EP86: The Future of Nutrition is Personalized with Allison Baker, VP of Business Development at Baze

02/19/20 • 32 min

“Baze is a young, global company, well positioned to make this concept and truth of personal nutrition accessible for all.

Lori Taylor (19:03)

The future of personalized nutrition is NOW.

Allison Baker is a Registered Dietician, the VP of Business Development at Baze, and an absolute superstar in the realm of personalized nutrition.

Baze was founded in 2014 with a mission to revolutionize the personal nutrition industry. Baze utilizes cutting edge technology to test client’s blood nutrient levels, tailor a unique supplement plan. They take the guesswork out of nutrition and believe they hold the key to provide optimized healthcare for all.

“The whole purpose of our brand is to empower individual wellness for all.” - Allison Baker (29:02)

We are surrounded by supplements, but still in the dark.

When it comes to supplements, there is no shortage. In fact, 73% of the US takes a multivitamin. And yet, 33% of individuals have a nutrient deficiency.

Across the board Americans are deficient in every micronutrient except sodium.

Furthermore, the measurements used to determine the “standard” RDA for nutrients are only aimed to keep you from being deficient, not focused on getting your levels optimized for exceptional health.

The system is broken.

How do we actually know what we need, and how much we should be taking?

We don’t.

When we rely on guesswork to help us choose which micronutrients to supplement, and how much of each we should be taking, the statistics show we drastically miss the mark.

This is where Baze comes in.

Nutrition is a personal journey. Your needs are as unique as you are. Baze can help.

Baze is a pioneer in blood nutrient technology.

Nutrient testing through your general practitioner is expensive, time-consuming, and is not typically readily available for the comprehensive set of nutrients tested by Baze. Our healthcare system is focused on treating disease after it happens. Baze believes that focusing on preventative healthcare now will change the future of our wellness and increase our longevity.

It’s important to know where you’re deficient, and also to know the dosage of nutrients you need to close the gap and optimize your health.

How does Baze work?

The process is simple. Baze sends a testing kit right to your door. The device uses an array of tiny needles paired with suction to provide a virtually painless process. You return the kit, and your blood levels are analyzed.

You then receive a personalized report and supplements are recommended, using a dosing algorithm based on the results, and they are shipped directly to you.

A dietician approves every single dose before it goes out the door.

Three months later your levels are reassessed.

Clients who reassessed saw a 73% decrease in deficiencies. These results are absolutely phenomenal, and unheard of in this industry.

What are the results?

What does it look like to have your nutrient levels optimized? Baze clients have experienced some incredible results.

Including...

More energy
More focus
Optimized Immune System
Healthier Skin
Weight Management

If you’re like many of us, and struggle to fall into a regular routine of taking a daily supplement, Allison said, “It’s ok!” Even taking your personalized supplement every couple of days will still bring your levels to an optimal level. It may just take a little bit longer than the average 12 weeks.

“If we just focused on eating the micronutrients that we need to be healthy... and started eating towards that, and supplementing appropriately and smartly, it would change everything.”

- Allison Baker (30:00)

When you give your body the nutrients it needs, it performs in the way it was designed. It was created to thrive, and be healthy.

We spend too much of our time focusing on the things we need to cut out of our diet in order to be healthier. But what if, optimal health wasn’t found in the things we eliminated from our diet, but rather the nutrients we put in?

When Produce and Supplements Partner Up.

“Baze is really focused on the mission. This is a company that cares about the end result, to the point that they are actively collaborating with complementary industries... it’s really cool to see how authentic the Baze company is.” - Lori Taylor (28:19)

Food is the foundation of everything we do. At Produce Moms we know that optimal health begins with an optimal diet.

Supplements are just that - a supplement.

Recently, Baze has partnered with companies like Monterey Mushrooms and Eat Local to pair necessary supplements with real food.

Initiatives like increasing the amount of Vitamin D in Mon...

“Baze is a young, global company, well positioned to make this concept and truth of personal nutrition accessible for all.

Lori Taylor (19:03)

The future of personalized nutrition is NOW.

Allison Baker is a Registered Dietician, the VP of Business Development at Baze, and an absolute superstar in the realm of personalized nutrition.

“The whole purpose of our brand is to empower individual wellness for all.” - Allison Baker (29:02)

We are surrounded by supplements, but still in the dark.

When it comes to supplements, there is no shortage. In fact, 73% of the US takes a multivitamin. And yet, 33% of individuals have a nutrient deficiency.

Across the board Americans are deficient in every micronutrient except sodium.

The system is broken.

How do we actually know what we need, and how much we should be taking?

We don’t.

When we rely on guesswork to help us choose which micronutrients to supplement, and how much of each we should be taking, the statistics show we drastically miss the mark.

This is where Baze comes in.

Nutrition is a personal journey. Your needs are as unique as you are. Baze can help.

Baze is a pioneer in blood nutrient technology.

It’s important to know where you’re deficient, and also to know the dosage of nutrients you need to close the gap and optimize your health.

How does Baze work?

You then receive a personalized report and supplements are recommended, using a dosing algorithm based on the results, and they are shipped directly to you.

A dietician approves every single dose before it goes out the door.

Three months later your levels are reassessed.

Clients who reassessed saw a 73% decrease in deficiencies. These results are absolutely phenomenal, and unheard of in this industry.

What are the results?

What does it look like to have your nutrient levels optimized? Baze clients have experienced some incredible results.

Including...

More energy
More focus
Optimized Immune System
Healthier Skin
Weight Management

“If we just focused on eating the micronutrients that we need to be healthy... and started eating towards that, and supplementing appropriately and smartly, it would change everything.”

- Allison Baker (30:00)

When you give your body the nutrients it needs, it performs in the way it was designed. It was created to thrive, and be healthy.

When Produce and Supplements Partner Up.

Food is the foundation of everything we do. At Produce Moms we know that optimal health begins with an optimal diet.

Supplements are just that - a supplement.

Recently, Baze has partnered with companies like Monterey Mushrooms and Eat Local to pair necessary supplements with real food.

Initiatives like increasing the amount of Vitamin D in Mon...

Previous Episode

EP85: Facts on the ‘French Fry Famine’ of 2020 with Frank Muir, President and CEO of the Idaho Potato Commission

“I try to remind folks that we aren’t going to run out of potatoes. We still have 13 billion pounds of potatoes that we are shipping across America and around the world.”

Frank Muir (7:20-7:35)

Frank Muir has served as the President and CEO of the Idaho Potato Commission for the past 17 years. He is leading the charge to help consumers around the world understand that Idaho potatoes are delicious, nutritious, and extremely affordable.

The media is buzzing about a “potato shortage” that could leave us fry-less.

Concerned consumers and businesses alike have been writing in to The Produce Moms to get the scoop on the potato shortage. With dramatic headlines insinuating that America could run out of potatoes - Frank Muir wittily described it as French Fry Famine Fear - we decided to go straight to the source to gather some facts, and put minds (and stomachs) at ease.

In 2019, an early frost and inclement weather from Hurricane Dorian threatened to destroy potato crops not just in Idaho, but in the midwest and parts of Canada.

Idaho farmers and harvesters worked around the clock days before the frost to gather as much of the harvest as possible and were able to get 85% of the crop into storage before the severe weather took out the rest. Some of the remaining crop was salvageable. The yield varied between 0-5%, meaning some fields did experience a total loss.

While it’s hard to determine the long-term impact of a loss of this magnitude, many focus on the loss without taking time to consider all of the facts.

The 2019 harvest yielded 13 billion pounds of potatoes! That’s enough to fill an entire football stadium end-to-end and one mile high.

The bottom line: There are still plenty of potatoes for everyone.

“They aren’t just good to eat, but they’re actually good for you. We’ve made big strides in returning the Idaho potato to its rightful pedestal as America’s favorite vegetable.”

- Frank Muir (2:30-2:45)

The Harvest Cycle of the Idaho Potato.

To fully comprehend the impact of a diminished harvest on the farmers and consumers alike, it’s helpful to understand a little bit more about the harvest cycle of Idaho potatoes.

In Idaho, potatoes are grown along the Snake River Plain that stretches across the bottom third of the state. Potatoes are harvested only once per year, and are then placed in extremely sophisticated climate controlled storage facilities, where they wait to be shipped, sold, and eaten by you!

If you do your best to mimic the climate controlled environment utilized by Idaho potato distributors, your potatoes can last much longer!

“At the end of the day, Idaho potatoes are, dollar for dollar, one of the most nutrient dense foods in the world. I don’t know if there is a more affordable commodity in the produce department.”

- Lori Taylor (19:05-19:20 )

Impact on the Consumer.

As a Produce Mom, I’m sure you are very familiar with the concept of supply and demand. When supply is down, price increases.

So, how will this affect our potato purchases?

While there’s potential for price to increase as the Idaho potato supply tightens, the potato will remain a frugal, nutrient-dense purchase.

Consider this - even if Idaho potatoes doubled in cost, they would still only cost on average between $2.00-$5.00 for a 5lb bag.

Can you think of another vegetable in the produce section that you can purchase for $1 per lb?

“Potatoes are the most economical vegetable you can purchase. Even with a tightening supply and prices going up a little bit, it’s still going to be the most valuable return for produce that you can purchase in the grocery store” - Frank Muir (9:45-10:15)

‘Potato Lovers Month’

Did you know that February is the month to celebrate potatoes?

Baked, fried, or instant, Idaho loves potatoes and wants the world to celebrate with them.

Be on the lookout for displays in one of the over 5000 local grocery stores who participate in the annual display contest, and follow the Idaho Potato Commision on social media to join in the fun!

The Takeaway.

The media outlets have overdramatized the potato crop shortage, leading consumers to believe that the crop may not last through the year.

The Idaho Potato Commission is still promoting and advertising, alongside the vast number of restaurants and grocery stores.

So, never fear, the salty companion to your ketchup should stay hot, fresh, and ready to be dipped for the duration of 2020.

When you’re shopping, alway...

Next Episode

EP87: The Essential Nutrients Your Children are Missing with Jonathon Wolfson, Founder and CEO of Brainiac Kids

“It matters when you feed your kids to think about nutrition for their brains. Their brains are developing really rapidly. The same way you pay attention to their bones and muscles... you should be paying attention to feeding them for their brain health.”

Jonathan Wolfson (23:01-23:33)

Necessity is the mother of invention.

When Jonathon Wolfson, Founder and CEO of Brainac Kids, began asking researching nutrition for his children, he quickly realized that there was much more he could be doing to make sure they had proper nutrition to support their quickly developing brains.

We often focus on our little ones’ calcium and protein intake to support healthy bones and muscles, but what about DHA? EPA? ALA? Choline?

These are nutrients that we often focus on during pregnancy and the first year of a child’s life, but the brain is rapidly developing through adolescence. Both breastmilk and formula provide babies with these essential nutrients, but after that children’s diets often fall short of the recommended intake.

The more information Jonathon gathered, the more he realized that he needed to do something for the health of his children and yours.

In the light of this research, Brainiac Kids products came to life.

“There’s an enormous amount of attention paid to the first 1000 days - conception through age two - but a huge percentage of the important development in areas like the prefrontal cortex happens later for kids.” - Jonathon Wolfson (5:13- 5:37)

Startling Statistics.

Perhaps your children love their vegetables. We encourage our children to try everything, and The Produce Moms has some fantastic resources to help you find new ways to get your children to explore the world of produce.

Braniac Kids is a strong proponent of reaching nutrient requirements through whole foods, but this can be a challenge with the nutrients that support brain development.

Do your children love salmon, walnuts, broccoli, flax seeds, trout, and brussels sprouts?

Are they eating them on a weekly basis?

American children, on average, are only getting 20% of the recommended daily amount of DHA, and only about 66% of the recommended amount of Choline.

All of these are essential for healthy brain development and function.

“DHA and EPA are critical nutrients... making up close to 15% of a child’s brain. It provides the infrastructure on which the whole brain is built.” - Jonathon Wolfson (8:03)

Before you spend the rest of your day trying to figure out how to get your toddler to enjoy trout, read on to hear about how Jonathon and his team has used innovation to help children everywhere get the nutrients they need through healthy, delicious snacks!

Brainiac Kids products are delicious and nutritious!

The team at Brainiac Kids have developed a line of yogurt and applesauce products, and are working on a whole host of snack products. Their Science and Nutrition Advisory Board researched the nutrients and amounts that were most crucial to support a child’s growing brain.

The yogurt is offered in both tube and drink format, and in delicious flavors like cherry vanilla, strawberry banana, and strawberry.

The applesauce comes in strawberry, cinnamon, and apple, a variety of different flavors tested thoroughly with children to find the right formula to taste delicious, while staying low in sugar and nutrient dense.

In fact, the yogurt tubes contain 40% less sugar than leading kids’ yogurt brands, and the yogurt drinks 50% less!

“I’m a big fan because my son is a big fan... What a moment it is when the product my child chooses is a product that’s actually really healthy for them!” - Lori Taylor (19:03)

All of the products include the “Brain Pack,” essential brain nutrients blended into tasty snacks for your children.

130mg of Omega 3 -DHA/EPA
120 mg of Choline
160mg of Omega 3 ALA

Brainiac Kids has worked hard to make sure they are providing the most important nutrients at the right levels to provide optimal health for your child’s developing brain.

Brainiac Kids is good for your child’s health, and for the environment.

Despite being under one year old, Brainiac Kids is B Corp Certified, meeting the highest standards for overall social and environmental standards for health. There isn’t a higher certification that businesses can get.

Their team has sourced the yogurt from pasture-raised, non-GMO verified, grass fed cows, doing their part to ensure the products they deliver to you are the highest quality, and are sustainably sourced.

Find Brainiac Kids Products

Brainiac Kids strives to make their products accessible in both availability and cost, healthier and bett...