By Lani Gering

Drink Something Magical Everyday – Grateful Juice Co.

Grateful Juice Co. is the brain child of Alexandrian, Kimberly Sickman Landini. Some of you may remember her from a profile that we did on her first business venture – Zweet Sport Athleisure Clothing Collection. She partnered with long-time friend and fellow athlete, Marja Toan, in designing clothing suited primarily for yoga with a concentration on “hot” yoga. They have since expanded their business to the Zweet Sport Hot Yoga Studio and more recently opening Zweet Sport Total Fitness Studio. Their focus in all of these projects is to promote healthy living and igniting self-transformation through yoga and total fitness. We will leave those fun businesses for another profile down the road.

When I asked Kim what prompted her to go into the “juice” business, she tells me, “I’m passionate about the health benefits that come from drinking fresh juice daily. My goal was to be able to bring fresh juice to my yoga students after class, instead of them reaching for something that won’t provide any real type of nutrient or benefit to their body. Instead, my wish was that they consume a nutrient dense green juice, or maybe a blue/green algae juice (for example) to replace electrolytes, reduce inflammation, and increase mental clarity. It now goes beyond just my yoga students, but that is where the idea originated from. Additionally, my mother has always influenced my food decisions, and she embodied a lot of what I’m now trying to share. My mom had us shopping at health food stores before they were mainstream… before Whole Foods existed. She’s been a vegetarian all her life, so we followed that in our house as well. I grew up eating lots of fresh food, and learning about the importance of a primarily plant-based diet. She’s now juicing here with me at Grateful Juice Co.; she’s part of the juice team.”

When I asked why the name Grateful and the Grateful Dead-looking logo? Landini says, “It’s obvious that I am a fan of the Grateful Dead. I started listening to them at a young age and their music always spoke to me, inspired me and made me feel joy. Additionally, I’ve always been fascinated by the 60’s and 70’s – all of it really….not just the music, but also the idea of being free and truly living your life while you’re alive. However, the name was equally inspired by the word itself. I am grateful every single day. I am so grateful for my life, for my friends, for my family, my yoga school and for my amazing students. I wake up and do what I love every single day.”

I was interested in where they source the ingredients and was told that they do their best to purchase local produce when available. For instance this summer, the juice for “Glow” – whose main ingredient is watermelon – came from a local exchange called The Giving Tree. According to Kim, “We try to use organic whenever possible, which includes not only our produce, but our extracts, algae, and super foods as well.” “Additionally, we make house made almond mylk; currently we have two flavors…apple pie, which is house made almond mylk, apple, cinnamon, dates, and vanilla. The second flavor is called “purple haze” – house made almond mylk, blueberry extract, apple, lemon, organic agave.”

As the website says, “GJC is about putting the best things into your body, to get the most magnificent version of you. We believe in the power of FRESH, which is why we handcraft all of our juices on site, never adding harsh chemicals or preservatives to extend shelf life.”

In addition to their main location in Junction Bakery & Bistro, you can purchase the juice and the almond mylk at Zweet Sport Hot Yoga located at 400 North Henry Street. You can also contact Kim directly and also arrange for cleanses, etc., by e-mailing kimberly@gratefuljuiceco.com.

“At GJC we feel all things are possible when you “drink something magical” every day!”

Grateful Juice Co.

1508 Mount Vernon Avenue

301-312-3812

Gratefuljuiceco.com