23: The Power of Plant-Based Nutrition

Narrator

How would you like to improve your health and keep your family safe? You're listening to the healthy home hacks podcast where we firmly believe enjoying optimal health shouldn't be a luxury. healthy home authorities and husband and wife team Ron and Lisa will help you create a home environment that will level up your health. It's time to hear from the experts. listen in on honest conversations and gain the best tips and advice. If you're ready to dive in and improve your well-being and increase your energy, you're in the right place. All right, here are your hosts, bow biologists, authors, media darlings, vicarious vegans and avocado aficionados. Ron and Lisa Beres.

Lisa Beres

I couldn't remember how long ago it was. So, I had to check a past blog post on our website at random Lisa calm. Turns out we first discovered the power of raw foods in 2011. It's kind of funny how it happened. There was a raw food restaurant here in Orange County, California where we live called 118 degrees. At the time, we had no idea what the heck that name meant. We walked by one day and peeked in the window and thought it looks cute. I think it was the orange chairs. Anyway, we had a lovely vegan lunch. The next day while I was at the gym, I was bouncing off the walls with energy. I've finished my typical one-hour workout, but I felt like I could go another hour Ron had the exact same experience. So, I said that's weird. Could it be the food we ate? needless to say we frequented the spot again and met the chef Jenny. So, we shared our experience with her. And she looked at us a bit dumbfounded and said, well yeah, that's exactly why people choose a raw food diet. It gives them so much energy when I used to think of raw food and chances are you have to, I visualized Rocky Balboa slurping down a raw egg shake or maybe a plate of cucumbers and carrots. Therefore, this raw food dining experience was anything but it was a vivid cornucopia of colors, flavors, creativity and spices. So, Ryan and I proceeded to take a two-week raw food detox where we ate nothing cooked over 118 degrees. In case you were wondering about the restaurant name also. So while we didn't stick with 100% raw food diet since then, we did start drinking fresh juices every day for years, we definitely kept the benefit of all the plant enzymes breaking down our food so that our own digestive systems didn't have to work so hard and hence freeing up all of that extra energy. Our guest today is a pioneer in her field and a vegan visionary. she happens to have grown up in my same little hometown, which makes me like her even more.

Ron Beres

Alexis Schulze she is the co-founder and chief visionary Officer of Nekter Juice Bar. Alexa Schulze leads the award-winning company�s research and development efforts, creating plant based, functional and nutrient rich menu items to the certified health coach with a passion for integrative nutrition. Schulze combines her child development, education and passion into a children's book, sneaky spinach. Schulte is also the founder of sojourn Foundation, a nonprofit that works with children in developing countries to shift perspective, encourage personal growth, and positively contribute as global citizens. Welcome to the show.

Alexis Schulze

Love that intro.

Lisa Beres

Yeah, I know your bio. Your bio was so great. We had to trim it because there's so much to share. And, and I have Sneaky Spinach. I have the little children's book and a side note if you have kids, get that for your kids. But anyway, I want to dive right in Alexis. So, I mentioned that you and I grew up in this little tiny Arizona town. And I wish we had a juice bar there when I grew up because there were no healthy choices. They were virtually nonexistent.

Ron Beres

One fast food restaurant I think, right?

Lisa Beres

Yeah, we have one fast food restaurant when I first moved there. So, what gave you the idea to start Nekter?

Alexis Schulze

And Nekter is with a K and n e k t e r for anyone who's wondering that we spell it phonetically. So, the idea kind of came similar to your experience that was like I was doing yoga teacher training and, you know, Yogi's always like to get juice after and my first couple experiences though, were not so great. It was like, you know, I wasn't a huge vegetable fan. I grew up vegetarian. So, eating vegetables, I think it�s sort of an acquired taste. And I would go to get these juices and it was like disgusting swamp water. You know, like, it just I was like, what are they trying to track down and I was like, Okay, come on. I got to be a good Yogi. I can do this. You know, I think my mom made wheatgrass shots when we were little. Yeah. So, it's sort of like you have this horrible association with All Things green almost right. So, I didn't love the first juice, the first couple of juices I had after yoga, so I started modifying them, I put over ice or I add a little extra Apple lemon. And then before I knew it, I was drinking it every day. And kind of like you, I noticed how much energy I had, like my hair was growing my nails, like, you know, it was just all these great benefits, my skin was glowing, just so many cool things from juicing. And so, I started to become that kind of annoying friend was like, Hey, we're trying to make it my husband drink it, all my friends are just like shoving it in everyone's faces, because like kind of adding the thing that wouldn't make it colder. It just made it more palatable. So, it was like, this is actually a really good thing. And then my husband at the time, was looking to like start a new business. And I was like, we need open a juice bar like all these juice bars visited New York LA, which is really the only places juice bars really were at the time. I mean, this is 10 years ago, there wasn't it wasn't a very widespread thing. It was sort of more like, you know, hippie, dippie kind of a thing. And so, we, we sort of were like, Okay, how?

Lisa Beres

Like a little counter in the back of the health food store? Right?

Alexis Schulze

Totally. So, so it's like, how do you take something like this and make it mainstream and you know, make it taste good. So that was sort of the aha moment. Like, wait, we could really do this. And a lot of the juice bars I visited, like, the menus were overwhelming, or just so far out there. And so, it was like, the main idea for an actor was like, we can take it make a very simple menu. Take normal things that most people see and make them taste good, which is kind of like what Johnny Ross did it 180 degrees you make you make raw food tastes good. Right? Right. Foods. Delicious. Yeah. So that's kind of you know, the beginning and it just, it really took off.

Lisa Beres

Opportunity met preparation. I know, there's a lot of hard work put into that as entrepreneurs ourselves. Nothing is an accident. Nothing is like a pure luck, but um, were you a certified health coach, then or did you decide to do that later?

Alexis Schulze

No, I totally nerd it out on you know, like, sort of feeling lazy. I was like, Alright, I gotta find out why. Why do I feel this way? And yeah, I learned about raw enzymes. And you know, after 35, your body stops producing enzymes. So especially with that, yeah.

Ron Beres

Okay, so we're getting close, right?

Lisa Beres

You don't produce any enzymes?

Alexis Schulze

After age 35. Yeah, so it's right. So, it starts to pull from your organs and things. So, it's like pulling other places where raw food if you keep it under 118 degrees, it has all the naturally occurring enzymes, so our bodies can just process it. And that's a big part of why we feel so good on it.

Lisa Beres

Yeah, I have that. That is such the lightbulb moment that I had. Because we were vegetarian. We're vegan. Now. We were vegetarian at the time. So, we thought, Hey, we're doing everything right. But it was we were eating cooked food and so to feel that burst of energy. And also like I would eat with Ron and at the raw food restaurant and say, Gosh, I could go work out right now. Like when could you ever say that after you've eaten a meal? Like I that's how light and good I feel. I'm not hungry. But I feel super energetic. And that's one of the things I want the listeners to really like grasp because this isn't just like, Oh, it's trendy. Get a juice or, you know, I should drink it. Well, yeah, you should. But of course, you should. There's just that this is like, you're going to notice the difference right away for sure.

Ron Beres

So, how is eating healthy a part of your life today? Like, I guess in regards to your mission at Nekter.

Alexis Schulze

I'm such a firm believer in a little bit of balance because you know, you have to be able to eat out or have the social aspect. So, I do eat, I mean, I'm vegetarian for sure. Mostly vegan every now and then a little cheese.

Lisa Beres

You're a cheagan.

Alexis Schulze

Yeah, that's all the only thing I do. But you know at Nekter we we've homemaker own cashew nut milk. So, we make that daily or hourly, depending on the store, or all throughout the day, I guess I should say. And that's the basis for our creamy smoothies and cashew we chose cashews that is like the creamiest it's the most like milk. Kids don't know that it's not milk. And that's such a beautiful thing about all these great nut milks, you know, or we'll use coconut water or we'll use you know, juice of some sort as a base. But that's like, really, I feel like what has always sort of set us apart. It's like you go to a lot of these smoothie places, and it's I would say its glorified ice cream. Like you're not really getting a healthy thing, right?

Lisa Beres

It's always yogurt. Ron, remember we go to what's the big smoothie place. Jamba Juice? Well, no, but they didn't have really juices, especially back then I think I don't know if they do but anyway, it was always like yogurt and this or ice cream in this and I'm like, Oh my gosh, like.

Alexis Schulze

Yeah, so much sugar.

Lisa Beres

I'll never forget my first beet juice. Someone I think it was an acupuncturist. She was like oh, you know your livers congested and you should be drinking beet juice. And I was like, ooh, beet juice. No, there was a natural foods grocery store that ran an would go to, and they had a little juice bar, like I was saying in the back of the corner. And I just kept looking at, I thought I cannot do this beet juice. No way. I mean, eating beets is one thing, but drinking it. So, I did order it, and I thought it was going to hate it. And it actually was so delicious. I couldn't believe it. I loved it. So, I want everyone to know that some of the things you think we're going to taste gross are surprisingly really good when they're mixed. Right? So, what are the most important things to consider when you're making recipes? Because you're the brainchild behind all the recipes, correct? Yeah.

Alexis Schulze

Yeah, that's my job, mostly. I mean, I think I strive for balance, because if you were to drink straight beet juice, you may not feel the same unless you're like a major beet lover, you know, by adding a little bit of ginger, bringing in some other flavors, cocoa cucumbers are great, because it's very just like light. And I love I mean, I'm a huge fan of greens, as many greens as you possibly get. But I think really trying to just balance the profile of something. So, it's not going to overwhelm the person drinking it. Yeah, we do have our hardcore people that do I mean, they may come in and order, you know, beet, celery juice and love it, but a stream person walking off the street. Yeah, I want them to have that negative experience. So, like, I strive to have it balanced. You know, I liken it to wine sometimes, like a very I agree with you. So, it's like, you know, we all started with maybe Boone's farm or white, like Zinfandel or pink Zinfandel, right? Like I think, at times, but so you start there with like a lighter, sweeter wine. And then you move your way fully. And like, obviously, your palate gets more refined, the more you and then eventually you're going to be this amazing gold Cabernet or like a Barolo or, you know, like, I love wine, too. But like, you.

Lisa Beres

We have that in common.

Alexis Schulze

It's raw. Right? Right, and sort of slowly grow, you know, like, I didn't love vegetables. And then after drinking juices, I would start craving vegetables more and more. So, it's like, it's something that definitely changes and you do acquire the taste. So, I wanted to start with some stuff that was just very basic, very simple for like anybody walking in the street, you know, berry banana burgers, just like your basic strawberry and banana smoothie. You know, what blueberries are not milk tastes amazing, you know, but then you can work your way up to the greener ones. And same thing with juices, we just have a nice variety.

Ron Beres

Smoothies versus juices. Can you get the enzymes from a smoothie?

Alexis Schulze

So, anything raw has the enzymes. The difference between smoothies and juices is just like you're getting all the fiber, which if you are a person who doesn't eat enough fiber smoothies are great to get that in you a juice, you're actually separating the pulp from it. So, your body doesn't have to do that. So, it's putting all those nutrients like immediately in your body. So okay, like how you what's better for you? I mean, I love juices now, but it's great to do both.

Lisa Beres

Oh, okay. I�ve always wondered that too. And what about frozen produce? Is there, because I've read Oh, frozen is really not that bad. Studies show it's actually it's almost just as healthy. Is that true?

Alexis Schulze

You know, I mean, there is it's funny to kind of go different ways with that. But it's frozen at the peak of freshness. So, you don't have this possibility of molding or aging and bacteria and all that stuff. But it you know, it is really I think whatever works, it�s kind of comes to that smoothies for smoothies. I love frozen fruit just because then you're not adding ice and all this extra stuff.

Lisa Beres

Yeah, it's you know, Alexis, I don't think I've told you this, but I literally was getting my nails done. And this probably was 10 years ago. And when the Nekter had just opened near us here in our area, the one close to our home. And this girl came in and she had a little Nekter glass and she was sitting next to me and I'm like, is that a juice? Where did you get that? There's a juice. There's a juice place in this plaza? I had no idea. It was really funny. It was the first time I ever heard of Nekter. Right? And I think we pretty much started going there like literally every day. Your child's college fund, you can thank us. We literally went every day. Did we not, Ron? We didn't miss a day; we would go to Nekter every day because it's close to us. And we loved it. And I did like the going back to the ice cube thing that you mentioned. Cuz you're right. I think that I must have had a bad experience with the juice that wasn't on ice. So, I don't know what that is. But people not did not do that somewhere else. I don't necessarily think you guys were the first ones to serve it on ice. Is that kind of like one of your claims to fame, too?

Alexis Schulze

Um, I mean, kind of. I mean, I think that was kind of a mainstream spin on it. Yeah, kind of making it colder because it does become more palatable. Yeah, we sell everything per the ounce. So, if you order it over ice, we give you it in a larger cup. Because it's like the same amount of juice, which we've gotten some love for that. I love it. It's like buying 16 ounces of juice. Yeah, you know, shouldn't get less.

Lisa Beres

I love it. Yes, I was a big fan of the sublime. And I always got it like that they put in the gigantic, gigantic jar because I went Let's get it over ice. Yeah. So good. You can tell we're fans of Nekter.

Ron Beres

I mean, the problem is I go in and I'm actually I want to go for the juice, but I'm getting the Healthy Nut or something like that, which is you know, heavier calories. So how do I battle that?

Alexis Schulze

Though there so good. I mean, it's balance, right? If you're eating all your vegetables, then you can get your Healthy Nut or you know, like your more decadent one. But the thing is to like, again, it's all raw. It's all real. Nothing we're putting in there as bad. So, it's like, if you are truly eating the rest of your day pretty healthy, then go for it. You know, I love that one, too. It's, it's a yummy one with peanut butter. I added juice to it too.

Lisa Beres

I love it, too. It's funny you say that, Alexis, I do remember starting off like I had such, like, when I first started doing smoothies, I would get like the vegan ice cream, say at Mother's Market or whatever. And I get this like really decadent smoothie and thinking it was just the healthiest thing. And then I did have to gradually transition to juices. You know, it's not like instantly. Well, for some people, at least, especially if you have a sweet tooth and you're on a SAD diet, a standard American diet, you might it might take a little time for you to acquire the taste the love for some of this stuff.

Alexis Schulze

And to be patient. I think with ourselves too. It's like, just ease into it as long as you're doing better than pat yourself on the back and move on. Right?

Lisa Beres

Right, better than yesterday. That's it. It's always a step in. Okay, so there's so much focus today on the ketogenic diet. What are your thoughts as a health coach on counting calories and carbs as a lifestyle? Do you believe in that?

Alexis Schulze

I don't. I really don't.

Lisa Beres

We like, Alexis. She�s fun.

Alexis Schulze

No, I mean, I think that truly, like people get so caught up in that and anything that stresses you out more than nourishes you in any way emotionally, physically. It's not it's not healthy, you know, and I, I have friends that used to get juices all the time. And then they switched into keto. And like, I remember looking at their skin thinking, oh my god, like they look like they aged. It's weird. Wow. Because it's so hard on your organs like eating the like the protein, like the protein and stuff like that.

Lisa Beres

It�s all the fat, right? All the fat and all the meat. Oh, God, that's like the anti-us diet.

Alexis Schulze

I tried. I actually tried ketoterian thinking, Oh, see what this could do, which is a vegetarian version of keto. And I blew up my gallbladder pains awful, awful. Awful. And this was, yeah, so some people just can't handle it for sure. But it's just it's like, I mean, my theory is like, eat as much vegetables as you can, you know, and if you can fill up on all those nutrients, then you sort of can find the balance and other things. So, I think that instead of counting calories, vegetables or low calories or high nutrients, I mean, you can't find better things.

Ron Beres

Let�s go back to blowing out your gallbladder. So, what happened?

Lisa Beres

You had to get it removed?

Alexis Schulze

No, no, no, it just, it just sort of. I just had a lot. I was going to the bathroom a lot, but it was sort of felt like it just hit not a good wall. And so, I went off the diet and then just had to kind of get some liver bile salts to kind of help my body get back on track. It was it was intense. So, I did a liver cleanse or gallbladder flush recently to try to get all that out of there. Because if your body can't process the fat, it's sitting kind of blocking up the works. So, it's messing up your liver, your gallbladder, you know, and it's just on everybody's body can process that.

Lisa Beres

it was a vegan or vegetarian keto? So, for the fats was it like coconut oil, lots and lots of avocados?

Alexis Schulze

I cheated a little I definitely did cheese on that one. Which was why my body wasn't super happy with me. But yeah, I mean, it was just loading up on nuts. And I mean, it was just a lot of fat. I mean, and little, like, you know, I was making little like, not like balls, you know, like, like, cut nuts and coconut oil. I mean, yeah, essentially, it sounds healthy. But it just like I said, depends on your body. And it's a bummer about all these fads. It's like, anytime you're completely restricting so many things from your body and having to be so conscientious of it. It's just, there's no there's nothing good. Yeah, unless your doctor puts you on something for a reason.

Lisa Beres

I have just like you said with the friends I've experienced that too. I have a couple friends that are like really obsessed with working out and everything they eat but then they'll be really weird about like you said, like a juice Oh, it's too high caloric or, you know, something weird like that. And you're like, no, nature always provides goodness. You can't mess with Mother Nature. Yeah, she knows.

Ron Beres

Well, you know, Alexis, most people want to eat better but they just don't know where to start. Can you give our listeners maybe your number one tip for eating healthy?

Alexis Schulze

My number one tip I think I started already alluded to it. Honestly, eat more vegetables. If you can just try to get more vegetables. It's got tons of fiber, so it's going to fill you up, you're not going to walk away from the table being hungry and loaded with nutrients, if you can try to shift your whole, like, you know, you look at all those plates that the government puts out and all that stuff, I don't follow that you're not a fan, I think your vegetables should be the biggest portion. If you can do that, then you're cutting your calories, you're adding the fiber and your body will naturally lean up and feel better have more energy. And then of course, if you can do some of that raw, it's always such a great kick too. And of course, if you can't stop and grab a big plate of vegetables, juice, that's where juicing is so convenient and easy. You know, I mean, like, yeah, being able to grab it in a cup. You're on the go. Great. You're doing that instead of grabbing. Who knows what, you know?

Lisa Beres

Yeah. French fries, French fries.

Alexis Schulze

I do love fries, though.

Ron Beres

I mean, we all do. Alexis, quick question. You have three ingredients. It can be a nut milk, it can be a vegetable, it can be a fruit to make a juice or a smoothie. What would those three ingredients be?

Alexis Schulze

Oh my gosh, that's so hard. Because there's

Lisa Beres

Why do we have to limit?

Unknown Speaker

Okay, okay. We have four ingredients to make that you can only use for the week. What would you use?

Alexis Schulze

Okay, well, maybe on that, I guess if that's all I could eat. Yeah, right. I'm like, I would definitely use like a cashew to make the nut milk. She can do cheater nut milk, or you just throw soaked cashews in the blender and add water so that would give me my milky base. I would add spinach to that because we always try to sneak in our spinach and then some berries because I think it's such a clean, easy way to you know, make a nice smoothie. And then you're kind of getting a well-rounded you've got a little bit of fat you've got I mean that to me, has a really nice, you know, you got a little bit of fat totals you over you got the fiber and all the greens and then berries are low glycemic also, you know, so if I got one more thing to throw in, it would be like, a date or something to kind of give it a little yumminess a little sweetness.

Lisa Beres

Yeah, cuz you guys at Nekter. What do you use what do you use for the sweetener? Agave nectar or dates or both?

Alexis Schulze

We have both in store so a lot of our recipes are agave. It's small, a small amount like in our acai bowls, we actually just rely on the fruit to sweeten it. And the beauty is you can add more or subtract as well because everything's made fresh right there. Yeah, we kind of leave it kind of leave it in the middle. So again, so it's palatable to everyone but also very customizable, which is nice.

Lisa Beres

It is nice. I love it. It's like the old Burger King slogan except the healthier version. So, your kids like when you were going through all this learning the recipes and you know researching were, they pretty open to it like were they like oh my gosh, Wow, this is great. Or did you get resistant?

Alexis Schulze

Yes. And now Yeah, it's funny on certain things, you know, they would like want to go to 711 and get like an ice or whatever, after school and so one of the recipes are Orange Crush was my version but I think by including the kids in the recipe development really got their buy in so they helped me make it and so then they would tell the friends we made it up and they loved it then they were a part of it. They get so addicted to sugar.

Alexis Schulze

Yeah, yeah. My little one would steal my green juice you know, and I love seeing all the little ones drinking their parents you know now everybody posts it. I'm like, gosh, I wish I had known when they were even younger because they were like, want to say well six and nine when we started Nekter so I gotten into green juice when they were babies I would have they would have been like raise it on the stuff you know?

Lisa Beres

Yeah, that's crazy. Our doctor. Ron I don't even know probably don't know this but our doctor she has two girls and they loved I don't even know the name of the drink at Nekter but it's a pink drink. He has a pink flamingo and they liked it and they like the color and so they always asked for that she was telling me and I thought that was cute because that's a good way also to get the kids into it is the color right the color. You need the sweet the sweetness in there, but make it fun, right so it's not like something you have to do like, like when we grew up there was no juice bars were no smoothies there was eat your buttered broccoli. Butter, your butter broccoli, it's good for you. So nowadays, you know we're in the times of Coronavirus. Everyone's concerned about keeping their immune systems as strong as possible. What would you suggest for people who are looking right now to boost their immune system?

Alexis Schulze

So, there is there's so much out there. I personally have upped my vitamin D for both my kids and I because I just think it does help the immune system but getting aside from supplements and all that. I mean elderberry obviously it has been really popular during all this to which I do you believe in to be honest. Again, it really comes down to Can we put more fresh fruits and vegetables in our life. I think at the beginning of Corona, everybody was stocking up on all the frozen food, myself included.

Lisa Beres

Us, too. I never saw the freezer look like that ever.

Alexis Schulze

Yeah. And it was like I bought healthier stuff. But it's still I felt I felt it. So, like a week or two in, I was kind of cracking up just going like oh my gosh, I really need more fresh fruits and vegetables. So, it increases so many you know your energy and all those things, of course, but it also just enables your body to cleanse itself, it helps your body, you know, our livers are a huge part of our immune system. And I think people don't even realize this. I think a lot of people drink more in the beginning of COVID. Yeah, so like, here's your poor liver, and then you're trying to like make your immune system strong. And it's such a big part of it.

Lisa Beres

So, get back getting out right, not getting the sunlight and not getting the fresh air. And so, all that kind of created, like a very unhealthy environment for so many people. So, I think people are realizing now like, dang, I gotta get out of the house, I�ve got to get fresh air. And you know.

Alexis Schulze

And that's natural vitamin D, you know, I mean, if you can boost your vitamin D and boost your vegetables and fruit, I mean, even fruits, there's so many things so many people are afraid of fruits and because of the sugar, right that there's so many incredible antioxidants in all these bright red fruits that taste amazing. And then you satisfy that sweet tooth and a half the way throughout the day, then you don't kind of crash later. Yeah, and oranges. You know, all the citrus fruits with all the vitamin C, it's like, there's just nature has provided all the things we need to boost our immune system. We're just so far from it most of the time that you know, or we're worried about the calories or you know, and it's just it's so silly.

Lisa Beres

It�s really silly.

Ron Beres

Yeah, Alexis, how do you feel about taking supplements versus food itself? So, what's the better way to get nutrients? In your opinion?

Alexis Schulze

It's funny, when I first started Nekter, I was all like, no, we're not doing any powders. We're not doing anything. Everything should be real food; I was a really strong proponent like I just get real food in you. Now the more I've studied nutrition and understood that because we're over farming soil, there's all these things that we're not getting an apple today is not as nutrient dense as the apple 100 years ago, because of our farming practices and all these things. So, I do believe there's a roundabout way to answer that question. But I'm getting there. I do believe that we do sometimes need to supplement because it's hard. I mean, unless you're eating fruits and vegetables all day, which would be ideal, which most of us don't, you might be really bloated if you try to start right off the bat. But like you do need a little bit to supplement and so I'm not against I mean, I take magnesium at night helps with my migraines, there's definitely some things that we all get deficient in. Even if you're really healthy, you know, just depending on how your body processes things. And the older I get, the more I realize that.

Lisa Beres

Yeah, isn't that true? I know, because I feel like we're 100% vegan, we're mostly organic. And we'll get organic everything whenever we can. It's very rare we don't. So, like, I just got my blood tests back and everything was great. There were a couple things that I was just surprised about, like, Oh, your vitamin D is a little low. I'm like what I will since COVID, we've been walking all the time. So, I get more vitamin D than ever, and I take 5000 milligrams a day is still a little low. And then certain things like electrolytes, and I think vitamin B, which is an especially if you are doing a plant-based diet iron. What is it B? Is it b 12 that a lot of vegans are deficient in so like those kinds of things? It's good to supplement right?

Alexis Schulze

Yeah, and those are what exactly I do. It's so funny. Yeah. Because same thing I'm outside I'm not I mean, I'm I really should be better about you know, not being outside. I love being outside, I hike a ton. And I was low in vitamin D too, which goes to show you like it's not it's it is like a lot of it's how it's converted or absorbed into our bodies. And that's where things you know, that's where supplementing you kind of have no choice sometimes, you know, and yeah, B vitamins. I drink a ton of kombucha to try to get B vitamins in me, but I still have to supplement.

Lisa Beres

Yeah, for sure. That's good to hear. Because I know that that was and I love that question. Because, you know, we just can't and the soil is different. And, you know, even if you're even if you're doing an amazing job, there's just some things that your body is going to need and get those blood tests and figure out what they are. And yeah, get your juices and all that good stuff.

Ron Beres

Not only the juices, I love the ice cream. You have the vegan ice cream is addictive. And I you know, I know you don't focus on calories, but I think it's like 180 calories a scoop?

Lisa Beres

He's a calorie counter.

Ron Beres

To me, yeah. It�s amazing.

Alexis Schulze

It was funny when I made that up, because if we tried all these different machines, like from a snow machine where you put the liquid in, and it's like, spits it out all these different machines, and this machine was like the best machine we can find. We've had a lot of issues with the machine. From a business perspective. It's been a nightmare. So, like looking at other ways. Yeah, they weren't the most. I mean, it was a great machine to make like really quick gelato, but just didn't quite work. So, we're working on that. It's you know, lots of things as we go.

Lisa Beres

I love it.

Ron Beres

We actually have a caller calling in. Jonathan is on the line and he wanted to ask you some questions. Are you okay with that?

Alexis Schulze

Yeah. I am.

Caller, Jonathan

Thank you so much. Alexis, hi. I want to thank you for creating such a wonderful business such as Nekter. You know, I, I tried juicing at home and it�s so time consuming with the setup and cleanup as you can imagine, and just having the luxury to go to Nekter, my hometown of roasted beets has been a godsend. I just want to thank you for that. Yes. My question is probably a common one, it's involving, basically juicing versus smoothies, not worried about not getting enough fiber or other nutrients from the pulse in my day when I do so. It's my question, you know, where the advantages and disadvantages of juicing versus smoothies and would you recommend a balance between the two?

Alexis Schulze

So, I think it's such a great question. I am, I'm a fan of both, but it is definitely dependent on you. So, a lot of people struggle to get enough fiber in and that's where smoothies are such an amazing thing to add. However, if you are struggling to get all the nutrients in, that's where juicing is such a great thing because we if you if you were to blend what goes into a 16 ounce juice, it would probably be like a gallon of smoothie, which would be a lot to get in your body probably be very gashes and hard to get in together. If you were to put it in through a juicer, you're actually separating the juice from the pulp so it's easier for your body to like immediately absorb it and really flood your body with all those nutrients so I think they're both great but if you are really struggling with fiber which I know sometimes people are then smoothie is always such a great way to go but maybe both if you can.

Lisa Beres

Maybe alternate like every other day, right?

Alexis Schulze

Yeah. And you can I mean I think Gosh, just like make a smoothie for yourself at home and then grab a juice when you're out at Nekter you know there you go in our lifestyle right I mean, it's such a you can't go wrong adding more fruits and vegetables to your to your life.

Lisa Beres

Is there an ideal time to juice or have a smoothie or doesn't not matter? Do you get the benefits no matter when you eat?

Alexis Schulze

You know, I think there's a lot of research about first thing in the morning really flooding your body and I know like the Medical Medium and there's a bunch of different you know, the celery juice thing where people are drinking that before their coffee, but you're fasting overnight if you break your fast but nutrients it is going to be absorbed really fast. But again it's like if that doesn't work for you then you do it works because if we're so rigid and trying to make things happen and then it's not doesn't work for our schedule, then it then it doesn't work at all so I mean I tried to do the celery first thing in the morning making it myself and I was like oh my gosh, it is such a mess. Sorry and I was just like oh my gosh, this is ridiculous. But you do feel great getting it in your body right away but you know not if it's going to stress you out getting there.

Lisa Beres

Yeah. Oh my gosh, does that answer your question, Jonathan?

Caller, Jonathan

Yes, it does. Thank you so much. I�m going to go to Nekter right now Thank you.

Alexis Schulze

What are you going to get - a juice or a smoothie?

Lisa Beres

Their Scoop ice cream is amazing. It's 100% plant based. It's amazing.

Alexis Schulze

Thank you.

Lisa Beres

I remember the first time I heard the buzz word superfood. It sounded like I should eat it but I honestly had no idea what that meant. So, what actually makes something a superfood?

Alexis Schulze

I think anything that has like anti-cancer loaded with antioxidants, you know all those great buzz words make something a superfood. So, acai is, a superfood, there's trending superfoods. So, when I say the bowls first came out that was like the big you know, superfood and it's been around forever in Brazil, they do that for energy out there. Anything that is just loaded with nutrients is a superfood. So really in my world, I think all fruits and vegetables are superfoods. But of course, there's always going to be ones that are more trending and more, you know, I've traveled quite a bit and I usually ask, you know, like, cab drivers or guides or whatever, like, Okay, what do you guys use? Because there's so many cool, like fruits that are come from the jungle. And I mean, there's one called sour SAP, and they say it's like anti-cancer fighting, you know, an Amazon so we brought stuff in and you know, and just afterwards. Yeah, yeah, yeah, there's so many cool ones that and I'm just starting to be able to like, ship them here and kind of get our hands-on things. But these things have been used forever in these cultures. It's such an innate thing to use the fruits and vegetables that are around us.

Lisa Beres

Yeah, and the acai bowl. My friend said she gets the pitaya, is that how you say it?

Alexis Schulze

Yeah. So that�s the bright pink one.

Lisa Beres

Yeah. What is that? Is that a fruit?

Alexis Schulze

It is a star fruit of a tie specifically grows up the side of a volcano. So, it's Yeah, I'm sure you've seen like the Asian starfruit it's white in the middle with the little black specks. Yeah, and it has like spines on it. If you haven't, Google it.

Lisa Beres

Sounds like a like a sea urchin.

Alexis Schulze

Yeah, yeah. If it grows up the side of the volcano, that's where that vibrant pink comes from. And that's just, it's just more nutrients from that volcanic soil. So, it turns it pink. Oh, yeah. So, it's really cool. And there's other it comes from other countries too. It's not quite as vibrant but it's just that's what about pink flamingo with the kids love because it is its hot pink. I mean, it's like 90s hot pink.

Lisa Beres

Whereas the acai is more like a dark purple. Right? Yeah, that's a fruit too, isn't it? Is that a fruit? It�s a berry. Okay, equally as good for you or it just depends on what you're seeking?

Alexis Schulze

I mean, they're all loaded with nutrients. Again. It's just Yeah, they're all superfoods. They're all you know, again. And that's another thing I will say going back to kind of the superfood thing. It's like, anything you're doing if you're varying what you are putting in your body, you know, so have the potential one day and then have the Aussie the next your body's going to be really grateful as opposed to eating the same thing every day. Like there's no I hate this every day and you'll die now magical. You can fly.

Lisa Beres

Ron, tell her about your allergy.

Ron Beres

This is a pre Nekter smoothie. I liked peanut butter smoothies. And I would have the largest bowl of whatever they offered. I would have it every day I get extra peanut butter. And did this for at least a couple years.

Lisa Beres

He'd yell at the guy, more peanut butter. No, no, that's not enough peanut butter.

Ron Beres

Yeah, yeah, the guy was not only was I getting what I was at also to say I was developing a rash on my leg. I'm trying not to do the same thing to almond butter, but it was the mycotoxins obviously in the peanut butter that eventually had to give it up.

Lisa Beres

Aflatoxins I think, right?

Alexis Schulze

That�s a fancy word. I�m impressed you guys know that.

Lisa Beres

Peanuts aren't that healthy right and so because they are moldy too. Yeah, I mean, I'm so glad for all these nut butters that have come into the world.

Alexis Schulze

Yeah, if you just stagger. If you love peanut butter but I did the same thing I kind of the same story I gave myself food sensitivity to almonds because I was doing almond milk and almond flour tortillas and almond dressing and all the sudden it's like yeah, okay, a little overkill on the almonds you know, so I stagger now.

Lisa Beres

Your body just knows. Yeah, your body will give you reactions. I think I did that with soy when I first became vegetarian. Do you remember the soy days where everything was soy burgers or ice cream soy you name it everything was soy and I just thought it was doing a good job and of course I had I ended up having like way too much estrogen in my body from the Phytoestrogens and from the soy so yeah, you know.

Ron Beres

What�s the most popular juice and the most popular smoothie that you sell because I don't have to prepare each day to make sure you're fully stocked in the store. What is the most popular smoothie?

Alexis Schulze

Popular juices are Greenie which is the greenest that's what I drink every day. And that's like the more celery-based juice and then our Toxin Flush which is the apple based one but they're both green. So those are our two number one sellers. And then in our smoothie I think the Pink Flamingo�s pretty high up there that's so popular with kids and teenagers and then I think that that is the other one so that's like people coming in and out you know it's loaded with protein so it's a nice good one and you can choose almond butter or peanut butter, so you just alternate.

Lisa Beres

Yeah so going back to how you said when you started you wanted a clean simple menu you didn't do the supplements Have you guys since added those are you thinking of it are you going to keep it as is or did to bring in a few things?

Alexis Schulze

Just because as I expanded my knowledge you know you have to kind of evolve so I you know, there's certain things you can only get us powder. So, when we bring an elderberry it's in a more of a powder form. You know, we put we offer bee pollen on top, you know different hemp seeds, different things like that, trying to keep it in more like the whole food component, but there's just certain things that offer such a great boost that we can do it and then people were asking for protein powders. So we've developed a really clean protein where we have a way and a pea protein that we developed actually finally just did our own version because it's like the ones we found on the market you know, they're loaded with sugar they're you know, the types of fillers and additives and it's really hard so we finally just developed our own of those to just to offer something Wow, something different.

Lisa Beres

So, you have to cater to people who aren't vegan, obviously that want their whey protein and do you - I thought I saw yogurt. Do you actually do yogurt on the menu too, is it vegan?

Alexis Schulze

Yeah, it's this great brand. And I have been trying yogurt forever. It's been something that it's kind of an interesting thing to be added to smoothies we offer it you know now we're putting it on top of bowls and it's such a great component because it has the probiotics. It adds that yummy like from the pumpkin bowl and I love it because I was eating it the other day and I was like; this is like pumpkin pie with whipped cream because it's a vanilla like coconut yogurt. So, it's like it has all the elements.

Alexis Schulze

Yeah, it's so good. It's like Pumpkin Pie but you don�t feel so bad about eating. It's really good. It's really good.

Lisa Beres

Okay, thanksgiving dessert.

Lisa Beres

I know. I always like when Ron would go to pick it up, I�d be like, tell me if the pumpkin smoothie is back. I'd wait for it like every fall. Plus, I mean, it's also like, seasonal because you don't eat pumpkin very often. And it's so good for you. So, you do want to take advantage of those things that are in season?

Alexis Schulze

Yeah, for sure.

Lisa Beres

So, going back to the celery juice conversation, because I have heard about it. I actually love the taste of it. But is so that is a real thing. Right? What is this all about? What's the celery craze about?

Alexis Schulze

From what I know it's celery has a different salt in it that can only be found in celery, and it's supposed to be amazing for detoxifying the liver, the body, you know, so yeah, so we sell a bottle of celery juice, you can buy six bottles and drink that every morning before your coffee to make it more convenient because I struggled with the full feel of it. But it's great. To be a light, especially for people who are doing like intermittent fasting. It's great to like get that in your body because it's not super high calorie. So, it won�t throw you out of fasting, high water content. Yeah, everyone at our office did it we first started and like you will not believe the stories about the cleansing components. It was like okay, too much information. But I mean, everyone has different things going on. So, it's kind of funny.

Lisa Beres

That�s a great way for someone who wants to cleanse but doesn't want to do the whole, let alone fasting. Even just restricting your diet can be difficult, you know? So just doing something like that where it's simple. And you know, gradual. So, what would you take, like a glass and morning how much do you need?

Alexis Schulze

The Medical Medium says like 16 ounces, but they say to work up to it? Oh, yeah, yeah, we added a little bit of lemon enters to kind of make it a little more palatable because yeah, I'm with a lot to chug down. Yeah. But it is yeah, to get 16 ounces of straight celery down is a little rough.

Lisa Beres

That is awesome. It's so fun talking about all this. We're also passionate here because we're all kind of foodies and healthy foodies. And have you ever seen that. It's like a slideshow. It's called God's Pharmacy. And it goes through all, you got to Google it. It's all the fruits and vegetables and the shape and how they coordinate with parts of our body. Like walnuts look like a little brain, right? If you crack open a walnut it looks like a brain and those are good for your brain and carrots look like the iris like when you slice the carrot and those are really good for eye. It goes through like every fruit and vegetable and it's it connects the dots of how these things are really helpful. But it is.

Alexis Schulze

Yeah, it's fascinating like the walnut in the brain. I mean, it really does look like a brain. Yeah, if you think about how amazing our bodies are, it only makes sense that the world is sort of created in a way that it's that magical to you know, I mean, there's so many like things really do make sense. To be

Lisa Beres

French fries don't come out of a tree.

Alexis Schulze

But, they're so good.

Lisa Beres

They are so good. I have never met a vegetarian or vegan who doesn't love French fries so if you if you guys are listening and you are one let us know because I want to meet you. You�re an anomaly.

Alexis Schulze

You�re a hero of ours.

Lisa Beres

We�ve got to have our little cheat. Yeah. Oh my God, this was so amazing. You're such a wealth of knowledge. Is there anything you want to leave people with a little tip a little tidbit? Something they could do to get their kids getting on the right track or anything like that?

Alexis Schulze

Yeah, I mean, I think sort of with all lead up with the kid one it's so easy to get people involved when they're part of it. So, like my sneaky spinach book like we talked like the sneak in the spinach sneak in the smoothie, you know when the kids not look the child's not looking. So when they read it then they're like okay, we want to do it but like making them a part of it and including them in the recipe creation and having some fun that's such a great way to get kids involved and have some ownership in what they're eating and understanding it Yeah, and then I think for just overall I mean if you just try to be more like aware of the fruits and vegetables you're putting in your body and just trying to up it you will notice the difference.

Lisa Beres

Ron and I talked about this all the time because we used to have such bigger appetites like before we ate, you know we're totally plant based. But before we just needed much more food because, like you were saying, we�re not getting satiated we're not getting that full feeling from the fiber and these veggies and Ron, especially. No, it�s true. Like large quantities and then now people go Oh, you guys don't eat anything. Well, no, we're really fuller faster. And we you know; we eat until we're happy and that's great and you don't you don't feel that need to snack so much. You don't get those sugar cravings. You don't get those horrible bad thing cravings because your body's getting all the healthy fats and all that good stuff.

Alexis Schulze

Yeah, and I can I think like when I first started juicing It was like flooding my body with the nutrients I wasn't craving and it�s kind of realized, like, you start really looking at the food you were putting in your body before. It's I mean, a lot of the food the fad, the standard American diet, I mean, it's so well named it there's not a lot of nutrient density in the majority of the processed food so your body like you may think, okay, I just shoved my face full of food, but like, from a nutrient standpoint, it probably didn't get a whole lot. So, it's like I'm still hungry. You know, you ever eat a bunch of something bad and you're like, why am I still hungry? How is that possible?

Lisa Beres

Yeah, and even put, they put like additives in the food to actually keep making you crave more like, like talking about chips like snacky kind of foods, they'll put some kind of ingredient that makes you Ooh, I got a little bit I need more until I feel satiated. And so, Doritos, Cheetos, those kinds of things. It's just you need more and more and more and we've all felt that right? You're like Gosh, it's good, but I'm still not quite feeling you know, satisfied. I can't stop you know, gray area. Yeah, it is scary. It's crazy. It's crazy how we grew up I mean; I grew up drinking Kool Aid and you know all this like crazy stuff. It's just amazing for anyone listening who wants to get healthy you can do it and you know what? It's just baby steps like Alexis said Be gentle with yourself. Try one thing maybe it's just the celery juice or maybe it's just maybe you get a juice a couple times a week and that and then you get little by little by little just becomes so easy to one day. You literally don't crave that food anymore. It's very let me run it. I don't it's very rare. We even crave anything like that would be considered unhealthy. That's true. That's really true.

Alexis Schultz

Except for the French Fries.

Lisa Beres

Yeah, and the wine and the Nekter Scoop. You guys had that blue, so cute. You had this like turquoise. Do you still have the turquoise ice cream?

Alexis Schulze

It was like a Summer Special. But it was blue. We I made it blue with spirulina. I made with vegan cookie dough. It was like I don't know nothing we use it's like artificial colors or any you know, I'm like I just yeah, there's a lot of integrity in our recipes. So, there's so many vibrant colors charcoal to make things black for Halloween.

Lisa Beres

Yeah, the charcoal! I like your charcoal lemonade. Yeah, it's black. It looks people who have never had it might be like yeah, I was that's not going to taste good, but it doesn't taste just like lemon.

Alexis Schulze

Yeah, yeah.

Lisa Beres

Ron bought me the blue ice cream for my birthday. And I was like, Whoa, it matches the turquoise of your logo and your branding. I'm like how did they get this color?

Alexis Schulze

We have a blue birthday cake smoothie coming up in October. I'll give you guys a little. Yeah, it's a fantastic birthday cake but it's everything was really clean and then it makes that blue I love it.

Lisa Beres

I love that you have kept the integrity of keeping your vision. I think that's what made has made your brand so great that you know the simplification and sticking to your roots, so to speak. Yeah. Roots of you know what you wanted what you knew people needed. Like our caller said thank you for doing what you do in the world and making the people healthier.

Alexis Schulze

Thank you.

Lisa Beres

It was so great having you we appreciate your passion, your knowledge and bringing Nekter to the world. Oh, and the Scoop that will knock your sweet tooth socks off. To learn more about Nekter Juice Bar visit them at www.NekterJuiceBar.com and you can also get Alexis at www.AlexisSchulze.com and that's two s's in there. Stay tuned next week for a special guest and get ready to discover what the hack is going on in your home and your life. We'll see you then!

Narrator

This episode of the healthy home hacks podcast has ended. But be sure to subscribe for more healthy living strategies and tactics to help you create the healthy home you always dreamed of. And don't forget to rate and review so we can continue to bring you the best content. See you on the next episode.