“The supplements that are on the market now were created years ago,” observed Levana. “It used to be that these people lived for just a few months but now they live years longer. Why should they be drinking something that is all chemicals?”
While Levana is known as an innovator in the kosher world, her new endeavor, which has no gluten, dairy, peanuts, sugar or genetically modified organisms, may just make her a household name in the mainstream market as well.
“There is nothing like this out there at all, even in the non-kosher world,” said Levana. “Hardly anyone does what I am doing with real food instead of synthetic chemicals. The products that are out there that they call healthy? They should make people’s skin crawl. Some of them are loaded with protein but nothing else at the detriment of all the other features of the food. What is missing is the meal. Where is the meal?”
A recent event held at Levana’s home offered over two dozen doctors, nutritionists and members of the media a chance to taste Levana’s new product for themselves, mixed into soups, shakes, a corn and spinach frittata, pasta and a kale salad.
“Everything was fabulous,” said Levana. “I had to swear up and down that all of the things that I served contained the products because people just couldn’t believe how good they were.”
At the end of the day, while nutritional value is the top priority for any meal replacement, taste is a close second, because if something doesn’t taste good, it isn’t going to get eaten. The feedback so far from both of those perspectives has been overwhelming positive, according to Levana.
“There is no one we have mentioned this project to, who tasted this, who did not say that there is a great need for this,” said Levana. “I have already gotten a lot of visits from people in the assisted living business and in nutrition who want to see how to integrate these products into their programs.”
While Levana’s website already boasts several testimonials from early product testers, the one that stands out most is written by her own husband, who describes his medical odyssey which has included chemotherapy, radiation, two surgeries for fractured vertebrae, a stem cell transplant and the accompanying side effects that left him a shadow of his former self.
“My wife Levana, a master chef and foodie, decided to step in and experiment to develop a source of nutrition which my system could tolerate and help the body regain strength and energy, without sacrificing taste. Lo and behold, she came up with a drinkable shake and a powder to infuse in a variety of foods. I was amazed – it was good, nourishing.
“I stopped losing weight after going down to 137 lbs. After a while I started gaining weight … My appetite has come back and I desire other foods which previously turned me off completely.
I feel sure that my rehabilitation and road to well being would not have been possible without Levana’s magic potion.”