Jonathan Aristhène – Healthier choice from the Seaside

Born in Monaco, Jonathan Aristhène reaches back to his Mauritian heritage to add value for the residents of the Principality by encouraging them to adapt a health-conscious lifestyle.

Jonathan Aristhène, a long-term resident, was born in the Principality of Monaco. His parents came to Monaco from Mauritius in the late 70s in search of a better future for themselves as a young married couple.

Mauritius, is an Indian Ocean island nation, known for its beaches, lagoons and reefs. The mountainous interior includes Black River Gorges National Park, with rainforests, waterfalls, hiking trails and wildlife like the flying fox. The island itself has a very interesting story, having been ruled by multiple nations over the past centuries.

Arab sailors were the first to discover the uninhabited island, around 975, and they called it Dina Arobi. In 1507, Portuguese sailors visited the uninhabited island. The Dutch took possession in 1598. France took control in 1715, renaming it Isle de France. In 1810, the United Kingdom seized the island, and four years later, in the Treaty of Paris, France ceded Mauritius and its dependencies to the United Kingdom. Mauritius remained a primarily plantation-based colony of the United Kingdom until independence in 1968.

Utilising his Mauritian heritage and childhood memories, Jonathan is also the founder of the Seaside Juicery in Monaco’s Condamine district.

How did the idea of Seaside Juicery come?

“The idea came from various sources of inspirations and from my experiences in life.

While growing up in Monaco, I used to travel to Mauritius every summer with my family and as soon as I’d hit Mauritius’s ground, my cousin and I would hop on our bicycles to our local Bluebay beach, we’d go there every day. We would swim in the blue lagoon and enjoy produces from local juice beach shacks like freshly sliced young coconut water and its cream, fresh pickled fruits, chilly pineapples and even aludas, which is a colorful chilled milk with chiai seeds. 

Barefooted admiring the seaside, the turquoise clear water from the blue lagoon, feeling the sun warming up our skin, the heat of the white sand under our feet and breathing the salty air of the lagoon. 

Also, we would go exploring exotic fruits in local markets, eat coconut and papayas from our garden. It’s pretty much this very specific feeling that I aim to recreate in the brand Seaside Juicery, it’s our ability as human being to connect with the environment we live in and on top of that consuming plant-based food that coming from nature.”

Jonathan was also in the world of competitive sports and being a Taekwondo martial art master he first hand discovered the benefits of nutritions.

“Taekwondo is a sport that requires flexibility and I remember clearly that every time I had a big steak for dinner, I’d feel too stiff the next day that my legs couldn’t kick high, I’d feel like my muscles were filled with trash. This stiffness feeling completely went away when I became fully plant-based a few years ago. 

Not only, I could train more often but I could recover faster. My arthritis and joint pain disappeared, and I then told myself, “Why didn’t I become plant-based sooner”! I then educated myself about the positive impacts of a whole food plant-based diet on our health, on the planet and on the animal cause.”

Jonathan was lucky to live 14 years overseas where he followed this curiosity for the flavors that make the moment, from coast to coast our adventures led me to discover a multitude of cultural culinary influences and juice bars. 

“I bought my first juicer back in NYC in 2008, I had a Breville juice fountain extractor that I sold before moving to Sydney in 2011 but then bought a brand new one there. I sold that one again when I moved out of Sydney in 2014. Then I bought my first vitamix blender in London in 2014, which I then sold and finally bought the professional 350 vitamin in 2016 when I moved to Washington D.C., which I still have until today! 

The juicers and the blenders have taken top priority in my kitchen shelfs!”

Jonathan’s inspiration comes from a mix between his creole Mauritian heritage watching his mum cook and traveling to Mauritius paired with his years overseas experiencing cultural culinary differences weaving his way through one country to another and creating friendship where friends and flavors meet. 

“My Mauritian family made chicken curry, well I took that same recipe and swap in the animal protein for a plant-based protein and call it roots curry. 

My African friends showed me about granat soup from Sierra Leonne, well I took that same recipe and made it plant based. Also, I’m a student of Dr. Aris Latham who’s been a raw vegan for almost 50 years and who is the father of raw gourmet food. 

I trained with him in Panama, and he’s been a major inspiration in my juicing and my plant-based journey over the last 5 years.”

Monaco along with the rest of the world is going through a global shift of consciousness towards how to live a healthier lifestyle by eating well and exercising. Especially after covid where globally people have shifted their priorities towards implementing healthy habit as part of their daily routine.

Is Seaside Juicery a Vegan or Plant based bar?

“It is very interesting because vegan and plant based meal plans are similar for their health benefits, but there are some key differences. 

Vegan people completely eliminate all animal products from their lives, while plant-based diets do not necessarily eliminate animal products, but focus on eating mostly plants, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains. It is a less hardcore version,” – laughs Jonathan.

Do you think Monaco is ready for a plant-based place?

“Monaco has a large international population coming from cities all over the world, cities in which the plant-based food options are already present and well developed in comparison to Monaco. 

I do believe that the demand is already here and if the locals don’t know much about plant-based food and cold-pressed juices that it has become my mission to spread the awareness and to welcome people into eating more plant-based and consuming fresh cold pressed juices. 

Also, because every plant-based meal you consume, you’re doing good to your health, to the environment and to the animal cause (ref: Suzy Amis Cameron, “Milked 2021”). These a just a few of the many reasons why creating Seaside Juicery in Monaco was easy decision to make. 

I’m excited to know that we’re the first fully plant-based juice bar and food in Monaco and I believe the market demand is there.”

What is the key benefit of a plant-based diet?

“This can be a very wide topic as we have books about this topic and week long certification courses just talking about this, so I will aim to keep my answers short and concise. From my certification courses, my research/studies, and my own experience as an experienced plant-based eater I can confidently say that people eating a whole food plant-based diet (from ref: T. Colin Campbell & Thomas Campbell, Center for Nutrition Studies) can benefit from the following things:

Live longer

Look and feel younger

Have more energy

Lower blood cholesterol

Lose weight

Prevent, even reverse heart disease

Lower risk of prostate, breast & other cancers

Preserve eyesight in later years

Prevent & treat diabetes

Avoid surgery

Decrease needs for pharmaceuticals

Keep bones strong

Avoid impotence

Avoid stroke

Prevent kidney stones

Keep babies from getting T1 diabetes

Alleviate constipation

Lower blood pressure

Avoid Alzheimer’s

Beat arthritis

A stronger and richer microbiome system

And in addition to this, daily it gets translated by feeling happier, being more energized and having the right mindset and vision to live a life that’s fully in since with our planet and our health. Plus, you get to eat all these beautiful colorful fruits and vegetable, in which the life forces, the nourishing enzymes are so strong.”

Jonathan’s mentor, Dr. Aris Latham always says: 

“It’s not about the food in your life but the life in the food that actually nourishes.”

Which one is your favorite juice and why?

“My favorite juice recipe will be coming up soon in the summer season, it will be a shame to spoil it by revealing it now? 

Oh well, I’ll give you a few hints, it has summer season fruits in it like seeded watermelon, a dash of pineapple, a pinch of fresh mint with a tablespoon rose water and a large dose of love in it hehe!

This is my favorite juice mostly because it comes around the summer season, which is when I feel at my best as in the summer, I mostly eat a raw plant-based diet with a larger number of fruits with high water content. Since we all sweat so much in the summer, we need hydration and natural electrolytes and the watermelon is 99% water, the best hydrating and electrolyte fruit you can get, along with fresh coconut water. 

It’s a great cleanser, antioxidant, it helps with blood sugar management, and it makes you feel alive, vibrant, and full of energy! 

Watermelon grows laying down on the ground and its roots filter through the water they get then pumped it in the watermelon, which makes it high in water content. Ohhh I can’t wait for summer!”

One of the greatest benefit of the Seaside Juicery is their delivery plan. One can have multiple days of tailored detox plans, delivered directly to the doorstep. Living in Monaco team loves the black charcoal juicy, why editor and co-owner of Niche Media votes for the Cool Green juice.