BUCKHANNON – Are you looking to boost your energy levels, bolster your muscle mass, regulate your blood sugar or simply improve your overall wellness?

Look no further than Buckhannon Nutrition.

The husband-and-wife team of Steven Reed and Kim Prather Reed jointly own the new-to-Buckhannon smoothie and juice bar dubbed Buckhannon Nutrition, located in Foster’s Marketing Plaza across from the Buckhannon Post Office.

Buckhannon Nutrition operates under the umbrella of Herbalife, a wildly popular lifestyle nutrition brand that specializes in protein shakes.

At Buckhannon Nutrition, the Reeds serve up satisfying shakes and taste-bud-pleasing teas to their customers – many of whom are regulars the Reeds greet by first name.

Buckhannon Nutrition offers a wide range of science-backed products, including meal replacement shakes, loaded energy teas and more. And the biggest draw of all? Its products are all low in carbohydrates, sugar and calories.

“One of the biggest misconceptions about us is that this is a weight loss club or clinic, but this is not a weight loss clinic,” Kim said. “It is absolutely not about weight loss. You can work on maintaining your current weight, gaining weight, losing weight or maybe you just want to feel healthier overall – it can be focused on whatever your goal you’re working on.”

The bottom line? Buckhannon Nutrition aims to help its customers improve their eating habits.

“It’s a new way of eating healthy and helping you change the way you’re eating now that might not be so healthy,” Kim added.

In fact, Buckhannon Nutrition serves up delectably satisfying beverages to people with a wide range of different wellness-oriented goals, from customers who want to gain or lose weight for whatever reason to athletes focused on meeting heavier protein consumption goals.

The Reeds said people who have difficulty regulating their blood sugar have found the store’s shakes and teas beneficial, but Buckhannon Nutrition also attracts busy people who are simply in search of a quick, easy meal replacement.

Although it functions like an independent business, you’ll often hear Steven and Kim refer to Buckhannon Nutrition as a club. That’s because Herbalife brands itself as a global health and wellness community founded to support people in achieving their health goals, whatever they might be.

(Kim Prather Reed is an Herbalife coach – also known as an independent distributor – for the company. Herbalife coaches like Kim work with their clients to craft personalized plans using high-quality products, wellness programs and resources.)

Buckhannon Nutrition aims to create a friendly, welcoming atmosphere and regular customers always enjoy chatting with Steven and Kim. The couple and their employees also make a point of warmly welcoming new customers to Buckhannon Nutrition.

Steven said he appreciates Herbalife distributors’ positive-minded, tight-knit community.

“Everybody sticks together as a team and shares their recipes, so there’s over 1,200 stores now, but it all started in Mississippi,” he said.

Buckhannon Nutrition’s origin story began seven years ago, when Kim and her eldest daughter, Eden, wanted to see what Herbalife products were all about. They stopped into one of the only two brick-and-mortar nutrition clubs in Mississippi that weren’t attracting many customers at the time.

“My daughter and I went in there and tried their product, and we just fell in love with it,” Kim said.

Meanwhile, Steven had been working in the oil field making good money, but he was out of town all the time and wanted to find a job closer to home.

“Kim wanted to open one because one of her daughters had opened one, and it was doing very well, so I encouraged her to open her own,” he said.

The Reeds went in on the venture together in Buckhannon in fall of 2023, and business has been steadily growing, but the Reeds hope to spread the word about the benefits of their products to more residents across Upshur County.

“Herbalife is the number one nutrition club in all of North America, but we started out in Mississippi,” Kim said. “That’s where all the clubs originate.”

Located at 2 Trader’s Alley, Buckhannon Nutrition is open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. You can stay up-to-date on their latest drinks and specials on their Facebook page here. Call-in orders are welcome, and the store can be reached at 304-435-5000.