cold-pressed? So many questions, so few answers.

Serendipitously, Austin-based Daily Greens reached out to me at the beginning of the summer and offered me a sample box of their juices and I couldn’t say no. It was time to see what all the fuss was about. It was time to taste the rainbow.

So, what makes a cold-pressed juice superior to its classic counterparts? I’ll take it straight from the mouth of the Daily Greens website:

High Pressure Processing (“HPP”), otherwise known as pascalization, uses high pressure instead of heat to inhibit microflora growth in fresh food and therefore naturally extend its shelf life. Unlike pasteurization, pascalization is an external process; the raw product itself is never touched. Our pressurizing method uses evenly distributed pressure of cool water to destroy any harmful bacteria, such as Listeria, E. coli, Salmonella, lactic acid bacteria, yeast and mold, thereby making it safe for public consumption.

Because of the chilled temperature at which the juice is treated, alongside the minimal impact that pressure has on the structure of the components responsible for nutrition and flavor, the juice remains raw and the nutrients and taste remain the same.

My takeaway from all this: more nutrients! Closer to the structure of the original produce! Tons of greens and fruit! I can get behind that.

I think some people are weirded out by the idea of juicing vegetables. While I love most vegetables, there are certain things I can’t get behind. For example… I really, really, do not like celery. Does juiced celery taste any better? I mean, not by itself, no. But when combined with other, pleasurable flavors, it becomes a lot more palatable. As far as kale, spinach, and most other greens… those have a pretty mild flavor.

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Case in point about the taste of these cold-pressed wonders: my very favorite flavor of Daily Greens was their “Renew,” made with mint, spinach, cucumber, watermelon, dandelion (!), pineapple, celery, and lime. Yes, celery was in this one but it was still delicious and very refreshing! Of course if you put watermelon and pineapple in anything, I’m probably going to be a fan. (Other recommended flavors from yours truly? The “Elevate” and “Rejuvenate.”) Anyway, all of these green juices really did make me feel energized, fresh, and light – versus a glass of your average fruit juice, which is tasty but sugary and not at all filling. (I will always have a soft spot in my heart for POG but I know it’s really not great for me… sigh.)

Let’s get one thing straight, though: I won’t ever be one of those people who regularly goes on juice fasts. I think health juices are a great way to supplement your diet and get some extra nutrients in, and a couple times I had a Daily Greens for lunch when I was having a hectic day at work. But I think they’re best enjoyed as part of a rounded, healthy nutritional routine. And Daily Greens seems to agree – they do offer a juice cleanse program but it’s only for 3-4 days AND, most importantly, they also encourage eating as many raw fruits & vegetables during the detox so you still feel full. So I think I could manage that! They also make sure to say “We do not believe in “crash” juice cleanses in which only juice is consumed for days on end, as these types of diets can result in many negative side effects” – good for you, Daily Greens friends.

After my big taste test, I do think there IS a big benefit to cold-pressed juice. More nutrients, tons of flavor, super fresh… it might cost a bit more but I think the perks are worth it. I’m definitely going to try to add more green juices into my diet. Even some celery! When it’s mixed with watermelon, at least.

Detox Drinks

Top 5 Post-Holiday Detox Drinks

Detox Drinks

I realize Thanksgiving was almost a full week ago, but I”m still in full-on recovery mode. Everyone knows a good streak of Thanksgiving-level eating stretches all the way through Black Friday and into the weekend. After all, those leftovers aren”t going to devour themselves! Anyway, after an accomplished 4 days of pigging out, I usually feel pretty sluggish and ashamed (also proud! But also, there is some shame).

Wondering how to get back on track, or at least wean your body off the idea of getting stuffed with gravy and butter every second of the day? I have a couple secret weapons and tricks up my sleeve that I use to help me (and my poor, poor digestive system) feel better in no time. That photo above is a snapshot of my desk on the first day back to work after my large weekend. My living area basically looked like the beverage aisle at Whole Foods.

1. Coconut Water
Taste the tropics, y”all! This stuff is so great for refreshment and rehydration! It has just as much potassium as bananas plus tons of important electrolytes. You can basically think of it as nature”s gatorade. I first gave coconut water my official ES endorsement back in January 2012 and this miracle drink retains my loyalty to this day. My favorite brands are Zico (try the pineapple flavor!) and O.N.E.

Zico and Kombucha

2. Kombucha
Oh my dear, sweet kombucha! This fermented tea drink might sound funky, but just give it a try. It will help you balance your pH, cleanse out toxins and impurities, and really move your digestion along. Plus kombucha has trace amounts of alcohol! So it”s not like you”re completely depriving yourself, just trick yourself into thinking it”s a health cocktail or something. If you”re freaked out by the idea of fermented tea, try a bottle of GT Dave”s Synergy, which comes in delightful juice-blended flavors like guava, • individual health insurance companies could drop you for being sick or stop treating you when you reached annual or life-time limits. gingerade, and my personal fave, trilogy.

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Endless Cocktails: The Huggie Bomb

 

Did anyone know that Little Hug Fruit Barrels are still around? I don’t think I ever drank these as a child; or if I did, it was always at friend’s house, or school, or whoever was paying to give their kids sugary artificially flavored water. I generally remember the boys in school bringing these in their lunches, then having those red juice rings on their lips. But adults drinking these? Yes, it’s happening. Because fermenting juice wasn’t enough, now bars are turning these childhood treats into alcoholic drinks.

The method:

1) Choose “flavor” (I chose red, duh. When given color options instead of flavor options, always choose red)

2) Bartender stabs open the foil covering and pours about a shot of the “juice” down the drain

3) Bartender pours vodka straight into plastic juice barrel

4) Consume

 

I ordered one of these solely because we couldn’t seem to get our bar bill past the $10 credit card minimum (75 cent Miller High Lifes make for a good night), but I was kind of impressed. If I ever become a parent, I might pretend to buy these for my kids so I can sip away on a Huggie Bomb at the playground. I don’t think I could figure out how to funnel vodka into a Capri Sun.

 

Cocktail O’Clock: Blue Moon Brunch Punch

Ever hear of brunch punch? I didn’t until we visited my college friend in Baltimore. In preparation for a day of beveraging at the Preakness, she made us a brunch punch. This punch consisted of a mix of orange-pineapple juice, Malibu, and champagne. It was refreshing, while also giving you a bit of a buzz to start off your morning.

At the beach this past weekend, I decided to make my own version of brunch punch with one of my favorite beverages—beer. The result: positive reviews and an empty pitcher of my Blue Moon brunch punch.

At first I served the brunch punch with just the orange-pineapple juice, champagne, and vodka. But I realized we had Blue Moon in the fridge, and added that to the mix. Blue Moon particularly complements these flavors because of its citrus undertones and sweet taste. The punch actually tastes better with the beer—and I wasn’t the only one that thought such. Why didn’t I think to put this on the list?!

Blue Moon Brunch Punch

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Cocktail O’Clock: The Manmosa

For an unknown reason, I find day drinking more socially acceptable when it’s warm and sunny outside. Given the unseasonably warm weather we’ve been having for the past few months, my spring (and end of winter) have seen their fair share of drunk brunches. Even though mimosas and bellinis are synonymous with single 20s girl brunches (or at least that’s what twitter tells me), my weapon of choice is normally beer or bloody marys.

But on one particularly Saturday, after a morning of volunteering and sweating, my favorite brunch bartender suggested he make me a “manmosa.” His story is this: one day a bunch of big guys came in and ordered mimosas….but he figured he could do better, and make something a little better suited to these men. Apparently the real “manmosa” is supposed to be vodka, beer, and orange juice. Even though I love to drink, that is *not* something I can drink before 1pm without some serious consequences, or my “friends” calling me an alcoholic.

The “manmosa” I was served was better (and not modified for me! This is his recipe):

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Sparkling Everything….Even Juicy Juice

A few weeks ago, my parents came to stay with our son, and my husband and I headed off to a lovely bed and breakfast in Virginia, because sometimes, when you have small children, that’s what you’ve got to do.  As expected, it was awesome, particularly the breakfast portion of the whole bed-and-breakfast gimmick.  On Saturday, we were also given a picnic lunch which we enjoyed from the comfort of our king-sized bed.  Included with the lunch were two cans of…wait for it…sparkling Juicy Juice.  Yes, that’s right.  Sparkling juice beverages have now officially hit the mainstream.  One of them even came in a blue can.

Some might turn their noses up at such a commercial hijacking of a formerly high-brow concept, but not me.  As a child of parents who missed the hippie movement by ten years but refused to let that stop them, I grew up drinking R.W. Knudsen’s Spritzers.  I am particularly partial to peach.   Since then, I have sampled any sparkling juice I can get my hands on.  If Juicy Juice wants to jump on that train, I say welcome aboard.

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Artsy Photo of the Day

Taste the fake juice rainbow.

(Photo: Miss Brockhouse)

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