I love this country and how people are always on the go, coming up with new ideas and new concepts to introduce... Some work some don't, but I think when passion and know-how meet, nothing fails. The girls behind Qi Juice prove that. Hana Alireza and Leila Fakih Nashabe are two well informed ladies who have come up with the first-in-Lebanon organic Juice Cleanse, Qi juices, prepared with only fresh alkaline fruits and vegetables organically grown in Lebanon. Few weeks earlier, while at an event with my friend Michel, we were introduced to Qi juices. Our opinion diverged as we both saw a different perspective of those bottles. I couldn't but see a salad in a bottle while opening the first one and smelling something close to tabboule. Michel on another hand was so happy to know that the "cleansing" trend has reached Lebanon tasting a flavor after the other. Putting myself together, I decided to visit the factory...
Their idea is not your average diet plan. The idea is to help increase energy, cut cravings, control weight, boost immunity and clear the body and mind of toxicity. By reducing the food intake and toxic substances, the cleanse is something we all need from time to time...
I went down to their "Qitchen" as they like to call it. Located in a warm Achrafieh neighborhood, you are welcome into a nice, clean, humble set up... Looking around, I was intrigued to learn more about what they do... At start, the ladies wanted to work with an American company and franchise before deciding to be purely local, while using our rich land produces like debs, 7aba2, bal2e and many others... following the seasons and what's available... for example, now that it's winter they are launching a new cleansing box of juices and a soup combined. With the help of their nutritionist, Natasha Henry, based in the states, each bottle has a interesting nutritive balance.
Remember that even though the drinks are green, they do taste good.
Qi, (pronounced ‘Kee’) is the life force of every living being, also known as Chi. It helps you keep your Qi in balance, with juices made from fresh, live, organic vegetables and fruits and nothing else. All Qi juices are Dairy-free, Gluten-free and 100% natural. Fresh, cold-pressed juices made with organic vegetables and fruit to boost your energy and 1-5 Day Juice Cleanses made daily in our Beirut Kitchen and delivered to your door. Rest your digestive system, kick start your diet, reenergize, revitalize and Start Fresh.
Why are Qi Juices different? Qi Juices is the first company in Lebanon to deliver organic, cold-pressed, raw juices for cleansing or as a supplement to your regular diet. Do you only use organic fruits and vegetables in your juices? Yes, our suppliers are Organic certified by either Libancert or IMC. *The exceptional ingredient is ginger, but we only use it in small amounts:) What is the Qi Juice Cleanse? The Qi Juice Cleanse is a program of freshly pressed organic fruit and vegetable juices, designed to rest your digestive system and deliver a powerful boost of nutrition to your body. During a juice cleanse, you remove all toxic substances and processed food from your diet, and only consume pure, organic fruit and vegetable juice for 1 - 5 days. Our '3-Day Cleanse' is the most popular. Can I buy the juice without going on a cleanse? Yes! The juices are available at A New Earth Organic Store in Achrafieh, and at Live Organic in Naccache. QI can also deliver to your home/office in packs of 6. The cost of a custom six-pack of juice is $65.
How long will the juice last? It lasts 3 days in the fridge because they are cold-pressed, so the juice is exposed to very little oxygen and no heat. Cold-pressed juice is the highest quality juice you can drink, because it preserves as much of the raw, live nutrition as possible.
"Let every person take one small step to become healthier"
What flavors do you have? We only juice whatever is in season so the flavors change often, we do not have all the flavors all year around, but they include :
- Start Fresh: Full of greens to help kick start your day with tons of vitamins, folic acid, minerals, amino acids, and anti-oxidants. ?Romain lettuce, cucumbers, parsley, apples, spinach, lemon and celery.
- Morning Greens: Perfect for a mid-morning boost, with superfood Kale for a huge vitamin boost and fennel to sooth your digestion. Mild, refreshing and oh-so-yummy.? Apple, romaine lettuce, Kale and fennel
- Red Magic: Ginger is miraculous for indigestion and inflammation, and beets do wonderful things for your reproductive and lymphatic systems. Beetroot, carrots, apple and ginger
- Green Magic: Magical on every level: Leafy greens for chlorophyll, iron, magnesium, vitamins and minerals, plus cucumbers and apples for hydration and liver cleansing. It’s the stuff of superheroes. Drink up! ?Romain lettuce, coriander, swiss chard, apples, cucumbers, and lemon?
- Carrot Boost: Lots of stimulation going on with this drink. Carrots give a super-boost to your immunity and lemon has an alkalizing effect on your body’s PH balance.?Carrots, lemon, water, apple, and mint.
- Green Dream: Yes, that’s parsley you’re tasting; A magnificent diuretic and anti-inflammatory, mixed in this juice with lots of green goodness. No fruits in this one! Carrots, celery, spinach and parsley.
- Lowz Love (Almond Milk): Almond milk is power-packed with protein and vitamin E, and we’ve given ours a twist by adding anti-oxidant carob (kharoob) After a full day of veggies, this feels like a treat. Almond, Dates, Cinnamon, Carob Molasses
- Watermelonade: Crisp and refreshing, with the rind of the watermelon for extra anti-oxidants. I Watermelon, cucumbers, mint.
- Herbalicious: Purslane is an excellent source of Omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin A. Combined with cucumber, this juice is also great for your skin. Cucumber, Purslane (Bakleh), Basil, Mint and Lemon -
- Rummantic: Pomegranate juice is an anti-viral, full of vitamins C and K, and ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and aids digestion. Plus it tastes really yummy. Pomegranate, Carrots, Cucumber, Lemon & Ginger.
- Green Limonada: This is basically lemonade, made with superfood Kale! Pear, Mint, Kale and Lemon.
- Orange Boost: This juice is excellent for immunity, with vitamin C from the citrus fruits and special ingredient turmeric, a superb anti-inflammatory. Oranges, Carrots, Lemons, Carrots, Cucumber & Turmeric
- Garden Greens: Seriously veggie juice for you hardcore juicers who prefer NO fruit in their green juice! Needless to say, it's very good for you :) Kale, Parsley, Cucumber, Carrots.
- Summer Greens: Also quite green, but a little sweeter with the addition of white grapes. Ingredients:Cucumber, grapes, coriander, lemon and spinach instead of swiss chard.
Do you add anything else to your juices? No, the juices are made of 100% fruits and vegetables. Our juices are completely free of gluten, dairy and any sweeteners or preservatives. Do I need to prepare for a cleanse? YES! Please plan ahead so that you can prepare your body and get the most out of it. It’s VERY important to ease in to the cleanse, and just as important to ease out- (we will help you with this part when you're done). Preparation for the cleansing:
- A week before: Start cutting down on coffee, alcohol, nicotine and sugar. It will make the transition into juicing much easier. Seriously, don’t skip this step. Drink lots of water, book yourself a massage or plan a day for a sauna/steam- anything you can do to start flushing out toxins ahead of time
- 4 days before: Pretend you're vegan! Lots of raw fruits, nuts and vegetables, salads, and soups are good. Fat, juicy steak...not so good. Book ahead: Book your cleanse dates at least 2 days in advance to make sure we have the vegetables in stock.
What are the benefits? The effects differ from person to person:
- Eliminates water retention
- Makes you feel more energetic
- It's like you removed a large piece of your heavy intestine. A smoother digestion takes over
- Mental clarity, and you become more productive specially if you always eat processed food
- Your cravings change
- Booster immunity
- Energy increases
- The amounts consumed are reduced
- Psychologically you feel accomplished
- A confidence boost
- A greater sense of self-control when it comes to cravings
How does it work?
- Start by taking the phone and calling Qi juices
- It starts by a 15 minutes conversation to explain cleansing not weight loss
- You can't start the next day but you have to prepare your body
- An email is sent explaining how to prepare. A mental and physical preparation.
- he medical form follows to make sure that all things are clear without risk (Pregnancy, allergies...)
- The company delivers six bottles (475ml ) of juice for each day of the cleanse, (and sometimes a nut-milk ) which you will drink in a specific order
- The bottles are numbered 1-6 to make this nice and easy. In between, you can drink lots of water, herbal tea and some green tea if you wish. The idea is to flush, flush those toxins out!
Cold pressed juices advantages: A technology that triturates the vegetables than presses them with their membranes to extract as much vitamins as possible. There is no spinning in the process
- Boosts immunity
- Increases energy
- Clears your mind
- Rests digestion
- Cuts cravings
- Decreases bloating
- Tastes good
- Makes you happy
- No heat is used in the process but the pressing of live food
- The fruits and vegetables can last up to three days in the fridge
- No oxygen or preserving agents are added to the bottles
How much does it cost? The cost of the juices is $65 per day / $195 for a 3-day cleanse. After a tour around the kitchen, we sat down for a tasting session. What's great about their juices is that the equilibrium between taste and necessity that make the juices enjoyable. Close your eyes and feel the richness of the ingredients.
- Herbalicious (green) purslane, basil, mint, cucumber, pear, lemon. This is one of the most complicated drinks with a least enjoyable tastes. Considering that you would have to start your day with it, prepare yourself to experience a strong cucumber smell, followed by a salad flavor and a slightly lemony aftertaste
- Green lemonade (green) Pear, mint, Lemon, kale. Even though names green lemonade it doesn't have that very strong lemon flavor you might imagine. A light faded smell of lemons with the same green color of herbalicious offering a slight sweetness provided by the pears and a lightly lemony with a hint of mint aftertaste that adds freshness.
- The third drink is always a red one. Rummantic (red) Pomegranate, carrot, cucumber, lemon, ginger. rum-mantic (fertility and love) a cucumber aroma followed by the richness of pomegranate and a dryness of the mouth at the end. I enjoyed that one a lot. Red magic: (red) carrot, beetroot, apple, ginger. You prepare yourself to feel the beetroot but the carrots cover on it all and that's something enjoyable pushing away the "ringing a salad" feeling. Interesting red color and a smooth light texture that's interesting. The ginger caresses your throat in style to end it all.
- Summer greens (green juice) Swiss chard, cucumber, white grapes, lemon. A cucumber smell takes over with a stronger lemon feel that any of the other juices finishing the experience with a burst of grapes. This is the perfect drink for a kind of afternoon craving. 3 or 4pm is the best time to have one.
- Carrot boost (orange) carrot, apple, lemon, mint. That's a very interesting drink I can't wait to have again: My favorite of all. An interesting mouthwatering color offering a sweet flavor provided by the carrot-apple mix followed by a slight lemony taste and mint freshness.
- Lowz (white or green) almonds, date, carob molasses, cinnamon, sea salt. The lows drink is nothing you've ever tasted before here in Lebanon or anywhere else in the world. Using purely local ingredients of which dates and carob molasses mixed with almonds, this drink provided a rich sweet aroma like a dessert where the crushed almonds and the kharroub go around. It smells like the dark raisin cake of Christmas. Very interesting indeed.
