Thousands of FreeLife reps promote the company’s flagship product, himalayan Goji Juice.
CBC has just lambasted the product and its creator, Earl Mindell, stating that the the product’s health claims (preventing/curing cancer) are false.
Should you worry if you’re a Freelife rep marketing this product?
Here’s a way to decide.
1. Are you using the product and do you love it madly?
Then you have little to worry about, because no one can take away your story.
2. Are there others, who are NOT selling the product (just customers, not reps) who love it madly and wouldn’t be without it?
Then you have even less to worry about.
However, if the people promoting its virtues are mostly those selling it, with no customer base of non-sellers, this product (or any other) is already in trouble. Ask yourself: would you use the product if you weren’t selling it?
Years ago I was running a Super Saturday event for reps who were marketing a certain health product in capsules. A group of reps from a competing company walked in on the meeting and announced that the product we were marketing had filler in it, and what did I have to say to that. Everyone waited for my response.
I didn’t have any first hand information about their accusation, but I loved the product. Here’s what I said:
“I haven’t heard that, but if it’s true, it the best product with filler in it that I have ever taken. For the past year, I’ve slept better, had more energy and had bettter digestion than I’ve had in the past 10 years. So it’s pretty good filler, if that’s what it is…”
Everyone laughed, the situation was diffused, and I took the product for another 7 years – AFTER I left the company – because it worked for me.
We don’t know why some products work for some people and not others. Many products with millions in research actually ended up killing people – think Vioxx. Others that are just placebos have been shown to help people .
Ask yourself how the product has affected you and others who are not dependent on selling it for their income. Look into the facts and and hear out the company response. That can help you think through your decision about continuing to take it, or represent the product. For me, the fact that it helped me made the most difference.
Moral: Do not make promises or claims about what your product will do for anyone else. We only know how it has helped many others. Stick with those stories. Skip the predictions and claims. No one knows for sure what a product will do for someone else, do they?
And sometimes if you do make a claim or promise, you are shooting yourself in the foot TWO-FOLD…legal troubles AND trust troubles. We don’t want either one, do we?
Facts tell… but STORIES SELL. Tested and proven over and over.
Get a know, like and trust, tell your own personal story, enjoy the friendship and customer (or rep) for life.
If you find that there are dirty little secrets (that are true)…RUN….. or ride it out. It’s your business, right?
Lisa
It’s VERY easy to keep from making product claims. TELL YOUR STORY. If someone specifically asks “What do the ingredients do?” send them to http://www.pubmed.gov and let the government tell them what studies were done on the ingredients in your products.
The reality is, most people don’t even WANT to know this. All they want to know is “What has it done for you?” The easiest sentence in the world is:
“I don’t know if it will work for you, but what if it does?”
Thank you, Kim.
We do not need to promise anyone anything regarding product or income. Just tell what the product has done for you.
Roxanne
I find your article very strange. The CBC program raised some very SERIOUS problems with Mindell and Goji juice. And all you can say is “stick to your story”??!!
Have you not heard of SCIENCE? Contrary to what you are saying ANECDOTES are completely useless.
Its a bizarre mentality, those who only care about selling product, with no concern for facts, or science.
Scrutiny is good, as long as your products can stand up to it.
From my perspective, it’s relatively simple. What nutritional component of Goji is providing the health benefit? If FreeLife can answer that, then there is really no issues. If they can’t, then that is a problem.
http://www.calcompnutrition.com/goji-juice-ingredients.html
Are there any Goji people who can clarify what specific nutrients are found in Goji that provide the health benefits?
I agree that we should not make promises or claims about the product, but what if the company does that for us?
I think that it’s publicity about companies making false claims like this that has given MLM a bad rap in the first place.
False claims is what helped kill a friend of mine with ovarian cancer.
This is really not something to take lightly.
One point that wasn’t made above yet is, that sometimes brandnew reps are the ones who make the false claims. They are so excited about the product and they may repeat anything they have heard someone else mention about the product without ‘thinking’.
It is our duty as sponsors to educate those we sponsor in to our company on what they can say and what they can’t.
Hope this helps.
Have a wonderful day!
Ilka ;o)
Anonymous…..
I was in FreeLife prior to Goji release, Oct. 03 There was TONS of hype!!!! “Everyone will need this product” was the statement of the day, no kiddng. They lied about being the first juice with wolfberry; Young Living had theirs in 2002. They also say the human hand can’t touch the berry as it will harm it. Ridiculous!
media hype…backlash against alternatives to drugs…
Please don’t jump to conclusions about this product without doing some research of your own. Himalayan Goji Juice is truly an amazing product and if it weren’t, I would have left the company a very long time ago…
I’ll admit, Dr. Mindell looked like a deer caught in headlights but they lambasted him unfairly. I am a Freelife distributor and despite this negative report, I will tell you that I personally know dozens of people who are pain free, drug free, and wouldn’t give up their Goji juice for anything because they’ve had results! We all know the power the media has and the slant they often put on their stories. This report is surprising because dozens of other media reports from much
larger and more reputable media sources, such as TIME magazine, the Los Angeles Times, and
the TODAY show, have had nothing but extremely positive things to say about the impact goji is
having on people’s lives. If you read the comments written under the video, about 75%-80% of them are positive concerning Himalayan Goji Juice and it’s effects.
Walter, the link you provided for goji nutritional info is from another company, not FreeLife. I’m attaching a link to a couple of unrelated sites that report the nutrients in Goji that benefit good health and some research as well:
http://healthyimmunity.com/articles.html
http://www.detoxyourworld.com/acatalog/goji.html
“Anonymous” said this: “I find your article very strange. The CBC program raised some very SERIOUS problems with Mindell and Goji juice. And all you can say is “stick to your story”??!!
Have you not heard of SCIENCE? Contrary to what you are saying ANECDOTES are completely useless.”
Aside from the articles above, there is an extensive history of independent research on the goji berry.
If you’re interested in educating yourself log on to http://www.pubmed.org and type in
“Lycium barbarum” the Latin name for the goji berry. This is a United
sponsored website that provides the most comprehensive and up-to-
scientific studies. As of today, you will find 79 studies on the goji berry,
published this year alone. The 79th study was just posted this week.
Sloane-Kettering DOES have a page devoted to the goji berry… http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69287.cfm
Why were they denying what they reported?
The proof is always in the pudding isn’t it? The big question is, “Does it work?” I’ve been involved with FreeLife for 11 months (I left another MLM because I saw first hand, with my own eyes, what this juice can do for people. However, I did my due diligence before making the move) and my experience with the integrity of this company has only been a positive one and continues to increase.
FreeLife offers a 90-day (3 months!), full money back guarantee, and because of the fact that there is no risk I share Goji with pride and confidence! I’m offering an (possible) amazing alternative to a life filled with pain and medicine. If it doesn’t work you get a full refund but what if it does work?
Why no outrage about the BIG BOYS? The pharmaceutical companies charging ungodly amounts for their drugs and the doctors who use human beings as guinea pigs to see if they work. Sharing Goji with people is my way of fighting back against the pharmaceutical/medical bureaucracy and nothing feels better than to have someone call me up with a life changing testimony.
On a final note: this is an exerpt taken from a letter I received from the CEO of Freelife after the airing of this report:
“If the television producer’s goal had been to find out the real story about FreeLife, Dr. Mindell,
and Himalayan Goji Juice, they would have taken us up on our offer several weeks ago to bring
their film crew to our Corporate Office in Phoenix, see our facilities and people, and do an “oncamera”
interview with us. Indeed, in our communications with the television station, we
reminded them that their own professional standards required them to interview the company and
that we were requesting such an interview to ensure the accuracy of any statements about
FreeLife, its product, or Dr. Mindell. Why they declined our written invitation, we may never
know. We also find it unfortunate that a television program that claims to be an advocate for
consumers would so mislead the public in an attempt to discredit a product that has helped
hundreds of thousands of people around the world to enjoy better health.”
FreeLife has nothing to hide…
Kelly 🙂
After watching the video, you have to ask yourself, “What does ‘press’ like that do to your chances of finding credible people to join your business?”
anonymous said: “media hype…backlash against alternatives to drugs… “
You seriously think that? Consider the points:
(1) Mindell isn’t even a medical doctor
(2) His Ph.D. is from a non-accredited university
(3) He claims to have found the only source of Goji that is beneficial to people
(4) When pressed, Mindell says the claims he makes are about the berry not the juice he is selling
(5) An independent lab finds the only nutrient of value in the juice is vitamin C
(6) The cancer center and the researcher both say Mindell’s claims don’t hold water and he is mis-using their research.
(7) Mindell kicks out the interviewer when she asks him to back up his claims
This is just horrible.
— Dr. Walter Reade (Dr., as in Ph.D. from an accredited university)
I watched the video and I have taken Himalayan Goji juice from Freelife and was a distributor. I had good results with it but in the one area that many said it had helped them it did nothing for me. Many women said it relieved their hot flashes I took it for six months with no relief in that area. There are a number of companies selling botanical juices all provide stories and testimonials of what it’s done for people. So how does one decide? I switched from Goji juice to Limu Plus from Vitamark and voila no more hot flashes. So what often may work for some will not work for others. The key is to remember to just have people try your juice without a lot of hype, and if it works for them great. If not why not refer them to someone else that is marketing a different juice. After all if we really do care about their well being it shouldn’t matter if it’s our product or someone else’s that helps them. In fact I believe this would go a very long way in alleviating much of the bad press out there that many mlm companies get.
Sandy Tubb
My comments are not intended to be a bash-fest on Goji. If people see benefits from the juice, that’s great, they should continue to drink Goji. I have no problem with alternative health products. I regularly buy products from 3 other network marketing companies. If a product is good, I will buy it, even from a “competitor” company.
But I have a huge problem with how FreeLife is marketing Goji. And I’ve had this opinion well before I saw the video segments.
Dr. Mindell looked like a deer caught in headlights but they lambasted him unfairly.
I don’t think it was unfair at all. This is a guy who is promoting health benefits of FreeLife Goji Juice, and saying his goal is to close down 50% of hospitals because we won’t need them anymore. These are HUGE claims that need to be scrutinized.
As far as I can tell, all of the studies that are cited as proof of the effectiveness of Goji Juice are studies performed with the goji berries, not the FreeLife Juice. In addition, all the studies have been performed on regular old goji berries, and not the allegedly special berries FreeLife uses in their product (with the spectral signature). You can’t have it both ways. You can’t claim the studies support your product, but then say your product is the only one on the market that has the right stuff.
If FreeLife Goji Juice REALLY helps people with their health, it should be easy to document. It is as simple as this: find 50 people who have a particular health problem, say arthritis. Give 25 people FeeLife Goji Juice and 25 people Juicy Juice from Wal-mart. Don’t let the people or the researchers know who is getting what. (This is called a double-blind placebo clinical study.) If Goji helps people with arthritis, it should be very obvious from the study, and then the study can be published in a peer-review journal.
I’ll tell you one thing that would really help change my opinion. Find out the names of the 4 poly saccherides in Goji Juice, and find out the levels of these compounds in the Goji Juice. I am not asking how much are in the berry but how much is in the juice. If FreeLife cannot provide you with that data, you seriously need to ask yourself how they can claim it is the only product on the market with the exact proportions of these nutrients your body needs.
— Walter
P.S. One more comment. I’m so skeptical about functional health juices that I wouldn’t even market my own company’s juice before I saw actual clinical data showing the juice did what it said it would do (i.e., increase the anti-oxidant level in your body). So, I am not picking on FreeLife per se. I’m just approaching this with the same level of scrutiny I would apply to any health product.
I always feel like I should tell people more than anecdotes, too, but what I personally care about – when I get real honest about it – is other people’s personal stories.
Science? Mostly I don’t really understand it. I mean, I understand the general idea, but I can’t read the abstracts. They don’t make any sense to me. What I do understand is the politics that nobody ever talks about when they site scientific studies as proof of something.
Who paid for the study, and what effect did that have on the results? I don’t understand the details of the findings, but I understand that kind of politics, and I know it’s always at work. Always.
I also know that news reports have an ax to grind, just by the nature of their nature. I would use them to prove something, because I know that everybody puts a lot of store by them, but I wouldn’t take them too seriously, because science is not what they care about. They care about ratings.
I have to side with the “keep the faith” approach here. If you’re going to sell something, that’s what you have to do. You can’t be jumping ship 3 or 4 times a year. It bites if your company makes claims that are illegal, though. I’d be looking for another company I could leap to quick, in case the one I’m with gets shut down. If your primary vendor folds, you don’t want to be caught short.
Someone responded to the fact that there is ZERO SCIENCE to support the Goji berry claims…by doing the same BS that Mindell and Freelife are doing, by saying “search PubMed”.
Did you not watch the CBC report where they went and INTERVIEWED the ACTUAL SCIENTISTS who wrote the studies that are on PubMed, and showed that there was ZERO proof that Goji would have any positive effect on humans at this time? Freelife and Mindell have engaged in a campaign of tricky words and deception from the get-go, and they know it, that is why Mindell freaked out. He got busted for once.
Goji berries are NOT some Miracle Cure, they are just another common berry. Its not a drug that is curing disease and as Mindell stated “closing hospitals”. Some people are having a placebo effect due to the hype, but mostly you have sleazy MLM people who will literally say ANYTHING to sell their product of the year.
Freelife planned this for years, and once the Goji Hype dies down, they will launch a new one.
Folks, this is Snake-Oil. Cheap product from China (cheap labor and cheap packaging and costs)+ huge mark-up and hype = Big Profits.
But to those who are trying to make lots of $$, I guess they don’t care about the facts, or science, or trickery and deception.
All of these “health claims” about Goji are simply lies and deception and empty hype. What a world.
I watched the segment.
Half the time the reporter had a smirk on her face and it appeared to me that she couldn wait to get the next jab in.
As far as Dr. Mindell is concerned, he certainly was caught off guard by a sweet talking reporter that probably mislead him into an interview that was designed to shock viewers from the start. So if you believe an interview that started with sensationalism in mind, you’ll probably believe every single word of the reporter.
I think the story won’t end here because good journalistic reporting does it’s homework too and has an obligation to the public to also provide input from Freelife International. If you noticed, not one Freelife Corporate person was interviewed. Why? Might be because the reporter was more interested in one sided sensationalism.
Furthermore, with all things video, it is easy to take a small segment from an entire interview and take its meaning totally out of context. The interview looked like smoke and mirrors to me. It happens all the time.
Freelife is a huge growing company with a lot of unsavory competitors and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if there isn’t some monkey business going on with the competition.
Half the time the reporter had a smirk on her face and it appeared to me that she couldn’t wait to get the next jab in.
No question, she was having a good time. She was pwning Mindell and knew it. Good for ratings.
Not one Freelife Corporate person was interviewed.
Yeah, but they interviewed the public spokesman for the product . . . a guy who should be able to articulate the benefits of Goji. The first time I talked with a Goji rep, he said that Mindell was the top nutritionist in the country. I think that is pretty fair to only talk to him. What would a corporate rep say, anyway? The issue was on the science (or lack thereof) backing the claims Mindell makes in his book.
Freelife is a huge growing company with a lot of unsavory competitors and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if there isn’t some monkey business going on with the competition.
This happens all the time. A lot of “investigative” reporting is initiated by the competition. But regardless of the source, FreeLife still has to answer the basic question of whether the claims Mindell is making actually hold water.
Can FreeLife point to a single study showing the health benefits of the juice they produce and sell? Just one . . .?? You would think a product that “has helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world to enjoy better health” would have at least one peer reviewed study to support it.
Anyone who has taken the time to follow this thread has probably figured out that this issue really gets under my skin.
I’ll provide an experience I had that I believe demonstrates an ethical response to a health claim.
I have a friend with diabetes. A friend of hers sells functional health juice from another large NM company. The rep said it would help control her blood sugar. She tried it and said it helped. She referred the juice to a woman I know, who’s son has diabetes. It didn’t help the son, but the mom asked about our company’s product. I gave her half a bottle to try. She said it worked wonderfully and became a customer.
I was at a convention and ran into a lead scientist. I asked whether our company’s juice could help with diabetes. He could have said, “Well, traditionally, the natives of blah blah blah have used the fruits contained in the juice to help moderate blood sugar.” But that’s not what he said. He said, “I don’t know of any science that would back our product for use in controlling blood sugar. But, if your customer finds that it helps, by all means, keep taking it.”
Guess who just won points for trust and credibility?
Someone mentioned that Freelife was not interviewed in the CBC story. The Freelife CEO has put out a statement, and it sounds like Freelife was trying to control what CBC could say, so the CBC probably just told them forget it. Also, Mindell is the guy making the alleged health claims, so he has to answer for it.
Also, concerning the journalist Wendy Mesley…she is one of the top journalists in Canada. And guess what? She recently had and was treated for BREAST CANCER and almost died, so she knows all about breast cancer, so when she reads “Dr.” Mindell’s book, where he is saying his Goji Juice can have an effect on breast cancer, then guess what? He’s in big trouble, Mindell is probably going to have the FTC come down on him and Freelife, and put them out of business.
But sadly, Freelife and Mindell know that they HAVE to make these outrageous health claims to get the hype and PR they need to sell sell sell. (like the coral calcium scam).
Watchout for Freelife folks. Just read the founders blurb on the Freelife website…he claims he cured his mom of osteoporosis
using vitamins and stuff! That is literally a lie, and he he knows it. Unless you do controlled studies in the population, you cannot make claims like that.
Was his mother getting other medical treatments at the same time? Is he saying Goji cures osteoporosis (without coming out and saying it of course), so he can market and target older women?
Watch out for these Freelife folks…they are extremely deceptive and tricky in their language patterns. Watch your wallet.
Oh brother…. This is to “Anonymous” in regards to the last comment posted above. You said:
“Watchout for Freelife folks. Just read the founders blurb on the Freelife website…he claims he cured his mom of osteoporosis
using vitamins and stuff! That is literally a lie, and he he knows it. Unless you do controlled studies in the population, you cannot make claims like that.
Was his mother getting other medical treatments at the same time? Is he saying Goji cures osteoporosis (without coming out and saying it of course), so he can market and target older women?
Watch out for these Freelife folks…they are extremely deceptive and tricky in their language patterns. Watch your wallet.”
First of all you need to read much more carefully… Ray Faltinsky, CEO of FreeLife, did not make ANY claims whatsoever that Goji Juice “cured” his mother. He was only 15 years old at the time (1979) she recovered. Goji Juice has only been on the market since 2003. It was his older brother who had faith in natural foods and alternative treatments to medicine who helped his mother naturally recover from severe osteoporosis by concocting a drink full of nutritious foods blended together. Goji wasn’t in the picture at all. This event is what inspired him to begin his own company in order to help people and give them an alternative to poor health and drugs. Freelife is 13 years old.
You may be interested in this third party study done by an oncologist who was educated and trained at Johns Hopkins Medical School:
http://www.wellnesseducationsite.com/
I’m sure he would be happy to provide you with more details if requested.
Some of you are saying things that you know nothing about. Out of respect for me, a sister in network marketing, do more independent study before you start slinging mud.
Here is the precise quote…
“Ray discovered the power of nutritional supplements when his mother was cured of a crippling case of osteoporosis through a special blend of vitamins and minerals.”
Its right there in black and white, Ray is claiming his mom was CURED by a “special blend” of vitamins and minerals. (its a SECRET blend…you see…)
That is complete nonsense. The body urinates out most of the supplements we eat, and takes what it needs. Megadosing is being proven to harm people now.
So is Ray is claiming he has a SECRET CURE for osteoporosis???
Well, Ray, lets see it, so the world can be saved by that horrible disease.
What a cruel man, to keep his CURE secret, and let millions suffer.
(he has no cure…its a lie…if she got better, who knows what helped. Where are the medical records to prove his claims? Where are the studies?)
Yet notice the tricky plausible deniability in his words.
I can’t believe people fall for this stuff.
But I CAN believe people who THINK they are going to get rich selling the stuff, are going to try and convince themselves its true.
Lets see the scientific proof. That’s what it all comes down to…evidence…not ANECDOTES and stories.
(by the way, I have no problem with people selling juice…just tell the truth, don’t lie, don’t twist…don’t say you are going to CLOSE HOSPITALS and CURE CANCER, etc). And charge a fair price, not $50 a bottle for juice made in China for pennies!!
This is really getting ridiculous. That was MY quote, MY interpretation of the story I heard. When I said “vitamins and minerals” I was only referring to the nutrients in the fruits and vegetables his mother was consuming on a daily basis. She wasn’t megadosing anything other than the food God gave us to fuel our bodies the proper way, geez… all this anger, where is it coming from?
And as far as people “falling for this stuff” what stuff? Do you not understand that a body needs to be pH balanced (slightly alkaline at 7.0-7.5) so that disease cannot manifest nor thrive? My father is living proof that it’s possible to heal your body when you give it whole, raw, organic foods… I’m not “claiming” a thing… I’m just telling you my dad’s personal “story” just like Ray tells his mother’s personal “story”. When did sharing a true, personal experience turn into making “claims”? If you want to read the story from Ray’s mouth and not mine go to:
http://gojiexpress.com/index.cfm?fuseAction=main.CID_02_001
Oh boy, a new can of worms for not only Freelife but also network marketing in general.
So, here are my thoughts, which backs up my reasoning behind leaving nutritional mlm’s behind.
Anytime a network marketing company comes under fire, it makes us all look bad. Nutritional company or not.
We are painted as a group of slime balls interested in making a buck off of someone else in anyway we can.
Now, the guys comments that making money off of another person’s sickness is wrong is a little misguided. What does he think his doctor does?
So, as an industry, it is important that we work together to keep to the FACTS and not hype something just to make the sale.
Whatever happened to creating a win-win and being able to look yourself in the mirror each night before you go to bed.
That is one reason I left nutrition. I don’t have a story, and I am grateful that I don’t. I don’t need to lose weight and have no health issues (knock on wood.)
I was never able to truly tell another that my products are better than XYZ brand at the health food store and know that I was telling the truth.
Here are some things that don’t bode well for Freelife in general because their main dude kind of messed up and valid or not, the public tends to believe what they hear on the news.
First, Mindell did look a little goofy in several comments, so that does not bode well for the company. He made the comment that he was referring to the BERRY and not the juice, and yet he formulated and the company who employs (or contracts) him markets the juice. He also stated that he is not selling anything.
That was a dumb comment to make.
But, noen-the-less, perhaps it is a good product that is beneficial for some.
Why is he using the Sloan Kettering name when it is not valid and they are quite opposed to it? Where did that research come from?
My hope is that Freelife will be truthful about the situation and work to put it in the past. It is ALWAYS in style to apologize and move ion and not just attempt to deflect to another.
Okay, back to business! Good luck to those Freelife reps. I was one once!
EXPECT Success!
Jackie Ulmer
http://www.streetsmartwealth.com
Fun and Fortunes Online!
Hi Guys, Andrew from oz, stumbling into another hot blog session on Kim’s site.
I am a natural health consultant with qualifications in herbal medicine, medical science and nutrition. I am in a well known nutrition based NWM company SR and have been in there for 13 years. With that in mind i have never made a claim, even though the testimonials stack up, of any cure abilities of the products we have. The owners strictly forbid any health claims as part of sign up. Nourish balance cleanse, let the body do its stuff.
Whole food stuff is what people need right now, so shying from that market may not be so great because of silly claims by others, plus foods are ultimately the most consumable product, perfectly suited to NWM.
The chinese consider Goji as a very good herb / fruit for many uses. No doubt it has value.
I stopped SR eating for a month and did the Him Goji for a month and felt may vitality slip, mouth ulcers and emeotionally blah. Back on the SR all good in a week. There is more water and pear juice then anything else and the preservative used is very suspect as a source of benzine when it reacts with water and ascorbates. For the price i would want a box of single shot 100% goji with out the chemical. Plus the reps have a habit of dishing out samples from an open bottle. Yuk! where has that been for the first 30 samples given before me.
I am with walter on this on, reps keep quoting pubmed for berry studies, from a chinese medicine point of veiw, not a diluted mixed cordial.
This may well spell disaster for FreeLife, someone will demand government intervention and their best step next is to hush the alleged doctor, set up and fund a peer reveiwed double blind placebo study conducted by an independent lab in another country real fast.
Cheers Andrew
What? Freelife’s Dr. Earl Mindell not a REAL medical doctor?!
At http://www.FreelifeGojiNews.com it says has some quotes from the CBC video:
===============================
CBC’s Wendy Mesley: “Aren’t you misleading people by telling them all this science that is suspect?”
Freelife’s Earl Mindell: “I’m not misleading people. I’m a registered pharmacist I have a PHD in Nutrition…”
CBC’s Wendy Mesley: “But it’s an unaccredited university.”
Freelife’s Earl Mindell: “It’s, it’s accredited in every state in the Union.”
NOTE: The Washington Post reports that Pacific Western University is unaccredited institution in “Public Paid for Bogus Degrees” http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18845-2004May11.html
NOTE: A news report including Pacific Western University: “Degrees for Sale” KVOA TV – NEWS 4 http://www.kvoa.com/global/story.asp?s=2578367
=================================
Does anyone else feel a little (or a LOT) deceived?…
To add some closure on this thread, I’m including follow-up research I did on goji.
There are 79 research articles on PubMed.gov referencing lycium barbarum (the latin name for goji). Note, these studies were performed on goji berries. There were no studies performed on FreeLife Goji Juice. The articles can be classified as follows:
There was 1 article for which I couldn’t determine the classification.
30 of the articles (38%) had no relation to health studies; they were studies about the plant itself (i.e., the genetics, or the composition of the berries, or how to extract certain components of the berries).
23 of the articles (29%) were health-related studies performed on rats or mice.
21 of the articles (26%) were health-related studies performed in a test tube (i.e., seeing the effect of extract on cell growth, or measuring antioxidant activities of goji extract)
4 articles (5%) were actual studies on humans.
* Two articles showed that consuming goji berries increased the level of zeaxanthin in the blood (this is a good thing, zeaxanthin is an antioxidant)
* One article suggested goji berry consumption helps patients already undergoing chemo therapy (note, no claim to prevent cancer)
* One article warned that goji berry consumption could interact negatively with blood thinning medication (e.g., Coumadin)
I leave it up to the reader to interpret these results.
— Walter (from Appleton, WI)
Walter@NMC
http://www.NuOpportunity.com
Yes, I feel deceived. By WALTER. That would be Dr. Walter, PhD, who is selling something called Gac juice.
Walt, I think there are enough customers to go around…..
The implication by the above anonymous individual that my comments stem from “customer envy” is simply baseless.
Here’s why:
(1) Free Life Goji isn’t a competitor to my company.
While my company does have an anti-oxidant juice beverage (it’s called g3), it’s one of about 400 products, and accounts for less than 5% of total corporate revenue (and an even smaller amount of my downline volume). Goji’s success or failure has no impact on my business.
(2) I regularly buy products from a company that truly is a competitor to my company (Shaklee). That’s because they have really good products that work for me.
Just wanted to clear that up . . . 🙂
— Walter Reade (from Appleton, WI)
Walter@NMC
http://www.NuOpportunity.com
Yes the CBC story was very misleading and a true case of bad reporting. She was offered all information up front and invited to Freelife headquarters to review all information. She refused and did her own misguided report. What is really going on is when Success happens for some the critics and others always appear.
I skimmed through here and first off. Wolf-berry is a cousin to the 42 species of Goji berries and yes Freelife Does reject 41.50 + of these berries. To Answer one question it is LBP 1,2,3 and 4 the master molecule polysaccharides name some one here asked for. LBP for Lycium Barbarum Polysaccharides they found 24 in
in Goji making it the richest source of Glycol nutrients ever found. Yes the same as noble prize awards. So you wondering why Goji works and is such a Phenom?
Yes there have been studies with Real goji Dr Mindels Spectral Signature which identifies the proper balance of these miracle molecules, And to answer another question. Why did Dr Mindell take 10 years to develop the product and take all these special procedures to get it “RIGHT” It takes 3 manufacturing plants on 3 continents with special steps to get what they wanted. The secret is more guarded than coco-cola. They had to Invent “Aspect” The Cold process Extraction of securing the right enzymes from the few berries that passed the test and then keeping them alive. It also took 7 years to get the bottle right to keep these Bio Active polysaccharides ALIVE for the many benefits they are providing. This could go on and on and actually Freelife will answer the naysaysers very soon as well a movie coming out to help explain the above process. BUT HERE IS THE BIGGEST CLUE of ALL!
It took Freelife 10 YEARS to bring us Himalayan Goji. Now suddenly many other juice products have appeared. How the heck does another company appear with a product and marketing plan in 6 months? You see many want to ride the backs of SUCCESS. Make a fast buck.. From what I can tell you can pretty much take every other product out there mix it together including other Goji copy cats. Drink a bottle a day and still not get the benefits of Dr Mindels Himalayan Goji of a few ounces a day.
Now for the reality of any product. It may not please you but some one else and my hats off to you! But I can add one more special note. I have been in this industry 30 years. And from what I have seen the people call and there so happy their crying with happy tears and thanks for sharing the real Goji with them and
share what it has done for them and family. I have never seen one product help this many people in so many different areas of health and well being in my many years of MLM.and health study. In time I sure many products will disappear as
Dr Mindel’s special Mix of 2.2 pounds of perfect berries concentrated Bio Active polysaccharides enter each bottle.. This product is actually a true bargain!
And the RESULTS are causing all the commotion!
I used to be a Freelife rep and left the compnay because of the CBC interview with Dr Mindell, Breathe.org’s investigation of the company , Freelife’s intro of a newer product called GoChi and how conveniently Dr Mindell left the company. In my opinion, Freelife lost their integrity.
I am involved with Freelife and love it. I will say this: Our juice IS NOT a magic potion or cure all. To be honest I have NEVER came across one of my customers who said that Gochi has cured anything! I don’t pay attention to anyone else’s “testimonies” I only rely on mine and my customers. I have ran across customers who love it and won’t be without it. I have also ran across people who had little to no effect from the juice. The bottom line here in my opinion is this Gochi is a nutritional supplement not a cure or treatment for ANYTHING. Before you choose to market something do your own research from websites that have nothing to do with the company. I believe in natural healing for the small stuff, but I can tell you this If I had cancer I would cling to my doctor and not fruit juice! I would NEVER ask a customer to drink my juice to cure her cancer. I do believe it would give them false hope and that is not fair. I just wish people making these claims would be dismissed from the company. I work hard selling the truth I love my job and will not be made to feel like I am less of a person because of some sleazy salesman in our company or any other trying to make a quick buck from lies.
BREAKING NEWS!!
Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against FreeLife for False Claims!
A Class Action Lawsuit against FreeLife International Inc. is now filed in the United States District Court of Arizona. This lawsuit alleges false claims, misrepresentations, false and deceptive advertising and other issues regarding FreeLife's Himalayan Goji Juice, GoChi, and TaiSlim products. This lawsuit seeks remedies for consumers who have purchased these products over the past several years. You may follow the link below to see the "Official Court Documentation," and read the "COMPLAINT," for yourself.
http://www.gojitrees.com/FreeLifeClassActionLawsuit%5B1%5D.pdf
BREAKING NEWS!!
Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against FreeLife for False Claims!
A Class Action Lawsuit against FreeLife International Inc. is now filed in the United States District Court of Arizona. This lawsuit alleges false claims, misrepresentations, false and deceptive advertising and other issues regarding FreeLife's Himalayan Goji Juice, GoChi, and TaiSlim products. This lawsuit seeks remedies for consumers who have purchased these products over the past several years. You may follow the link below to see the "Official Court Documentation," and read the "COMPLAINT," for yourself.
http://www.gojitrees.com/FreeLifeClassActionLawsuit%5B1%5D.pdf
I’m so sorry to see that the company is having so many problems. Years ago, I had a bad reaction to one of their products, however, it was not their fault. They don’ t know a persons health condition or whatever, when reps market a product. I was in health and nutrition for years. After my reaction to this product, I decided MLM is not for me.
We’re all in a great industry so we have to focus on the positives. If we are share negative news, you get back negatives.
Hi there — this post was several years ago. Don’t know if that company exists anymore even.