Friends with the Monster (energy)?

Eminem & Energy Drinks - whether you love 'em or hate 'em, challenge your perspective.

Energy Drink of the Month - December 2013

We all have a love/hate relationship with December. It's the beautiful lights and the days off work/school. It's the holiday traffic, the family gatherings that test your patience, the way your chest tightens when you go to swipe that credit card (just one more time), or the panic that sets in when it's 11:50pm Christmas Eve and you calculate one of your children has more presents than the other. I confess I'm friends with the Monster, and I may or may not party like a Rockstar on New Year's Eve. But making it through the holiday season requires a special energy drink. How special? Special edition…

The Energy Drink of the Month for December 2013 is a 3-way tie for the Red Bull Editions, Red, Blue and White. These products beat the competition in 5 categories: color, size, content, availability, and inspiration. Due to the time-crunch of the holiday season, this post is short and sweet, like the products themselves.

Food Allergies and Murder? What You Need to Know About This New Study.

As reported by multiple news outlets, a person with food allergies is more likely to be murdered than to die from a severe allergic reaction. This claim comes from a study by researchers at Imperial College London, who calculated the risk of dying from a food allergy is 3.25:1 million for those age 0-19 years old. I don't have a food allergy, and I can't speak for those I know who do, but does anyone else find this comparison unsettling?  As a food scientist, there are three points that concern me the most: the comparison, the goal and the story untold.

Green-Eyed Insight – Food Allergies and Murder

Long Beach Local Aids Black Friday Shoppers

For Immediate Release

As many shoppers rush through Thanksgiving dinner to make the Thursday night sales, one young woman from Long Beach is on a mission to help those in line.

“I feel bad for the people that have to work on Thanksgiving, but I also feel bad for the people who feel pressured to shop that night and on Black Friday. I just thought maybe I can do something to help,” says Danielle Robertson, food technologist.

Energy Drink of the Month - November 2013

There's something magical about the color pink. Just the word "pink" brings to mind several connotations from princesses and Victoria's Secret merchandise to breast cancer. Unfortunately, the football players have ditched their pink attire and the yogurt lids will soon return to their normal colors, but there is an easy way to support breast cancer research and awareness year-round.

The energy drink "her" ("healthy energy revolution") was the first energy drink I came across that indicated a charitable donation on their label. The label indicates, "5% of net proceeds will be donated to charity" but it's unclear exactly which charity. If we trust Wikipedia (and I never let my students use this free encyclopedia as their primary source), her energy donated to numerous organizations including the Susan G Komen foundation and MADD. Then again, they also tried to get Lindsay Lohan out of jail using signs that stated "Free her". I almost want to give them points for being clever. Almost.

H.E.R. on Wikipedia

The whole scenario is a bit sketchy and since that drink's website has been replaced by a site that reminds me how much Japanese I can still read, let's discuss a different energy drink. 

You'll get another one. A better one. That one. 

[Ten points and a free gift if you can tell me what movie that quote is from.]

Go Girl trumps h.e.r. energy

Green-Eyed Insight on Go Girl Energy Drink

There are some women who aren't so pleased with this energy drink, like this sarcastic blogger here (Ms Magazine's sarcastic blogger) but allow me to address some of the points of contention and highlight why I've chosen Go Girl Energy Drink as the Energy Drink of the Month for November 2013.

New Notable Quotable and Recommendations

Posted on every 7th of the month, a new "Notable Quotable" for you to borrow when you can't find the right words of your own, and a new Green-Eyed Guide recommendation.

Notable Quotables Page

 Green-Eyed Guide Recommends...


You can see the other books I've read/enjoyed on Goodreads:
My Goodreads Bookshelf

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Want to keep your eyes on the Green-Eyed Guide? Follow on Twitter

How Activation Energy, Fear and Failure are Pivotal to Success

Part Three of the Green-Eyed Perspective on Goals

In Part One, we discussed the risks and rewards of aiming for the moon. Sometimes setting a grandiose goal can be inspiring but other times it can be daunting and demotivating.

In Part Two, we discussed what to do if you aren't sure what your goals are, what you truly want to do or who you're supposed to be. Thus far we've identified the undesirable situation we'd like to change. That was Step One. Step Two begins when we are ready to ask the question, "What am I going to DO about this situation?"

Read the rest at:
GreenEyedGuide - Part Three

I'm not ready, I'm not ready...

Caffeine Safe Limits: How to Determine Your Safe Daily Dose

This article by Caffeine Informer does a phenomenal job breaking down caffeine safety by consumer demographic. I've been shouting from the rooftops for years now that all caffeine safety is a matter of dose. The dose makes the difference between safe and hazardous, or, as Paracelsus (the "Father of Toxicology") pointed out, the dosage makes the difference between a poison and a cure.

 Caffeine Safe Limits: How to Determine Your Safe Daily Dose - by Energy Fiend


If you like this article and want MORE information like this...
In Are You a Monster or a Rock Star: A Guide to Energy Drinks these consumer demographics are discussed, as well as "Consumption Specifics" such as how dehydration and speed of consumption can affect how caffeine works in the body.

The Dark Side to Thylakoid Magic and Other So-called Appetite Suppressants

Thylakoids come from green leaves, not from outer space or from the lab of a mad scientist. Thylakoids are making headlines as a natural appetite suppressant, but before you buy into the idea that they can help you with your weight, wait – take a look at the fine print to Thylakoid Magic.

Green-Eyed Insight on Appetite Suppressants:Thylakoids

Food Science in the News - Oct 23rd, 2013

The Findings 

This is what you'll see in the headlines:

"Thylakoids are natural appetite suppressants; they promote weight loss by controlling hunger hormones"

 Natural Health Advisory article on thylakoids

"Eat greens and Lose Weight" 

Doctor in the Kitchen Blog - Thylakoids

The Research

Notice how scientific studies have very descriptive titles. That's pretty typical in the science-world because scientists know some people will only read the title of the paper it took them 3+ years to write and publish:

Supplementation by thylakoids to a high carbohydrate meal decreases feelings of hunger, elevates CCK levels and prevents postprandial hypoglycaemia in overweight women

Science Direct Access to this article 

The Details

Overweight women (not lean, healthy people with their appetites in check and no weight to lose) were given a high-carb breakfast. The women who had thylakoid powder mixed into their blackcurrant jam (henceforth "special jam") had decreased feelings of hunger and elevated CCK levels. CCK is the "satiety hormone" so an increase in CCK helps you feel fuller, longer.

This study was single-blind, meaning the scientist knew which women got the "special jam". This study was also randomized, meaning every patient got the chance to eat the "special jam" one morning and the normal jam the other morning, but not every women got the special jam first. This is important because it eliminates "First Position Bias". In other words, after you've been through Day One of the study, you know what to expect on Day Two. That might affect your answers on a "How Hungry Are You" survey or change your actions the night before you're supposed to report for the study.  

The Bad Assumptions

The following statements are common in studies like these, but closer inspection shows they are more flash than substance, leading to confused consumers and frustrated food scientists:

Energy Drink of the Month - October 2013

Name as many famous spiders as you can – GO.

Let's see, there's Charlotte, Aragog, the "her" from LOTR, the ones John Goodman had to fight in Arachnophobia, the one that freaked out Little Miss Muffet…What other spiders did you come up with? 

How about this one – Spider Energy. With a head nod towards Halloween, this month's pick is Spider Energy.

Other flavors are available but I prefer Widow Maker for its flavor, its tagline atop the can, and its colors scheme.

Anyone can review a beverage and tell you how they like the flavor, or how the ingredients affect them. I find these reviews helpful and steer you toward those reviews when I can. However, ultimately my goal is to give you the tools so you can go beyond someone else's review and determine, just by looking at a can, how the product might affect your own body in your particular condition of fatigue.

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime. 

Green-Eyed Insight on Spider Energy

1 – Caffeine.

This product has 240 milligrams of caffeine per 16 ounce can, and this information is kindly included on the Nutrition Facts Panel. Keep in mind those under 18 should have less than 100 milligrams of caffeine per day, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, and those 18 and up should keep daily intakes below 400 milligrams, the maximum dosage considered safe by Health Canada and the US FDA. All of this assumes you aren't pregnant or nursing or have a pre-existing condition that makes you sensitive to caffeine. 

To see how this energy drink compares to others, Energy Fiend is ALWAYS a great resource:

Energy Fiend on Spider Energy (caffeine content is the same for all flavors) 

When ‘Like’ or ‘Share’ Isn’t Enough – 7 Ways to Support the Fight Against Breast Cancer

 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. While October is also considered Energy Awareness Month, National Spinal Health Month, National AIDS Awareness month and Down Syndrome Awareness Month, this post is dedicated to my grandpa, Art Wallace, who is currently battling Breast Cancer.

I believe that when you want to show support for a cause, your support must be wholehearted – if you truly believe in something and want to show support or help those in need, the commitment of your actions must match or exceed the conviction of your words. While I recognize that “Liking” and “Sharing” on Facebook and other social media helps spread awareness and empathy, I personally do not feel that these actions are enough. This personal opinion is why I’ve compiled a list of Seven Ways to Show Support for Breast Cancer Awareness and Prevention.

Winning, Pinball, Socrates and Hamlet - Green-Eyed Guide on Goals, Part Two

In Part One of The Green-Eyed Perspective on Goals we learned it’s possible the Green-Eyed Guide and Charlie Sheen are both obsessed with winning. We also discovered the caveats to setting grandiose goals.

At some point in your life, you may get the sudden shocking realization you aren’t sure what your goals are. Perhaps you feel something is missing from the Big Picture that is your life, but you aren’t sure exactly what that missing piece is. Sometimes trying to pinpoint why you feel incomplete or unfulfilled is like trying to see through fog, or trying to hear a song when the radio is cutting out. What do you do when only the outline of an object is visible? How do you enjoy the song when there’s so much static interference? How do you proceed toward your goals if you’re not exactly sure what they are, or why you’re pursuing them?

 Step One: Pinball Wizard meets “Identity Capital”

Step Two: Activation Energy

Step Three: Failing and Feedback

Ten years ago I wanted to write a guide to energy drinks (check); I also wanted to get married by age 25, live in San Diego and be a community college teacher. I underestimated how much more confident and grounded in my identity I would feel a few years after 25, that I’d leave San Diego for Long Beach, and that I’d turn down two college teaching offers for a research and development position I find both challenging and rewarding. Life is funny sometimes.

Personally, I think setting goals involves channeling your inner Pinball Wizard. If you are lucky enough to have a clear image of what you want, go after it. Just be prepared for your path to change, or for the goal itself to move. If you’re not sure what you want to do for the next ten years, how about the next two? This is where Identity Capital comes in.

Read the rest at: Part Two - Green-Eyed Guide on Goals

THE POWER OF A HUG

A good hug makes you smile, but a great hug stays with you, like the warmth of a long hot shower. Not everyone is capable of giving a great hug, and not everyone is lucky enough to receive one. There are those who insist they're not huggers, there are those who give the awkward sideways hug, those who can't seem to get the arms right and choke the other person, and then there are those who give close tight hugs.

The most powerful hugs it seems are hugs of comfort. Whether it's between a parent and child, between a couple or maybe just between best friends, in these hugs time slows. The arms of the one providing the comfort act almost like a shield and, for just that moment in time, optimism takes hold, inner strength builds and the stress of the situation just melts away.

Hugs of comfort are extremely powerful but hugs of adoration are equal in their ability to convey a hundred words without speaking. Hugs of adoration usually exceed hugs of comfort in their tightness and duration, and almost always eliminate the space between the two parties. Chest to chest, you can almost feel the other person's heart beating. You can feel their warmth, smell their hair, and simply bask in the radiance of their presence.  While these hugs aren't catalysts of optimism and strength like comfort hugs, adoration hugs often represent powerful opportunities and turning points. Face to face, you can look at someone the eye, say goodbye or give in to the passion of the moment. 

Great hugs like these are more rare than one might think. When they do come along, embrace it – literally. Savor the hug for as long as it lasts. It'll be over before you know it and all you're left with is the memory, the warmth and hopefully a smile. That is the power of a hug. 

Flugtags, Taurine and the Truth Behind the Slogan: Three Things You Didn't Know About Red Bull

Across the nation on September 21^st, 2013, hundreds of teams will compete in the Red Bull Flugtag event. Five cities, one day. On that day, teams will launch their hard work off a pier in hopes of taking flight. "Red Bull gives you wi-ings", they'll shout…as their contraptions fall toward the sea. While the trajectory of most flugtag creations is predictable, consider these surprising facts.

ONE. For one man, Red Bull's popular slogan was more than just hype. Chaleo Yoovidhya was born into poverty but died in March 2012 as the third-richest man in Thailand. As the co-creator of Red Bull, his rise to success brings new meaning to the slogan "Red Bull gives you wings". Yoovidhya's berry-flavored concoction of caffeine and taurine was called Krathing Daeng, meaning Red Water Buffalo. After Yoovidhya formed a partnership with Austrian salesman Dietrich Mateschitz, the drink was reformulated with added fizz, renamed Red Bull and launched in Austria in 1987.

TWO. Taurine gets its name from the genus and species characterization of ox, Bos Taurus.  The chemical we now know as taurine was first isolated from ox bile in 1822. Regardless of your astrological sign, you have a significant amount of taurine in your body. Taurine can help the heart by keeping it from getting too excited. Being awake and alert is a good thing, but it's not good to become so alert and so hyper that your heart starts beating too fast for your body to function. Taurine helps restore the right sodium/potassium balance in the body, and it also helps balance the levels of calcium inside the heart muscle cells. This regulation protects the heart from dangerous calcium imbalances that can lead to cell death and heart muscle damage. In fact, congestive heart failure is the top use for taurine supplementation listed in the prestigious Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database.

THREE. September 21, 2013 is the First National Red Bull Flugtag but there have been over 20 events like this since the inaugural stateside Red Bull Flugtag in San Francisco. In German, "flugtag" means "Flight Day" so, as Red Bull points out on their Flugtag History page, unofficial flugtags have been going on since Leonardo Da Vinci.

Guaranteed to make a splash, stay tuned for the Green-Eyed Guide's Long Beach Flugtag report (with plenty of photos)

For more information on taurine - Energy Drink Guide

Updated Sept 23rd - See pictures from Flugtag here:
Green-Eyed Guide Meets Flugtag Flyers! 

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TAKE THE QUIZ: ARE YOU A MONSTER OR A ROCK STAR?
Test Your Caffeine IQ 

The Jellyfish Effect: 5 Tools to Deal With Traffic

There's a line in the cult classic Clueless where Cher's father tells her she has 20 minutes to get home. As he explains, "Everywhere in L.A. takes 20 minutes." If you've ever had the opportunity to drive through Los Angeles, you'd know this line is funny because it's so wrong. At times, driving through LA reminds me of trying to get out of the parking lot of a baseball stadium at the end of a playoff game. Other times, driving on LA freeways reminds me of trying to speed-walk through a mall populated with groups of 4 friends that insist on all walking side by side. Honestly,…

Some of you from New York or New Jersey are probably yelling at me right now, "Oh pu-lease! You think Los Angeles is bad!?!" Instead of trying to agree on which city has the worst traffic, can we all just agree that traffic is aggravating and exasperating? We all have different ways of dealing with road congestion and while The Most Interesting Man in the World reportedly cures Road Rage, here are my personal tools for dealing with those times I can't drive 55.

Energy Drink of the Month - September 2013

It's the beginning of football season, and the end of the regular baseball season. It's the end of summer and the beginning of colder months, all which coincidentally end with a "burr". September is a curious month. A clever man once said, "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end," but to many, the beginnings and ends September brings are significant. 

 

Like the trajectory of a Red Bull flugtag contraption, many start September with an optimistic lift of energy and determination…before losing momentum and dropping quickly to the ground. I have to plan for Halloween already?!? The sun has set already?!? Midterms, already?!? Don't give into the fall, rise. You may be powerless to stop the evening fog from rolling in, but you can combat the fog that creeps into your mind – rise. 

If you haven't guessed already, the Energy Drink of the Month for September 2013 is Rize. 

Designed by a biochemist with a passion for athletic events ranging from Mud Runs to Marathons, Rize is not your typical "energy drink". In fact, one would dare to say Rize symbolizes the New Era of energy drinks. Rize is just one of the products you could point to anytime someone makes one of my favorite blanket statements, "Energy drinks are bad."

Oh yeah? Well, let's just take a look at this one, shall we?

Like most energy drinks, Rize contains caffeine (*SHOCKER*) and B-vitamins. However, there are three major ingredients that set this drink apart from the other 500 products marketed as "energy drinks". (This is neither an exaggeration nor a typo. According to Forbes Magazine there were over 500 energy drinks on the market worldwide in 2006. This stat is precisely why the blanket statement, above, irks me so.)

1 – Trehalose

No, not the fort you'd build in the limbs of a tree, trehalose ("trey-ha-lohs") is a special kind of sugar. Don't panic, it's nothing foreign to your body. Trehalose is made from two regular average glucose molecules (glucose is the most basic building block of carbohydrates). In trehalose, however, the two glucose molecules are holding hands in a different way than two glucoses normally would (say, in a starch molecule). This tiny deviation from the norm is enough to change taste and metabolism.

Too. Much. Science…

Okay, okay, so here's the important part: trehalose doesn't create blood sugar spikes like other simple sugars would. Trehalose has a unique sweetness that's different than sugar but not metallic like Stevia, plus it's free of the controversies surrounding Aspartame and Sucralose. In essence, trehalose provides the yummy part of sugar, without the rise and fall of blood sugar levels. The result is sustained energy, the natural way.

2 – Green Tea Extract and Green Tea's caffeine

The following is an excerpt from the book ARE YOU A MONSTER OR A ROCKSTAR: a guide to energy drinks:

Green tea is probably the healthiest drink on the planet, second to water. Loaded with antioxidants and other phytonutrients you've probably never heard of before, green tea is continuously glorified for its health benefits. Plus, it just looks healthy with that green hue, doesn't it?

The only downside to consuming green tea is that it's only good for you if you drink it, and the bitter taste is a deal-breaker to many, including yours truly. If you can't stand the bitterness of green tea, green tea extract seems like the next best thing. Green tea extract is an isolated, purified version of the major antioxidants in green tea. Green tea has more nutrients than green tea extract, but green tea extract has all the star players, like the 25-man roster in baseball.

So how does green tea extract work? What, exactly does it do in the body? How do green tea extract and caffeine interact? For these answers and the rest of this discussion on the amazing benefits of Green Tea Extract, check out this handy guide.  Rize contains both green tea extract and caffeine from green tea, giving it an advantage over the stereotypical "energy drinks".

3 – Huperzine

Not only is Huperzine a fun word to say out loud, it's the X-factor that distinguishes Rize from all the other "energy drinks". Supposedly, this natural compound helps memory, focus and cognitive function. There are even double-blind clinical studies to prove it. HOWEVER, those studies gave this compound to people over a period of 8 weeks! I don't know about you, but I don't think I could commit to drinking the same energy drink for 8 weeks straight. First of all, that goes against the 5 Levels of Fatigue – the system that categorizes fatigue into levels of severity, then outlines which particular ingredients to look for to best suit that particular level. For example, someone who needs a jolt in the morning should not be drinking the same product as someone who needs to pull an all-nighter.

This drink is a Level 2 product. For an example of the Levels of Fatigue in action, see previous blog post [July's Energy Drink of the Month]. For the full system, see this handy guide.

If you constantly reach Level 2 and rearranging your schedule to get more sleep isn't feasible, then it's possible Huperzine could improve brain health. Then again, so will other things, like this Alzheimer's Association sponsored puzzle book by Terry Stickels . Nonetheless, this ingredient is the third component that distinguishes this product from the rest.

BOTTOM LINE

 

Trehalose is not a new discovery, but it's not the most affordable ingredient out there in the world of sugars and sweeteners. As a product developer and food scientist, when I see a company using trehalose it makes me believe these guys are willing to pay for quality. They could've stuck with green tea and brain-boosting Huperzine, but they decided it was worth it to use trehalose as well. Not only does this earn my respect as a food scientist and fellow biochemist, it makes the product unique in sweetness.

 

The two biggest drawbacks are availability and ambiguity. Thus far, this product is only available in the eastern half of the US, in Meijer stores.Rize Store Locator. Of course you could always order a case and get it shipped to you, but it's not as convenient as purchasing a competitive product from your local supermarket or gas station. Furthermore, this product does not disclose the amount of caffeine per can and it's ridiculously difficult to find this information online. Fear not, it's only a matter of time before Energy Fiend comes to the rescue.

For the full Rize Story: http://www.rizeenergy.com/TheRizeStory.aspx


***UPDATED: 9-16-2013:
Energy Fiend assessment of this product:
Energy Fiend on Rize Energy Drink