Wellness & Fitness

Fitness fanatic in cashew nut milk business

georgina

Georgina Kariuki who runs two healthy foods cafes dubbed, JooSmoo, in Nairobi. She sells home-made cashew milk. PHOTO | POOL

For the longest time, Georgina Kariuki was not comfortable in her body. Having relocated with her family to the US at 14, she had adapted the average American eating habits and mainly consumed junk food.

The 15 years she spent abroad saw her pile up on kilos and despite her strong personality she did not feel comfortable.

“I was conscious of my body and resorted to wearing flowing outfits and overcoats or I’d throw a shawl over my outfit to hide my weight,” she says.

At her heaviest, she was shy of 80 kilos making her overweight at 5 3’.

Life took a different turn for Georgina when she participated in a 40-day ‘Daniel Fast’, which entailed eating fresh foods.

“I lost 30 pounds {13.6 kgs} in 40 days without exercise and my body felt amazing,” she says.

“I knew then there was a connection between avoiding processed foods and the new energy levels I suddenly experienced and that was the beginning of an extensive research into what constituted the foods we consume.”

Georgina realised that most of the foods consumed had preservatives.

“Unfortunately, organic meat was too pricey in the US, and I could not afford it. I slowly weaned myself off meat and became vegan,” she says.

On her vegan journey, she had started off as a vegetarian and would consume eggs and milk but soon dropped off animal products when her body rejected gizzards.

Two years into her vegan lifestyle, she had a relapse and indulged in a new brand of yoghurt. Interestingly, her body rejected it, and her nose blocked and she experienced breathing difficulties and that was her cue to look for other milk alternatives.

“The US had plenty options including cashew nut milk but most of the products still had artificial ingredients,” she says.

When she came back to Kenya, Georgina was keen on keeping up with her new lifestyle and had also added exercise to that regimen. Today, she plays rugby and is a regular at the gym. This coupled with healthy eating habits has seen her maintain a comfortable weight.

Initially, she started off with making a few jars of cashew nut milk, from her kitchen for her family.

Soon her extended family members and friends started ordering the alternative milk and her kitchen could no longer contain the growing demand. The nut milk was a great substitute for both children and grown-ups who are allergic to animal milk.

Driven by the demand, Georgina opened her first food cafe, JooSmoo at CrossFit Kwetu, on Nairobi’s Gigiri Lane. The cafe shares the premises with a gym, a move that turned out to be very strategic for her business since most of the gym members were already conscious about healthy eating.

Milk substitutes made from soybeans, almonds, hazelnuts, hemp, rice, and oats are now found on select supermarket shelves and restaurants.

Cashew milk is part of a larger trend toward food that mimics animal products, in response to demand from healthy-living consumers and those with lactose intolerance.

As the business grew, she opened another branch at Alpha Fit on Nairobi’s Ngong Road. She has specialised in different healthy flavours of juices, smoothies, puddings, and chocolaty drinks all inspired by non-dairy milk.

“Our drinks are sweetened with dates as we do not use sugar. We have also expanded our offerings to include the famous three-layer grilled sandwich, a sweet and savoury root pie with colourful mouth-watering options,” she says.

“I love juices and when I came back home, I realised most of the ones in the market had added sugars and the fresh ones were centrifugal juices, a process that exposes them to oxygen, compromising on the nutrients due to oxidation.”

She was looking for cold-pressed juices as they preserve the nutrients and have a longer shelf life.

From her research, Georgina discovered that for food to be of maximum benefit to the body, it should be consumed as close to its natural state as possible.

“Eat foods that are as close to the earth as possible; For instance, eating sugarcane as opposed to the processed sugar would be more beneficial,” she advises.

Shelf life

Georgina seeks to demystify nut milk and healthy juices.

“Coconut milk has been a delicacy in the coast region for generations and it is one of the nut milk we offer as it is a good source of protein and is high in potassium,” she says.

Besides, the non-dairy milk can also be used in baking, desserts or ice-cream.

“Our foods and drinks are made with wholesome ingredients and since they have no additives, they have a shelf life of about five to six days when refrigerated but can be frozen for months,” she adds.

Being a small and growing business, Georgina says they have had their share of challenges, especially during the coronavirus pandemic.

“When we experienced the first lockdown due to Covid-19, our customers bought our products in bulk to support our business. They also helped share out our menus, which increased the number of home deliveries we did,” she says.

“The relationship you build with your clients will either make or break your business and no amount of advertising or marketing can beat that,” she says.