Moon Juice, The Dusts To Ignite You.
Having used Moon Dust products from Californian-born wellness company, Moon Juice for the past number of months, here at Isleena we're hooked.
Moon Dusts come in different forms, Beauty Dust, Brain Dust, Sex Dust, Power Dust, Spirit Dust and Dream Dust.
An Isleena mother, who suffers with poor sleep, couldn't get over just how effective the Dream Dust was in promoting a deep and restful sleep.
We spoke with Moon Dust founder, Amanada Chantal Bacon to find out what exactly Moon Dusts are and to hear about her philosophy in relation to health and wellness.
Have you always been interested in health and wellness?
Im originally from New York City, where my journey in healing and support through food began at a very young age with the support of an Ayurvedic doctor, and my adventures in the kitchen began simultaneously with my dad. Once leaving home after high school I let myself become fully enamored with the beauty of simple ingredients, culinary traditions, and a holistic approach to wellness while traveling the world meeting healers, artisans, doctors and farmers along the way.
Is your history and background in food?
I traveled a lot through Europe and South America - living in Italy, then Uruguay for awhile. These experiences stirred a love not only for the preparation of food but in tracing ingredients back to their purest forms. When I came back to the states, I went to study at the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont, working at local bakeries and dairies. When I landed in California, I was fortunate to cook under Suzanne Goin at Lucques for a number of years. I truly found a mentor in her. I then moved into food journalism, reporting for LA Times Magazine when it launched.
What made you decide to start the Moon Juice brand?
In 2006, I began studying the power of raw, medicinal foods to heal the hypothyroid condition I had had since I was a teen, in addition to my severe allergies to wheat, sugar, and cow dairy. Although I was still working as a chef in fine dining, at this juncture my whole diet changed. I ate primarily vegetables and legumes from the farmer’s market, and foods that would serve as hormonal adaptogens. Within a few months, I noticed a radical shift. My next round of blood work revealed that my thyroid hormone levels were back to normal.
Working in fine dining was amazing, but my own transformative experience – backed up by extensive blood tests, the scrutiny of several physicians, renewed feelings of vitality, and a shift in my personality, immunity, appearance, and thought – inspired me to create Moon Juice. These live, medicinal foods changed me from the inside out.
I created Moon Juice for people interested in a new way of living. Not a way where you have to erase your past, but a way fueled by excitement to help yourself live better. Our only intention is to add goodness and beauty to your life.
What is an adaptogen and what is the best way to incorporate it into your diet?
Adaptogens are herbs, mushrooms, and minerals that help our body better respond to stress. These potent allies work by reducing stress-hormone (cortisol) induced cellular damage— improving mood, boosting immunity, and reducing fatigue. I highly suggest making them a daily practice for profound benefit, which is easy and delicious when you set yourself up for it.
I spike my food and drinks with adaptogens all day long, a teaspoon of ashwagandha in my tea, a teaspoon of cordyceps in my shake. The Moon Dust Latte program at our Melrose shop is based off this concept. You can get a Brain Dust Latte that includes rhodiola, a well-known energizing adaptogen, or a Spirit Dust Latte, which includes calming and heart opening reishi mushroom.
Moon Juice is an advocate for cleanses and offers a variety of them. What advice would you give someone who has never tried a cleanse?
Assess where you are in your lifestyle, what type of experience you want to have and what you have room and time for. Cleansing is not a one size fits all approach. Depending on your own unique situation, simply adding plant food to your diet might be cleansing enough
I have tried a few "cleanses" that left me mentally and physically exhausted -- what advice would you give someone like me?
I hear you on the mental and physical. I call fasting “feating.” if you’re going for a juice cleanse, think flooding your body with vitamins, minerals and enzymes vs starving yourself which will shut down organ function, brain activity and metabolism. Choose 100% organic, nutrient dense juices with lots of greens and veggies to avoid sugars highs and the inevitable crash. You also want to drink enough in one day, at Moon Juice we recommend at least 6 16oz bottles of juices and nut milks. If you start feeling spacey or week, add more juice. From this place of knowing, the body is being nourished and all systems are going. Spaciness and flu like systems are actually part of the cleanse process. There is light at the end of the tunnel on day 3!
Why is Culturing The Gut, or “Re-Wilding” important?
Culturing the gut, or as I like to call it, re-wilding, can be a game changer for your overall health, but especially for digestion, skin, immunity, and mood. Within the first weeks of re-wilding you'll begin to experience improved digestion (from start to finish), a clearer and calmer mind, and your skin will begin to clear up and brighten, allergies will be put in check, and your immune system will strengthen. For a chronic situation you'll want to be mindful to eat probiotic-rich foods throughout the day, or take a good probiotic, while also minimizing sugar and starch, so that you can move into a lifetime of balance and maintenance.
If you're super intrigued by the science on how a fermented vegetable or coconut yoghurt can make a huge impact on health and happiness, there is a ton of research being done on two major systems of the body: the GALT (gut-associated-lymphoid-tissue) and the gut-brain axis.
What does your daily diet look like?
First thing in the morning, I like to make a warm shake. I use one of our plant based adaptogenic proteins, add extra cacao, cordyceps, maca, and then two doses of Dust. Depending on what I'm feeling, sometimes it's Power Dust and Brain, sometimes Spirit and Sex, sometimes double Power...
I eat a lot of organic plants, nuts and seeds throughout the day. In warmer weather I include a lot of raw foods*. In cooler weather I go for the warming brothy foods. I'm heavy on greens* and good fats and since I have a hypothyroid condition I avoid cow milk and wheat and minimize refined sugars.
I prefer to eat when I'm hungry, let my body dictate what it needs and how much. There are days when I want to eat a lot and other days that don't require more than grazing. There are times when my body really wants fattier foods like avocados, coconuts, seeds and goat milk yoghurt and other times when seaweed soup, fermented veggies and sweet potatoes do the trick.
My on hand snacking staples are raw chocolates that I make with adaptogens (I love beauty dust in chocolate), chia pudding*, coconut yogurt*, raw cookies*. I’ll sprinkle dusts into these for a great pick-me-up.
What Moon Dusts Do You Use?
My daily regimen, included two doses in my warm morning shake, an afternoon hit of Power Dust and Beauty Dust and Dream Dust in warm Water at night.
When I travel, I take an assortment of the individual Full Moon Dust Sachets to make sure I am prepared for any situation. Beauty Dust is important after long flights; Dream Dust is also great to sleep well on the go.
When I am preparing for an important meeting, I love to combine Power Dust and Sex Dust to give me a boost and make me feel empowered and ready for anything.
For great recipe ideas check out The-Moon-Juice-Cookbook and for a full list of stockists click here