KNOW YOUR NUMBERS PLAYING WITH HEART

After speaking with St. Louis Cardinals’ Albert Pujols about his career, achievements and why he partnered with Merck for their Playing with Heart initiative, we followed up by spending a day at Yankee Stadium to listen to a press conferenece with Chris Regent, who is the CV and Metabolic for Merck, as well as HOF Leader World Champion, 6X All Star Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia who also got his number No 52 retired that weekend as well. He was also joined by Yankee Manager, Aaron Boone.

Together, they talked about the importance of heart health, staying on top of your health, and their heart journeys. From CC’s stent to Aaron’s pacemaker, and Chris having a number of male relatives who passed away from heart issues. They also talked about Playing with Heart and how the MLB is assisting in this effort.

CHRIS REGENT: Good afternoon, everyone. It is great to be here with you. On behalf of Merck, I’m Christopher Regent. I lead CV and metabolic in the US. And I’m joined here by the Skipper, of course, from the Yankees, Aaron Boone. And, of course, the great Hall of Famer, C.C. Sabathia. And, you know, we’re all here today to talk about something that is very important. We’re here in National Cholesterol Education Month. Okay? I want to talk a little bit about what cholesterol is. And I want to talk about the bad stuff. which is called LDL. And LDL, you may or may not know, runs through the blood. It could be in your blood. And if it’s high, if it’s high, and there’s too much in the blood, it’s this fatty kind of sticky stuff. And it will build up on the wall of the artery. And what could happen is it could break off. It could clog the artery. And if it does, then you could have a heart attack. Heart attacks and strokes are the leading cause of death in the U.S. More people die from them than anything else in the U.S. And high LDL bad cholesterol is a major risk factor. Okay, so that’s important for us all to know. Now, why are we all here today?

We’re here today because Merck has partnered with 9 teams, clubs, from MLB with the Skipper here, with CC. We’ve come together and we have with this program called Playing With Heart. Playing With Heart is about how do we raise awareness? How do we educate?

I need all of your help for this. How do we make people aware of what the leading cause of death is and what they need to do? And what they need to do... is they need to understand what this bad cholesterol LDL is. They need to talk to their doctor. They need to go in and ask about it. They need to know the number they have. Very important. And if it’s high, they need to do something about it with the doctor. And the doctor can figure out the plan that’s right for them.

Why am I here? What motivates me? So, you know, many years ago, I’d say close to 50, I was a young boy, and I grew up with the Yankees. Right? And, you know, back then it was Reggie, Willie, Thurman, all of those guys. Phil Rizzuto on the TV. And I grew up with them, and, you know, I love the team. And my love for the game had started back then. And I looked at the players and I said, boy, you know, they’re all in great shape. I would love to be like them. So I started to play the game. I tried to eat right. I worked out. And through the years, what I found was that, you know, I did all of that. And I felt like I looked good on the outside, but on the inside, I was not so good because this LDL was starting to rise. It was starting to rise. And one day my doctor came to me and said, look, Chris, you need to do something. You need to get on a plan to reduce it. So I did at that point in time. And I realized that, you know, it’s not just me. It’s many people out there. It’s why the leading cause of death is there because you may look good on the outside, but it’s kind of silent what is happening on the inside. And you need the blood test, you need the LDL check, you need to talk to your doctor. So that’s kind of the way I look at it. That’s the story that I have. That’s why I’m here.

Next I want to turn things over to the skipper here just to, you know, tell your story. Talk a little bit about why MLB, why the Yankees, baseball.

AARON BOONE: I’m glad to be here. I think one thing that stands out is I think you guys have done a great job, and Mark Loretta (San Diego Padres) has done a great job, of getting out a simple message. I watch MLB Network all the time, so I’ve seen all of CC’s commercials and Jimmy Rollins’ (Philadelphia Phillies) commercials, and it really is simple. Like you said, this is a silent killer that can lay dormant that you can feel totally fine. But it’s so critical to know your number. I mean, you know, there’s obviously cancer and there’s many diseases out there. But as he said, you know, heart attack and stroke are the number one killer. And this is something that can lay dormant in you as far as how you feel. And that’s why it’s so important that you know your LDL-C number. You know, with your doctor, playingwithheart.com where you can go and get information about this. And this is something that you can stay on top of and be on top of and really be a life changer for you. So I know CC’s had a very real scary situation with cholesterol.

My heart journey is a little bit different in that I was born with a condition where I had open heart surgery in 2009. I have a pacemaker now that I got put in several years ago, not related to high cholesterol. I understand the importance of knowing this number and making sure that it’s at the right level. And you can have a lot of control in that. And your doctor and getting these tests and knowing what that is goes a long way in you preventing something that you may not even feel that exists right now inside of you.

CR: Thank you. Anything else you want to say? What do you think about what we’re doing with baseball and how it connects in here?

AB: Yeah, I love it. I mean, you know, baseball is Americana and, you know, it’s our national pastime. So I think it’s a great platform to get out. That is so critical. And again, that is something that you can absolutely get out ahead of and take care of and prevent. And this is what we want to do. We want to prevent as many strokes and as many heart attacks as we have. And this is the number one way to do that. And I think the simple message that is going out, again, going back, when I see CC, when I see Jimmy Rollins talk about their personal stories, talking about Charlie Manuel, the Skipper for the Phillies and their World Series team, like those simple messages resonate with me and I’m sure thousands of baseball fans out there that tune in and see those commercials And this is something that we can all be on top of and and should be!

CR: All right CC. So let’s hear a little bit about your story here. You have a very real one I think it’s very powerful. It’s very touching, but we’d love to hear from you.

CC SABATHIA: Yeah, so I’m here with Merck and playingwithheart.com because 2018 November I had a heart scare. More than a heart scare, I had a stint put in. But November 2018, me and my wife were in California, and I wake up in the middle of the night, and I started throwing up. And I looked at her, and I yelled at her, and I was like, “babe, I’m having a heart attack. I can just feel it.” I felt like something wasn’t right. But it kind of went away. Like, it subsided, went away. And then for two months, the next eight weeks, I was trying to figure out what was going on. I would get these little mini attacks. I was going to the doctor, but my symptoms weren’t normal of heart failure, which was like tingling down the arm or some of these other symptoms. Mine was, I was throwing up allof the time. So we thought it was something wrong with my stomach. I’m trying to figure out.

I was actually coming down here to the stadium. I was working out here with Stevie at the time. And there was one day I came down here. um and Stevie just looked at me he was like, “you don’t look right.” This was the beginning of January. I had still been dealing with sleepless nights by this time, sitting up on my couch, I couldn’t even lay down. Stevie goes, “you need to go to the doctor right away.” I went over to the hospital. They gave me a stress test. I couldn’t even give them 30 seconds of the stress test and they brought me into the operating room and put the stint in. Had I not known or not been on top of anything, I could have passed away at 38 years old from a massive heart. I think it is important for me to share my story, to be here, and talk about this with people so that they can understand.

You could be out pitching. You could be at the top of your game. I was pitching. And even when I pitched, there would be times when I would go out and throw in the bullpen before the game, and I’d have to come in. I would have to come in and sit down. I’d have to kind of undress and reset my whole self to get a second wind and I had no idea. I was like 90% blocked in my widow maker! I’m out here pitching and I could have passed out on the mound. So it’s important for people to understand their number and really check in with their doctor and understand what’s going on!

CR: Thank you so much for sharing all of that! It’s a very real thing. It happens a lot. That’s why there’s so many deaths. The important thing is we don’t wait until we get to that point. As you said, talk to your doctor about these things. Know what your number is for LDL. See if it’s in the right place. The doctor can determine what the right goal should be. But you see if you’re in the right place and you do the best you can, I’d like to say from a proactive standpoint - instead of waiting until we get there because again the scary thing is - this is silent until it’s not. You know, every man in my family has passed away from a heart attack except for my dad. He has a stint. I’m trying my best not to! It’s real, and I appreciate all of you here today to hear the stories.

AB: Hearing CC talk about November, I mean, I remember that very well. It was after my first year of managing, so I remember him coming in. I remember Stevie telling me. I remember going in and getting the stint in and how scary the moment was, but also how fortunate we were. That, man, we found this and that he was going to be okay. But I remember that. I remember hearing about the story of him being in California and having that feeling and what was going on. So thankful that he was able to get to the bottom of it.

CCS: But that’s a reality for so many people out there. And you can get out in front of this and it’s important that you do. The men in my family, we do suffer from heart disease. So I’m trying to do the best that I can. I have a stint, but I’m doing the best that I can to change my diet and make sure that I’m here as long as possible!

CR: You look great! I mean, he could pitch again I think! Aaron what do you think? Is he gonna pitch again?

CCS: Looks can be deceiving!

AB: Yeah, so I just want to say, you know, the key place that folks should go is playingwithheart.com. We have a lot of information there for them to start. And, you know, they really need to research this, to educate themselves, to talk to the doctor, to be empowered about it!

MEDIA POOL: CC, before your stint, had doctors told you about your LDL and where you were at for a certain amount of time? Since you felt fine, did you kind of just think you’d get to it later? Was that your situation?

CCS: You know, we have physicals every year in Spring Training and I would always have to go and get an extra EKG, but I never looked into why I had to go. I would get my EKG at the stadium and they were like, “oh, you got to go over here to the doctor. We got to just make sure everything is fine.” So, I had that going on. I knew I had high blood pressure for a long time and ignored that. I think that helps contribute to the heart disease. As far as knowing what was going on with the LDL, I didn’t. But I did ignore EKGs, didn’t follow up, and the high blood pressure – these things had been going on for a long time.

MP: Is that kind of easy to do when you’re feeling mostly fine?

CCS: When you’re in your 30s and you’re pitching for the Yankees, yeah, it is. It’s really easy to do for the longest time. I was just telling somebody over here, I put so much salt on my food for the longest time. All these different things that I knew was bad for me, but guess what? I’m out here like every fifth day pitching, so I got to be okay, right? In my mind, that’s what I’m thinking, and, you know, I’m slowly killing myself, you know, throughout my 30s.

MP: CC and Aaron, you guys had different cardio journeys. I’m just curious, what are some of the biggest adjustments you guys have made as, you’ve learned more?

AB: I mean, for me, it’s just obviously diets. You know, a very important part of it. Making sure you’re picking your spots to have your sweets and things like that. Exercise, obviously, is very important. I’m 53 now, so, you know, you get in your 50s, you know, you feel a lot more and do things that are going to prolong your life and allow you to be here for your family as long as possible. So, I think just taking responsible steps whether that’s diet, sleep, excercise, all those things. Like, you know, for me right now, it’s a busy time of year, obviously, but prioritizing, like, getting in there and making sure I’m walking and lifting weights and doing those kind of things is also very important.

CCS: Yeah, the biggest thing for me was diet, changing my diet. Now it’s like straight Mediterranean diet. You know, I feel good. I’ve lost a bunch of weight. I know I always lifted, but now I can do it at my rate, kind of my terms. I have a better routine. I’m in bed by 9:30pm most nights. I don’t have the stress that this guy has every night. So I think getting out of the baseball life is really, really huge for me and being able to set a routine and kind of live a normal life.

MP: Fans are accustomed to hearing you guys talking about performance and recovery. Do you think as athletes, there’s an opportunity and maybe even a responsibility for you guys to normalize more of these conversations about heart health, long-term wellness in the organization?

CCS: I do for sure. I mean, especially in my situation, I think, anybody that knows me knows that. Anything I’ve been through, I talk about it publicly, whether it’s alcohol dependency, my heart, anything that I have going on, I want people to know that I’m going through the same things that some other people are going through, and maybe my story can help.

MP: Talk about some of the women in your life and how you talk to them about their heart health. I know you’ve partnered with Women Heart, and I know women present very different symptoms when they are having heart attacks in particular. But talk about the conversations that you have with some of the women in your life as well.

CR: Okay, and I just want to introduce Celina Gorre. She’s in the back. She’s the CEO of Women Heart, and she’s been a great partner with us as well along the way. I think women, it’s very interesting when you take a look at what happens. You know, I’ve heard so many stories of a woman presents in the hospital with chest pain, and potentially they’re sent home, you know, because there’s this belief that... Well, because they’re women and the hormones, they’re protected to some extent.

But you know what? When someone shows up like that, it could be this, and it needs to be looked at. So I think a lot of the data shows that they’re undertreated to a certain extent, and I think more needs to be done about that. I think having Women Heart is very, very important.

I think the partner, the spouse, the person in the house is also important. I know for CC, your wife has been very important as part of this as well in the discussions that you’ve had.

CCS: Yeah, for sure. I mean, my wife, we talk about it and I’m open about how I feel, symptoms. I’ve had a lot of these conversations lately with my mom, my mother-in-law, my wife, aunts that are older now. It’s like, man, first of all, Cholesterol, knowing your number is crucial. You want to know that because you can prevent a lot of unforeseen things or things you’re not even feeling. But the importance of moving, like getting out and moving, especially here in the Northeast when it gets January and February, move. You need to move. You need to exercise. You need to know what you’re eating and be responsible with what you’re eating. You need to sleep. Those are eating, sleep, and exercise are, to me, the three critical pillars of not only how you feel during the week, but your long-term health as well.

MP: CC, you mentioned putting a lot of salt on your food when you were younger, thinking that you’re indestructible. How do you reach the younger generation of athletes?

CCS: Yeah, this generation athletes are not like my generation athletes. They are very in tune with their bodies. There’s no candy in the lockeroom right now. It’s a completely different clubhouse than what I came up in in the early 2000s. Even just thinking about my son, my 23-year-old, the way he’s in rookie ball and the way that he’s in tune with his body is incredible. It’s something that I wish I had as a young player. You know what I mean? But yeah, I mean, these guys don’t. They are locked in! I mean there’s nobody in that clubhouse that looked like I did when I played so they’re doing pretty good in there!

MP: So if you have an issue with LDL at least in the medical community has been full known and many times pushed their patient visits etc but do you think there’s a communication issue in terms of communicating the importance of that more broadly and how should that change? I know that that’s one of the efforts that we’re trying to do right now?

CR: Yeah, I think when we look across the U.S. at this point in time, there’s a lot of things that, let’s say, when you go into the primary care physician that they’re looking at. There’s blood pressure, there’s diabetes, there’s all these things they’re trying to look at. And I think more attention can be put on LDL. It is the leading cause of death. It’s a risk factor for the leading cause of death in the U.S. So I think as we look across how it’s being treated and looked at, as we look across the people in the U.S., what can we do? How can we be more educated about it? How can we be more empowered about it? That’s another important part of it. So I think... I’m not blaming anyone. What I’m saying is that I think everyone can do a part here. And that’s the importance of the partnerships that we have across 9 or 10 teams with Major League Baseball, with the legends of the game here that have come together to help us with Women Heart.

It’s going to take a village to just raise awareness of what we’re trying to do and to change the curve of what’s happening. In today’s world, we shouldn’t be sitting there saying, well, you know, Chris just died of a heart attack. What we should be saying is, well, what should Chris have done, right? And I think more of us could, you know, start to think that way. And you all have an important role here to spread the word on this, raise the awareness on this.

AB: Yeah, I mean, my heart situation, again, I had open heart surgery in 09, unrelated to high cholesterol or LDL-C. Honestly and even up until CC - it was an eye opener for me in that regard. And then now this campaign has even kind of crystallized it more of like, oh, this is something that we can all simply get out in front of, frankly. And so that’s why this has been cool for me to be a part of.

MP: Seems like this is affecting all areas of life. Obviously, Boone, you said you had a condition when you were younger, but CC, growing up watching you throw the ball, I would have thought you were thriving on the mound. So how soon would someone be getting checked out for this? Could it be when you’re young?

CR: Yeah, I think, you know, as I think about it, and there’s probably folks that could talk a little better about that than me, but as you’re younger, I think you get a blood test, and the HCP, the physician, could take a look at it. And there’s some conditions where it’s very high, and it runs in the family. So it should be looked at when you’re younger. because then you can determine if it is real high and it needs to be. But I think, you know, a person should be checked at some time as they’re growing up, see where it is, and then, you know, the doctor determines how they’re checked as they go through life, right? But each year, we should get a blood test and see.

AB: I mean for me it’s a perspective thing you know the season is filled with so many quote-unquote stressful moments highs lows and you know a lot of times it’s in those highs and in those lows that I have some of the best perspective that, you know, there is a, you do have to separate a little bit and you have to have that ability if you’re going to, you know, stay in this game or thrive, you know, from a family standpoint or from a health standpoint.

So it’s kind of a non-negotiable for me. Like there’s days that I’m going to go home and as best I can leave it here. I think I do a pretty good job of that. But there’s things throughout the season when things are going as good as possible and you think, oh, this is all great. I try to have perspective in those moments. And the same when it’s really rough, you’ve got to be able to get away and understand that this is our livelihood. We pour so much into this every single day, all year long. But at the end of the day, it’s also a game. And try and keep that perspective as much as I can as you go through the season.

CCS: I didn’t have the luxury of seeing it that way. I was in it all the time. So everything I thought about was winning every single time, all the time, the whole time I played for 25 years. I could be on vacation to Hawaii in the middle of December, and I know at some point in the middle of the summer, I’m at the picture of a big game against Boston and Fenway. There was no stress relief ever for me. So it was just a part of the job. You know what I mean? It was just the nature of the beast. That’s what kept me good for so long is that waking up in the middle of the night in the middle of December, like, oh, I got to get ready to pitch against Justin Verlander (Detroit Tigers) or whoever else is out there. That was always in the front of my mind. So now that I don’t play baseball, it’s a lot better now.

Our day at Yankee Stadium after this informative press conference also included private tours of the Yankee Museum, Memorial Park, finding out various facts about the stadium, attending batting practice, and of course catching a thrilling game against the Tampa Bay Rays!

IG @cc_sabathia

@aaronboone

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDIT | Paul Farkas shot with SONY

Read the SEP ISSUE #129 of Athleisure Mag and see KNOW YOUR NUMBERS PLAYING WITH HEART in mag.

WELLNESS TRENDS 2017

Last month, we talked with Jason Wachob of mindbodygreen and his Annual Wellness Report that looks at trends taking place in 2017. We also interviewed those who work in those fields. We took a moment to chat with Craig Elbert, Founder and CEO of Care Of. We talked about how he conceived of the company that focuses on vitamin/supplement personalization, and more! 

Last month, we talked with Jason Wachob of mindbodygreen and his Annual Wellness Report that looks at trends taking place in 2017. We also interviewed those who work in those fields. We took a moment to chat with Craig Elbert, Founder and CEO of Care Of. We talked about how he conceived of the company that focuses on vitamin/supplement personalization, and more! 

CRAIG ELBERT: Prior to Care Of, I worked at Bonobos which is a men's apparel brand here in NY and I had the joy of joining it when they had 10 people and then growing it to over 250 people by the time that I left. One thing that we were really bullish on was how do we grow a great customer experience in a category that was stagnant in the case of that brand, it was men's khaki pants. There was nothing more boring than men's khaki pants but we wanted to make it more interesting.

While there, I had an interesting experience to purchase vitamins and supplements as I was getting them for myself and trying to get things to be healthier and to also purchase pre-natal vitamins for my wife. The experience of going into the vitamin stores it was just a bad consumer experience it felt bad and it was confusing as well as overwhelming. It felt just a little bit of a manipulative situation. So what we wanted to do was to take a look at how we could do something that was more consumer friendly - giving people the advice that they needed and to ultimately give them the knowledge on what was right for them.

For me, my experience in a brick and mortar store, there are thousands of products on the shelves. I didn't know which ones would be right for me and the store clerk who was just being paid above minimum wage - didn't give me great confidence that he/she could provide the right information. So we spent just about over a year working with experts (nutritionists, naturopaths, doctors, academics) who were focused on the space to figure out what are the different use cases for vitamins and supplements and what the use cases behind them and how do we help people to figure out what is right for them. That's how I, as a consumer who was trying to shop for the products myself, came to this.

AM: This is so true. I have been going to places like GNC since I was in highschool as I know the types of vitamins/supplements that I need. Or if I was thinking of something new to try that it was a bit overwhelming to select from the choices. 

What struck me about your website is that you have a clean interface as well as descriptions of what it is as well as how it is beneficial to your body.

How do you guys go about deciding what types of items will be offered for consumers?

CE: One of the things that we found and started seeing in our research, we initially found was that we were only going to offer items that had scientific research and strong scientific support. One of the things that we found early on was that some things have scientific support and others don't. There are products like Vitamin D and Folic Acid that doctors have a lot of date and support that it is good for your body and that you have something like Fish Oil which has good science but there are some studies that show it's a bit of a mix. Then you have probiotics which have a lot of promising research, but it's still early on.

So we realized that there is a spectrum, and that for our product offering we wanted to focus on anything that had at least good science and we basically cut out the things that didn't have great science and started with ones that had good science for traditional usage and that were ones that could be used for common human goals, whether that was for stress, energy or something more long term like heart health and bone health. So we tried to just cover things that people are looking for and cross referenced that with scientific support.

AM: So over the course of the year, whether they met your criteria - will you be adding more supplements/vitamins into the mix?

CE: So we do plan to add more. Our goal right now is that we launched with about 30 products - we'll get up to about 50 with different doses. We never want to have thousands of products as we feel that it is overwhelming and so we do plan to add on products as we have our pre-natal, which we have worked on for a long time which will launch in Feb or early March. We have a probiotic that launched this month and then we have turmeric and elderberry that is also launching this month. So we do plan to continue to introduce products but we don't plan on having thousands of them.

AM: I liked seeing that you are adding in turmeric and elderberry as those are two products that I use in addition to fish oil. Tumeric is on trend this season as a flavor that we will see a lot of as well. What is the process like for someone who is new to the site when they are picking products for their monthly subscription box?

CE: We wanted to keep it simple. We have them take a little personalization quiz, where we ask about their goals, their diet, their lifestyle and their values. Based on that we cross reference it with the research that we have done as their recommendation. They are able to see that and then adjust to their pack as they wish. They can take something out, add in or leave it as it is. Then they place their order and each month in that box, will be 30 daily packets all personalized for that individual with their name on it and the products inside. We try to make it easy as well as a bit of fun. The survey takes about 3-5 minutes and it helps to guide all the recommendations. 

AM: What drew me is that the packets have the person's name on them which I think is so cute and in an age of emailing and faceless activity it was a nice touch. With people who are busy or who travel a lot you can just see something that reminds you of home and you can seamlessly add it into your daily life.

CE: Yeah, one thing that we talk a lot about in personalization is the combination of technology as well as human empathy. We are building a brand that is focusing on using technology to make things easier so having the human touch factor is key. From having your name on it to having our customer experience team led by Amy here who is awesome in terms of responding to customers and ensuring that we have a good dialogue that feels humanly and not just a scientific laboratory. We wanted it to feel human, warm and empathetic, which is important for the brand.

AM: What are things you're looking to do as Care Of grows in 2017?

CE: We are definitely looking to build an app this year and are a little tight-lipped on what that will be in terms of features. Down the road, our goals are to focus on the business of personalized health. That could be vitamins and supplements and then additional products. We want to wade through the information that is out there and to make it easy for our customers for personalization which is a nice broad growth opportunity for us over time.

Right now we recognize that we are a new brand and we have to be able to execute and connect with customers on these first products that we have with these vitamins and supplements. So far it has been a lot of fun!

AM: Why do you feel that personalization in this field as well as in general is such a major trend that a lot of brands across various categories are looking to implement as we continue into 2017?

CE: As people, we're all very different and I think that we like to have this recognized. Realistically, we can live healthier if we focus on our individual needs. What's fun right now is that technology is making that possible. We're looking to unlock that technology to be able to build something that people always want to recognize that difference and being special and to have something that is unique for them which we can do for them with the technology that we have. 

Nutrition is an ongoing trend that we see from year to year. We caught up with Amanda Bacon of Moon Juice to learn about how she helps people's body and skin from the inside out. This was initiated by her own journey in food as a chef, food journalist and finding her way to her best self through her diet.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Can you tell us about your background?

AMANDA BACON: I traveled a lot through Europe and South America - living in Italy, then Uruguay for a while. These experiences stirred a love not only for the preparation of food, but in tracing ingredients back to their purest forms. When I came back to the states, I went to study at the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont, working at local bakeries and dairies. When I landed in California, I was fortunate to cook under Suzanne Goin at Lucques for a number of years. I truly found a mentor in her. I then moved into food journalism, reporting for LA Times Magazine when it launched. 

In 2006, I began studying the power of raw, medicinal foods to heal the hypothyroid condition I had had since I was a teen, in addition to my severe allergies to wheat, sugar, and cow dairy. Although I was still working as a chef in fine dining, at this juncture my whole diet changed. I ate primarily vegetables and legumes from the farmer’s market, and foods that would serve as hormonal adaptogens. Within a few months, I noticed a radical shift. My next round of blood work revealed that my thyroid hormone levels were back to normal.

Working in fine dining was amazing, but my own transformative experience – backed up by extensive blood tests, the scrutiny of several physicians, renewed feelings of vitality, and a shift in my personality, immunity, appearance, and thought – inspired me to create Moon Juice. These live, medicinal foods changed me from the inside out.

AM: Why do you like sharing about the power of medicinal foods that could work for you from the inside out?

AB: Food can be powerful medicine and no one has experienced its effects more dramatically than I have. Before I began to cook and eat in a way that allowed me to thrive cosmically, my thyroid was slow, allergies were rampant and I had the general feeling that I wasn’t optimizing this life and the body I was traveling in. There’s nothing I love more than talking to people about the ways that they can use food as medicine. The Moon Juice Cookbook is one of the ways I can help people.

AM: Why did you create Moon Juice?

AB: I created Moon Juice for people interested in a new way of living. Not a way where you have to erase your past, but a way fueled by excitement to help yourself live better. Our only intention is to add goodness and beauty to your life.

AM: What are the benefits that one may feel by including this in their dietary regimen?

AB: Being so clean on the inside that it shows in your skin. Having a complete makeover on your life outlook. Being a part of a movement that is changing the way food is produced and consumed. And no dishes! 

High functioning, bioavailable, potent, medicinal whole foods are packed with exceptionally high levels of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and enzymes turning them into tools we can use to tone, nourish and empower our bodies. These foods heal your cells, protect against oxidation, slow the aging process and support your immune system by stimulating and supplementing your bodies disease and infection fighting properties.

AM: We always enjoy a great drink and towards the end of last year we were introduced to Farmer Willie's, which is an alcoholic ginger beer drink that's not only refreshing but will definitely be a great beverage to enjoy during the summer!

We talked with the Co-Founders Nico and Max of this brand. What was your background and how did that lead you to working with one another, and what's the story behind creating Farmer Willie's.

NICO ENRIQUEZ: I first met Willie Fenichel 11 years ago on a beach in Cape Cod. I was this little kid who saw a makeshift beach volleyball game down the beach and asked to join. Turns out that the league of volleyball misfits was an every day thing. Little did I know that after that first game I would be hooked to a degree that I would literally try and spend every hour of sunlight during the summer playing with this crazy group. 

Willie's sister was the unofficial official league commissioner (she started the tradition and is in charge of bringing the net and ball to this day). I started eating dinner at their farm every day after games. Soon the Fenichel family became my second family. 

After getting to know Willie over several years he began sharing his home-brewed ginger beer recipe with me. It was amazing. I was always an entrepreneurial kid, I was trying to figure out ways to live the Cape life with the Fenichels all summer and not have my parents disown me as a beach bum, so I began dreaming, and told him we had to try bringing the ginger beer to the farmer's market in Ptown and see if we could make a living off it. Willie was in. 

Fast forward several years, I was about to turn 21 and I was sitting in my best friend's dorm room at Brown University. I started telling him about my dream to sell this alcoholic ginger beer with Willie. Max Easton (my best friend & business partner) had grown up working in the restaurant industry in London because his mom ran several bars and restaurants. He was an adventurous soul and I was an overly enthusiastic salesman, so he joined the cause without ever trying the ginger beer.

MAX EASTON: I spent most of my life on the other side of the pond in London, England, and grew up working in the restaurant industry as my mother started & managed several pub & bar companies in the UK. I was interested in coming to the US for college as I had no idea what I wanted to study & the UK university system really makes you focus on one major from the beginning. I had heard amazing things about Brown because of its reputation as a great academic school but partnered with a much cooler, less intense student body. I applied early, fortunately got accepted & headed to Brown after taking a gap year.

Nico and I met because he lived around the corner from my ex-girlfriend and I loved hanging out with him because he was always so happy & optimistic, and I found our times together hilarious (and still do) because we have polar opposite personalities. To characterize, I am the buttoned-up Brit and he's permanently got sand in his hair. 

We became closer & closer friends and one Spring night Sophomore year we were chilling in my room chatting about things we were doing or interested in. We both loved the idea of starting our own thing as both our parents were entrepreneurs, and so we started throwing out ideas. This was the moment when Nico mentioned Willie and his legendary ginger beer: as far as I remember, his words were: "I know this guy named Willie, who lives out on the Cape and he makes this amazing alcoholic ginger beer. I always thought it could be something. What do you think?" To be honest, I had no idea what to think, but after I said why not, Nico applied to this small Brown accelerator program to get us some funding & mentoring. We pitched the idea (without me having tried the product or met Willie) and we were accepted. That was definitely the start, but it only kept going because it was all hilarious and we enjoyed learning the steps you took to starting a business. We had both planned to start our own businesses some day, so why not learn about it while doing something fun? There was just no downside to us giving it a shot, so we kept taking small steps until it ended up being something pretty legit.

AM: When did Farmer Willie's launch?

NE: We launched May 22nd of 2015 at the Farmer's Market in Provincetown- a little under 2 years ago. We spent the 1.5 years before that day preparing, interviewing, working canning lines, filing legal papers, raising money, etc.

ME: The moment Nico mentioned Willie & his ginger beer in my dorm room was Spring Semester of Sophomore year. We kept working on it our Sophomore & Junior years - we brewed small-scale test batches, worked out where we could produce, sorted out the legal framework of the company, designed our logo & can, did more start-up competitions, talked to people in the industry etc. - and we had everything set by the end of our Junior Year so we decided to start selling it commercially. As Nico described, we started selling at the Provincetown farmers' market after our Junior year finals & lived out on the Cape at Nico's grandma's house for three months self-distributing cases to around 50 bars, restaurants & liquor stores. So, in terms of proper selling, we have been selling for just over a year and a half, but we have been working on Farmer Willie's for almost three years now. Many small steps!

AM: Ginger is an ingredient that has not only been on trend as a flavor for a number of years, but is definitely a core one when you think about wellness, what was the thought behind combining it with alcohol?

NE: Willie started brewing his ginger beer because he was bored in the winter living on the Cape and his mom was making beach plum wine, so he decided to try something different. He loved ginger and began seeing what would happen when he grated fresh ginger and added lemon juice, cane sugar, and yeast (to ferment it and add carbonation). Needless to say, the home-brew was spectacular. Fresh, simple ingredients go a long way. 

ME: We didn't! It's was all Willie. But the ginger trends were definitely one of the things that got us excited when we first looked into whether we could make Willie's ginger beer into something. It's exploding in bars & restaurants with cocktails such as Moscow Mules & Dark n' Stormies, juice bars & farm-to-table restaurants. So the idea that we could create a fresh, dry & seasonable alcoholic ginger beer that you can drink straight out of the can just seemed awesome. We drink it all the time and it's like nothing else in the ginger beer space.

AM: What are the health benefits that one can enjoy while consuming Farmer Willie's and how is it different than other beverages that are in its category or related categories?

NE: We can't ever say our beverage is healthy because it still contains alcohol and the FDA would do terrible things to us. That being said, what sets this ginger beer apart is that we use real ginger and it isn't so damn sweet. 

If you look at the mass produced ginger beer everyone drinks or even the specialty supermarket versions those ginger beers have anywhere between 30-60g of high fructose corn syrup which is 3X-6X more sugar than ours (and we use cane sugar). This means that other ginger beers have 170-200 calories in their cans - all from sugar. We have 150 calories in our can - 110 which come from the 4.5% ABV. So basically you can have a real fresh, dry ginger beer with alcohol and still consume less sugar than your average non-alcoholic ginger beer. To us, it's a no brainer (unless you are under 21, of course!).

We use simply prepared, real ingredients, such as cold pressed ginger, lemon, nutmeg, molasses. None of the "natural flavoring" crap. Ginger is a superfood, lemon gives you vitamin C. I don't know what nutmeg does for you but its a spice. Molasses doesn't do much but it sounds good haha.

ME: You grow a ginger beard. But seriously, we can't say that there are health benefits as we will get into trouble, but compared to other ginger beers, there is no comparison. As Nico said, there is a reason we are a much fresher, much more refreshing ginger beer.

But, in general, we're a fresh, low sugar, gluten-free alternative to beer. You are drinking something that lifts you up and you can drink it straight out of the can so you can bring it anywhere without an issue.

AM: Tell us about how you came upon the design of the can, as well as the logo as we love how distinctive it is.

NE: The can was designed by a legendary girl named Juliette Weiss. She is our head of design. We met because when we were studying at Brown, Juliette was down the hill, studying at RISD (Rhode Island School of Design). Our entrepreneurship professor Danny Warshay introduced us. We told her we wanted a clean, but quirky can to reflect our weird story and real ingredients. 

On our second meeting, Juliette came in with the idea that we make the front of the can into Willie's ginger beard so people could get the beard while they drink and post photos online. Obviously we had to do it. Especially because everyone knows puns and hipster-ass beards are the key to a Brown student's heart. Juliette absolutely killed it on the design and we ended up winning a prestigious package design award the next year. 

ME: The legend, Juliette Weiss. She's a beautiful, wonderful, pain in the ass - and we are so lucky to have her on the team. 

AM: Where is Farmer Willie's sold and where would you like to see it?

NE: Farmer Willie's is sold in MA and RI. Specifically in MA, we are sold on the North Shore, Boston, South Shore, Cape, and Islands. There are a ton of places that we would absolutely love to see Farmer Willie's sold. We love the sea and the ginger and lemon kill it with seafood and clean fresh ingredients so obviously the Matunuck Oyster Bar in RI, the Beachcomber in Wellfleet (out on the Cape), Branchline in Watertown (that place is literally fire), and The Poynt in Newburyport. Also, it's light and refreshing as hell straight out of the can so the spots, where we dance like idiots in Boston like Middlesex Lounge or Middle-east would be absolutely primo. Regardless, if you do not see Farmer Willie's in your local liquor store or bar and want it there, please ask them to ask for it because that truly helps us build this.  

AM: Will Farmer Willie's have any brand extensions into other categories, flavors etc?

NE: We are working on some absolutely awesome flavors to compliment our approach of fresh ginger and low sugar. I can't say what specific flavor twists yet though... 

AM: How is Farmer Willie's aligned to Athleisure Culture?

NE: We believe in having a damn good time but taking care of yourself at the same time. Basically real ingredients, low hassle, adventures for days. Also, the only thing that keeps us sane as we work 80 hour weeks building this thing are the mind-clearing runs.

AM: Will Farmer Willie's be involved in events, tradeshows, promotions etc that will take place this spring/summer?

NE: Absolutely, we are planning some speakeasy parties around Boston this Spring for people who follow us on social media each month. We are trying to organize some beach volleyball games outside the Beachcomber this summer.
Also we will be doing plenty of brewfests and tastings every Friday and Saturday night... anyone can send me an email nico@thefarmerwillies.com to ask which tastings/fest may be in your area if you want to meet anyone on the team.

AM: As co-founders when you're not running the brand, how do you take time for yourselves?

NE: We both dance like fools whenever possible. 

Sundays, I go for a hike or super long bike ride to explore the area around Boston. I find the air clears the head and slows down your thinking and there isn't the impact of running so I can give my knees and ankles a rest. Last adventure I found a crazy 200 ft rock quarry and got kicked out then lucked on some old WW2 forts on the north shore. Sunday night I go home to my parents house and chill with the fam, read the Sunday paper and eat the home cooking... Not gonna lie I bring my laundry home. 

Max loves running as well, nice food, bit of whiskey & chilling with his girlfriend. He also loves building up his music playlists & finding new music, which is awesome for me. He's the kind of man who takes over the music at a party, but honestly it is always for the better because people tend to dance a bit more. He knows how to read a party for sure. 

ME: It really depends on my mood, but I really do love running to shake off any stress or clear my mind. Got that from my mum & Nico. But if I have more time, I love finding new music, going for an awesome meal or going for a great walk with someone chill. Anything where you can come back feeling refreshed. 

AM: Nico, we heard that you run marathons, how did you prepare for it, what was the training like and when is your next one?

NE: I grew up just off Heartbreak Hill so I always wanted to do the marathon. The year I turned 19, I ran it but it was the bombing year and I was on the final stretch of Boylston when the bombs went off so I felt I really had to do it again. 

I run 5-7 miles every day and don't really have time for more so my training was just that. I had super slow times and the two days after the races were always painful and I was so stiff that I had to walk down stair backwards, but it was always more about proving it to myself then anything else. The next one is definitely on my radar- I want to do NY and others, but no idea when I will have the time or the stupidity to forget the pain of haphazard marathons of the past. 

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