Interview with Army Chef Shana McPherson

Our hearts always get bigger when we speak to service members. Chef Shana McPherson, who previously trained and worked as a pharmacist in Jamaica, now works in the Army as a culinary specialist. She bought the PURE Juicer for her own health, and we love that she is trying all our recipes! Watch and listen to her interview  as she describes how juicing has changed her life–and the lives of her friends.

SM: So, I am a certified pharmacy technician, and I’m also a culinary specialist currently serving in the United States Army.

JL: So tell me about the pharmacy part. How did you get into pharmacy?

SM: So, I’m originally from Jamaica.

JL: Yeah.

SM: So while I was living there, I was working in the pharmacy while I was there before I migrated here to the United States in 2011.

JL: Okay.

SM: And then I started working in home infusion while living in New York. I left home infusion to join the Army to be a culinary specialist because my friends that were in before me, they used to always talk trash about people that do, cooks in the army. So I told them that I’m going to join, so that I can change their mindset towards the culinary specialists.

JL: Yeah.

SM: So I joined the Army in 2020.

JL: Okay.

SM: Yes, 2020. And I’ve been a culinary specialist since then. Right now, it’s mostly focusing on the culinary side of things. Every now and then somebody will come to me about a pharmacy question, but I’m not really in that world anymore. But I’m still a certified pharmacy technician. So when I do get out of the Army, if I decide that I want to do both, then I can.

JL: Yep, how did you get into juicing? Tell me how juicing got into your world.

SM: So juicing, actually I saw Shanique, the Kreative Vegan.

JL: Yeah.

SM: She is the one that I saw with the juicer. And when I saw the juicer, I was like, “That juicer. I gotta get it.” The hydraulic press. That’s what sold me with the juicer. And I clicked on her page, and I saw, I tried to zoom in to see the name, but then I looked and I saw that she had it in her caption, what the name of the juicer was.

So I went ahead and tried to get the juicer. And I remember when I wanted to get the juicer, I actually called the support line, and I actually spoke with David, because it was a holiday. It was a holiday! So I called and I spoke with him in regards to the juicer. And I went ahead and purchased. That was in 2021.

JL: Okay.

SM: Yes, so juicing for me, it’s a quick and easy way for me to get my nutrients and vitamins because I’m always on the go. So if I don’t get to juice in the daytime, I’ll do it at night. So I’ll just grab a juice in the morning when I’m running out for PT in the morning. ‘Cause I don’t really like munching on vegetables that much. So, I juice it, so I can get it.

JL: Yep, yep, that’s great. So do you juice every day, or do you juice for a few days? How often do you juice?

SM: So, when I juice it normally lasts me for a few days, like probably three days or four days. And then I’ll juice again. But I don’t juice every day.

JL: Yeah, I mean that’s the beauty of the PURE juicer is that you, especially when stored correctly…

SM: Yes.

JL: They last a very long time the way in which it’s done? Yeah.

SM: Yes, definitely. So I try to juice because I, I try to juice and finish it within three days, three to five days.

JL: Yeah.

SM: You know, but I love my juicer. I’m telling you, that hydraulic press, oh my God. When I found out that I could juice the papaya without crushing or anything, I was like, “What?” I went out and got me some papaya right away.

JL: Yeah.

SM: I saw the strawberries. I remember I was on TikTok, and I saw juicing strawberries, and I’m like, “Oh, so I can juice the berries too.” So I’m like, “Okay.” So I went ahead and I got those, and trust me, I’m loving it.

JL: Oh, so you’re doing the, are you juicing the papaya, and that’s going okay?

SM: Yes, I juiced the papaya, and it came out perfect.

JL: Good.

SM: I juiced the papaya, I juice the strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and I get every drop. None is wasted.

JL: Do you juice mainly for yourself, or do you juice for other people too?

SM: So at first I was juicing for myself, and then my friends, they’re like, “I’ll pay you to make some juice for me, ’cause you have a really good juicer.” So I started to do it like a few weeks ago. They were like, “You should do it, we’ll pay you for it, just make them, ’cause I love your juicer.”

JL: Yeah.

SM: But it was mainly just for me, but then now my friends they tell me if I make it, they’ll pay me for it. So I’m like, “Okay, it’s a win-win.”

JL: Well, and it’s so easy. Once you get rolling, it’s not hard to make an extra couple of bottles or like-…

SM: No, it’s not. And what I love is that the juicer, all the parts can go into the dishwasher. So it makes cleanup so, so easy.

JL: Oh my gosh, I agree, I love it. I love that fact.

SM: Yes.

JL: And at one point when we started, David said, “Don’t put the cutters in the dishwasher.” And at one point I was like, “I’m just going to put that damn cutter in the dishwasher.” And it came out more beautiful than I’ve ever seen.

SM: Yes.

JL: So…

SM: Trust me.

JL: Throw it all in there.

SM: Yes, that’s what I really love, that you don’t have to like sit there and go through all the little parts, and getting stuff out. You just do a quick rinse, and put it in the dishwasher and that is it.

JL: That’s it, that’s it.

SM: Yes.

JL: You mentioned the papaya and the berries. Do you do any, but you also said that you, that you’ll drink your vegetables. What are some of the vegetables that you like to make juice with?

SM: So I do like the cucumber, kale, spinach. I made a pineapple and tomato juice the other day, because my mom, she told me, she said, “You should try pineapple and tomato.” And it was actually pretty good. I added a little bit of ginger to it, and it was really delicious.

JL: So just…

SM: I was surprised.

JL: Did you see the video that we pressed the tomato, we pressed the tomato?

SM: Yes.

JL: Did that work for you?

SM: Yes it did. It did.

JL: And it was good? Did you press tomato and then the pineapple separate, or did you put the pineapple…

SM: Yes. I pressed the tomato on the pineapple separate. But then I, after I did it, then I saw your video, and I was like, “Okay, so I can put the pineapple and the tomato together, hmm, interesting.”

JL: You could, like skin down. Like skin down, so the, the juice can get through.

SM: Yes, definitely.

JL: So I’m wondering how, you know, you got the juicer, you wanted the juicer. Any health issues that you were dealing with, energy, low energy, too much energy? I mean, I’m wondering if there was any health motivations for it too.

SM: Not really, but the first juice that I made, was the immune booster.

JL: Oh yay!

SM: Yes, that was the first juice I made. And I could feel a difference, because down here in North Carolina, when it’s the pollen season, springtime. And all those pollens, I normally get like really sick. But I make sure to start getting my immune boosters ready before spring. And it actually, it actually helps.

JL: Yeah.

SM: And then, and then by doing green juices, it actually gives the body a good cleanse as well.

JL: Mm-hmm, I’m gonna do a cleanse. We have that new detox guide, where it’s got a green juice, a carrot apple juice, and the immune booster. And then it has like an almond fennel milk for just to help with sleeping. But I’m gonna, I think I’m gonna add a juice. There’s one that’s got broccoli, kale, and cabbage, which sounds horrendous, but it’s actually really, really good.

SM: Actually, actually, when you juice the broccoli, you don’t taste it in the juice.

JL: No.

SM: Because I made a green juice once, and it had broccoli, spinach, kale, cucumber, and some other stuff. I think I had ginger, and a little bit of pineapple in it. And you did not taste any vegetable. It was really refreshing.

JL: And the health benefits are amazing, I love…

SM: Yes.

JL: The stalk in there too. Have you noticed, did you juice the stalk?

SM: Mm-hmm.

JL: Yeah, that’s nice and sweet. That’s nice and sweet.

SM: Yes.

JL: Oh my goodness. Okay, well you’re just, oh this is wonderful. I’m so grateful that you know, you’re, that you’re doing the different things that we’re playing with too. Have you made any, any of the nut milks or anything yet?

SM: I actually have some almonds in my pantry to soak so I can make some almond milk. I haven’t made the milk yet, but it’s on my list. (Editors Note: See Shana’s IG almond milk video here!)

JL: Yeah, oh I can’t wait to hear what you think. Just as a reference, and you probably know this as a chef, but if you run out of time, and I always try and keep things cool, but you can use hot water, and that will soak, and that will make the almonds ready faster.

SM: Yes, like soak it for like a hour, and then you’re good to go.

JL: I mean if I use boiling water, I turn the boil off, but then I pour it in, I can get ’em done in 20 minutes. And sometimes I do that ’cause I need to just do the videos and a demo video.

SM: Yes.

JL: But ideally it’s, it’s longer, so you’re not, you know, we’re just so passionate about the enzymes, and just keeping everything as raw as possible.

SM: Yes.

JL: That’s only in an emergency, but for the most part I do everything overnight, yeah.

SM: Yes, yes, yes. That’s what I have to remind people. Like sometimes people ask me about the juice, and I’m telling them like, I normally made my juices to ask me three to five days, because after that the enzymes start breaking down, and you will not get all those nutrients that you’re supposed to get from the juice.

JL: Yeah, have you ever frozen anything like the immune boosters are great to juice, and freeze and like juice cubes or whatever?

SM: I haven’t, but I know that it can be done, I just haven’t done it, because as soon as I make my juice, I normally really drink them. They don’t last for long.

JL: I love it. I’m gonna make a, a big batch of the immune juice, and I’m gonna put it into cubes. And so in the morning, I’ll have a hot water, and I’ll drop one of those in there with some honey. And that’s honey, like especially if it’s local honey, it’s also great for pollen season and things like that.

SM: Yes, yes, my husband actually got me a bottle the other day, of our local honey from around here. So that’s, that’s a good idea, I’ll have to try that.

JL: Oh, and message us too, and tell Kimmy that we wanna order you some of David’s honey. ‘Cause he’s a beekeeper, but I call him sort of a bee rescuer, because he goes to these hives that people don’t want, and they’re gonna destroy them. So he’ll go and he, I’ve literally seen him save a hive, and get the queen. And so all the bees go into the boxes, and he puts them in his car, with like nothing around it. And so he’s driving around with these bees in his car, and he just drives them home, and he saves them.

SM: Oh, nice, nice, nice.

JL: Okay, having so much fun, I wanna make sure I’m asking all the questions. Had you used any other juicers before? Or is PURE the first one?

SM: No.

JL: Really?

SM: PURE is my first juicer. And I’m not going anywhere. Everybody that see the juicer, they’re like, “Shana, I want one of those juicers.” I’m like, “Well, if you go to purejuicer.com, you can have one.”

JL: Yeah, yeah, you know, we hear many, many times that people go through anywhere from one to seven juicers, and they get the PURE and they’re like, “I wish we would’ve just gotten the Pure.” And we’re like, “I wish you did too.”

SM: No, I got the PURE the first time I saw Shanique with it, and I said, “I want that juicer.” And I went for it.

JL: And what would you say if somebody’s on the fence about juicing? You know, if you had a friend that’s not sure about juicing, or not sure it’s worth it, or they just think it’s a hype, like what would you, what do you tell people who are on the fence?

SM: So, when they normally do that, I normally make juice, and give to them to change their mind. That’s what I normally do. I’ll just say, “Okay, I’m a whip up a batch of juice for you, and you’ll try it, and then you let me know what you think about it.”

JL: Nice.

SM: And that’s, and sometimes that’s how I actually get them to say “Okay Shana, I’ll pay you to make me some juice.” And I’m like, “Okay.” ‘Cause they’re like, they don’t have the time. A lot of them don’t have the time to do it.

JL: Yeah.

SM: So if I make the juices they’ll pay me to do it. So I said, “Okay, it’s a win-win for both of us.”

JL: I know for me, when I started juicing, I started craving more fruits and vegetables, and craving less of meat and things like that. I’m wondering did your cravings change after you started juicing?

SM: My energy level went up when I started juicing.

JL: Yeah.

SM: And I noticed a difference, like if I go for a while not juicing, then my energy’s like really low.

JL: Yeah.

SM: But cravings, I don’t crave sweet as much, when I juice, I don’t crave sweets. And I love sweets.

JL: Do you ever make the ice creams or anything like that?

SM: I made ice cream, but not with the juicer. But I will try.

JL: Just take the berries.

SM: We can do it with the berries.

JL: Yeah, you make your berries and papaya, and just whip it all into ice cream, you can even throw some frozen avocado in there. Or even coconut cream.

SM: Mm-hmm.

JL: Mm.

SM: Okay.

JL:Delicious. Go ahead.

SM: With that juice, with that juicer, the possibilities are endless.

JL: Is there anything else that you’d like to share with us about your experience, and, or about juicing?

SM: Well, my experience with PURE has been an awesome one so far. And I try to encourage everyone to get a PURE when I see them trying to get something else. ‘Cause I’m like, what’s the sense? Just go ahead and get it. Like, you guys keep asking me every time you see me juicing, “Oh my God, I wish I had that juicer.” But I keep telling you guys where to go get it. It’s a no-brainer. Just go to the website and get it. Like, stop beating around and just go ahead and get it ’cause you will not regret it. I made my purchase, and I have not regret that day that I called David, to get info on, on my juicer. I love it. It’s on my counter, my conversation starter.

JL: Yeah.

SM: Whenever somebody comes on, they’re like, what’s this? And I’m like, “Oh, it’s my juicer.” And then I start making some form of juice or something, and they’re like, “Oh my God, that press.” And I’m like, “Yep.” You get every single drop of juice.

JL: Well your videos are fantastic. We love watching what you’re doing on social.

SM: Thank you. I try to video when I can.

JL: Yeah.

SM: Sometimes I don’t, I don’t get a chance to do it, but whenever I do, I’ll definitely be posting.

JL: Oh my gosh, this has just been so fantastic Shana. I have not…

SM: Yes, Jen, I’m so glad that we had this meeting.

JL: Please know I’m always available if you have any questions or if you’re curious about juicing anything at all, just let me know ’cause that’s how we did the papayas and the tomatoes and the milks.

SM: Yes.

JL: A lot of different recipes coming up, but anything that we can do to just keep your experience wonderful. I would love to make sure that happens.

SM: Yes, definitely Jen.

JL: Okay.

SM: I’ll be in touch for sure. All right.

JL: All right. Well you’re amazing!

SM: You too, Jen, and you keep posting those recipes and I’m gonna follow them.

Follow Chef Shana McPherson’s culinary journey on Instagram at @chefshanamcpherson. 

Medical Disclaimer

PURE Juicer is a juicing company. We are not doctors or medical experts. All content and information on this blog and website is for informational and educational purposes only, does not constitute medical advice, and does not establish any patient-client relationship by using this website.

Although we strive to provide accurate general information, the information presented here is not a substitute for professional advice. You should not rely solely on this information. Always consult a professional in your area for your health questions and concerns before making any professional, legal, medical, financial, or tax-related decisions.