Hi there!
Welcome to Jars of Juice, my little enterprise where I combine my disdain of plastic pollution with my passion for healthy eating (and drinking!). What’s the scoop?
The Back Story
About 10 years ago I witnessed first-hand the detrimental effects plastic was having on our marine environments. At the time, I was on a 2-masted brigantine ship in the middle of the Pacific, watching helplessly as we pulled endless amounts of microplastics out of a vast ocean. We caught a fish that had ingested fragments of plastic, some that were quite large. We saw random plastic items float by daily, signs that even in the literal middle of nowhere, humans had left their mark. It was equal parts fascinating and horrifying. For me, this was when my journey into a world of plastic-less living began. I started a blog, began throwing reusable bags at my friends, and revamped my diet to remove the plastic from it. Turns out when you do that, your life gets a lot healthier!
Then, 6 years ago, I had the great privilege and opportunity to volunteer 4 months of my time at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, located again, right smack dab in the middle of the Pacific. If you’ve been to the Hawaiian Islands, you’ve gotten close: it’s about a 3-hour plane ride northeast from Honolulu. 😉 Here, plastic is a problem but in an entirely visceral way. In the ocean, plastic floats (or sinks) and much of the time, you don’t see its direct impact. On Midway, the impacts were ever-present. Daily we found plastic but not on the beaches. No, here it was inland, in the nests of the islands primary residents, Laysan and Black-Footed Albatross: two species of sea birds that call Midway home. It turns out, adult albatross finding food for their offspring are bringing back more and more plastic “food” as our oceans gradually fill with plastic. Since baby albatross can’t discern between plastic and squid, they gobble the lot down, to an often unfortunate demise which we were witness to over, and over, and over again. The tragedy continued. It was at this point that I started to get angry, especially when realizing much of the plastic being consumed by the albatross was identifiable: cigarette lighters, bottle caps, and toothbrushes among other things.
So…why juice?
After Midway, I did a lot of soul-searching. I felt lost, confused, and sick. It was around this time (about 5 years ago) that I discovered the practice of yoga and made it part of my daily routine. I studied and became a 200-hour-certified registered yoga teacher under the Baptiste Power Vinyasa method and this experience blew the lid off everything: I came out of my funk and realized that the whole “mind-body-spirit” thing was totally legit. Not only did yoga make me feel good, it made me want to be good. When I practiced, I would feel amazing: buzzy and excited while also calm and focused. The best way to continue that feeling, I realized, was to eat whole, nutritious foods and I returned to a plastic-less diet that was, as Michael Pollan puts it: “Not too much, mostly plants.” Juice became a part of my routine and made me feel alive.
Food has always been a passion of mine, from the time I was very little helping my mom make apple pie to now, experimenting with whole food, plant-based eating. Food connects people and it also has the ability to make or break our day. Eat good food, feel good, do good work. But for so many of us, we struggle to make this happen, and end up acquiescing to convenience, which is often plastic-wrapped. For me, there is a distinct connection between the foods we choose to eat and the way we choose to impact this planet. I choose to give back to the planet and I’d like to help others do the same. My goal? To deliver fresh-pressed goodness using as much locally sourced produce as possible and always, always, always packaging in glass, no matter what.
Behavior change starts when we are willing to accept change. In order to find acceptance, we have to be willing to change – healthy foods and fresh juice allow us to achieve those goals.
It is my hope that I am able to provide a link between the things we put into our bodies and the impacts our bodies and our societies have on this planet. By creating a product that is healthy, sustainable, and plastic-free, I am doing my small part to make this world a better place. Please join me on this juicy adventure!
Cheers to saving the world, one sip at a time!
~ Ryan Elizabeth
