Jazz up your juice
Blitzing fresh fruit and veg for a post-workout drink is the subject of a new mixology class. Phoebe Luckhurst gets pulping
IN THE early Noughties Valley It girls such as Paris and Nicole toted undersized dogs under slender arms. Slavish fans followed (then realised a dog is for life, not just for pap shots). Luckily, this decade’s status accessory is cheaper and broadly more ethical: toting a juice is the new toting an undersized dog.
Additionally, juices have health benefits (unlike Chihuahuas). And you don’t have to be a hotel heiress to buy one — though it’s important you crib up first. Mixing your minerals could go so wrong.
Marco Proietti knows it: the nutritionist and founder of Juice Tonic in Soho is disseminating his message to those who want to live that LA life but don’t know where to start. He and manager Alex Fraysse are hosting juicing classes in association with lifestyle club Somuchmore (somuchmore.com) — telling disciples what nutrients to toss together in order to maximise the health benefits. It’s juicing for dummies.
What does a class involve? “The reasons to make a smoothie or juice, and how to make one,” says Fraysse simply. “We give you the nutritional values and aspects. We try to keep it as simple — for us it’s second nature. But most people would look at you and say, what the…”
Fraysse thinks that juicing is the future. “We see ourselves as more of a pharmacy. It’s hard to go to the GP. So instead you can just learn about foods, juices, eating the right way and knowing about nutrition because you need to eat well in order to be well. It’s one cog in the machine.”
Boards on the wall of Juice Tonic detail the ingredients of different juices so you can make them at home yourself. Contrary to stereotype, most are made largely from everyday ingredients: citrus fruits, carrots, ginger, parsley — which has high levels of vitamin C, I was surprised to discover — rather than expensive specialist powders sourced from health-food shops.
He’s an advocate of garlic, though advises you add parsley to neutralise its strength. “Just start off simple,” he says. “You don’t need to go too craz y — just build it up gently.” His favourite at the moment is a Perfect Pear (pear, fennel, lemon, ginger and turmeric), though he also namechecks the Veggie Delight (the mixture of carrot, celery, spinach and parsley is good for the skin).
Who has time to juice? He scoffs and suggests you spend the 15 minutes watching telly on Sunday night chopping and freezing fruit instead. “It won’t lose nutrients.”
Another excuse debunked: you’ll be an It Girl, or It Boy, before you can add a dash of lemon.