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Lately, I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on the irony of ever-changing food trends. There seems to be a revolving shelf of “insert-food-element-here free” options at the market each time I look: sugar, fat, gluten, dairy, sodium, carb - and it’s a lot to sort out! I often wonder how much foods like “Cauliflower Tortilla Chips” and “Protein Cookies” -- which are heavily processed, allegedly in the name of health -- are really just marketing ploys.
This year, in an effort to provide more consideration and care to my body as a thanks-for-supporting-me-through-2020 and a let’s-see-what-you’ve-got-for-2021, I’ve committed to paying attention to the foods I’m consuming and how they make me feel. While I noted a surplus of processed “healthy” foods above, I’ve been glad to also see a push towards consuming real, whole foods, too. The idea of eating more naturally-occurring foods like plants, beans, roots, fruits, and grains makes a lot of sense to me, and I’m focusing on incorporating them into my diet as much as possible. When Monfefo reached out to send me a flight of their organic, cold-pressed Turmeric and Ginger Shots, I jumped at the chance to sample a brand whose ingredients and ethos match my 2021 energy.
High Vibrations In A Bottle
Inspired by the beaches of Hawaii, Justine Monsul founded Monfefo after years traveling around the world and learning about natural living and organic remedies. Monsul launched Monfefo with the simple intention of crafting a product to make you feel good. Monfefo’s instant success (like selling-out-on-day-one instant success) is a testament to just how good she’s made people feel -- about the quality of her product, about themselves, and about our planet.
Currently, Monfefo offers ginger shots and turmeric shots, which can be delivered straight to your door in a pack of 12 for $48 plus shipping. At $4/shot, Monfefo’s pricing is competitive with other brands in the juice shot space like Kor, Tulua, and Whole Foods’ private label, all of which cost between $3.99 and $4.99 -- plus, Monfefo acts as a modern milkman of sorts, delivering ingredients that have been healing humans for generations right to your doorstep without the hassle of juggling dozens of tiny bottles in your shopping cart.
Rooted In Timeless Tradition
Some background for those unfamiliar with these roots, ginger and turmeric have been used for thousands of years in Eastern and Ayurvedic medicine:
- Nicknamed “the great medicine,” ginger has traditionally been used to fight cold and flu, digestive issues, and muscle and joint pain. It contains tons of essential vitamins and minerals (like Vitamin C, Magnesium, Zinc, Potassium to name a few) and most notably the super root gingerol, which gives ginger its spicy taste and health benefits.
- Referred to as “one who is victorious over diseases” in Ayurveda, turmeric contains 300+ vitamins and minerals, like Beta-carotene, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, and Potassium. Additionally, the root contains the active component curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, and anti-microbial properties.
Each Monfefo ginger shot contains 4000mg of organic ginger juice, organic lemon juice, and organic honey. The turmeric offering contains organic orange juice, 2000 mg of organic turmeric root juice, organic lemon juice, organic agave, and organic black pepper (which, paired with curcumin, increases absorption by 2000%). That’s all.
A Peek Inside The Process
The brand transforms raw ingredients into delicious cold-pressed juice shots in its Brooklyn facility -- bathing ingredients in filtered water thrice before grinding and cold-pressing the roots.
Monfefo sources its high quality, raw, organic produce from biodynamic farms in Peru, Hawaii, and Thailand, where they have personal relationships with farmers. The brand transforms these raw ingredients into delicious cold-pressed juice shots in its Brooklyn facility -- bathing ingredients in filtered water thrice before grinding and cold-pressing the roots. (Cold-pressing, or “masticating,” is the process of separating a fruit or vegetable’s fiber from its cells without added heat, which helps extract a more nutrient-dense juice.) This process allows Monfefo to create bold shots that are free of additives or sweeteners. After cold-pressing ingredients, Monfefo packages its shots in glass bottles with aluminum closures, and 100% plastic-free packaging. Deliveries arrive on your doorstep packaged securely with dry-ice to ensure freshness.
#MonfefoFace
In terms of taste, Monfefo’s shots are very potent and obviously high quality. The ginger shot is an intense experience: it’s clear that ginger is the main ingredient, and it’s spicy. The ginger’s spiciness isn’t the type of heat that makes your forehead sweat or your lips burn, though. Instead, you feel a warm fire in your throat, then a lasting, almost icy-hot style tingle in your stomach for a few minutes after. I love it (so much so that I’ve actually already ordered another box). As an editor at TQE, I’m lucky to have the opportunity to try a lot of cool products -- and I’m ecstatic when I find myself reaching for my own wallet to support a brand after I’ve had the opportunity to review it.
The turmeric shot is delicious as well and probably better-suited for a first time juice shot-taker. Because its main ingredient is orange juice, it’s not fiery in the way the ginger shot is (it’s much sweeter).
Both of Monfefo’s flavors are more fresh, direct, and lasting than other juice shots I’ve tried. You know the taste of fresh-squeezed lemon juice versus the kind you can buy already bottled at the store? That’s the difference you can taste between Monfefo’s shots versus other brands. I’m not sure how they do it, but Monfefo seals in that “just pressed” taste into their glass bottles in a way I haven’t tasted before. The brand has even created #MonfefoFace to capture people’s faces when trying the potency of a juice shot for the first time -- if I haven’t convinced you of the brand’s insane freshness enough, hopefully this video compilation can:
The other cool part about Monfefo is that while the brand’s shots can be thrown back in one gulp, they’re also amazing additions to teas, cocktails, and salad dressings. I’ve tried Monfefo in a variety of formats -- and while simply taking it as a shot is my number one preference, adding Monfefo to tea, sparkling water, and cocktails was also a fun and delicious experience (cooking a Monfefo recipe is still on my to-do list).
Spice Up Your Life
Incorporating Monfefo into my morning (and sometimes afternoon, evening) routine has added an element of mindfulness to my day. To be clear, Monfefo’s shots haven’t given me superpowers, but they’re a high quality and fun product to incorporate into a lifestyle focused on health, wellness, and longevity -- plus, they taste really great.
It feels good to take my morning shot with the intention of treating my body well and incorporating ingredients that have served humans for thousands of years, long before sugar-free or low-carb diets were even a thought. If you have the budget and interest to sample a 12-pack of juice shots, I can’t recommend Monfefo enough. My bet is that you’ll fly through them, then subscribe to ensure that you always have plenty on hand. To good feels and good health in 2021 -- cheers!
Five More Reasons To Love Monfefo:
- It’s founded with a mission to make you feel good!
- Monfefo sources from the highest quality farmers to maintain the highest possible quality.
- It’s a women-founded and owned, grassroots company.
- Sustainability is a top priority for Monfefo -- and their plastic-free packaging reflects that.
- They ship directly to your door and offer a 10% discount if you subscribe.
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