BUDDING chef Pauline Dador is proof that it’s never too late to get into a healthy lifestyle. She said she and her friends used to eat out a lot, which isn’t really a bad thing. But at the rate they were going, and the kind of food they had, it had taken a toll on her health.
Pauline knew she had to do something about it, and last year when the detox trend was on the rise, she decided to give it a try. Using her culinary background, she studied the process and created blends made from vegetables, herbs and fruits—at first just for herself, and eventually transformed it into a business as she opened the home-based delivery service Juicyfied.
It’s a remarkable feat from someone who used to dislike having veggies on her plate. Pauline has since enjoyed the positive effects detox or “juicing” has on her body, such as having more energy to do her activities and she is no longer as sickly as she was before. As for Juicyfied, it has garnered a following, with some clients even requesting for meals to pair with their juices, encouraging Pauline to expand to a café.
Opened last October, Juicyfied Café is managed by Pauline alongside her cousin Scott Nacua and friend Carynel Amarado. “It’s called Juicyfied because in a way it’s 'certified' by us,” she explained. She stressed that aside from having carefully studied the detox process, they are also particular with the taste and how it entices non-veggie eaters to try it as well.
Located in a new commercial strip along F. Cabahug St., Cebu City, the café is becoming a favorite hangout for those looking for healthier options. Apart from the food, there diners will also be treated to its charming interiors, including the mini vertical garden used for some of the café’s ingredients.
The café serves Pauline’s 35 original blends, plus special blends for kids and a selection of pastas, salads, sandwiches and healthy desserts like fruit parfait and banana pudding. “We use healthy ingredients like brown rice and whole wheat pastas and breads,” she said, “so the meals are just as healthy and go well with our drinks.”
For the detox aspect, Pauline noted that many have gotten the wrong impression of it with the emergence of many “juicing” establishments in Cebu. Some of the common mistakes are making fruit-based juices rather than vegetable-based ones, and not prepping the body for the program.
“We give our customers guidelines on what they should do before, during and after the program,” she said. “Though the blends are designed not to make you hungry, you need to condition your body before attempting to do it.”
Then contrary to popular notion, she added that weight loss is not the main goal of detox. Pauline said, “The program cleanses the body from toxins, enabling better digestion and giving the body more energy. Weight loss is just an added bonus.” Take it from the chef and “healthy food” convert herself.
Juicyfied Café is on the second floor of TAA Bldg. in F. Cabahug St., Mabolo. It is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays.