Chuice: Juice that you Chew

“Most juices don’t contain fiber, protein or essential fatty acids,” said Ladell Hill. “But since chewing releases amylase, an enzyme secreted by the saliva glands, your body immediately breaks down the complex carbohydrates from the fruits and vegetables.”

Once you take a sip of Chuice, you’ll be forced to chew. In both of Chuice’s two flavors: the beet-red River of Life and green Forest Blend, your palate will encounter a number of textures in the half-liquid juice, such as chunks of almonds, strands of kale and fibers of apples. Since the produce is not broken down completely, the juice contains less sugar, 17 grams, and more plant-based protein, 10 grams, in an 8-ounce serving than traditional juices.

The idea for Chuice stemmed from two influences in Hill’s life: his grandfather and the lifestyle of past indigenous cultures.

“My grandfather mainly ate raw foods from our 200-acre farm,” said Hill. “He raised me, so by the age of six, I began foraging in the woods with him. He believed he could fix anything with plants.”

Credit: Alexa Lampasona

Credit: Alexa Lampasona

Each of the 45 ingredients in Chuice was selected for its cellular benefits by Hill, who self-directed 13 years of research. He poured over topics ranging from molecular biology to proteolytic enzymes. Through studying the indigenous cultures, who ate a predominantly raw diet, Hill found the population had minimal chronic diseases. He realized there was something to it, and thus Chuice was born.

Hill has been in the health industry for decades, where he works as a certified personal trainer. He is known for training high-profile people like Lenny Kravitz, Kate Hudson and Sanjay Gupta.

“Gupta was captivating,” Hill said about the CNN doctor. “As we talked about health, it motivated me to be as intelligent as he was. That led me to researching everything about the human body.”

A testament to Hill’s years of studying is backing by Sharma, who was Gupta’s roommate at University of Michigan. Hill also personal-trained Sharma, and the two connected to form Chuice. Winning over this modern medical doctor-Sharma is a pediatric emergency room doctor- took Hill seven years.

“I thought it was all hocus pocus at first,” Sharma said of Hill’s mindset. “But evidence is evidence. It became intuitive when the research showed that herbs and plants were part of our indigenous culture’s diet.”

Sharma believes behavior changes cause the proliferation of chronic diseases, like obesity and heart disease. It stemmed from the transition of people away from farms and into cities that led to a lifestyle rooted in convenience.

“Hill’s approach is about moderation. You need to educate and help guide people to make lasting changes in their lifestyle,” Sharma said of the modern-day health marketing ploys. “Detoxing and cleanses are marketing genius, but how do you give people a product that fits into their lifestyle- one that is convenient and interesting? Why not just eat real food?”

And that is why Chuice is considered food. Recently, Chuice has launched into all Atlanta-area Whole Foods Markets and two Nashville Whole Foods, in addition to a few select farmers markets.

Chuice has also transitioned to high pressure processing (HPP), which has changed Chuice’s shelf life from five days to 14 days. By applying pressure to the bottle in a hydraulic chamber, HPP destroys pathogenic bacteria that could contaminate the raw produce in Chuice.

“We believe we are launching a new category of food. Real food that happens to be delicious and really good for you,” said Sharma. “If we continue to generate interest in this new food concept, we hope to create more demand for fresh produce and perhaps drive innovation that leads to better food options for everyone.”