Update:
FreeLife Whitewashes Its Site of Dr. Mindell's Name!read more
The "Doctor" will see you now ...
Then there's Dr. Earl Mindell, FreeLife's goji juice guru.
With all the googling we did on Himalayan Goji Juice, it's little wonder we eventually landed at the Canadian Broadcasting site, where we viewed this eye-popping 26-minute TV show featuring the "doctor" himself.
We were shocked at what we learned from this CBC documentary.
We saw how customers and distributors put a lot of faith in Dr. Earl Mindell. He is sometimes called "the master" by FreeLife devotees (as shown on CBC and heard on FreeLife distributor sales training audios).
There are those who actually believe he is a medical doctor (and we were among them).
Some straight facts:
Mindell is not a medical doctor. There's an overhanging question about just what kind of a doctor he might be.
According to CBC, Mindell received his Ph.D. in nutrition from Pacific Western University. The Washington Post reports that Pacific Western University is an unaccredited institution offering "Public Paid for Bogus Degrees."
KVOA TV News 4 reports that Pacific Western is one of seven schools labeled as a "diploma mill" by federal investigators at the U.S. General Accounting Office. See "Degrees for Sale" (illustration at top of page)
In 2007, Pacific Western University became California Miramar University, still unaccredited by any agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, the agency that recognizes the accepted accreditation agencies in the USA. As such, degrees from California Miramar University may not be accepted by employers or other institutions. Wikipedia
Cult Science
The CBC show reinforced our own experiences of many years in natural health. We are natural food purists, and we have personally witnessed how "natural health" companies invent a sort of "cult science" to showcase their ultra high-priced products.
What do we mean by "cult science"? Well...
1. Distributor slogans proclaim that the juice is "alive" (see Dr. Sandy Says), a testament to a personal philosophy, rather than a science.
2. No scientific proof is offered to consumers to back up their juice polysaccharide content claims (see Our "Open Air Challenge"). Instead consumers must rely solely upon corporate leaders who give their solemn word on it.
3. Distributors quote pubmed.com as a reference, but we were shocked to hear what real Medical Doctors - Dr. Stephen Sagar and Dr. Leon Bradlow - had to say on the CBC TV show, especially since Dr. Bradlow actually did one of the research studies often quoted by FreeLife distributors.
4. The "FreeLife Science Team" is composed of Dr. Mindell, Rick Handel (a high school graduate with no science degree or college degree), and Haru Amagase, who holds a Ph.D. in pharmacology. (UPDATE: Dr. Mindell has now been dropped from the FreeLife Science team.)
If a company can just get you to believe that their product is the ONLY one that is the miracle potion, the magic bullet, the elusive elixir, then they've already got your money. And it is the "research" and techno-jargon that usually sells the customers.
Dr. Mindell claims that his goji berry is "the only goji" that has a particular spectral signature. But guess what? Every fruit will have its own unique spectral signature - it's what makes a Granny Smith apple a Granny Smith.
Who is to say what is the "ideal spectral signature"? Dr. Mindell, we presume? Every plant in Nature is perfect and has its own values. The "science" that FreeLife proclaims is so full of one-sided beliefs that we have inadequate time to comment here in great detail. The ingenious thing about groups like FreeLife is that people really believe they have a recognized science, and not a personal philosophy.
People often won't admit that they really don't understand the techno-babble the marketers keep repeating. We heard a sales training audio where a FreeLife goji distributor complains that even she does not understand the "science" beyond Himalayan Goji Juice.
It's easy to assume that goji lingo must be true because the presenters convince you it's awesome and scientific. We encourage you to ask intelligent questions, demand proof from independent sources, and not to accept wishy-washy answers - or answers you cannot understand and verify for yourself.
As for testimonials: Remember that even a sugar cube can cure people if they choose to believe (its called the placebo effect). And "outside" doctors who give testimonials often have a financial interest in goji sales.
Our advice to health-conscious consumers is simple:
Don't be impressed by health product mumbo jumbo. If you are not a scientist or a doctor, and neither is your FreeLife Goji Juice distributor, why should you even debate the science of health?
It's shocking how claims and "facts" can be whispered down the lane and grow to gigantic disproportions (again, see the CBC FreeLife video).
So next time someone explains how their spokesman discovered the "only true goji berry with the exclusive Spectral Signature of the Master Molecules," just think again...
...and remember what the "Dr." stands for in Dr. Mindell.
Updates:
FreeLife Whitewashes Its Site of Dr. Mindell's Name! read more
Click below to listen: Source: leadersinaction.com - a FreeLife distributor's sales training site. From audio entitled "Manufacturing: An Interview including Dr. Mindell and
Peter Reilly, Chief Operations Officer," March 6, 2007, 40:00 - 40:09 in 63-minute audio. (Note: Since the release of the breathe website, we can no longer access this talk; the site told us we need "Level 2 Clearance" to hear that audio. However, we have complete copies for our records.)
LISTEN: Audio Clip 5 
