Juice it up

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  The juices from JustPressed launched by Rahul and Anu Monga, are aimed at the health-conscious people who want to detox or lose weight ; Pic by JAGAN NEGI

Drink them on the go or tank up on your fruit and veggie intake for the day in a few glugs. Call it a new health fad or simply a kick-start to the taste buds — cold pressed juices are the hot new offerings that offer fitness and freshness.

A slew of companies have jumped on to the fitness bandwagon to offer fresh juices that bristle with the goodness of a variety of healthy ingredients, fruits and vegetables. So brands like RAW Pressery, JustPressed, Jucifix, JusDivine and Antidote are offering freshly squeezed juices of everything from chia seeds to carrots, celery, collard, kale and wheatgrass. And, if that's not enough, you could try courgettes, mangosteen, kiwi, apples, pears and more.

Says Rahul Monga, who along with his wife Anu launched JustPressed this June: 'The different varieties of the juices have six to seven ingredients including some super foods.' His clients are people who are health-conscious, want to detox or lose weight. JustPressed sells 3,000-4,000 bottles of juice every week.

The companies promise that these juices are low on fructose levels, have no added sugar, preservatives or even water. So, they are natural-tasting, nutritious and easy to digest.

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  (From top) Antidote's Carol Singh and her sister Nadia Singh Bahl use exotic ingredients like chlorella (an algae) and moringa, in their juices

The juices aren't lining shop-shelves but are being delivered fresh by the companies. They come with a short shelf-life of between 48 hours and 72 hours and must be ordered online. All you do is to decide which one suits your dietary regimen and preferences the best.

The process of manufacturing a cold pressed juice is vastly different from the other juices available in Tetra Paks or even those prepared at home. Vishal Jain, founder and CEO, JusDivine, a brand that offers 12 different varieties of juices (fruits, vegetables, fruit and vegetable, nutmilk) says: 'Most juicers have fast-spinning blades which cause excessive heat and oxidise the nutrients in the fruits and vegetables.' However, the hydraulic press used in the manufacture of cold press juices gently grinds and squeezes the ingredients protecting the nutritious vitamins, minerals, amino acids, antioxidants, natural antibiotics and enzymes,' he says.

You'll be spoilt for choice when choosing from the available flavours. For instance, RAW Pressery's hotseller is a juice made of chia seeds (they can soak up about 50 times their body-weight of water and are great to keep the skin hydrated) blended with pomegranate, watermelon and mint (great anti-oxidants). A juice by Antidote fuses chlorella (an algae) and moringa, which has 36 times more magnesium than eggs and 50 times more vitamin B3 than peanuts. JustPressed does a combination of the nutrient-packed spirulina, wheatgrass and basil.

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  (From top) Jucifix's cold pressed juices come in as many as 16 fruit flavours and eight vegetable flavours; A juice made of chia seeds, blended with pomegranate, watermelon and mint is a hotseller at Mumbai-based RAW Pressery

Rohini Bajekal, brand manager of the Mumbai-based RAW Pressery says: 'We sell 40,000 bottles in a month.' The 10-month-old brand offers eight different flavours like Trim (a combination of kale, spinach, amla, celery, green apple and ginger helps to manage weight) and Glow with ingredients like cucumber, coconut water, pineapple, aloe vera and lemon grass (which is good for the skin).

You can buy the juices individually or go for a set programme that dictates what you drink and the fixed quantity for the desired results. Some programmes come with dietary advice on what should be consumed in the day along with the juice.

Some brands offer a mix of different juices throughout the day or different juices on different days. Jucifix, for instance, has 16 fruit flavours and eight vegetable flavours, only some of which are available each day. Says Tejomay Rastogi, who along with Avrio Rebello started Jucifix: 'Customers can enrol for a five, 15, 30 or a 90-day model.' Juicifix delivers eight bottles, that's four flavours of two bottles each a day.

JustPressed has a mix of six different juices and several different programmes. The one-day cleanse offers six bottles (one of each juice) of 500ml each costing Rs 1,600. The three-day cleanse of 18 bottles of 500ml each costs Rs 4,700 and a monthly cleanse of 24 bottles of 500ml is priced at Rs 6,200. The juices can be picked up individually at Rs 175 for 300ml and Rs 275 for 500ml.

Similarly, Antidote offers five different programmes and a day's supply of four bottles of juice costs between Rs 850 and Rs 950. 'Antidote sells about 50 litres to 60 litres of juice in a day,' says Carol Singh who started the company with her sister, Nadia Singh Bahl in October 2013.

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  Most juicers have fast-spinning blades that generate excessive heat and oxidise the nutrients in the fruits and vegetables according to Vishal Jain, founder and CEO, JusDivine, Mumbai

JusDivine, which produces about 100 litres of juice every day, is offering 12 different flavours which can be picked up individually. The 250ml bottles cost Rs 150 and the 1 litre about Rs 400.

The companies say their delivery systems are seamless. Mumbai brands like RAW Pressery have tied up with dabbawallas who deliver the juices between 6am and 9am. The juices can also be picked up at Godrej Nature's Basket stores and Foodhall in Mumbai and Pune. JustPressed too works on a combination of delivery and retail, selling from Foodhall and Godrej Nature's Basket in the NCR. However, the Gurgaon-based Antidote, Mumbai's Jucifix and JusDivine deliver their juices after they are ordered online.

The brands are going great guns. JustPressed has plans to expand to Mumbai, Bangalore, Chandigarh and Calcutta. Antidote which is currently available only in Gurgaon is eyeing markets in Mumbai, Chandigarh and Delhi by March 2015. RAW Pressery which has a sizeable presence in Mumbai and Pune has plans to expand further.

So, the next time you wish to tank up, go the cold pressed way and keep it healthy and fresh.