The Power of Protein: Understanding Protein
Protein is the basic material of all living things. Our bodies are made up of 25% protein. Protein itself is made up of small building blocks called amino acids. There are nine essential amino acids, needed by the body for optimum function, and several non-essential but beneficial amino acids.
Recommendation for protein intake are often based on animal food sources such as meat, eggs and milk. However, a high consumption of animal protein often equals a high consumption of fat.
Soy, on the other hand, is the highest quality plant protein available. Soybeans are the only vegetable cource that contain complete protein. This means that soybeans provide all nine essential amino acids. And the quality is equal to that of milk, meat and egg protein, but with no extra fat. Soy protein is long-acting and slowly metabolised.
Whey protein provides amino acids and mixes well with milk to create smooth, creamy shakes. Whey protein is fast acting and quickly metabolised.
Why do we need protein?
We need protein to stay strong and healthy. If we don’t eat protein our bodies will steal it from our muscles and organs. In fact, protein is essential for the development of our muscles, which lead to an increase in the burning of calories. Our muscles could be described as “fat furnaces” as they keep our metabolism running high.
The Carbohydrate Confusion
Traditionally, we were taught that carbohydrates should provide our body with its primary supply of energy. However, many people have confused fast-releasing carbohydrates (pasta, cakes) and slow releasing carbohydrates (whole grains, vegetables), eating too many of the former – the tempting, convenient, tasty variety! Most of us lead sedentary lives, so any excess energy (from carbohydrate-rich food) is stored as body fat.
Today’s over-consumption of fast-releasing carbohydrates on a daily basis is creating a global population of “overweight” carbohydrate-eaters!
Our bodies need a balanced diet for optimum health. The right daily intake of protein, carbohydrates and fats are determining factors when we try to achieve optimum health and weight.
It makes sense then to reduce your carbohydrate intake, choose “good “unsaturated” fats that provide research-proven health benefits, ensure you eat plenty of fresh wholefoods such as fruit and vegetables, and increae your protein intake in line with your body’s needs. Remember to use lean protein that does not contain significant levels of fat.
Protein helps to satisfy!
When you eat a balanced diet with the right balance of protein, fats and carbohydrates for your body, your appetite is also satisfied, reducing the desire to snack!
See how well this method works for you if you are trying to lose weight while battling hunger-pangs between meals:
1. Optimise you protein and nutritional intake with Formula 1 and lose weight!
2. Choose slow-releasing carbohydrates foods (whole grains)
3. Increase you intake of “live” foods (fresh fruit and vegetables)
4. Eat regular meals spaced throughout the day
5. Identify your body’s protein needs and consume the amount you need!
How much protein do you need?
On average:
• Women need 100g protein per day
• Men need 150g protein per day
Soy! All the goodness of high quality protein, with minimal fat!
Soy protein is one of the highest quality plant proteins available. It is an excellent source of amino acids, in addition to containing antioxidants.
Herbalife’s Personalised Protein Powder or Formula 3 helps you to match your ideal personal protein intake in line with your body’s needs. Its neutral flavour means you can add it to your Formula 1 nutritional meal replacement shake!
Personalised Protein Powder supplies a special blend of whey and soy proteins, and allows you to customise your diet with the right amount of protein, and minimal additional calories. Each 6g serving contains 5g of protein.
How do I include protein in my diet?
If your target protein intake is 100g per day, here is an example of how you can consume 100g every day:
Breakfast: Any flavour Formula 1 Nutritional Meal Replacement Shake with2 scoops of Formula 3 (Personalised Protein Powder (29g)
Lunch: Any flavour Formula 1 Nutritional Meal Replacement Shake with2 scoops of Formula 3 (Personalised Protein Powder (29g)
Snack: Herbalife’s chocolate covered Protein Bar (12g)
Dinner: Balanced Meal with lean chicken, wholegrain rice, vegetables and salad (30g)
Total protein: 100g
If one needs over 100g of protein per day, you can have additional 1-2 protein snacks: choose from our Protein Bars of Soy Beans (12g of protein per serving) and you can also add an extra spoon of protein powder to your shake or meal.
Formula 1 Nutritional Meal Replacement Shakes are loaded with heart-healthy protein. They include essential vitamins and minerals to provide all the nutrition of a meal with a minimum of calories.
Have you ever wondered why we Age, get Disease?
I found it rather interesting to hear recently doctor saying that it is NOT normal for people in their sixties or seventies to be running active lifestyles to the point of running a marathon or something similar. Well, regardless what this particular doctor may think, we are what we eat (and drink and think and do) and that diseases, regardless at what point in our lives they happen, are most probably caused by what goes into our bodies and that will determine whether we will be visiting doctor’s surgery on a weekly basis once we are 50 or even a lot earlier, or we will more frequently visit local sport centre and still play tennis at the age of 70…
As our brain uses only 10% of it’s potential, the same could apply to our physical abilities – if we were to give our bodies 100% throughout our lives, the outcome would have been a lot more different than what wellness trends report each and every day… Well, not so long ago, diseases were indeed accepted as unfortunate but inevitable facts of life, but we know now that diseases are caused by what we eat or don’t eat. What you put in, you get out as our focus shifts towards prevention of disease, not it’s treatment!
Our body’s health depends on the health of each and every cell and to slow down the aging, limit sickness and prevent disease, those cells need proper protection and nourishment. We have all heard of Free Radicals. What are those exactly? Well, each and every cell is made up of many atoms and when those are healthy, the cells are too and when healthy cells replicate – our body remains young and free from the disease.
On the other hand, we have another type of an atom that is damaged due to smoking, stress, sunlight, pesticides in our food, pollution, travel, medications, foods and it’s additives, x-rays, exercise, chlorine in water, Mercury in tooth fillings and seafood and many more factors. Those unhealthy and damaged atoms have only one instead of two electrons and are called Free Radicals. Free Radicals alter and eventually destroy cells. And it is exactly those cells that die and cells that replicate themselves in a damaged state that are the cause or contribute to premature aging, sickness and diseases such as cancer, heart disease, osteoporosis, and many others.
THE SOLUTION ARE ANTIOXIDANTS!
Antioxidants are super atoms that have extra electrons that they can give to those Free Radicals to neutralise them and eliminates their harmful effects. Antioxidants are indeed a body’s defence against destructive free radicals and they help prevent aging, sickness and disease.
Antioxidants are found in fruits and vegetables, nuts, oils, beans. Organically grown local produce will have more antioxidants than non-organic alternatives that have travelled for miles, even across different countries or continents. Antioxidants are also found in high quality supplements as most adults do not eat the right foods to properly feed their cells.
“Don’t underestimate the threat free radicals pose to our health. Scientists now believe that free radicals are causal factors in nearly every known disease, from heart disease to arthritis to cancers to cataracts. In fact, free radicals are a major culprit in the aging process itself. By controlling free radicals, antioxidants can make the difference between life and death, as well as influence how fast and how well we age.”, Lester Packer, Head of Packer Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California at Berkeley
Heart Disease and Cancers are the most common killer diseases that are caused by the damaging effects of Free Radicals.
Heart Disease mostly comes from the build up of fatty deposits on the inner surfaces of arteries, which stops the normal blood flow and could lead to heart attack or stroke. Recent research has highlighted that those fatty deposits are influenced by free radicals, which cause it to become sticky and stick more easily to the walls of arteries. Antioxidants can therefore help in reducing the risk of free radicals oxidizing the fat and making it more sticky.
The common explanation for Cancer is that damaged and altered DNA that controls cell growth, development and replication, is the cause for the disease. The DNA has been proven to be damaged by Free Radicals, which is believed to be the main cause for most cancers. Antioxidants, once again, not only can protect DNA from free radical damage, but can also repair it.
So, the importance of antioxidants can not be overemphasized and next time when you get a simple cold remember that it is a symptom of your body lacking antioxidants in order to fight free radicals. It does not need medication, it needs nutrition, antioxidants.
And for the question Why should you take Vitamin and Mineral Supplements, please read on related article on The Importance of taking Supplements. Be careful, not all supplements are created equal!
What did you have for breakfast Today? Healthy Breakfast – Good nutrition starts every morning!
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as it gives your body the fuel that gets you going so you can hit the road. Breakfast not only starts your day off right, but also lays the foundation for lifelong health benefits. It gives us the energy to make it through the day and keeps our metabolism high as well.
It’s easy to skip breakfast with everything we have going on in the morning: walk the dog, get the kids ready for school, feed the cat, iron the blouse we’re planning on wearing to the office etc. Fixing a healthy and nutritious breakfast just doesn’t seem to fit in a lot of times. Here are the options that most people think of as breakfast and actually, they are just loading themselves with empty calories with not much nutritional value that would, in most cases, just turn into body fat:
Some people even skip breakfast because they sleep too late or because they think it’s a way to stay thin. But skipping breakfast doesn’t help people maintain a healthy weight. In fact, someone who skips breakfast tends to eat more calories throughout the day as your blood sugar levels drop below normal level and you experience cravings and a drop in energy. Chances are you’ll revert to simple carbs to achieve quick surge of blood sugar to overcome drop in energy and hunger. Simple carbs will cause an immediate surge of blood sugar levels and substantial insulin emmission, which turns the sugar into fat and the cycle repeat itself during the day a few times, as explained above in the too-sugary or carb example of a breakfast
A healthy breakfast should consist of a variety of foods, for example, whole grains, low-fat protein or dairy sources, and fruit. This provides complex carbohydrates, protein and a small amount of fat — a combination that delays hunger symptoms for hours. So, your morning meal doesn’t have to mean loading up on sugar, fat and cholesterol. Making nutritious breakfast choices can set you up for healthier eating all day long.
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To make a healthy breakfast each day, choose one item from at least three of the following four food groups:
People who eat a healthy breakfast are more likely to:
Consume more vitamins and minerals and less fat and cholesterol
Have better concentration and productivity throughout the morning
Control their weight
Have lower cholesterol, which reduces the risk of heart disease
Breakfast is especially important for children and adolescents as children who eat a healthy breakfast are more likely to have better concentration, problem-solving skills and eye-hand coordination. They may also be more alert, creative and less likely to miss days of school.
On a scientific level, our body has over 100 trillion cells which demand 114different nutrients every single day that provide energy and nutrition and nourishment to our body. And, let’s not forget the water. So, based on that, there are four criteria of a good and healthy breakfast:
Provides body with all vital nutrients to rebuild the body;
Provides the body with energy in terms of protein and complex carbs to help body burn the calories and sugar;
Provides the body with water, a couple of glasses before and a couple after breakfast;
Helps to maintain a normal blood sugar levels
Balanced protein breakfast supplies our body with all vital nutrients without increasing blood sugar or insulin levels. It helps to avoid dependence on carbs during the day. In this way, apetite stays under control, cravings for carbs diminish, and the body uses it’s own stored fat to get more energy.
Herbalife’s Formula 1 Nutritional Nutritional Shake fills the above criteria and will, indeed feed your body with ALL the much needed nutrients that would be difficult to achieve with any other regular breakfast, unless you eat 1000 calorie and nutrient packed breakfast of eggs and wholegrains and fruit and veg, etc.
Herbalife’s meal replacement shake is not just a balanced, healthy, low calorie meal, but a quick and easy option too that can be prepared the night before or on the spot – it takes a couple of minutes only…
Just pour some semi-skimmed or soya milk in your blender, add any of six delicious flavours of Formula 1 Nutritional shake mix, and you can even add fresh or frozen fruit, if you like. Blend it well for a lovely, frothy texture and enjoy on it’s own or preferably with Formula 2.
These two will give your body all the nutrients it needs, in a perfect balance, it will fill you up for up to 4 hours, balance your sugar levels, give you plenty of energy, help you sleep better, it will also help manage your weight or even help you lose weight if you fancy one of those instead of lunch or dinner, they would help improve your general well-being, it will positively influence your mood and is great for your digestive system.It truly is an intelligent meal that is one of a kind and that whole family can enjoy. They are just great for kids too; my kids just love them, especially younger one as I was taking them also during pregnancy and started him on it when he was just 6 months old.
As Dr Louis Ignarro, Nobel Prize Winner in Medicine in 1998, has said at one of his trainings: “Change in diet can improve your health, but taking Herbalife products can improve your lifestyle”. This is so true as making positive changes with diet surely does make a huge difference, but, nutrition you get from consuming Herbalife shakes and supplements is optimum nutrition that can take your health on a completely new level.
So, whatever you decide to do for breakfast, just remember the benefits of a healthy breakfast: More mentally alert and ready for the day, Improve mood by keeping your blood sugar levels even, Better cope with stress, Consume less calories throughout the rest of the day. So, set a good example for loved ones and friends – set aside a few minutes in the morning and fix a smoothie before you head out the door!
Fruits and vegetables: Fresh fruits and vegetables, 100 percent juice without added sugar
Grains: Whole-grain rolls, hot or cold whole-grain cereals high in fibre
Dairy: Skim milk, low-fat yogurt cups or low-fat cheeses, such as cottage and natural cheeses
Protein: Hard-boiled eggs, cottage cheese, lean slices of meat and poultry, or fish, such as water-packed tuna or slices of salmon
Too sugary or carb-filled: Pancakes, waffles, toast, donuts, pastries, scones, bagels, pies, sugar cereals, breakfast bars, muffins (which, let’s face it, are usually just cake). I’m not anti-carb, but the problem with many breakfasts is that they are low in fat and protein, and nothing but empty carb calories. Carbs start your day with a high blood-sugar level, which will result in emmission of insulin; the insulin removes sugar from blood, turning it’s excess into fat. The result very shortly is low blood sugar levels, which results in cravings for more carbs. You’ll be on a roller-coaster blood-sugar ride all day as this cycle repeats itself 2-3 times during the day and is a major cause for diabetes, high blood pressure and extra weight.
Targeted Nutrition for Everyone
Herbalife offers you a variety of targeted products that build on the foundation of ShapeWorks™ (Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix, Formula 2 Multivitamin Complex). By taking our Targeted Nutrition products alone, or in combination with your personalised ShapeWorks programme, you can zero-in on your specific needs. Our Targeted Nutrition Products offer a wide array of products to address individual needs – supporting digestive health, heart health, sports nutrition, etc.
Our early to middle years establish a pattern and baseline for the health we will have once we are in our 50s, 60s and through to our 80s. So, can you picture yourself staying energetic and active past 80 years of age, enjoying a fast set of tennis or 18 holes of golf? Will your most regular trip out be to the doctor’s surgery or the leisure centre?
The fact is, the human body doesn’t get sick for any other reason that “We are what we think, eat, drink and breathe!”
Here are Herbalife’s basic Targeted Nutrition Programmes:
Sports Nutrition Solutions
Immune Health
Healthy Men & Women
Digestive Health
Heart Health
Healthy Aging
Healthy Pregnancy
Who can benefit from nutrition supplementation?
In addition to the lifestyle choices that we make about our health and nutrition, the following are the factors that will have an effect on our well-being and over which we have little or no control:
Environmental agents: toxic fumes, vehicle exhaust and emissions; Man-made chemicals in food; Poor cooking and storage methods of food in schools, supermarkets, restaurants; nutrient-denuded soil that bears poor crops; stress at home and work; electro-magnetic stress… This is just a selection of the many elements that can have a negative effect on health.
Nutritional supplementation is a wise addition to a modern, busy lifestyle.
Herbalife "Intelligent Nutrition" concept – Your Guide to Balanced Nutrition
A Balanced Nutrition Plan is essential for providing our bodies with the nutrients required to make them function properly. Unfortunately, today’s busy, modern lifestyles mean we don’t always make healthy food and drink choices – so we often miss out on necessary nutrients. Processed food has often lost essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, so, it is very important that we adopt good eating habits and use supplements when necessary.
The Herbalife range of quality products aims to provide the elements every body needs daily to maintain optimum health. Herbalife maximises this “intelligent nutrition” through unique formulations and select, high-quality ingredients.
An intelligent nutrition plan should provide bodies with balanced levels of energy, vitamins, minerals, good carbohydrates, plant-based protein, healthy fats and beneficial fibre, herbs and antioxidants. The intelligent nutrition concept involves eating a variety of foods – but all in moderation: being “intelligent” about what we are eating.
The way we personalised programmes to address individual needs is something Herbalife is extremely proud of. These personalised programmes focus on striving for complete nutrition.
The Intelligent Nutrition Wheel
The “intelligent nutrition wheel” shows you how Herbalife programmes fit perfectly within a healthy, active lifestyle. At the centre of the wheel are Herbalife core products:
Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix, meal replacement for Weight Management and Healthy Nutrition and
Formula 2 Multivitamin Complex.
These core products are at the foundation of each of our programmes to guarantee balanced nutrition: intelligent nutrition.
View Herbalife Weight Management Core Products
View Herbalife Targeted Nutrition Programmes
View Herbalife Cellular Nutrition Concept
Herbalife: Cellular Nutrition concept explained!
Cellular Nutrition makes use of knowledge gained from the botanical world’s 6,000 year history and incorporates health building nutritional herbs with the best modern technology to help our bodies cleanse and detoxify so that the cells – the tiniest living units – can be as fully nourished as possible. This allows the cells to grow, repair and to perform their functions with the best possible efficiency so that we feel and look better and are more able to prevent and fight disease. Once the body begins to clear itself of toxins it can more effeciently absorb nutrition.
One of the main differences between Cellular Nutrition and other nutritional supplements is that supplements are rarely enough! Simply consuming good food and adding nutritional supplements will not make any difference to the way you feel if your body is unable to fully digest and absorb all the nutrition you eat!
DIETING
Dieting generally doesn’t work because when you starve the body of essential nutrients your metabolism slows down and you get hungry and grumpy. To lose weight, you need to get the fat out of your food and good nutrition in. Because fat takes up more space than muscle you will find that once you start taking Cellular Nutrition, you lose inches and change body shape dramatically.
Cellular Nutrition is a magical, fast food nutritional supplement that you can’t overdose on. It’s an all herbal pure food that provides the body with many of the micro-nutrients and botanical factors it needs every day. It helps to control and normalize your appetite, you lose inches and the appearance of cellulite, your energy doubles and even triples, you feel great and you can still eat the foods you love.
Used on a daily basis, it promotes better health by supplying good nutrition to your body at a cellular level which helps to rebuild and regenerate the villi.
So, to feel healthy, you have to be healthy and to be healthy, you need to nourish your cells. We call this Cellular Nutrition, and it’s the scientific foundation of every product Herbalife offers. By supplying your cells with the proper balance of nutrients, your cells become more receptive, allowing them to efficiently absorb and process nutrients. Through Cellular Nutrition, Herbalife has created the best foundation for weight loss and lasting results. Nobel Laurrate, Dr Lui Ignarro, and other nutritional experts that form part of our Medical Advisory Board are committed to making Herbalife’s products the best in the world.
UCLA’s Cellular and Mollecular Laboratory is where all the research takes place and the lab carries the name of Mark Hughes, the founder of Herbalife, which is the greatest honour to Herbalife, UCLA being one of the most prestigious universities in the world. Nutritional and medical experts from all over the world form part of Herbalife Nutritional and Medical Advisory Boards.
Herbalife Nutrition Advisory Board
Cellular Nutrition is the cornerstone of the ShapeWorks ™ Program. Our Cellular Nutrition products are scientifically balanced to nourish cells for optimal metabolism, growth, repair and reproduction. This helps to ensure that the nutrients your body needs daily are absorbed and delivered throughout your body at the cellular level. As a result, you experience more energy and easier weight loss.
A breakthrough in weight loss, the ShapeWorks ™ Program is based on the clinically tested theories and philosophies of Dr. David Heber, Director of the Center for Human Nutrition and Chairman of Herbalife’s Scientific and Medical Advisory Boards. With 27 years as a leader in the weight-loss industry, we’ve designed ShapeWorks ™ to help you successfully control your hunger–the #1 challenge facing people on a diet. By combining Cellular Nutrition with the ability to personalize your protein, Herbalife has created a winning combination with the ShapeWorks ™ Program.
Combining Herbalife’s exclusive Cellular Nutrition products and the power of protein makes the ShapeWorks ™ Program unique. ShapeWorks ™ is a personalized weight-management program that delivers healthy weight-loss results and helps you manage hunger and feel great as you lose weight, get in shape and stay that way for life!
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