Banner thunderbird diabetes9/18/2023 ![]() ![]() "I can't imagine not taking care of my health and exiting Earth prematurely and leaving them without me. "My family is everything to me," Francia said. He knew he didn't want that to happen to his family, too. "Dozens of times over the years, paramedics came to our house to save my dad's life, and I can tell you some pretty terrifying stories about growing up with a dad who didn't manage diabetes well," Francia said. Prior to his own health issues, Francia grew up watching his stepdad, who raised him from the age of 6, struggle with unmanaged diabetes. … So, as much as I'm going to enjoy the ride with this as a business, it's not going to overshadow what really has become a mission for me on obesity and diabetes." "I didn't intend for this to be a product. "I know what it did for my health, and I know what it can do for obesity and diabetes," Francia said. Life Cider, a drink developed by a Utah restaurant founder, provides various health benefits. Each can of Life Cider includes 500 milligrams of vitamin C, a vitamin D3 pill, 10 milligrams of zinc, 500 micrograms of B12 and 84 trace minerals.Īt the end of 2018, he realized he had something worth sharing, and he turned it into Life Cider. When he realized his wife and kids were drinking the lemonade, too, he started adding vitamins. He spent around three years playing around with flavors until he created a drink that his family wouldn't leave alone. "Having created almost every recipe at Sweeto Burrito, every rub sauce, marinade - I knew how to go play with flavors," Francia told KSL.com.īut he didn't do it overnight. So, using his culinary background and experience mixing flavors at Sweeto Burrito – which he sold three years ago, in 2020 - Francia started adding flavors and turned his drink into a tasty lemonade. I can't do this anymore.'"Īlong with eating healthier, Francia started drinking apple cider vinegar after reading about potential benefits like improved heart health, diabetes management, lower levels of acid reflux, weight loss and lowered cholesterol.īut the taste was awful. "So I said, 'Okay, I have to get on top of my health. I'm going to die of either respiratory disease or diabetes,'" Francia said. I'm only halfway through my potential life, but I'm not going to make it. He realized that, genetically, he had the potential to live a long life, but only if he did something about his health. He watched his grandmother and grandfather die at 96 and 98, respectively. But they said he would have to be intubated if they couldn't get his health issues under control.īut 2015 was Francia's real wake-up call. ![]() … They didn't know how to fix me."ĭoctors tried several heavy antibiotics, which finally worked. On top of that, he was suffering from severe acid reflux, bad back issues, heartburn, obesity, swollen joints and aspirating fluids in his lungs at night. In 20, Francia had two bouts of pneumonia involving severe secondary infections. "It's like drinking through a firehose," he added. In regard to his fast-growing success, Francia said, "I'm kind of freaking out a little bit! I thought this was going to start off very mom-and-pop, and it's anything but that, now." Not to mention, negotiations just began with various Utah-based grocers. He was launching Life Cider in Beverly Hills at Equinox Luxury Fitness Club and at Pink Dot, a 7-11-type convenience store. Len Hunter, senior vice president of United Natural Foods, told Francia, "I think this may be the biggest single product I've ever had in my 35 years of food and beverage distribution."Įven before BevNet, Francia was distributing his Life Cider across grocery stores and hotels in Arizona, using Peddler's Son, a produce distribution company. Jon Pierre Francia presents his apple cider vinegar lemonade company, Life Cider, in the finals round of the BevNet New Beverage Showdown in New York last week. ![]()
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