Today we’d like to introduce you to Aubrey Hoffman.
Aubrey, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Back in 2014, I stopped being able to eat more and more. I would always sit down to try and sometimes, I would force myself and then, end up being really sick afterward. It was not a good direction I was heading, nor was it a good lifestyle to be living. Y’all, I could literally eat a piece of apple and be full for 2 days. That is not normal and that is not healthy.
I was running out of hope and ideas on why I was feeling this way. I tried everything, cutting out lactose, cutting out gluten, cutting out even certain fruits and vegetables. Nothing was working. Every trendy diet you can think of out there, I tried, and it failed me.
Finally, I decided it was time to go to the doctor. From October 2014 until May of 2015, I endured test after test, pill after pill and plenty of heartaches. Doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. By all standards, I was a perfectly healthy 22-23-year-old with a tummy ache.
We did tests for colitis, Crohn’s, IBS, IBDS, cancer checks and many more. Finally, my mom and I sat on her bed one night scouring the internet for any possible answer and that’s when it came to us. We clicked on the link for something called, Gastroparesis. Sounds scary, but more than that, it was confusing. The only thing we could find, at first, was that it was for diabetics. I am not diabetic.
With more digging, we found that you can get Idiopathic Gastroparesis. This simply means they don’t know why it happens or what caused it. Gastroparesis technically means “paralyzed stomach”, but it has everything to do with your stomach not emptying the food in an appropriate amount of time and not being able to digest and then all the repercussions that follow that.
The next appointment I had with the doctor, I mentioned the possibility of Gastroparesis and they looked at me and said…”It’s highly unlikely, but if you really want to do the test for it, we can order it for you”. Boy, I am glad, I asked. I went in for the 4-hour test and after 2 hours, the nurse told me, “Oh honey, you don’t even need to stay for the next 2 hours. It’s plain as day that you have this.”
The test is comprised of you eating a completely balanced meal. So, 1 egg white and two pieces of toast with jelly and some water. You then lay down and literally just lay there. A machine monitors the emptying of your stomach. After 2 hours, you are supposed to have emptied 50% or more of your food. After just 2 hours of me laying there, I had emptied 32%. Now, this might not seem like a big deal, but it would take a normal person 4 hours to empty their stomach and digest, it would take me anywhere from 6-9 hours, depending on the meal. That can be painful, trust me. Food sitting there for hours, stomach acid building and so many more things happening.
Ok, so we figured it out. Now what? How do you cure a disease that you don’t even know how or why it happens? You take a guess and try every pill under the sun!
My doctors gave me EVERY pill they knew of that MIGHT help. The reactions were detrimental. One gave me anxiety so bad, I couldn’t handle myself. I’ve never had it and I can tell you that I never want to again. The next cramped my body up so bad, I couldn’t walk. The final pill changed my moods so drastically that I was a nightmare to be around. I didn’t even want to be around myself. I knew taking medicine my whole life was not something I was wanting to do my whole life, either.
That was it. Those were all of my options. But wait, there was one more. The doctors said, I could get a pacemaker put into my stomach. 23 years old and you want to do major surgery on me that might not even work? No thank you. I don’t want to have to return every 10 or so years for major surgery.
“Where do I go from here? Am I just doomed to feel like this for the rest of my life? I can’t even hold a normal job, because I am so sick. How will I be self-sustainable?” These were the daunting thoughts that ran through my head most days. This is not a good life for someone so young and just starting out.
After expressing all of my pain and struggle to my older brother, he mentioned I should try juicing. Now, he lives in Austin, so I just thought he was being a “trendy, hippy Austinite”. So, I wrote it off for a while. He then sent me 2 recipes to try.
The first one I ever sold, The Beginner, was a version of the juice he told me to try. It changed my life. I was feeling so much better because my body was getting these nutrients I needed, but not putting the stress on it to digest solid food. I was able to “eat” without eating, without feeling sick, without all of the pain. This was my first step to getting my life back.
I decided to commit to juicing every day for at least breakfast and I did it for about 6 months and then tried a 3-day cleanse. Everything in my body was changing, for the better. I was feeling healthier, stronger, happier, full but not sick. BUT, my stomach wasn’t quite there. When I wasn’t juicing, I was trying to eat normal food, but my body still wasn’t having it.
Juicing had helped me out tremendously, but I still had what felt like a baseball once I ate real food. My mom and I started searching again! We found acupuncture. Wow. Just wow. I drank a juice and headed off to my first appointment, nervous and very reluctant. This was my missing piece.
I went to Marr Physical Medicine in League City. Dr. Marr is a Chiropractor that studied acupuncture. He was kind, and listened to all my complaints and knew exactly where to put the needles to help me out. After that first appointment, I finally felt like my old self again. I went back for 6 more sessions and then I continue to go about every 4 months. When I explain it to people, I equate it to jumping your car’s battery.
My nerves weren’t firing to my stomach, but as soon as he put those needles in and a heat lamp over them, it was like my whole body got a fresh charge. It was the most incredible feeling. I walked out of that first appointment with a smile and then about an hour later, I felt hungry for the FIRST TIME IN A YEAR AND A HALF. I almost confused it with being sick again, because I had forgotten what that felt like.
Fast forward to 2016 and, I have done it. I have cured myself back to about 85% and I couldn’t have done it without juice and acupuncture. Once I realized the magnitude of what I had done, I knew I HAD to use this knowledge to help others. My thought was “If juicing could almost cure my incurable disease, then what could it do for the person with indigestion? Or the person with chronic migraines?”
Enter Real Peel. I got my nutrition certification and did research on what each fruit and vegetables did for your body and I created juices around those. For those with digestion issues, there is The Guardian. For those with skin issues, there is The Beginner. Even something as simple as low energy, there is The Sparkler.
The response I have received from customers is amazing! They are feeling better, changing their diets and lifestyles and getting healthier! That’s the goal right there.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No. I had no clue what I was doing.
I created a lot of really gross juices. I put many out to sell that never did and I had to dump them. I had to overcome the mindset a lot of people in Pasadena have (not worried about healthy eating). I have a full-time job and had to then go and work on the business after work or early in the mornings. I got married and the business took a backseat during that time. Finally, I couldn’t find any good help.
It has all worked out though and I am thankful for those struggles early on because they have shaped and transformed how I run the business.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Real Peel – what should we know?
We specialize in juicing. We don’t just create juices because there’s a trendy fruit/vegetable or just to taste good. We create them to give as many benefits as possible and for particular ailments. i.e Healthy skin.
We are known for being personal with customers and I am proud that our customers are so loyal because they can relate to us or feel like we are family or friends. Also, they trust in us to provide them with great products.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Yes, I have had many people helping me along the way with advice, support, etc.
My parents are incredible business people and they have run many successful businesses for 30 years, so most of my business sense and advice came from them.
My husband is incredibly supportive. We were just dating when I started this crazy venture, but he was there for me while I was really sick and he is my #1 taste tester for new juices.
My friends are all super supportive. Not only just with their encouragements but they are all also frequent customers, which is cool to me because they don’t have to take that extra step.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.realpeeljuice.com
- Phone: 281-946-9269
- Email: info@realpeeljuice.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/realpeeljuice
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/realpeel
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