As a teenager, I remember my mother bringing home a Juiceman juicer after watching an infomercial or talk show about the amazing health benefits of juicing on TV. As I was already vegan at this point, I was curious about it myself. I started drinking some of the fruit and vegetable juices she made and I liked them a lot. I eventually bought my own juicer and I made sure to bring it with me when I moved out. I still have it today. Though until recently it wasn't getting much use.
I recently watched a documentary on juice fasting called Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead. I loved every minute of it. The creator and host, Joe Cross, suffered from an autoimmune disease when the film began. Finding himself on hundreds of dollars worth of medications to control it, he realized that he had to do something other than just pop pills. With the help of a nutritionist and a Breville juice extractor, he went on a 60 day juice fast and experienced dramatic results, all the while sharing his experiences with average American folk as he did. The story eventually follows two other individuals as they experiment with juice fasting and consequently change their lives, too. And in the end, Joe's condition was in remission.
While I watched, I found myself utterly compelled to rush into my kitchen and make some juice. So I paused the film and I did. I've been making myself a fresh glass of fruit and vegetable juice 3-4 times per week since then, for about three weeks, and I noticed a change in my energy levels in under a week. Mondays and Tuesdays used to absolutely kill me at work. It felt like I was seriously lacking in energy and I found it hard to concentrate. Today, I feel fantastic nearly every day of the week even when I don't get much sleep. It's hard to believe that something as simple as juicing can have that much of an affect on your life, but there are many, many people who have had similar experiences.
One day, while I was raving about juice to my partner, she suggested that I find a food truck that serves juices to tie my column and my new found love of juicing together. I thought this was a great idea but it was actually pretty difficult. Thankfully, I found The Juice Well. Located at Tillery Park with East Austin Succulents, the Juice Well has both fresh juices and smoothies (nut or coconut water based) on the menu.
I ordered the "Red Delicious" juice, which combined beets, apple, lemon, and ginger. It was totally zingy and I enjoyed it a ton. So much that I want to replicate it at home but know that my attempts will be insufficient! The texture was perfect, unlike my home juicer, which is often gritty (though more than tolerable, to be fair). Chris, meanwhile, ordered the "Just Peachy" nut based smoothie. It was thick, lightly fruity, and very filling. She said that she really enjoyed the creamy cashew-ness. Later on, she stated that she was litterally SO FULL that she felt like she eaten too much. Go NUTS! The Juice Well also serves vegetarian food (like breakfast tacos) but it appears that the only standing menus are for their juices and smoothies. Which is totally fine for me!
I loved the atmosphere, too, being surrounded by a garden of succulents. The picnic table we sat at was right in front of a water feature with fish as well. There was plenty of shade, a cool breeze, and it was pretty quiet. Very neat. There are other trailers there as well, selling plants, herbal remedies, vintage items, and more. The last Saturday of every month is also host to a bazaar. And yoga fans can participate in group lessons, too. So fun. For more information on the park and its events, visit www.tilleryparkaustin.com. While their website is down, information about the Juice Well is available on their Facebook page.
Tillery Park needs some more love and publicity, y'all. It's amazingly wonderful. Have you heard of it before? Because I sure hadn't. But I'm so glad I found it, and I want everyone to check it out at least once. Please? Thank you.
There are only three more Fridays before Labor Day, which means I'll be sharing three more veg-friendly Austin food trailers with you. If you have any recommendations, feel free to leave them in the comments. Also, if you'd like to see which other trailers I've featured, head on over to my original Vegan Food Truck Fridays post for a complete list. You will also find some useful tips on managing eating out with the hot Texas temperatures. Love and light, y'all!
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