DRINKS WITH BENEFITS FESTIVAL NYC

We caught up with The Daily Pour (formerly Bottle Raiders) Founder/Publisher, Dan Abrams, and VP Marketing, Amanda Paul-Garnier, to chat about the exciting Drinks With Benefits, the first Zero Proof Festival, coming to New York (Altman Building, September 27, 2025).

At Drinks With Benefits Festival guests discovered 50+ Non-Alc brands to sip and savor. They tasted innovative and sophisticated non-alcoholic beverages, botanical spirits and functional elixirs in the Tasting Gallery, and met and connected with industry innovators. Attendees strolled through the Non-Alcoholic Beer Garden and Hemp Beverages with music. They experimented in the interactive Mixology Lab, with non-alcoholic cocktail mixing demos. Guests took in the immersive experience in the Drink Rhythms Lounge DJ Sets, Podcasting Lounge, and mindful experiences in the Meditation Tent. They paired their drinking journey with 3 Omakase-style courses by top chefs for VIP Ticket-holders. In the Cipriani Cafe, their Chef will serve up complimentary pasta tastings. Reknowned for pioneering the Bellini, Cipriani paired these dishes with their Bellini Zero Cipriani! The Drinks With Benefits Festival also featured the Zero Proof Choice Awards, crowning the best winners in Non-Alc and Functional beverages. Prior to the event, we sat down with them to talk about this inaugural event.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So what led you to start the first Zero Proof Festival in NYC?

DAN ABRAMS: We had started a spirits media company that was initially focused on whiskey. And we were planning on expanding, and we did, to gin and rum and tequila. And as we were building out the business, we realized that functional beverages are becoming just an enormous part of spirits. And we can't really create a forward-thinking spirits business without making functional beverages a serious part of what we're doing.

And so as we came to that realization, we started talking about and thinking about events, in addition to doing content. Because we had acquired a company that was doing at the time 12 events around the country for whiskey and tequila. We've now expanded that to 15, so events were in the DNA of the business.

But now we were thinking, let's go big! We were stunned considering how significant a business non-alcohol and functional beverages have become, that there hasn't been a major awards in New York. There hasn't been a major event in conjunction with wellness in New York, almost anywhere. And so we thought, what a great opportunity to be on the forefront of this. And those were the seeds behind Drinks With Benefits.

AM: So what types of non-alcoholic or functional beverages would be showcased at this specific event?

AMANDA PAUL-GARNIER: So we have over 60 brands covering non-alcoholic wines, non-alcoholic beers, functional hemp and functional non-hemp products. Brands, probably, you know, like Ghia, Kin Euphorics, Athletic Brewing Company, Bero, But also brands you probably don't know that are very high quality, like Opius Elixirs, which is probably one of the best brands out there.

AM: Yeah, I would say on a personal note, I was diagnosed with gout in the middle of college. Beer is my kryptonite. So I've had to drink clear alcohol spirits or non-alcoholic beverages personally. So when I tried Ghia, for example, I couldn't believe the complexities that they put into a beverage like that.

So the space is growing. But in addition to growing, the formulations are getting better and better. Isn't that true?

APG: Yeah, I would definitely agree with that. We actually just talked with Melanie Masarin, from Ghia. And she was talking about her inspiration for starting the product. But just her integrity in terms of the quality of the ingredients she uses, she's very inspired from the Mediterranean, but she's also French and Italian. So nothing in Ghia is fake or superficial. But she also teases the whole concept that, you know, of like fake ingredients or say, people concerned about the sugar content with non-alcoholic beverages. But she was like, there's a difference between synthetic sugar and actual real sugar. And, you know, what she's trying to create and she believes the next forefront of the frontier for non-alcoholic beverage will be with people seeing those quality ingredients, real ingredients over anything processed. And I think that's one of the driving forces behind this, is that we're seeing in the non-alcoholic spirits industry that people are clamoring for an evaluation of quality. And they're basically the industry folks are saying we care about quality.

DA: This isn't just non-alcoholic wine. We want people to be thinking about what are our ingredients? How are we doing this? How are we distilling this? The same way people do with spirits. And I think that's why both our awards and Drinks With Benefits are really resonating.

AM: And, you know, in preparing for discussing the event, so I came up with the notion of things need to be tasty, but also things need to be useful or new and exciting also. So what kind of categories or different types of vendors or drinks are there available at this Drinks With Benefits Festival as this is new to a lot of communities.

APG: The festival is tiered as far as different categories with the space laid out exactly to respond to that, as for a lot of consumers, this is new and we wanted to kind of guide them through the experience.

So upon arrival, they'll get a consumer discovery map where all the non-alcoholic wines are in one area, all the non-alcoholic spirits and bitters are in one area. And then as you go downstairs, you will find the alcohol-free beer garden and then the hemp and functional space. So we've set this up so that they can discover it by category.

AM: That's great. And then there's also immersive wellness experiences as well, right?

APG: Yes. So we partnered with Sage and Sound, whose Upper East Side wellness studio has a meditation experience. And that will be led by Dara Hart, who's a Reiki master and spiritual guide. So we wanted to have, you know, something wellness adjacent within the experience to really bring to life that, you know, drinking less but better is about overall wellness. It's not just about drinks, even though they're a huge part. It's an overarching thing.

And additionally, we will have live podcasting with Samantha Feher from the podcast Caps Lock, who will be covering different topics on wellness; helping educate the consumer on different aspects of wellness; and transparency and ingredients.

AM: And what types of attendees do you foresee coming?

DA: You know, we see it being a mix. This is not an industry event, but we certainly expect some industry folks will be there. But this is primarily a consumer event. We're targeting a bit of a younger demographic. I mean, that's part of it. We just did a big redesign for our website and our app, now called The Daily Pour. And part of the reason for that is our doubling down in the Non-Alc space, but also the fact that we really are trying to target the 25 to 40 year old demo of people, who have expendable income but who care about health and wellness.

And by the way, it doesn't mean that they don't drink alcohol. Right. It just means that for a lot of them, they do drink alcohol. They just are trying to drink less.

AM: That actually leads me into my next question about Gen Z and millennials in particular and whether they're seeing this as a specific intentional choice versus a substitute. So as people are looking to what to imbibe or include in their lifestyle routines, how do you see the difference if there are between different types of consumers that some are just looking for this and others maybe are moderating alcohol consumption?

DA: So we think the targeting is the same. Which is, it's about quality beverages. Whether you are trying to drink less; whether you don't drink at all; whether you are moving from alcohol to hemp; whatever the case may be - we think that the piece that's been missing is focusing on the quality. And that's how we started this business.

We started this as a consumer facing business to say to people, we're going to help you drink whiskey and tequila and rum smarter and better. All we're doing is applying that same philosophy to non-alcohol and functional beverages. So it applies to all of them with regard to and again, that's why I think it's so important that I keep emphasizing that we're doing these awards in conjunction with the event. Because it's the same focus, which is quality. What is the quality? What are the ingredients? Because that's what drinking fine spirits is all about.

AM: And you guys are having a Omakase Food Hall at the event, which I think would get us to go to most events. What's involved with that?

APG: So we wanted to recreate experiences for consumers where they would normally have alcohol, but really show them they could have fun with non-alcoholic and alternative beverages. So we created a pairing experience with well-known restaurants in New York, including the Butcher's Daughter, Ado Lei, and Seatopia. Basically with that VIP ticket, consumers will get to go to two different counters and have a pairing experience where they have a light bite paired with an alternative beverage.

AM: There's also a mixology area for the Drinks With Benefit Festival. What kinds of things would guests be able to mix?

APG: So yes, we have the mixology lab. And we really wanted to bring to life, have a space within the event that made education fun. So The Pathfinder, For Bitter For Worse, FLUÈRE, those are some of the brands that have taken over the space. And they'll be doing education, cocktail making sessions, guided tastings.

The Alchemist Kitchen, which is in Soho, they will do a lot of elixirs, and a guided education with how to make cocktails with different plants and herbs and things like that. It'll be a really fun space for consumers to have a hands-on education or edutainment experience.

AM: For non-alcoholic consumers, are they generally narrow-minded towards the areas they're focused on? Or are they very open-minded, where they would like to try the different categories from beer, to a CBD, to maybe a sparkling spritz or something?

DA: So look, yeah, obviously, it completely depends on the person. There are some people who simply don't want anything that is in any way mind-altering, right? So they don't want functional alternatives. They don't want alcohol. That's one. And that's probably a much smaller base of consumers. There's still people we're appealing to, but they are a much smaller group. The much larger group are the people who drink a little.

They also try functional beverages. They try non-alcohol. They're interested in different areas. There are some folks who only want functional beverages and not alcohol. So it really depends. But what we're finding, based on the studies, is that most of the people who drink these non-alcohol and functional beverages also drink alcohol.

AM: That's super interesting. The space is definitely booming as consumers are finding multiple winners, in multiple categories, as open-minded in trying new things. And there might even be new categories that come out in the future. What are some untapped areas you could see now? Or do you think pretty much we're hitting where we would be for several years to come?

DA: I'd say the untapped is really the increase in the quality and the focus on ingredients. In a way that’s 10 years, 15 years ago, it was, ‘oh it's just a non-alcoholic wine.’ Or hey, I mean, ‘you probably know this from it as a non-alcoholic beer or whatever it is.’ And it's like, ‘OK, is it good? What is it made from?’ So that's the difference.

And I think that's the future in terms of where people are going, which is why we're trying to ride that wave of particularly younger people who have been brought up, focused on quality in a world where the evaluation of quality hasn't been so focused on non-alcoholic spirits.

AM: Sure. And do you see that a lot of these consumers are somewhat sophisticated where the benefits will be worth the price points?

DA: They're becoming more sophisticated. And I think that is the whole philosophy behind what we're doing, is that we're trying to help them become more sophisticated. We're the place that can say to them, we know you want to be more sophisticated. Now let us help you get there in a really accessible way.

AM: Yeah. Master edutainer, Dan. I see that totally. I learn stuff from all your other groundbreaking shows, I just know a couple of things what to do, not to do now because of you.

DA: My strengths are condensing complicated information into a pretty simple and accessible way to say it. We're kind of doing the same thing here with drinks. We are taking a confusing world of drinks and trying to make it a lot more understandable and to help them make choices.

And that's not completely dissimilar from what I do in my TV world. Sure. And then also some humor here and there.

AM: Totally. So and then after New York, are there other cities you're looking to take this festival to?

DA: Yeah, we haven't figured it out. I mean, we definitely are thinking about doing more. We want to first get this one under our belts before we start actively planning the next one. We want to see what went right, what went wrong, where could we improve? And that will help us determine, should we do another one in New York? Should we think about one in a different city? Our whiskey and tequila events, we're seeing great success recently in launches in some smaller cities like Scottsdale, Arizona or Austin, Texas and places like that. And so would that be our next? I don't know yet.

New York is a big swing. You know, and honestly, if we weren't kind of first to market on this, we probably wouldn't have started in New York. But I think that's why we felt comfortable starting in New York, because we were stunned that this hasn't existed yet.

AM: Tell us more about The Daily Pour, the organizers of the Drinks With Benefits Festival.

DA: Yeah, it's a consumer guide to drinking better. And so it has what we do - we have an app that aggregates reviews and ratings, some of which we do, some of which is from other places. But it allows it to be a kind of one stop shop to tell you, is this any good? I mean, I use it all the time when I'm thinking about buying a whiskey or something, because it allows me to see numerous aggregated reviews. And a lot of these are enthusiasts who've done reviews who might not have put a number on it. And we translate it into a number.

So the app is very useful. The website covers different issues in the spirits industry. We've recently been focusing on one particular beverage in a particular week or a particular month, which is another new thing we've done.

But, you know, the Daily Pour literally went live two days ago (formerly Bottle Raiders). And it's just a fundamentally different vibe. Bottle Raiders was initially designed based on a whiskey drinker.. And now you're in a much brighter, more vibrant place because we want it to be more inclusive of the non-alcoholic and wellness community as well.

APG: I think The Daily Pour is meeting the consumer where they are today, covering cross categories. So it's covering ‘I do still want to drink, but I want to drink better.’ So it's covering spirits. Also, it’s ‘I want to have that great margarita, but I don't want to have that during the week.’ Additionally it’s covering functional beverages, ‘and I want to learn about Non-Alc.” So I think that a lot of the other websites treat Non-Alc and alternative beverages like a footnote. Like it's really hard to find them. If you go to certain websites, they have it hidden under culture. I'm like, I don't know how anyone would find that. So we don't want to treat it like that.

I think about the scoring. I think that's extremely helpful to have this kind of meta score, our signature rating system that aggregates everyone's point of view and just gives space that is sometimes hard to understand.

AM: And the app is free. Are there premium plans to it or features?

APG: Yes, and then if you get the premium subscription, that's like $5 a month. And what are the benefits of that, so it saves your taste list. You get access to certain events and kind of discounts on certain things that we offer, exclusive content, things like that.

AM: That's terrific. And I also wanted to ask about Ev & Em Vineyards, Dan.

DA: So Ev & Em is a winery that I acquired in early 2021. It was right in the heart of COVID and the winery owners had kind of given up in COVID. And I had a friend who is one of the pioneers of the North Fork wine scene who called me and said, hey, you mentioned that you were interested in buying a winery. Were you serious? And I said, yeah, I was serious. Because I told you if I ever saw something really interesting that I would let you know.

And this is really interesting. It has one of the oldest planted vineyards on the North Fork. It has a beautiful location. It just needs some love. It needs some new thoughts about how to do the winemaking. And you could have an A-list vineyard.

And he was right. Even by the ‘22 Vintage, which was released in some of it in ‘23, some of it only now for the Reds, we're creating luxury wines in Long Island. So these are wines that we think can compete with California, Oregon, Washington, et cetera, in really all varietals. And so that's been super exciting!

AM: And there are multiple offerings. There's a Reserve, correct?

DA: There is. Yeah, we're making everything from Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris. I mean, we've got a whole range of offerings.

And in some of those, we have a Reserve. So depending on the year, for example in ‘22, we had a number of Reserve wines on the Reds, some of which actually haven't even been released yet. But our Reserve Red ‘22, super proud of that.

‘23 was a tougher year for us, but ‘24 was amazing. So we're very confident about that ‘24 Vintage that's coming out. And ‘25 looks great as well.

Stay tuned for an upcoming THE 9LIST of some of our (new) faves. We especially enjoyed Non-Alc Mixed Mocktails from The Pathfinder, Mad Flora, Junglee; Non-Alc Sparkling Wines from Society De La Rassi and Wölffer Estate; THC/CBD Gummies and Drinks from Studio TBD, Ayrloom, and Wynk; and Alice Functional Mushrooms Functional Mushroom Chocolates.

Please use responsibly. Follow the age, laws, and other restrictions in your state. Do not drink and drive while empaired.

IG @drinkswithbenefits

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Paul Farkas

GUMMIES & ZZZ | TYSON APOSTOL

We connected with Tyson Apostol, winner of Survivor Blood vs. Water; 4X Survivor competitor. He related to us that a main reason for winning was maintaining strength and endurance in life skills and needs. From endurance swimming in college, then professionally cycling, and later finding love in Pickleball, Tyson likes unbounded sports and activities.

For some sleep and ache and pain issues, he discovered cannabis gummies, and partnered with Trulieve as an ambassador. We ask him about when and how he integrates gummies into his routines; if he uses cannabis with training or playing Pickleballl; touring the Trulieve grow rooms and facility, and also ask about what he’s looking forward to seeing, with the upcoming season of Survivor 49.

ATHLEISURE MAG: So, so what led you to go to become a pro cyclist?

TYSON APOSTOL: Honestly, you know, I just was having a conversation recently about this, because everybody’s like oh that was your passion - I was like, no, it wasn’t, my passion was avoiding a cubicle. After college, I was good at cycling and enjoyed it but I don’t think it was a love of my life, but I found a way to avoid [the office]. I just was never like a work guy, just the feel and I know that people are going to read this and be lik, oh he’s so spoiled. No, I found a way to avoid that thing I didn’t like, which was going to college, getting a career afterwards. And so cycling for me was a way to continue playing, maybe longer than other adults were able to.

AM: Sure, but then with all the weather and the endurance I mean it sounds like it was brutal each leg of the race is tough right?

TA: Yeah, and it was brutal because I’m sitting out there pedaling in the rain convincing myself that the motivation for continuing to train in the rain and the snow and the sleet, the hail, whatever it is. It’s better than being in a cubicle, but now that I’m 46 I’m looking back, I’m like those guys in the cubicle we’re looking out the window at me riding my bike in the rain thinking I’m an idiot. So, we probably all found our thing.

AM: Yeah it’s a mixed bag now the cubicle people are riding too!

TA: That’s right even writing in the office these days right they are writing in the office with their pedal desk.

AM: And you swam in college?

TA: I swam in college. I swam through high school into college. And as soon as I decided that, I didn’t want to be there. I spent one year at college, so distance freestyle endurance was my thing, like that was the thing I was good at, so that didn’t really matter the sport as much as endurance, like I can run forever, I could ride forever, I could swim forever, you give me something long slog, and I’ll be able to do that.

AM: And then at some point you found and fell in love with pickleball?

TA: Yes, I’m the same way I saw it. And then when I went there and got to enjoy and experience it with just taking it all in, I was just like, this is, this is magic. This is a magical combination of excitement, skill and intensity.

AM: So how was your story with how you found it?

TA: I moved to Arizona to get away from the snow from Utah. And I was just like I’ve been grinding my whole life for physical activity, like riding a bike for hours on end, jogging for a few hours, going and swimming laps - like all of those are grinds, none of those are really that exciting.

And I just was like, I only want to do exercise now that I enjoy, because I’ve done so much unenjoyable exercise to me. And when I moved to Arizona in 2017, the neighborhood I moved into had some pickleball courts, and I was like I don’t know what those are, we googled it and did a little research. I took my 70 year-old neighbor who wasn’t working, and we would go over and figure out the game just by googling the rules in the middle of the day so we figured out how to play pickleball. And we both were immediately hooked.

So, we started, we joined the little neighborhood meetup on the mornings, and just kind of went from there. And, and then when COVID happened, I had to kind of readjust my business format of what I’d been doing, because I wasn’t able to go out and make appearances and this and that, and I was like I love pickleball. And now we’re kind of like in this little slow moment of time, let’s see if we can parlay my love for pickleball into being present in the community and in the sport and just the right timing, like it took off. Like if I could have had this timing with Bitcoin, I’d be like a trillionaire right now, maybe, maybe..

AM: Yeah, maybe.. because people go up, but they never say what they’d cash out, or that they lost their USB or keys, maybe that they sold at a low because they were desperate or whatever.. there’s lots of examples. People don’t factor if they’d sell on the upswings and cashed some out.

How is it working with the Pickleball leagues?

TA: I like it. The Carvana PPA Tour has had me do some interviews to get to know their players as people. Like that’s kind of been a little bit of a disconnect for them is getting the fan base to really know the players, rather than just see people playing pickleball on screen. So I’ve been fortunate to run some interviews with some of their players delving deeper into what makes them tick, who they are as people, and where they came from before pickleball. And so yeah, that has been fun and interesting.

AM: That’s super important. And so there’s so many stars and rising stars in the leagues. You know, what teams are you looking for? Who are some of your favorite players?

TA: I mean, I like the fiery ones. I don’t know if they’re my favorite people, but I like to watch them on the court the most because they get people amped and going and create a little controversy and stuff. But other than that, you know, I love, honestly, I’ve been working with Franklin pickleball now for six months, and they have a couple of my favorite players. Paris Todd. She’s comes from a tennis background. And and then Hayden Patrick Quinn, who’s like, yeah, he’s this young fire kid who’s like kind of getting under the skin of some of the older guys, which I love.

AM: Yeah, we just had a recent cover interview with Tyson McGuffin, who’s great on and off the court.

TA: Oh, yeah. Yeah, fiery.

AM: Right. But you have to you have to bring the receipts, at least -

TA: That’s right. You know, I mean, you don’t have to bring the receipts, but people respect you more if you do. Well, I mean, why I say that is like, if you stay fiery, I mean, you have to earn being fiery. Yes, I would hope. I think so. Unless it’s like, all right, we’ll leave it there. Yeah, no, I like Tyson, too. I told my daughters I was named after him, even though I’m probably 15 years older than. That’s good.

AM: Did they believe you?

TA: Just for half a second. Yeah, they were like, what? No.

AM: How many kids do you have?

TA: Two daughters. Ten and seven.

AM: So when did you first start using cannabis? Was it was it recreationally, medicinal, some combination or other?

TA: It was medicinal. I was having a lot of back pain. This is maybe 2000. Yeah, then in 2017/2018, kind of when I started playing pickleball. But it was mostly from picking up my kids so much, lifting them out of the crib. Like cribs are designed for you too, like, to hurt your back. It’s not like you can bend your legs and lift a kid out of a crib. You have to, like, hunch over the bar and then lift up. And so for some reason, I had this debilitating back pain, like bedridden. There were days I couldn’t walk. And I had, you know, taken handfuls of aspirin or whatever. And also I found some expired opioids from when my wife was pregnant going through her stuff after pregnancy, and tried those and was like, there’s a better way. I’ve only heard so many negatives about these medicines as bad for your liver bad and stomach lining, all of that stuff. And opioids are super addictive and terrible for you as well. And I said, I grew up raised Mormon.

And so it was like, you don’t do anything that is questionable in any capacity. But at 36/37, I was like, I have to try something better than what is available to me. And that’s the first time that I have tried cannabis. And it, for me, it worked so much better. It helped me sleep better, which is like the number one thing I needed was to be able to sleep well enough to recover and to heal. And so, yeah, big believer from there. It worked for me perfectly. And that’s what I mostly use it for still is sleep and recovery.

AM: And you’re working with Trulieve now as an ambassador?

TA: Yes, as an ambassador. They’re in the Pickleball game too. You know, I actually, Ethan Zahn, I don’t know if you know who he is. He won Survivor Africa, and he used cannabis products for during his fights with cancer. And so I knew that he had been working with Trulieve. So I heard of the name a lot, and they got into the Pickleball space, and reached out to me and were like, hey, we’d love to have you as a VIP, our guest at one of the Pickleball events. And I was like, oh, I already am in the pickleball space, but I would love to get to know you better because I already use your products to help me stay on top of my game in my life. That’s always the best scenario. Perfect. It was so cool.

AM: So what products were you using?

TA: I use their Sweet Talk gummies, and I’m mostly an edibles guy. And so I use those mostly for sleep. But once in a while, if I get invited to a real early game of Pickleball, a lot of these guys in Arizona, these old guys, they like to play like five in the morning before the heat kicks in.

And then I use some of their other stuff.

AM: So now for sleep, how long do you allow for when you take it before your target time to go to bed or do you look at it that way?

TA: Yeah, I do. I usually do half an hour to an hour, is when I like to be in bed after I take it and I’ll usually get home from Pickleball. I don’t take it every day. I don’t need it every day. But when I do, it’s definitely a much better option for me than anything else. And so when I do take it, it’s usually from late Pickleball and I’m too amped to fall asleep. So I take it as soon as I walk in the door, I take it, then I get my hydration, take a shower, go lay down and have a good night’s rest. When you take it, do you take it with the little fatty foods or substance or do you take it just by itself? I just take it plain by itself.

A lot of their products already have the CBD in it and stuff. So that’s terrific. Yeah. The CBD and seems to be a really nice effect with some products I’ve had.

AM: Yeah, I use cannabis actually in work and play and medicinal. So as a Celebrity Photographer, before every shoot, I smoke a little, get loose and to be creative. Yeah. I also have Gout and RA. So I use the products as I have some pain and imflamation and have to be very quick, flexible and steady.

What would you recommend for people who might not be so open minded towards cannabis use to think about? Are there some benefits or ways to think about it that might make some people reconsider it?

TA: I think you look at the side effects and the possible side effects of taking something else. That’s how I came to terms with it was when look[ing] at aspirin, all these over-the-counter medicines taken every day or multiple times a week, that’s going to take its toll on me, as well as opioids, which we know are highly addictive and very, very dangerous. And so for me, I was like, I don’t want to even have to deal with this, whether it’s months down the road, years down the road. All of that stuff adds up. And for me, I was like, a cannabis product that’s all natural for me is a much better solution.

And I went in and was like, if this works, this is what my path will be, because I already know that for me, this is better for my body.

AM: That’s terrific. And it seems like at least with edibles or gummies, there’s a way to take baby steps to see if you might like it comfortably at home. You could gradually increase your dose or the different things you use to maybe decide it without being overbearing, right?

TA: Yeah, exactly. And it tastes like candy. So it’s essentially, you know, you get like a little sweet treat, sweet top gummies, you get a little bit right before bed. It’s kind of a nice little taste and flavor. And yeah, like you said, like my wife uses them when she needs to fall asleep. She cuts them in half or in quarters. I take a whole 10mg gummy. And then if I go out early to play Pickleball, like I said, like in the mornings, my hamstrings or lower back will be really tight sometimes. And I take the Chilax. They’re only one milligram of THC and 20mg of CBD.

AM: Yeah, that’s a low dose. Yeah.

TA: So I’ll take two of those before I go play pickleball in the morning. And that kind of helps me loosen up so that I feel like I can move around normally.

AM: See, that’s great. Because we talked with some athletes that do incorporate cannabis use in their training, while they’re playing or competing, and then in their recovery. So it’s interesting to see the different persona types. You know, I think there’s some athletes that would not think to do that and have it just for recovery. And then other athletes would train with it and maybe participate with it. So have you found the game super enjoyable to or the competition a little more exciting? Or it’s just it’s such a low dose. It’s more just for aches and pains?

TA: It’s a low dose. It’s for aches and pains. I do notice that I play better Pickleball when I’m focused on playing Pickleball. And so I know when I take some cannabis, I kind of focus more on what I’m doing rather than let my mind wander off into like, did I get these bills paid? Do I have this meeting coming? And so I do naturally probably play a little bit better when I have done that, especially in the morning, for sure in the morning. Because I would be too tight and tired to get going at five or six in the morning when all these old guys like to play.

AM: Do you have any favorite strains, do you lean Indica or Sativa?

TA: I mean indica for sure if I’m sleeping or need to chill at night, and sativa in the day and just in low doses. So to sleep, I take 10mg of Indica and I use mostly I use this slumber. Okay. You can see that. And then the Chillax one, which is Sativa, but it’s only, you know, 1mg. So, and I have others. They have a whole line of them, you know, Hybrids, everything else. I’m not a sensitive person though, like it doesn’t matter what it is. You give me racing bikes as a pro cyclist, people be like, oh, this frame is so stiff. I can’t hardly. And I was like, I can’t tell the difference. So if there’s big differences, I can tell. But if there’s smaller differences..

AM: I’m a super Indica guy. OK, even when I’m using it when out and socializing, or being creative and productive, I still would be Indica. And in the last couple of years, I’m experimenting with Sativa and kind of pushing myself, because I feel a little hazy tension cerebrally at first with Sativa, but then I get through it and I really like the energy and the bright buzz aspect of some strains and Hybrids.

TA: And I was invited and went to their grow operation here in Phoenix. And they had you see all of the rooms with all the different strains lined up.

AM: Yeah, it’s a science. Yeah. Yeah.

TA: It’s always fun to be in those big rooms.

AM: It’s just ridiculous. And, you know, it just feels like a Mecca. Right.

So every time everyone talks to you, I guess Survivor always comes up. So, you know, our community definitely knows you from there. And we’d love to hear any key takeaways you have, or thoughts you had on the different seasons, or what your biggest takeaway was overall.

TA: My biggest takeaway overall from Survivor? I mean, honestly, I think the thing that is I hear a lot from people, from fans is, oh, I could never do that. You know, people are like, oh, I love Survivor. I love seeing you on there. I love the show, but I could never do that. And that’s not true. Anybody, almost anybody could do it.

Like you get out there, you rely on a group, you’re put in this stressful situation that you have to figure out, you’ll figure it out. And it’s like I didn’t do any special training to be out there. A lot of these people didn’t. You see a lot of people that are kind of incompetent out there. Like if you truly want to be on Survivor and are thinking you can’t do it because it’s too difficult, that’s absolutely not true. You can get out there and do it. But is there something, training or skills you could build up before getting on there? Yeah, there is. I mean, the part that’s hardest to train for is the lack of sleep, the lack of food, the discomfort. Like you can’t train for that.

Otherwise, the game is primarily a social game. And if you can operate civilly while under the stresses of no sleep, no food, no cleanliness, extreme conditions, then you’ve got it. That’s the name of the game is keeping your wits when you have nothing else around you. But it’s also why the show’s been on so long because so many people can’t do that.

Like you get out there, you rely on a group, you’re put in this stressful situation that you have to figure out, you’ll figure it out. And it’s like, I didn’t do any special training to be out there. A lot of these people didn’t. You see a lot of people that are kind of incompetent out there. Like if you truly want to be on Survivor and are thinking you can’t do it because it’s too difficult, that’s absolutely not true. You can get out there and do it. But is there something, training or skills you could build up before getting on there? Yeah, there is. I mean, the part that’s hardest to train for is the lack of sleep, the lack of food, the discomfort. Like you can’t train for that.

Otherwise, the game is primarily a social game. And if you can operate civilly, while under the stresses of no sleep, no food, no cleanliness, extreme conditions, then you’ve got it. That’s the name of the game - keeping your wits when you have nothing else around you. But it’s also why the

show’s been on so long because so many people can’t do that. So they lose their minds. Like you watch the show and you’re like, that wasn’t very smart gameplay. And you’re like, yeah, that person’s not thinking clearly. They haven’t eaten in two weeks. So, yeah, preparation-wise, I think the best thing you can do is steer away from anything like real people, and quitting coffee because it’s like they want their coffee every single morning. You don’t get coffee every morning on Survivor. So something like that. And then building up your endurance and grip strength, work on puzzles, that type of thing. But in the end, it’s social and political. So whatever you can do to get in the right headspace to be chill, even when everything around you is maybe not, that’s where you got to be.

AM: What should we look for in the upcoming season? Are there things you’re looking out for?

TA: The things I’m looking out for most are there’s two players on season 49 that will be on season 50, the major all-star season after 2020. And so I’m watching those two players. Why did they get selected for 50? Why are they playing two times in a row? What did they do on season 49 that’s so impressive that they’re back again for another season without any of the fans’ reaction to them? The production just figured that those two would be good enough to come back for another season.

AM: So this time we’ll both be watching and maybe having a gummy and enjoying how it unfolds, huh?

TA: That’s right. I love it. Every season, it’s always different. That’s the beauty of it. I like to watch it for the strategy. Everyone has their own thing. My kids like to watch the challenges. They love the little games and stuff like that. I like how the strategy unfolds, thinking what I would do in that situation. If there’s something out of the box you could do that might be even stronger, that type of thing.

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PHOTOGRAHY COURTESY | Tyson Apostol

Read the SEP ISSUE #117 of Athleisure Mag and see GUMMIES & ZZZ | Tyson Apostol in mag.

HOW CAN CBD GUMMIES BE BENEFICIAL TO YOUR LIFESTYLE?

Today, almost everything is being infused with CBD from bath bombs to vape oils, body lotions, bud and drinks for health benefits. CBD is a cannabinoid compound sourced from the cannabis plants, which raises the question of why a compound from a controversial plant is all over a sudden gaining popularity.

Although research is still being carried out on the effectiveness of CBD, its popularity has been due to its effectiveness in relieving pain and anxiety. In addition to people suffering from chronic conditions, other people using various CBD products like CBD gummies include those suffering from epilepsy, endometriosis, fibromyalgia and drug cravings among others.

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When you take gummies, the CBD interacts with your brain and immune system receptors to alleviate pain and reduce inflammation. Studies have shown that CBD helps to alleviate pain without triggering the side effects of other alternative powerful pain medications.

Reduce Anxiety and Depression

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Alleviate Cancer Treatment Symptoms

Studies have shown that taking CBD gummies can help alleviate the side effects of cancer treatment. It has been proven that CBD helps in reducing the chemotherapy-related side effects like nausea and vomiting among other symptoms. Furthermore, although studies are ongoing, animal test tube studies have shown that CBD may have anticancer properties by inhibiting the spread of aggressive breast cancer cells in mice.

Neuroprotective Properties

Studies have shown that CBD has the ability to act on the endocannabinoid system as well as other brain signaling systems that offer benefits to those suffering from neurological disorders. In fact, the use of CBD among people suffering from multiple sclerosis has been proven as a safe and effective solution to reduce muscle spasticity, especially among individuals experiencing muscle spasticity that is resistant to medications. CBD is also proven to offer tangible benefits to people suffering from epilepsy, such as reduction of seizure activity.

Although CBD treatments are still in their early stages, their potential role in treating various health issues without triggering dangerous side effects has been proven. Other less known benefits when taking CBD gummies can provide include antipsychotic effects, anti-tumor effects, and diabetes prevention.

Read more from the latest issue of Athleisure Mag.