Justin's Full Story
URBAN JUICE PRESS began with the idea that people can heal themselves and take responsibility for their own health. Founder, Justin Gauthier took his passion and understanding of food-as-medicine and created a new avenue for anyone that is seeking a powerful game changer for their own health. You can read about Justin's health journey below.
In 2010, I became quite ill and was diagnosed with Crohn's disease, which in western medicine is described as an autoimmune disorder where the immune system attacks the colon to the point where ulcers and open wounds destroy the colon’s lining. It became extremely painful to eat, and at random intervals throughout the day for no reason at all, I experienced terrible abdominal pain, the sort that makes you want to curl into a ball and stay in bed all day. A significant loss of appetite and very poor nutrient absorption forced me into a weakened state. I was prescribed a cocktail of medications like prednisone and immune-suppressants, which further declined my quality of life. At a certain point, I had had enough. The current treatments were just not working for me and I then made the conscious decision to take my health into my own hands and explore my options. I was at a crossroads and had no choice but to seek an alternative path.
I soon discovered juicing as one of my healing tools and life began to blossom. Over a few months, I noticed the cramps began to disappear and I started to feel normal again. Today, I am happy to say that I’ve been free of any Crohn’s-like symptoms since 2011 and have gained my normal weight back. My body was so impaired by the toxic accumulation of a lifelong of processed and low nutrient foods that my immune system went into attack mode. The lesson learned is a powerful message where we need to pay more attention to the powerful impact that nutrition has on health and disease.
What’s great about juicing is that the fibre is stripped from the juice and all of the highly bioavailable phytonutrients, antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins are easily absorbed by the gut and immediately transported to the blood stream to feed all body organs, tissues, and cells. I became so aware of the health benefits of juicing that I juiced daily and spread the word to all of my friends and family as I personally reaped the benefits. Soon after, I learned about cold-pressing as a method of juice extraction and how it was a much better way to keep the juices fresh longer and maintain a high plant nutrient profile, even days later. I went to New York City for fun and during my week’s stay I discovered local juice shops with cold-pressed juices. I had my first taste and I was hooked. Cold-pressed juices tasted so much more delicious and so fresh because of the higher quality. On my train ride back to Ottawa, I entertained the idea of opening my own company. I was feeling healthier and decided to take it to the drawing board and not long after, URBAN JUICE PRESS was born. FIND OUT HOW JUICING HAS HELPED OTHERS
