The Official Blog of The GEM.

SHINE BRIGHTER. Our goal is to live better and be better.

Tag Archives: all organic


Celebrating 7 Years: What We’ve Loved (And Learned)

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It’s hard to believe that The GEM is already into its SEVENTH YEAR of serving organic juice goodness here in Dallas. MK and I never dreamed it would be so well received! Thank you to our beautiful GEM community, and for those who stand beside us while we live out our dream, each and every day!


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Since opening our doors back in 2012, we can’t think of a better way to fill the day than inside this happy place—surrounded by folks who just want to SHINE BRIGHTER. Being around that kind of energy is contagious, and it makes us all better for it.

Every day for the last seven years, we’ve learned something new. But here are a few things we know for sure:

7 THINGS WE’VE LEARNED ABOUT ORGANIC JUICE (AND LIFE)!

7 Years of Organic Juice
  • You are never too old to dream a new dream…even if it takes you into a completely different world! At 42, MK and I decided to do something wildly different with our careers (organic juice? really!) —and we have loved every minute of it!
  • There is no miracle food, only miraculous habits. Incredible transformations happen by mindfully thinking, eating, and playing clean and healthy. We’ve seen diet soda habits ditched, junk food eliminated, healthy routines established—all with life-changing results. And we love having a role in that!
  • MEN love a place to GLOW as much as women do. The GEM community has become a healthy “Cheers”, and we love it. (You can even find our very own Norm here any day of the week!)
  • DAILY ORGANIC JUICE is a game changer. We’ve seen skin disorders disappear, blood pressures lower, and waistlines shrink. Daily juicing calms inflammation, boosts energy, and simply makes you a better you.
  • Good energy matters. This GEM community is overflowing with the incredible power of meaningful social connections and infectious energy. Our goal has always been to make your day BRIGHTER just by walking in.
  • Kids love vibrant food and juice! From the babies who drink their morning Green Glow and toddlers begging for pink and blue smoothies, to the teens grabbing our soups and hummus during their lunch breaks, we are so inspired to see them starting down a healthy path so early in life.
  • ORGANIC FOOD and DISCO BALLS go together like peas and carrots…plain and simple!

Our love for this lifestyle only grows stronger with each one of you who walks in the door, and we are ever grateful for the opportunity to spread the word of clean and healthy living. Thank you, dear GEMs, for your support and love these past 7 years. We can’t wait for the next 7!

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Celebrating a GEM Milestone: Five Year Anniversary

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Hi GEMs, it’s Leslie here, excited to celebrate another GEM milestone: It’s our five year anniversary!GEM love five years

What started as a small passion and love for a healthy lifestyle, evolved into beautiful community and an incredible friendship between two soul sisters. Five years ago today, The GEM made its debut. With a menu of just a few items (all of which are still going strong), we introduced the concept and power of organic juice to Dallas. Little did Mary Kathryn and I know our new-found passion would ignite a community of GEM lovers to not only embrace us, but whole-heartedly dive into GEM-inspired, disco filled healthy habits.

We are different, and we work hard to be that way. We are authentic—this is how we live. Our commitment is to the finest organic ingredients—nothing is ever short changed.

If we won’t eat it, we won’t sell it, true on day one and still true on our five year anniversary.

AND, we want to share our knowledge with anyone who wants it—through classes, blogs, counseling, or just by sitting at the bar and listening. So while we have evolved into something bigger, we’ve never changed our mission: to share ways to incorporate healthy foods and habits into daily life. We FIRMLY believe in the power of a whole food, plant-based diet, but also that health also comes from positive thoughts laced with a little disco sparkle.

We’ve loved every minute of it, meeting so many incredible people who have transformed their health and their lives in so many ways. Moms have changed how they feed their children. Our GEM Guys come in every day for their Green Glow. Toxic love affairs with diet sodas have turned into an obsession with Forever Young Green Iced Tea. The Crown Jewel is the new addiction of choice around these parts. Our Lentil Soup has become a crowd favorite. And we’ve had the honor to guide many through health challenges that ended with a healthier, happier way of living.

We can’t think of a better way to be and we wanted to let you know it on our five year anniversary.

There is so much yet to come. We have so much more we want to share with you … new recipes, new happiness, new ways to bring vibrant health into your day. So, thank you for welcoming us each day with open arms and open minds. WE LOVE YOU, GEMS!

We are offering free Forever Young Iced Tea or Immunity Shot this week. Come get you some.

And we all shine on …


5 Ways to Get Clean in the New Year

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Well, it’s officially over … glitter, sparklers, gluttony, booze and stress. Are you dull and puffy? Bloated and irritable? It’s time to hit the reset button and get clean.

Get into a balanced eating regime. You’ve got to Detox YoThe GEM open weekdays until 6 p.m.ur Body! It’s not as hard as you think.

While your liver is the disco queen of detoxification, she becomes sluggish when abused. Toxins back up and cause all kinds of issues that reveal your liver is unhappy. When you over-eat, consume excess sugar, alcohol and don’t get enough sleep, the body’s ability to detox naturally slows — which then sits stagnant in your liver and fat cells. Gross.

Here are five ways to get clean in the New Year:

  1. Drink 32 ounces of lemon water first thing in the AM, which kick starts your metabolism and flushes toxins immediately.
  2. Shoot 1-2 teaspoons of Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar. Alkalizing, cleansing, healing. Just do it. Other goodness: powerful herbs and roots like ginger, turmeric, fennel, green tea and peppermint are also huge health boosters and detoxifiers, and New Chapter’s Herbal Detoxification supplements include a little of everything good in this world.
  3. Practice 20 minutes of yoga or 10 minutes of meditation. Calm your mind, set your intention and let go of toxic thoughts.
  4. DRINK Daily Green Juice. This goodness instantly detoxes your system and energizes your body and soul. You don’t have to be on a juice cleanse to get your daily dose of health-boosting nutrients. Celery, lemon, leafy greens, beets and cucumber are some of the ways to keep your digestive system happy and bloat-free everyday. Find some of these heroes in a Radiant Glow.
  5. DUMP dairy, gluten and sugar for seven days. This will accelerate your detoxification, make you lighter, brighter and ready to take on the new year. It will help you make better choices and show you where your demons lie. A GEM juice cleanse is a great way to kick start. Do it with a friend!

At the end of the day, it is about a lifestyle change, not a week or so of regimented consumption.  Find things that work for you and add them into your daily life. A healthy routine paves the way to a vibrant future of health and happiness!

Need more information and motivation? We can help you get there with our Day In the Life of A GEM Series beginning Wednesday nights this January 13. Our series consists of four small group counseling sessions that reveal step-by-step details of what a healthy day should look like. It’s an amazing group! Learn more about it here.

AND … drum roll please! So you don’t miss out on getting your daily GEM goodness, in the new year we are extending our hours to stay open until 6 p.m. Monday – Friday. YEP. WE ARE OPEN UNTIL 6 p.m.

See you at The Gem!


An anti-cancer life: Sugar

Posted on by diamondsonyourinside and currently has 3 Comments on An anti-cancer life: Sugar

Next in our Anti-Cancer Lifestyle Guide is SUGAR. The sweet stuff that is everywhere. In everything.

Photo credit: Robin Finney

Photo credit: Robin Finney

Here’s the deal: Sugar is a problem. A big problem. And as it turns out, many of us are actually addicted to sugar … it is a REAL addiction.

This just in: there is scientific proof that sugar (not fat!) is the root cause of obesity. Sugar feeds inflammation, disease AND CANCER. Yeesh. Not so sweet now, huh? Oh, and that belly fat? The joint pain? That can also come from high sugar intake.

Sugar contributes to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, infertility, impotence and depression. It makes me cranky as all get out. And listen up kids, the inflammation caused by sugar consumption causes acne. Yes. Nasty breakouts are probably caused by excess sugar consumption. Sugar may give you a quick rush of energy and happiness, but after a few minutes, the crash zaps you of your vibrance.

They say the average American adult consumes the equivalent of 22 teaspoons of sugar each day. Kids consume even more—like 34 teaspoons a day. Is that you?

Are you addicted to sugar? Do you answer yes to any of the following questions:

  • Do you binge on sugar when you are alone?
  • Do you have a secret sugar stash?
  • Feel the need to end every meal with something sweet?
  • Reward yourself with sweet treats?
  • You can’t cut back, even when you try?

Bingeing on sugar causes an excessive spike in insulin, leading to wide swings in glucose and setting you up for fat storage and more cravings. Your body can’t burn this huge caloric load for energy, so the fat storage hormones get turned on, get super excited and stockpile these sugar calories as fat. Holy (literal) cow.

I implore you to get on a sugar busting detox. When you cut out sugar, you’d be shocked at how easy it is to pop out of bed in the morning, feel better, think more clearly and look better!  Here’s how:

  1. FLUSH IT OUT. Eliminate the toxins that make you crave more junk. The quickest way to kick sugar cravings to the curb and reduce your toxic overload is with a 3 or 5 day organic juice cleanse containing little or no fruit sugars. This will quickly reboot your system and eliminate some of your cravings. Look for juices that are ORGANIC, NON-HPP. Just like we do inside The GEM. No exceptions.
  2. GO COLD TURKEY. Yeah, there’s really no big secret answer. The problem with a sugar addiction is that if you feed it just a little bit, you crave even more! I mean, can you really just have a bite of Ben & Jerry’s?
  3. READ THE LABELS. There is sugar hidden in everything from pasta sauce to salad dressings. Just read that Prego tomato sauce has the same amount of sugars as serving of Oreos. Dangg. Stay clear of products that list ANY type of sugar in the first three ingredients.
  4. Eat slow to digest foods like nuts, beans, green leafy vegetables. Nutrient dense foods satisfy your body and lessen cravings.
  5. EAT FAT. Healthy fats like avocado, coconut oil, olive oils. When your body is depleted of healthy fat, it craves sugar and starch!
  6. BREAK FAST. Eat a balanced breakfast, rich in protein and healthy fats. Add pastured eggs scrambled in coconut oil, avocado on Ezekial toast, carefully selected smoothies with good fats and superfoods.
  7. SLEEP BETTER. It’s harder to say no when you are tired!
  8. GET A LITTLE HELP. Add supplements like probiotics and fish oil. They help quell inflammation and boost digestion.
  9. HAPPY SNACKS. Keep good snacks close by, high in protein and good fats. Sugar cravings can indicate a lack of protein in your diet. Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, almond butter with green apple slices, hummus, etc. Dark chocolate is a great way to get a sweet treat without a sugar overload.
  10. NEVER NEVER NEVER substitute with artificial sweeteners. These toxins will fool your body into thinking its getting sugar, making your insulin rise and creating MORE sugar cravings.

And if all else fails just get OUT of the kitchen to reduce temptation! Brush your teeth (it works). Take a shower. Anything. Just don’t jump off the sugar cliff!

We’re not on the Good Ship Lollipop anymore. You’ve got to dig deeper and refine your palate to eliminate excess sugar from your world. Kick off your journey with a juice cleanse to quickly crack down on cravings. Your body will thank you!

We’ve now covered three of the top 10 Anti-Cancer Rules in our Anti-Cancer Lifestyle Series.

What have you done to add anti-cancer practices into your daily routine? It’s a nice little perk that any of these tips will bring you more vibrance, clarity and energy into your day. Let me know what you think! I hope you’ve tried!