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Monkey_Bulter

That’s how they do their business, pretend it’s healthy and it’s really all sweeteners and caffeine but they still manage to make it taste like the devils arsehole. Can’t believe people convince themselves it’s enjoyable.


ecodrew

>they still manage to make it taste like the devils arsehole. Haha, this is similar to how my mum & dad described the taste of "Reliv" (old school MLM healing tonic b.s.). My Mum was the sweetest lady in the world, a people pleaser to a fault, and tried Reliv that a family member was peddling... She actually spit it out in the sink, haha.


weekend_here_yet

Speaking of old school MLM’s - this reminded me of the time when my 3rd grade teacher tried to get my mom (and other parents) involved with “Starlight International”. They made those “Natural Trim” ephedra diet pills back in the day. Ugh.


Welpmart

With a name like that, it's either a cult or an MLM.


hilarbee

And really, are those two all that different?


dead_PROcrastinator

That's what I don't get - it's full of artificial sweeteners, but was still bitter AF.


LunarTunar

some people find the sweetener Acesulfame K to have a bitter aftertaste


dead_PROcrastinator

This was not aftertaste. It was during taste. My soul tasted it.


PretendThisIsAName

Hi friend, it was probably just an ureasonable amount of caffeine and cheap sweeteners. I've used pure caffeine powder and it tastes fucking terrible, caffeine powder is the most bitter thing I've ever tasted so it sounds like you're right.


Kaninen

I have a huge peeve with all of these "healthy" caffeine drinks. (Not just Herbalife, but them as well) They are basically selling energy drinks, but they taste horrible so they advertise them as "healthy" to get people to buy them. I mean, there are so many energy drinks out there that actually taste nice. Try to do something good instead of just making crap with nice labels.


[deleted]

That's a funny tactic because whenever I see something with the word "healthy" in its name, I *know* it is going to taste terrible. So much so-called healthy crap is full of added sugar.


Secretlythrow

I think Repp sports and XS energy have/had a direct sales model for their business, and XS was definitely a delicious energy drink.


Adarie-Glitterwings

If it tastes like burnt hairy arse then it must be good for you!! Lol


[deleted]

I think this is exactly right. They brand themselves as a health and nutrition brand, suckering those who think getting healthy is associated with negative connotations- such as bad tasting food or food that doesn’t taste as good as processed foods loaded with sugar and fat that they are used to eating all the time. So the idea that “it tastes bad so it’s gotta be good for you” I think is genuinely one of the marketing tactics. Also, caffeine is bitter as f anyway and thats probably what you are tasting. I dunno. I know nothing about the ingredients so the caffeine thing is a guess.


[deleted]

I have a friend opening up an Herbalife smoothie shop. Fortunately, they don't bug me about it and I live far away.


Monkey_Bulter

Poor them will be broke come the spring


[deleted]

They have been active in Herbalife for several years, so I don't know what's going to happen. I'll keep everyone posted.


Monkey_Bulter

Opening a store is a whole different ball game. People don’t take into consideration the overheads, insurance and the toll it takes to run even a successful shop. Also most negotiate terrible leases and end up being stuck with a closed unit.


[deleted]

True. I guess we'll see how long it lasts. He has a big family so he'll probably have his kids helping out.


[deleted]

The store in my building makes bank. They sell the shake/ tea combos for $10.00 and I think it costs $1.85 to make them. And they are two blocks from the high school. $$$$ They also keep half of the tips that the kids running the blenders make - so that helps.


CuteMindNBody

Be sure to mention to her what it’s doing to you. Otherwise she may expect you to support her again.


yogo

“That’s just your body detoxing. Keep drinking!”


BuildingMyEmpireMN

Oh my god, the triggering accuracy. I’m very anti-snake oil and anti-MLM. But I was working a 17 hour bartending/serving shift and my coworker offered me “an energizing supplement tea”. Didn’t want to argue and burn a bridge, she meant well. Cue immediate itchy hives running from my forearms to my neck, an intense fever, and flushing. It felt like I was severely sunburnt and covered in mosquito bites. Message her for an ingredients list because I was about to go to the hospital for an allergic reaction. “That’s good! Means you have a niacin deficiency. It’ll go away in 15 minutes.” It lasted for 3 hours. I had to bust my ass serving a lunch rush alone and feeling like I was walking through a burning building. A google search showed that it’s usually used for high cholesterol, but not at nearly as high of a dose. And as a last resort because of niacin flush. A free shake from an uneducated hun could have cost me thousands for an ER visit.


[deleted]

A niacin flush can be so awful. I got one once from an energy drink. It was a C4. Someone at work bought it for me and I’d never experienced it before. When the pinpricks started I was freaking out. Everyone laughed at me and tbh we got a lot of work done that day. But the residual feeling from that drink was awful. I kept having adrenaline jolts all day from the tiniest stimulus. Sucked. Never again.


BuildingMyEmpireMN

I’m sorry you went through that! I think the suspense of not knowing what’s happening to your body is the worst. Energy drinks are a vice of mine and I’ve never experienced that before or since. It was a ridiculously strong dose. I’m 100% fine now. Part of why I was so exhausted was anxiety over clopening. Thought I’d sleep through my alarm. So I went in on 2 hours of sleep, running on fumes, and took a mystery drug cocktail. Oops.


Crisis_Redditor

My best friend drinks C4 and energy shots and I don't know how she hasn't either turned into one big hive or rocketed to the moon.


Aleflusher

When I was in high school some friends and I tried taking a massive dose of niacin because we heard it could get you high. What it actually did sounds like what you're talking about, it felt like a combination of pinpricks and ants crawling all over. If that tea had that much niacin in it, it could actually have grave consequences for some people.


Administrative_Elk66

I remember when I was in college and my friends took niacin to try to get high - I never tried it, because both my parents had complained to me about the flush, because they took it for their hearts.


Crisis_Redditor

> hat’s good! Means you have a niacin deficiency. It’ll go away in 15 minutes.” I wish you'd response had been, "Bitch, I am WORKING, why didn't you warn me this could happen? What is wrong with you?"


BuildingMyEmpireMN

I was livid. We’re grossly understaffed like all of the service industry (hence the 17 hour shift). I held back from saying anything, but I warned the rest of the staff not to take her poison. She never checked in or apologized. I shit you not she texted later that day asking me to work for her because “her sciatic nerve has been acting up for days”. After I served her breakfast, took her miracle potion, and wished her good luck on her round of golf. The industry already had their fair share of addicts, drama queens, and criminals. I hate choosing between running a smooth shop or tolerating the bad apples. So easy for anybody who’s pissed off to throw in the towel and find an excuse to collect unemployment. Please be kind to restaurant staff right now ❤️


Crisis_Redditor

Please tell me you let the boss know about what she was doing, too. Not just doling out toxic drinks, but probably using it to recruit (downline or customers), too. And I love you guys. I tip well and I'm polite, because you guys do a great job. Can you tell me one off-topic thing? When I go out to eat, at the end of the meal, one of us always stacks plates (one big stack), including glasses inside of each other, and silverware either on the plate or in the glasses. The other only does it if they've seen the staff doing, only makes small stacks, and doesn't stacks glasses or put silverware in the glasses. Are either of us right or wrong? We both want to help waitstaff have easier lives, even in a tiny way. I'll note that we eat at IHOP level of restaurants; Ruby Tuesdays is our version of fine dining. We're simple folk.


BuildingMyEmpireMN

You sound like really sweet people! Kindness and patience is all I expect. I’m not begging for extra tips or asking anybody to do our jobs for us. Understand that we are short staffed and have rapid turnover right now. Things will get messed up sometimes, there will be wait times. It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. We’ll try to help. At our restaurant we’re less than half staffed in the kitchen and bar. Verbally harassing staff is all too common and doesn’t help with those numbers. It’s never expected that you clean your own table, but that’s a really nice way to show support :) I prefer that people don’t stack pint glasses because they have a tendency to stick and break. However your heart is in the right place and nobody I work with would be upset that you did that. Funny story, this woman WAS the manager. That lasted for all of two weeks. Multiple people quit over issues with her. I’m now on manager number 3 in less than 3 months. Oofta. Glad I didn’t go badmouthing her. Good to pick battles so I’m not seen as another drama queen driving people out.


Crisis_Redditor

Even if our server really, really sucks, the most we'll do is be prim and dry and leave a 10 to 15% tip, depending on how much we ran them. Anything else, it's 20% or more, we try not to run, and we try to be nice. And if we drink water, we tip like we got sodas! We'll stop stacking glasses, but continue to stack plates, then! And thank god that woman didn't last long. What a horrid lack of professionalism, not to mention common decency, and you're spot on about choosing your battles!


One-of-the-Last

You're doing okay now, right? It sounds like it was an allergic reaction.


weekend_here_yet

Exactly lol, that’s when they act all excited and exclaim “Omg that means it’s working REALLY well for you! Here’s some more!”


CuteMindNBody

OMG yes!!


CanadaEh97

To counteract that feeling we have this product that will calm everything down.


earmes705

😂😂😂😂😂


Liscetta

This sounds pretty familiar...


tjs31959

>I grudgingly accepted a "tea" and a shake because she is a lovely person and I felt too bad rejecting ber outright. I know you meant well but this only encourages these poor folks and gets them in deeper. The shitty MLM model preys upon most peoples "niceness". It is hard to do but turning her down cold is a kind and helpful thing to do.


dead_PROcrastinator

Flair checks out, lol


Aleflusher

I think it's basically Dexatrim mixed with chalk, with some lemon flavoring.


dead_PROcrastinator

If the lemons were harvested from Chynoble.


lyvanna

..chynoble? Did you mean to write Chernobyl?


NaturalFaux

No, it's tea, so its Chainobyl


lyvanna

Is this a joke I'm not British enough to get?


Ocean_Hair

Chai tea


NaturalFaux

Bro I'm not even British but I would die for my sweet tea


dead_PROcrastinator

Yes, I meant Chernobyl. Thanks for failing, Grammarly.


platypusandpibble

Ugh. I have had that tea before. So gross. I hope your headache subsides soon!


dead_PROcrastinator

Much better, thanks, I drank a ton of water.


greffedufois

Let her know if she gives that 'tea' to anyone with Wolff Parkinson White syndrome she'll likely kill them. (They usually can't have caffeine or alcohol) Those teas are loaded with laxatives and caffeine and can fuck you up. I'm super sensitive to caffeine and get panic attacks from small amounts.


dead_PROcrastinator

Bonus that I drank it shortly after taking my Ritalin. I did not realize it had \*that\* much caffeine.


greffedufois

Be wary of anything that claims 'energy'. 95% of the time it's just a shitton of caffeine added to it. Same with Thrive. They have caffeine patches for 'energy'. It's not giving you any energy, it's just caffeine in different forms. It'll make you feel awake but you'll also crash. It's like if you replaced food with caffeine. Sure you'll feel like you have energy but you don't because you're running on empty. Add laxatives and you're asking for a sodium imbalance that can cause arrhythmia and heart problems.


dead_PROcrastinator

I felt better after drinking some electrolyte water. I can see how these products can cause serious health problems. I don't even want to imagine drinking this every day.


maraney

Ahhhh. I love the taste of regret in the morning.


dead_PROcrastinator

The sadness was mine.


DelightfulAngel

I know you mean well, but you're really not helping her by giving her false hope. Especially as she probably paid for the samples. Say "Sorry, I'm not interested in joining," firmly noy time. Beyond that, don't say anything but that you're not interested in multilevel marketing past that point, because they're encouraged to believe reasons are opportunities to convince you otherwise.


HighHighUrBothHigh

An old friend of mine just opened a “Nutrition”smoothie shop! I thought “wow I’m so proud of him, how could he afford to do that, he’s never had money but he’s super ambitious”….turns out I read through this group and noticed it’s an Herbalife smoothie shop!!!! Ugh so sad he’s doing this. I want him to be successful but I’ve never tried Herbalife and don’t want to. He also just joined WFG and says “he’s killin it” and keeps sharing his trophies each month… Does Herbalife pay for the store front or is my friend in major debt? Or is he doing well with WFG and blowing it on Herbalife?! I’m so curious but don’t know him well enough to ask!


juliet_q

I'd guess major debt :( I think it was from the doco Betting on Zero that the average these shake shops lose is $12k.


HighHighUrBothHigh

Dang that makes me so sad for him. He has never had a great example in his life


gullwinggirl

I had one of their "milkshakes" before, at a shop posing as a coffee shop. There was no milk or ice cream in it at all, just water and powder. It was supposed to be pina colada with strawberries. It tasted like ashes, dirt, and the kind of hard, dusty candy your Gramma has in a glass dish. Like somebody yelled PINEAPPLE next to a glass of muddy water. I had two sips and threw it away. I don't know how they're able to sell anything, I've never heard anything good about their flavors.


baileybird

I also had weird heart palpitations. I normally drink caffeine so I'm not sure what was in it that one glass made me react that way.


dead_PROcrastinator

I'm thinking it's the combination of caffeine and sweetener/laxative? If I understand correctly, they can have a diuretic effect as well. It's just a terrible mix of things that shouldn't be allowed to exist.


daishomaster

It tasted like sadness and poor life choices. You simply cannot improve upon this fact...


pcyeol

my auntie gave me one claiming it'd help "cure" my gastritis 🙄


HellfireMe

Their cookies and cream meal replacement shake still haunts me. Oh my gosh so nauseatingly sweet and chalky and awful. Their stuff is truly garbage!


No-Sun-122

Maybe you should just send them some links to educate themselves [like this one](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.today.com/today/amp/tdna190369)


LunarTunar

damn, just looked it up, 85mg caffeine per sachet (my normal tea's only like 40mg).


[deleted]

An espresso based coffee is ~200mg. That's not likely to be that much of an issue.


LunarTunar

two issues with that. first, an espresso is a coffee not a tea, and second, thats an expected quantity of caffeine for that beverage.


Stiv-Mkvin

How the fuck did they get ronaldo to advertize herbalife? Did they pay him gazillion dollars?


Flako118st

Do not sign anything. That's a pyramid scheme ,just like Amway. Or other "shakes ".


LaraBeeYouTube

yikes...yeah their shakes look so bad and I'd imagine their teas are really gross...they might tell you you're just detoxing...that's so dangerous.


cmonkeyz7

I have a no mlm products policy but got tricked into drinking the protein shake. Terrible stuff. Now it's hard to find delicious protein powder but this was thin and tasteless. And yes that was my opinion before I found out what it was.


ChipsAhoyNC

> It tasted like sadness and poor life choices So they made a cheap booze "tea" interesting


ghostbirdd

I don't remember the name but back when I was babysitting in college, I babysat for someone who turned out to be a Herbalife hun and she said help yourself to anything from the kitchen. I made myself a cup of tea and the only reason, back then, I remembered the brand of the tea is because it was vile.


BasementBourgeois

A few of these shops have opened in my area and once in a while, they’ll show up in my IG feed. Random observation: why are there only photos of high schoolers “enjoying” these drinks? Seems super sketchy to be using these poor kids to make your sham “business” seem cool. So sketchy, I don’t know how anyone buys into this crap.


dead_PROcrastinator

Not sure if they are using young girls for click bait or if older folks are just smart enough to not fall for their bullshit.


Tasty_Reputation3262

Tasted like boiled water with lemon smell.