We talked to high-level distributors and found out some juicy information...
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Himalayan Goji Juice:
Goji Secrets They Don't Want Us to Tell You
True Confessions
After FreeLife admitted that they heat process their juice (see "A Small Amount of Heat"), we needed to share the news with distributors.
We located high-level goji distributors Myles and Ramona Saputo on Maui, who we discovered are the upline for many of the Kauai distributors.
Their website had caught our eye because it clearly said "100% RAW, Cold-Pressed, & Unpasteurized" (view site).
Their site also stated that
TheOnlyGoji.com is in full compliance with FreeLife International's internet & website compliance department. (Source: theonlygoji.com)
Since we had never found a single soul who knew that the juice was heated, and we were determined to get to the bottom of some pressing questions.
The Goji Powwow...
Christian from breathe made the call to Maui. After a few cordial introductions, the powwow began.
Christian first questioned Myles and Ramona on how they could possibly promote Himalayan Goji Juice as raw and unheated.
Myles told us:
When we heard it was [raw], we did a lot of due diligence to make sure that that was true ... we did ... all we could to verify it and check it and dot all the I's and cross the T's.
We checked that out and then we asked all the doctors and scientists and then we had them even verify it ... and we checked with the formulator, ... we have a long history and understanding about glyconutrients ...
Over and over they assured Christian that the juice could not possibly be heated, because that would ruin the polysaccharides, the "Master Molecules" they claim are in Himalayan Goji Juice.
We listened patiently as these high-level distributors took turns explaining how the juice is never heated. The polysaccharides are very fragile, they again insisted.
They asked us how we were so sure that the juice is heated. We told them we had spoken to the factory - but they did not believe our story. They simply could not accept the possibility that the juice had been tampered with in any way.
We had to try a different approach.
We simply informed them that FreeLife had already admitted to us that the juice is heat processed.
Still they did not believe us. So we said they could ask FreeLife for themselves.
Myles would not give it up. He said,
When you understand the polysaccharides, they can't survive heat.
"Up til 3 in the morning with Rick Handel"
When Myles and Ramona even now refused to believe that Himalayan Goji Juice is boiled, we had to try another tack.
Christian said, "Let me just ask you this Myles: Who told you it was never heated?"
Myles replied:
We had it even verified ... directly authorized, certified by FreeLife ... to be in compliance ... to have this web site up that's in compliance that they put their mark of approval on.
We asked them all kinds of questions: can we say this ... can we say this ... can we say this...
Even people like Rick Handel, we stayed up til 3 in the morning one night ... talking with him. Yeah, the polysaccharides cannot survive heat.
Now this was getting more interesting.
Christian probed in a clearer voice, "Did you ever ask Rick Handel point blank: has Himalayan Goji Juice ever been heated - period!"
Myles replied,
Yep.
Christian asked, "What did he say?"
Myles:
He said "no."
Christian reconfirmed: "So Rick Handel told you 'no,' it's never been heated. That's the basis of all of your claims?"
Myles:
No, there's A-PLENTY more [emphasis his].
Myles was opening up more.
Christian said, "When we found that tape of Peter Reilly (see ), it shocked us ... We do have a big problem with that."
Myles:
Yeah, we do too.
Christian explained how Freelife used the words "without prolonged heat" in some of its literature (see The Cold Facts).
Myles commented:
It just jumped out at us. Well, it said no "prolonged period of heat." We said, well, what does that mean?
"Ohhh, that's kind of a misprint there" [they implied] ... They never quite said that but they said, "Oh well, well - prolonged - no, there's no heat."
It's getting into a little word game...
A problem for people who love raw food
Christian said, "When the juice is marketed to raw foods people as raw ... and then they find out that it has been heated ... that's a problem."
Myles:
You're definitely true.
We just know how fragile those polysaccharides are ... so it's kind of mind-boggling. How could they not be destroyed?
... I'm at a loss as what to do. We've got tickets booked for the Raw Fest [to exhibit and sell Himalayan Goji Juice]. All this came up at the last minute.
We've been reassured time and time again ours isn't heated ... it was never heated, it was raw.
...
You've given us pieces we've never had before ... This point has been skirted ...
... The preservatives that I think you brought up on your site, too [see The Preservatives Police] -- we've always been told, shared, that it was made from the mountain ash berry and the Peruvian balsam, that it's also a raw process ... That's another point to contend.
What we learned:
We found our talk with Myles to be enlightening. Among other things, we had learned:
1. Myles and Ramona each have years of experience in raw foods and in raw/natural food communities.
2. Myles, Ramona and their downline have in fact been promoting and selling Himalayan Goji Juice to the public as raw and unheated.
3. Myles said he had diligent discussions with all the scientists, doctors, and the formulator, who all verified to him that Himalayan Goji Juice is "raw and unheated."
4. Myles said that Rick Handel, FreeLife's Chief Product Officer, had directly told him that Himalayan Goji Juice has never been heated.
5. Myles said there's "A-PLENTY more" people (emphasis his) who also verified for him the claims of Himalayan Goji Juice as raw and never heated.
What had begun as a tense conversation had mellowed out after 134 minutes. We felt a friendliness emerge between us towards the end, and we had appreciated Myles' sincerity and honesty in responding.
Christian said, "Myles and Ramona, it's actually been a pleasure talking with you."
Myles replied,
OK, buddy.
For now, that was a wrap.
Next:
Polysaccharide Claims ...
April 14, 2008 - New pages now posted:
NEWLY UPDATED MAY 22, 2008: FreeLife Fails to Show Proof of Polysaccharides
Fake Spectral Signature
GoChi: We Research Their "Research"
GoChi or No-Chi?
FreeLife used their own employees as test subjects for their new GoChi research (we're not kidding). View all new pages
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