A juice by any other name is...not a juice

So we might have mangled Shakespeare's quote about roses but the point is that not all juices are created equal and the folks over at Tehachapi Natural Market are here to help us set things straight.

"There's a lot of misinformation about juices and juicing," said market co-owner Teresa Dunlop. "The term 'juicing' refers to a type of diet where a person consumes only juices for a specified period of time. We're not here to make a judgment call on the healthfulness of juicing but we will stand behind the benefits of a daily juice. Only a very small percentage of Americans consume the recommended two servings of fruit and at least three servings of vegetables a day. Drinking just one of our organic juices can just about take care of that deficiency."

But what about fiber? Isn't a smoothie better than a juice because of the presence of fiber? "It is true that most of the pulp and therefore the fiber is missing from juice as compared to the blending process of making a smoothie," Teresa explains. "Fiber is important, however, a 16-ounce juice gives you the nutrition you need without all the fiber slowing your digestion. It's also easier to drink as it's not so filling. Juices just feel lighter and more refreshing than a smoothie and can accompany a meal, not replace it."

Another criticism about juices that Teresa would like to put to rest is that juices contain more sugar than the actual fruit itself. "That is true," she concedes, "and that's why our juices are primarily vegetable based with only one or two fruits added. We want the juices to be healthy but we also want them to taste good. After all, being healthy shouldn't have to mean eating or drinking things you don't like the taste of!"

The Natural Market, located at 20221 W. Valley Blvd., Tehachapi, has four different juices to choose from plus they are always happy to customize whenever possible. They use organic fruits and vegetables including ginger and garlic. One of their most popular juices is the Hay Carumba which is made with celery, apple, jalapeno, ginger, lemon, lime, kale and dandelion. For those with a bit of a sweet tooth they have the Beet Blush which is beets, apple, spinach, swiss chard, lemon and a splash of pomegranate juice. After a rough weekend they get a lot of customers ordering the DeTox of da Town which is celery, apple, ginger, garlic, lemon and wheatgrass. No juice bar would be complete without a carrot juice concoction so they offer the Wassup Doc made with carrots, celery, kale, spinach and lemon. They also have "wellness shots" that they make from apple cider vinger, lemon and ginger that can be added to a juice or served on its own.

Whatever your juice pleasure, the crew at Tehachapi Natural Market are there to help you out so head on over today and get your juice on!