Is there a rise in nutrition businesses in Houston County? Two shops give their insight into how they are keeping their community healthy

HOUSTON COUNTY — Nutrition businesses have been popping up all over the area recently. Loaded teas, protein shakes and other products have been a popular way to stay healthy. Two businesses explain what motivated them to provide nutrition. 

Nook and Nourish Nutrition and Perrydise Nutrition are two female-owned businesses that are giving back to the community by offering energy boosting drinks and snacks full of vitamins, protein and other nutrients. Both businesses get their products from Herbalife, but each operates in their own unique way.

Nook and Nourish most recently opened their doors back in June. Owner Rhonda Tapley took her love for books and loaded tea shops to start her own business. She previously worked at The Hive Nutrition in Byron where she fell in love with getting to know customers as well as learning about the products and their health benefits. 

Loaded teas have especially become a popular item on the menu. Tapley said customers look for clean energy. 

The drink has a green tea base and a vitamin pack. She explained this pack includes essentials like B vitamins, E vitamins and anything that helps boost natural energy. It also includes a Herbalife product called Nature’s Raw Guarana. This boosts the green tea and gives customers mental clarity and focus. 

When ordering, customers choose the amount of caffeine they want in the drink and are sweetened with stevia. She said there is no caffeine or sugar crash. 

“It’s really good for your mentality,” she said. 

Customers can also pick what flavors they want to include as well as add protein, collagen, immunity, fiber, creatine and aloe vera, which is good for the gut. 

Perrydise Nutrition also makes specialty and beauty teas. Although Owner Laura Hester considers their snack drinks the most popular item. The drink contains lots of protein, which is good for gym goers after a hard workout. 

The kitchen sink is their most popular loaded tea. It includes 24 vitamins and minerals, 200 milligrams of caffeine, 17 grams of protein and collagen. 

The business has been in Perry for four years now. Hester’s friend owned a similar business in Warner Robins called Gunn Nutrition, now under a different owner. 

She used to be a frequent customer while working in the medical field. Her friend later encouraged her to become a distributor so she could open her own store. Hester began working at her friend’s shop as a manager where she learned more about the nutrition business. 

She said she still applies her medical skills to educate customers about the products and their benefits. 

“It’s just phenomenal. We get to help people [with] my medical background, I help people with cholesterol issues and stuff like that. I still get to do that education part,” Hester said. 

Since opening, both Hester and Tapley have noticed nutrition businesses rising in popularity since people want to be healthier. There are about five nutrition shops in Houston County. 

“Health has become kind of the new trend,” Tapley said. 

Hester said they are located in an area where there are a lot of gyms, which has been a benefit for the business. 

Both businesses also give back to the community by treating teachers, first responders and other members of the community with their teas. The owners enjoy engaging with their community and getting to know their customers. 

“It’s just phenomenal. The backing and the support you get in this community,” Hester said. 

Nook and Nourish being a newer business has been steady so far. Tapley said people are still finding them and new faces coming in, which has been exciting and fun. 

“That’s another thing I love about this business is I get to know people, I get to know their lives and what’s going on in their lives,” Tapley said. 

Nook and Nourish Nutrition is located at 4851 Russell Parkway, #1300. Perrydise Nutrition is located at 1203 Sunset Avenue. 

To keep up with the businesses, follow their Facebook pages.