May marks Mental Health Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness and breaking the stigma surrounding mental health issues. Crunchy Hydration was born out of our founder Megan’s search for solutions to her struggles with anxiety and depression. After trying and failing with Western medicine, Megan booked a one way ticket to Thailand to try something new. This is Megan’s story:
After graduating from UVA, I moved to Marina Del Rey to work for an online learning and translation company. During this time, I was inspired to learn more about other cultures. I was also dealing with really bad anxiety and depression and wanted to take an alternative approach to healing. So, naturally😅 , I quit my job and gave away most of my belongings. With only a backpack and a one way ticket to Thailand, I discovered all things fresh, local, and crunchy. Living in the Thai Islands was simple and nourishing. I would go to a juice & smoothie shop every day en route to teach English at the local schools and realized I had discovered my passion.
I moved back to Virginia Beach in 2017 to open a juice shop, Crunchy Carrot, as a way to continue this lifestyle and help others on their journey. As the juice business grew and the excitement of entrepreneur life continued, stress and anxiety became a common denominator in many business conversations, both as an expression of my own mental state and as a complaint from clients, suppliers, and business partners alike. Recognizing the critical importance of mental health, I realized that addressing this aspect was essential not only for my well-being but also for the well-being of those around me. This realization led to the founding of my second beverage endeavor, Crunchy Hydration. It was born as a response to this overwhelming and overarching need. Crunchy’s goal is to provide not only physical nourishment but also mental support, helping others on their journey towards holistic wellness.
While we know that a beverage might not change the world, we do hope that through mindful hydration, Crunchy can improve one person’s day by encouraging them to take a moment for themselves, nourish their body, and give themselves more of the love that they deserve. So for mental health awareness month, let’s break the stigma around mental health, take care of our bodies and minds, and live Crunchy!
