If cold pressed juices were around when we were kids our parents would never have a hard time getting us to eat the daily recommended serving of fresh fruits and vegetables. By adding these extremely healthy beverages to your nutrition regime you’re adding approximately three pounds (or 10 servings) of raw organic product to your diet.
That’s where Ruth Tal comes in. She is the Founder of the popular vegetarian Fresh Restaurants and has been juicing long before it became the ˜in’ thing to do. She recently launched a collection of cold pressed juices under the Fresh brand, which are locally made by hand. By drinking these beverages you can help to reboot your immune system, energize and cleanse your body. But we want to know the story behind this inspiring pioneer; her secrets to life, happiness and success.
Astrological sign: Taurus
Downward dog or upward dog: Upward dog
Jared Leto or Joaquin Phoenix: They are both awesome! Jared has been spotted at Fresh in Toronto and in Moscow recently so I’ve got to give it to him.
Fresh juice or fresh greens: Fresh juice
You’ve been a proponent of healthy living and eating, which led you to start your Juice for Life bar in the 1990s and now the very popular Fresh Restaurants. Can you remember your earliest memories of being a start-up business?
Being a start-up business, with no proven track record, in an industry that hadn’t yet revealed itself to be attractive to the mainstream was often challenging. Dealing with banks and landlords “ all I had back then to convince them that I was a safe bet “ was the steady incremental progress I was making along with my evangelical belief that everyone should live this way.
I remember working harder than I ever thought I was capable of, 70-hour-work weeks for five years straight and yet loving every minute of it. I used to go down to the food terminal at 5:00 a.m. five days a week to get the fresh produce we needed. Being one of the rare women, who were not working in the back offices, the boys and even other buyers (chefs and restaurateurs) would cat call when I arrived and then watch bug-eyed as I single-handedly stuffed my Juice For Life cargo van to the gills with cases of pineapples, oranges, apples, carrots, beets, greens and lettuces. Even back then my single little café© and juice bar would often surpass what most full serve restaurants were using, as our menus were 100% plant-based.
Drinking cold pressed juices is the latest health rage, but you’ve been juicing long before everyone else. For first-time juicers, what’s the best way to start and incorporate it into one’s diet?
The awesome effect that juicing can have on your life is something I have experienced personally. I was in my mid-twenties (25 years ago!), when I tasted my first glass of organic cold pressed carrot juice at a tiny health food store in Toronto. I was blown away by the taste and that sip transformed my whole life. I started juicing at home and gradually noticed how much better I felt, and that I had fewer cravings for unhealthy food.
Juices can be integrated into your day to day life by having them with your meal or alone. A glass of fresh cold pressed juice contains approximately three pounds of organic produce, or the equivalent of 10 servings of fruits or vegetables.
Think of juicing as your daily dose of medicine “ pure liquid nourishment that rebuilds cells from the inside out, cleanses and detoxifies, reboots the immune system, soothes the nerves, energizes and simply makes you feel amazing. Citrus juices are natural cleansers for our bodies, so mornings are the best time. Vegetable juices have the nutritional building blocks our bodies’ need, so afternoons and evenings are the best time to incorporate these into your diet.
What are your personal tips for maintaining a healthy and balanced life?
My approach is holistic, it’s not just eating right or just juicing. It’s all the little things we do each day that form the foundation of a balanced and healthy life. A plant-based diet, juicing every day, vigorous exercise, stretching, meditation or quiet time for reflection, rest, drinking plenty of water, satisfying work, family, friends and having fun.
Finish this sentence: I want women around the world to ___________.
Beautiful, healthy, and happy from the inside out.
What are three things in your wardrobe you cannot live without and why?
I cannot live without my flip-flops, bikini and yoga mat. They help me do the three things I love most: be in a warm tropical place, swim in the ocean and practice yoga.
If you could create a recipe for happiness, what would it contain?
Love, kindness, generosity, gratefulness and nature.
Name a famous person (celebrity or historical figure) you would like to have a brunch with and why?
I have always loved and followed history, world politics, current events and geo-political economics. I would like to have a delicious vegan pancake brunch with Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama, Aung San Suu Kyi, Hillary Clinton, Caroline Myss and Judge Judy. All strong, brave, smart and enlightened women both in front and behind the scenes. Their perspectives on the world today would be fascinating.
That is my dream.To have a brand name as well, in juice. I love ya