Bazi

Cleveland City Council wants to ban energy drinks, they must not know about Bazi

admin — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 06:21:11 +0000

Cleveland City Council wants to ban energy drinks, they must not know about Bazi

Today it was reported on newsnet5.com, the Cleveland ABC affiliate, that a member of the Cleveland City Council has introduced an ordinance this week that would “prohibit the sale of energy drinks like Red Bull, Rockstar and Monster Energy to anyone under the age of 18.”

If you have been following the news surrounding energy drinks lately, you may have noticed that the energy drink industry has fallen under attack. Many of the energy drinks in the spotlight have been identified because of their high caffeine content, and other controversial ingredients including Taurine and Guarana. In fact, in the bill introduced in Cleveland by Councilman Johnson, the ordinance defines an energy drink as:

“A canned or bottled beverage (1) that either (A) contains an amount of caffeine exceeding or equal to 140 milligrams per 4 fluid ounce or larger container, or (B) contains an amount of caffeine exceeding or equal to 80 milligrams per 0.8 fluid ounce to 3 fluid ounce container; and (2) that contains Taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonic acid) or Guarana.”

What I can’t help but notice is that clearly Councilman Johnson has not heard about Bazi. Unlike the energy drinks under attack in the ordinance, Bazi is 20% fruit juice, is all-natural, and although it contains caffeine, each serving of Bazi contains less than 70 milligrams of caffeine per 2 fluid ounce servings. Parents need to know what their kids are drinking, and kids need to know what is in the drinks they choose to buy. There is nothing sneaky or secret about the ingredients in Bazi, everything is clearly labeled on the bottle. Introducing ordinances isn’t going to change what goes into these energy drinks, instead it is up to us to educate ourselves about what we put into our bodies and what we choose to buy.

Bazi is on a totally different level from many of these energy drinks that give you a quick buzz and then drop your energy levels lower than they started out. When it comes to energy drinks there is such a thing as all-natural energy and we call it Bazi.

Valentine’s Day Free Shipping on Autoships

admin — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 21:52:31 +0000

This Valentine’s Day we are kicking off a special promotion – ALL New Autoship orders for Bazi placed this week will receive FREE Shipping for the life of the autoship! That means that if you have been off of autoship and you have been reluctant to restart your Bazi shipments, now you have a chance to get your Bazi every month and SAVE!!!

Simply visit www.DrinkBazi.com and click on the banner on the front page, or click on www.drinkbazi.com/bazi-autoship-free-shipping-promo/ and place your order for Bazi today!

Part Three of the Phyto-8 Series

admin — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 14:26:20 +0000

Pomegranate- It was “wonderful” before all the mainstream marketing!

Long known as the “Fruit of Royalty,” pomegranate has generated tremendous interest in the scientific community due to its unique phytonutrient content. Before everyone thought the only way to get pomegranate was from those cute, curvy bottles it was revered for generations in cultures around the world. I do have to thank the strong marketing behind pomegranate, though, since most folks are now aware of the healthy properties of this awesome fruit.

One note on pomegranate, if you’ve ever tried to eat one you’ll understand how getting it in a form other than picking out those tiny red seeds is a godsend. That is one messy fruit, my friends.

Not only is it a rich source of vitamins C and B5, but it’s also a source of a class of antioxidant polyphenols known as punicalagins. These potent antioxidants have shown promise in not only supporting the body’s natural ability in protection from heart disease and hypertension. It has also shown great promise in prostate health.

Punicalagins’ bioavailability (meaning that the body readily absorbs and utilizes them) have been shown to be up to 95%. Compared to most other dietary antioxidants, which often have very poor bioavailability, they are in a league of their own! Where they shine in the latest research is in their ability to suppress growth of certain cancer cells (particularly prostate) as well as protect your cardiovascular system from oxidative damage.

My blog wouldn’t be complete without a reference or two. Here are several good references on this cool, but messy, fruit.

Nutr Rev. 2009 Jan;67(1):49-56.
Pomegranate juice: a heart-healthy fruit juice.

Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 May;71(5):1062-76.
Pomegranate juice consumption reduces oxidative stress, atherogenic modifications to LDL, and platelet aggregation: studies in humans and in atherosclerotic apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

J Agric Food Chem. 2008 Sep 24;56(18):8418-26. Epub 2008 Aug 30.
Cellular antioxidant activity of common fruits.

One thing that makes Bazi unique and superior, in my opinion, to that “wonderful” product is that it combines the nutritional goodness of pomegranate along with seven other superfruits. Not to take anything away from their product, but it simply doesn’t have the nutrient density or diversity of Bazi. I think that’s pretty wonderful!

Part 2 of the Phyto-8 Series

admin — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 12:34:49 +0000

One of the few fruits which are native to North America, blueberries are rich in vitamin C, phytonutrients known as “anthocyanins” and other antioxidants. Research into blueberries’ relationship to optimal health suggest that they may play roles in diminishing one’s risk for heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s and even osteoporosis.

Blueberries have become the darling of the media and health/medical communities for their powerful benefits they provide, and here are several of the latest studies to underscore their benefits:

Journal of Nutrition
“Bioactives in Blueberries Improve Insulin Sensitivity in Obese, Insulin-Resistant Men and Women”

A daily smoothie containing bioactive ingredients from blueberries increased sensitivity to insulin, and may reduce the risk of developing diabetes in at-risk people.

The study consisted of obese, non-diabetic, and insulin-resistant participants who consumed a blueberry smoothie daily for six weeks. They experienced a 22 percent change in insulin sensitivity, compared to only 4.9 percent in the placebo group. The researchers concluded “the bioactives in blueberries enhanced insulin sensitivity independent of any changes in inflammatory biomarkers or adiposity.”

Molecular Nutrition & Food Research
“Blueberry fruit polyphenolics suppress oxidative stress-induced skeletal muscle cell damage in vitro”

This study suggests that damage to muscle cells exposed to oxidative stress was significantly reduced when also exposed to doses of blueberry fruit extracts.

“In our study blueberry fruits were suggested as good candidates to combat muscle oxidative damage,” wrote the researchers.

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
“Blueberry Supplementation Improves Memory in Older Adults”

Supplemental blueberries for only 12 weeks may boost memory in older people with early memory problems. A daily drink of about 500 mL of blueberry juice was associated with improved learning and word list recall, as well as a suggestion of reduced depressive symptoms.

The study is said to be the first human trial to assess the potential benefits of blueberries on brain function in older adults with increased risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s.

I know I promised not to get too geeky with this stuff, but the science on blueberries is so cool I had to share it all with you. Have a great weekend and we’ll look at some more of the awesome superfruits in Bazi next week.

Part one of the Phyto-8 series

admin — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:03:28 +0000

Over the next few weeks I’m going to go a bit in-depth on the eight superfruits we use in Bazi. I’m not going in any particular order of the fruits, I just write as the whim hits me. I hope this series helps you understand a bit better why I feel so proud of Bazi; it really is in a class all its own.

Let’s talk Goji!

The goji berry, (lycium barbarum for us geeks) is a superfruit native to the southeastern parts of Europe and Asia, and is also known as wolfberry. Since it’s not native to our soil, and most consumers have never even heard of it, we wanted to make sure you understand why it’s one of the Phyto8 Blend in Bazi. We didn’t pick it because of its cool name, we used it because it’s chock full of nutrients that most of us aren’t getting in our daily diets.

Goji berries are rich in phytonutrients (and you know my position on the importance of nutrients other than vitamins and minerals) so, Goji rocks when it comes to powerful nutrition.

Just look at what the Goji berry contains:

6 vitamins
11 essential and 22 trace dietary minerals
18 amino acids
8 polysaccharides and 6 monosaccharides
5 unsaturated fatty acids, including the essential fatty acids, linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid
beta-sitosterol and other phytosterols
5 carotenoids, including beta-carotene and zeaxanthin, lutein, lycopene and cryptoxanthin, a xanthophyll
numerous phenolic pigments associated with antioxidant properties

I know a lot of this is way too nerdy for most of you, but remember that all those nutrients play roles in your body to maintain health and many (most, actually) aren’t found in the processed foods we all eat every single day.

Don’t take my word for it on Goji’s health benefits; here are a few studies which underscore its healthy properties:

The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicinepublished a study where subjects consuming goji berry juice for two weeks increased feelings of general well-being and improved digestion. According to the study, those who consumed the juice for two weeks reported an increase in feelings of energy levels, quality of sleep, mental acuity, calmness, and feelings of content.

Researchers at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, found that when goji berries were given to laboratory animals with DNA damage and non-insulin dependent diabetes, the animals showed a decrease in blood glucose levels and an increase in levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD)—an important antioxidant. Additionally, goji berry possibly decreased DNA damage by decreasing oxidative stress level.

In another recent study at the University of Hong Kong, researchers theorized that since goji berry has anti-aging effects, it probably also has neuroprotective effects against toxins in neurodegenerative diseases, namely Alzheimer’s disease. They were right. It protected the brain neurons of laboratory animals from the toxic effects of beta amyloid protein—a culprit in Alzheimer’s disease.

The goji berry has shown that a tiny fruit can pack a wide arsenal of nutritious weapons, and it just so happens to be one of the Phyto 8 superfruits that we packed into a serving of BAZI. You may not remember all of the benefits of goji when you have your daily Bazi, but your body will certainly appreciate them.

Can’t fly around the world to collect the best superfruits? Grab a Bazi instead.

admin — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:01:17 +0000

Now that gas is over $4.00 per gallon, and those of you who share the pain with me in driving a gas guzzler are probably looking for areas to save some money, any money, anywhere.

Enter Bazi. We preach all about Bazi’s energy attributes all the time, and how it’s really the only truly healthy energy shot out there. What I’ve been lacking in my blog is how it saves you time and money.

Think about the cost in time and money of shopping for and preparing your meals. Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not saying Bazi is a replacement for a healthy diet, but I am pointing out the fact that the cost of a Bazi shot is a lot less than if you tried to hunt down all of the superfruits and prepare them. In fact, there are rural areas that one wouldn’t even be able to purchase several of the exotic fruits found in Bazi. Think about it, not only does Bazi provide energy, it provides seriously good nutrition that is convenient as well as an incredible value. One shot of Bazi is equal to an entire cup (that’s one serving/8oz) of the mixed superfruits that it’s made from. One serving of mixed superfruits packs a LOT more nutritional punch than an equal serving of apples, bananas, orange and any other fruit typical fruit salad. Isn’t that why they are called superfruits? Anyway, Bazi is a great method to supplement your fruit intake regardless of where you live or how you eat.

That’s what makes Bazi so cool, we didn’t just make the blend from fruit that was commonly known and used here in the US, we made sure to use those which were difficult to find domestically AND provided unequaled nutritional punch. For example, we know that Goji is native to much of Asia and has been a staple in the diet for thousands of years. Same goes for Jujube. Try and find either one of those fresh fruits in your local supermarket or health food store. Even with the domestically sourced fruit in Bazi, it’s tough to beat our value. It’s easy to pay over $5.00 for a basket of blueberries and raspberries. I didn’t even add the time and expense of traveling to and from the store(s) to get everything. Plus, how many of you have bought baskets of blueberries, raspberries or strawberries only to throw most of it out a week later because you never ate it?

Nutritionists will want to blast me, but it’s very easy to sit in an ivory tower and tell folks how they SHOULD be eating and exercising. I, however, live in the real world along with the rest of you and I understand the challenges we all face in meeting healthy eating goals. If there is a product, such as Bazi, that helps me get a bit closer to an optimal diet, I’m going to embrace it. Meal replacement drinks are perfect examples. They combine science, technology and consumer needs and provide a product that contains many of the components of a well prepared and nutritionally diverse meal, but it helps those who wouldn’t otherwise prepare one. I don’t see a downside here with this train of thought.

Make sure you do make every effort to eat a well balanced and nutritionally diverse diet. But, to give your body as many nutritional options as possible, use Bazi every single day not only for it’s energy properties, but because it gives your body a multitude of nutrients it needs to be its very best.

If you’re reading this, thank a trucker!

admin — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 13:46:25 +0000

How many times have you passed an 18 wheeler on the freeway (or had one pass you) and wondered what they were carrying and where they were going? Did you ever think about the driver inside the cab? How does he/she do it? Try driving for 10 hours at a time, day in and day out, and see how hard it is to do. These folks work hard and earn every penny while out on those interstates. Chances are that most of the things you own or eat were transported at one time or another by a trucker. In fact, nearly 70% of all transported freight in the US is done by truck!

I was lucky enough to spend three days in Louisville, KY at the Mid-America Truck Show and hand out nearly 8000 samples of Bazi to attendees. It’s no secret that we’ve incorporated a concerted effort to market to truckers; since they consume a lot of energy products and caffeine but statistically are some of the unhealthiest adults in the US.

We got a chance to speak with drivers about the challenges they face on the job and learned that they do want healthier choices at the truck stops and to improve their overall health. For the vast majority of the drivers what’s accessible is limited to what’s at fuel stops. Their world is based around Pilot or Love’s or TA, and if the truck stop doesn’t have it, they probably won’t use it. It was great for us to expose drivers to the healthy option of Bazi and to make the effort to purchase it from 7-11 or order directly from us. What touched me was the sincere concern over the drivers’ health from spouses, since, most of the time, it was the wives who would ask the detailed questions about the advantages of Bazi.

We shared our booth with the American Association of Professional Drivers, which is another group dedicated to the health and welfare of drivers and their families. Also in attendance was Healthy Trucking Association of America (I’ve blogged about this great org before). The growth of health-based products and services specific to truckers is a segment which is gaining rapid momentum and both of these organizations are at the forefront of the trend.

I’m challenging all the truck stop chains to dedicate a healthy products section for the drivers in order to give the drivers alternatives to the usual fare. If you go to any of the big chain truck stops, ask for their healthy choice section. If enough of us want the change it will happen. Let’s do what we can to support the drivers. They truly are the backbone of our economy.

Elite athletes are beginning to turn away from supplements.

admin — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:54:01 +0000

It makes sense, after numerous public scandals with elite and pro athletes getting caught in the quagmire of tainted supplements, many are now starting to shy away from using them altogether.

According to findings published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, supplement use by certain Olympic-level athletes decreased nearly 20 percent between 2002 and 2009.

Since I am very pro-supplement you may ask why I’m sharing this negative info. First, this is reality and no amount of hyperbole will make the facts go away. Secondly, it allows me to explain on why I think it’s a mistake on the athletes’ part.

I don’t blame athletes who are eschewing supplements; they’ve built their entire lives around their sport and don’t want to throw it all away with a tainted supplement. For those of you who follow professional cycling I’m sure you are aware of Alberto Contador being suspended for testing positive for a banned substance in which he argued came from tainted meat. Luckily, for Alberto, he successfully argued his case and was reinstated. Most athletes, however, are not so lucky. If they test positive, regardless of where it came from or if the athlete unknowingly ingested it, they are out. Period!

Supplements really have earned their spot on the training table for athletes of all abilities, and not using them altogether puts the elite athlete at a disadvantage. At the pinnacle of athletics, it’s all about the most minute of details, and all things considered the athlete who maximizes nutritional support will have the advantage over those who don’t.

Athletes must choose their supplements very wisely, from only those manufacturers they know for a fact are diligent in ensuring zero issues with cross contamination. The reputable companies (like us) will support athletes through, GMP and FDA certified domestic manufacturers, letters of guarantee or third party testing. Also, regardless of the claims made on the label, stick with supplements that provide nutrients that you would normally find in foods. This is tricky, they don’t have to be sourced from foods, but you should be able to find the nutrient in a food somewhere. For example, something exotic sounding like cryptoxanthin is found in many colorful fruits or vegetables and does play roles in the body. On the opposite side, you may not even want to touch the bottle if it contains chlorophytum borivilanium.

There really isn’t a reason any athlete shouldn’t take advantage of the products available to them because of a few bad apples out there. Stick with reputable brand, like Bazi, so you don’t lose that gold medal from your next Olympics (or weekend world championship).

Why didn’t they suggest Bazi?

admin — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 11:04:39 +0000

David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding (can someone explain the “with” part to me?) recently listed their choices for Worst energy drinks, gels and shots on Yahoo Health. They also presented what they considered healthy alternatives for each of the categories.

I have no argument with all of the choices for Worst; all choices are stellar examples of why our country’s health is failing at alarming rates and at younger ages. There simply is nothing redeeming about any of those products.

Over 300 mg of caffeine per serving in this product. Wow!

There is one exception, however, and that is the Clif Razz Energy Gel Shot. As a cyclist I use gels while out on rides, as do runners and most endurance athletes who use them as energy sources for working muscles. In that context gels are great products. As an energy product to simply ingest because one is tired, yeah, it would suck. I guess I never looked at it as an energy product in that manner and how other folks may use them.

Where was I? Oh, yes, the suggested alternative products are either loaded with caffeine or still are only slightly healthier than the worst choice. One alternative contains 240 mg of caffeine. That’s healthy? “Rockstar’s Recovery is as fine as any energy drink on the market.” Bazi isn’t a beverage, but it certainly is a heap better than Rockstar Recovery. Don’t get me wrong here; I’m not slamming the author(s) on the spirit of the article. They certainly are helpful when it comes to enlightening consumers on the evils of energy products. I think they may be just a bit myopic when they recommend alternatives.

Which leads me to ask why didn’t they list Bazi as the healthy alternative to nearly every single one of their submissions? If the user needs energy without the risk, side effects, calories or impending crash, Bazi isn’t simply a choice, it’s THE choice. Need a recovery product? Bazi’s nutrient-dense formulation supports optimal recovery from intense exercise. Need something to get you through the day? Bazi is there. Need a product that you can use and not worry about side effects or exacerbating existing health condition? Bazi!

I asked all of you to let Dr Oz know that Bazi is the best safe and healthy alternative to energy products, and now I’m asking you to let David/Matt/someone at Yahoo/Men’s Health know the same.

Dr Oz would make a great Bazi spokesperson!

admin — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 14:36:03 +0000

Dr Oz recently ran a segment on the dangers of the various energy drinks and shots on the market, and, to be honest, his presentation was dead-on with how we feel here at Bazi.

We agree with Dr. Oz that these drinks and shots rely on way too much caffeine (listed on the label and hidden amounts) to provide the consumer with a short burst of energy. As he pointed out, caffeine in moderation is perfectly safe and even has positive health benefits, but in excess can lead to a myriad of health issues.

Secondly, many of these drinks include ingredients which may be risky to one’s health. His nutritionist mentioned hidden or unknown ingredients in many products which have little or no history of safe use in humans. We agree, and that’s why we list everything in Bazi and you’ll see that it contains only ingredients which have proven safe histories of use in humans.

He accurately stated that the FDA has a suggested caffeine limit of 400 mg per day; some energy products could exceed that amount in 1 to 2 servings. With Bazi, one serving provides a TOTAL (no hidden amounts in any other ingredients) of 80 mg of naturally-sourced caffeine. That’s equal to about a cup of coffee.

I’m going to sound like a broken record here because I’ve said this before on my post regarding children and caffeine, Anyway, the similarity between Bazi and every other energy product ends with caffeine. We take a proactive approach to energy by giving the body what it needs to naturally energize through phytonutrients, optimal amounts of vitamins and trace minerals. I wish his nutritionist knew about Bazi because I’m convinced she would have recommended it as a healthy alternative.

We also have our tongue-in-cheek version of energy drink intervention with our Bazi support group. We’re not making fun of something that can be a serious issue, but we do know that most can relate to one of the group members.

Let’s all contact Dr. Oz and tell him about Bazi. I’d like for him to be aware of our healthy alternative and hopefully he’ll share it with his fans.