Hey! This is the Malaika Fitness newsletter- The newsletter that turns health and fitness into a fun, easy-to-read email for you each week.

Take five minutes to learn why health and fitness should matter to you. 

Here's what we got for you:

• Beware of the Scams 👀

• Lying Labels 🤥

• Hot Links

• Mfit meme to make your day

Beware of the Scams : Fitness Frauds

V Shred is a name you may or may not have heard of. The ads the company has created seem to appear EVERYWHERE on the internet. Reminds me of a bad rash you just can't seem to shake... 😂

NEWSFLASH: V Shred literally is a bad rash you just can't shake

V Shred is an online fitness, nutrition, and supplement brand based out of Nevada. A gentleman named "Vince" is the main spokesperson for the brand- a puppet, backed by a group of people who are only interested in making a profit. Born in 2015 by a group of internet marketers, V Shred creates content on fitness and nutrition. You'll find a variety of gym hacks and diet information on their YouTube channel. Growing quickly at first, people seemed to take a liking to the channel and content... However, the growing following began to notice the content was copied word-for-word from other popular creators online. 

As V Shred began to gain more attention in the fitness community when people noticed the plagiarism, wise eyes (big time influencers who are well educated when it comes to health and fitness) began to evaluate more of his practices and the science behind his particular tips and views- or lack thereof. Claims he made would baffle these creators who understood beyond a doubt that there was no real education or research being done that could corroborate anything Vince was sharing. The supplements he would promote contained doses that were less than what could actually have any effect on the body, diet tips were inaccurate and gave people a false sense of hope when it came to what they could accomplish, fitness tips and moves that were completely made up and more likely to do harm than any good... The list goes on.

It became incredibly clear that V Shred was targeting people who were VERY new to health and fitness. They marketed their services and supplements by targeting those who lacked any knowledge of the realm and took complete advantage, pulling the wool over their eyes. They still do so to this very day! V Shred and their spokesman, Vince, are just one example of businesses and brands out there who aren't taking the time to share quality information backed by EVIDENCE. Research these things for yourself and pay attention to the source of information you're ingesting. 

All I have to say is, thank goodness Malaika Fitness is here to provide REAL tips and tricks backed by science 😉

Labels are LIARS ⬇️

*The FDA does not and is not required to test dietary supplements before they are sold*

For years, the fitness industry was (and still sometimes is) plagued by brands who claim they want to do good... Turns out these supplements they sell aren't always what they appear to be! Blackstone Labs is just one of the many groups who have been caught by the government selling illegal substances labeled as "legal dietary supplements". The founder and head of companies involved with manufacturing their products were smacked with some serious fines and a good chunk of prison time.

Another scheme that we've seen in the fitness supplement industry is the intentional inclusion of banned substances in products upon initial release. Manufacturers and the powers that be controlling these brands know that if they can create a product that promises and delivers INSANE results, people will keep coming back and their profits will be *chefs kiss*. By the time the FDA gets around to random tests, or finds out about a suspiciously good supplement, the manufacturer has already removed the illegal compounds and is pumping out an entirely different, and less effective, formulation.

Call to ACTION: Take note of these unfortunate and frankly terrifying realities and DO YOUR RESEARCH. Check out companies you purchase supplements from, learn about them and look into their manufacturing policies and practices along with third party testing results. Be safe and be smart 👏🏻

Hot Links 

✅ Stop V Shred: This YouTube video created by a lad named Josh Brett does a marvelous job of introducing V Shred and how he's bringing a bad rap to fitness

✅ Third Party Testing🧪: If you've ever heard of the "Certified for Sport" stamp of approval, then you've heard of NSF- these guys test supplements to ensure what's on the label is actually in the product in addition to confirming there aren't other mystery substances (or toxins) present in formulations

✅FDA & Dietary Supplements🤓: Here I've linked the FDA FAQ page on dietary supplements if you want to learn more 

✅ Caught Red-Handed 👎🏻: Check out this document released in February of 2022 by the Department of Justice ⬇️

Blackstone Labs Founder Sentenced for Conspiracy to Sell Anabolic Steroids and Unlawful Dietary Supplements

😭A painfully accurate meme 4 u ⬇️

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