Q&A with Plenish founder Kara Rosen

WHL chats to the queen of juicing in our Q&A with Plenish founder Kara Rosen.

Founder of juice company Plenish Cleanse, Kara Rosen knows a thing or two about the art of the liquid diet. A high-flying Condé Naste employee desperate to climb the ranks, Kara found herself jet-lagged, drained, and sick due to years of burnout. But it was hitting her lowest ebb, and in turn finding a holistic nutritionist passionate about the power of juicing, that actually changed the course of her life for the better.

Now a mum and founder of leading juice brand Plenish Cleanse – which offers consumers a range of one to seven day cleanses and healthy drinks, and is stocked by major brands like Waitrose and Planet Organic – Kara is the epitome of success. The brand has even recently extended into nut milks – Kara’s Nut M*LKS are entirely organic and contain two times as many nuts as others on the market. We chatted to the entrepreneur to find out all things juice.

What inspired you to start Plenish Cleanse?

I started Plenish after many years of running on empty and becoming ill. I was inspired by the power that plant-based nutrition had on my health, and became inspired by a new-found drive to live a full and active life. Ultimately, this lead me to create a portfolio of products (juices, flavoured water and dairy-free nut M*LKs) which acts as health-hacks for the way we live.

What sets Plenish juices apart from the others?

Plenish’s cold-pressed juices are the perfect way to nourish your body with 1kg of organic produce in every bottle. Designed by a nutritional therapist, each flavour offers a convenient way to Plenish your cells with clean, delicious, nutrient-dense fuel.

What are the benefits of a cleanse?

A cleanse is a convenient, easy way to kick-start a detox period and healthy eating plan. By consuming raw, organic green juices while eliminating processed sugars, coffee and alcohol, meat and too much cooked food, you assist your system in becoming an oxygen-drenched alkaline one which will help reduce inflammation and support immunity and health.

Our clients tell us that they feel so much better and accomplished post-cleanse that it inspires them to incorporate lots more fresh, raw, organic vegetables and plant-based protein into their diet on a long-term basis, while topping up with juices.

How often do you ‘cleanse’ and recommend others to do so?

This is a personal decision. If you have never cleansed before you may prefer to start with a three-day cleanse. If you already live a healthy, plant-based lifestyle or have cleansed before, a five-day cleanse allows your body to rebuild and start on a clean slate. The juices will help to boost your immunity and leave you feeling refreshed – I like to cleanse at the start of each season.

Can you still cleanse if you lead a busy, active lifestyle?

After years of battling with re-occurring illnesses, juicing soon became a life hack for me. I could press over a kilogram of green veg into one glass of juice – convenient when you are always ‘on the go’. Our cleanses are designed for busy people, most of our clients juice during the work week.

Why do you favour cold-pressed juicing over regular methods?

Our hydraulic press completely extracts the natural vegetables and fruit juices unleashing vitamins, minerals, enzymes and other vital elements. This results in the finest quality flavour which is unequalled by any other method of juice extraction. The process produces juice so fine and pulp free, it can be absorbed in to your blood stream to feed your cells within 10 to 15 minutes. Cold pressing also avoids using any heat, that can destroy vital enzymes and vitamins, keeping all of the goodness in the juice.

What makes the perfect juice?

In the Plenish ethos, we start with a functional benefit – whether it’s energy (like in our boost or fuel) or a reward for a workout well done (like our chocolaty cashew m*lk called savour) and work with our nutritional therapist to select the ultimate ingredients that also taste delicious. We create our Plenish juices by cold pressing them and then putting high quality organic ingredients under pressure instead of heat. This makes sure the final plant-based product stays raw, delicious and packed with nutrients.

Our juices are organic and Soil Association Certified – our cold pressed juice is made from the finest organic produce, so you can rest assured they are made without the use of harmful pesticides. Plenish juices are also dairy-free and do not contain any animal products.

What’s the difference between a cleanse and a fast?

On a cleanse, you do not deprive your body of vital nutrients. On a three-day cleanse, you are consuming over 18 kilograms of produce that nourish your cells at the deepest level. A fast is traditionally where you don’t eat anything – bar water. A very different experience!

Do you recommend drinking fruit and veggies over eating them?

We know that eating raw vegetables and fruit increases energy, prevents chronic illness, promotes an alkaline pH and helps to rebuild your cells. We rarely eat enough fresh vegetables and fruit and so this is where the juice comes in. You can drink all of your recommended daily allowance in one single glass of juice rather than individually, which some people may find easier.

Some view juicing as a fad or a trend – it’s even sometimes portrayed as unhealthy. What are your views on this?

If you’re concerned that embarking on a juice cleanse is just a fad, consider that humans have been cleansing since ancient times! The answer is yes, your body is smart – it sleeps when you’re tired, tells you when you’re thirsty, and heals when you’re sick. Nature heals and repairs the body. Plenish allows your body to do what it does, but better.

Cleansing is a great way to give your digestive system a break and allows it to release the toxins that have been building up in order to heal. So, while cleansing has become increasingly popular among Hollywood celebrities and the general public in the last few years, it is certainly not a trend.

You champion a plant-based diet. How long have you been living this way and what prompted the shift?

After years of being unwell, I was inspired by the power that plant-based nutrition had on my health and became inspired by a new-found drive to live a full and active life. I’m a champion of proactive health which easily integrates into daily life and tastes delicious – keeping people running on plenty, never empty.

From a health and diet perspective, what are the other staples of your daily routine?

I try not to ‘label’ anything as it makes me want to break rules. In theory, I try to eat 70-80 per cent raw, simply because it makes me feel great. It’s an easy way to manage your eating plan if you imagine filling up more than half of your plate with fresh, raw produce and ‘decorating’ with protein or (whole food) starches.

I am not completely vegan as life is too short not to eat ice cream on a summer holiday, but in my day-to-day life I do not eat meat and I stay away from dairy. That being said – and back to the life is short mantra – I’ve never refused a dish at a dinner party that has milk in it and food is one of my greatest pleasures.

What’s your go-to workout?

I’m nine months pregnant at the moment, so yoga and Pilates have been my saviour. My ideal workout is a morning run outside when the weather permits or a spin class at Heartcore – I love getting my heart rate up. I like to counter balance with yoga.

What’s next for you?

This year we launched our latest dairy-free nut M*LK, coconut, adding to the M*LK range that already includes Almond, Hazelnut and Cashew. All our M*LKs are made with simple, organic, clean ingredients and contain two times as many nuts as any other brand. They do not contain sunflower oil, guar gums or carrageenan and all contain just three healthy, natural ingredients.

We will be focusing on promoting the nut M*LK during the next few months, particularly around our next campaign for ‘Organic September’. I also picked up ‘the Best Organic Rising Star’ award at this year’s BOOM Awards, hosted by the Soil Association earlier this month.

Get £15 off a Plenish Cleanse order by using code WeHeartLiving15 (valid until the end of September 2017). Shop the range at plenishcleanse.com.