LIFE

HEALTH FOCUS I EXERCISING AND EATING RIGHT IN 2022

Fresh, Unusual, Healthy

BLUEROOT Brings West Coast Healthy Food Into a Comfort Food Culture

By RuBin E. GRant

Usually the start of a new year brings more clients to the Three15 cycling studio in Homewood, with folks looking to honor their resolutions of shedding a few pounds and improving their fitness.

But this year is different. Because the COVID-19 pandemic continues to linger, there haven’t been as many people signing up for classes this month, especially at the downtown Birmingham Three15 studio.

“At the start of the year, we usually see a big jump in members,” said Mandy Moseley, owner and creator of Three15. “As far as I can tell, our classes in Homewood are still busy, but our downtown studio has been affected the most. A lot our clientele downtown haven’t returned to their offices where they work. We can definitely tell it’s different.”

Moseley opened the Homewood Three15 studio in July 2017 on Oxmoor Road in Edgewood. Since then, she has added two more studios, the one in Birmingham and another in Tuscaloosa, which hasn’t seen a COVID-related slowdown in membership.

Another studio was scheduled to open Monday in Huntsville after a lengthy delay.

“We were going to open it in the spring of last year but didn’t because of COVID,” Moseley said. “It’s affected workers and it’s trickled down to everybody. It’s kind of put us in a pinch, but everybody has some issues.”

COVID also has changed the dynamics of how people spend their money for fitness training.

“What I’ve seen the past two years is people have bought their own exercise equipment for working out at home, and others have seen their financial situations change, so they cannot afford exercise classes,” Moseley said. “Others still fear being in an exercise studio. I think we’ll be dealing with all of those issues for the foreseeable future.”

WORK IT

High-Energy Three15 Cycling Studio Dealing With Effects of COVID

Unique Workout

Moseley understands the time and energy required to maintain fitness and not just because of her studio. She is the mother of four athletes. Her sons Harvey Ray, a senior tight end, and Woods Ray, a junior quarterback, played football for Homewood last fall. Harvey will play in college at Jacksonville State. Her daughter, Annie Ray, plays basketball for Homewood Middle School, and her older son, Alex Ray, also played football with the Patriots before graduating in 2020.

Three15 began as Moseley’s brainchild to combine three of her favorite workouts into one unique class. The concept features 15 minutes of cycling, 15 minutes of barre exercise and 15 minutes of strength training in a high-energy fitness studio.

Moseley also has initiated a franchise option for the public.

“I used to be in pharmaceutical sales and that taught me so much about business, so I combined that with my love for fitness,” Moseley said. “My degree is in nutrition from Alabama and I taught exercise classes in college. I’ve always had a love for fitness, but there wasn’t any exercise programs that combined cycling and barre. You either had one or the other, but we combine several different things.

“My husband, Chad, inspired me to go ahead because I love barre and I love spinning. At the studio, you get cardio and strength work and toning. You need time for that type of workout.”

Moseley’s challenging workout classes and the other instructors’ classes last for 55 minutes. Moseley teaches four or five times a week, encouraging her clients to push themselves.

“I actually tell my instructors that when they’re up there on that platform to not see themselves as someone special,” Moseley said. “We just have a louder voice, motivating and inspiring and pushing our clients to get the most out of their workout.

“A lot of our clients didn’t play sports in high school or college and are not athletes, so they have not worked this hard exercising before. We have a few men, but it’s primarily women. We want them to work around being uncomfortable and challenge them. I think it helps them mentally as well as physically.”

Mandy Moseley, owner and creator of Three15.

By ally MoRRison

The West Coast meets the Deep South at BLUEROOT, where owner Jennifer Ryan aims to make healthy eating accessible and approachable.

Opening a restaurant that serves healthy food in a comfort food culture can be challenging at times, but Ryan looks at the opening of BLUEROOT as an opportunity to provide information, education and new options to the people of Birmingham. Ryan hopes that people will be interested and curious enough to try new things and be pleasantly surprised by choices they may not have selected originally.

Located in Mountain Brook Village, the West Coast-infused menu at BLUEROOT already is a healthy fan favorite. Ryan welcomed Over the Mountain food enthusiasts into her family-owned and operated outpost offering curbside pick up in July 2020.

“We were really lucky to have an opportunity to open (in 2020) and very fortunate to have the community support,” Ryan said.

Ryan, a Southern California native, moved to New York City to work on Wall Street after college. After 10 years in New York, she and her husband, Mike Ryan, an orthopaedic surgeon moved to Birmingham, where he works for Andrews Sports Medicine.

“I never would have anticipated moving to the Deep South, but as many people know, there is a charm and sweetness about Birmingham that we immediately fell in love with,” Ryan said. “About two years ago, I was lamenting the lack of healthy food here in Birmingham, but I was really impressed by the marriage of local food and talent that I saw at a fine dining level. My question was, could we make that experience more accessible to the everyday Birminghamian and really focus on healthy food that not only leveraged our amazing economy and agricultural system but also brought health, wellness and maximum flavor and experience to more of the everday person.”

Focusing on simple ingredients such as greens and vegetables and eliminating processed foods, Ryan’s vision for her new endeavor included the two-time James Beard Award-winning chef and Birmingham native Robin Bashinsky along with an incredible team of people striving to redefine healthy eating.

“It was important for us to make healthy food accessible but also make it approachable, interesting, exciting, flavorful and nutritious,” Ryan said.

Ryan, a Southern California native, stressed the importance of locally and sustainably sourced fresh ingredients for maximum nutritional impact.

Ryan stressed the importance of locally and sustainably sourced fresh ingredients for maximum nutritional impact.

The creative process of BLUEROOT was one like no other. Ryan explained her difficulty in creating a local restaurant in a town that was not her home originally.

“I didn’t have the culinary expertise, I wasn’t from Birmingham and I was a female in a very male-dominated space,” Ryan said.

Ryan explained the challenges brought on by being different. By bringing a West Coast-oriented mindset and cuisine to a Southern culture, different became Ryan’s advantage.

“What I have realized is there is an increasing focus on health, wellness and self-love,” Ryan said. “Part of this comes from putting good things in your body, and the other part comes from being educated about what you’re eating.”

Before the restaurant’s opening, health became a top priority for people not only in relation to COVID but in healthy eating, working out and taking care of their bodies. BLUEROOT could not have opened at a better time, in a better environment, ready to serve patrons of Birmingham, Ryan said.

BLUEROOT’s menu leans on the principal of simplicity – simple ingredients, simple preparation styles and not many extraordinary experiments in the kitchen. Roasting, sautéing and blanching ingredients together allows the ingredients to be celebrated and enjoyed in an almost effortless way.

Not Your Mama’s Rice Crispy Treats are a fan favorite, made with puffed millet, unsweetened coconut, almond butter, goji berries, pumpkin seeds, honey and sea salt.

Other top menu items at BLUEROOT include the Farm Stand Salad and the Magic City Bowl.

“I always wanted to focus on salads and green bowls, goods from the ground, and removing processed ingredients. The hope is that the variety on the menu and the various experiences you can have be lended to a variety of people to provide a simple beauty, experience and healthy eating in a really flavorful way,” Ryan said.

Opened in July 2021, BLUEROOT’s newest location, in Pepper Place, features indoor and outdoor seating to accommodate customers.

Photo courtesy

BLUEROOT will be featuring a superfood snack choice of Not Your Mama’s Rice Crispy Treats, above, during Birmingham Restaurant Week.

Birmingham Restaurant Week New Dates

BLUEROOT will be participating in Birmingham Restaurant Week, Feb. 17-26. BRW was originally planned for this month but was postponed due to the recent increase in COVID cases.

“We are so excited for Birmingham Restaurant Week. For breakfast, we will have a $10 Breakfast Duo, featuring our Overnight Oats or Chia Seed Pudding, as well as a superfood snack choice of Not Your Mama’s Rice Crispy Treats or our Collagen Bliss Bites, and for lunch we will have a $15 Lunch Duo, featuring one of our salads and a superfood bite of your choice,” Ryan said.

Ryan and her team are still amazed by the support they have received from people in the Birmingham area.

“We have been astounded so much so it almost brings tears to my eyes, and filled with gratitude by this community,” Ryan said. “The people that live here did not need to support someone who wasn’t from here, but they showed up and continue to show up. I don’t know that this type of community exists in very many places at the extreme experience that it does in Birmingham.”

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Air Conditioning • Plumbing • Generators

Feed the Family

Joyful Food Co. Offers Healthier Variations on Childhood Favorites

By Ally Morrison

With a new year comes new goals, new fitness routines and new healthy diets. Eating healthy is one of the topranked new year’s resolutions, especially for those discovering dietary restrictions, those wanting to refrain from fast food or those wanting to eliminate sugar and processed goods.

Originally established as a healthy bakery in Bluff Park called Consider It Joy Baking, the now Joyful Food Co. is a Hoover-based meal plan company that provides healthy meal options in an accessible way.

Owners Elizabeth Wood and Rebecca Wanagat re-branded the company in January 2017 when the menu expanded beyond baked goods. In May 2020, Joyful Food Co. opened its second location, in the Crestline Park area of Birmingham.

“I started the company as a small specialty bakery. Customers immediately began asking for more options,” Wood said. “Our vision grew out of what we were already doing for our families at home. We offer delicious meals made with high-quality ingredients.”

Joyful Food Co. offers a variety of food items in store for ordering an onthe-go lunch, in addition to providing pre-cooked family meals for pickup or local delivery.

The menu was created by both owners and is based heavily on meals from their childhood.

“Our chicken pot pie and meatloaf are comforting favorites from our childhood made healthier. We also offer a Swiss cake roll and nacho cheese based on after-school snacks from the ‘90s,” Wood said.

Pre-cooked meals include items such as bento boxes, organic salads, fresh meat options and frozen family meals. Nearly the entire menu can be catered to dietary needs such as gluten or lactose intolerances. The menu has also been certified by the Whole30 organization.

Wood and Wanagat pride themselves on using high-quality ingredients such as local grass-fed beef, organic chicken and free-range eggs. All food prepared is made without artificial ingredients or preservatives, and all bakery items are made with natural sweeteners.

Wood discusses the main mission of Joyful Food Co. by stating, “We want people with dietary restrictions or health goals to enjoy dishes while not having to compromise on quality. We want to feed our customers the same way we feed our family: delicious meals made with simple clean ingredients.”

Joyful Food Co. offers an option for healthy eating while not having to sacrifice time and money to live a healthier lifestyle. Both locations are open seven days a week and provide convenient local delivery on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Joyful Food Co. has two locations. The Bluff Park store is at 759 Shades Mountain Plaza, Hoover. The Crestline Location is at 4500 Montevallo Road, Suite E104.

For more information, visit www. thejoyfulfoodco.com.

Photos courtesy