Body by Vi–Triumph Training’s response

David--
I enjoyed meeting you, too. You were articulate, engaging, and passionate--qualities which I truly admire and almost guarantee success. I say "almost" for a reason. For if the Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge is to truly succeed, you will need more than a good sales pitch. You'll also need an uninformed audience.

Look around at the state of health in America, and you'll likely agree that the last prerequisite has already been met. Sadly, most people have no idea what they're eating, where it comes from, or the negative impact it may have on both their personal environment or the environment in general. The U.S. currently ranks between 19th and 37th in all major health categories despite spending more money on "healthcare" than any other country in the world. Yes, I'd say the dumb masses are eager and willing to buy anything promising aesthetic benefits, health be damned...including the Vi-Shape Nutritional Shake, despite questionable ingredients which are listed below:

Protein Blend of (Soy Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Hydrolysate, and Whey Protein Concentrate), Digestive Resistant Maltodextrin (Fibersol™), High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Natural and Artificial Flavor, MCT Oil, Maltodextrin, Gum Acacia, Xanthan, Sodium Caseinate, Lecithin, Aminogen™, Mono & Diglycerides, DiPotassium Phosphate, Sucralose

90% of Soy is genetically modified. So unless Visalus Sciences is sourcing organic soy, they're just experimenting with people's health. And even if that's not the case, I still question soy's inclusion on the ingredient list. To put it simply, after millions of dollars spent on advertising and intense lobbying to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), about 74% of US consumers now believe soy products are healthy—another brilliant example of the effects of PR and marketing on the public’s perception of healthy eating. From an evolutionary standpoint, soy was originally consumed by only a few cultures. These cultures consumed it in conservative quantities with specific techniques for preparation. Now however, it’s being pushed as the “next best thing.”

The reality of the situation is that soy has been strongly linked to thyroid disorders, kidney stones, weakened immune systems and powerful food allergies. Soy has been found to contain phytates and enzyme inhibitors, such as those found in unsprouted grains, as well as haemagglutin which causes red blood cells to clump together and inhibits oxygen up-take and growth. But perhaps the most dangerous of soy’s downfalls is that it contains high levels of phytoestrogens (the plant form of estrogen) that can indeed mimic the effects of actual human female estrogen. This has been linked to increased risk of breast cancer. Research has shown just two glasses of soy milk a day for one month are enough of this chemical to change a woman’s menstrual cycle! Feeding soy to infants is even more devastating. It has been found that infants fed exclusively on soy formula are ingesting FIVE birth control pills worth of estrogen daily!

To top it all off soybeans, like most non-organic agriculture, are grown for the numbers. Meaning massive quantities must be grown to make a profit. This means the HEAVY use of pesticides, herbicides and, as I said before, genetically modified (GM) plants (the effects of which we will only know in the future).

Research has shown that sprouted forms of soy such as tempeh, miso, natto and soybean sprouts are the only forms that can be consumed with some health benefits. This means avoiding all processed forms - soy milk, soy burgers, soy ice cream, soy cheese and all of the other trendy junk foods!

SOY DANGERS SUMMARIZED:

High levels of phytic acid in soy reduce assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children.
Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders. In test animals soy containing trypsin inhibitors caused stunted growth.
Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women.
Soy phytoestrogens are potent antithyroid agents that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.
Vitamin B12 analogs in soy are not absorbed and actually increase the body's requirement for B12.
Soy foods increase the body's requirement for vitamin D.
Fragile proteins are denatured during high temperature processing to make soy protein isolate and textured vegetable protein.
Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.
Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and additional amounts are added to many soy foods.
Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

Read my article entitled “Say it isn’t Soy” on my website for a more detailed discussion of this subject.

Whey is dairy and only as good as the cow from which it comes. Is ViSalus Sciences using grass fed cows raised humanely and without the use of growth hormones, antibiotics, etc?

Fibersol is made from GM and non-GM corn, and it is specifically touted as being resistant to digestion. What you cannot digest will typically cause inflammation. This will result in an increase in cortisol production and activation of the sympathetic nervous system, inhibiting digestion and repair.

High Oleic Sunflower Oil is a polyunsaturated fat. Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA's). PUFA's must be detoxified by the liver, interfere with the function of the thyroid, inhibit the enzymes which break down proteins, and inhibit the immune system. In fact, Dr. Newsholme of Oxford University stated that there is no better way to suppress the immune system of kidney transplant patients so the body doesn't reject the new organ than to feed the patient sunflower oil with its high concentration of linoleic acid.

"Artificial Flavor" is code word for a bunch of different man-made chemicals and additives which occur in such small quantities that the USDA doesn't force the manufacturer to list each one separately (otherwise, a bigger package or smaller print would be necessary to name all of them).

I could continue to address each ingredient. But if you've read this far, my opinion is probably clear to you. And while I know the link you sent has plenty of testimonials, the weight loss achieved by the followers of the Vi 90 Day challenge isn't an accurate indication of the health benefits of consuming this product or any of the other chemical concoctions on the market today. Any type of stress, including starvation, will lead to a higher reliance of fat to fuel the body. Circulating fatty acids will lead to a slower metabolism so that the body's limited supply of stored glucose (i.e. glycogen) isn't depleted and the proteins which make up the body are not rapidly catabolized for fuel. Thus, any weight loss will be temporary while the degenerative effects, hormonal damage, immunity compromise, and metabolic suppression will be difficult to reverse. The true test for anyone uneducated enough to take the Vi 90 Day Challenge will be surviving on a product that wasn't designed to be eaten--it was designed to make money at the cost of health.

And I'm sure it will succeed. I'm confident that you and many of the distributors of the Body by Vi products will make thousands, perhaps millions of dollars. Yet, I cannot stand behind such a product. Indeed, my professional career is predicated on trying to educate people against such claims so they learn to rely on the truths which have been tested during the more than 2.8 million years we've been on this earth.

When you walked into my studio and handed me your card, you told me that today I was blessed. I replied that I am truly blessed everyday, and I meant that. I am impervious to the onslaught of misinformation which inundates our society and threatens to drown out common sense. And I'm doing my part in a growing movement--one which emphasizes the recycling of information and practices we've only recently lost. I have that information. And, like I do everyday with my clientele, family, and friends, I've shared some of that information with you. It is my offering. I hope you get what you need from it. For when people, drug companies, food manufacturers, and governments finally put more value on health rather than wealth, the resonance of that synchronous vibration will be world changing.

I can't wait to hear it.
In health and happiness
--Andrew