Green Zone Juice: My Mother's Journey

As my mom flips the light switch of the refrigerator, the bright red, green, and orange juice colors light up the room. If you’re thinking of anything similar to Sunny-D or Capri Sun, forget it. Preservatives and sugar, those are the true ingredients of “all natural” juices that we find sitting in our refrigerators. I never consumed a Sunny-D in my house once my mom discovered the power of fresh, cold-pressed juices.

“If I give my body more respect now,” she had said, “that respect will come back in the form of a long, healthy life.” This simple yet profound idea has woven itself intricately into my mother, Niketa’s, life. And with this philosophy, my mom found herself exploring. This philosophy is what led her to explore the New Diet System (NDS), a way of eating rooted in the simplicity of raw food consumption.

NDS isn’t your typical diet plan, it’s a comprehensive approach that calls upon a time before stovetops and microwaves began to dictate our culinary habits. The diet embraced the consumption of raw fruits and vegetables alongside fresh cold-pressed juices to maximize the amount of nutrients received from the ingredients. For my mom, embracing the New Diet System was a conscious decision to honor her body and prioritize long term health. It did not take long for her mom to realize that she would need support from my dad and I. From trying her new food combinations to helping cut up mounds of fruits and vegetables, like apples, carrots, and gourd, we tried to do what we could to help. However, with working a full-time job and other housekeeping duties, it was difficult to constantly produce well balanced foods centered around fresh fruits and vegetables while also making juice for the entire week. Despite all the difficulties, my mom powered on because she knew that she needed to take on this responsibility to improve her health. it was not sustainable to make multiple lunches and dinners.

Having a strong-willed group of individuals surrounding you is the key to overcoming obstacles. My mom was joined by a circle of friends interested in making similar dietary changes, and they dove headfirst into the NDS regimen. They were able to attend different seminars and exchange new recipe ideas. Intermittent fasting, cold pressed juices at lunchtime, and plenty of raw fruits and vegetables throughout the day would soon become routine for my mom and dad. This would all be concluded with a well-balanced often cooked meal for dinner.

As my mother’s enthusiasm for juicing grew, so did the benefits. Within a few months, everyone noticed the change and kept asking her what she was doing differently. As more and more people inquired about my mom’s newfound changes, I noticed a change in her confidence and energy levels. Immediately, she would light up and explain all aspects of the new diet, from the raw fruits and vegetables to the benefits of cold pressing juice. Some friends were excited to try it out but found it hard to stick with. Despite her encouragement, they struggled to keep up with the healthy eating habits.

Despite my mom’s passion, I was not fully sold on the idea. Like any kid when trying new healthy recipes, I was not the biggest fan of this new juicing trend but would drink the juice my mom would leave out for me to make her happy. The vibrant colors of classic, nutrient-filled ingredients like gourd, gooseberries, and turmeric looked nice but never satisfied me the way a classic bagel and cream cheese would. I was always taught to keep an open mind and try new things. Slowly but surely, I was able to notice that my acid reflux problems were getting better, replaced with a newfound sense of vitality and vigor. The days that I would forget to drink my morning juice, I noticed that my stomach would feel irritated after my first meal. It was my body telling me how much it enjoyed the juices. We all get so caught up eating whatever tastes good that we forget to appreciate the food items that make our body feel good.

What started as a health experiment soon became a lifestyle for our family. The kitchen was always filled with the whirring of the juicer and vibrant colored juices. I was always first in line to try the new concoction my mom came up with that week. Every weekend my mom would prepare batches of fresh juice, ensuring that our family remained steadfast in the commitment to wellness.

After several years of consistent juicing, a good friend of my mother’s presented her with an interesting opportunity. He was opening a Nutrishop in Valrico, Florida but wanted to have more than just supplements and protein powders in the store. His vision was to have a fully functioning cold pressed juice bar in the store itself and wanted my mom to run it. Although it seems like an easy decision given my mom’s background, opening a juice shop with no prior business experience is something she had to think about. My mom has been working in doctor’s offices her entire career, how was she supposed to just drop it all and become a small business owner? Especially when she had never developed any recipes, she would just throw a bunch of things together that ended up tasting good. What would she call them? Will people even like them? Will people be disgusted by nutrient filled ingredients prominent in Indian culture? Ingredients like bottle gourd, gooseberries, and turmeric are filled with tons of nutrients but still haven’t made it into traditional juice shops, depriving customers of nutrients that are not found in any other traditional fruit or vegetable.

Despite all these questions and uncertainties, my mom decided to make the leap and my family could not have been prouder. My mom has always been hardworking and despite all obstacles she always keeps a positive outlook. In addition, we all had utmost confidence in her juice because we knew that the community would learn to love her fresh juices the same way we did.

When I asked my mom what motivates her to wake up at 6am to make fresh juices at the shop and work till 7pm at night and she said, “these juices are like gold and I just want to spread the wealth of a healthy body to the rest of the community, the same way I have been helping my own family and friends all these years.” She also said, “not everyone has the time to make fresh juices at home, so I love to provide a convenient way for people to get juices and smoothies without taking away from work or family life.” After a few months of opening the store, she has customers who come in regularly, and knows to have their favorite items ready before they come in. The customers who rely on Green Zone to get their daily intake of fresh fruits and vegetables are the ones who motivate my mom to continue doing what she loves.

From a wide variety of cold pressed juices, fresh smoothies, dairy free milk options made in house, chia pudding, and acai bowls, the local community is falling in love with Green Zone. My mom always loves to come home and tell us about how many great customers came by and how much they loved all the products. It is so inspiring to see how my mom went from serving friends and family to helping the community one fresh juice at a time.