Tag: raw juice

Where is the Healthiest City in America?

Chef V


Where is the Healthiest City in America?

At Chef V, we see ourselves as ambassadors of good health. Many Americans are pessimistic about healthy eating habits. Yet, there are plenty of states that are making their health and wellbeing a priority. This fun piece will look at some of the top-ranked healthiest cities in America. No matter where you live if you are in the range of our green juice delivery, achieving your health goals is a breeze!

centrifugal juicer

What Makes a Healthy City?

When it comes to determining what makes a city “healthy”, we’ll admit that it’s all up to personal opinion. However, there are plenty of popular ways that people measure health and wellness that we can base our opinions on.

Just because a city is considered “healthy” doesn’t mean that living there automatically improves your health. Rather, being a healthy city is all about providing a health-positive culture, as well as access to the resources for health. You can get juice cleanses in San Diego and juice cleanses in New York – and all the cities between can get detox juice as well. What matters is the priorities of the people in those cities and their options. Following are some ways to measure health factors in any city:

Physical Health: A city that wants to promote physical health is going to be a walkable one. Sure, you can walk anywhere, but it’s much more fun in a city with parks, trails and shopping areas. Easy access to gyms and places to be active are also important.

Nutritional Health: If a city doesn’t have a culture of healthy eating, it will be harder to shop for things like a 3 day juice cleanse. Cities filled with food deserts are going to have a hard time providing the nutritional needs of all their people.

Environmental Health: Having a green city is easier on the eyes. Real environmental health means not putting people near potential health hazards, such as chemical waste or smog.

Emotional Health: Some cities have a reputation as high-stress places. This could be because of long commutes, lack of public service, or even high crime levels. Any city that can avoid these issues is going to be a healthier place to live.

Intellectual Health: Exercising your body isn’t just about staying healthy. It’s also about having something to do and keeping yourself occupied. Cities with plenty of museums, libraries, and galleries can help keep your brain engaged.

Chef V blending

Our Picks

With that out of the way, which cities in America does Chef V think hits these high points? In no particular order, here’s a list of some of our favorites, and some we think may need a bit more cred for their health.

San Diego
We couldn’t make this list without giving a shout-out to San Diego. Selling our juice cleanse in San Diego is how Chef V got started, after all! There’s more to San Diego’s healthy reputation than just green juice delivery. Possibly because of the weather, San Diegans love getting out and being active. Detox juice and exercise outside are a winning combination anywhere.

Los Angeles
Perhaps it’s born out of a less than healthy obsession over body image, but Angelinos are dedicated to working out and eating right. Their desire to keep trendy has also meant the residents of Los Angeles have ditched cigarettes more than nearly any other city in America.

Seattle
Seattleite’s are all about being healthy in as many ways as possible. Not only are they as active as the rainy weather allows, but they also have tons of yoga instructors and tons of places to get fresh produce.

The whole North West is generally a healthy place – a special shout-out to Portland as well for having many of the same good health habits as Seattle.

San Francisco
We don’t want to give the west coast too much love, but there’s indeed something about being out west that brings out the active nature of people. People in San Francisco are very good at keeping their weight down, keeping active, and avoiding bad habits such as smoking.

This is a good place to also put a shout-out to the entire Bay area, including places like San Jose. Exercise, good food, and healthy mental wellness practices are all popular around the Bay area.

New York
New York has perhaps an unfair reputation for being a high-stress environment. Life might move quickly in the big apple, but the city also has a long tradition of close-knit neighborhoods and communities. This helps provide much-needed emotional health. New Yorkers understand grit, and nothing seems able to break their healthy stride

Washington
The Capital of America is another city that doesn’t get much recognition for being healthy. Yet, like New York, it has a reputation for close-knit communities. People here are also dedicated to staying active, while also getting enough sleep.

Denver
Colorado is synonymous to many with an active lifestyle, and Denver itself is no exception. Plenty of fun outdoor activities and loads of produce-laden farmers’ markets make for a naturally healthy combination. The reputation for healthy living has only attracted more health-conscious people up to the Mile High City

Atlanta
With the south noted for its intense heat, it’s impressive how much Atlanta understands chilling out. The city is noted as a growing hub for the wellness movement, with people embracing healthy eating, lifestyles, and meditation.F

Get a Blended Juice Cleanse Across America

No matter if you’re looking for a juice cleanse in San Diego or a Juice Cleanse in New York, Chef V has your back. Our green juice delivery covers wide swathes of both the East and West coast. So anyone who lives in the cities we mentioned can get our green drink delivered right to them.

Don’t see your state listed? Don’t give up hope! Please email us at chefv@chefv.com and let us know you want our raw juice and plant-based delivery service in your area. Together we’ll expand the area of our green juice delivery.

Our Top 10 Underrated Vegetarian Dishes From Around the World

Chef V


At Chef V, we’re always looking for the best way to maximize your nutrients and putting only the best things into your body. With that in mind, we’re making a list of some of the best vegetarian dishes from around the world that you may not have heard of.

centrifugal juicer

Why Vegetables Matter

Since we’re all about providing great green drinks and juice cleanse diets, it’s no surprise that Chef V is also enthusiastic about vegetarian dishes. However, there’s more to these meals than just tasting great. Getting your leafy greens are important for a few reasons.

Firstly, it’s all about what they got. Vegetables are packed full of all your body’s favorite nutrients from vitamin A and C to fiber and potassium. This means that veggies are great for helping you boost your immune system and stay energized.

However, vegetables also are very low in things like carbs, fat, and sugar. This is the reason that juice diets as so popular. You get all the good stuff with none of the bad and can make real gains on losing weight.

Chef V blending

Our Underrated Vegetarian Dishes List

Some people might think that searching out new recipes that are strictly vegetarian is limiting your options. That couldn’t be further from the truth. There is a wealth of vegetarian dishes out there that you may have never. While you might be familiar with some, or even most of these, hopefully, there’s at least one new vegetarian dish for you to try out!

#1 Saag Paneer
Many people new to vegetarian dishes might worry that they can’t match the “comfort food” factor of hearty meat-based meals. However, Indian cuisine is busy proving this misconception wrong every single day. There are more great Indian vegetarian meals than we can cover in one article.

If we had to pick one to start, you can find tons of great Saag Paneer recipes online. This is a perfect way to get into vegetarian dishes – you get a lot of greens, and still get the “filling” sensation from the cheese. And if you want to go full vegan there are plenty of recipes that use tofu.

#2 Laab Jay
If there’s one cuisine that can challenge Indian for mastery of plant-based dishes, it probably has to be Thai food. We barely even know where to start with all the great recipes out there. If you are familiar with Laab (sometimes spelled “larb”), you probably know its meat variants best. However, you can make delicious vegan laab as well.

#3 Koshari
Bored of your regular vegan and vegetarian pasta dishes? Then it’s time to give Koshari a try – also known as Koshary or Kushari depending on who you ask. Koshari is the perfect merger of Italian and Arabic cuisine. It features a base of pasta, lentils, rice, and chickpeas, with crispy onions and a truly delicious tomato sauce and garlic vinegar. There are also tons of regional variants of the food, so it’s a perfect one for experimentation.

#4 Urab
When it comes to salads, it’s very hard to beat the wonderful taste of Urab (also known as Urap). This salad comes to us from Indonesian cuisine and is made up of a variety of steamed vegetables. No matter the particular recipe, what really brings Urab together is the shredded coconut. Chef V even has a Balinese version that we’ve spotlit before!

#5 Vinaigrette
Nope, we’re not talking about salad dressing. Vinaigrette is a beet salad that is a staple of Russian and Ukrainian cuisine. There are plenty of variations, but most are pretty easy to whip up. Beets are a super underrated vegetable, and this is a great way to get them into your diet.

#6 Fasolakia                                                                You know what’s another underrated veggie when it comes to vegetarian dishes? Those green beans. Too often they’re considered a bland sidekick in bland dishes. However, in Greece, they do green beans a little differently. Fasolakia is an easy but incredibly delicious dish, where green beans are elevated by the inclusion of olive oil and tomato.

#7 Ratatouille
Thanks to the film of the same name, Ratatouille is starting to get a little bit more exposure in North America. There are many versions of this French comfort food, but most of them include indulgently garlicky eggplant and zucchini.

#8 Pelau
Rice is a staple of plenty of vegetarian dishes. Since it shows up so much, it’s easy for it to start to get boring. In Trinidad, however, rice is never even close to boring. Pelau is a rice pilaf made with coconut. While often mixed with meat products, it’s a great base for plenty of delicious vegetarian recipes.

#9 Rösti
Just like rice, potatoes are often the basis of many vegetarian dishes. However, they often get snubbed by many vegetarians for being a little dull, or a little too carb-heavy. However, the Swiss National dish Rösti is one potato dish you can’t miss. The best part? It works great with sweet potatoes just as well! This takes the concept behind hash browns to a whole new level.

#10 Black Bean Stews
Yet another often underrated vegetable is the humble black bean. In Latin American cuisine, however, these little packages of protein and fiber tend to take on starring roles. There are plenty of Colombian recipes that make great use of black beans, such as the classic black bean stew.

Boost Your Weight Loss Goals With a Juice Cleanse Diet

Sometimes you need to kickstart your weight loss plans and new vegetarian diets. Or maybe you need to strike back against the weight gain of the holiday season. Or maybe you just really love the taste of green drinks. No matter what you love about a juice cleanse diet, it’s the easiest way to get all the good stuff and none of the bad stuff. Our green drink also makes a great companion to any of the vegetarian dishes above. And with our green drink plan, it’s easier than ever to add healthy juice to your diet.

Your Intro To Digestive Health

Chef V


Your digestive system is one of the most important and underappreciated parts of your body. Everyone wants to talk about heart health, brain health, or lung health. But the key to good health is good nutrition – and your digestive system is what determines that. If you haven’t given digestive health a thought, this piece serves as an introduction to the topic.

centrifugal juicer

Common Digestive Issues

When people think of their digestive system, they might assume that this means their intestines. However, your digestive system counts as every part of your body is involved in the intake and digestion of food, from one end to the other. A digestive system is a machine with many different working parts. If any of them has an issue – well, you’re going to know it. Some common digestive problems you might experience (and their probable causes) include the following:

Trouble Swallowing: Prolonged trouble swallowing food can mean that there is some sort of damage to your esophagus. This is something you should check with a doctor about.

Stomach Pain: Pain in your abdomen can come from a variety of sources. Not all these have to do with the stomach or the digestive system at all. It’s a good idea to have a doctor pin down exactly which organ is causing you trouble.

Heartburn: Heartburn has nothing to do with your heart, but is caused by stomach acid making its way back up your esophagus. Heartburn can be dealt with by avoiding the foods that trigger it, eating smaller meals, and taking heartburn medication.

Constipation: There are plenty of reasons for constipation. Sometimes it’s due to other illnesses, or issues with medication. The most common reasons are lack of water and lack of fiber in the diet.

Diarrhea: While diarrhea can be caused by bacteria or medical conditions, it can also have dietary causes. These can range from food allergies, or eating things with too many artificial sweeteners.

Chef V blending

Easy Steps For Better Digestive Health

There are plenty of ways that you can improve digestive health – exercise and lack of stress are both linked to good digestive health. However, the most important part of your digestive health has to be your diet. Put bad things into your body, get bad results.

Sometimes digestive issues can be because of a specific allergy. For example, if you have lactose intolerance, you’ll want to avoid dairy products unless you want an upset stomach.

Yet, there are also some wide dietary requirements that you should keep in mind. Firstly, you want to always try to get enough fiber. This is vital for making sure that your digestive system is working properly.

Getting foods with anti-oxidants is also important. These can reduce inflammation in your gut and lead to a healthier digestive system.

The upshot? Try to get more vegetables and fruits in your diet. These are the best way to maximize your fiber and antioxidants. This is also a reason why a detox juice cleanse is so good for your digestive health.

Show Your Digestive System Some Love With Our Detox Juice Cleanse

Every Chef V cleanse is designed around the promotion of good digestive health. From our 3 days to 21-day juice cleanse, our green drinks are designed to help eliminate toxins and flush the bad stuff out. Meanwhile, our detox soups and detox smoothies will give you the protein and fiber you need to keep regular during even a full 21-day juice cleanse. This means you can take on even your biggest juice cleanse goals with total confidence.

How Did Juice Cleanses Get Started?

Chef V


How Did Juice Cleanses Get Started?

Blended Juice Cleanses have helped tons of people around the world lose weight, detox their bodies, and to feel great about themselves. But where did the idea of juicing come from? It might be a much older practice than you think! This fun piece explores the earliest examples of using juice for its health benefits, as well as the emergence of modern juice cleanses.

Juicing Throughout History

Some people might dismiss juicing as just a modern fad. However, juicing has actually been around for quite some time. There are rumors of juicing recipes being found from thousands of years ago in the Middle East – as the stories have it, the most popular kind of juice back then was pomegranate.

Ancient peoples didn’t just have a one-off fling with the wonders of juicing. Ancient Greek doctors might have recommended you try juices that included barley, herps, grapes, or myrtle. Roman physicians, on the other hand, may have tried to get you on a variety of juices, using apples, grapes, pears, beets, and even celery. (Yep, celery juice isn’t anything new!).

While these people might not have quite understood the juice cleanse as we know it, they did grasp the idea of a juice cleanse. While they may not have grasped modern medicine, they did get the idea that juice cleanses could help flush the bad stuff out of your body.

As people moved into the Medieval and Early Modern period, a love of juicing continued, though it often got much weirder. People were into trying to mix really wacky ingredients into their juice regimes, which soon started to more resemble magic potions. Your orange juice back then might have opium and unicorn horn mixed in with it! (At Chef V, we only use vegan ingredients, so no luck on getting any unicorn horns from us).

There are too many historical figures associated with juice cleanses throughout history to name. Even William Shakespeare might have enjoyed a juice cleanse from time to time. Shakespeare’s son-in-law, famous Elizabethan physician John Hall, came up with veggie-filled juice recipes to try to counter diseases such as scurvy.

centrifugal juicer

Modern Juices

While people have been enjoying detox juice cleanses all throughout history, it was always a pretty laborious process. Getting fresh vegetables and fruits wasn’t always easy, nor was getting the most out of them.

Modern juice cleansing can be said to have started with the career of Norman Walker. The inventor of the Norwalk Hydraulic Juice Press, Walker opened some of the first juice bars in California, bringing juice cleanses to San Diego, Long Beach, Los Angeles, and the rest of Southern California.

Norman Walker is somewhat of a controversial figure in juicing, since he was operating right on the forefront of juice cleanses, and might not have always understood why his juices were so good for him and his customers. However, his vegan diet was nothing if not effective, considering he lived to be 99 years of age! You can find his juice machines in kitchens across the world to this day.

The Future of the Detox Juice Cleanse

Thanks to the work of proponents like Walker, juice became increasingly associated with good health in the early decades of the 20th century. Soon there were those looking to take the concept further, with selected limited juice diets. Starting in the 1970s, the term “juice cleanse” started to be used more widely, with various cleanses starting to vie for dominance, such as the Master Cleanse. Post-2000, the world was finally tuned in to the benefits of programs like the 21-day detox.

People also started to be more clued into the weaknesses of established juice cleanses. As time goes on, it becomes more clear which juice cleanses are fads, and which really work. The key to a good juice cleanse is making sure that you stay healthy throughout it. You want to be able to promote weight loss and eliminate toxins without endangering your own health.

At Chef V even our 21 Day Cleanse is totally doable. We mix our nutrient-packed green drinks up with detox soups and smoothies. This leads to a cleanse that will leave you feeling great, all the way through – no unicorn horns required!

How Long Does (And Should) Organic Green Drink Last?

Chef V


Time is of the essence. A perfect looking piece of green kale—one of the 7 leafy greens in Organic Green Drink—has just been plucked from the ground. As soon as produce leaves the mineral-rich cozy confines of healthy soil, it starts losing nutritional value. 

In this article, Chef V explains the optimal shelf life of juices made from dark, leafy greens—and the most nutritious method to make green drinks. Think your store-bought juice is healthy? You may be in for a surprise!

centrifugal juicer

above, commercial centrifugal juicer

Centrifugal Juicers

Centrifugal juicers extract juice at super fast speeds. Where’s the harm in that? After all, if you have thousands of customers, you need fast production. The problem with warp-speed juicing is that the high velocity of the juicer creates a tremendous amount of heat in the juicing blades. 

When it comes to cooking oils and produce, there’s no greater nutritional killer than heat. The heat generated in the metal blades of conventional centrifugal juicers destroys some of the enzymes in the oranges (and green leafy veggies, in the case of mega corporation green juices). 

Another problem with juicing produce is that the high heat causes oxidation. Oxidation is the chemical reaction that turns a partially-eaten apple that’s left out into a brown, unappetizing, rancid-looking piece of rubbish.  

Chef V blending

Cold-Blended Green Drinks

When I decided to take the plunge as an entrepreneur over a decade ago, I was committed to providing the most nutritious green drink available. And what I discovered was there was indeed a healthier way to turn a bunch of the healthiest dark, leafy green veggies into a juice—without losing any of the nutritional value. 

You don’t have to have a degree in chemistry to figure out that cold-blending is a technique that involves no heat. Therefore, all the enzymes, nutrients and phytochemicals in the leafy greens are preserved. Cold-blended juice is basically as close as you can possibly get to having a salad with the same leafy greens. 

Yes, speed is sacrificed with the cold-blended process. But my motto with Chef V isn’t “Over 1 billion Green Drinks served.” I may not be able to whip up a juice at 10,000 revolutions per minute like a conventional chain juice bar. But taking only a few seconds to achieve salad-level nutritional quality will most likely never be a reality, at least not in my lifetime. 

Thankfully, however, juicing technology has come a long way. Here at Chef V headquarters, we have some of the biggest and most powerful industrial juicers available. The powerful technology of modern blenders allows us to make your Green Drink fresh—without any nutrient-zapping heat!

Raw Vs Pasteurized Juice

The other raging debate in the world of juicing involves unpasteurized (raw) versus pasteurized juice. Now don’t get me wrong. I think Louis Pasteur was a genius for the invention of his eponymously-named method to rid food of harmful bacteria. But pasteurization was introduced in 1863—long before modern refrigeration greatly eliminated the threat of becoming ill because of food-borne microbes. 

Juice sold in supermarkets has to be pasteurized by law. But pasteurization kills the beneficial bacteria in the dark, leafy greens. When you purchase veggies from a supermarket, they are not pasteurized. So why would you want to consume pasteurized kale, chard, collard greens, lettuce, parsley, and dandelion greens? 

The pasteurization process also denatures some of the natural enzymes. But hey, if you like your bottle of juice to be able to sit in your fridge for several weeks, go ahead and purchase pasteurized juice.

Some juice brands proudly claim that they use flash-pasteurization. This is an ultra-fast method of killing microbes. But the truth is that all types of pasteurization involve nutrient-killing heat. Yes, there is also something called cold pasteurization, but I don’t know any juice companies that use this method. But according to this research article, even cold pasteurization leads to the inactivation of enzymes in the food and extends the shelf life.  


tropical green drink

How Long Should Green Drink Last? 

How natural does it seem to you that a bottle of juice can stay preserved for weeks? Do you think that’s how Mother Nature intended us to eat? Sure, refrigeration is a modern convenience, a miracle really. But no nutrient-dense green juice should be viable for weeks. 

Cold-blended ORGANIC GREEN DRINK stays fresh for up to 7 days. You can think of CHEF V GREEN DRINKS as direct to consumer. When you buy brand-name juice, you’re most likely consuming a high-sugar, nutritionally-dead food. (Well, if not totally dead, then nutritionally in a coma.)

Pure and Clean Ingredients

With CHEF V ORGANIC GREEN DRINK, there are no preservatives, fillers or GMO ingredients. It was my mission when I launched my company—and will always be—to provide the seven leafy greens as close to their nutritional value that Mother Nature provides. 

What’s in your juice? 

To your health, 

Chef V


green drink plan on sale

Rock The New Year: Your Guide to Healthy Energy

Chef V


With a New Year comes new resolutions – as well as (in many places), bad weather, and backlogged workloads. Keeping energized will help you knock out your goals in the new year. This piece gives you a comprehensive look at how to keep energy levels up in a healthy matter – no sugar or energy drinks required.

What Makes Energy Healthy?

If you look for a way to stay more energized online, you’ll encounter a host of energy drinks and other artificial supplements vying for your attention. The idea you can get instant energy in a bottle is an appealing one. Yet, as they say, there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. Most artificial energy products will come with a crash later on. Real lasting energy requires making a variety of conscious choices. Following are just some of the ways you can boost your energy naturally and sustainably.

Manage Your Stress

We wouldn’t go so to say that your fatigue is all in your head. Yet, your mental state can have a significant impact on your energy level. Even if you aren’t in a job with a lot of physical activity, overwork can cause exhausting levels of stress. Don’t be afraid to ask for help at work if things are becoming too much to bear.

Managing stress in your personal life is important as well. Taking the time to talk to a therapist or practice meditation can go a long way to helping you feel less exhausted. Getting on even a quick 3 day juice cleanse can help give you the good vibes to perk you up.

Healthy Sleeping

Sleeping is at the core of many fatigue issues. This seems almost silly to point out. Don’t get enough sleep, you get tired, enough said. But do you know how to develop healthy sleeping habits?

It’s important to always get at least seven hours of sleep a night. For many people, this is easier said than done. Good sleeping is often about building a disciplined sleep routine. You want to try to cut the electronics and sugary foods before bed, and hold yourself to the hour you want to get up. You may also want to look into developing a sleep environment more conducive to shut-eye.

Substance Care

There are a lot of things that you want to avoid before going to bed, such as coffee and alcohol. It’s not just in the evening that you need to take account of what you put into your body. Too much coffee or alcohol can lead to periods of fatigue. Even though coffee can perk you up, too much throughout the day can start leaving you feeling exhausted. Coffee only blocks the substances in your body that make you tired, not eliminate them. Too much coffee will lead to a “tiredness” debt that you will have to pay up later. If you need a pick-me-up, reach for the green drink first.

centrifugal juicer

Exercise

If you work out a ton every day, you’re going to get physically exhausted. Yet, a lack of exercise can lead to fatigue as well. When you exercise, your body produces endorphins, chemicals that make you feel good and peppy. If you a starting to feel “blah” during the day, a little exercise could be what you need to feel better. Even just getting up and walking around a bit can help you feel a little better.

Hydrate

Another really easy way to give yourself energy is to just keep water always on hand. Getting dehydrated is a very easy way to start feeling exhausted. Even mild dehydration is enough to make you feel sleepy. This is because as you become dehydrated, your blood pressure drops, which reduces the blood flow in your brain. Worse, dehydration can also mess with your sleep, compounding sleepiness. It pays to always have a glass of water or green drink on hand.

Eating Right

As they say, you are what you eat. And what you are eating might include things that make you tired. This can work in two ways. Firstly, it could be a situation where you aren’t getting what you need out of what you eat. If you are suffering from a vitamin deficiency, fatigue is sure to follow. Your body is an engine, and it needs a variety of vitamins and minerals to use as fuel. If you aren’t getting enough fuel, you’re going to feel tired, simple as that.

Yet, sometimes it’s not about what you’re missing, but what you’re getting. Your level of tiredness is closely linked to your blood sugar level. If your blood sugar drops, you’ll get fatigued. A spike in blood sugar will cause your body to release insulin, which can lead to the “sugar crash” later on.

Foods that are high in carbs and sugars will tend to cause these kinds of fluctuations in blood sugar that lead to chronic fatigue. High-fat foods are also connected to the release of chemicals that end up making you tired. Plus, our bodies naturally tend to get tired when they put energy into digestion after large meals.

Boosting Energy With a Blended Juice Cleanse

As you can see, there’s no “single cause” of tiredness and fatigue. Our bodies are amazing creations and need a lot of love and care to work at their best. It’s was with this in mind that Chef V created our blended juice cleanse. Even a short 3 day juice cleanse can go a long way to restoring your energy.

Our juice cleanse is packed with all the nutrients and minerals you need for your body to work. This ensures that you remain both hydrated and energized. A 3 day juice cleanse is also a great way to get your blood sugar levels under control. Our green drinks are naturally sweet and are a great way to lose weight.

If you are wondering how to do a juice cleanse, make sure to take a look at our cleanse options. Our green juice delivery is easy, convenient, and includes some of the best juice cleanse products out there. We’re here to make sure you feel energized. How you want to use that energy is up to you.

© 2021 Chef V, LLC.