Have you seen this picture on billboards yet?
That’s Andi Manzano and she is the endorser for a new kind of flavored water that comes in several variants recently released — Water Plus by the Zest-o people. One of Water Plus’ variants is their Waterplus Reduce line which comes in three flavors – grape, lemon & berries, and apple, and is touted as a weight loss water product.
OK, I know what some of you may say. Another water product? It’s touting itself as water but has a lot of sugar? What’s new?
I must say, the thought crossed my mind too. But I was willing to listen to the organizers tell me a bit more about the product before I made any conclusions of my own.
Some water drinks introduced in the past which I tried were heavy on the flavoring. They tasted nice but because the flavorings were quite strong they already bordered closer to being juice than water. That made me wonder about the sugar content in WaterPlus Reduce.
The WaterPlus Reduce press kit I read also said that it is an aid for those trying to lose weight because it contains 300mg of L-Carnitine and 2 grams of Fibersol (you will read this on the bottle as Resistant Maltodextrin). L-Carnitine is an amino acid that helps increase fat-burning properties in the body while Fibersol is a water soluble fiber that help maintain a healthy digestive track. The L-carnitine in WaterPlus increases the amount of calories burned per minute compared to rehydrating with just plain water. The fibersol on the other hand helps flush out lactic acid produced during exercise.
The press release also said that WaterPlus Reduce, unlike other weight loss drinks, has zero sugar and zero calories which enables you to burn more fats without adding extra pounds. Now, this last part I still cannot verify since I have not consumed enough Water Plus to test the claim but if you are already on a water-based drink that claims to help with weight loss, you can probably compare the content of L-Carnitine and Fibersol between the two drinks.
Over dinner, we were made to sample all 3 flavors and the first thing I noticed was that there was only a very slight hint of flavoring in Water Plus, holding true to its claim to being near-water formulation. Of all three, I loved the Apple variant. I think I am really an apple-flavored person because that seems to be the juice I also prefer.
One last check — the list of ingredients! Knowing that ingredients are listed in the order of how much content is in a product, I saw that the first 3 ingredients, in this order, were Purified Water, Resistant Maltodextrin and L-Carnitine. Not sodium. Not sugar.
Of course, consuming any weight-loss drink has to be coupled with adequate exercise and a healthy lifestyle. Drinking WaterPlus Reduce alone is not the answer. Water Plus suggests that WaterPlus Reduce be taken after every meal so that it aids in burning up the calories and minimizes the unwanted calories that turn into excess fat.
Andi Manzano said that she tries her best to be as fit as she can be and Water Plus helps her maintain her very nice figure. I had a chance to talk to her briefly, exchanging tidbits about my doing yoga and her fitness program. Since I need to rehydrate a lot especially after a round of yoga, I think I will try WaterPlus Reduce. I may not need to drastically lose pounds but if it can help me reduce inches in the right places, I’d be happy, hahaha.
(With Andi Manzano)
One last thing. Water Plus has two more lines: Protect and Smart (okay for children).
