Sugar Backlash Opens Door For All-natural Sports Drinks
Concerns about sugar have soft-drink sales tanking nationwide. Now, sugar-based "sports drinks" are coming under fire. Natural alternatives like Ultima Replenisher win devotees.
New York, NY (PRWEB) January 14, 2009
Following the lead of school systems in California and Connecticut, a growing list of jurisdictions is banning sugared soft drinks on campus. New York State is proposing an 18% "Obesity Tax" on sugary beverages. And 71% of Americans report they are "monitoring" their sugar consumption (source: International Food Information Council). The result: seven straight years of sales decline for good old soda pop.
So what about soda's sugary cousins - so called "sports drinks?" Up to now they've been growing nicely ( 2.6% to $4.2 billion in 2007). But watch out as more and more moms, kids and school administrators look for natural, sugar-free alternatives.
One of these is Ultima Replenisher. It's the only naturally sweetened, gluten-free, vegan, and non-GMO performance drink. Ultima delivers 8 essential electrolytes--including potassium, magnesium and chloride--in a balanced formula that's easily absorbed. The drink also contains water-soluble vitamins and vitamin enhancers for day-to-day health maintenance, and antioxidants to protect body systems from toxins.
"Everybody needs electrolytes every day, but no one needs the sugar and artificial sweeteners," says Seth Bovio, the president of Ultima Health Products and Masters distance runner, "Sweat isn't just water. It contains vital electrolytes and minerals our bodies use in combination and they must be replaced in balance. Restoring the balance is what hydration is about."
Ultima devotees range from kids to grandmas and construction workers to world-class athletes.
Meg Poulson, fitness director for Sun City Anthem, a 55-and-over retirement community with 6,000 residents in Henderson, NV, recommends Ultima. "All the other [electrolyte beverages] are full of sugar," she says.
Dr. Chad Peters, founder of Armadillo Sports Chiropractic in Corpus Christi, TX (sponsor of BayFest, Island Duathlon, Corpus Christi Triathlon, Beach to Bay, and Wet & Wild Tri), recommends Ultima to prevent cramping. Why? Many of patients' aches and pains stem from dehydration or electrolyte imbalance.
Charlotte, NC-based Teams in Training Coach Scott Sartwell not only recommends Ultima to the triathletes runners he coaches, but also sold the workers in his construction company. "The guys in my company use it everyday," he says. "You just pull out a bottle of water, throw in the powder and you're good to go."
People are coming to understand that proper hydration isn't just drinking fluids, it's the balanced replacement of eight core electrolytes. All that sugar in sports drinks actually slows down hydration and performance, says Bovio. Because sugar has to be digested, sugar drinks pull water into the stomach and away from muscles that need it.
Not paying for obesity
This month, The Colorado Education Board banned sugary drinks--including a number of popular sports drinks--in schools system-wide. When asked by The Rocky Mountain News why the rule is needed, Board member Elaine Gantz Berman said, "I am not paying for the health care of diabetic children. I am not paying for the health care of obese children."
Berman is not alone. "People are waking up to drinks that taste good and do bad," says Livingston Miller, CEO of New York-based ad agency Seiter & Miller Advertising, which promotes Ultima Replenisher. "The opportunity just gets better for natural alternatives like Ultima that help you lead a healthier life and, by the way, also taste great."
About Ultima Replenisher
Marketed by UHP, Inc., in New York City, Ultima Replenisher (www. ultimareplenisher. com ) electrolyte drink mix is the choice of retailers and races with the highest standards for health and performance--including the Hartford (CT) Marathon, Seattle to Portland Bicycle Race, and Grandma's Marathon (Duluth, MN). It is the top-selling electrolyte drink mix stocked by natural foods industry leader Whole Foods, whose standards for purity are the highest of any retailer worldwide. While originally formulated for elite athletes--who need to replenish fast without engaging digestion--Ultima is proven effective in everyday conditions ranging from airplane travel to hangovers to dieting to pregnancy. It is also used as an aid in the treatment of such diseases as cancer and Crohn's.
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