As spring turns to summer, beverage makers from across a range of categories are launching a slate of new products aimed at quenching consumers’ thirst during the hot weeks and months ahead. In this gallery, we highlight a handful of the notable new products introduced to market or announced in the past month, including new packaging formats for Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice and CHERRISH, an imported flash-brewed coffee from one of Japan’s top RTD brands, and protein-packed chocolate milk versions of two classic candy bars.
LIFEAID
Timed for the summer season, functional drink maker LIFEAID has released two new products: FITAID ZERO and FITAID RX ZERO, both of which contain zero calories or sugar and are sweetened with stevia and monk fruit. The new items are available for sale in 24-packs through the company’s website and in 12 oz. cans at select retailers and gyms.
Mood33
Cannabis beverage brand Mood33 has released a new SKU — Peace — which combines 20 mg of CBD with 2 mg of THC.
Natalie's Orchid Island Juice Co.
Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company announced earlier this month its plans to transition to PET packaging for its 8 oz., 16 oz. and 32 oz. bottle sizes.
Oatsome
Oatsome is the latest brand to jump into the increasingly competitive oat milk category. Available in a one liter carton, the product is organic and free from any added gums or stabilizers.
BodyArmor
Sports drink brand BodyArmor entered the powdered mix category this month with the launch of two flavors — Fruit Punch and Orange Mango — in 3.56 pound bags designed to be used with five gallons of water.
Earth's Own
Canadian plant-based beverage maker Earth’s Own has released a new chocolate oat milk available in 1.75 liter multi-serve and 250 ml single-serve formats. The flavor uses 50% less sugar than regular chocolate milk and includes 4 g of protein per serving.
CHERRISH
CHERRISH, a line of ready-to-drink cherry juice-based beverages, has introduced a new 3 oz. “to-go” pouch format for its three SKUs: Cherry Pomegranate, Cherry and Cherry Blueberry.
Teavana
Teavana has added a new flavor to its lineup of sparkling craft iced teas: Blood Orange Mango White Tea. A blend of white tea, orange peel, champagne mango and a touch of cane sugar, the new flavor will be sold for a suggested retail price of $2.39.
Boss Coffee
Japanese beverage conglomerate Suntory is bringing its flagship ready-to-drink coffee to American audiences with the broad launch of Boss Coffee. The line, which highlights the use of flash-brewed coffee, will be available in 12-packs of 8 oz. cans in two varieties: black and cafe au lait.
BevNET.com Staff May. 31, 2019 at 9:00 am Source: BEVNET.com As spring turns to summer, beverage makers from across a range of categories are launching a slate of new products aimed at quenching consumers’ thirst during the hot weeks and months ahead. In this gallery, we highlight a handful of the notable new products introduced to […]
By Max Knoblauch, SWNS | May 21, 2019 | Click HERE to read the full article in theNew York Post.
A sizable chunk of Americans are skipping work due to hangovers… from exercise.
According to new research, more than one in four active Americans (29%) have skipped out on work due to a workout “hangover” (post-exercise soreness that impedes one’s ability to participate in other life and work activities).
According to the new study, as many as 55% have suffered a workout hangover that’s caused them to stay inside all day, and a possible major cause of this may be that 60% of those surveyed said they don’t know enough about dietary and recovery supplements to make an informed decision about what process or products can help them.
Due to that knowledge gap, nearly half of those respondents (47%) have skipped recovery steps altogether.
In fact, the new study of 2,000 Americans who exercise uncovered that 65% have sustained injuries from their workouts — approximately three each year on average.
The most common injuries? Pulled muscles (68%), ankle sprains (48%), and knee strains (45%).
And the dreaded “workout hangover” is not just affecting work attendance, it has spread into American’s social lives, as well. Forty percent of respondents reported that post-workout muscle soreness has caused them to skip a party. Thirty-nine percent have skipped a get together with friends, and 32% have even had to skip dates.
The new survey, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of health brand LIFEAID Beverage Co., found that when respondents go too hard in a workout without the proper preparation, their lives become messier.
Fitness-focused Americans spend about one fourth (23%) of their typical workout going “too hard,” then paying the price in the form of workout injuries and increased recovery time.
Respondents skip approximately 36 workouts a year due to the dreaded workout hangover. Why all the soreness? It may have something to do with incomplete workout recovery techniques.
In fact, 40% of respondents don’t stretch to aid in workout recovery. More than one in three (36%) don’t get enough rest after working out, and over half (53%) don’t take supplements.
“Proper workout and exercise techniques go hand in hand with post-workout recovery. By helping to improve the speed and efficiency of recovery, one can directly help optimize their overall fitness in a whole new way by increasing strength, endurance… you name it,” Dr. Aaron Hinde, co-founder of LIFEAID Bev Co., said.
“So much emphasis has been placed on what you consume or drink before a workout, when in actuality it’s what your body needs to help it recover afterward that makes the real difference.”
The fact that a large majority of active Americans — 73 percent — have skipped workouts due to muscle soreness further supports Hinde’s point of view.
For many who exercise, soreness is a constant struggle, and they’d do just about anything to make it go away.
In fact, 45 percent of respondents would give up alcohol for a month to instantly recover from one bad bout of soreness. Forty-four percent would give up chocolate for a month, and 20 percent would give up Netflix for a month.
More than one in four surveyed (26 percent) would pay $100 to relieve their soreness and recover faster.
“Physical and mental fatigue from working out, particularly with today’s more intense exercise routines, is manageable and avoidable with the right nutritional education and recovery products, including specially-formulated drinks and supplements,” said Dr. Hinde.
“The key to avoiding the workout hangover is finding what type of products work best for your personal exercise regime, to help you recover as efficiently and effectively as possible.”
The Top 5 Most Common Exercise Injuries:
Pulled muscle
68%
Ankle sprain
48%
Knee strain/injury
45%
Wrist sprain
42%
Tendinitis
24%
> > > Live well.
By Max Knoblauch, SWNS | May 21, 2019 | Click HERE to read the full article in the New York Post. A sizable chunk of Americans are skipping work due to hangovers… from exercise. According to new research, more than one in four active Americans (29%) have skipped out on work due to a workout “hangover” (post-exercise […]
You've probably heard of BCAAs or Branched-Chain Amino Acids if you've ever stepped foot in a gym/box or hung around fitness enthusiasts or athletes.
But what do BCAAs actually do? Do you really need them? And if so, when should you take them?
We're here to help you break down the ABCs of BCAAs!
The branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) are a group of three essential amino acids: Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine. They are essential, meaning BCAAs can't be produced by your body and must be obtained from food or supplements. BCAA supplements have been shown to build muscle, decrease muscle fatigue and alleviate muscle soreness. —Healthline.com
BCAAs also help enhance muscle protein recovery after your workout. "Emerging research suggests that Leucine is the star player of BCAAs when it comes to regulating genetic signaling pathways involved in muscle protein synthesis," according to GNC.com.
BCAAs fuel your skeletal muscles during training, which can help give you the edge you need to push your limits. Supplementing with BCAAs helps preserve your stores of glycogen—the primary fuel your muscles use for energy production. This means your body has a reliable energy source to tap into while you work out, which can keep you going. Plus, abundant glycogen stores keep your body from breaking down muscle protein for energy instead. That’s why BCAA supplements are a win-win for your muscles—they help sustain and safeguard them. That’s potentially more energy, more reps and more gains. —GNC.com
WHEN SHOULD I TAKE THEM?
One of the easiest ways to help you get more out of your daily gym sessions is consuming BCAAs, whether in your everyday food consumption or with supplementation. They are most effective when consumed just BEFORE, DURING or AFTER your next gym session, workout or any physical activity.
BCAAs are an ingredient in all four of the LIFEAID Recovery Blends shown above: (75mg Leucine, 37.5mg Isoleucine, 37.5mg Valine) FITAID FITAID RX FITAID ZERO FITAID RX ZERO
You’ve probably heard of BCAAs or Branched-Chain Amino Acids if you’ve ever stepped foot in a gym/box or hung around fitness enthusiasts or athletes. But what do BCAAs actually do? Do you really need them? And if so, when should you take them? We’re here to help you break down the ABCs of BCAAs! The […]
Last month, the Buttery Bros. (Heber Canon & Marston Sawyers) traveled to sunny southern California to crush some waves & WODs with Brooks Laich and a ready-as-ever, Games-bound Sara Sigmundsdóttir. Check out their photo journal from the weekend below, then watch the Buttery Bros.' full episode below — brought to you by FITAID ZERO, your new zero sugar Recovery Blend, still made with only the good stuff!
Check out the entire Buttery Bros. episode on YouTube here:
Learn more or SHOP sugar-free, Keto-friendly Recovery Blends FITAID ZERO and FITAID RX ZERO at LIFEAIDBevCo.com
> > > Live well.
Last month, the Buttery Bros. (Heber Canon & Marston Sawyers) traveled to sunny southern California to crush some waves & WODs with Brooks Laich and a ready-as-ever, Games-bound Sara Sigmundsdóttir. Check out their photo journal from the weekend below, then watch the Buttery Bros.’ full episode below — brought to you by FITAID ZERO, your new zero sugar […]
Did you know that monk fruit is naturally 150-200 times sweeter than sugar?
"Monk fruit is a small sub-tropical melon that has been cultivated in the remote mountains of Southern China for centuries. According to legend, monk fruit is named after the Buddhist monks who first cultivated the fruit nearly 800 years ago."
."Monk fruit juice is an amazing twenty times sweeter than other fruit juices. The unique low-calorie sweetness of monk fruit comes from naturally occurring antioxidants found in the fruit that have a delicious, sweet taste, without the calories of sugar. Used as a food ingredient, monk fruit adds delicious low-calorie sweetness, replacing sugar and calories with great-tasting goodness from fruit." —MonkFruitCorp.org
All-natural monk fruit concentrate is harvested using this
simple 3-step process:
1. The monk fruit is harvested and crushed to release its natural sweet juice.
2. The crushed fruit is then infused with hot water to gently release its natural calorie-free sweetness.
3. The sweet infusion is filtered to obtain a pure, calorie-free sweet fruit concentrate.
This month, LIFEAID Beverage Co. is proud to launch their first sugar-free products, happily sweetened with Monk Fruit & Stevia: FITAID ZERO and FITAID RX ZERO. Both products are made with only the good stuff and none of the junk, with no artificial sweeteners, no aspartame or sucralose — a proud continuation of the brand's mission to provide vitamins you'll actually enjoy drinking.
"There’s currently a lot of attention being placed on not-so-good-for-you pre-workout drinks that are chock full of junk with unhealthy amounts of caffeine, taurine, sodium and sugar. That’s why we couldn't be more pleased to offer the fitness community a clean, sugar-free post-workout recovery option in FITAID ZERO and RX ZERO,”says LIFEAID co-founder and president Aaron Hinde.“Crafting better-for-you recovery options without the use of artificial sweeteners, sucralose or aspartame — while still being sugar-free & great tasting — is something our entire team is very proud of accomplishing.”
What are FITAID ZERO & FITAID RX ZERO all about?
Keto & Paleo-friendly
Only 5 calories per can
Made with only the good stuff
NO artificial sweeteners
Clean, sugar-free post-workout recovery
Happily sweetened with Monk Fruit & Stevia
Complete NUTRITION LABEL INFORMATION for both new ZERO products:
ZERO SUGAR. ALL THE GOOD STUFF. NO EXCUSES.
Every single can of ZERO is made with only the good stuff, including essential vitamins & nutrients for recovery after any physical activity. Just like the rest of the LIFEAID line of clean products, Because you never stop being a Spartan. Now offering ZERO SUGAR and only a few calories! Discover the ZERO difference at LIFEAIDBevCo.com/Zero.
#ABetterWayToDrink #FITAIDZERO
Rogue Invitational Attendees Raving About ZERO!
May 2019 — Columbus, Ohio: Hundreds of athletes, coaches, fans and crew were on site at the Rogue Invitational in Columbus, Ohio, last weekend. Here's what they were saying after getting a chance to try the new sugar-free FITAID ZERO and FITAID RX ZERO.
"It's ZERO SUGAR and macro-friendly, so now I won't feel bad when I drink like six in a day!"
"I think FITAID ZERO tastes even better than the original. I love it."
"Kinda pineapple-y... I already loved FITAID, but now I love ZERO even more!"
"The new FITAID (Zero) definitely tastes sweeter. So good!"
"It's soooooo good!"
"Not gonna lie, I'm happily surprised by the superior taste of the new Recovery ZERO. It's as flavorful as regular FITAID! I'm in love with ZERO."
You can find additional information & resources regarding Monk Fruit & Stevia here:
Why Monk Fruit & Stevia? Read more about both & their benefits in Medical News Today.
Still curious about Monk Fruit? Check out our supplier's website for more information at: MonkFruitCorp.org..
> > > Live well.
Did you know that monk fruit is naturally 150-200 times sweeter than sugar? “Monk fruit is a small sub-tropical melon that has been cultivated in the remote mountains of Southern China for centuries. According to legend, monk fruit is named after the Buddhist monks who first cultivated the fruit nearly 800 years ago.” .”Monk […]
The LIFEAID Beverage Co. staff took to the streets and beaches of their local community in Santa Cruz, California, this past Friday, April 19, in honor of Earth Day. With trash bags and grabbers in hand, the crew walked the 3-mile loop to the beach area from their office headquarters in the Old Wrigley building off Mission Street. Employees brought family members & friends to help take part in the clean-up efforts which lasted from 4-6:30 p.m., providing some good clean (albeit dirty) fun for all.
"It's important that we all do our part every day to help give back and protect Mother Earth from the litter and trash that all-too-often lines our streets and park trails," said one team member.
At LIFEAID, we like to live by the rule "Pack it in, pack it out," and we encourage others to do the same. This Earth Day, we hope you find your own fun way to support local eco-systems and make the world a cleaner place for future generations.
HAPPY EARTH DAY! —Your Team at LIFEAID
Co-founders Orion Melehan & Aaron Hinde led the charge for LIFEAID Beach Clean-Up Day.
The LIFEAID Beverage Co. staff took to the streets and beaches of their local community in Santa Cruz, California, this past Friday, April 19, in honor of Earth Day. With trash bags and grabbers in hand, the crew walked the 3-mile loop to the beach area from their office headquarters in the Old Wrigley building […]
Following back-to-back 3rd-place finishes at the Games in 2015 & 2016, Sigmundsdóttir finished 4th at the 2017 Games, just shy of a podium spot. Then, her 37th-place finish (due to withdrawing early on in the competition) last year left a bitter taste in her mouth, as her untimely injury instantly crushed her podium dreams.
Now, Sigmundsdóttir (26) looks stronger than ever, promising to give two-time reigning champ Tia Toomey and the rest of the competition a serious run for their money as the "Fittest Woman on Earth."
With her eyes laser-focused on that podium, she can bet her bag of Haribo gummi bears that we'll be cheering our hearts out for her at the Games. Few athletes deserve a spot atop that podium as much as this persistent badass does.
Functional drink line expands into retailers nationally while preparing for new product launches.
March 29, 2019 – Santa Cruz, CA – High-growth functional beverage brand LIFEAID, which produces premium vitamin drinks, recently closed a $7.7 million financing round to support the brand’s expanding distribution in retailers across the U.S. The round includes investments totaling $4.7 million from Everplus Capital,Cambridge Companies SPG and a half-dozen angel investors, in addition to a $3 million asset-backed line of credit with Dwight Funding.
LIFEAID Beverage Co. produces a line of nutrition-focused drinks for consumers with active, performance-driven lifestyles. The current LIFEAID lineup features six functional drinks, each with a unique proposition and dedicated consumer. In 2019, LIFEAID will expand its presence in Walmart and Kroger stores along with additional retailers nationwide. FitAid, the brand’s pioneering post-workout recovery drink, is a favorite of fitness devotees and professional athletes. ImmunityAid became a top-selling product for the brand just six months after being launched at the start of last fall’s cold and flu season, demonstrating the increasingly broad appeal of LIFEAID.
In addition to increasing the presence of its drinks in prominent retailers, including a new authorization with Wegman’s, LIFEAID Beverage Co. has also fully established its direct store delivery (DSD) network in the Pacific Northwest. New partners in the region include The Odom Corporation, Sound Beverage Distribution Inc., Craig Stein Beverage and NW Beverages. In Northern California, LIFEAID finalized a similar agreement with distributor DBI Beverage. The brand is starting to build a similar DSD network in the Northeast and is also increasing its presence in convenience stores like Giant.
LIFEAID CEO Orion Melehan stated, “Strategic investors and working capital financing are more important now as we continue to build the LIFEAID brand and platform of customized vitamin drinks — vitamins you’ll actually enjoy drinking. Our goal for 2019 is to emphasize product innovation and smartly capitalize on growth opportunities with partners that understand our vision, mission and the brand’s deep connection with its consumers.”
“We’re proud of the caliber of our latest investors, and appreciate the follow-on investments from some of our earlier ones who believed in LIFEAID Beverage Co.’s tremendous potential early on,” Melehan continued. “In addition to our equity financing, our new relationship with Dwight Funding gives us the flexibility to strategically invest in growth without additional constraints on working capital, given our growing inventory and accounts receivable.”
Joe Yu, principal of Everplus F&B Fund stated, “LIFEAID has shown an incredible and rare ability to continually capture the attention of a dedicated and rapidly growing audience of wellness enthusiasts. The functional beverage category is growing and we think LIFEAID will be an increasingly dominant player in that category. We are confident in the ability of LIFEAID’s forward-thinking and highly strategic leadership to achieve their goals, and we are very excited to be an investor in the company."
Dwight Funding managing partner Ben Brachot similarly commented, “LIFEAID is a leader in the wellness and performance space. We are excited to be working with a brand that has such a strong bond with its customers. The brand’s growth is built on a strong foundation that has set them up to become a household brand name.”
About LIFEAID
LIFEAID Beverage Co. was founded by Orion Melehan and Dr. Aaron Hinde in 2011 and is a pioneer in functional beverage. The brand offers nutrition-focused products including top-selling natural energy drink FitAid, as well as LifeAid, FocusAid, ImmunityAid, PartyAid and GolferAid. Visit www.lifeaidbevco.com.
About the Financial Round Partners
Everplus Capital, located in Newport Beach, California, manages a consumer-oriented fund focused on better-for-you food and beverage brands. Visit www.everplus-cap.com.
Cambridge Companies SPG is a highly respected strategic opportunity investment firm based in Newport Beach, California. Cambridge SPG turns opportunities into value by buying controlling and non-controlling interest in companies poised for growth. The firm focuses on retail, consumer packaged goods (CPG) as well as food & beverage. LIFEAID Beverage Co. is the firm’s 25th investment in the CPG space. Visitwww.cambridgespg.com.
Dwight Funding provides debt solutions uniquely tailored to the needs of growing consumer brands. With a nationwide presence, Dwight has deep ties to the CPG community and is able to provide its portfolio companies with strategic advice and solutions throughout the brand lifecycle. Visit www.dwightfunding.com.
A big thanks to Brad Avery of BevNET.com, Inc.for helping us share the news with the #beverage and #CPG financial community.
@BevNet.com | Press Release Functional drink line expands into retailers nationally while preparing for new product launches. March 29, 2019 – Santa Cruz, CA – High-growth functional beverage brand LIFEAID, which produces premium vitamin drinks, recently closed a $7.7 million financing round to support the brand’s expanding distribution in retailers across the U.S. The round […]
In this unprecedented television event series, contestants have the chance to win $1,000,000 every time they run the Million Dollar Mile. Standing in their way is the most challenging course ever designed and a group of 10 elite athletes with one mission: to stop the contestants from winning the money at all costs.
The Defenders are a group of 10 top-ranked international athletes, including a Green Beret and Army Athlete of the Year, the most decorated Obstacle Course Race (OCR) athlete in history, and a two-time Guinness World Record holder for both the farthest and highest wall flips.
"We searched the globe to find the best athletes to defend the Million Dollar Mile. You may not know their names, but you're about to," said Executive Producers Allison Grodner and Rich Meehan. "These Defenders combine strength and speed with a level of endurance and mental toughness like you've never seen before. They are driven... they don't like to lose and when they are chasing runners down on the streets of Los Angeles it's truly riveting!
The show premieres on CBS this Wednesday, March 27 at 9/8c.
Watch for these three badass FITAID athletes who will serve as DEFENDERS on the Million Dollar Mile obstacle course ... Their only goal: Defend the money at all costs!
What’s the Million Dollar Mile? In this unprecedented television event series, contestants have the chance to win $1,000,000 every time they run the Million Dollar Mile. Standing in their way is the most challenging course ever designed and a group of 10 elite athletes with one mission: to stop the contestants from winning the money at […]
In a time when food is viewed as medicine, the LIFEAID Beverage Company is capitalizing on the expanding interest in better-for-you functional drinks through rapid innovation.
At BevNET Live Summer 2019 on June 12 and 13 in New York City, we’ll sit down with the company’s co-founders, Aaron Hinde and Orion Melehan, to explore how the company is using its deep roots in Crossfit culture to experiment with and expand its product set.
Since we last spoke to LIFEAID at BevNET Live in 2016, the company entered traditional brick-and-mortar retail, raised capital, released a number of new products and now has its sights set on c-store and mainstream retailers. In 2018 alone the company reported a 169 percent increase in sales and is aiming to triple its retail presence to at least 18,000 doors this year, including Walmart, Whole Foods, Kroger, and Sprouts stores.
Behind LIFEAID, FITAID, FOCUSAID, PARTYAID, GOLFERAID, and most recently IMMUNITYAID, the company continues to develop products aimed at niche target demographics and specific use cases. This talk will give BevNET Live attendees insight into how they use subcultures like Crossfit to activate their user groups.
Along with all star speakers like Melehan, Hinde, and others, attendees will also take part in networking and sampling opportunities, as well as offerings like the Beverage School startup session on June 11, and the New Beverage Showdown pitch competition.
Early registration savings are coming to an end! The early registration deadline is next month on Friday, April 26th. Register now to save $200 per ticket.
Additional information can be found on the BevNET Live Summer 2019 website. Questions about the conference can be directed to Jon Landis.
About BevNET Live
BevNET Live Summer 2019 will return to the Metropolitan West in New York, NY on June 12 and 13. A Beverage School for industry newcomers will also be held on Tuesday, June 11 at no additional cost.
BevNET Live is the premiere event for beverage brands, distributors, service providers, retailers and investors to discuss what’s next for the industry. With the industry’s foremost speakers and our New Beverage Showdown, BevNET Live attracts hundreds of brands to each event.
Source: BevNET.com | Mar. 25, 2019 In a time when food is viewed as medicine, the LIFEAID Beverage Company is capitalizing on the expanding interest in better-for-you functional drinks through rapid innovation. At BevNET Live Summer 2019 on June 12 and 13 in New York City, we’ll sit down with the company’s co-founders, Aaron Hinde and Orion Melehan, […]
The most common injuries? Pulled muscles (68%), ankle sprains (48%), and knee strains (45%).
What are FITAID ZERO & FITAID RX ZERO all about?
Co-founders Orion Melehan & Aaron Hinde led the charge for LIFEAID Beach Clean-Up Day.
