Thinking of working with Passion 4 Juice?

The following blog was written by one of our team.

The Easter long weekend in 2013 marked my third year with Passion 4 Juice, something that should be congratulated. My first Australian festival was the National Folk Festival in Canberra – I was a little apprehensive and nervous to be working for such a profound wholesome business, by the end of the festival I was addicted.

An addiction to something good is a joyful experience. I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to work with fresh, interesting and knowledgeable people from across the globe. You never know who will walk into your life or why they are there, but the universe works in mysterious ways. I have made long lasting connections that I am very grateful to have.

A typical day in the spiky juice dome involves numerous hours tending to the pumped up festival goers providing them with the opportunity to experience our wonderful taste sensations like the ‘Passion Potion‘ – my favourite! At every festival we as a team work together to bring fresh, nutritious and wholesome juices and smoothies to pumped up festival goers.

In 2012 I embarked on the journey across to the UK to begin the juicing season. Womad was the first festival that I attended – when we arrived I was blown away by the beauty of it all – the sights and sounds of a UK summer. I pumped out juices and smoothies on ‘Juicy Lucy’ – a green trailer decked out with the juice monster inflated on top. By the end of the festival I was shattered. I juiced it up for almost seventy hours over the course of the weekend – when we had finished packing down I noticed that my blue apron was plastered white with pancake mix – despite all this I had a blast!

Festivals are often referred to as marathons which is very applicable – I treat myself well before, during and after to make sure that I can withstand any unforeseen issues directed our way.

In the past and to this day, I am presented with obstacles surrounding wellbeing, that must be overcome, through means of strengthening and solidifying my true values and beliefs. Such obstacles have exerted my motivation and determination to provide people with and educate them about healthy and nutritious foods. Working with Passion 4 Juice provides the platform for me to do this.

Being part of Passion 4 Juice allows me to explore the world through fresh eyes, nurture my body with nutritious living enzymes and awaken my soul to clarity and peace. I love being part of a team that supports each other and works constructively and efficiently.

I feel as though I am on the right path at this point in my life which is complete bliss.

If you are interested in working with Passion 4 Juice at festivals this summer please contact us via info@passion4juice.com

Top Ten Reasons to Juice:

1. Provides your body liquids vital to remain healthy.
2. Fresh pressed juice contains specific vitamins and minerals that are natural and easy to absorb.
3. Fresh pressed juices contain phytochemicals – a substance linked to good health and is only found in plants, fruits and vegetables.
4. A good source of non-meat protein especially smoothies with brewers yeast, wheat germ or whole grains and supplements.
5. The body quickly absorbs juice.
6. Juice requires less digestive work so saves your body energy and helps maintain your supply of digestive enzymes.
7. Fresh pressed juice contains healthy sugars that are simple and unrefined.
8. Fresh pressed juice is a complete package – natural sugars, enzymes, nutrients, vitamins.
9. Prevents disease.
10. Fresh pressed juice contains enzymes, vital for health and well-being. Enzymes help us breakdown food and spark the essential chemical reactions we need to live including food digestion, stimulating the brain, cellular energy and tissue repair. Enzymes are only found in RAW food.

Is Juice the New Junk Food?

P4J comment about this question:

Fruit juice is getting some bad press at the moment. Is fruit juice the new junk food?

I absolutely agree with Emine Saner and Elizabeth Chaplin in this story that was reported in the Guardian http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jan/17/how-fruit-juice-health-food-junk-food?CMP=twt_fd. Fruit boxes should be consumed with caution.  Concentrated, heat treated fruit juice is packed with sugar and very little nutrients as with heat treating most of the goodness is destroyed. But if you are having fresh pressed juice or smoothies packed with real fruit and veg I can guarantee you are going to be feeling more energised and your immune system will thank you. I like to eat my fruit and drink my veg. With the exception of bananas which are a must for making green smoothies packed with kale more palatable.

Fruit sugar is very different to refined sugar and shouldnt be feared. I think it also depends on where you live and what is in season. I am in Australia at the moment and it is mango for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They are ripe, local and packed with the suns energy. I don’t tend to make smoothies with them as I find it too sweet and too much fruit in juice or smoothies gives me a sugar headache.

The trouble we often face is that our kids are having a juice box instead of water. They would be better off eating an apple and drinking water. The juice box, even though it may say ‘no added sugar’, still acts as sugar when entering the blood stream . It is nutrient poor due to the processing and heat treating. I think it is important to differentiate between processed smoothies and ones you make yourself and drink fresh. Smoothies made at home with raw, seasonal fruit are easily digested and very good for you. But if you were just juicing lots of fruit you may still be feeding infections, candida and even cancer as these thrive on sugar.

Be aware of fast food giants selling smoothies that are 100% real, natural and with a ‘real fruit feel in the mouth’. This is processing gone nuts. They will have no nutritional value, be high in fat and packed with sugar. If it is heat treated (killed/concentrated) it will have no living enzymes. Now that Innocent Smoothies have been bought out by Coca-Cola I bet they are going to have more sugar than ever. Not so innocent anymore!

My advice will stay the same. Eat your fruit, drink your veg and try getting more leafy greens into you anyway you can. If it is in a smoothie, great! It has been working for me for the last 30 years. Don’t forget that 4 – 6 pints of pure filtered water is also vital to good health and abundant energy.

What do you readers think about juice being junk?  I know how I feel if I have junk food and I know how I feel when I have a real, fresh, raw smoothie like the Cheeky Monkey for an afternoon pick me up. As a mum I also know what I feel comfortable giving my kids. Give me the home made smoothie anyday!

In the world today, many are addicted to soft drinks, containing repulsive amounts of sugar and toxic chemicals, kombucha is a great alternative because it has that fizzy texture we love. In the warmer months, instead of drinking it, try freezing it to make ice blocks. Yum!

The kombucha ‘culture’ or ‘SCOBY’ feeds on and ferments black tea sweetened with sugar to produce the pro-biotic rich ‘kombucha tea’. The term ‘SCOBY’ is an acronym for ‘Symbiotic Culture of Friendly Bacteria and Yeast. The process usually takes between 7 and 10 days to complete depending on the maturity of the culture, after this time the tea becomes increasingly more acidic to the taste and you will end up with ‘kombucha vinegar’.

It is believed that drinking the fermented beverage aids digestion and boost the immune system, although there is little or no scientific evidence to support these proposed healing benefits. Essentially, Kombucha tea is filled with ‘good’ bacteria and some individuals may not respond well to consuming the tea at all, therefore research and caution is advised in the beginning.

Stoneware fired at high temperature is the ideal environment to brew and store your kombucha. If you get one with a tap, it is easier to make a continuous brew. Glass jars are another popular choice. All metal items should be kept well away from the kombucha, including aluminum containers to boil the water. Kombucha requires unlimited access to oxygen, therefore a breathable fabric, such as muslin cloth, should be placed over the top of the container and secured in place with an elastic band. I store my kombucha on the bench in the kitchen, exposing it to natural light, while keeping it out of direct sunlight.

To make two litres of Kombucha tea, you will need:

1.9 litres of spring/filtered water.

1.5 cups of raw/rapidura sugar.

5 tea bags of black tea or approximately 5 tbls organic loose leaf.

1 Kombucha SCOBY.

100ml of previous kombucha tea or apple cider vinegar.

Piece of breathable cloth.

Elastic Band.

2L Glass Jar/Stoneware.

Method:

Boil enough water (roughly 0.5L) to fill a large mug containing the tea and sugar. Mix thoroughly and allow to cool.

Strain the tea into your preferred vessel and top up with the remaining spring/filtered water and the 100ml of previous kombucha tea.

Place the SCOBY into the vessel, cover with a breathable fabric and secure with an elastic band. Store in a place where it will be left undisturbed and out of direct sunlight. Allow it to ferment for 7-10 days.

After a new SCOBY has formed on top of the tea, it should be ready to consume. Remove the SCOBY Mother and newly formed SCOBY baby (rest them on a plate lined with paper towel), strain the fermented tea into freshly cleaned sterile bottles (be sure to keep at least 100ml for the next cycle) and store them in the fridge to halt further fermentation. Consume within 2 weeks.

Start a new cycle with the mother only or include the baby as well. You can give away the babies to friends along with some fermented tea to get them started!

Keep calm and brew Kombucha <3

1. Provides your body liquids vital to remain healthy.
   
   
2. Fresh pressed juice contains specific vitamins and minerals that are natural and easy to absorb.
   
   
3. Fresh pressed juices contain phytochemicals – a substance linked to good health and is only found in plants, fruits and vegetables.
   
   
4. A good source of non-meat Protein especially smoothies with brewers yeast, wheat germ or whole grains.
   
   
5. The body quickly absorbs juice.
   
   
6. Juice requires less digestive work so saves your body energy and helps maintain your supply of digestive enzymes.
   
   
7. Fresh pressed juice contains healthy sugars that are simple and unrefined.
   
   
8. Fresh pressed juice is a complete package – natural sugars, enzymes, nutrients, vitamins.
   
   
9. Prevents disease.
   
   
10. Fresh pressed juice contains enzymes, vital for health and well-being. Enzymes help us breakdown food and spark the essential chemical reactions we need to live including food digestion, stimulating the brain, cellular energy and tissue repair. Enzymes are only found in RAW food.