Pressed for success: detox the juicy way
Celebrities drove the craze for the detox, creating a thriving market for fruit and veg in a bottle. Welcome to the world of the 'juice-preneur'
In just three years, the cold-pressed juice scene has taken off, going from zero to at least nine companies on the market.
In the past, customers would have to plan ahead and pre-order their juice cleanse, usually at least 48 hours in advance. But this wholesome trend has now gone mainstream, and several companies have opened physical stores so you can grab your juice and go. That's great news for those who need a quick detox after a debauched weekend, as well as those who don't want to necessarily fast on juices, but are looking to meet their daily portion of greens.
There are a few things you should keep in mind when picking a bottle off the shelf. With a full cleanse programme, the companies would do their homework to plan out a well-rounded menu. Now, the onus is on you to make sure it's right for your diet.
As Green Queen founder Sonalie Figueiras points out, "Are you drinking that with everything that you already take in? If so, you need to redo the nutritional math.
"It's important to choose juices that are lower on the insulin impact scale — you want stuff that has more leafy greens. A lot of what people think of as veggies are actually biologically fruit, like peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini and eggplant, and those have a lot more sugar," Figueiras says.
The bottom line is that, although we love our fruit-packed juices, make sure to balance them out with true vegetables such as spinach, kale and broccoli.
Below are the companies that allow you to enjoy cold-pressed juice without committing to an entire cleansing regime.