Offering healthy teas and shakes

Behind the counter of one of Manorville’s newest establishments, Helen Narvaez whips up colorful teas she describes as “delicious, pretty, and healthy.”

Manor Nutrition, a healthy hub for shakes, teas, iced coffees and more, opened Aug. 21 in the Manorville Town Center. The store is the sixth location—each with their own name—of a series of Herbalife juice bars Narvaez’s father, Julio Narvaez, and stepmother, Diana Narvaez, kicked off in Selden at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. While Helen Narvaez typically works in Selden, she has been managing their newest and most eastern location and introducing her family’s Herbalife products to the Manorville community.

“It’s like a healthy fast-food service,” Helen Narvaez said of Manor Nutrition. “All of our shakes, they have 24 grams of protein, they have 24 vitamins and minerals, they’re 200 to 350 calories, so it’s a great meal replacement shake to have. And on top of that, it has all the nutrients all your body needs.”

The well of Narvaez’s health-conscious nutritional knowledge runs deep. After all, her father has been in the Herbalife business her whole lifetime.

“I’ve had the products basically my whole entire life,” she said. “It’s a family thing we all do; we’re all very into nutrition. It’s something we always had in the house, so we just thought, Let’s share it.”

The healthy drink lounge offers a lot of options grouped by their benefits. All the teas come with aloe to boost the drinker’s metabolism; the heart-healthy premium teas promote blood flow; and focus teas are loaded with N-R-G, or nature’s raw guarana, a seed containing caffeine, the energy to power through a long day at work or a study session. Any of the teas can be infused with various shots for added benefits such as hydration boosters, collagen, a probiotic, fiber and vitamin C.

On the shake side, Manor Nutrition’s offerings are akin to those of an ice cream parlor, plus muscle-making protein. Red velvet, mint Oreo, banana split and the dulce de leche and coffee-loaded java lava are just the tip of the flavor iceberg. For those looking to replace a full meal and reap the most health benefits, Manor Nutrition offers shake and tea combos, to be drank in that order.

“If you have the shake and the tea, you get the full benefit because the tea and the aloe will help absorb those nutrients you get from the protein shake,” Narvaez said. “On top of that, it gives you that boost of energy without giving you a crash, like coffee normally does. We wanted people to have a taste of good nutrition.”

For anyone overwhelmed by the different pairings, Narvaez recommends the Rocky Road or cinnamon toast cheesecake protein shakes with the pomegranate, cherry, and raspberry-infused Love Potion #9 tea, or the Captain America tea.

“It literally tastes like a Bomb Pop,” she said of the later, referring to the red, white and blue frozen treat. “It’s a strawberry, lime, blue-blast flavor.”

The new spot offers seasonal drinks, which for the fall, of course, means pumpkin-infused shakes and lattes, as well as cool-weather flavors like apple cider, Autumn Breeze, and Narvaez’s current favorite, the Campfire.

“It’s an orange, mandarin, and raspberry flavor,” she said. “It’s my favorite one currently because not only does it give you energy, not only does it have the tea and the aloe, which boosts your metabolism and helps with digestion, it also has an immunity booster.”

Regardless of what guests order, they are welcome to enjoy their drink at the bartop, a picnic table, or the cozy lounge area. With its green loveseat, throw pillows and white kitchen cabinets, the new establishment feels more like a home than a trendy hot spot. The welcoming atmosphere adds to what Narvaez and her father and stepmother hope to accomplish.

“When they walk in through those doors, we want them to be in a better mood,” Narvaez said. “We want to serve them happiness in a cup.”