The Original Raw Juice Bar

With juiceries popping up on every corner, there’s no sign of a tipping point in sight. But one pioneering brand stands out from the pack. Juice Press, founded by Marcus Antebi, an incredibly active dude from Brooklyn with hobbies like rock climbing, ultimate Frisbee, skydiving, and Thai boxing, is one of the originals. After unsuccessfully searching high and low for juices that were both delicious and healthy, Juice Press was born in 2010. Four years and 20 locations later, Antebi still believes his oldie-but-goodie brand remains superior to imitators.

“We have the purest organic product and the most extensive lineup of juices anywhere—all raw, nothing processed,” says Antebi. “We never use hidden ingredients or processes to enhance or extend the shelf life of our juices or smoothies. These commercially popular methods kill the living enzymes and bacteria in the juice, which are essential to leading a healthy lifestyle.”

While cleansing continues to be a huge—and controversial—fad, Antebi insists there’s a right and wrong way to do it. He suggests starting with a short three-to-five-day cleanse of juices that contain a mix of protein, carbohydrates, fat, organic salts, vitamins, and minerals. “If you drink juice only, you leave out everything except supremely clean plant-based nutrition,” says Antebi. “Raw organic juice is alkalizing. It pulls endogenous acids (toxic material) directly from the cells and puts them back into the bloodstream where they can be picked up and expelled through normal waste function. On a proper juice fast you should be getting enough calories to remain efficient and feel good.” Generally, he advises drinking fruit juices early in the day for long-lasting energy, and green juices in the afternoon and evening for their alkalizing properties and mineralization.

One surprising ingredient that will enhance your beauty? Green pepper. “They contain prodigious amounts of silicon, an important atomic element for maintaining and enhancing skin, nails and hair,” says Antebi. On the other hand, he says people should avoid packaged and processed foods at all costs. “Clearly, a key aspect of your diet is what you take in. But of equal importance is what is left out. Processed foods make us sick, overweight, and accelerate aging. We need to consume more raw whole foods and eliminate the bad foods we eat if we want to live long and healthy lives.” And who doesn’t want that?

Photo: Henry Leutwyler