Nutrition Club Brings Healthy Vibes to Downtown

There’s an epic song by legendary reggae artist Bob Marley titled “Positive Vibration,” which is all about striving for unity rather than discord. Well, at a newly opened nutrition club in Menomonee Falls, Bob Marley’s positive vibes are all about health, and come in the form of a peanut butter, banana, and chocolate smoothie.

Yes that’s right, the Bob Marley is one of more than 20 protein-packed smoothies on the menu at , which opened Jan. 16 downtown at N88W16599 Main Street. They will be hosting a grand opening on Feb. 4.

For those of you familiar with the girls basketball program, you’ll likely recognize downtown Falls’ newest business owner, Emily Otzelberger. She played basketball, volleyball, and softball for the Indians, and played basketball at St. Norbert College.

Otzelberger graduated with a degree in sociology and worked in a juvenile justice center in Milwaukee for just under a year, but when the stress at that job mounted she knew it was time for a transition. She found an opportunity to open a nutrition club downtown, and she seized it.

“I went from helping people with their mental health to now helping others with their physical health,” Otzelberger said. “It was something I wanted to do to give back to the community I grew up in.”

At Vibe, the smoothie is the featured product. There are a wide variety of combinations to choose from, and one smoothie is a nutritious replacement to a meal that could be low in nutrients and higher in calories. However, Vibe also specializes in health awareness and balancing diets to meet fitness goals.

“We really want to create an atmosphere that’s focused on changing the whole lifestyle,” Otzelberger said. “There’s a lot of gyms and fitness places in the area, but nothing that focuses on the nutrition aspect to the degree we do here.”

A lone cheeseburger and fries from a Happy Meal sits on a shelf at Vibe to act as a symbol of the awareness they are hoping to create among customers. The cheeseburger has sat on the shelf for months. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 33 percent of all Americans are obese. Otzelberger said it’s unhealthy food and an unbalanced diet that are to blame.

Fortunately, Otzelberger said they excel at getting folks on the right track toward a personal goal with the products, knowledge, and encouragement available at Vibe.

“Having a support system and people encouraging you on a daily basis is really important,” Otzelberger said. “We really focus on keeping it all positive as well.”

While Otzelberger was in her prior career, she gained 20 pounds while sitting behind a desk all day. However, when she started employing the diet and techniques featured at Vibe she lost that 20 again.

“The most rewarding thing has been getting my family involved and seeing their results,” she said.

At Vibe, each new customer will get a free tea, aloe shot, and smoothie for their first visit. You can also take a body composition scan that measures muscle mass, body fat percentage, and also gives you a suggested amount of protein to add to your diet.

Vibe will be Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and also by appointment. To learn more, check out their Facebook page.