WTA Usana and Billy Jean King

Billy Jean King shares her passion for winning!

I wrote this back in 2011 after arguably the biggest health convention held anywhere in the world! This was exciting! For someone like me who grew up on Soul Train, Elton John and The Battle of the Sexes...read on! Usana welcomes a new WTA ambassador this year Sloane Stephens.

Billy Jean King, the WTA & USANA - my'duh moment at  USANA Convention 2011

by USANA - The Masters Team on Saturday, September 10, 2011 at 7:55pm
I am back from Convention and my time in Salt lake City from August 24 - 27th seems like a marvelous dream. I was excited before day one to have the chance to attend.  The excitement continued to build each day. I had to keep reminding myself to stay in check lest my excitement turn into exhaustion preventing me from taking full advantage of the dozens of events planned for us. Here is one highlight; Billy Jean King!
 My D'uh moment came when Billy Jean King told all 6,000 of us the story behind the WTA one which is now intimately linked with USANA. If you didn't know, USANA HealthPak has become the official multi-vitamin and today we have six brand ambassadors from the association that include Kim Clijsters, Sam Stosur, Zheng Jie, Liezel Huber, Melanie Oudin, and Aleksandra Wozniak. It all seems so easy now doesn't it?
 .... but way back in 1973 for one tough minded lady who would not take "not good enough" for an answer and changed the course of history. Like so many, I remember Billy beating the crap out of Bobby Riggs and was glued to the television with my brother in the famed Battle of the Sexes match  in 1973. What delighted me about Billy's story was she says she respected Bobbby Riggs and that was the only reason she beat him. Ladies and Gentleman behold the heart and mind of a warrior champion! Respect your opponent.
"I knew his history. I studied him. I knew the war had messed up his career. Everyone said Bobby was a jerk but I loved Bobby. I respected him and that's the only reason I beat him."
 Wow! Now this was impressive. In fact,  Billy Jean had hoped that men and women would be able to play togther but "we weren't wanted." In spite of her professional dissappointment, or rather because of  it, she went on to found the WTA. "It finally got to the point where I said this is either going to happen or it's not. We just couldn't seem to get everyone on the same page. Finally, I begged everyone to come to a meeting and got 45 of us in a room.  I had the doors locked. At the end of the meeting nine of us had signed a contract to the WTA for a dollar."
A dollar? Can you believe that?
Billy went on to say that she knew that they wouldn't be the ones to make the big bucks and get the endorsements but she knew they were pioneers for women everywhere and that her dream was that any girl anywhere who wanted to play tennis should be able to and be taken seriouly. I'd say that dream has come true in a global way wouldn't you!? The USANA WTA Ambassadors alone come from South Africa, China, Australia...
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!
Elton John...
Elton John is a huge fan of BJK. BJK is a huge fan of Elton John. Now back in the 70's a guy named Jack, who I believe was a good friend of Billy's, invited her to a party in L.A. "I am so not a party person. I'd rather stay home. But it was Jack so I went. When I arrived I said , So what's cooking Jack? What's the occasion? Birthday party? Anniversary?"  She was led to a table that was adjacent to Elton Johns. Thing is both were too shy to speak to one another so all night long Elton would look over to Billy and Billy would think "Oh God!" and look away. Finally, the last half hour of the party Tony, Elton's manager came over and asked her " Have you you said hello to Elton yet?"
"No. I can't talk to him! I'm too shy."
"Too shy?" Tony roared. 'This is RIDICULOUS! Come here!" and dragged Billy Jean over to Elton's table.
"Hi" she said shyly and at last the two spoke.
At the end of their exchange Elton said:
"Alright when you come to London I'll call you."
Billy thought to herself, Yeah right. But sure enough when she reached her hotel room in London, there was a note waiting for her that said  Please call Elton.
She thought 'Oh my God!" but dialed anyway.
Elton answered the phone. "HI!" said BJK shyly.
After a few minutes Elton asked "Can I come over?"
"Sure," she replied incredulously  and soon  Elton drove over in his Rolls Royce with the 28 stereo speakers. In the parking lot they sat listening to LPs for four hours.
A few days later Elton rung again and said "I want to write a song for you."
You can guess what BJK reaction was yet tactfully she agreed that Yes that would be great. And so they discussed it and soon "Philadelphia Freedom" was born the huge crossover hit that some of you may remember seeing on SOUL TRAIN.
What I learned:
1. Always accept opportunity even if you can't believe it's happening to you.
2. The next time I go to Convention I will be sure to be nearer to the floor instead of twenty six rows up so when BJK hits autographed tennis balls to the sounds of Philadelphia Freedom into the audience I can catch one!
How wonderful it must be for her to see the WTA that she founded in 1973 grow into the world class organization that it is today with athletes getting the highest quality nutrition they need from the best manufacturer of nutritional supplements in the world. How did she do it without the benefits we have today?
Sheer determination!
- Ekayani Chamberlin

Miss Bike's A Lot - My Encounter With Red Bull Cyclist

Yesterday I was biking up Sixth Avenue on Manhattan's West Side. I was doing a fairly good job navigating the rush hour traffic when I came to a stop light. Ahead of me at a jaunty angle was a fellow biker sporting a protective helmet with a Red Bull insignia on it. He nodded at me approvingly as only people sharing similar interests do - in this case biking. I found myself ogling at his flashy looking Red Bull helmet and wondered if he drank the stuff. I also noticed he had a can of Coca Cola dangling in his left hand. Being a health nut and perhaps a tad too maternal, my heart sank. This is where he was getting his energy from? While he was certainly lean and on the surface appeared healthy I was trying to find a smooth way to tell him that the taurine in Red Bull - originally taken from the bile of bulls (!),  was a  now a synthetic product whose long term effects on the cardiovascular system and the brain were dangerous. I tried shouting this to him from behind. He couldn't hear me so I peddled faster and shouted it again. Then he asked me what medical study I was referring to. I was taken aback as I thought this fact was common knowledge. I said I was sorry I didn't have a study to refer to off the top of my head but asked him to please look into it. And with that, the approving look turned into disapproval and off he peddled with an eat - my-  dust acceleration. I had clearly failed in the smooth department offending someone I wanted to help. Lesson learned: Have your scientific references in place when going at high speeds. Try complimenting the persons awesomeness first before offering information. Don't be shocked when you encounter sponsored athletes who may not be making the best choices for their long term health.
Dear  Cool Biker Dude on Sixth Avenue Here are some facts and a link to said research.
 Dangers-of-taurine

Rev3 The Clean Energy Drink Alternative by from Ask The Scientist by  Usana Health Sciences
Why doesn't Rev3 contain taurine?
Answer:
"Taurine has traditionally been classified as a non-essential amino acid, but by strict chemical definition it is actually an amino sulfonic acid. As a derivative of another amino acid (cysteine), taurine is synthesized by humans in both the brain and the liver. However, its most important role in humans is its role in digestion, since taurine is a major component of bile acid.
In recent years taurine has become a common ingredient in energy drinks, partly due to findings in mice that it alleviates muscle fatigue during strenuous workouts. However, these findings have not been duplicated conclusively in humans. Taurine levels in the body also remain relatively constant so typical oral dosages have little effect on overall body levels. Presently, despite being included in many energy drinks, taurine has not been proven to be energy-giving or beneficial in generally healthy non-deficient adults. For that reason it is not currently provided as part of the Rev3 products. As always, USANA scientists will continue to monitor the best available research on this subject."

My Testimony and More Facts About Rev3
I used to work in a retail store where I had to be on my feet from 9 to 12 hours at a time. It was brutal. In order to try and stay awake and have some energy I would bring Starbucks Double Espresso, Red Bull and Arizona Iced Tea. It was an all day cocktail of these different drinks. When I started feeling myself crashing from one, I'd switch it up and take another. To say I was exhausted by the end of it all would be an understatement. I'd go home and crash out for ten hours and felt just as tired when I got up.  By contrast when I got to try Rev3 in both versions - the pomegranate Rev3 in the can and the more honey lemon tea tasting surge pack I experienced none of the jitters, crash and extreme fatigue. I had mental clarity for hours which really came in handy during writing marathons that could go on all day long.

What Makes Rev3 Different
Cleaner—crisp, light pomegranate taste
No artificial flavors
No artificial sweeteners
No artificial preservatives
No artificial colors
Smarter—smart source of nutrients
Natural caffeine from blends of teas for mental alertness and stamina* derived from green tea, black tea and Korean ginseng
Supplies beneficial ingredients, with powerful antioxidants*
Uses low-glycemic sugars for sustained energy*
Provides vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to support energy metabolism at the cellular level*
Stronger—powerful, energy-producing ingredients
Uses more than just sugar and caffeine
Contains a complete and proprietary Energy Complex with L-carnitine, tea, ginseng, rhodiola, cacao, ribose, citrate, malate, and coenzyme Q10  
Why not energize with something that is good for you? Cleaner. Smarter. Stronger. Rev 3 Energy® is all the power of an energy drink—refined. Rev3 is a great alternative to crash-and-burn energy drinks. What makes Rev3 Energy unique is that it contains a significant amount of L-carnitine. This ingredient offers two important functions in energy production: first it shuttles fatty acids into the mitochondria where they can be turned into energy, and secondly L-carnitine helps transport the toxic byproduct of energy combustion out of the mitochondria to prevent accumulation. Rev3 is also distinguished by its low-glycemic formula. The total glycemic load from Rev3 is three to four times lower than traditional energy drinks. Typical energy drinks spike your blood sugar levels for a quick burst of energy, but lead to a crash soon after, leaving you feeling drained. Rev3’s proprietary formula creates more of a sustained feeling of energy. Rev3 Energy—join the healthy energy revolution.*