The Portland Juice Press Blog

Breaking the Fast Beautifully.

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 13:19:44 -0700

(Wonderful excerpt from http://americanyogini.wordpress.com that captures the art of coming off of a juice fast)

Breaking the Fast Beautifully

The sacredness of breaking your fast and the realization of the blessed gift of food are incredibly beneficial parts of the juice fasting process. While I was preparing the morning break-fast fruit plates for our wonderful guests, I was contemplating the beauty and sacredness of the first meal after a fast. After days of not eating, we can come to our food as though we are infants, as though we have been reborn to the sumptuous experience of eating. The fresh watermelon, crisp and airy, floats in the mouth like a full, pink cloud. The grapes are sweet and striking on the tongue. As I cut the watermelon into pyramids and arranged the plate into a blossom of color, the sun came through the window like a gentle flame and shone upon my fingers.

The world paused. When we are present to the aliveness of our food, we can discover the aliveness of ourselves. When we are present for the life cycle of our food, we are more present in the cycles of our own lives. This is why keeping a garden can be such a grounding, transformative experience. As we dig our hands though the soft soil and place our seedlings into the ground, our bodies become a part of the birthing of our food. We are a part of the growth process from start to finish, and when we finally taste the “fruit” (or lettuce, or zucchini) of our labor, we intrinsically understand that we are provided with everything we could ever need. And when we keep present during our food preparation, our food is truly blessed.
If keeping a garden is impossible for you, support your local growers. Stay close to your sweet feet. Here at Hohm, we keep our own garden, and buy from our local farmers. Next time you have a meal, try taking a deep breath before you eat. Smell your food. Admire it’s color and richness. Enjoy!

Namaste,
Liv

Get your veggies!!

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 11:59:30 -0700

Get your veggies!!

Beet Juice and Endurance

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:33:24 -0700

This past weekend I ran my fourth 1/2 marathon. I drank our Guru juice (Apple, Beet, Carrot) prior to the race and finished in a solid 1:50. Later, this article was brought to my attention. I think I am going to make the Guru more a habit before my long races :)

Beet it: To exercise longer, try beetroot juice

SLIDESHOW

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Professional runner Chris Carver prepares to drink beetroot juice in his home in Otley, England, Friday Sept. 17, 2010. When Chris Carver ran an ultra-marathon in Scotland last year, which challenges athletes to run as far as possible within 24 hours, he ran 140 miles. Determined to do better in this year’s race, Carver added something extra to his training regime: beetroot juice. For a week before the race, he drank the dark purple juice every day. Last month, Carver won it by running 148 miles. (AP Photo/Tim Hales) (Tim Hales - AP)

British middle distance runner Colin McCourt poses for photographs with a cup of beetroot juice at St Mary’s University College in Twickenham, south-west London, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2010. Some experts say adding beetroot juice to your diet, like other foods such as cherry juice or milk, could give you a performance boost even beyond the blood, sweat and tears of more training. (AP Photo/Akira Suemori) (Akira Suemori - AP)

British middle distance runner Colin McCourt runs on a machine for a research in a lab at St Mary’s University College in Twickenham, south-west London, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2010. Some experts say adding beetroot juice to your diet, like other foods such as cherry juice or milk, could give you a performance boost even beyond the blood, sweat and tears of more training. (AP Photo/Akira Suemori) (Akira Suemori - AP)

By MARIA CHENG

The Associated Press
Saturday, October 2, 2010; 7:10 AM

LONDON — When Chris Carver ran an ultra-marathon in Scotland last year, which challenges athletes to run as far as possible within 24 hours, he ran 140 miles (225 kilometers).

Determined to do better in this year’s race, Carver added something extra to his training regime: beetroot juice. For a week before the race, he drank the dark purple juice every day. Last month, Carver won it by running 148 miles (238 kilometers).

“The only thing I did differently this year was the beetroot juice,” said Carver, 46, a professional runner based near Leeds, in northern England.

He said more exercise would have improved his endurance, but to get the same result he attributes to the juice - an extra eight miles - it would likely have taken an entire year.

Some experts say adding beetroot juice to your diet - like other foods such as cherry juice or milk - could provide a performance boost even beyond the blood, sweat and tears of more training.

In two studies conducted at Exeter University on 15 men, Stephen Bailey and colleagues found cyclists who drank a half-liter (about a half-quart) of beetroot juice several hours before setting off were able to ride up to 20 percent longer than those who drank a placebo blackcurrant juice.

By examining the cyclists under a scanner that analyzes how much energy is needed for a muscle to contract, Bailey and colleagues discovered beetroot juice allows cyclists to exercise using less oxygen than normal.

“The beetroot juice was effective even without any additional training,” Bailey said. “It reduces the energy requirements on your muscles so you can last longer.” While the beetroot juice was provided free by its manufacturer, Exeter University paid for the research.

Bailey said the high nitrate content of beetroot juice is responsible for its athletic benefits. Scientists aren’t exactly sure how it works, but suspect having more nitric oxide in your body, a byproduct of nitrate, helps you exercise with less oxygen. Bailey said the same effects might be possible if people ate more nitrate-rich foods like beetroot, lettuce or spinach.

Bailey and colleagues calculated beetroot juice could translate into a 1 to 2 percent better race time, a tiny improvement likely only to matter to elite athletes. They are still tweaking the dosage but say athletes should consume the juice a few hours before training so their body has time to digest it. Their latest study was published in June in the Journal of Applied Physiology.

“Drinking beetroot juice is not going to turn a recreational runner into an Olympic champion, but it might make tolerating more exercise easier so you can train more,” said Dr. Andy Franklyn-Miller, a sports medicine expert at the Centre for Human Performance in London. He was not connected to the research and has not received any funding from beetroot juice makers.

Franklyn-Miller said since people often reach an athletic plateau where more training doesn’t help, beetroot juice could give you an extra edge you wouldn’t get otherwise.

”It’s not banned, so there’s no reason not to try it,” he said. Still, he warned drinking too much of the juice could lead to side effects like abdominal cramps, diarrhea or purple urine.

Previous studies in Britain and the U.S. have found beetroot helps the heart by lowering blood pressure.

Other experts warned manipulating your diet can’t replace the benefits of training. “Certain foods can help you maximize the benefits from exercise, not reduce the amount you’re doing,” said Roger Fielding, director of the Nutrition, Exercise Physiology and Sarcopenia Laboratory at Tufts University. He was not connected to any research on beetroot or any other nutritional supplements.

For serious athletes, Fielding said changing your diet could help. “If a very small improvement is valuable to you, it’s possible something like beetroot juice could do that,” he said.

Other studies have shown drinking things like pickle juice or having a small carbohydrate snack during a marathon, can prevent cramps and improve performance. Scientists have also found cherry juice, which helps reduce exercise-induced swelling, could be strong enough to reduce some athletes’ use of anti-inflammatory pain medication.

Fielding said the benefits of beetroot juice and other foods and drinks could have wider benefits and might one day be used to help elderly people with muscle weakness.

Some elite athletes warned beetroot juice may not be to everybody’s taste. “A few of my friends think it’s really disgusting,” said Colin McCourt, 25, a British runner competing at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi this month.

In April, McCourt started drinking cherry and beetroot juice, which he credits with helping him train longer and more often. “I feel like I get a benefit from it, even if it’s minimal,” he told Associated Press Television.

McCourt said he will continue to adjust his training regimen in preparation for the London 2012 Olympics, but plans to maintain his juice habit. “There will be a lot more beetroot juice if my stomach can take it.”

Portland Juice Press and Portland Team Fitness Team up for the month of June!

Wed, 30 May 2012 12:06:00 -0700

June is Juice Month at Team Fitness, and we are excited to partner with the new Portland juicery, just in time to get a jump-start the Summer. Portland Juice Press is offering special discounts to PTF customers throughout June, including:

Individual juices after the 9:00 classes, for a special rate of $5/juice (normally $6.50). The perfect drink after a work out!
15% off juice cleanses for orders placed in June. See website for more information on juice cleanses. If you are interested, email info@portlandjuicepress.com to redeem the discount.
Chances to win a 3-day juice cleanse from Portland Juice Press.

Portland Team Fitness is located at 3500 Northeast Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard Portland, OR 97212 (503) 754-8289

Upcycle and Recycle

Tue, 08 May 2012 10:30:00 -0700

Upcycle and Recycle:

Our Earth’s health is the single most important factor in the quality and vitality of our juice. While our bottles our completely recycable, here are some fun things to upcycle your left over cleanse bottles.

And if you come up with a cool idea of how to reuse your plastic bottles, post it on our facebook page for the opportunity to win free juice!

Party Preparations! Thanks Gallagher Designs! YOU GUYS ARE...

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:27:50 -0700

Party Preparations! Thanks Gallagher Designs! YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!

The Dirty Dozen

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:18:54 -0700

Real Food Guides

A few simple guides for how to incorporate real foods into your life.

The Dirty Dozen- the best foods to buy organic
All Meat & Dairy products
Peaches & Nectarines
Apples
Bell Peppers
Celery
Strawberries
Cherries
Pears
Grapes
Spinach
Lettuce
Potatoes
Peanut Butter

Lovely Article!

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 07:49:00 -0700

Check out Abby White’s Blog article about your’s truly!

http://eatdrinkandbeaware.blogspot.com/search?q=portland+juice+press

We were honored to share our juices and be featured by her!

Thanks Abby!

HOW'D YA NAME THE JUICES?

Mon, 09 Apr 2012 19:08:00 -0700

Everyone keeps asking how we came up with our juices names. Well…

The Om: Almond Milk-Almonds, Dates, Vanilla Bean, Sea Salt

After a long day of drinking nothing but rich juice, you deserve this protein-packed tasty treat. We hope you are able to find your own Om while enjoying this simple nut milk.

The Shauca: Grapefruit, Mint, Ginger
Shauca means purity and inner and outer cleaniless. Our purpose for this juice is purify your insides with the intense antioxidants provided in the grapefruit, the soothing effects of the mint, and the stimulated circulatory system thanks to the ginger.

The Guru: Apple, Beet, Carrot
The Guru is the most iconic and landmark natural juice. The fundamental combination of it’s ingrediants has become a trusted mentor for people imbibing it’s elxicir, allowing your cell’s to regenerate and rebuild.

The Prana: Kale, Carrot
Prana stands for energy, breath, and life force. Yogi’s practice for years to have more Prana free up within your body. The combination of sweet carrot and earthy kale also help your internal organs purge themselves of toxins and free up more Prana.

The Mantra: Red Bell Pepper, Carrot, Apple, Broccoli, Cayenne
Optimal nutrition is this juice’s mantra! So many nutrients and minerals combined to create a tasty concoction to stimulate your digestive process, cleanse out your liver and kidneys, and support your immune system.

The Dharma: Kale, Spinach, Parsley, apple and lemon
This combination of alkalizing vegetables are designed to bring your blood into balance and restore your bodies natural order. Functioning within your own personal dharma is now as easy as opening this green juice!

"Dreaming is not enough. You have to go a step further and use your imagination to visualize, with..."

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:00:16 -0700

“Dreaming is not enough. You have to go a step further and use your imagination to visualize, with intent! Forget everything you have every been taught, and believe it will happen just as you imagined it. That is the secret”

- Christine Anderson

Believe it or not, we are already upgrading these gorgeous...

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:53:26 -0700

Believe it or not, we are already upgrading these gorgeous labels! Look for version 2.0 in the next couple weeks.

Our First Blog Post!

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 15:51:45 -0700

We are excited to incorporate a blog as a way to share fresh, local, and wholesome ideas, recipes, events, and news.

The website is gearing up to launch, our launch party is OFFICIALLY scheduled for April 27th, and we hired our first employee! There is so much energy floating around our press, and so many ideas and thoughts to share, we needed another outlet to communicate.

Thanks for your support, and we look forward to sharing more.