Karen Spencer and Jenny Forst left Fortune 500 careers to follow their passion for promoting a clean, plant-based diet with Atlanta-based Dtox Juice. Long-time juicers, Spencer and Forst could see the scientific data catching up with what they have known all along: cold-pressed juicing is an excellent way to efficiently and effectively deliver micronutrients to the body for maximum impact.
With a mission “to create healthy, functional products that make people feel good, and that are accessible to everyone, everywhere,” they set out to bring juicing to the mainstream. Dtox aims to dispel the notion that good health requires rigid adherence to be healthy 100% of the time. Spencer and Forst want consumers to know they can live their life and do their best.
“Everyone has an indulgent weekend, where they eat and drink more than they care to admit. But a Monday Motivation juice cleanse is a great way to reset,” said Spencer. “There’s no shame in enjoying a glass of wine or cheese from time to time. It’s all about balance,” she said.
Spencer and Forst formulate each juice to address a specific purpose, such as improving gut health, decreasing inflammation, boosting immunity, kick-starting metabolism, and even tackling a hangover.
Since taking over the company 10 years ago, the two have made strategic advances, such as streamlining processes, launching a wholesale business, opening a shipping and fulfillment facility for an e-commerce business that ships to customers across the nation, and expanding product offerings to include bath and beauty.
Spencer and Forst currently operate four Dtox Juice retail locations in three Whole Foods (Midtown, Buckhead, and Northside Parkway) and a stand-alone location on Roswell Road.
As informed experts in health and wellness, they offer a few ideas on how to stay on track with New Year’s resolutions that may have already fallen by the wayside.
- Small switch: Although we set out to make healthy choices, it’s easy to fall off the wagon and that is because most of us set our sights too high. For example, it’s a great idea to try to eliminate all processed foods from your diet, but it’s a more manageable proposition to consider trying food that has a similar taste but is a healthier choice. If you gravitate toward salty foods like potato chips, consider toasting some raw almonds in olive oil and adding sea salt. It is a delicious and healthy salty snack, and it will keep hunger at bay for hours. If sugar is your vice, instead of a cookie or candy bar, try a raw, rolled peanut bar or an oatmeal bar. Dtox has delicious Energy Balls made with nuts and seed ingredients, but it really satisfies the taste for something sweet.
- Find a friend: It is hard to stay motivated to get to the gym or exercise class. We are terrible about not showing up for ourselves! But we would always show up for a friend. According to the Centers for Disease Control, working out with a friend keeps us motivated, encourages us to try new things, and helps us to stay consistent. Making the experience social keeps us accountable.
- Go easy on yourself: Don’t worry if you over-indulge or binge. Life happens and we should take time to celebrate and indulge! Try to take every Monday as a day to reset your intentions. One of the things we can do is the Dtox Monday Motivation cleanse. It is simply four juices that you drink every other hour until dinner. Add a healthy salad with steamed vegetables for a meal. Just making that small change, just one day a week, shifts a mindset as well as gives the digestive system a break. This is especially needed after an indulgent weekend.
- Mind Games: Trick yourself into doing something by making the initial task easy. For example, tell yourself you just need to do five sit-ups, that’s all! Chances are after you do five, you will do many more. It’s the starting that is difficult. You can apply this theory to almost everything!
- The time is now: We all seem to set the turn of the year as a time to make changes. But why wait until next January? Start tomorrow. Make tomorrow the beginning of your new year and your new start to a healthier version of yourself.
