Okay guys, if you follow me on insta you know I’ve been obsessed with Ripe Nutrition for about 2 years now. They are a wellness brand that uses holistic nutrition to create the most amazing Superfood Beauty Broths (and so much more, like their “Spicy Pina” Superfood Freezies!!).
My love for this brand began when a friend introduced me to their Vegan Mushroom Broth which is packed with nutrient dense ingredients. I’m a big fan of drinking my micronutrients because it’s easy, quick, and digests well with my body. On days when I’m on the go and don’t have time to cook at home I always fall back on a cold pressed green juice or a cup of broth to give my body what it needs to function at its best. Juice or broth first thing (after water) in the morning is my love language. It gives me energy, preps my body for solid food, and is my skin’s best friend.
After hearing so many wellness practitioners and health professional rave about the benefits of bone broth (stock made from animal bones) I decided to keep an open mind to the idea and do my own research. I’ve eaten variations of a plant based diet since I was fifteen years old and was hesitant to say the least. To my surprise the research and testimonies described bone broth exactly how Alex, the founder of Ripe, brands her broth- liquid gold. So I decided to go for it and see for myself.
My first impression was that it tasted amazing. It felt nostalgic, comforting, and immediately warmed my entire body. It’s hard to describe but this magical drink literally made my insides feel good, almost like it was a cup of medicine. I was surprised at how full and satisfied I felt after just one cup. My body quickly started craving the broth second thing (water first) in the morning, taking coffee’s time slot and bumping it to third.
I can’t lie -I didn’t want to like it. I was skeptical, but I am in love. After drinking a cup every morning for fourteen days, I can honestly say that I felt amazing.
I invited Alex on the blog to teach us a little more about Ripe and all things cleanses, broth, and wellness!
F
Welcome Alex! I am so excited to share your health insights, philosophy and products with the FSC community.
As you know, I’m a big fan of your broth. It seriously is “liquid gold” !!
Like you, I decided to combine work with my passion for mind and body health. You are a business owner, but you are also a Certified Health and Wellness Coach. What led you to pursue this?
A
Food is my great love. I feel like I am meant to heal people through it. I went to school for Holistic Nutrition and started Ripe six years ago after I graduated. I worked in the corporate wellness space for a while, and did in-home cooking for years and made customized meal plans for clients.
F
What inspired you to start Ripe?
A
I started Ripe because I wanted to help people heal themselves through food the same way that I did. I also wanted to wake up every day feeling inspired and feeling like I’m making a difference and doing something creative. I am so happy that I took the risk because I love what I do.
F
What is bone broth and why should we be drinking it?
A
Bone broth is a healing superfood elixir that has been around for thousands of years. It is incredible for hair, skin, nails, energy, weight loss, digestion and immunity. It’s incredible for your gut! When I was doing in-home cooking and consulting with Ripe, I noticed that all of my clients benefitted from and loved the broth. I couldn’t find one on the market that tasted amazing and wasn’t filled with excessive sodium, oils, preservatives and additives. I actually started the broth as a passion project for my clients that I cooked for who didn’t want to make it themselves. I asked a friend of mine who is an incredible chef if she could help me scale it and the Broth side of the business was born.
F
What about all the non-meat eaters out there?
A
I totally respect vegans and their path and I wanted to make sure that everyone was included and could benefit from broth. We developed two vegan broths -one being a Superfood Organic adaptogen and Mushroom Broth and the other being a Superfood Green Broth. Both are incredible, delicious, and healthy. Our most popular broth is the Mushroom Beauty Broth, which is completely vegan!
F
Collagen is a hot topic in the beauty and wellness space right now. Why is collagen so important?
A
Collagen is a protein responsible for healthy joints and skin elasticity. It’s in your bones, muscles, and blood, comprising three quarters of your skin and a third of the protein in your body. As you age, your existing collagen breaks down and it gets harder for your body to produce more. Broth is an incredible source of collagen!
F
Can you talk a little bit about ingredient integrity and why it’s so important to you? I love that you use organic and I how you mentioned somewhere that using the bones to make broth is making sure parts of the animal aren’t wasted.
A
The integrity of the ingredients that we use are so important to us! We always support local organic farmers when possible and all of our ingredients are certified organic. There may be something, for example, like Thai basil or lemon grass that at different points in the season we can’t get organic but for the most part everything is. We think it is so important to use the best ingredients because you are what you eat.
F
I have love your reset cleanse. What’s involved in doing your cleanse and why can a cleanse be beneficial to our health?
A
I think a 1-3 day cleanse is an amazing way to reset your body, give your digestive tract a break, and change your eating habits and connection to food. It really helps me take a look at what I’m putting into my body. Drinking and eat nutrient dense broths, nut mylks, juices, and vegetables really feeds your cells and makes you feel amazing. All our juices are cold-presses and free of preservatives.
Benefits of A Juice Cleanse
Requires you to drink more water and connect with your body’s needs
Cut back on caffeine and soda and restore alkaline levels
Eat more fruits and veggies
Lean away from animal products
Eliminate processed foods
Increase energy levels
F
From your experience and training what are a few of your top wellness and nutrition tips that you would encourage all of us to adopt?
A
I would say one of the most important wellness and nutrition tips that I could ever give anyone is to learn how to read ingredients, nutritional facts sheets and labels. Most food manufacturers and grocery stores market food to look like they are healthy but if you know how to read the labels you can tell exactly what’s in it. Also, listen to your body if you are hungry, eat if you’re tired, try to rest and do what makes you feel happy and fulfilled.
F
Thank you so much for coming on the blog!! Follow Alex on insta @ripe.nutrition for all things wellness and superfoods <3
