Long-before healthy eating was trending, it was a way of life for Amanda Chantal Bacon. “I was sickly as a very young child and an Ayurvedic doctor saved my life,” the New York-born wellness entrepreneur explains of her early years spent with pervasive respiratory complications that no amount of antibiotics, or hospital procedures could alleviate. “He diagnosed me on the spot and recommended that I remove sugar, wheat, and dairy from my diet. He cured me in three days,” she reveals. “I learned very quickly that everything you put into your body dramatically effects you.”
It’s been an ongoing theme in Bacon’s life and has lead her to immerse herself in Eastern medicine, hospitality, and fine-dining while traveling and living throughout the U.S., South America and Europe. In 2005, the same calling brought her to Los Angeles where the Southern California growing season and a job working for slow-food champion, chef Suzanne Goin, proved too tempting to ignore. “Who could say ten years ago that they were moving to L.A. for fruits and vegetables,” the 31-year-old laughs referencing the lure of the region’s local produce bounty, which also got her hooked on juicing to offset the salt and grease she was consuming in the professional kitchen environment. The homemade elixirs didn’t just change the way she felt, though; they also changed her complexion. “Your skin is a direct reflection of what's happening in your gut, and gut cleansing green juice alkalizes your body and gets your intestines going,” confirms Bacon, speaking from personal experience.
The incredible transformation she underwent compelled Bacon to open the first outpost of Moon Juice in 2011 when she was pregnant with her first child. “It was really the combination of loving great food, and also having had all this exposure to alternative medicine,” she explains of the Venice-born cold-pressed juice concept that has since expanded to include two additional locations in L.A. with more on the way. Bacon is also actively working on two cookbooks—and a lot of recipe testing as her business evolves into nut-milks, powdered supplements she cleverly calls “Dusts”, good-for-you snacks, and more. (Click here for Bacon’s Beauty Milk recipe designed exclusively for Estée Stories). “We’re getting daily requests, from Bahrain to small-town America. It’s indicative of the way people are looking at wellness,” she confirms. “Moon Juice is just a touch stone for the movement.” Here, the newly relocated Rustic Canyon-resident gets real about gut cleansing, radiant skin, and why a little red nail polish can go a long way.
I can look at someone’s face and always tell what’s going with their gut.
EL: Your juices have not only put you on the map, they’ve also inspired a lot of imitation. What makes Moon Juice different in an increasingly cluttered market?
ACB: “I’m really big on my juices being certified organic and fresh. But there’s a juice out there for everyone, and you’ve gotta start somewhere so even if other juices are not being made to my standards, per se, at least they broaden the conversation!”
EL: Are there any foods you’ve found particularly helpful when it comes to boosting skin clarity and radiance?
ACB: “With skin, you have to start from the inside. I can look at someone’s face and always tell what’s going with their gut. You have to clean the gut first. Then you can start adding things on top [like creams or oils].”
EL: How exactly do you clean the gut?
ACB: “The best way is with fermented foods because they are filled with probiotics, which have beneficial live bacteria that prevents bad bacteria in your gut from taking over. My favorite fermented foods are cultured vegetables cooked with probiotics, coconut yogurt, and nut and seed cheeses, which are different than just buying pickles or sauerkraut from the grocery store. It’s also important to be aware of what is acidic, and what is alkalizing. I’m not telling people not to have that burger, or that glass of wine; just make sure to balance it with a green juice or green foods the next day.”
EL: What do you like to put on topically?
ACB: “I’m a huge fan of rosewater. That’s my one mainstay. And as I’m forever making nut-milk, I use the pulp that’s leftover to make face scrubs. I throw it in the fridge, then just take it in the shower with me.”
EL: What about makeup? Do pigments and powders ever factor into your routine?
ACB: “I don’t wear much makeup but I do like a little mascara sometimes. That’s my big splurge. That’s me going wild. And a red nail! I’m always cooking and I have a kid, so I haven't had my nails done in a while. But I painted them red for Estée Stories shoot and it was transformative. I saw my hands and thought, “Look at me! I’m a woman!”
Photos by Sisilia Piring.
