The health of raw

When one of Stefanie de Wet’s family members got sick many, many years later and his wife started making cold pressed juice for him to support his health, her dream was reignited. She started researching and finding many beautiful testimonials about people's experiences and life changing stories while juicing.“What was astounding is that we think all fresh juices are the same and very good for you,” Stefanie says. “It is certainly better than all those sugary fizzy drinks out there, but there is a huge difference between a slow or cold pressed juice and a normal centrifugal juicer juice.”The slow or cold pressed juice uses a 'crushing' process much like chewing which does not generate heat and oxidation during extraction, and which better preserves the enzymes and nutrients, making sure “you are taking in all of the good stuff!” The normal (faster), more common centrifugal juicer uses a blade to very finely shred the ingredients thereby creating heat which destroys the valuable enzymes and nutrients which we think we are consuming while drinking a 'healthy' drink.“There are many juices that claim to be cold pressed standing on a shelf in the supermarket fridge but while they might be cold pressed, for them to have a long shelf life some kind of preservative/s had to be added or process completed which in turn kills off the goodness again.”A good cold pressed juice has a shelf life of two to three days, says Stefanie, therefore the quicker you drink it the better.She wanted to show that healthy choices don't have to be boring and can actually taste great, superfoods and all and in 2020 Stefanie opened the RawRoots Juicery. What makes her juices and smoothies so special is that it is slow or cold pressed juice, which might take a bit longer to produce but you have the benefit of all the good stuff. The smoothies are also raw which means there are no sugars or syrups in it. It's tough to stay true to your vision when prices skyrocket like they did the past year or two, she admits, but she wants customers to know when they order from RawRoots, they get the best she can give them. “In the end it's a lifestyle choice and if I can contribute to their health, it makes me proud and so happy!”With regard to her ingredients Stefanie tries to support local as much as she can. She loves trying out new things and experimenting with different combinations but in the end had to settle on a few of the best and settle on a consistent menu.Currently her products are only available at RawRoots juicery.“There is always space for growth, but because the shelf life is so short products need to be sold fast otherwise there will be lots of waste and I dislike that idea very much. My only drink lasting up to 5 days to a week is our very popular Ginger shot. Ginger and lemon are natural preservatives and these are the two main ingredients.”Stefanie would love to expand when the time is right and had many requests to open a shop in Windhoek and even Walvis Bay. “So, you never know what the future holds!” - Facebook: RawRoots juicery; rawrootsjuicery@gmail.com

The health of raw

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-08

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The health of raw

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-08

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