Herbalife Family Foundation (HFF) has come a long way since its creation in 1994. Herbalife Family Foundation provides nutrition to more than 120,000 children every day. Through the HFF Casa Herbalife Program, the focus has been on providing food security, general nutrition and nutrition education, kitchen supplies, renovations and a safer environment to more than 3 million children around the world in the past 20 years. Herbalife Family Foundations also supports natural disaster relief efforts.

“Herbalife Family Foundation allows all of us around the world to give back and help others,” says Leslie Stanford, Herbalife Founder’s Circle member and 2010 HFF Humanitarian Award recipient. “When you can connect with another human being like that, it really makes a difference.”

How did it get started? Herbalife Founder and First Distributor Mark Hughes (1956–2000) founded HFF in 1994 to improve the lives of children by helping charitable organizations provide healthy nutrition.

In 1998, Hughes and HFF helped open the Casa do Menor São Miguel Arcanjo in Rio de Janeiro, an organization that serves children, adolescents and young people, some of whom are victims of violence, abuse or neglect.

In 2005, HFF introduced its flagship Casa Herbalife Program, named for the Rio de Janeiro orphanage Hughes helped to open in 1998. Through financial assistance and volunteer support, HFF Casa Herbalife programs provide nutrition to children at more than 100 locations in over 50 countries.

The HFF Humanitarian Award was first presented to an Independent Herbalife Member in 2008. The award recognizes a Member or Members who exemplify HFF’s mission and have made a significant contribution to changing lives. Nominations are received from around the world and are evaluated based on the nominee’s philanthropic activity, community leadership, volunteerism and advocacy.

In 2013, HFF awarded more than $2.2 million in funding to over 100 Casa Herbalife programs around the world.

To learn more about HFF, visit HerbalifeFamilyFoundation.org.

HFF Facts

• 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
• More than $13 million in funding to organizations in need since 1994
• Over $1.7 million in donations to disaster relief since 1994
• More than 6,000 meals served daily at HFF Casa Herbalife programs
• HFF tagline: “Nutrition for a Brighter Future.”

- Source : http://www.herbalifespotlight.com/2014/07/herbalife-family-foundation-20-years-anniversary/#sthash.oSqVsLZM.dpuf

Protein. Let’s discuss what is is, why it’s important and where you can find it! You may know what foods contain protein, but have you ever wondered what protein actually is – and why you need to eat it every day? 

Protein is, of course, a vital component of a healthy diet.  Most of us have known this since we were kids – probably from being told that protein would make us “big and strong”.  And, while there’s some debate as to who actually created the word “protein” (it first appeared in the scientific literature in 1838), there’s no disagreement that it was derived from the Greek word “protos” – meaning “first rank or position” – in recognition of how important protein is to life.   

What Are Proteins Made Of ?

The proteins you eat (and the proteins in your body) are all made up of small units, called amino acids. You often hear amino acids described as “building blocks” because these small individual units are assembled in various ways to build proteins.

I like to think of amino acids in the same way as letters of the alphabet.  We use just 26 letters to make up all of the words that we write and speak.  Some words are short, some are long – but we create millions of words from just 26 letters.  And, the final sequence of the letters is what gives each word its sound, and its meaning.

Similarly, there are 20 amino acids that can be strung together to make proteins – the ones you eat, and the ones that are made by your body.  And just as we don’t use all 26 letters to make every word, most proteins don’t contain all 20 amino acids, either.

But – just as letters are strung together to make words – amino acids can be strung together in different sequences and in different lengths (from just a few amino acids to several thousand) to make different proteins.  And, the sequence of amino acids gives each protein its “meaning” – because the final structure of the amino acid chain determines specifically what that protein is, and what it does.

The Proteins You Eat

Maybe you never thought about it, but not all food proteins are the same.  The sequence of amino acids that creates the white of an egg is much different from the arrangement of amino acids that creates the protein in a glass of milk.

When you eat foods that provide protein, then, it should make sense that different foods contain different proteins (and usually more than one) – even though they’re all made up of amino acids.

For example, when you eat milk or yogurt, you’re eating proteins called casein and whey.  When you eat meat or fish or poultry, you would be eating – among others – proteins called collagen and myosin.  Beans have proteins called legumins, and eggs contain a number of different proteins, including one called avidin and one called ovalbumin.

Each of these proteins is unique because each is made up of a unique sequence of amino acids.  And once the proteins are digested and absorbed, their amino acids can then be used as building blocks for the proteins within your body.

The Proteins Your Body Makes

As protein foods travel through the digestive tract, they’re ultimately broken back down into their individual amino acids, which are absorbed into the bloodstream.  Your body can then use these building blocks to manufacture some 50,000 different body proteins – each of which has a specific structure (and function) based upon its arrangement of amino acids.

As long as your body has all the necessary “raw materials” in the form of the amino acid building blocks, it can manufacture these important body proteins – from the enzymes that speed up chemical reactions in the body, to hormones that act as chemical messengers.  (Other proteins support your immune function, or transport nutrients in your body – and of course, you have proteins that provide structure to your bones, skin, hair, nails and muscle, too).

Once the amino acids enter your bloodstream, there’s no way to tell whether they were derived from a bowl of lentils or a steak;  they all end up as an amino acid “pool” in your body’s tissues and fluids – a pool that can be tapped into as needed.  To ensure a steady supply, though, it’s important to consume adequate protein every day.

You Need Protein Daily

Eating the right amount – and the right types – of protein every day is important for a couple of reasons.  For one thing, if you consistently had a shortage of protein in your diet, your body would have no choice but to start breaking down proteins within your body to provide the amino acids needed to produce the most vital body proteins.

While this process of building up and breaking down happens in your body all the time, the system only works as long as there are adequate amino acids coming from the diet to keep the two processes in balance.

Complete and Incomplete Proteins

The types of protein you eat matter, too.  Of the 20 amino acids that your body uses to manufacture body proteins, nine of them are called “essential” – they have to come from your diet because your body cannot make them (although it can manufacture the remaining 11 amino acids).

Proteins that come from animal sources – meats, fish, poultry, eggs, milk and milk products – contain all of the essential amino acids, so they’re referred to as “complete” proteins.

Plant proteins are found in foods like beans, lentils, nuts and whole grains and – with the exception of soybeans (and protein foods derived from soy such as tofu, tempeh, soy milk or soy protein powders) – plant proteins are lacking one or more essential amino acids, so they’re considered “incomplete”.  Strict vegetarians work around this by consuming a wide variety of foods to ensure that they get their full complement of essential amino acids in their diet.

Source: http://www.discovergoodnutrition.com/2014/10/what-is-protein/ 

Benefits of Soy Protein

Soy protein is the protein choice for most Herbalife® Formula 1 Healthy Meal Nutritional Shake Mix products. As a complete plant protein, it provides the full range of essential amino acids. Like other proteins, it helps preserve lean muscle mass and promotes new muscle development and is the most digestible of all proteins. Because soy is a plant, it does not contain the saturated fat and cholesterol found in animal protein.

By keeping hunger at bay, soy protein can be a useful part of a weight-management program. It also supports muscle development and can help promote increased strength during resistance training.

 Facts about Soybeans

Plant-based nutrients, known as phytonutrients, provide energy for daily activities and meet the amino acid needs of adults. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, consumption of 25 grams of soy protein per day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. Herbalife® Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix contains up to 20 grams of protein per serving.

 Where our Soy Originates

Through the Herbalife Seed to Feed program, only the highest quality soy is used in the Herbalife® Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix. From the fields where soy is harvested to the high-tech facilities where it is processed, Herbalife is committed to using the best ingredients.

Herbalife also only works with the most respected suppliers in the food industry. They share our dedication in bringing the highest quality soy protein to the world responsibly and only use soybeans grown by farmers in America’s heartland.

Good for you, Good for the Earth

Compared to animal protein, soy protein is a more environmentally-friendly protein source.

•  Soy produces up to 17 times more protein per acre than beef, chicken or milk.

•  Soy uses far less water than animal proteins.                                                                            

Like Herbalife® products, soy protein is supported by science. Its demonstrated nutritional benefits and low environmental impact compared to other protein sources make it one of the most promising staple foods. This is why it is we have used it as the main ingredient of Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix for over three decades.

- Source at:http://www.herbalifespotlight.com/2014/11/soy-protein-efficient-protein-choice-herbalife-formula-1-nutritional-shake-mix-2/

Glycemic index is a measure of the carbohydrates in a food that affects blood glucose level. If you eat carbohydrates with a low GI, you will get a more even blood sugar and thus keep you full longer.

Are you training at least every other day so you automatically get a lower GI of what you eat.

The glycemic index is a measure of how fast and long as the blood sugar level is affected by different foods. The absorption of carbohydrates is slow, it leads to a more even blood sugar level.

The Carbohydrates that are absorbed slowly by the body are called simplex carbohydrates and will have low glycemic index foods.

Carbohydrates with a high glycemic index (simple carbohydrates), are taken up quickly by the body.
Difference between fast and slow carbs
Fast carbohydrates – get hungry quickly

Graph of how fast and slow carbohydrates affect blood sugar.

If you eat simple carbs (carbohydrates with a high glycemic index) carbohydrates are quickly absorbed by the body. This increases the glucose level quickly (sugar in the blood). When the glucose concentration increases, the body must turn on their insulin. Insulin lowers blood glucose by increasing the cellular uptake of glucose and take in the sugar into the cells and store it there. A great supplement of insulin causes the blood sugar pretty quickly drops to a low level and you will then be hungry or hungry again

Beverages can pack a surprising number of calories…just ask the client I saw last week. “I don’t get it,” he told me.  “I’m watching my calories, I think I get enough exercise, but my weight just won’t budge!”  Problem was, he was only watching the calories in the foods he ate – completely ignoring the calories in the beverages he drank during the day… the coffee he consumes all morning long (doused with cream and sugar), the sodas at lunch (with free refills!), the (several) vodka and cranberry juice cocktails that help him unwind at the end of the day.  Imagine his surprise when I tallied it all up – and he realized that he was taking in close to 1000 calories a day from beverages alone.

Liquid calories don’t fill you up

One of the reasons that we may ‘forget’ about the calories we drink is that they don’t fill us up very much.  Most of the fluids we drink don’t take up that much room in the stomach – it’s almost as if they ‘fall through the cracks’.  And as a result, we don’t often adjust for the extra liquid calories we drink by taking in less food – we just pour the fluids right on top.

Sugary drinks add up fast

Sugary drinks are certainly a big part of the problem.  Although my client seemed pretty clueless about his lunchtime soda consumption, when I ask my clients how they might cut out some extra calories, many of say they’d simply stop drinking sodas.  And that would be a great start.  Sodas, of course, are loaded with sugar – and if you were to quit a daily soda habit, you could drop about 15 pounds / 7 kilos in a year’s time.

But sodas are just part of the problem when it comes to liquid calories.  There’s also the fruit drinks, sweetened teas, lemonade and coffee drinks that contribute hundreds of calories to the average person’s daily intake.  Since drinking fluids with meals doesn’t make the meal more satisfying, it’s easy to add a lot of extra calories from clear liquids like sodas, lemonade or sweetened tea.  On the other hand, thick liquids – like milk, soups or protein shakes – do tend to fill us up because they contain nutrients other than sugar (like protein or fiber)  that help to fill us up.

The other issue with liquids is that they go down so easily.  It’s simply faster and easier toslurp liquid calories, than it is to chew solid foods.  If you’ve ever seen people down a can of soda in just a few gulps, that’s more than 10 teaspoons of sugar and 150 calories in seconds flat.

Lower calorie alternatives to high calorie beverages

If liquid calories are a problem for you, try to steer yourself toward healthier, lower calorie choices.  Water, mineral water and plain iced tea are great.  If you can’t handle the taste of plain water, try mixing in just a splash of fruit juice for flavor. Sports drinks are generally much lighter in calories than fruit drinks and sodas, and might be a good choice when it’s hot or when you’re active.

And adults, take note:  alcoholic beverages can add up really fast.  My client’s vodka and cranberry juice habit added nearly 900 calories to his daily intake.  Your best choices are a glass of wine or a bottle of light beer – either of which comes in at about 100 calories.  But watch the mixed drinks -  a typical margarita can set you back more than be 400 calories – and that’s before you dive into the accompanying basket of chips.  Just look at the chart below if you don’t believe me!

Source : http://www.discovergoodnutrition.com/2013/12/avoid-drinking-calories/