Juicing may seem like the realm of pin-thin models and waify types who don’t mind subsisting on 1,000 calories a day, but the right juices can be beneficial to even the most active lifestyles. Yankee’s first baseman Mark Teixeira says that he started trying juices because they fit into his busy schedule. “I’m on the go a lot and it’s hard to sit down and make the good food decisions,” he says. “The juices I consume really help my overall nutrition.”
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In the morning, he drinks a combination of grapefruit juice, lemon juice and orange (Juice Press’s “Glo”). “You wake up thirsty and dehydrated, and it’s refreshing,” he says (full disclosure: Teixeira is an investor in Juice Press). “The citrus and vitamin C give me energy and it’s filling but not ultra heavy.” This juice with a side of oatmeal is the perfect breakfast according to Teixeira, who likes to eat about half an hour before he hits the gym.After a workout, Teixeira turns to liquid nutrition again—for protein. “Smoothies are the best way to replenish what your body has lost during exercise,” he says, adding that there’s no need to shy away from the natural sugars in fruit smoothies after a workout. “What you don’t want is a candy bar—the processed sugar is bad. But your body needs natural sugars.” His post-workout favorite is Juice Press’s Lait de Coconut.Of course you can’t juice all day when you’re an avid gym-goer—that type of cleanse is really a fast, and you should take it easy during workouts (or pause your routine entirely) if you’re on one. “Juice cleanses are a reset button, not a lifestyle,” says Albert Matheny, co-owner of Soho Strength Lab, an athlete-minded gym that serves Juice Press juices. If you’re working out regularly, he notes, you have to give your body what it needs to support lean muscle. “If you don’t feed it you go into starvation mode and your body holds calories.” But if you’re looking for a way to get natural sugar, protein and your daily vegetables on the go—even if you’re a big gym person—natural, non-processed juices are a good option, alongside healthy meals.One of the reasons Juice Press has made inroads into the world of athletes like Teixeira and gyms like Soho Strength Lab—aside from the fact that the juices themselves are naturally whole-foods-based and organic—is because the company’s founder Marcus Antebi is a hard-bodied, healthy straight shooter. “I don’t prescribe a juice for an ailment,” he says. “That’s quackery. No two bodies have the same chemistry.” Instead, Antebi, whose plans to open five new Juice Press locations in New York City this spring and summer, is into clearing your body of anything that is not working for you. Step one? “Here’s a magic pill: Eliminate processed foods,” he says.Part of that step, Antebi says, is incorporating juices into your day—as long as they’re giving you nutrition and protein to aid you in your physical lifestyle. “Juices have sugars and protein to help repair and support lean muscle after a tough workout,” says Matheny, who adds that he drinks at least one juice a day. “Just choose one that’s natural, organic and good for you.”MORE: Ashley Wagner’s Favorite Lipstick at Sochi 2014
