Herbalife Blog » Weight Loss Tips

Healthy Snack Tricks for Halloween

editor — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 22:01:13 +0000

Susan Bowerman, MS, RD, CSSD

For kids – and more than a few adults – Halloween is one of the best holidays around. But there are healthier ways to treat yourself, and other costumed revelers, to help avoid welcoming November in a sugar haze.

Controlling what kids eat during a candy-focused holiday is no easy task. "While the holiday seems to be all about the candy, it’s wise to help kids to focus on the fun and to set some limits," says Dr. Luigi Gratton, vice president of medical affairs at Herbalife. "Make sure the kids have a healthy meal or snack before they leave, and negotiate ahead of time how much candy they’ll be allowed to keep and eat," he adds.

Start the evening with a fun, healthy meal. Offer ‘finger food’ – wrap a string cheese stick with a slice of turkey, then top with a slivered almond ‘fingernail’. Spaghetti ‘worms’ and a black-and-orange fruit salad made with fresh oranges, raisins and dark grapes can help set the mood. If the kids are in a rush to get out the door, whip up a Halloween pumpkin smoothie.

Adults watching their waistlines struggle to fight temptation, too. Some rely on handing out candy they don’t like – and then hope they won’t eat it. Adults need to set limits for themselves, too, if kids will be coming home with tempting goodies – determine ahead of time what will be kept, eaten or given away.

If you don’t want to contribute to the candy madness, you can also offer some healthier treats such as:

Individual fruit cups or applesauce
Small juice boxes
Individually wrapped fortune cookies
Cereal, granola or protein bars
Individual packets of hot cocoa mix
Individual packs of low fat cookies or snack mix

Another strategy is to offer goodies other than candy. Everyone will be giving candy; why not give kids colorful stickers, pencils, temporary tattoos and Halloween-themed party favors – all guilt-free alternatives to traditional sugar-laden treats

Susan Bowerman is a consultant to Herbalife.

Escape the Fat-Free Diet Trap

editor — Sat, 15 May 2010 08:18:11 +0000

Since the "fat-free craze" began, statistics show we have grown fatter and fatter.
Just because a food is fat-free doesn’t mean it’s calorie-free. Get up to speed on "good fats" and lose the fat from your body, not your diet.

Today, supermarket shelves are packed with foods that call to dieters with the words “FAT-FREE.” But as conscientious weight watchers load up their shopping carts with fat-free foods week after week, many discover this alarming fact: their weight is going up!

Getting fat on fat-free
Since the beginning of the “fat-free craze,” statistics show Americans have grown fatter and fatter. Although we’ve been taught to think of fat as the culprit in the weight-loss battle, clearly this is only part of the whole diet picture. Just because a food is fat-free doesn’t mean it’s calorie-free. Many fat-free foods are actually very high in sugar and carbohydrate calories. And these calories, when eaten in excess, become converted into the one thing we’ve been taught to avoid–fat!

Lose the fat from your body, not your diet
Ironically, in order to burn fat and lose weight you need a certain amount of good quality fat. That’s why the ShapeWorks® Weight-Management Program stresses the importance of a well-balanced diet that includes enough “good fats,” such as those found in fish and olive oil, together with Herbalife’s highly nutritious meal replacement shakes and snacks.

By avoiding the fat-free craze and giving your body the complete nourishment it needs with Herbalife’s Cellular Nutrition supplements and weight-management products, you’ll lose weight steadily and feel healthier as you do.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Diet Herbalife Program

editor — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 04:31:05 +0000

Herbalife is a worldwide company offering a specific diet referred to by many people as the diet Herbalife program. The core products of the Herbalife diet program are healthy and nutritious meal replacement shakes. These shakes are scientifically designed to provide the body with the nutrients it requires to keep healthy and trim. The products work at the cellular level and some of the supplemental products work to help your cells absorb the nutrients.

What does the diet Herbalife program consist of?

For most people who want to lose weight, there are three major categories of weight loss:

0-15lbs to lose
15-30lbs to lose
30lbs or more to lose

According to these parameters, the diet Herbalife program is designed to help you achieve your weight loss goals. There are three Herbalife programs designed to help you achieve your dietary goals:

Herbalife Quickstart Program (0-15lbs)
Herbalife Advanced Program (15-30lbs)
Herbalife Ultimate Program (30lbs ore more)

You can learn now about the diet Herbalife program and the various components of each program.

To maximize your success with any of these diet Herbalife programs, it is important to maintain the schedule when taking your shakes. A shake for breakfast and lunch and then a sensible, low-calorie meal for dinner. Use the Herbalife program instructions for more information.

The Herbalife diet shakes are designed to provide the nutrients you body needs to keep healthy and maintaining your desired weight. Before you even begin, you should make up your mind that you will be committed to this program.

Don’t Quit

Most people who fail at weight loss end up quitting. It isn’t going to be easy, but the benefits far outweigh the consequences of poor health and dietary habits. The diet Herbalife program is designed to support your system with the nutrients it requires to maintain a healthy weight. Just keep focused on your weight loss goals and there is a very good chance you will achieve them with the diet Herbalife program.

Meal Replacements: A Great Strategy for Weight Management

editor — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 01:32:00 +0000

By Susan Bowerman, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D

When it comes to dieting, most people approach the process by controlling portions and counting calories. But oftentimes, despite even the best efforts, the scale refuses to budge. Inaccuracies in counting calories and estimating portion sizes are two of the biggest obstacles to successful weight loss.

The beauty of meal replacements is that portion control is taken care of, and they’re designed to provide great nutrition within a defined number of calories. On top of that, they are simple and convenient for today’s busy lifestyles.

Portion control is one of the primary strategies in controlling calorie intake. Many people don’t take the time to weigh and measure foods – or if they do, they usually stop after a while, thinking they can estimate portions fairly well. Portion sizes may then begin to creep up, and weight loss starts to slow down. More often than not, portion sizes will then gradually increase and the rate of weight loss slows.

And then there are the practical issues – some may not realize that the 3-ounce portion of meat specified in a meal plan is the size of a deck of cards. Or, perhaps they forget that everything counts, including any fats used in cooking or at the table, or foods that are eaten while standing at the sink or while driving in the car. A few small omissions over the course of a day or week can derail anyone’s progress.

Meal replacement shakes take the guesswork out of calorie and portion control, while delivering healthy ingredients and great taste. A number of clinical studies have shown that using meal replacements as part of a weight loss plan can be more effective than counting calories with an all-food plan. In a recent study at the University of Ulm in Germany, subjects drinking two Formula 1 shakes a day (European Formula) lost more weight than people in the study who simply counted calories.

Meal replacement shakes can also be customized, too. By choosing to mix with milk or soy milk, adding a favorite fruit, or tossing in some extra protein powder, a personalized meal can be had in minutes. Convenient, delicious, healthy, portion controlled meals – what more could a dieter ask for?

Susan Bowerman is a consultant to Herbalife.

Eating Right at Night

editor — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 01:12:30 +0000

By Luigi Gratton, M.D., M.P.H.

Eating a balanced diet means that you’re taking in a variety of healthy foods at reasonable intervals throughout the day – it doesn’t mean that you "balance" healthy foods eaten during the day with junk foods like pizza and ice cream at night.

But for many people, when the sun goes down, so does their willpower. While they can maintain their sensible eating habits during the day, evening often signals the start of an unending food fest until bedtime.

Strange as it may seem, one of the best solutions to controlling your appetite after dark is to eat more often during the daylight hours. Heavy evening snackers often lack a regular eating pattern – one that includes sensible meals combined with healthy and nutritious snacks.

Putting the Myth to Rest
You’ve probably been told that eating late at night is detrimental. But while your calorie needs are lowest during the night, there is no conclusive scientific evidence that the calories ingested at night are stored more efficiently than those eaten at other times.

Eating foods later in the day rather than earlier is not what leads to weight gain – what matters is your daily caloric intake as a whole. No matter when you eat, if you take in more than you need, your body stores any extra calories as fat. Curbing evening snacking habits leads to weight loss simply because fewer calories are being taken in over the course of the day.

Feeding Frenzy
We do tend to eat most of calories late in the day – Americans eat more calories during dinner than at any other meal. And if you tack on the calories eaten after dinner, it really adds up.

There are several reasons these unhealthy patterns are so commonplace. Some people don’t eat enough during the day which can cause blood sugar levels to drop. This can make people overly hungry and result in overconsumption at night.

Many people are too busy to plan meals – they may dash out the door in the morning with little more than a cup of coffee, and then try to power through the day without taking time to eat properly. It’s no wonder that by the time they get home at night, they’re literally out of gas.

Others are simply eating as an emotional escape from stress or to beat boredom. We tend to mindlessly reach for junk food during sedentary activities such as watching television or using the computer – and we then associate these high calorie foods with relaxation and keep the habit going.

Meal Planning and Suitable Snacks
Putting in the right fuel – and at the regular intervals during the day – is one of the best defenses against nighttime nibbling. Breakfast and lunch meals should provide plenty of protein to keep your mind sharp and hunger at bay as well as some healthy carbs like fruits, veggies and whole grains to maintain blood sugar. A protein shake with fruit is a great way to start the day – otherwise, try an egg white omelet with fruit, a dish of plain nonfat yogurt with fruit, or a quick bowl of oatmeal with some protein powder stirred in.

A protein shake also makes a quick and satisfying lunch, especially when you’re too busy to stop and prepare a meal. Other good choices? Try a salad with some grilled chicken or fish, or a turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with some fruit for dessert.

When energy starts to slide in the afternoon, one tactic that works is to have a substantial snack – almost a "second lunch" – between lunch and dinner. A protein shake or bar, a half sandwich, some soy nuts, or a dish of cottage cheese and fruit are all appropriate choices.

By putting more nutritional emphasis on your daytime meals and snacks, it’s likely you won’t be nearly as hungry at night, so your dinner meal can be lighter and smaller.

The next time you feel like "midnight munching," think about the benefits of a healthy, protein-powered snack earlier in the day. The nutritional difference will be like night and day.

Dr. Gratton also serves as vice-president of medical affairs at Herbalife.

What is the Importance of Good Nutrition

editor — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:29:53 +0000

Your body needs nutrients to function properly. It is important to get the right amount of nutrients for a balanced nutrition. It is important to have a good balanced diet with all the essential nutrients as this provides the fuel for your daily activities. If you eat well, and understand the importance of a good nutrition, you can achieve a healthy, active lifestyle.

Here are some tips to maintain a healthy diet and good nutrition:

Always eat a healthy breakfast. After being asleep for hours, your body craves food. That’s why breakfast is such an important meal. It kick-starts your metabolism and provides energy to start your day.
Eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day to help prevent energy slumps and cravings for sugary snacks.
Having a healthy snack like fruits, vegetables, and small servings of protein, such as unsalted nuts, yogurt or low-fat cheese, during mid-morning and mid-afternoon, will help you avoid overeating at lunch of dinner time. This is important for a good nutrition.

Make an effort to shift your food choices towards a balanced, healthy diet. Aim to provide your body with a wide range of nutrients, including protein, whole grains and seven servings of fruits and vegetables, every day.
Another important component of good nutrition is protein. Protein is an essential nutrient and is contained in every part of the body. Protein has a number of different roles, including: building and maintaining body tissues, providing a source of energy, and controlling many of the important processes related to metabolism. Protein can be found in animal sources like meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy products, and plant foods such as beans, lentils and soy beans. Plant sources of protein contain less fat than animal protein. You should aim to eat two to three servings of protein from different sources every day.
Maintaining a good nutrition every day is important to keep your body functioning at peek performance and to be healthy and fit. Fiber is an important component of a healthy, balanced diet. It helps your digestive system process food and to absorb nutrients. Fiber is only found in foods that come from plants. Good sources of fiber include fruits, vegetables, beans, oats, whole-grain rice and pasta, whole wheat bread, nuts, seeds and brans.
For a healthy nutrition it is important to reduce levels of sugar, saturated fat and salt in your diet by checking the nutrition information on food labels and limiting the amount you consume.
And finally, another important part of a good nutrition diet is to ensure a regular intake of fluids to stay properly hydrated.

Ways To Lose Weight

editor — Fri, 01 May 2009 21:09:33 +0000

Losing weight and getting into shape is what most people aim for since excess weight can cause both emotional and physical stress. If you feel that you want to lose weight and you need guidance along the way, then this article may be useful as we cover five ways to lose weight in a safe way.

Ways to Lose Weight – 5 Simple Suggestions:

Eat Sensibly
Making sensible choices in what you eat is the most straightforward way to lose weight, although many people adopt unhealthy dietary habits because they do not like to give up their favorite foods. Eating right does not mean that you need to altogether give up your favorite food items. This only means that you will need to ensure that you limit your intake of starchy carbohydrates, increase your intake of protein, drink enough fluids and consume all the required vitamins. Eating right also means that you can eat small quantities of your favorite food items once or twice a week and not indulge in unhealthy foods frequently.
Exercise and Weight Training

All doctors recommend exercising in order to lose weight or stay in shape but over and above a regular exercise program, weight training can also be good for you. Weight training helps men lose weight while gaining muscle and it helps women lose weight while toning their body. It is recommended to work out for 30 – 45 minutes a day for 5 days a week and concentrate mainly on increasing the strength of the body while working on toning muscles in order to lose fat. If you aren’t able to commit to working out 5 days a week, get started at 2 or 3 times a week, and progress from there. Make your goal reasonable and attainable.
Eat Smaller Portions.
This is one of the simplest ways to lose weight. Many times it isn’t necessary to pile your plate high with food. Most of it gets wasted anyway, so be conscious of this by ordering smaller portions, or sharing a meal the next time you go out to eat. And when you’re cooking at home, be aware of the meal sizes you prepare.
Eat Vegetables.
In place of eating rice or pasta, go ahead and make some cooked or steamed vegetables. This will provide necessary fiber and help you with that feeling of fullness. This comes back to the first way to lose weight, which is eating right.
Weight Loss Programs.
There are many weight loss programs out there which provide a multitude of ways to lose weight. The weight loss program should be both healthy and nutritious. If the program deprives you of certain nutrients, or you don’t enjoy the program, chances are you will not stick to it. If you haven’t yet taken a look at the Herbalife weight loss program, go ahead and get started on it. The healthy, nutritious, and great tasting shakes are a great way to lose weight.

It is important to take factors like your medical history, fitness levels and comfort with the method before opting for any of these, or other suggestions you may find on the internet. Many times we understand the different ways to lose weight, but we’re not willing to make the adjustments required to achieve our weight loss goals. Make a commitment to yourself and get started today.

Herbalife Weightloss Challenge

editor — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:59:18 +0000

The Herbalife Weightloss Challenge is designed to support you through your weight loss program, and help you maximize your success. It is not to be confused with a weight loss competition between people who want to lose weight. The Herbalife weight loss challenge is more about educating and supporting you on how to maintain a healthy and nutritious diet.

A number of tools have been created to guide you through the process of the Herbalife weightloss challenge. It is important to work through this program with your Herbalife weight loss coach, as there are more tools and additional support you can only receive when working with your Weight Loss Challenge coach. In addition, most of these weekly files require a password, which your coach will provide.

Herbalife Weightloss Challenge Weekly Files

In addition to the weekly supporting documents the following links can help you through the Herbalife Weightloss Challenge:

Herbalife Testimonials

Weightloss Challenge Coach

Remember to work with your Herbalife weight loss challenge coach as you progress through this program. If you don’t have a distributor, you can find an Herbalife Distributor at www.herbalife.com.

No related posts.

Herbalife Protein Snacks

editor — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 16:58:51 +0000

This range of Herbalife protein snacks are designed to curb your hunger and manage weight. They are low in calories and high in protein to keep you satisfied. Not only that, they’re tasty and flavorful! From peanut butter and chocolate flavors to oven-roasted soy nuts, this range of protein snacks should form part of your weight loss program, and your weight loss challenge sessions. Click the images to order online.

Protein Bar Deluxe

Raise the Bar with this Protein-packed, Indulgent and Guilt-Free Snack. A new kind of Herbalife protein bar packed with essential vitamins and 10g of protein for healthy snacking.*

Key Benefits

10g protein to sustain your energy and satisfy your appetite.
Contains Vitamins E, B6, B12, Niacin, Thiamine and Riboflavin.
0 trans fats.
No artificial sweeteners.
Just 140 calories per bar.

Protein Bars

Chewy bars formulated with a blend of soy and whey proteins, healthy fiber and 23 vitamins and minerals, can help sustain your energy and appetite.*

Key Benefits

Promote healthy weight management
Satisfy your hunger
Get 12g protein in every bar

Roasted Soy Nuts with Cardia®† Salt

Keep these crunchy, salty high-fiber (5g), high-protein (11g) individually wrapped packs of oven-roasted soy nuts around for healthy snacking.*

Key Benefits

Encourage healthy snacking
Aid weight-loss efforts*
Get a protein-powered boost

Soup Mix

Whip up a satisfying cup of soup that has only 80 calories and includes 16g of protein with this nutritious, instant chicken-flavored soup mix.*

Key Benefits

Control hunger
Manage weight loss with ease

Protein Drink Mix (formerly HPLC Shake Mix)

Delicious protein shake, with vitamins and minerals, is packed with 15g of heart-healthy soy protein and includes just 6 to 7g of carbs per serving.*

Key Benefits

Get a protein boost
Support weight loss
High in protein, low in carbs

Protein Drink Mix Packets

Delicious protein shake, with vitamins and minerals, is packed with 15g of heart-healthy soy protein and includes just 6 to 7g of carbs per serving.*

Key Benefits

Get a protein boost
Support weight loss
High in protein, low in carbs

Beverage Mix Packets

Instead of reaching for a soda, treat yourself to a fruity burst of this icy cool drink with 15g of high-quality whey protein and only 70 calories.*

Key Benefits

Promote healthy weight loss
Help satisfy hunger between meals
Boost energy
Good for athletic activities

Snack Pack

Stock up on your favorite Herbalife protein snacks with this tasty selection of energy-boosting products.*

Key Benefits

Keep up your energy
Support weight-management efforts

Variety Pack

Assortment of your favorite Herbalife snacks:

Protein Bar Deluxe (3)
Soup Mix (2)
Beverage Mix Packets (4)
Roasted Soy Nuts with Cardia®† Salt (4)

Key Benefits

Power weight loss with protein
Get a variety of snacks

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

†Cardia® is a registered trademark of Nutrition 21, Inc.

A Easy Healthy Diet Plan

editor — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 20:17:14 +0000

Although many people have a desire to implement a new diet plan that is both easy to maintain, and healthy; they tend to experience difficulties in following a new diet plan and sticking to their new schedule. The majority of the diet plans offered are not flexible and require the person to consume certain meals at specific times. A easy healthy diet plan incorporates the benefits of traditional diet plans while providing flexibility to the person opting for the plan. Listed below are a few ways to incorporate a easy healthy diet plan and a few tips that can help you improve your existing diet plan.

It’s not all or nothing – Certain diet plans require the person to stick to the suggested diet at all times due to the seriousness of the situation. If you are opting for a easy healthy diet plan to improve your eating habits or to prevent future problems, it is recommended to remember that if you skip following your diet plan for one day, it is not a do or die situation and you can get back to your diet plan after the small mistake was made.

Drink adequate water – A easy healthy diet plan does not ask you to drink gallons or water or skim on water. It is recommended to drink water when you feel thirsty and take small sips of water throughout the day. A glass full of water should be consumed in the morning and before sleeping at night.

Eat carbohydrates – Carbohydrates are not bad and are required to provide instant energy. While following a easy healthy diet plan it is recommended to eat carbohydrates derived from fruits, vegetables and whole grain products. It is important to remember that at least 50% of the daily energy requirement should come from non starchy carbohydrates and depending on your doctor’s or dietitians orders this quantity can be increased or decreased slightly.

When a person stops following their diet plan, he or she tends to indulge in foods that day that they shouldn’t have, and feel that they will make up the following day. A easy healthy diet plans allows the person to forget the small error and continue his diet plan without feeling the need to indulge since the day has already been messed up by a minor mistake. It is important to remember that it is human nature to make mistakes, but it is will power that can help us make up for mistakes, get back on track and stick to our diet plans.

If you choose Herbalife as your diet plan, then it doesn’t get any easier. You simply take a shake for breakfast, a shake for lunch and then eat a sensible dinner. If you feel the need to snack between meals, there is a range of Herbalife snacks to choose from. You can even take your shakes on the go if you have a busy lifestyle. Here are detailed instructions on the program, and you can place your order when you’re ready.