MATTHEW COURTER/Sun-Gazette
Maddy and Wanita Antonacci run Elevated Nutrition Club in the Basin Street Shopping Plaza.
It’s that time of the year again, where many people turn their attention from the goodies of the holiday season and towards renewed health goals. But for those with hectic schedules, finding a treat that balances nutrition and the energy they need can be nearly impossible. And that’s exactly where Elevated Nutrition Club LLC comes into play.
Lamenting the 2024 demise of Rise and Shine, former frequent customer and Life Flight nurse Maddy Antonacci pitched the idea of opening their own operation, offering clean energy options to her mother, Wanita, a social studies teacher with the Loyalsock Township Middle School.
“The last owner of Rise and Shine, is my sponsor through HerbaLife, and she helped coach me and helped me get started with opening up,” said Wanita, who was also a fan of the brand, having experienced unpleasant symptoms when consuming other low-calorie options.
Wanita and Maddy would open Elevated Nutrition Club LLC at its current location, 201 Basin St., Unit 14d , in April in 2025.
“Our main products are Herbalife products, and they’re healthier, cleaner energy alternatives,” Wanita explained, noting that the drinks and other products offered at Elevated utilize a natural sweetener named Stevia, as opposed to the controversial artificial sweetener aspartame.
Because of the makeup of their drinks, Wanita said she has been able to switch from several coffees to help get her through a busy day of teaching and a side job at a local restaurant to just one tea each morning.
“I was a coffee-holic. I would drink a cup in the morning cup and in the afternoon because you get that crash. With these drinks, I don’t get a crash,” she said.
“I go back and forth between day and night shifts. Tonight, I’m going to work and I’ll drink a tea. It’s 26 calories, 200 milligrams of caffeine, but it’ll keep me awake for the majority of the night, rather than if I drank a coffee or an energy drink, I’d probably need another one in a couple hours,” Maddy added. “The teas and other drinks here give you a nice, steady alertness, rather than that crash and burn,” she said.
“A lot of our customer base has been first responders, EMS and police, and not just because of Maddy, but because those are the people who really need that energy all day,” Wanita said.
Unlike many drinks, Wanita, Maddy and their staff are able to play around with the flavor profiles, something they said customer feedback plays a big part in.
Among their biggest sellers is their loaded teas, which include guarana, a natural energy booster.
“They also have what’s called a lift off packet, which has vitamins in it, and some more caffeine, and then we put aloe in them, and the aloe helps absorb those vitamins,” she said.
“Another thing we sell is our protein shakes, which are 24 grams of protein and maybe five grams of sugar, totaling around 200 calories. To get that much protein and that little calories is a pretty big accomplishment,” Wanita said.
Other offerings include protein coffees, iced and hot and frappes, Beauty Drinks, which come packed with energy, collagen and a vitamin pack and flavoring, and recovery drinks and hydration drinks, which they equate to something akin to Gatorade.
Particularly relevant during cold and flu season is their Best Defense drink, which comes with an extra shot of vitamin C, echinacea and zinc.
“We also sell protein balls, and when I get around to making them, we sell protein donuts,” Wanita said.
With a heavy dose of protein, low amounts of sugar and only 200 calories, Wanita said their drinks can be used as meal replacements, depending on the consumer’s health goals.
“If you’re looking for more healthy options, all of our protein is plant-based, and all of our teas are natural-based. We have all natural sugars, natural vitamins, the product itself is made from roots and tea leaves, so it’s not a byproduct or manufactured in any way,” Maddy added.
And while acknowledging that trying out a new product can be intimidating, the mother-daughter duo stress that they are more than willing to work with potential customers.
“I would just say, ‘try it out.’ If they’re new, we’ll walk them through it. Because we’re a nutrition club, we want to make sure it’s the best fit for the person, so we’ll ask, ‘what flavors do you like? Do you like tart flavors? Do you like berry flavors,’” Wanita said.
“If they’re really scared of the flavor, like if it’s too strong, we also can back off, and say, ‘here, try this.’ And if you want more flavor, we can always add more to it,” she added.
“The protein coffees are a good bridge sometimes too, because some people actually like coffee for the taste. And sometimes they’ll come back in and try a tea or a shake next time,” Wanita said.
The shop also offers combo discounts if more than one drink is purchased at a time.
“If you want to do better for yourself, it’s putting an investment in something that’s going to pay off because you’re gonna be healthier,” Maddy said, while Wanita stressed that their aim is never to disparage other products.
“I’ll have a Starbucks once in a while too. We’re not against them. We’re not even trying to compete. We just want to give that healthy option,” Wanita said.
For more information on Elevated Nutrition Club LLC, please visit their Facebook page.
