Read this holistic nutritionist’s Herbalife review and learn whether Herbalife products and shakes really help you with weight loss.
Herbalife Review: This is what I, as a holistic nutritionist, think of Herbalife products for weight loss!
While recently surfin’ Instagram I came across this hashtag: #herbalife.
So I decided to check out their website and what Herbalife products were all about. It’s shocking.
Are people consuming this stuff thinking they’re making a good move for their health and weight loss goals?
People are selling this and calling it healthy? Disgusting. So here is my unbiased review of Herbalife products.
Herbalife is a scam disguised as healthy living.
According to their website,
Our Mission is to change people’s lives by providing the best business opportunity in direct selling and the best nutrition and weight-management products in the world.
Unfortunately, Herbalife by no means sell the best nutrition products – not even close.
Before it’s asked, this is the protein I use and recommend. I couldn’t find one good enough on the market, so I made my own. Grass-fed collagen with six organic superfoods: kale, spirulina, wheatgrass, broccoli, spinach and turmeric. I drink it in my daily smoothies and it gives me LIFE. Aka a healthy gut, glowing skin, strong digestion and energy for DAYS. Use code 10OFF for 10% off!
Here is the ingredient list for their Herbalife protein drink mix:
Here’s the ingredient list for the Formula 1 shake, which is labeled as healthy but is basically cancer in a can.
And the peanut butter protein bars:
The creamy chicken soup, with a side of MSG and hydrogenated oils!
*I wrote this article years ago and have since discovered that Herbalife has changed the ingredients in the chicken soup to be slightly less horrible. I’d link to a picture, but it’s very blurry. Find updated ingredients here.
Let’s examine the ingredients of those Herbalife products further.
I wish I could explain to you the full scope of the several horrible ingredients Herbalife uses, but I don’t have ten hours for this Herbalife review. And you likely don’t have the time to read a 20-page blog post.
Soy Protein Isolate
This isolate is the very first ingredient.
In my opinion, soy isn’t even food. You can read more about how much I hate soy here.
Soy is rich in phytic acid, which blocks mineral absorption. It’s rich in goitrogens, which negatively impact the thyroid.
It’s rich in phytoestrogens. These substances mimic estrogen in the body and boast links to cancer.
If you’re looking for a non-denatured protein with recognizable ingredients from grass-fed cows, I buy this protein powder
for Scott.
Sucralose
These products contain the artificial sweetener, sucralose, also known as Splenda. From the mouth of the beast,
Sucralose is made through a patented, multi-step process that starts with sugar and selectively replaces three hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sugar molecule with three chlorine atoms. The result is an exceptionally stable sweetener that tastes like sugar, but without sugar’s calories.
That’s right, it’s chlorinated. Sucralose destroys beneficial gut flora, thus impairing immune function and promoting obesity.
As for the food recommended by Herbalife, they miss the mark again.
While it’s nice that they advocate fruit and vegetable consumption (I mean, who doesn’t?) they also advocate highly processed low-fat foods that are devoid of nutrients.
Yet again, processed soy rears its ugly head in their breakfast burrito recipe. They do make their own food that people can buy. Like their creamy chicken soup:
Canola Oil
Canola is one of the largest GMO crops and is likely genetically modified in Herbalife products. It is a rancid industrial oil that undergoes an unbelievable amount of processing.
It is extracted with hexane, a neurotoxin, then bleached, deodorized and a slew of other disgusting techniques. Find out more and see how it’s produced in the video below!
MSG
Monosodium glutamate can be tricky because it masquerades under so many different names. Any of the following can contain it: yeast extract, natural flavors, artificial flavors, maltodextrin, corn syrup.
If you’re not concerned with MSG, you should be. The body does not process glutamate the same as naturally occurring glutamic acid. MSG is an excitotoxin and can cause overeating.
Carrageenan
Carrageenan is a processed food additive from seaweed. Experiments reveal ties to cancer in lab rats, colitis, ulcers, and overall terrible consequences for the gut and digestive tract.
Let’s sum up this Herbalife review:
If you need tips on healthy eating and healthy weight loss, click here, because Herbalife products are not only unhealthy but promote disease.
I mean really, I can’t even count the ingredients in the Herbalife junk above. These include hydrogenated soy, canola and cottonseed oils, margarine, autolyzed yeast extract (also known as MSG), artificial flavors, wheat protein, and corn syrup.
Is Herbalife good for weight loss?
While Herbalife may be an effective weight loss tool, it is not a safe or healthy nutrition regimen.
There are better ways to lose weight and you should not sacrifice your health to accomplish that. In the same regard, it is also not the ideal product to put on muscle or use for bulking.
There are healthier options, starting with eating real, unrefined food grown locally, organically and sustainably. If you would like a healthy nutrition program, I highly suggest starting with my 21 Day Lifestyle Transformation.
Here is the recipe for the protein shake I make, it is unprocessed and actually good for you.
*I do not recommend most protein shakes and meal replacements, excluding the organic, grass-fed protein powder I linked to in this article. If you have a question about a particular brand of protein shakes and/or meal replacements, please provide a link to the product so I can more efficiently answer your question.
Sources:
http://az31823.vo.msecnd.net/content/en-us/pdf/catalog/100907_sku1122_us_label.pdf
http://az31823.vo.msecnd.net/content/en-us/pdf/catalog/0291_soupmix_carton_us.pdf
http://az31823.vo.msecnd.net/content/en-us/pdf/catalog/120906_sku0058_us_label.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18800291
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16965913
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11694625
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/68/6/1431S.longhttp://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/5/10/785.short
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1242073/
750 Comments
On top of all the unhealthy junk they’re selling, Herbalife is also a pyramid scheme!
Whaaat really? I didn’t look at the business model, just the shitty products. What a terrible company.
Ok so it contains isolated soy no the best but a better alternative to a McDonald’s cheeseburger or the bacon you say you love in your other article …it’s pretty difficult for average person to get a hold of GMOs free products or learn the vast knowledge of unhealthy foods you got to learn from
Schooling or the internet so you can sit there and explain how bad it is but I can do the same with the eggs you used for your food dishes those eggs could have came from chickens that were Gmo fed I didn’t see you write organic home raised chicken eggs next to your ingridients and for someone promoting healthy living and bashing other companies why do you have a brownie recepie?? I don’t care how healthy u make it a brownie is a brownie girl. (They have chocolate=sugar). I keep reading about FDA on some comments well the FDA also approves Kraft cheese twinkies and soda all which is bad for you. As for the shake once your at your ideal weight you don’t have to keep drinking shakes as long as you eat healthy your good. and as for the distributor part which I am I don’t sit behind a computer all day bashing and criticizing others I get up invite people for hikes gym excersice bootcamps so we don’t just promote and teach healthy eating we actually help people encourage them to excersice change their eating habits (direct talking not off my blog). And the satisfaction you get from physically helping someone is amazing or hearing how their borderline diabetic anymore or helped with their cancer I love what i do.Instead of being anti herbalife why aren’t you write about being pro organic growing and tell us how you went out and idk started farming/gardening your own food and actually did something to positively impact people’s lives. like us herbafreaks since we’re just out there spreading venom I hope you actually help people with this blog rather than confuse them now back to your brownie you go 😉
You and so many other Herbalife pushers say, “Well it’s better than fast food.” REALLY? Is that the standard? No. It’s like saying, “A heroin addict is healthier than an alcoholic.” Well, no…not really. They’re just different and they’re both still unhealthy.
I get pastured, organic bacon from my local farm. It IS healthy. Healthier than Herbalife, that’s a fact.
Aaron, you’re really grasping at straws. Just because I didn’t write “gmo-free” eggs doesn’t mean I don’t use GMO-free eggs. I buy majority of my food from the local, organic farmers market. Including my eggs, which are raised on pasture and supplemented with organic feed! Also, my brownie recipe has less than 1 tbsp of sugar from sugar cane. These comments are ridiculous. Yes, I have a brownie recipe, a gluten-free-refined-sugar-free-organic-coconut-oil-rich brownie recipe. I have a lot of other healthy dessert recipes, you should probably check those out as well.
You’re asking me why I don’t help others? I’m a health coach, bro! That’s exactly what I do.
Herbalife does not help anyone with cancer, the ingredients in Herbalife are CARCINOGENIC. This is a fact. It’s terrible that this horrible product is pushed on so many unsuspecting people who think they’re doing something healthy.
Love your post.
Thanks David!
Have you looked into Arbonne’s health and wellness products?? They’re awesome!
I just googled Arbonne’s protein powder ingredients, which are actually really bad for you.
Looking at the ingredients I would rather eat fast food, it’s cheaper than your over priced trash and not much worse. While you can make an impact going out and helping exposing what is not helping can help too, bad companies deserve to be dismantled and boycotted by the people, I would not mind this one, but they tell people they are making them healthy while destroying them, that is not right. Cheap gmo free food is completely available at the store btw, you may have to boil your own rice but the idea that it is hard to get/expensive is complete bullshit.
Hi,
Great blog and well done for spreading the word about this Herbalife scam….What an absolute Joke ,I am surprised that intelligent people believe this shit,but then again people still have imaginary friends too.
Herbalife is an absolutely poison in a pretty package like Mcdeath..If you truly believe in better health you should read “The China study ” by Colin Cambell and then you wont want to eat bacon organic or not…. any more..
Oh and I have Nothing to gain from this endorsement ,obviously unlike Aaron.
Hey Pete,
Thanks for the comments. I actually have read The China Study, here is a great critique of the flawed information: http://rawfoodsos.com/the-china-study/.
Again, thanks for commenting!
Reading the comment from the person,who seems to be for Herbalife, and reading Dani Stout comments,myself just recently doing a trial run with Herbalife products, where they are setting up a shop in a neighbor hood near you and advertising as Wellness Clubs….So as I did a small venture for a couple of weeks trying a shake here and there , a tea , so I started asking questions,does your product have GMO’s , could not get a straight answer, so I figured no need to ask about herbicides and if they used them or not,since the question’s about GMO’s,was a hard question to answer.Well the internet is a field of information and with any commonsense after finding many many sites pertaining to Herbalife, here’s a question to ask could this product pass a GMO stamp of approval of not having none, does it carry a stamp of organic approval, as far as I have seen on all of there labels ,none of these appear on any of there products. The thing I found most of all the people selling the product do not pry around and investigate the product and they have become indebted to the product….when the warning labeling comes out and is enforced on products Herbalife and products similar to them,they will not be known as heath products. In the 21 Century we have all the tools to search and check out products,there is no excuse to buy into misleading products now a days……Give the stamp of approval,the stamp of organic and NO GMO is stronger than words, can they do it.
Great post, I have lots of friends who use it against my advice, I will pass this on & well done on the witty replies 🙂
Thank you!
Well said. Shake diets are not sustainable, healthy, safe, smart, etc…It’s a shame that people don’t realize these facts. They just fall victim to the excuse of “Eating Healthy is to Expensive” or “I don’t have enough time to eat healthy”. People just need to educate themselves more about what is & what isn’t healthy. It’s not that hard to eat healthy. The crazy thing is that healthy food taste better also. Eating healthy makes your mind & body stronger as well. Not rocket science just common sense.
Couldn’t agree more!
Girl, you are so righttttt.
I sold herbalife in college thinking it was a good product when its crazy expensive shit…shit. Most People, excuse me… 99% of people know nothing about nutritional biochemitry so they think organic, nitrate free, organic fed bacon is bad for you. Correctly sourced saturated fat synthesizes youre vitamind d, creates your sex and stress hormones, makes up a large quantity of your brain and your cell membranes. Also a brownie is not a brownie, that was the funniest thing Ive ever read, I guess you dont understand the different between clean ingredients and man made ingredients that get stuck on your arterial wall (Hyrodgenated soybean shit oil). Oh wait you dont because you defend herbalife. Herbalife is liver hell. haha read a nutrition chemistry book I beg of you.
Love it!
Just have to say I LOVE your response to aaron above making the ridiculous and ignorant comment about healthy foods.
I have a real personal issue with Herbalife. It is a TERRIBLE company and the business model is a pyramid scheme and the products are so far from health foods crazy. Currently there are about 15 people popping up on my facebook newsfeed touting Herbalife and their supposedly amazing transformative powers and I’m angry that these people, my friends, have fallen for this fraudulent company. This quote, “99.92 percent of Herbalife participants lose money, and of that only 0.825 percent of participants make more than $13,028 per year, less than a living wage in virtually every corner of the United States,” comes from this article- http://www.theverge.com/2013/3/7/4074808/juicing-the-pyramid-is-herbalife-an-8-billion-house-of-cards
Herbalife is currently going to Washington DC to explain their business model to congress.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/20/us-herbalife-idUSBREA1J27T20140220
Wow.
I think you are so right about what you said that the ingredients in Herbalife are CARCINOGENIC.
I myself follow a non- GMO diet. I also agree that soy of any kind is bad for you. I eat a soy free diet as well. I lost 100 lbs. the healthy way.
Sadly lots of people don’t take the time to research about GMOs and how bad they are for you.
100 lbs? That’s amazing, congrats!
Great post, keep it up people need to know about the snake oil salesmen out there and they are actually confusing a lot of unsuspecting people into thinking it is healthy. One of the biggest scams out there. Keep up the good work Dani!
Thank you!
I did Herbal lies a few years ago and they always said about at least its not junk food like McDonalds, tbh Id rather eat the MC Donald’s than the Herbal life products tasted disgusting and did bugger all for me . Its just a pyramid scam at the end of the day , What’s wrong with just eating a healthy diet and regular exercise. I’m doing Weight Watchers now and been loosing about 2lbs a week with HL I lost about 2lbs in 2 months
Well, that’s interesting. I been using the products for ten years and it has delivered on all the promises it states. Not sure as an advocate for “being healthy” you would care about this at all. You certainly wont take it, and I wouldn’t come and harass you for your choices.
Just a thought.
Did you just say bacon is healthy? I’m out
Sucks for you.
Perfect response. The standard MLM speak is to make a False Parallel argument and compare their protein shakes and meal replacements not to other (better) protein shakes and meal replacements, but instead to junk food.
You see a lot of similar false parallel arguments they’ll use, such as arguing that your job is just like working for an MLM in that “people at the top make the most” but there are a variety of differences, including the fact that hourly jobs pay everyone, not just the top few percent of employees.
This is a great blog post and it’s good to see real information on the Internet.
In reply to Aaron’s previous post, I did Herbalife at a point and even if you reach your ideal weight you have to keep drinking at least one shake a day in order to maintain. I saw the label and noticed the amount of chemicals used in their products. I do not like to bash companies like Herbalife, but their biggest flaw is that they do not teach their users about nutrition and how to eat correctly without having to rely on their products. It amazes me how many supplements they have and for so many different things. All of those supplements can be substituted by actually eating the proper foods. Natural weight loss can be achieved, it just takes time and commitment.
Herbalife has had known cases of people having to had surgeries to remove gallstones! Terrible!
Well, water is chlorinated, and when I asked my Herbalife coach if the soy is GMO, she said absolutely not, and that they grow their own soy. They are also very careful about the aloe and use only a tiny part of the plant (for what that is worth).
I do have problems with sucralose and any artificial flavors, and I do not want to eat hydrogenated fats.
Also, how many cases have been reported about Herbalife causing gallstones?
I’d like to see the references for that, if you have them.
Thanks.
1) the chlorine added to water is minimal and still isn’t healthy, I bought a water filter to filter out chlorine. I recommend doing so.
2) Your “coach” is a liar. Seriously. She’s lying to you. The soy is GMO.
Not sure about the gallstone, or if they’d even make that available to the public, or have a way to accurately track that information.
Hello Dani, I have few questions to ask you regarding Herbalife because I’m currently in a big dilemma and I hope you can help me solve the problem. This is my email [email protected].
Emailed!
There is no way that your bacon is healthy, even if it is pasteurised and organic, animal proteins in the form of meat and dairy are, over time, very damaging to your health, the planet and animal welfare. I have 2 degrees in nutrition so know what i’m talking about.
Actually that’s a very outdated idea not rooted in science or history. Humans have always eaten meat, if this were true our species would not have evolved, much less thrived. Meat is extremely healthy, but only if it is properly sources. The healthiest cultures around the world all have one thing in common: animal products. I recommend reading Nutrition and Physical Degeneration.
https://ancestral-nutrition.com/why-bacon-is-a-health-food/
However, I do very much agree with you that Herbalife is an awful product 🙂
Thanx Dani,
I am obese, just bought a rower which will be delivered in a couple of days – I met someone pushing Herbalife – he showed me his photographs and had really lost weight – but you are right, is heroin addiction better than being alcoholic – absolutely not.
So, I get rid of my weight, but invite other maladies into my life, I would rather stick to my rower to gain my fitness – even if I don’t lose much weight, at least I will be safe.
Thank you so much for a marvelous article.
Cheerios,
Deva
Thank you Deva and best of luck!
Now that is called an unbiased review. I am taking this Herbalife nutritional shake from last 2 years. It showed no effect. It was recommended from my relative which is a head supervisor in Herbalife. She just always forces everyone to drink the shake and all those supplements. The truth is people are losing weight in a wrong way. But they won’t accept it. They do not want to look at long term effects. Also, the products are very expensive. I will throw Herbalife products out of my house. Thank you again!
Herbalife is a scam company.
Well done and I totally agree.
I love your recipes
I’m also a health professional. and totally horrified at what Herbalife is promoting.
I am glad you informed me, was at a Herbalife party and the saleslady looked like a skeleton, very unhealthy, not my scene.
No information was given regarding the ingredients.
I’d like to point out that there are several major flaws with your denouncement of this company, based only on the science.
First, there is no accepted evidence that GMOs are bad. There may be studies out there that say otherwise, but they are few and far between, and are generally shown to be based on unsound science. It is the consensus within the scientific community that there are no currently known ill effects from genetically modified foods. Preaching otherwise is not only stupid, but founded on nothing more than bias.
Second, chlorinated substances are not inherently bad. Remember that there is a difference between atomic chlorine (aka the poisonous gas) and chlorine ions, which are present in our drinking water, and for good reason. Our bodies utilize chlorine in several ways, most of which are absolutely vital to your being alive. By removing chlorine from your drinking water, you removing a key substance from you body. May I remind you that common table salt, NaCl, is half chlorine, and that all the water in your body is actually slightly saline? Think about how much of that is chlorine ions.
Third, this popular idea of “if I can’t pronounce it, it must be bad” is ridiculous. People are terrified of “chemicals” and “toxins” when they don’t even understand the actual meaning of those words. Throwing them around the way you do, they are absolutely meaningless. Everything is a chemical, and anything can be a “toxin” if given enough. The word “toxic” just means having an ill effect, and in science, almost always comes with an amount attached. Using your logic, I can say water is a toxin, because if you drink six gallons in one sitting, you’ll probably die.
Fourth, there is no reason to laud things that are gluten free for no reason. Unless you have Celiac’s disease, gluten will not harm you. Gluten will not make you fat. Gluten will not make you less healthy.
Fifth, there is some evidence to suggest that yes, sucralose and artificial sweeteners can have an ill effect on the bacteria in your gut, but its widely disputed, and not even near to being proven as conclusively true.
As a last few notes, MSG is not this awful thing. That’s a myth that people with little education (and Googling things is not an education) commonly believe. As well, there is nothing cited here that would even come close to suggesting that the ingredients are carcinogenic. Finally, “organic” does not mean healthier; they are not synonyms, and most of the time, are not even related terms.
Well I’m glad to see that you’re completely ignoring science, studies, facts and even the most basic of nutrition information. I’m not even responding to this, it’s so ridiculous.
Preach it Dani!
A lot of the herbalife pushers actually think they are doing a great job and us all a favour. That’s cause they are Dumb f**ks that have attended a herbalife training course or two and have been brainwashed by the potential profits from this pyramid scam.
I know living people that do herbalife.and it has helped them alot.it helped my mom who had a liver problem .my neighbor w her shingles.my supervisor w being enimic.it prevented me from. Getting a sexually transmited disease from my x.and the list goes on. So dont be hating. Appreciate the good it does for people. I do.n im 100 with herbalife 4sure
…did you just say Herbalife prevented you from getting a sexually transmitted disease?
You are spot on, and an inspiration!
I am wondering if you would recommend this whey protein product : http://source-organic.com/collections/organic-whey-protein
I am looking for something to help me boost my protein intake after a workout. (i would only want a shake post workout, not as a daily meal replacement). Any advice?
The print in the pictures is too small for me to read the ingredients. I do have an article on my favorite protein powders you can check out. Just do a search in the search bar.
Hi, interesting. I have been drinking Herbalife for 20 years…
Exactly. Mlm’s are trained to have a comeback that steers away from the issue at hand. I was about to join a place that uses Herbalife and you and other websites just stopped me. Thank you
Nice ??… thank you
Thanks for saving me from wasting some hard earned money 🙂
Happy to help, friend!
Im not really sure if your review is accurate or not. Im just looking into Herbalife myself. BUT, it definitely was not unbaised.
Dear Dani, it was fascinating reading your scathing report on Herbalife. I wondered if there were a chance you could bring to light any of the discussions qyou may have had with the Herbalife Scientific board. This board is made up of internationally recognised people which include: Dr Steve Henig, PhD, Dr David Heber, PhD, Dr Bill Frankos, PhD, Dr Louis Ignario, PhD and Nobel Laureate, Dr Dana Ryan, PhD and Dr John Heiss, PhD.
It would be marvellous to get a balanced view point in some commentary raised by you with any of these scientists. Noting, of course that whilst some are also medical doctors, their PhD’s, lie in a broad spectrum of areas which include “Nutrition”. I would be fascinated by their responses to your significantly unbalanced and one sided arguments.
You really should be taking that up with them, shouldn’t you? How would I know their responses?
My “one balanced and one sided arguments” are certainly filled with a lot of scientific information to back them up.
On your quest to better health , I suggest watching ” FOOD MATTERS” available on net flux. Next Google the ingredients of your beloved Herbalife product line. It’s the blind and not so smart, leading , the blind and not so smart. The truth shall set you free.
“Instead of being anti herbalife why aren’t you write about being pro organic growing and tell us how you went out and idk started farming/gardening your own food and actually did something to positively impact people’s lives. like us herbafreaks since we’re just out there spreading venom I hope you actually help people with this blog rather than confuse them now back to your brownie you go 😉 ”
is there any need for this? surely the best thing to do is to educate people on how to eat properly, learn how to cook good quality food using good quality ingredients instead of relying on something that is not natural to consume as a meal? I understand it has worked for thousands of people but its not right!
People should learn to enjoy their food and still be able to eat in a way that is healthy and going to help them keep the weight off with a little exercise thrown in 🙂 i know i would much rather eat a meal of (for example) chicken/sweet potato/veg than have a shake that is full of god knows what.
Not here to argue. As I said, if it works for you then fair enough but as you don’t want the pro organic/brownie baking comments coming at you, be a little civilised and have a decent conversation!
If Herbalife was a healthy way to live then everyone would be doing it. they’re not.
Fair
Herbs life is full of not very good ingredients. If you want an amazing protein drink, why don’t you try organically grown New Zealand Barley grass. It is far more nutritious than anything herbalife can offer you. Google it and you will see what a superfood it is compared to their rubbish.
You sound bitter and unintelligent. If you think people’s standard eating is fast food and chocolate equals sugar. Real chocolate actually doesn’t have sugar in it.
Look doesnt matter how to choose to live your health part of your life…do what you want eat what you want all this talk about herbalife and its bad that’s bull before herbalife I was a over weight mom I was always sick in and out of hospital why because I ate unhealthy” fast food” I got on herbalife in 2011 been on it since am the most healthiest I have ever been I can care less about your facts its just Internet bull sorry but true I did my research before I started and yes we want to help people get healthy because come on look at this economy over weight number one sorry what they are putting in there body’s is three times worse then all these ingredients you can’t pronounce look them up stop Looking for the negative part of herbalife and the ingredients because that’s what you are doing people so stop talking shit and get full facts because all a reading is what you think is bad well I k ow my facts so stop judging herbalife ok
Nowhere in your incoherent babbling of a run on sentence did I read one single thing that made any sort of sense.
“I can care less about your facts its just Internet bull sorry but true I did my research before I started”
Yes, clearly you are unconcerned with facts and have no idea what one is.
a friend of mine did herbalife, after a few months she was diagnosed with gallstones, the dr asked her if she had ever done a juice or shake diet like herbalife or juice plus she said yes and he said that the herbalife was the cause of the gallstones, the damage was irreversable and at 25 years old she had to have her gall bladder removed, when she was waiting for her operation in the hospital she asked several people what they were having done and each of them said they had gallstones due to either herbalife or juice plus. how is that a healthy diet?
That’s awful.
Well put Aaron. I guess where Herbalife went wrong was not pay the owner of this website for writing something good….hence the trash.
No one pays me to write anything, I write what I want.
I understand that you’re upset because I pointed out the fact that Herbalife is complete garbage, but I think we all need to employ some common sense; who would even pay me to write this?
Exactly correct
Gudos to you
You bring up brownies to compare to man made crap
Let me tell you a little something about Herbalife here A-A-RON! If you don’t get that reference then you clearly live in a cave. Anyways, I am a 21 year old female who had struggled with an eating disorder and body image issues for years (currently in remission, BOO YEAH!) and part of my journey to get healthy including visiting a nutritionist. Now, as you can imagine beginning a healthy lifestyle after not eating anything and purging anything I did eat was tough. It’s something you have to start off slow so you don’t shock your body.
Once I got to a point where I was able to have a normal and healthy diet, I wanted to tone down a little bit. Now, when building muscle, protein is muy importante and it was something I was not getting enough of, since I am a runner I generally favor carbs. So of course, I decided to turn to protein powders. I went to my nutritionist and asked him about different brands of products and then I mentioned something about Herbalife and his expression changed completely. Yep, I got a lecture. You see if you’re looking for a healthy protein powder option, you do no want a laundry list of ingredients. With food in general there shouldn’t be a novel under the ingredients (but let’s be honest some of that shit is good). So after using protein powders and products which my nutritionist calls “the lazy way.” I decided to only use them on occasion.
The best way to actually get protein is to eat foods that have it. WHAT?! THERE ARE ACTUAL FOODS THAT HAVE PROTEIN!? NO WAY! Yeah and guess what else! Whether you’re vegan, paleo (did I butcher that spelling, probably), vegetarian, kosher, gluten free, or whatever there are still foods that fit into your diet that have protein! WOAH!
In short, protein powders are nice to have, but replacing meals with shakes is not a healthy weight loss alternative. I never tried Herbalife, but I’ve read enough to know not to. Once you hit 70 pounds and have to be fed through feeding tubes you really think twice about what you put in your body. If you really want a good protein powder, find one without flavor enhancements. It’s going to taste like shit, but man up and drink it.
Also, fuck you and what you said about brownies. If I want to indulge I am going to eat a brownie because that shit is delicious. It’s called moderation. Believe it or not you don’t have to give up the food you love if you learn how to portion control. Of course, you’re just too lazy and frankly probably could not adjust to a healthy lifestyle that way because you have become to addicted to your Herbalife products.
And you “herbfreaks” are probably going to drink some spiked shake one day and die together. That’s how all cults like to go out. But what do I know. I only had to focus on healthy living and nutrition for 7 years so that I was able to be in remission for and eating disorder, so I probably don’t know anything about eating healthy. (That was sarcasm for those who did not catch that.)
You go girl!!
Eggs are NOT whole foods, they are animal by-products. Vegetables, legumes, beans, fruits, nuts, grains & seeds are whole foods. P.S. Bacon (as much as you would like to lie to yourself) is not healthy. I don’t care where your fried pig fat comes from, it’s an artery clogger.
Maybe you don’t understand the meaning of the word whole, but it’s an unprocessed food from nature. An egg is exactly that – it’s also extremely nutrient dense. Even more so than any plant based food. Don’t get me wrong, veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds are good, whole foods as well.
You clearly don’t understand basic nutritional science. Please refrain from making unfounded comments on my site.
Aaron your reply just actually made me laugh! If you enjoy helping people get to “their ideal weight” with chemicals and fake food have at it, but people need to know that it’s junk. The fact that you are comparing an egg (a whole food) to the science experiment that is herbalife is laughable. SMH…
I love you!
People surfing for ‘negative’ information about Herbalife, per say, will find Dani’s site.
I’m sure growing up, she was fed a McDonalds burger once or twice and its particles are still trapped somewhere in that 100yards of intestines of her lower GI tract! Ouch.
I myself, a college-educated military vet, alongside my husband, LOVE LOVE LOVE Herbalife!
Imagine sitting in a world where all you do is count calories, or carbs, or wonder if EVERY particle of what you’re eating is a GMO.
I didn’t serve in this country to have someone like Dani try and tell me that the company, Herbalife, with the #1 Meal-Replacement Shake in America, is a Scam, or Bad for You, or a Pyramid scheme.
BTW: Pyramid Business – Lets take your local police department:
You have the Chief of Police, Deputies, LTs, SSgts, etc.
The folks at the bottom can never make more than the folk at top.
Now Herbalife: I got into this business because we LOVE LOVE LOVE the shakes and green tea!
Pyramid? I make more than the two people that sponsored me by bringing me to my first Nutrition Club!
We are HELPING people that are diabetic, have high cholesterol, obese, lack energy, and the list goes on!
This includes my family! We aren’t giving our money away to GNC, or Cost Plus, or Vitamin Shoppe, we are investing in our HEALTH and FUTURE.
Now Dani, go have your hostess donut!
Hoorah to Herbalife!
This message has been approved by two American military vets!
I’m not sure if constant your constant Hebralife intake has hindered your ability compute basic information – but who here is eating Hostess Donuts? Because it sure as hell ain’t me. My website is about real food and nutrition based on science, history and fact. Something you clearly know nothing about. And are you unable to read a basic ingredient label? Because no one who has even a basic level of nutritional information would look at these ingredients and think they’re healthy.
So let me ask you what I ask every single other Herbalife supporter (that not a single one of you has been able to answer):
If Herbalife is healthy, why does it contain GMOs?
If Herbalife is healthy, why does it contain hydrogenated and trans fats?
If Herbalife is healthy, why does it contain artificial sweetener?
If Herbalife is healthy, why does it contain soy?
If Herbalife is healthy, why does it contain MSG?
If Herbalife is healthy, why does it contain rancid vegetable oils?
If Herbalife is healthy, why does it contain processed ingredients and preservatives that are devoid of nutrition?
I look forward to your response.
Yet another MLM fanatic who thoroughly believes everything that’s pushed at her. And of course because she’s making more than anyone else on the planet that negates all other qualities about the product and the business.
The hostess Donut is no different in quality than the crap you tout. Although there’s possibly less shit ingredients in the Donut.
Your qualifications mean nothing CharlySue and I loathe individuals that pull the whole military thing with a passion!!!!!!!!
“I didn’t serve in this country to have someone like Dani Tell Me”…
No and we don’t want someone like you CharlySue using and abusing the fact of a military background to come on here and sound off the way you have. Your career choice lady nobody else’s, is that all you can bring to the discussion CharlySue? it’s pathetic.
Belief and fact, proper unbiased, scientific peer reviewed fact, are two entirely different things CharlySue. But when the bucks are rolling in the facts don’t count, isn’t that another classic MLM line trotted out at the monthly meetings and big events CharlySue???…usually by the big earners and high level pins stood on stage being treated like gods and celebrities. Pyramids within pyramids is what MLM is all about.
What a moron! Lol!100 yard of intestines! That’s 300 feet! And I love that because you’re “supposed ” military , that makes you a nutritionist! Lol! Go drink some more Herbashit hopefully you’ll all do yourselves in! Lol!
Hi,
Im just wondering if you read your post? It just doesn’t make much sense.
Well done for serving your country, I have friend and family in the forces.
Just the fact of being in the army (unless for strict financial reasons) makes you not reliable enough to read the rest of your post. 🙁
Your a disgrace to the Military, first off by being involved in ruining other peoples health by filling them lies about a product. But, you also just brought local police departments into it. What a disgrace….I have upmost respect for our military and our police, but for you , I have none.
Well actually if you are into the health thing why aren’t YOU doing it for a starters instead of inciting people who don’t know better to eat herbalife gunge which damages the DNA of the body! – Its hard to replace the damaged DNA and it gives people cancer as well as makes you look older faster. Never mind the fast track way of dieting.
Its good we have criticsim from health people, that is how we stop people eating stuff thats bad for them.
Get educated in what you are doing.
Calling soy a better alternative to McDonalds is like saying that a sore throat is better than AIDS… I could do without both.
LOVE THIS
Aaron, surely you’d be better off promoting a way of consuming healthy nutrition other than the completely processed product that you do?
You’ve replied to Dani’s post the same way as every other MLM distributor/Independent Business Owner/Health and Wellness Coach does when their business is called into question. If you are a qualified nutritionist then that’s great but I’m going to stick my neck out here and say you’re not. In which case you have no business going anywhere near anyone with your snake oil.
Even if you were, I’d call that into question as the standard nutrition advice handed out today is completely incorrect. Get to know your field my friend and how human biology really works. While you’re about it look into human genetics and discover how we’re no different genetically than our ancient ancestors from 10,000 years ago. Then perhaps you can tell me if when our ancestors awoke each morning, and left their cave or shelter to search or hunt for food, if they popped down to their nearest corner shop and bought a loaf of bread and a pint of milk. Or maybe they visited their local Herbalife distributor and purchased a wholesome tub of genetically modified, processed powder.
I know, I know Herbalife backs it all up with some science but it’s not hard to apply science to a product to show it’s beneficial when you’re selling it. EVERY MLM company does it, the Healthy Chocolate one, the air purification systems one, all the other nutrition based MLM’s out there they all do it. Why? because if science says works then it must be right…. err right??
The fact is Aaron we didn’t start consuming these types of food throughout our entire species evolution except in the last 5,000 -10,000 years and then the stuff you’re touting, in less than the last fifty years. So pleeease do tell me how, if for around 2-4 million years we ate foods available to us from nature and in whole form, the crap you are touting is beneficial to the human species?
Don’t follow the herd mentality Aaron all it will do is lighten your wallet considerably and at the expense of the health of others.
I couldn’t agree with you more Aaron. Why spend your time trying to make other companies look bad just for you to stand out? That’s like screaming for attention and wasting your energy on people that are actually making positive impacts on other people’s lives like how mine changed. I know people that have been on the products for 35 years! and look better than you and I together. So, my suggestion would be, to really focus on the positive and not on the negative. Actually how you see others is just a reflection of you. Herbalife does not only promote healthy lifestyle but also personal development which honestly I think this girl is lacking (constructive criticism) If you really believe in what you do then go for it, keep helping others and keep sharing what you know, but I don’t think its necessary to talk about things that you don’t really even know about. At the end, there’s no perfect product or company or us. We are just humans trying to improve this planet. We can’t for sure know what is true and what is not.
How in the world am I lacking honesty? What am I being dishonest about?
I’m not the one promoting toxic ingredients, trans fats and GMOs and selling it to people who don’t know any better. You are a just a human trying to improve this planet…by destroying it with GMOs? Clearly, I’m not the one hear talking about things “you don’t really even know about.” Which is pretty pathetic, considering you likely consume or sell Herbalife – and have no idea about the basic ingredient list.
I wrote this article for the people who are duped into thinking this is a healthy product. For the people unknowingly consuming hydrogenated oils, preservatives, processed and carcinogenic ingredients. If you are too daft to understand the simple facts I have presented here – that’s fine. But do not ever call me dishonest.
Carolina – if you think Aaron’s reply has some value…. you seriously need to take a long hard look at yourself.
Everyone has the right to be informed of the risks and what the products actually contain.
I HAVE used the products after being persuaded by someone who is clears brainwashed and after using them for about 4 months with no results I too started to investigate.
ALL of the products are FULL of garbage and are NOT meal replacements. No one should be replacing food with this shit. If someone told you to replace food with air, as someone they knew did and it worked would you believe them? I’m sick to death of these ” coaches” talking like that are nutritionists and personal trainers. NO one I met though Herbalife was either of the above. Where do these people get off handing out information about healthy lifestyles, and fitness when they actually have no backing. Going to a meeting and listening to people talk about how much money they have made from selling them isn’t helping anyone apart from themselves!!
These said “coaches” pray on people who are at their lowest, and looking for solutions – including me! They literally poses no moral compass whatsoever. How can they even be allowed to sell these products at wedding fairs and on facebook etc. I’m pretty sure if the people knew about the fact that their so called friends and coaches were making money every time they purchased these over priced loads of shit they’d be horrified.
Id’ be interested to see how many people have had serious medical condition’s from using this and what this CULT has to say about it!
Wow good job Herbalife! Able to suck money from someone for 35 years!
Thank you Aaron!! I only clicked this article because it said “unbiased” but right off the bat she was bashing Herbalife…thought this was unbiased? Neither at any point, during her rant, did she ever provide her own or any data backing up her claims…true or not. So right away I knew the post was crap…just wanted to see how deep it was. Good thing I wore my boots!!
You do realize you can remain unbiased and still provide a negative review, right?
You also don’t seem to realize that I provided several studies. Not sure how considering I directly provided links that you wouldn’t seen had you actually read the article.
I’ll ask you what I ask literally every single other Herbalife supporter that NONE of you have been able to answer:
How is processed soy healthy?
How is gluten healthy?
How are GMOs healthy?
How are artificial sweeteners healthy?
How is MSG healthy?
How are hydrogenated oils healthy?
I eagerly await your reply, though I doubt I’ll ever receive it. The only “crap” here is your ignorant comment.
i love herbalife. i’ve been a client for alomst 4 years and do the business for 3. i have my own nutrition center where i help people improve their health. most come for weight loss other for simple nutrition. and a few to gain healthy weight. there are just soooo many amazing testimonials out there that you should listen to. i have met so many amazing people along the way. it’s helping me health wise and financially. it’ truly is a wonderful company to be part of. and if you didn’t know. herbalife formula 1 shake is the #1 meal replacement taken more around the world!! 94 countries and growing. eventually you will find out.
You don’t have a nutrition center where you help people, you have a diet center where people lose weight through dangerous and detrimental means.
If Herbalife is as healthy as you say it is, please answer the following questions that NO Herbalife supporter has ever been able to:
How are GMOs healthy?
How is processed soy healthy?
How are trans fats healthy?
How is MSG healthy?
How are rancid, omega-6, inflammatory oils healthy?
Eventually you will find out how unhealthy this garbage is.
a brownie is a brownie, and chocolate=sugar, what about your “chocolate flavoured” shakes, bars etc then? if we’re going by that logic.
Herbalife workers might say some seemingly good things like avoiding sugar and processed food but what do they sell? Most of their products have about 20g of sugar in them per serving and are processed, containing toxic chemicals. Despite all the sugar, you still lose weight, why? yes you would if youre replacing 2 meals a day with 200cal shakes, meaning your daily intake barely even hits the 1000cal mark. Just like some people are skinny living off of chocolate and sweets etc, because they don’t pass their daily requirement of calories, yet what little they eat is full of sugar and has no nutritional value
I am a personal trainer with nutrition qualifications and an experienced psychotherapist. I life in the UK and am deeply concerned at the influx of so called healthy weight lose products (herbalife, visalus, forever, etc) that are being pushed/shoved and miss sold to vulnerable people. The information being given is misleading. Aaron I understand that herbalife run get fit days but only with the intention to sell the product, which is deficient nutritionally, and it isn’t about long term health changes with the client in mind. Im disturbed by the amount of people that have half a day of training and then are branded as wellness/wellbeing coaches, see the truth that it is a multi level marketing scheme with money and not health as the focus.
Im pleased that you get satisfaction from what you do and Im not suggesting that you are evil.
Im assuming that you have trained in some form of sports or fitness instruction?
Bacon and other real food is better that herbalife as it contains
complete essential amino acids from a natural source.
I realise this is an old post however I have been looking into these fad diets and so i have only come across it now.
Dani stout I look forward to reading more of you work
Luke
Thank you!
Aaron. Healthy eating is not that complicated. Start with Raw lean meat. Cook it without adding fats. Add fresh veggies… Low Cal health meal.
If you buy Chicken and the poduct lists 20 ingredients something is wrong.
I’m just coming across this article now, but I have to say the thing with fad diets and diets that require people to eat their products is junk. Once a person no longer eats the food or follows the fad the weight comes back. Diets are designed to fail. If a person wants to lose weight and maintain that weight they need a lifestyle change, not a diet.
YES!
thats a good response, but my main question wich goes for many people who blog against a product.. have they ever tried the program or products ??
its not that expensive to give herbalife a go & make up your own decision, I DID & i may not agree with everything on herbalife, i do know the program & products i use are AMAZING & have changed my life.
thank you. HERBALIFE
I don’t need to try crack to know it’s not good for me.
My mother just went out and purchased multiple Herbalife products. It took one look on the ingredient list for me to realize there was absolutely nothing healthy nor natural in there. Aaron, your comment cannot be taken seriously as it is obvious you are biased. Research your own product.
But why does herbalife use random people who know nothing about nutrition to be distributors? Why not health professionals? Why not teach general populations how to create healthy products, why just sell them? Some of the distributors are fat themselves and never changed but are good sales people who sell sand at sea. Not good at all.
I’m very confused now because I just got my free Herbalife seeable and I was in love and now she’s telling me that it is so bad for you I don’t know what to do now and my cousin’s in love with it she’s a promoter
You drank the Herbalife koolaid! Can I throw a luluroe party at your house? Will you buy my itworks hair strengthening serum? You are my type of sheep!
Very well said. ?
That was one of those asinine comments I’ve received on this article.
Super like
PLEAASEEEEE explain the “or helped with their cancer…” DID YA”LL KNOW HERBAL LIFE HELPS CANCER?! Don’t let the secrets out…. BIG PHARMA WILL BE PISSEDDDD.
Freakin’ idiots.
Lets talk about Herbal Life rebuild that has 14 g of sugar in it. And if you want legitimate fiber which is necessary for an actual MEAL REPLACEMENT shake, the highest amount of fiber you’ll find in any one of their over priced shakes is 3g… but don’t worry, you can buy their additional over priced fiber supplement as well….
I agree with you, Aaron. Herbalife was investigated as being a pyramid scheme and CLEARED of these charges. From my personal experience, (Herbalife does NOT claim to prevent, treat, or cure disease) I can say that my mother and sister – both with hypertension – have had their blood pressure become much better controlled since a few months after starting the shakes. My mother is diabetic and her glucose became so much better she was able to have her insulin reduced. She also has congestive heart failure and her Cardiologist says she CAN have Herbalife products.
My biggest note from this article is that it is entitled as an “unbiased review”. I have yet to find a negative article about Herbalife that does not promote another product. This one promotes burn TS.
Oh! One more thing.. HERBALIFE IS PROMOTED BY A UNITED STATES SURGEON GENERAL.. RICHARD CARMONA. NO OTHER PROTEIN SHAKE OR NUTRITION COMPANY IS BACKED BY A U.S. SURGEON GENERAL. (Caps are for emphasis, not for yelling).
You should be ashamed of yourself. Watch this it explains that Herbalife is one of the worst companies in the world, if you are part of it you need to rethink what you are doing in the world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6MwGeOm8iI
She is so right this stuff is toxic look at the reports of liver damage I did not make that up. Why would anybody use that crap If you don’t know what the hell is in it why would you put that in your body period.
Danni what is your take on Juice Plus please.
Could you provide a link to the ingredients you’d like reviewed?
i am not going into a long winded reply, i am a normal everyday person…i use herbalife and i have never felt better in myself..it is for nutrition that i use it…i know what my body felt like years ago & during the time i had breast cancer not long ago & how i feel now whilst using herbalife…yes i agree it would be better if we could get all our nutritional needs from food, but unfortunately good food is more expensive that junk food…as a holistic coach are you not advising people on what they require in their bodies, does this not cost money…i also noticed that you may receive monetary or other benefits for what you put on this blog…there are many weightloss products in chemists, supermarkets etc…am i going to be able to read imformation on these as well to keep things even…
Aren’t breast cancer patients supposed to be on low estrogen diets?
Only certain types of breast cancer are considered estrogen positive. I know because I am almost 4 years post diagnosis of aggressive stage 3 breast cancer – ER, PR and HER-2 positive. After my diagnosis, I did a ton of research on nutrition and was shocked that what I THOUGHT had been a healthy diet was filled with genetically modified foods, chemicals and more carcinogens than I care to mention. Since then I have worked to overhaul my diet and do what I can to prevent a recurrence.
I was recently introduced to Herbalife when I attended a Zumba class they hosted. Before consuming a shake, I asked all the appropriate questions and got (what I thought) positive answers. I drank the shake (4 over the course of 2 weeks) but noticed I felt horrible afterwards. I finally asked to see the ingredient list. (My bad for not doing so beforehand.) The reason I felt so terrible is the shakes contain dairy. And I am allergic.
I had informed the Herbalife rep that I was allergic to dairy and soy was not an option for me. I was assured it wouldn’t be a problem. That while some of their products contained dairy, one product would perfectly fit my needs.
I naively (again, taking 100% of the blame) believed what I was told. I thought I had finally stumbled upon a cool new option for the occasional protein shake I like to have after a workout.
To make my long story even longer, I decided to purchase a canister of the product to have at home. I didn’t look at the ingredient list until I got home. I was SHOCKED! Not only was the lengthy list riddled with ingredients I couldn’t pronounce, it also contained dairy!
Once again, I have no one to blame but myself. No one. However, my eyes were opened to several things that day. One – ALWAYS investigate and read ingredient lists. Don’t take someone’s word for it. Two – Not everyone’s idea of “healthy” is the same. Three – Not everyone will understand nor appreciate my nutritional choice. Most will make fun of them. Four – I am proudly one of “those” people. The kind of people who possess a passion for sharing the truth about the good, the bad and the ugly of what we consume in the name of healthy eating.
One more point, and this is the one that saddens me the most. When I returned the products for a refund, I was told “not to worry…several cancer survivors were using the products and seemed to be just fine.” The only response I had was to say “I once seemed to be just fine too.”
Thank you for posting the truth. For standing strong against opposing views. Consider me a fan.
This comment seriously made me tear up. Thank you so much!
Might I just suggest something…As normally when you buy these products, you get given a meal plan and a plan which helps you to exercise? try doing both of them without the products you’ve brought. I’m pretty sure that what some people need and what the distributors try to do is tempt you in with all the support and plans already done for you. If there was something out there, that just went with a healthy and exercise plan which was provided to a person, along with all the support, then people would still lose weight and be healthier at the same time.
Thank you so much for the information packed resources that has helped me tremendously in my research of the complicated long list of Herbalife ingredients. If I may just offer one word of advice. The cursing detracts from the information and professionalism that it deserves. It is highly valuable information that should be viewed with the utmost professionalism. Many thanks again!
Thanks for comment! Are you referring to my saying “hell”? I really don’t even consider that a curse word.
Well you areasking continously asking about GMO’. I personelly contacted the health autauthoriti
es where they clearly statedd that they are using proteins from NON GMO sources. Health ministry of every country do keep eyes on them so they have to go through every test. And remember dear its your illusion that whenever we design the diet , we always pull them to have shake all the time. Nope. I personelly see that what food i can personelly introduce into their diet with combinationof shake. For your info just recieved a good compliment from 60 year old lady who had ggouts 2 months back. Now her reports are ok and she can freely walk on her knees. 🙂
It’s difficult to understand this barely coherent comment, but no – Herbalife does not use NON-GMO sources, at least in the US. They specifically use GMO soy, corn and canola. I’ve made this abundantly clear and have confirmed it with the company.
I am not a fan of Herbalife. Quite the contrary. But this mantra you keep repeating that GMO’s are not safe is getting old. There is no evidence to suggest that GMO is bad for you. That does not mean that soy protein GMO or non-GMO would be good for a diet.
I see you have a lot of good arguments, but this anti-GMO stance is ridiculous considering you have no evidence for it.
Actually I provided a myriad of evidence, including scientific literature and peer reviewed studies. The World Health Organization has even labeled glyphosate as a probable human carcinogen. If you’re unable to comprehend the studies, the information available regarding GMOs and the basic fact that they are proved time and again to be unsafe for human consumption, well, I don’t really know what to tell you.
If they’re using proteins from non-GMO sources, then why do they have a new formula 1 shake that is labeled as their “non-gmo” option?
All of your so called information is biased, and comes from the internet. You say bacon and brownies can be healthy you have credibility and like i said all your information is from the internet which is public domain, which means people like you that “hate” certain things can site off and sound smart, when half your sentances contain curses. Also lets see you deny all the results said company has helped make, and lives they changed, if its not one company its another, and another thing there is 0 solid proff that GMOs cause health problems.
You realized that medical journals, universities, nutrition journals, etc. post their information on the internet, right?
This isn’t 1968. I don’t need to go to a library for accurate information. Are you suggesting I get my information elsewhere? Because I also provided links to books…
And did you not even look at the studies I linked to regarding GMOs? There’s a reason they’re banned in over 60 countries.
And yes, pastured bacon is healthy. It’s an organic piece of meat full of vitamins and monounsaturated fats. My brownie recipe is grain-free, GMO-free, sugar-free, vegetable oil free and preservative free – UNLIKE HERBALIFE.
How could you not lose weight, when twice a day you’re drinking a shake instead of eating real food?! I could get any protein powder and have it twice a day and lose weight! Herbalife is horrible!
I don’t know where everyone lives; but if you have ever visited Los Angeles, you will see one of the biggest herd of Herbal Life sheeple ever. One of the corporate offices is in Carson, CA (Los angeles) area. Redondo Beach + South Bay is full of the sheep pushing their products like crack at the weekly “Fitness Group” gatherings right on the beach with all their green shirts everywhere. (although they offer free fitness on the beach, its where they will up sell products and recruit) Every time I see them, I just snicker; knowing they are recruiting their next sucker.
I usually don’t respond to junk blog articles but felt compelled with this one as it is a sitting duck. I’ve been with Herbalife for five years and have been a nutrition specialist and strength and conditioning coach for the l last decade. Articles like this are nothing but obstacles to progress. We’re all trying to help people, there are dozens of other MLMs around and Herbalife has been around for 35 years. Since it is direct sales it would take a mind encased in concrete not to see the obvious; a direct sales company does not goodish for over the decades, even through a tough economy, without a high quality product. It simply would not happen. I’ve used the products myself and am in the best shape of my life. I do not get sick. I do not get injured like every other tendonitis-prone gym rat out there. I have amazing energy. I have helped people lose over 50 lbs routinely, get off medications and increase energy. I have seen enough results to be convinced. As for your arguments about ingredients, there’s not a whole lot of point in arguing as we could both find evidence supporting our views, thus the age lf problem with online blog articles, full of hazy studies and polarized views. As for GMO soy, go ahead and mark that one of the list, as ours is all non-gmo if you would have done your research, which you have not which is glaringly obvious. You may be able to hook the clueless 99% but not myself. I researched every ingredient in the products before signing up, as I share your passion for knowledge. And you know what? I was shocked at how healthy the ingredients are. While you hinted at all the “bad stuff and chemicals” you obviously don’t have a firm grasp of chemistry as not all are that bad. You failed to list the numerous cancer preventing super antioxidants in the products. So this is in fact the opposite of an unbiased article as the only sources I see are .gov sites, the pinnacle of corruption, and three food labels. What outstanding research you deserve a round of applause, or laughter. I really get a good chuckle out of mainstream “nutrition experts” that demonize companies they know absolutely nothing about. Did you know about our “seed to feed” program? I would venture a guess of no. I mean this more as an educational response but I’m sure it won’t come off this way. You’re not the first keyboard expert to confront me about the products. I’ll tell you exactly what I tell the other extremists who seek to find any way to justify hating other people because they don’t do what you do, and the same thing I tell nitpicky and negative potential clients: you can keep your problem, we’ll keep our solution.
It’s really sad when I know more about the product you sell and dupe people into buying than you do. You might want to actually contact your company about their use of GMO soy. I’m fully aware of the seed to feed program – which uses GMO seeds.
If someone has actually researched all of these ingredients and still sells it, there’s just a lack of integrity there that is beyond words.
To LOL@author,
You say you are a strength and conditioning coach and a ‘nutrition specialist’ (which I assume is just a Herbalife label, as that is neither a dietician or nutritionist)… yet you are promoting Herbalife… that must be embarrassing for you. I can only assume that is why you haven’t added your name to your post, can you imagine the respect you would lose amongst your educated peers if they knew you were associated with that junk? Lol
Aside from the horrible ingredients all weight loss from these shakes can be attributed to a calorie deficit. Through time this reduces your BMR as you lose lean tissue making it harder to maintain and even harder to adjust in future to a healthy diet/lifestyle.
Hi…
I don’t know how you called this ‘unbiased review’. I am not herbalife, I came here looking for an answer, but this article is a very biased in every way. Especially when you have a shop and subscription on your blog so people can get to you as their health coach.
So here’s my unbiased point of view: You sounded like you’re doing some marketing move targeting ‘herbalife consumers’? I believe you’re a great health coach, but your marketing is so unethical and unprofessional. This is even a hate blog post yet your comment replies. Just because you believe you can offer the best answer in nutrition or healthy diet, but your lack in professionalism (esp in this article) will never convince people. If you think you’re doing good because non-herbalife people are leaving Pros in the comments? Let me ask you these: Is there any herbalife-independent member convinced by this article? Or did they send you a thank-you email? Dear Dani, Despite that herbalife is organic or not. Did you run a research or investigation of your own before publishing this article (cause I swear I’ve seen similar articles stating the exact statements)? Where did you get those nutrition labels (did you bother to shot them by yourself)? Did you consult with hundreds of Phds/doctors working at the herbalife on how did they extracted their soy protein (and other ingredients)?
So for those people who really concerned about GMOs, soy, and corn, and more GMOs.
What about the fact that they actually care about their customers need, that they have a line of product that are GMO-free even non-soya? Here’s a real label from herbalife product. They’re using non-GMOs soya and also not the kind with estrogen-imitating in it. Did you count it as well? You didn’t even mention any alternatives (herbalife only outside herbalife).
https://cdn.empowernetwork.com/user_images/post/2013/05/01/f/74/a720/540_293_resize_20130501_f74a7203585dc8dbc5067d539dbad375_png.png
If none of the above, then there is no investigation involved, I mean a real professional one. Then no solution is organically produced by you. So, how is it unbiased? You probably saw something on the internet, reposted and retitled. I’ve done my research and I’ve found internet and press articles, from independent organizations, even official press released by Herbalife that can beat your poor journalism away from people who really can’t be fooled.
Good luck
PS:
And for the business model: would you rather buy from some companies who sell products on the shelves, gaining profits for themselves, possibly paying the workers with minimum wage. Or, a company which gives opportunities for people to have income. Okay shit, it’s pyramid scheme, but opportunities for everyone, equally to have one. And I believe those MLM have training especially a mega-global like herbalife.
Wayne Dyer — ‘The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about’
You gotta do alot harder to convince: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1o5Bd1HKmI
I am a fat man in the process of losing weight. I came here to get an unbiased review of Herbalife. Which I recently started, and doing some homework to see if I should continue. I am by no means a herbazealot, for you to title this blog an “unbiased” review is totally invalidated by suggesting us readers to check out your 21 day plan. You also don’t offer a look from both sides (not that you have too). Your unbiased title would carry more validity if you did. To sum up, some of what you’ve said make sense, but because I can’t take it as “unbiased ” and you seem more bashing and a “Herba-hater” I now have wasted time reading and writing this response because you titled it Unbiased. Plus I also now feel as if I need to do more research which is what I was hoping an Unbiased blog would resolve. Do me and others who are real people change the title.
Even if it is a biased review, I provided plenty of scientific literature to back up all of my statements. The ingredients in these products are not healthy.
Where in god’s name did you even find all these sources that aren’t even right. You claim to be unbiased when in fact your very biased from the start of your article. If this what you wish to call it but I’ll refrain from calling it that. Herbalife has a board of independent doctors that checks the products, the safety of them and what’s in them and they have on their board two I think it is noble peace prizes on the board of doctors. If it doesn’t do what they claim then kindly explain why they have multiple well known sport players using the products all over the world who have exceptional muscle mass. Herbalife never approaches anyone to be a face or be an ambassador for the company. They come to herbalife themselves. I’d suggest you know more about something before making your opinion up prior to writing in future. I myself have been on the products in the past and they are mind blowing and beyond amazing. I’d suggest nothing other or no other company on the market. You shouldn’t be allowed to blog or write for the public if your views are very biased already. I actually laughed at your reasoning by comparing herbalife with a druggie and someone who is always drunk.
A multi-level marketing company is not a “pyramid scheme.” The definition of pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves promising participants payment or services, primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, rather than supplying any real investment or sale of products or services to the public. Just because a business is set up like a pyramid, which all businesses are set up that way even corporations, doesn’t make the above definition true. There are actually specific things that have to be met for it to not be one and shut down by the FTC which Herbalife and hundreds of other direct selling companies in fact meet. I do not sell or even like Herbalife but it just makes my blood boil when comments like this are said because they aren’t true and take away credibility from those that spew them.
I haven’t said anything about Herbalife being a pyramid scheme. I am more concerned with the damage it does to people and the fact that they use GMO ingredients, which are destroying the environment.
Yes you are right, GMO products are destroying the environment and aren’t very good for your health. Raw foods are the best for the body, they keep it in an alkaline state where disease is far less likely to start. I read a book many years ago called ‘Fit for Life’ by Harvey & Marilyn Diamond which talked about the principals of ‘Natural Hygeine’. I have lived by these principals ever since and find that things only go wrong, ie weight gain, fatigue, illness etc, when I stray from them. Please buy a copy if you can, it’s very interesting. I have found it very interesting reading all your opinions. Good for thought x
You and the writer obviously need to go back to school to learn what a pyramid schemebis and investigate properly before publishing your false statements and accusations. Once more, due to your ignorance, you do not understand how nutritionbin your body works or the indepth detail of the products
I never said it’s a pyramid scheme, seems like you’re a little insecure about that yourself. I don’t understand nutrition? Is that a joke? Please explain to me how genetically modified ingredients, denatured proteins full of phytoestrogens, processed and toxic ingredients and trans/hydrogenated fats are good for you??
I know herbalife contains gmo”s but doesn’t that bring the majority of the big gym brands (I use the term widely) down? They all contain gmos too, pretty much any supplement in a tub will do so. Therefore shouldn’t your argument be with not just herbalife butany other brands?
No. You may have noticed that the protein powder I linked to is 100% organic and grass-fed, and only contains one ingredients. Furthermore, I was specifically asked to do a review of Herbalife which is how this article was born.
And yet you eat bacon….
Hells yeah I eat bacon. I’ll take an organic piece of meat full of vitamins and monounsaturated fats over GMOs, processed soy, hydrogenated fats and MSG any day.
Duh.
Bacon contains real fat from real pork and real protein. Unlike the carcinogenic ingredients found in Herbalife products.
Yup!
Hi dani I live in turkey, I was sucked into becoming a distributor, what i mistake that was.Ive watched how my so called sponsors push the products onto people without really noing the ingredients themselves, they class themselves as wellness coaches surley a wellness coach should no what the product is.When i asked my sponsor what do i do if asked about the ingredients there answer was tell them to read the lable.They know nothing about the products yet when advising people who are on a diet they push the shake, thermo complete, herbal tea, aloe vera, lift off and niteworks.All in the name of making money i am sickened by this.My question to you was in europe the shakes are soya protein in turkey it is pea protein do you have any information on this. Thank you for this great post and goodbye to Herbalife. Please excuse my english
I know they change the ingredients from country to country but I’m not positive what they use in Turkey. You can contact customer service, they should be able to tell you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbalife
Pyramid scheme allegations[edit]
In November 2011, the Commercial Court in Brussels, Belgium ruled that Herbalife was an illegal pyramid scheme.[4]
Herbalife responded to the Belgium decision by stating “Herbalife believes the judgment contains factual errors and is based on misinterpretations of the law and its direct-selling sales model. Herbalife remains committed to its multi-level direct-selling sales model and is confident that, with clarifications in certain aspects of its business, there will be no doubt as to its compliance with all applicable Belgian laws.”[81] The company filed an appeal on March 8, 2012.[82]
On May 1, 2012, a well-known short seller David Einhorn asked pointed questions about the company’s business and sales models during the Q1 earnings call, setting off suspicions that Einhorn had a short position.[83][84] These suspicions were proven correct in January 2013 when at an investor meeting Einhorn revealed that he had profited through a short position against the company. Einhorn said the short had been closed before the end of 2012.[85]
On December 20, 2012, Bill Ackman (of Pershing Square Capital) presented a series of arguments outlining why his firm believed that Herbalife operates a “sophisticated pyramid scheme”.[8][10] Ackman has alleged after a year-long investigation that the majority of distributors lose money, that the chance of making the testimonial-implied headline income is approximately one in five thousand, and that the company materially overstates its distributors’ retail sales and understates their recruiting rewards, to the point that he concludes it is a pyramid scheme.[86]
Ackman claimed that Herbalife distributors “primarily obtain their monetary benefits from recruitment rather than the sale of goods and services to consumers.” His firm estimates that, since 1980, the scheme has led to more than $3.5 billion of total net losses suffered by those at the bottom of the Herbalife chain. He said on CNBC that millions of low income people around the world, hoping to become millionaires are being duped with this scheme and if they knew that to make hundred thousand dollars, what Herbalife calls the “millionaires team”, there is a fraction of less than 1%, no one would sign up for it.[87]
According to a number of financial commentators, Ackman put on a roughly $1 billion bet against the company;[88] soon after remarks to the press the price of the stock decreased such that Ackman would have made $300 million if he had closed his short position then.[89] Ackman stated that he will donate all of his profits from the trade to charity, taking the financial incentive out of the equation.[87][90] A few months after Ackman’s initial comments, billionaire investor Carl Icahn refuted Ackman’s comment in a very public spat on national TV. Shortly thereafter, Carl Icahn bought a huge stake in Herbalife Intl. As Carl Icahn continued to buy up HLF shares, the stock price continued to show strength. Carl Icahn now owns 16% of Herbalife Intl. Furthermore, Investor George Soros bought up a large percentage of Herbalife Intl. The HLF stock is now above $64 a share (as of August 13, 2013), and Bill Ackman now is showing a paper loss of over $300,000,000.
Herbalife Responded to Ackman’s presentation saying “Today’s presentation was a malicious attack on Herbalife’s business model based largely on outdated, distorted and inaccurate information. Herbalife operates with the highest ethical and quality standards, and our management and our board are constantly reviewing our business practices and products. Herbalife also hires independent, outside experts to ensure our operations are in full compliance with laws and regulations. Herbalife is not an illegal pyramid scheme.”[91]
The New York Post, through a Freedom of Information Act request, reported that HerbaLife is subject to a pending probe from the FTC.[when?] The FTC released 729 pages containing 192 complaints received over a 7-year period in regards to the New York Post FOIA request. After reviewing the now-public complaints, which the FTC put on its website, Ackman told The Post: “I have a lot more confidence in our government’s regulators than those who own the stock.” [92] The following day, the New York Post published a report that the FTC claimed that the wording the New York Post reporter interpreted to indicate that Herbalife “is the subject of a law enforcement investigation” was incorrect and said that it could not confirm, or deny, an investigation into the nutritional supplements company.[93]
The Dubious Promotion of Herbalife’s Niteworks
Stephen Barrett, M.D.
Herbalife would like you believe that taking Niteworks™ will benefit your heart. The product was formulated by Louis J. Ignarro, PhD., professor of molecular and medical pharmacology at the UCLA School of Medicine, who shared the 1998 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his research concerning nitric oxide as a signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system [1,2]. This article tells why I believe that Niteworks is being promoted with improper claims and Ignarro’s conduct has been highly questionable.
Ignaro’s Promotion
In June 2003, Ignarro was featured at Herbalife’s Extravaganza in Las Vegas, where he talked to thousands of enthusiastic Herbalife distributors for more than an hour. As part of Ignarro’s introduction, Herbalife’s CEO MIchael O. Johnson played a video in which Ignarro said: “We’ve done a lot of work to show that one does not have to take prescription drugs to be effective in treating cardiovascular disease. One can just engage in natural sorts of things—dietary supplements . . . exercise, diets that are low in fat, and so on. All of these things increase or enhance nitric acid production in the body; and the more nitric oxide that is produced, the more protection you have against cardiovascular disease.” [5] The video ended with a plea from Ignarro “take this message to tens of millions of people out there.”
Ignarro’s walk to the stage was accompanied by loud music, rhythmic clapping, and audience cheering that resembled what happens when boxers and wrestlers are introduced at championship events. Before and after speaking, Ignarro spent several minutes giving autographs to distributors who pressed toward him with papers held high. His talk covered his research; the physiological characteristics of nitric oxide; his Nobel award; his beliefs about Niteworks; and what taking the product has done for him, his wife, and his friends. During parts of his talk, he seemed euphoric. The audience lapped it all up; many portions of his talk were met with applause and enthusiastic shouts.
Click for video clip
The “scientific” part of Ignarro’s talk was centered around a slide show titled “No More Heart Disease: The Nitric Oxide Story.” After promising to provide “easy steps you can take to prevent cardiovascular disease,” and “what we can do to reverse this process,” he stated that Herbalife’s “Cellular Nutrition Program nourishes all the cells in the body” and that nitric oxide can do the same. He went on to describe how nitric oxide allows cells to “communicate” with each other and can help prevent a wide variety of diseases. He claimed that among other things, it can help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow, inhibit clotting (to prevent strokes and heart attacks); prevents against early stages of atherosclerosis; prevent vascular complications of diabetes; protect against ulcers and Alzheimer’s disease; and affect erectile function.
Click for video clip
Ignarro further claimed that “cardiovascular disease is associated with localized nitric oxide deficiency,” and that production can be increased by a low-fat diet, mild-to-moderate exercise, smoking cessation, and better “cellular nutrition.” Niteworks, he said, contains the amino acid arginine, which the body converts to nitric oxide; citrulline, which the body “recycles” to arginine; and the antioxidant vitamins A and C, which protect against the destruction (oxidation) of nitric oxide. Although arginine is found in common foods (such as meat, poultry, fish, nuts, cereals, milk and certain vegetables), Ignarro told the audience:
You probably don’t get sufficient amounts of arginine from your diet. . . . To really get the increased production of nitric oxide that I’d like to see . . . you’d probably have to eat the whole leg of a cow every day or as a barrel of fish. . . . So you should supplement your diet with arginine . . . and the same thing goes for citrulline, which is another amino acid. It’s found together with arginine but is present in much smaller amounts. That’s why it’s particularly important to supplement with citrulline. And, of course, our Niteworks product contains both arginine and citrulline.
After finishing his “chemistry lesson,” Ignarro focused on the personal experience of himself, his wife and his friends. Among other things, he bragged that after taking Niteworks, he and his wife greatly improved their treadmill performance and that he slept better and generally felt better. He also said that friends had lowered their blood pressure and become less depressed, that “everyone” he knows who took the product had reported substantial benefits; and that he really believes that “soon there will be no more heart disease.” (This statement was followed by a standing ovation from the audience.) The fact that mouse studies and haphazardly collected anecdotes do not provide an adequate basis for Ignarro’s conclusions was not mentioned to the audience.
A few months after the Extravaganza, the Washington Post published an article in which Ignarro told the reporter that the ingredients in Niteworks generate nitric oxide slowly over a prolonged period so that it can be provided when the body needs it. However, he said that this had been shown so far only in animal studies and test-tube studies with human cells. Ferid Murad, M.D., Ph.D., who directs the Institute of Molecular Medicine at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston and shared the Nobel Prize with Ignarro, said that Niteworks’ blend of ingredients makes sense, except for l-citrulline, which he said acts only marginally in recycling l-arginine and is probably in the product for patenting reasons. Murad also said that Niteworks’ $90-per-month price was obscene because the vitamins C and E are available for pennies a day and arginine is obtainable for about a dollar a day [6].
Questionable Conduct
In May 2004, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published an article by Ignarro and 11 co-authors about a study in which mice with high cholesterol levels who exercised and were given arginine, vitamin C, and vitamin E were compared to sedentary mice and to mice who exercised but did not get the supplements. The researchers found that the supplemented mice developed fewer problems with their coronary arteries [7]. Scientific journals require authors to disclose any financial interest they have in the subject matter they write about. However, the article did not disclose Ignarro’s tie to Herbalife or his financial interest in a product related to the study. In fact, the lack of disclosure and extent of the connection did not come to light until David Evans, an investigative reporter for Bloomberg News, learned how much amount of money was involved as reported in documents submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission as part of Herbalife’s application to become a publicly-held company. After further investigation, Evans reported:
•In January 2003, Ignarro and David Brubaker formed a consulting company called Healthwell Ventures LLC to receive royalties for the sale of Niteworks. Brubaker told Evans that Herbalife pays Healthwell 1% of Niteworks sales revenue. Since June 2003, Healthwell has received $1 million, some of which represented an advance payment.
•When the mouse study was published, UCLA issued a press release in which Ignarro claimed that “what’s good for mice is good for humans” and that the study “shows that supplements work well even in the absence of exercise.” The release didn’t name Herbalife and didn’t disclose Ignarro’s financial interest in Niteworks.
•Pharmacologist Robert Furchgott, Ph.D., who also shared the 1998 Nobel Prize with Ignarro said that Ignarro’s claims of effectiveness are improperly founded. “They jumped the gun,” he said.” I haven’t seen any properly controlled studies. It just seems to me a mouse model isn’t transferable to humans.” He also said, “I think with the sort of money they’re raking in, they could have done some human studies.”
•Former New England Journal of Medicine editor Marcia Angell, M.D., agreed that Ignarro needs more than mouse studies to support his claims. “There’s a way to find out if it works in humans,” by conducting clinical trials on people, she said. “You can’t assume it will work for people.” [8]
Brubaker, who was also an Herbalife distributor, sells Niteworks and other products from his HealthWellLife Web site from 2004 through 2007. Shortly before Evans’s exposé was published, I downloaded a video that contained Ignarro’s Las Vegas presentation followed by an invitation to order Niteworks via Brubaker’s toll-free number. Ignarro’s presentation, combined with the introduction shown at the Extravaganza, has also been promoted through the Herbalife Broadcast Network (HBN), which Herbalife International uses to communicate with its distributors.
Ignarro notified the journal editor that he thought that disclosing his financial connection to Herbalife was unnecessary because (a) the study was conceived before he teamed up with Herbalife and (b) he had only played a minor role as a reviewer of the article [9]. However, I believe that (a) the connection was established before the article went to press and (b) if Ignarro did enough to get his name on the article, he did enough to require a disclosure. Moreover, the news release associated with the article should have made the disclosure.
In 2012, a Pershing Square Capital Management report noted that since 2004, Herbalife had paid Ignarro and his affiliated consulting firm more than $15 million since 2004 [10]. In 2013, the Los Angeles Times noted Herbalife’s support of UCLA medical school’s Center for Human Nutrition [11].
Competition
Ferid Murad, Ph.D., the third scientist who shared the 1998 Nobel award, has cast his lot with another manufacturer. In December 2004, Leiner Health Products announced that it had created Cardio Discovery™, which it said was “based on 28 years of research by Nobel Prize winner Dr. Ferid Murad.” A company press release stated: “Cardio Discovery helps support the cardiovascular system by increasing production of nitric oxide. Naturally produced in the body, nitric oxide helps to maintain the flexibility of veins and arteries so that blood flows freely. Cardio Discovery contains the amino acids l-arginine and l-glutamine. l-arginine is one of the body’s key nutrient sources for nitric oxide production, which is necessary for the maintenance of a healthy cardiovascular system.” [12] The list price was $32/month, but some distributors were discounting it. Now called Cardio Support, the product retails for $39.95.
Applicable Laws
Under federal law, products (except for devices) intended for the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease are drugs, and all drugs must be labeled with adequate directions for use. Labeling includes any written, printed, or graphic material that accompanies a product; and intended use is determined by the facts at hand. Drugs not generally recognized as safe and effective by experts are considered “new” drugs that cannot be marketed in interstate commerce without FDA approval. It is a federal crime to market a new drug that lacks approval or does not bear adequate directions. The 1994 Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) permits dietary supplements to be marketed with “structure/function” claims that are truthful and supported by scientific evidence [13,14]. It appears to me that Niteworks is intended for the prevention of disease but is not generally recognized by experts as safe and effective for this purpose. I also believe that many of the claims made by Herbalife and Ignarro go beyond what DSHEA permits for a dietary supplements. Thus, for example, the claim that Niteworks can lead to “no more heart disease” appears to be illegal as well as preposterous.
In 1985, the California Attorney General sued Herbalife International and its founder/president Mark Hughes for making false claims about several products. The case was settled in 1986 with a consent agreement under which the defendants paid $850,000 in penalties and were permanently barred from making unsubstantiated health claims for any product [15].
In 2003, the Federal Trade Commission took action against the marketers of another arginine-containing product (HeartBar) that was claimed to protect its users against cardiovascular disease [16]. The consent agreement [17] prohibits unsubstantiated representations that any such product:
• Substantially decreases leg pain for people with cardiovascular disease;
•Reverses damage or disease to the heart caused by high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, estrogen deficiency, or any other medical condition or health risk;
•Prevents age-related vascular problems, including “hardening of the arteries” and plaque formation, or reduces the risk of developing cardiovascular disease;
•Reduces or eliminates the need for surgery, such as a coronary bypass or angioplasty, or for medications, such as nitroglycerin, in patients with cardiovascular disease; or
•Improves endurance, circulation, and energy for the general population.
Arginine Research
As far as I know, Niteworks has never been studied studied in humans to determine whether it can help people with cardiovascular disease. But three studies suggest that one of its key ingredients—arginine—might do more harm than good for people with impaired artery function:
•One study found that giving 9 grams of arginine per day for 4 days to 28 patients with coronary artery disease did not improve the function of the inner lining (endothelium) of their arteries [18].
•Another study found that subjects with peripheral artery disease who took arginine supplements for 6 months did worse than that imilar people who received a placebo [19].
•The third study found that 9 grams of arginine given every day for 6 months did not improve arterial functioning among 153 people who had suffered a heart attack. But during or shortly after the trial, death occurred in six of the arginine-takers but none of the placebo-takers [20].
The Herbalife Science Web site mentions a clinical trial in which 16 healthy elderly men who exercised regularly were given either Niteworks or a placebo for three weeks. The study was supported by an NIH grant and done at UCLA’s Center for Human Nutrition. The researchers reported that the men who received Niteworks were able to do strenuous exercise a bit longer before they got tired [21]. Whether this finding has any practical significance remains to be seen.
The Bottom Line
Niteworks is promoted as a powerful preventive against cardiovascular disease even though, as far as I know, the product has never been studied for this purpose in humans. Nobel Prize winner Louis Ignarro, Ph.D, who has a substantial financial interest in the matter, is using his prestige to facilitate the sales process. Although research into nitric oxide may lead to some practical use of arginine supplementation, it seems unlikely to result in “no more heart disease.” Meanwhile, I believe it is foolish to spend $90 a month for a product that is overpriced, has no proven value, and might even be harmful.
Anthony,
It is you that needs to go back to school and study nutrition. Ask yourself this who or which organization paid for the science that’s applied to Herbalife products? If they’re telling you it’s independent you’re being lied to as much as the people that purchase this deadly stuff.
Or do you take the info that’s shoved at you by all MLM companies as gospel just because they wheel out an “expert” that says it’s so. When you’re in a room full or people whooping and cheering and you’re being told you’ll be a millionaire inside a year you suddenly become the most knowledgeable person on the subject.
Finally look at all MLM’s and tell everyone here who the top guys are in each one. Then tell us who the next levels down are! Then tell us the names of all those at the bottom…then look at the shape of each organization and tell us all what that shape looks like. Please come to an argument with some reasoned and sensible debate, then you can sound off in a fit and proper fashion.
Dani, apologies for hi-jacking your posts and sounding of myself but the MLM Nutrition crowd really get up my nose. Go Paleo!!
My research tells me the products are engineered at UCLA by the team of world renowned leading doctors in the field of nutrition science, all MD’s and Ph.D.s. (Google Mark Hughes Cellular & Molecular Nutrition Lab at UCLA). And by the way one of them is a Nobel prize wining medical doctor/researcher at UCLA (Google Louis Ignarro, Ph.D.)
The Nutrition Advisory board consist of more then 25 world renowned doctors an Ph.Ds from around the world (Google Herbalife Nutrition Advisory Board). So, please share what your medical or Ph.D. is in and what college or university you do research or teach at or do you just have a certificate. The products and business model has already been check out by more then 80 countries, the FTC, and the US Congress (Google it) and has been found to be in a legal business. Oh and by the way you probably have products that are marketed though the same type of business model and don’t know. So, now tell me you have an MBA or what that gives you expertise to call it a scam that these other groups don’t have. What you did is commonly called opinion and really smart people keep opinions not based on facts to themselves so they don’t sound really ignorant.
Dr. Gregory T. Lawton the founder of the certification program you attended would probably have advised you not to be so ignorant by posting comments like you did online. But then do you even have a college degree or just this certificate.
I’m aware of who is on the board of Herbalife: people who want to make money. Not people who care about health.
Re-evaluate your very first sentense, “…the products are engineered.” Health food is not engineered. It is grown locally, organically and sustainably.
If you are convinced that Herbalife’s products are good for you, please answer the following questions that NO Herbalife pusher has been able to:
1. How is Herbalife good for you if it contains GMOs?
2. How is Herbalife good for you if it contains processed ingredients?
3. How is Herbalife good for you if it contains trans and hydrogenated fats?
4. How is Herbalife good for you if it contains artificial sweeteners?
5. How is Herbalife good for you if it contains toxins like soy, corn and canola products (that are all genetically modified)?
These are not just my opinions; these are facts. Google the difference and take a look at the ingredients in Herbalife products. You may want to do some actual research before blindly trusting a corporation whose only intent is to make money.
I cannot agree with you more Dani. Herbalife is not about making people healthier, it’s feeding off people’s ignorance.
This is why we have chosen Isagenix.
It is a natural alternative that doesn’t contain artificial sweeteners, preservatives, GMO ingredients.
Please look into it as this is obviously something you are very knowledgeable and passionate about
Hi Simon,
I took a quick look at Isagenix. Unfortunately it is not ideal as it is full of processed ingredients, isolated vitamins that are not bioavailable, fructose, etc. I appreciate your comment!
these products will always exist. the fact is so many people look for a short cut to health, these companies use people with no nutritional knowledge to sell, they especially target new personal trainers!
when i first started out as a pt i was contacted by so many of these, specifically herbalife and body by vi
i ended up saying no and i’m glad i did!
a lot of trainers get in to it because they have no clue about nutrition and rather than pay out to go on nutrition courses and go to nutrition seminars/workshops they can just simply use these products provide nutrition and earn extra money
I love this, “…the products are engineered.” Health food is not engineered. It is grown locally, organically and sustainably.” Anything that is engineered is NOT natural, did not come from the earth. Artificial sweeteners does more harm to the body than people realize, that’s why they experiment on lab rats first before putting it on the market. I am always discouraging people from using artificial sweeteners.
Exactly!
herballife is not just about their products they are about promoting a healthy lifestyle through nutrition and excersise, did you know that herballife run free excersise groups all over the world, they dont force you to take their products but they also teach you, if it was not for my herbal life coaches i would be dead but now i am loosing weight and eating properly and no i dont always have their products and as this gentleman said what is your medical backround??? and how could 89 countries get it wrong?????
Herbalife and people that sell Herbalife know very little about actual nutrition, they advocate eating soy and low-fat diets which are extremely detrimental to health.
I clearly state my background on my About page, please read it.
Just because a company is “open” in 89 countries does not make it right. Get real. I am thankful to be off the Herbalife train I was stupid enough to hop on for a month a few years ago. My body could not handle it. I am thankful for the healthy LIFESTYLE change I have made and the product line I use now that fills my nutrition gaps that I may have and have dropped 51lbs.
Thank you, Dani, I work at a call center where there are about 7 very overweight girls [I am still overweight myself] who claim to be nutritionists and dietitians because they have a blender bottle on their desk with “Herbalife” on it and I cannot wait for them to approach me.
Dani Stout – I fully agree with you and your stance on how Herbalife’s ingredients are unhealthy and even damaging to our bodies. I just wanted to comment and tell you that you are an awesome person and that you are right with what you are saying. You have facts, they have opinions. I’ve noticed whenever you ask someone for proof and to answer your small list of questions, you NEVER get a reply. Keep up the fantastic work and I appreciate you!
Thank you Joseph!!
The world has 7 billion people , I can find someone with any degree that will say anything for me if i have money,lets take the fact that Gmos are banned in 40 countries, countries don’t ban things that generate trade lightly.
Richard,
Studies carried out by eminent scientists here in the UK into whether sugar makes you overweight or not established that the majority of the studies concluded that sugar doesn’t make you overweight.
The fact that seven of those eminent scientists are supported financially by the sugar industry obviously carries no credence whatsoever (please know that this is written with massive amounts of sarcasm).
If your research tells you who and what the board of Herbalife is then I applaud your research ability. Having a board full of people that do what they do does not a healthy or beneficial product make!!
Apply that amazing research into the human species and see how we’ve developed over the last 7 million years!!!!! Fortunately up until the last 50-100 years Herbalife products or anything of their ilk, produced by world renowned experts, weren’t consumed by our species.
I know in which direction I’d look for nutrition advice…my ancestors!! not some “expert” shill on the board of a corporation with nothing more than an interest in financial gain.
DO YOUR RESEARCH!! There is a vast quantity of it on ancestral/paleolithic/primal eating and lifestyle and the vast majority is also backed up with massive amounts of scientific and archaeological study.
That funny, cause I was not only told by my Primary Care MD, but also my OBGYN to discontinue Herbalife only after 1 month of trying it, cause of all my headaches, fatique, etc. They were then ones that had me bring in the bottles from Herbalife so they could show me why. My body was not getting what it needed, cause the ingredients in Herbalife are processed and not natural. Ones body can not process these so called processed ingredients, manufactured fake ingredients. within a week of stopping Herbalife, I felt great again. Oh and by the way, eating healthy and exercising helped me lose my weight, more than all my uneducated family and friends , still taking Herbalife.
I’m into my third week and I feel terrible I am so tired I can’t work I just want to sleep. I’m constipated and bloated. I feel awful so does my 21 year old daughter. We were both told its our bodies de-toxing . I can’t concentrate or focus on anything. I have lost 6lbs my daughter lost 4lb the first week and gained 1 lb the next. You are so right I can’t believe the sugar that is in it. Can you recommend an alternative healthy eating diet, herbalife suited me as I don’t eat veg or salads. After reading your blog I truly believe it is a scam
Hi there, I’m so sorry you’re feeling awful because of these terrible products. My approach to health is whole, unprocessed foods for optimum weight and health. I offer an eight week program called Ditch The Diet as well as personalized coaching.
Ah, your advert just popped up on this page, now I know why you are so vocal in pulling down a competitor.
I’m a health coach. It is literally my job to offer my services and educate people on true nutrition.
Isn’t that obvious?
HAHAHAAHAHA SAME THOUGHT HERE. HE’S JUST SELLING HIS PROGRAM.
EVERYONE IS IN BUSINESS. DDUUUUUUUH!
Hi, I have just started looking into Herbalife, as I was considering selling their products. After attending one of their online webinars, I have to say, I think the product really does work and has a unique approach. It looks like the ingredients are not at all ideal for someone who really cares about what they put in their body, but also, to be fair, it sounds to be very effective in losing weight, especially for those who do not have the discipline to stick to other methods. Just because you feel bad, does not suddenly make the whole thing terrible, it makes you want to give up, it actually sounds like its working and if you stuck with it you would probably do quite well in your weightloss. I think if you are giving up now, you will probably give up on any other program, because they all involve discomfort or sacrifice in one way or another.
Mmm, so will I join Herbalife? Not sure, it seems like there may well be money to be made, and well, the product is good for what it is, after reading this I cant well tell people its good for them, but certainly effective for weight loss.
That’s the problem with people who do not understand nutrition, they end up selling these products and convincing others to sell them.
“Just because you feel bad, does not suddenly make the whole thing terrible, it makes you want to give up, it actually sounds like its working and if you stuck with it you would probably do quite well in your weightloss.”
NO. Feeling bad is the body’s way of telling you something is not right. It’s not that people need to stick it out, there is a reason Herbalife makes people feel sick, and it’s because people are loading their bodies full of toxins.
Yes! Join Herbalife and pay no attention to this money seeking fraud trying to destroy a company that actually know what they’re talking about (unlike her – and she’s not the first to take them on thinking she knows better). You’ll love it and the feeling you’ll get from helping your friends and family with the products is second to none 🙂
Go Andy!!
I have just read through these comment in disbelief at the ignorance and misinformation that is forming this debate. Herbalife soy in Non GMO and has been for over 10 years.
The highly acclaimed Medical Advisory Board members are already top of their game, at a point where financial gain comes low down on their list of wants, and have selected Herbalife to carry their work further.
The UCLA have proven the positive benefits of the Herbalife nutrition, along with 34 years experience and over 100 million product users world wide.
Herbalife distributors are some of the healthiest, most vibrant and caring people you could meet, they have a high integrity and are doing an incredible job in transforming the health of many. Oh and the lady who said she felt ill, Herbalife products are just food, time and again anyone who feels ill when starting Herbalife, the cause is almost always caused by and increase in milk consumption, not drinking enough water or caffeine withdrawal. In my 14 years experience as a user and distributor myself, I have seen hundreds of people’s health dramatically improve and my own health restored after serious illness.
So, people on here, get your facts right before you try to pull down a company like Herbalife. Put that energy into making a difference where it matters.
Right, you’re an Herbalife pusher which is why you support their completely unhealthy products. If you’re going to sell products, you should probably have the faintest grasp of nutrition. So please answer the following:
How are rancid and hydrogenated oils good for you?
How is MSG good for you?
How is gluten good for you?
How are artificial sweeteners good for you?
How is denatured protein good for you?
And lastly, how are GMOs good for you? Because Herbalife DOES contain GMOs.
So what exactly is the misinformation here? I highlight the fact that Herbalife uses toxic and unhealthy ingredients. It’s not my fault that you push complete garbage.
What a can of worms ….I went to a Herbalife meeting last night for the 1st time. Like you, Stephan, I was looking at it from a view of helping people while making some money. I see masses of potential to make money. However, at the end of the day I have to live with myself, my conscience & principles are all I have that mean anything to me. I had a cup of their tea & a protein bar & instantly knew I’d had artificial flavouring & sweetener. All night the taste wouldn’t go from my mouth even after 2 glasses of water. I asked the person who took me along what was in the products & he said he didn’t know but it must be good as it was designed by Drs. He DID NOT KNOW! I’m afraid I don’t like many of the ingredients I’ve found in my research today that they are using & will not go any further with it. The testimonials of the folk who take it was absolutely amazing, but you know what? Not one of them looked HEALTHY! They were trim & looked great in their clothes but heaps of them had really bad skin on their faces, large blemishes or sallow looking skin, dry skin & hair. Give me pure, clean (certified organic) fresh & natural food & exercise every day i.e. walking, bike riding & deep water running/swimming any old day. I’d rather not make money out of products I don’t have any confidence in being good for you long term. They work, but at what cost?
You’re a good person!
your last paragraph is the clincher there Stephan. Not to mention the 4th line down for 3 sentences of the first paragraph.
You don’t give damn about the fact that this product is rubbish and bordering on dangerous. This is disgraceful, how dare you.
Yes it is an MLM, that is NOT a Pyramid scheme. Look at regular job in corporate America. They are Pyramids as the ONLY one who really benefits is the Top guy, in MLM everyone benefits and the bottom people can work real hard and pass the top guy.
Keep dreaming shanna de potts.
Just eat the best you can, lots of fruits, vegetables and salads… skip the crap at the food shrines (McDonalds, Burger King, etc). You don’t need spending your money on all that artificial junk… it will in the end… cause you disease.
Your body is a living breathing machine… give it some good fuel…
Pyramid schemes are illegal!!!!!! Can not be listed on NYSE and 91 Countries gov will not allow it, but is it only the HIGHEST trees that catches the wind?
everything is achievable when theres money involved!!
I have been taking herbal life for sometime, I see my cholesterol has come down. What’s the ingredient that cause this to happen?
This is a very loaded question. Cholesterol isn’t bad.
hola , no se porque no senti asombro de lo que se refiere a ese pruoducto , ya que vi que es puro negoio. le pregunto, hasta hace menos de 2 años mi hijo de 18 años ahora ,no tenia ningun problema, comenzo hace menos de un año a rengear, con la pierna izquierda.depues de haber visitado muchos medicos y placas, correspondientes a las cuales me decian que hera una madre exagerada, consulte a un fisiatra. a lo cual consulto a su vez al fisioterapeuta y dijeron que hera probable un tema neurologico, antes de tomar los 3 frascos de el producto que ud. menciona, nunca tuvo problemas , podra incidir eso.? gracias por la repuesta?.
Mi español no es muy grande pero estos productos podría haber causado eso, no hay manera definitiva que contar. Hay un montón de ingredientes tóxicos que pueden tener un efecto negativo tanto en el cuerpo y el cerebro.
well well well…….what a load of nonsense…..Richard braverman well done on your fantastic statement about all the doctors involved with the testing on herbalife products….I couldn’t of put it better myself……haters will hate unfortunately, you will always find negativity around herbalife….herbalife is global in 80 different countries millions of people use the products including myself….ive met real people who have lost up to 10 stone using these products and are perfectly fine….ive lost 2 and a half stone in 14 weeks and I don’t feel hungry at all…in fact I feel healthy, energetic, and my fitness levels are through the roof…..so dani stout you have no idea what your talking about and spouting off your rubbish to anyone who will listen….you have your opinion I have mine….you don’t really have the proper facts and clutching at straws with your rubbish
Cigarettes are in 80 countries, using your logic, that makes them healthy as well!
I actually provided facts, not opinion. If you feel so strongly about Herbalife, please answer what no other Herbalife supporter has been able to:
How is processed soy good for you?
How is gluten good for you?
How are synthetic vitamins good for you?
How are hydrogenated vegetable oils good for you?
How is MSG good for you?
Lisa Farmer or any other herbalife supporter please answer dani`s question. How is processed soy good for you? How is gluten good for you? How are synthetic vitamins good for you? How are hydrogenated vegetable oils good for you? How is MSG good for you? How interesting that not one herbalifa has commented,
I don’t know where everyone lives; but if you have ever visited Los Angeles, you will see one of the biggest herd of Herbal Life sheeple ever. One of the corporate offices is in Carson, CA (Los angeles) area. Redondo Beach + South Bay is full of the sheep pushing their products like crack at the weekly “Fitness Group” gatherings right on the beach with all their green shirts everywhere. (although they offer free fitness on the beach, its where they will up sell products and recruit) Every time I see them, I just snicker; knowing they are recruiting their next sucker.
Keep up the great work- have you blogged about Advocare crap products? Please do!
I also don’t like HerbalLife for other reasons but mostly because they lie but I also have a very hard time when someone says they are ‘unbiased’ or ‘fair and balanced’ when they state ‘I hate soy’, sorry, that is not unbiased. The Japanese, with the third longest longevity on the planet, eat soy as a staple!! soy beans, edamame, tofu, they eat it with EVERY meal!
Sorry, when you write something really unbiased, maybe I will give it some credence.
Actually they don’t. The Japanese traditionally ate soy as a condiment, soy sauce, natto, etc. Now like everywhere, soy is very popular. But it wasn’t always.
good review. I am working on my own review. As a educated Health Professional. I really don’t like the added sugars in the Herbalife products. Basically the products look like a chemical cocktail. The herbal drinks — man– when compared to real herbal tea — wow. Caffeine — for energy– really a energy crasher with sugar being the same as well with respect to energy spikes and crashes. I did some live fb videos on the subjects of sugar, caffeine and other chemicals — also organic? Cant see any organics so far. .Again thanks for being a educator.
Thanks for the great article! It was about time someone took the time to expose all the unhealthy stuff they put into their “healthy products”. I will share this with everyone I know. People need to read labels and learn how to prepare their own food again. Shakes can’t replace whole nutritious meals.
“People need to read labels and learn how to prepare their own food again. Shakes can’t replace whole nutritious meals.” EXACTLY. Thank you for sharing!
Do you still live in DC? We live in Silver Spring, MD and have been looking for a local place where we can buy meat from. So far we have been getting from Whole Foods, but I think there’s gotta be an even better option.
Thanks!
Hi,
Great blog, I have enjoyed reading it. When you say
“Shakes can’t replace whole nutritious meals”
are you just talking about these herbalife shakes and things like slimfast? what about the shakes I sometimes make for my dinner, or as a “snack” eg Banana, Mango, natural yoghurt & honey? Is it a bad thing to have this for lunch instead of a meal? I’m usually in a rush so I prepare something like this in advance.
Looking forward to reading more of your blog. 🙂
I’m also not a fan of fruit smoothies, they contain A LOT of sugar and are generally low in protein and healthy fat. For the shakes I make my fiancé after he gets back from the gym I use raw or coconut milk, 2-3 egg yolks, 1 tsp of fermented cod liver oil, 2 tbsp of gelatin, and then maybe add a small amount of fruit, spinach, cacao, etc. This is much more like a meal.
Tell that to the 60 million obese Americans out there. Just because you have it all figured out, doesn’t mean they have any idea how to lose weight without a little help. I lost 40 lb using herbalife shakes and I have never EVER felt better. I may have used some shake to lose weight and get healthy, I guess you consider that lazy, but in my opinion (and since I’m the one walking around in this body, it is a hell of a lot more valuable than yours) herbalife saved my life!
Gr8….Danielle…..herbalife also saved my life ,thanx to this wonderful nutrition n thanx to mr.mark for creating a mind bogling compensation plan ….
You seem angry. It’s a picture of h.l. ingredients. All these h.l. people seem really angry. Why? Maybe it’s the effect of corn syrup solids whatever that means and hydrogenated oils. Of course you will lose weight on a liquid diet w. exercise it is a numbers game,increase metabolism create a caloric deficit of 3500 calories to lose one pound of fat. These people sound like they are in a cult.
A 3500 calorie deficit will make you fat. Not getting nutrients will make you fat. I don’t care what you think it’s in the products because it doesn’t matter when you clean it off immediately with our tea and aloe. People lose weight while gaining muscle with our products, try doing that with water. good luck.
You don’t care what I think is in the products?
It’s not what I THINK is in the products. It’s what IS in the products. The ingredients were pulled directly from the Herbalife website. Did you misunderstand that?
“it doesn’t matter when you clean it off immediately with our tea and aloe.” What does this even mean? That you think eating the toxic, processed, cancerous Herbalife products is somehow mitigated by then consuming tea and aloe? You very clearly do not understand nutrition or how the body works.
“People lose weight while gaining muscle with our products, try doing that with water.” So the only options people have are Herbalife or water? Who in the world would try to gain weight by drinking water? This entire comment is nonsensical.
Keep it up you will feel great with cancer
@Dani Stout – she / he makes a good point.
I get that you are passionate about food and natural ingredients, so am I, however, I think that there is a place for this product.
It may have carcenoginic ingredients (not meaning that you WILL get cancer from having the products, maybe that you will be at increased risk if you consume a lot over a long period), but all the same, if it is helping people to EASILY lose wieght, who may otherwise not have the discipline or inclination to do so, then it has a role.
I am suprised to hear myself saying this, as I have always tended to have a somewhat ‘puritan’ approach to food and health, but a lot of people have a lot of trouble losing weight, and many more just do not have the focus and discipline to lose weight, monitor their diet and exercise. I say, if for these people it is allowing them to easily lose weight, and enjoy a better quality of life then why not? If they do get cancer, well obviously that is not a good thing, but then again, if they would have already died long ago, or ended up with Diabetes, then it is much of a muchness.
In the case where people are not prepared to fully take responsibility for their own eating habits, I suggest that this product actually seems quite good.
And furthermore, from what I heard on their webinar, the product supposedly cleaneses the small intestine cells to absorb nutrition, that are otherwise blocked and not functioning correctly. That sounds like a healthful and effective thing, shame you have to use chemicals to do that, but I dont know of any natural products that do this??
“I get that you are passionate about food and natural ingredients, so am I, however, I think that there is a place for this product.”
That’s contradictory, Stephan. It’s like saying, “I don’t approve of my child smoking meth, but meth has its place in my child’s life.”
Your logic is that it must be okay since it helps people lose weight. So does anorexia. So does only eating cabbage. Do you adovate this as well?
“And furthermore, from what I heard on their webinar, the product supposedly cleaneses the small intestine cells to absorb nutrition, that are otherwise blocked and not functioning correctly. That sounds like a healthful and effective thing, shame you have to use chemicals to do that, but I dont know of any natural products that do this??”
That is the biggest load of bullshit I’ve ever heard. The only way to increase nutrient absorption is to make sure the gut is function properly in the first place (not backed up or damaged), strong and sealed, as well as full of beneficial gut bacteria. Herbalife products do the OPPOSITE of this. Furthermore, they use syntehtic vitamins that are NOT bioavailable.
After reading this post I sincerely hope you decide not to sell Herbalife. People that buy it are often lacking in any nutritional knowledge and are unsuspecting victims. It would be wrong to sell it to people who don’t know any better.
Dani,these people dont realise u are just trying to help them…they live in their own pathetic fantasy…
I am just trying to help! Thanks Roy.
Dani, to be fair, Stephan has a point. While you are thinking of health in terms of black and white, Stephan is saying that health can also have shades of grey (which it looks like you missed, due to your metaphor of meth for a child, as this metaphor clearly only works in black and white situations). And to be honest with you, it does have shades of grey, because no one can have a perfect diet (although we can come close!). So, in the perspective of health in only black and white, there is no pure white. This is because there are two dimensions of health: 1) quality 2) quantity. It is possible, however, to have supplements that are wholesome (as you attached your link above for organic whey–thank you for that recommendation! just wish it came in a bigger package), but some people consider ANYTHING that is processed (which would include your whey) to not be healthy. They think you can only get 100% healthy diet from whole foods. Well, that is partially true! If one has a diet consisting of only whole foods, they will NOT be getting the QUANTITY of nutrients that their bodies need, although they will certainly be meeting the QUALITY of nutrients that their bodies need. I think where some of the non-anti-herbalife people are coming from (I did not call them pro-herbalife because some of them aren’t–some of them just don’t think HL is from the devil) is that, although they see that it does not have the QUALITY of nutrients that our bodies need, it focused on providing the QUANTITY that our bodies need. For example before HL someone had 5 servings of processed carbs, 1 protein, maybe 0 phytonutrients (as a basic example). With the shakes, there is significantly more protein offered to them in their diet, as well as carbs and phytonutrients (depending on the shake). [Now I am not going to comment on soy here because growing up I drank it all my life because my brother was allergic to milk, and I never experienced all of your horrible side effects, so I am pretty indifferent to soy really. I have heard both sides of the debate and would like as much as anyone else for the debate to come to a conclusion. But I am sure there are phytonutrient properties to soy].
So, I hope this makes sense. They are just saying, HL provided the opportunity for these people to go from diets with bad quantity and bad quality, to good quantity and bad quality. There is a “win” there.
Personally, I can understand this only because I started out with poor quality and poor quantity. I would eat maybe twice a day and, although not snack-like junk food, it was certainly processed and certainly not getting all of my vital nutrients. Then I became aware of the importance of healthy fats and proteins and have been eating my veggies minimally and using other gym brands to increase my protein intake with fish/chicken/beef. I am gradually improving my diet and recently understood the value (yet difficulty) of a well-balanced diet. Now that I am ready to improve to the next level, I recognize that there is no way that I can get EVERYTHING into my diet through whole foods, and so I will need to supplement if I want to meet the quantity of nutrients that my body needs. So, I am on the quest for some supplements that incorporate everything. HL has claimed to provide that quantity, and I was interested in it, until tonight when I decided I would take a look at its quality… and found your blog 🙂 See, HL is quite possibly the next best thing for a diet that is currently like mine as it is only improving by allowing me to meet my quantity needs, but it is certainly not the best for my diet as I will need quality. See, I am moving up gradually in shades of grey. This is why the word “healthier” and “healthiest” exist, because there are varying degrees of health. But, considering that the rest of my whole foods are almost all completely organic (I did this gradually, as well– I call it my gradual conversion!), and HL is not an inexpensive product, I might as well shoot all the way for organic supplements that provide the quantity and quality I am looking for. I am just having a hard time finding for what I am looking.
Sorry, I agree with you, but I think you failed to see exactly WHAT this non-emotional poster was saying (as well as a few others who said something along these lines). They actually had a decent point. Although HL is not providing the best diet, it is offering a BETTER diet (from what most people eat).
I hope this makes sense.
In conclusion, I know you know your stuff when it comes to quality, for sure. The ingredients on the list for these supplements are organic, but the certified organic stamp is not there 🙁 http://www.healthyfutures.net/ADD-Plus/products/products/freggies.php?PHPSESSID=855afc86fdb05cfb397ba3a828f823fc and this one http://www.rejuvenan.net/sprouts.html What is your opinion for something like this, then? Have you any recommendations of something with great quality that parallels the purpose for which this capsule was made? And, to go along with your recommendation for an organic whey protein supplement, what is your opinion of this also? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009XXSHDM/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B009XXSHDM&linkCode=as2&tag=foobab-20 . I was thinking about alternating that protein source with this one http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0031JK96C/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0031JK96C&linkCode=as2&tag=foobab-20 for a great variety of protein sources. Of course I will be eating at least 4 meals a day as usual, each of which will have protein in the form of bean, dairy, or meat, along with these shakes and phytonutrient capsules! I feel like I am leaving something out, though. PLease tell me if I am. I am still learning all of which I will exactly need for maintaining a balanced diet.
Your feedback is very much appreciated 🙂
Hey Tina,
The capsules are okay, no terrible ingredients or anything. But to be honest, you can’t supplement your way to health. If you were eating a healthy diet, you really wouldn’t even need to buy them. Of course, there are supplements I recommend people take and I take personally, but if you aren’t going to change your diet, buying supplements do very little. Both of those protein powders are fine though. Let me know if you have any other Q’s. Take care!
I noticed, Stephan, that you talk about “losing weight” at least six times in your two posts. Just to be clear, and in case anyone else missed the point, no one needs to “lose weight”. What you should be concerned with is losing body fat. Big difference.
It’s rather pointless to lose scale weight if you don’t know where that weight came from. Are you losing body fat? Muscle? Water? Do you know or even have a clue? It’s muscle that burns fat – the stuff you want to lose. It’s muscle you have to preserve and you sure don’t do that by guzzling sugar laden Formula 1 diet shakes. If you just “lose weight” just for the sake of being lighter on the scale, all you end up doing is becoming a smaller version of your former fat self. Think “body recomposition”. That should be your goal.
Great point!
I guess you’ve never made a shake in a blender of whole foods. That was a really stupid, generalized comment you just made. In fact, a lot of people are making comments like that on this thread and Aaron is just responding “exactly!” or “couldn’t agree more.” Listen, Aaron, the point of this thread is good. But just because someone is agreeing with you doesn’t mean that what they are writing is not erroneous. Please take a moment to straighten people out completely. You know that a shake can very well be very healthy! I understand you get excited when a person agrees with you, but seeing someone as intelligent as yourself agreeing with numb-chucks like this is irritating.
Sorry don’t know why I wrote Aaron! Wow. I meant Dani.
Thanks for confirming! I have been dealing with leaky gut and parasites for a while. A friend of mine (a distributor) suggested I try Herbalife and it was awful! I was exhausted all the time — so much so that I wanted to lay down in the middle of the sidewalk and go to sleep. And in the San Francisco Tenderloin too! I was literally in tears by the thought of my usual 1.5 mile walk home. She said it was detoxing, but I had done an elimination diet before and this was wildly different.
Fortunately I started focusing on eating real whole foods (with paleo-leaning tendencies) and have been feeling so much better. Still not 100%, but I’m voluntarily taking the stairs again 🙂
Great post.
Yikes! Sounds like your friend is grossly misinformed. Is she still selling this stuff? Herbalife cannot cause a detox effect because it is full of toxins – that must have been frustrating. That’s great that you’re feeling better though! Have you looked into GAPS at all for healing leaky gut? It may help.
You obviously have no idea what you are talking about. If their products contains all of this so called “junk” why did my father and many other people I know who used it lose over 50 lbs?? Also, it isn’t just about losing weight, it is about living a healthier life. Their 24 line helps athletes build muscle mass and have more energy. They have amazing doctors working on these products, including one who has won a Nobel prize. Before you trash a company or a product, get your facts straight.
Brady. Did you bother to read this post at all? I didn’t say it was an ineffective weight loss tool. I said it’s an unhealthy weight loss tool. Just because your dad and people you know lost weight using it, does not make it healthy. Using that logic, anorexia is healthy, or the cabbage soup diet, or any of the other ridiculous diets out there. What say you to the genetically modified soy in Herbalife? Or the sucralose? Or the chemicals? Or the fact that there is not a single real-food, unprocessed ingredient in Herbalife products? Before you comment on my blog, get your facts straight.
exactly, you can lose weight by eating a few almonds a day and does it mean its healthy? um no.. and yes. I agree with Dani & do an extensive research on Genetically modified food like corn and soy and see what the side effects can cause on the human body in the long run. Its like taking an aspirin, you may feel great at the moment but if you keep taking them everyday you will eventually damage your body.
I can’t believe their chicken soup doesn’t contain ANY chicken! Just chicken flavouring – wow! How much better to eat a piece of chicken instead and reap all the benefits of eating real food instead of food substitutes. Just because we CAN make these things doesn’t mean we should – and it certainly doesn’t mean we should eat these products!
No, she said it is “Undoubtedly” Which means she didn’t actually research the Soy source that Herbalife uses. They remove the phytoestrogens, it’s a Soy Isolate. Herbalife also grows their own. The company is completely translucent. You can find the exact location where all of the products are made from the seed to the store. So, do a little research on that and then come back and make comments. Herbalife has a board of over 30 doctors, one of them voted the best doctor in the US for the last 6 out of 10 years, another who has won a Nobel Prize for his research in Nitric Oxide, and the CEO represents the company to the T by living a Healthy Active Lifestyle, he just competed in a race yesterday! The products may contain things like sucralose, but the 24 line is completely pure, (this is the line I use). To the person who commented and said the Shakes make them tired, but now that they are clean eating they feel good… more than likely you are completely intolerant to soy, as am I. Herbalife is great for people who are overweight, obese, and very unhealthy. Herbalife will provide them with all of the vitamins that they need, and they can easily adjust to the products after living so unhealthy. The multivitamin is the best on the market, the Cell Activator is an amazing product that promotes maximum absorption, along with many other products such as our heart health and digestive health line. Just because Herbalife has a few products that contain some “unhealthy” ingredients, that doesn’t mean the whole company is completely trash. Herbalife is revamping every day to product the best products in the market. Soon, I’m sure, they will be completely clean. They have been around for 33 years now, and have evolved SO much.
Herbalife absolutely uses GM soy. NOWHERE does Herbalife state that they use organically grown soy. If soy is not specifically organic, and often when it is, it can still contain GMOs, because the genetic modification is so prevalent (close to 100%) that it’s next to impossible to separate the two. Soy isolate does not mean phytoestrogens are removed, that is completely false. The only way phytoestrogens can be completely removed is via alcohol extraction. Where exactly can you find the “exact locations location where all the products are made from the seed to the store?” Please provide a link. Because Herbalife also uses GM corn and canola.
The only thing Herbalife is actually good for is causing degenerative diseases and helping people lose weight by starving them of nutrients. The bioavailability of the “vitamins” in Herbalife products in non-existant.
The 24 lines is also complete trash. The ingredients in Formula 1 Sport include milk protein concetrate (overly processed milk substitute that most likely came from GM dairy), fructose (which is HIGHLY toxic and causes fatty liver disease), maltodextric (a derivative of corn that is also genetically modified) and a ton of other highly processed and toxic ingredients.
Oh wait, here’s the link. And they all grow GM soy. http://www.herbalifesoyprotein.com/en/farmer-stories/#dave-mool
Even if the soy wasn’t genetically modified, soy is still highly toxic. Read: https://ancestral-nutrition.com/why-i-have-beef-with-soy/
Gr8…brady…..herbalife also saved my life ,thanx to this wonderful nutrition n thanx to mr.mark hughes for creating a mind bogling compensation plan ….keep it up…herbalife is based only on fact since 1980. jan 2013 to march 2013….increased quaterly sales by 13%…..gr8 co. gr8 leadership,Best NAB & MAB as you told. Even best national international brand ambassadors…really they r not in search of money like david becham to mispresent any brand.
I can’t take your comments seriously, they are incoherent. I’m not sure if you’re joking, though either way I appreciate the use of “gr8.”
Thought if you go back and actually read my article, Herbalife isn’t saving anyone’s life. It’s slow poision that tricks people into thinking it’s healthy because it assists weight loss.
Herbalife founder Mark Hughes died of a drug and alcohol overdose. And the Belgian courts found that Herbalife is indeed a pyramid scheme and it is now forbidden to be sold there.
Now distributors of this non-food are targeting children as their latest attempt to foist this deadly crap off onto unsuspecting parents. I hope the FDA soon follows the Belgian example and removes this toxic product from American diets.
Obama won a Nobel Peace Prize, we won’t be seeing peace for a long time will we now…it is fundamental that artificial ingredients, especially artificial sugars, cause cancer. People lose over 50lbs because the ingredients in herbalife prevent your body absorbing any nutrients, so you shit all the fat out over time, as long as your stomach is full, you’re not going to feel hungry, you could eat potatos forever and not go hungry, but you’ll soon die all the same as an example. You’re literally starving your body to death of REAL essential nutrients and replacing it with carcinogenic materials. I suppose this Nobel winning doctor is extremely rich too due to his positive statements about the company and has alot to say as long as he’s a board member and raking in at least quarter of the profits much to people’s expense when they head for an early grave.
Some folks are just made to be fooled. They are born with what almost seems like a gene for stupidity. They are why corporations spend millions of dollars on false claims, then they pay a few doctors to say “yeah, it is absolutely the best healthiest product on the market”.The top argument herbalames ever make is that a Nobel prize winner is onboard … So what ? That somehowmakes them trust worthy and ethical individuals? The funny thing is half of these morons don’t even Really know what a Nobel prize even is, they know it’s a big deal and they fail to see how all these medical experts are paid by herbalife to endorse their garbage. Most herbalife pushers that I encountered have no prior understanding of health before the herbalife seminar, then they belive themselves the authority on health. You want to really show how intelligentyou are? Google the ingredients in that herbalife soup you feed your friends and family and see for yourselves what the science community as a whole has to say about these substances. These are not opinions , these are facts known by scientists on every continent on this planet . Soy, sucraloseetc are al garbage , period. Thats like saying drinking motor oil is healthy,nomatter what anyone says ,it is not. Anyone that truly knows health will tell you that medical doctors are nowhere near qualified to instruct people on nutrition . They study medicine , and even hospital nutritionists are misinformed on real nutrition. Remember disease and medical doctors fuel the pharmaceutical industriesin this world.
That was…. actually a pretty good post!
OMG really. She is awesome, knows her stuff and that company has you fooled.
People lose weight on these trash products because they go from eating crap all day a few meals a day and now they are drinking a shake. One of the shake makers has people drink two shakes a day and little to know food the rest of the day. Of course they lose weight.
Keep up the great work Dani. I get grief ALL the time when I tell people the truth, about the CRAP they are eating. Like when they share a photo of all the CRAP food they got for little to nothing with coupons. I am the one that says that is great but look at all the crap and unhealthy food.
Thanks Shanna!
How you people can be so so STUPID, did not you realize that this products sucks, if you want to lose weight there are a lot of other ways, only if you eat healthy food you will lose weight. If you exercise regularly you will lose weight etc. etc.
Dani,
Have you looked at Isagenix? I would be curious to see what you think about their nutritional products. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.
I took a quick look, I would not suggest Isagenix. I looked at the ingredients in one of their shakes and it had a ton of ingredients and no real foods. No shake or supplement is ever an acceptable replacement for real, unprocessed foods. If you’re looking for a good shake, I suggest the one I linked to in the post.
Why is everyone arguing about two toxic companies? The only company on the market that is based on whole organic foods is Standard Process. Just stop the stupidity. You are all wrong.
Dennis Pick, D.C.
They are not the only company.
Too hung up on calories to mind that they’re not consuming food.
You should look at Body By Vi too. I see so many people getting sucked into that. Lots of weight loss success stories and incentives for sellers. If I bring up concerns, they’re always countered that it’s just an aid to that ultimate goal (weight loss) or how many fruit and veg it would take to get the level of vitamins/minerals their product provides, or “It’s NOT a pyramid scheme, it’s an MLM.” or the weight loss success and getting people off meds and giving them great income or that their soy has the bad stuff taken out and artificial sweeteners are totes safe. These companies that give people the opportunity to sell always give the info on why their products are better than their competitors. It give them this attachment and crazy loyalty to that brand that I don’t think commercials and regular marketing can do. I’ve heard and seen people get so worked up when their brand is being questioned or a competitor is being used or preferred – from scrapbook supplies to essential oils.
I mean, it’s just so ridiculous. You’re totally right about them having this strange attachment to the brand. I think people get so defensive about this (whether it’s Herbalife, Body by Vi, vegan, etc) is that deep down they know it’s unhealthy and are insecure about it, you know? And people DO get too hung up on calories and try to eat as little as possible and they end up eating no nutrients.
They aren’t insecure, they just want to be a part of something bigger than themselves. Most of them really do want to make a change or a difference in themselves, the people they love and society, it’s just there is a lack of REAL facts, real hard cut evidence in the world. The media is so manipulated by politics and personal greed! It’s sad, but I am thankful for people like you who stand up and use your voice to educate the masses. You may be one person, but even one rock can have a ripple effect on a gigantic lake so keep doing what you are doing. I am a member of HL, soon to no longer be, and from the beginning I have had my doubts. The first thing I mentioned to my sponsor before I signed up was all the non-organic, synthetic ingredients in the products. It never made any sense to me, but I believed everything that my sponsor was telling me, our board of doctors, our CEO, our products, the Cell Activator, etc. because I had no clue! I truly trusted him that he is a professional health coach. It was my fault to not listen to my initial gut instinct as well as not doing my own research until now. For those of you reading this who are HL members or are looking to be one, do your research! What Dani says IS ACCURATE! If something doesn’t feel right it normally isn’t. I have now been doing my research because it has been weeks of unwavering doubt and the more I research and listen to my gut, the more the truth is revealed to me. Like you said, if the body is telling you something is wrong, it usually is. The body is programmed to know it’s state of wholeness, trust it! The food that G-d and Mother Earth made for us to eat is the ONLY Real Natural Organic food that and is the RIGHT way, the TRUTH! I just want to say though that most of the people I know in HL do have good intentions, not all of them are money hungry, they are just misinformed like I was. We all want to believe and be a part of something that is greater than ourselves, something that would change the world for the better and make a positive impact on our lives, something that heals us and other people, something that helps us grow to be our greatest potential, something that we love to do and supports us for a living. With that said, I do respect everyone I have met in the company, they all have great things to offer, but I am not going to continue being in and promoting a business whose products are harming myself as well as the lives of those I love and help. I respect you all as well as your thoughts and opinions. You may agree with me or you may not, but it does not matter, for I have spoken my truth. Everyone’s existence is essential to the Greater Good of this Earth. Shine your light and see the love in everyone and every situation. We are all meant to learn and grow from one another. Blessings.
applause! this is why I considered, until I really looked closer at the ingredients. Now I wish I could find something parallel but only with quality!!!
Like^^
Great point
I remember hearing of Herbalife years ago, but to be honest, wasn’t even aware they were still around.
You’re right — holy cow! Those ingredient lists read like a real who’s who of Toxic Things You Should Be Avoiding, not stuff you should be eating. Yikes.
Great article, I live in West Australia, and I will be posting this on my social media sites as I feel so many people are bieng sucked into this, In the area where I live I always see advertising for people to come on board with “Herballife” Thanks Very Much, Health & Happiness Anna XX
Thanks Anna; you’re awesome!
“That’s right, it’s chlorinated. Chlorine destroys beneficial gut flora, thus impairing immune function.”
What are your sources? A quick google search reveals this study: http://www.fcf.usp.br/Ensino/…/Inserir/…/grupo%2017%20artigo%20c.pdf
This study shows over 90% of sucralose is excreted in the stool and urine. It is either unchanged sucralose or sucralose that has had something attached to it in the liver. That means none of that chlorine came off to react with anything else. Besides, chlorine is a necessary atom in the body. It’s in table salt or sea salt if you prefer.
If you don’t like sucralose because it is a man made chemical, that is fine, but no need to spread false information about how it decreases the immune system. Or, if you really think it does, I’d love to see some studies that demonstrate it.
Well, let’s first approach this from a common sense perspective. Chlorine is used as a disinfectant, it effectively kills bacteria. It does not differentiate good from bad bacteria, it kills bacteria, period. Therefore, when we consume chlorine or things that have been chlorinated, it destroys the beneficial bacteria in the gut. You can read more about it here: http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/health-hazards-to-know-about/chlorine-cancer-and-heart-disease
This is also an interesting article: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/06/23/chlorine-part-two.aspx
Regarding sucralose, your link doesn’t work. And from another common sense perspective, it’s generally not a good idea to eat anything developed in a lab as opposed to real, whole foods (even if the manufacturers of said “food” have “tested” for its safety). Here are some interesting reads on sucralose:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1526-4610.2006.00543_1.x/abstract
http://naturalhealthsherpa.com/splenda-side-effects-dangers-sucralose-ingredients/521052
There have been very few reliable, long-term studies done on the effects of sucralose. Let us not forget that the very agency that approved sucralose has also tested and approved drugs that have killed hundred of thousands of people (Vioxx, Chantix, Accutane, OxyContin, etc).
Your common sense is right, you shouldn’t drink chlorine. Chlorine and chloride, although they sound the same are two very different things though. One is a poisonous gas and the other is a harmless ion necessary in every cell of our body which we would die without. Chloride is in sea salt, tomatoes, even grass fed beef.
To chlorinate water you have to add chlorine which reacts with water to make hypochlorite, an oxidizing agent that kills bacteria. Chloride cannot do this.
Sucrolose has chloride attached to the sugar, not chlorine. It has no way of making these oxidizing agents and is simply an ion. Here is the link again that should work. It shows over 90% of sucralose being excreted by the body unchanged. That means the chloride atom didn’t do anything, it’s still attached to the sugar. The left over sucralose got attached to a binding molecule (glucoronic acid) in the liver for excretion in a normal process.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&ved=0CF4QFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fcf.usp.br%2FEnsino%2FGraduacao%2FDisciplinas%2FExclusivo%2FInserir%2FAnexos%2FLinkAnexos%2Fgrupo%252017%2520artigo%2520c.pdf&ei=0nc5UZX0C4WCyQGQioEY&usg=AFQjCNFkyn4RfSPSaux84SzHJH0gxUjL4g&bvm=bv.43287494,d.aWc
I did find an article that shows metabolites of sucrolose may cause changes to the microflora in the gut. I also found studies that don’t agree with that claim and lots of studies demonstrating it’s safety. If anything it’s controversial. It is certainly not killing off significant enough quantities of gut flora to cause serious intestinal problems like infectious diarrhea. It’s important to note these rats were fed very high doses of sucralose, as much as replacing 35% of their diet. Half a teaspoon in your coffee is going to be ok.
Your first link is to a site called global healing center, natural health and organic living that sells health and cleansing kits. I’m already suspicious of a conflict of interest. There are no sources cited for any of the information on the page.
They do reference a book by Joseph Price written in the 60’s claiming chlorine causes atherosclerosis and heart disease.
Here’s a study done in the 90’s which succinctly combed the research and found only 2 studies claiming a relationship between chlorinated water and heart disease. It soundly shows those claims to be false.
Ingestion of chlorinated water has no effect upon indicators of cardiovascular disease in pigeons
Institute of Environmental Medicine, New York University Medical Center, New York 10016.
Penn A, Lu MX, Parkes JL
Toxicology. 1990 Sep;63(3):301-13.
I put the abstract at the bottom if you want to read it.
The second website is about how dangerous chlorine is. I agree 100%, it is dangerous. Do not drink chlorine. There is a paragraph about chlorinated water which says there are serious side effects but not sources. I found some articles investigating long term changes in cell lines caused by some chlorination by-products created when bacteria are killed. I find nothing about destroying gut flora.
There is also a small blurb at the bottom which says sucralose has chlorine in it and since chlorine is bad so is sucralose. Again, no sources. By demonstrating how dangerous chlorine is and then saying there is chloride in sucralose is a very effective method of determent, but isn’t scientific. I touched on that above.
I think the take home message is not to believe everything you read. If you are looking for scientific facts, look in peer reviewed scientific journals dedicated to the topic OR make sure what you’re reading has cited some real science. Don’t just trust what a webpage has to say. Look into it. Especially if they are trying to sell something.
That last link is the most dangerous and I actually didn’t notice it before. I read all those studies it mentions, but it doesn’t list all the other studies that disagree. For example, they mention that sucralose was found to cause changes in liver and kidney cells. They didn’t cite the study that showed these changes to be non-cancerous. That is not science, that’s just looking for evidence that supports your hypothesis and ignoring the rest.
You’re right, there aren’t any long term studies on sucralose because it is new. Time will tell if it will be pulled off the market or not. In the meantime make an informed choice by reading both sides of the argument. If you don’t feel like looking into it, by all means avoid it.
Keep in mind that there is really nothing common sense about this science. That’s why we leave it up to highly trained professionals. You need a pretty solid foundation in general, organic, and biochemistry. You need biology, immunology, microbiology, and a sound understanding of how to critically analyze scientific papers. Otherwise we make mistakes like confusing chlorine for chloride and scaring ourselves.
I won’t even touch on your comment at the end which clearly shows you have a mistrust for medicine and medical research. I will tell you that accutane sure got rid of my acne and morphine really makes a broken bone feel better.
Abstract: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for nearly half the deaths, yearly, in the United States. The arterio(athero)sclerotic plaque is the principal lesion of CVD. The White Carneau (WC) pigeon is an animal model that has been employed extensively for studying CVD. Cholesterol (CHOL) feeding aggravates atherosclerosis in WC pigeons greater than 2 years old. In 1986, two reports appeared from a single laboratory claiming a direct effect of drinking chlorinated (Cl) water upon lipid levels and plaque development in young (less than 1 year) WC pigeons. These are the only reports of such direct effects, to date. Three months’ exposure to 2 ppm or 15 ppm Cl in the drinking water, resulted in increased circulating CHOL levels in young male WC pigeons fed a normocholesterolemic (NC) diet in which Ca2+ levels were reduced. In addition, at both Cl concentrations there was a significant increase in plaque size, compared to controls. Pigeons in the 2 ppm group also exhibited elevated low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels after 3 months on the NC diet. These findings, if extrapolated to man, could have considerable public health consequences, since nearly 200 million people in the United States drink Cl water. We have carried out a similar set of studies but with strikingly different results. We used the same suppliers of pigeons and feed as did the authors of the 1986 reports and followed their approach where possible. Six month-old male WC pigeons drank water with 2 ppm or 15 ppm Cl (pH 8.5) and ate a NC diet with Ca2+ reduced to 80% of normal. At both 1 and 3 months, body weight, CHOL, triglyceride and LDL levels were unaffected by drinking Cl water. There was also no effect of Cl water on plaque size after 3 months. Thus, we found no evidence that drinking chlorinated water has any effect upon circulating lipid levels or upon the development of arteriosclerotic plaques, in this animal model
I disagree, you do not need a strong knowledge of biochemistry, immunology, microbiology, etc to know that processed foods created in a lab are not good for you. I strongly disagree that we need to “leave it up to highly trained professionals.” At some point, we need to think for ourselves and make our own decisions. Please keep in mind you are commenting on a blog named Ancestral Nutrition, I don’t advocate eating any foods our grandmothers or great-grandmothers did not have reasonable access to.
Sucralose contains, chlorine, NOT chloride. This is a common misconception.
“The non-calorie sweetener sucralose – sucrose containing three chlorine atoms – is intensively sweet and has become a popular substitute for sugar.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21955350
I completely understand that there are studies that say sucralose is safe to consume. Like you said,
“I think the take home message is not to believe everything you read. If you are looking for scientific facts, look in peer reviewed scientific journals dedicated to the topic OR make sure what you’re reading has cited some real science. Don’t just trust what a webpage has to say. Look into it. Especially if they are trying to sell something.”
That is exactly what I’m doing. I do not care that there are studies that say sucralose is safe, I do not consider it safe. It is chlorinated, chlorine is unsafe to consume. I don’t need peer reviewed scientific journals to make my decisions for me, I often disagree with peer reviewed scientific journals. The point of this blog is to encourage people to eat unrefined, nutrient dense food.
Thank you for commenting, I really appreciate the discussion.
PS- I also took Accutane as a teen, it didn’t work but it did make my lips bleed. Accutane is an awful drug and shouldn’t even be on the market. It’s horrible. You most likely could have safely cleared your acne by switching to an anti-inflammatory, nutrient dense diet with targeted supplements (I did).
Ok so the chlorine atom on sucralose is bound by a hydrogen bond, not an ionic bond so it is “chlorine”. It is still Cl though, not Cl2 which means it is not the same thing you put in a pool. It still can’t make those oxidizing agents.
I won’t beat a dead horse though because you put it so well by saying:
“I do not care that there are studies that say sucralose is safe, I do not consider it safe”
That’s the real side to this argument. You don’t believe the science that says sucralose is safe. You have a hypothesis: I don’t think x is safe because my common sense tells me it’s not. You are willing to reference websites and other sources of information that support that hypothesis, but you do not care about the other studies.
That’s OK. When science fits with your worldview it is good science – ie. science shows washing your hands prevents the spread of disease, so we wash our hands. But when it doesn’t fit, well then science is not to be trusted.
You’re missing my point entirely. Science has told us that a lot of things are safe, and they end up not being safe at all; particularly in the realm of food and drug regulation. Science said aspartame was safe, it isn’t. Science said Vioxx was safe, it isn’t. Science said Oxycontin is safe, it isn’t. Science said olestra was safe, it isn’t. Just because science says things are safe, doesn’t automatically make them safe. And this is what I’m talking about when I say we need to use our common sense. Eat real, unrefined food. Don’t take prescription drugs unless absolutely necessary. Don’t use toxic products.
The issue is that you believe we should eat real food because we know what’s in it and know that it is safe. Since sucralose is man-made, we should avoid it.
That is a sound argument and very legitimate. I even personally agree.
But when you try to bring in science to prove your point you simply don’t have the evidence. At best you have some evidence that it causes side effects and some evidence that says it doesn’t. You certainly don’t understand that chlorinating water to kill bacteria is not the same thing as chlorinating a molecule. Honestly, how could you? This isn’t a priori knowledge, it is chemistry. That’s ok, I had to look it up myself.
You then contradict yourself by painting a picture of mistrust of the scientific community when just before you had used science to back up your argument.
You say sucralose disrupts gut flora (that’s a scientific paper, I read it), you say sucralose has chlorine on it, that came from analytical and synthetic chemistry. If you can’t trust the studies that say its safe how can you trust the ones that say it isn’t? How can you even trust the science that says sucralose has chlorine atoms on it?
You can’t use science to back up your side and then say the other side is wrong because science has failed us in the past.
My point is that you don’t need to bring science into this. Even if science were on your side, your real food argument was strong enough on its own. So let’s not pretend that you’ve poured through the research and critically evaluated the studies. If you did, you could probably publish a paper on it.
You are very clearly not understanding me, you’re assuming that I am taking stances that I’m not. If you would acknowledge what I do say without insinuating I’m a science hater, this conversation wouldn’t be so redundant. I’m not using science to back up MY point and then saying the science I disagree with is wrong. I greatly appreciate science, but not all science is created equal. It’s a scientific fact that sucralose contains three chlorine atoms. And yes, scientists have performed studies ensuring the safety of sucralose. But those are two very different processes. There is an agenda behind proving the safety of sucralose, which does make me suspicious. I’m not skeptical of science as a whole, I am skeptical of scientists and scientific studies when there is a profit to be made (you should be too!).
It doesn’t take a chemist to recognize that adding chlorine to water is not the same as chlorinating a molecule. I knew this already without having to look it up and I’m surprised that you did. Chlorinating water and chlorinate a molecule are still two things that are detrimental to human health. It interferes with gut flora, which was my point from the very beginning.
I have had the best success with Herbalife. Not only am I OFF all my medications but my lab work has never looked better! It is a product that changed my life and has made me healthier!
Thank You Concerned MD.. I agree with her, she is onto something about the food industry’s misguided labeling laws BUT if she did soil studies she would realize that the nutrients our grandparents and great grandparents got from the soil isn’t there anymore. Also, she is way off base with Herbalife, she did not do her background check due to her own product interest so she is spouting her opinion and was back peddling with you on many issues. Bravo to you!! If I may add my 2 cents, Herbalife does not say we are weightloss, we are a supplementation company giving the body what we cannot or do not get in our food sources due to our Nobel Prize winning, UCLA space age science food delivery system. We would not be in 86 countries, meaning 86 different FDA’s looked into our products and said oh these are unhealthy, come on in..no we are being asked to come into countries with nutritional deficiencies. If she would have looked with open eyes, she would have seen that there are people all over living a quality of life that they were not living before due to health issues where they were not getting nutrition they needed and because of the 3rd component to the Cellular Nutrition Program, they are now able to absorb what they are eating. Which is key to wellness, it does not matter what you eat if you cannot absorb it for utilization. I have a client who has no bowel, no digestive parts who was and should be sickly but due to our cellular nutrition (food she needs and can consume and tolerate getting where it needs to get to), she is living a quality of life she wasn’t living before. If you would have done all the research, and asked if anyone was gaining much needed muscle and burning off unwanted fat and living a quality of life again due to Herbalife supplements (things we can’t get from our food supply) I think you may have been surprised. The fact that Dr. Ignarro, Nobel Laureate and Doctor Heber, Head of Center for Human Nutrition at UCLA who won the Doctor Of the Year Award for the past 4 years are developing supplements for us makes it easy for me, their degree over mine any day. Oh, we own our own soybean fields and Aloe fields so we can control what we are consuming, it is called our Seed to Feed initiative Program..go research it..pretty cool. I am sure your title qualifies you to draw a valid opinion of your own but the fact that I am med free for 2 autoimmune diseases and my sister who has been on meds for 30 years for 2 different health issues and the doctors are amazed she is here and doing so well gives me a strong opinion too but I have facts to back them up and so do the other 60 million people around the world who are living a healthy active life because of Herbalife. Sadly, we do need to supplement and also need doctors and meds to prolong our life due to the food supply and industry and toxins everywhere. Also, we know there are some things in our products that may be on the gray line of what some may say are healthy. Sadly we Americans/humans will not eat it if it doesn’t appeal to us so we do the best we can with the science we have and keep everything else in balance so when the body gets, absorbs so itcan use what it needs…we if the body can will take over and clean up some of the damage done to it. You may not get it as you seem to be healthy but there are many who do not have the time to figure out what to eat or are too sick to deal with it or may not be able to afford to do the shopping to get everything they need to eat properly. Add into this,70% of all deaths are caused by heart disease, cancer strokes and diabetes…sadly 50% of those deaths could have been prevented if people were eating properly and getting what they needed. UCLA and a team of doctors do that for us, develop a program for such concerns that is doctor approved…Herbalife is Fast Food for Smart People!! Pyramid Scheme, I became a coach with the company after life changing results and as a single mom, widowed, with nothing more than a high school education owning my own home and putting a roof over my children’s heads..I have been able to make more than my sponsor for years. Just like any business, if you do the work, you get the pay. That would not be happening in the work world. Try looking at a traditional company…does anyone make more than the person above them who hired them in? Yet, we who follow the DSA rules and regulations are a pyramid scheme? Am I a brand? I sure as heck hope so as I give people hope daily and teach them to dream again and I sleep very, very well at night. I pray you never lose your health and if you do, someone gives you hope because with your mindset about supplements and doctors, you may regret it. Be Well, http://www.wellnesswithcyndi.com
Cyndi, what I gather from this largely incoherent babble is that you’re insinuating I am not a qualified health coach. “I pray you never lose your health and if you do, someone gives you hope because with your mindset about supplements and doctors, you may regret it.”
How do you know what my mindset about supplements and doctors is? You assume I don’t use or approve of supplements because I exposed what an inferior product Herbalife is? Herbalife could have 100 qualified doctors on its panel and it would still be an inferior product. It is made from processed ingredients and synthetic toxins. This is a fact. Please do not comment on my website and insinuate that I do not know what I’m talking about when you have no idea about the dangerous ingredients in the product youre peddling. I also suspect you have very little knowledge about proper vitamin and mineral supplementation; vitamins and minerals in the body require a very delicate balance.
Herbalife uses processed soy. I could care less if Herbalife has created their own growing operation, I haven’t found anything saying they will not be using genetically modified soy, which causes cancer and infertility, among other diseases. Considering nothing in Herbalife’s products appeare organic, I’m betting even more are genetically modified. Here’s an interesting article on what GMO products do in tests with rats:
http://www.naturalnews.com/037249_GMO_study_cancer_tumors_organ_damage.html
I use targeted whole foods, whole food supplements and herbs to help those who aren’t in ideal health. This includes myself when I’m sick. I love supplements, but I’m betting you have no idea about vitamin, mineral or herbal supplements. I would not promote cheaply made junk that can make the people who own the company a lot of money while unsuspecting “wellness coaches” peddle their garbage.
Here are some of your other “points” I take issue with.
“BUT if she did soil studies she would realize that the nutrients our grandparents and great grandparents got from the soil isn’t there anymore.”
I’m sorry, have you done soil studies? It’s pretty ridiculous to say that because I haven’t done soil studies (which I highly doubt you know how to do) I am not aware that our soil isn’t as nutrient dense as it once was. Of course I know this. One of the reasons is due to widespread growth of genetically modified crops like the very soy Herbalife uses, depleting the land, while also spraying it with Roundup.
“she is way off base with Herbalife, she did not do her background check due to her own product interest so she is spouting her opinion and was back peddling with you on many issues.”
In what way was I back peddling? This is not a rhetorical question, I want an answer to this because I doubt you have one.
What exactly are my own product interests? Giving a link to a whole food protein powder with actually recognizable ingredients? With ingredients that a person can actually pronounce? From a sustainable farm? With non-denatured proteins? My bad.
“If I may add my 2 cents, Herbalife does not say we are weightloss, we are a supplementation company giving the body what we cannot or do not get in our food sources”
What can’t we get from food sources? I’d really like to know. Because there is literally no vitamin or mineral that cannot be obtained from food sources. While the vitamins and minerals in food is reduced due to how they’re grown, pollution, etc, there is still literally no vitamin or mineral we can’t get from food. When there are specific vitamins and minerals that are difficult to obtain from food, I again recommend whole food supplements. So what are these vitamins and minerals you think we can not obtain from food?
“Which is key to wellness, it does not matter what you eat if you cannot absorb it for utilization.”
I’m well aware of this fact, which is why I often recommend people heal their gut using specific modalities to be allow for proper utilization. The products in Herbalife do not do this, they do the opposite. The ingredients in Herbalife are highly difficult on the GI tract. They are a large source of toxins.
“If you would have done all the research, and asked if anyone was gaining much needed muscle and burning off unwanted fat and living a quality of life again due to Herbalife supplements (things we can’t get from our food supply)”
Again, what can’t we get from the food supply? I might suggest do your own research. You can burn fat and gain muscle on several unsatisfactory diets; it doesn’t mean that those diets are adequate.
“Oh, we own our own soybean fields and Aloe fields so we can control what we are consuming, it is called our Seed to Feed initiative Program.”
All I could find about this is that it is in China, which is sketchy to me due to their regulations. Again, are they organic growing practices? I doubt it.
“I am med free for 2 autoimmune diseases and my sister who has been on meds for 30 years for 2 different health issues and the doctors are amazed she is here and doing so well gives me a strong opinion too but I have facts to back them up”
This is anecdotal. You’re still consuming toxic “foods” which may (probably) negatively impact you in the future.
“we do need to supplement and also need doctors and meds to prolong our life due to the food supply and industry and toxins everywhere”
Yeah, there are toxins in Herbalife. We need to supplement from whole food sources, like fermented cod liver oil.
“Also, we know there are some things in our products that may be on the gray line of what some may say are healthy. Sadly we Americans/humans will not eat it if it doesn’t appeal to us so we do the best we can with the science we have and keep everything else in balance so when the body gets, absorbs so itcan use what it needs…we if the body can will take over and clean up some of the damage done to it.”
This entire statement is ridiculous.
“many who do not have the time to figure out what to eat or are too sick to deal with it or may not be able to afford to do the shopping to get everything they need to eat properly. “
Many who do not have the time to figure out what to eat or are too sick to deal with it…are going to get scammed by Herbalife pushers. Consuming Herbalife is not “eating properly” it’s consuming toxic by-products.
“Add into this,70% of all deaths are caused by heart disease, cancer strokes and diabetes…sadly 50% of those deaths could have been prevented if people were eating properly and getting what they needed”
I agree that death and disease can be prevented through proper diet, Herbalife ain’t it. So before you insinuate I’m not a good health coach, you may want to actually do some research on the entirely toxic ingredients you’re scamming unsuspecting victims into buying.
Also great bit of info at the end of cindi’s blog
“Herbalife products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. However, when the body is getting complete nutrition at the cellular level amazing results can occur”!
“An extensive questionnaire generated responses from more than 200 U.S. Herbalife Independent Distributors about their weight-loss programs and results. They reported weight loss ranging from 4 pounds to 167 pounds and a reduced body mass index (BMI) of 1.5 points to 24.1 points, suggesting that consumption of Herbalife products is associated with weight loss and improvement
in BMI in those ranges”.
Suggesting that you make money of other peoples down fall…What a low life excuse for a person you are cindi..
Please let me know your basic qualification and expertise in nutrition field.
There is an entire “About” section.
Cindi sells herbalife of course it made her feel better…
You dont need to be a rocket scientist to compare and see that naturally grown foods are better then any weight loss shakes(even if they try to say its not what they pushing).
I love that you let these people dig bigger holes for themselves by trying to sell there crap on your blog…
Keep it up cindi and go the same way as the founder of Herbalife…Lol
Gr8…Melissa…..herbalife also saved my life ,thanx to this wonderful nutrition n thanx to mr.mark hughes for creating a mind bogling compensation plan ….keep it up…herbalife is based only on fact since 1980. jan 2013 to march 2013….increased quaterly sales by 13%…..gr8 co. gr8 leadership,Best NAB & MAB
. Even best national international brand ambassadors…really they r not in search of money like david becham to mispresent any brand.
It made you better because you don’t have the self discipline to prepare truly nutritional (real,raw) food. Try a paleo diet, drink vegetable juices made at home and cut out a large percentage of grain in your daily intake. You will lose weight. Your too lazy, you would rather make a shake and call it a day. Depriving your body of all the naturally occurring vitamins ,minerals,enzymes and phytochemicals present in real unprocessed food. Did I say expensive ? Spend that money and pastured meats ,eggs and veggies . Then will you aachieve true nutrional success. Only then will you be caring for your cells, not your pooch and love handles. Real health is achieved on a cellular level, not just a superficial one.
Lol…. Your funny…!
We are all being scammed, wether its the organic foods, nutritional supplements.. Etc… But dont be trashing other companies if you prefer otherwise..
I buy my food from local, organic, family ownded farms. How exactly are they scamming me?
As a health coach, I feel responsibility to point out inferior and toxic products that are pushed on unsuspecting consumers thinking they’re making a healthy choice.
You are funny Dani, just because you are getting locally grown foods, doesn’t mean that these people aren’t using pesticides! Truth be known, that a lot of these “so called organic groceries” are selling much produce that is actually sprayed with pesticides, as the “locally grown produce” most times isn’t certified as organic and these groceries get away with tricking the customers into thinking they are getting organic produce by stating that they are locally grown! Also, what exactly is your professional and scientific background that provides you with such great authority on what is and isn’t good for us? I would like to know! I can tell you for myself, that as a 43 yr old mother of 5, I myself having been on Herbalife products for well over 2 yrs, have never looked or felt better in my entire life, and I was an athlete in high school, and even now, my over all health, not only mentally and physically far exceeds that of what it did over 25 yrs ago, I attribute this in great part to Herbalife products! My skin, my hair, my nails, my energy levels, my mental clarity, not suffering symptoms of depression anymore, and so on…, the list is endless, and my health is improving everyday! I went for my annual cancer screening and mammogram early this year and the receptionist at the clinic, also a nurse asked to see my id because she couldn’t believe that I was even old enough to even warrant the need for an annual mammogram, she literally thought I was only 25! If i’m not getting nutritional value from these products, then it must be magic, right? Maybe, instead of insinuating that Herbalife products are truly toxic that you should do your homework homework and research the many millions of people who have actually been consuming Herbalife products for many years and track their health and results since they have incorporated these products into their daily lives, and especially the health of those who have been consuming Herbalife products since they were in their mothers womb! I too was the biggest skeptic on products such as Herbalife, but in hearing the testimonies of others and their amazing health results inspired me to give them a try, and I can tell you, it was one of the best decisions of my life, and I can’t imagine a life without these products, my health and quality of life is amazing and has never been better!
I don’t just get locally grown foods and nowhere do I say that. I get locally grown AND organic foods, so not being sprayed with pesticides is standard. I know where my food comes from, I’ve met the farmers, I’ve developed relationships with them. Can you say the same?
If you would both to actually read more than this one article on my site, you would know that my professional background is a Certified Nutrition Consultant as well as independent nutrition researcher. I’d also like to add that it doesn’t take a genius to simply read the ingredients in Herbalife products to know that they are toxic (…or does it?).
I honestly think it’s great that you feel so good. Though you could achieve better results eating real, unprocessed, nutrient dense foods. Also you’re consuming GMOs. If you’re not aware of how dangerous they are, I suggest reading my article on them. I am not “insinuating” that Herbalife products are toxic, I am STATING it. So ya know, maybe you should do your homework. Can you respond to the fact that there is GMO soy in Herbalife, or that fact that it’s highly processed? Or the fact that ALL of the products in Herbalife products are synthetic, full of chemicals and highly processed?
I genuinely feel bad for any fetus or child that has been exposed to Herbalife products by the way.
Sure you have a personal relationship with the farmers! I seriously doubt that! Also, anyone can become a certified nutritionist in as little as 2 wks with an online course! That certification means nothing to me! But I can tell you, that I certainly respect the degrees and credibility of the doctors on our nutrition Advisory Board! And your comment about feeling bad for any fetus or child being exposed to Herbalife products, you should meet some of the children, now adults in the Herbalife community that have been consuming them from the day they were conceived in their mothers womb, and check out their health stats and look at how amazingly healthy they look, some are even as old as 30, so you tell me how terrible these products are for a person after meeting them!
Kimberly, I understand that you have some weird, emotional connection to Herbalife and that’s why you’re lashing out and making rude and completely unfounded statements. But you’re ignoring one huge part of my response to you:
Can you respond to the fact that there is GMO soy in Herbalife, or that fact that it’s highly processed? Or the fact that ALL of the products in Herbalife products are synthetic, full of chemicals and highly processed?
Dani, Herbalife does not have GMO in their products. Here is the proof http://www.lifestyle-herbal.com/resources/HerbalifeNONGMO.pdf
Just because you went to school doesn’t mean you know what you are talking about. If people did their own research, they would realize that Soy Isolate means that fat was isolated from the soy bean to make a healthier product. Maybe you should go back to school. Then again, maybe not as you didn’t learn how to properly research before making an arguement. I do agree with healthy living, however I also agree with Herbalife.
The very first sentence of that link:
“In response to consumer preference, Herbalife reformulated its line of Inner Nutrition products marketed within the European Union to avoid use of genetically modified (GM) ingredients.”
The Inner Nutrition line is GMO free…IN EUROPE. I am clearly in the US, where GMO is an issue, as majority of farmland is rapidly being taken over by genetically modified mono crops. Herbalife is not GMO-free.
Also, you may want to do some proper research on what you put in your body instead of blindy accepting what you hear. Yes, soy protein isolate is what is leftover after the soy oil is removed, this does not make it healthier, especially considering that the process to remove the oil from the bean involves hexane, a neurotoxin. The soy oil is then use in virtually every junk food on the face of the earth (including Herbalife). After removing the oil, the industry realized they had a lot of leftover, overly processed soy to use; so they marketed it as a healthy product; which is why mock meat is so popular and considered healthier than real meat. It isn’t. Mind you, they also bleach and deodorize the soy, after processing it to all hell.
So good luck agreeing with Herbalife.
Omg…This is so redundant. I can’t stop reading this, it’s like a train wreck. I mean now I’m about to read some chicks attempt to be flip about organic farms being organic in a haute tone. Love you Dani for having the patience for this, wow people are so negative and argumentative.
I absolutely agree with you Adriana! How do we really know anymore what is safe. .The air that we breathe is polluted, the water that we drink is unsafe, bottled water also might be unsafe to drink from plastic bottles etc…
The only safe way way would be to live in isolation far from the big cities and grow your own food and animals. How many of us can rea,ky achieve this? Organic food might also be toxic unless you grow it yourself, right.
Losing weight is easier said than done. Health coaches, doctors and likewise Nutritionists claim that people wanting to lose weight should control their portion and food intake. However there people whondo not have control and for them the orotein shakes are a great solution. They are never advised to take them all their lives…once the weight is gone, it is all about maintenance. Herbalife coaches work hard on re-educating people about their eating habbits and teach them how to eat and live healthier. The message is sperading ans working for 60million satisfied customers!
Your being fooled. I buy from local verified sources . Direct from the farm. For those who can’t handle the work involved in feeding your organism as nature intended ,please don’t complain about your poor health.
I think that you are probably correct it most of the dietary guidelines you observe, however I think you are unfair and misguided when it comes to other options. I am fully aware after reading your blog artical and then the ensuing comments that you have an opinion and this is your blog and you don’t particularity care what anyone thinks and so the one thing I will say, as a herbalife coach, is that some people don’t have the ability or should we say desire to eat the way you do. When I came across herbalife I had tried many different paths for weightloss, energy and nutrition and none of it got results. I am the first person to admit that I am a convenience junky, so what you are prescribing for a healthy diet doesn’t appeal to me. What I am getting at is, maybe herbalife processes their food more than is ideal, however, I would rather have an herbalife shake than eat what 90% of Americans are eating that is convent and you can’t argue that that is what the majority of people are looking for. Those labels may not look good to you, but I have many many close friends who have been using herbalife as a meal replacement for 10, 20 and even 30 years and they are easily some of the most health conscious and healthy individuals I know. So while you have your opinion about herbalife and how it is processed and full of toxins, I choose to look around me at the hundreds of thousands of people who now have their health and lives back as well as the hundreds of doctors who stand behind herbalife and go from there. I wish you the best and I am sure you are an excellent nutrition coach.
What is it that you find difficult or off-putting about the way of eating I prescribe?
Gr8 response as a herbalife product lover…..there r so many persons …their age is below 33 yrs (herbalife age)…..scammers can’t move forward cosistantly……like herbalife,in any situation.
Does any of those herbalames know how to properly write in English?? Like, seriously, I’m from Spain, English is my FOURTH language… And this is killing me!! Btw guys, herbalife has been disappeared in Europe for YEARS. I saw it like 7 years ago back home, then never saw it again until I came to the states. Every single person in Europe that knows about herbalife thinks is a piramid scheme. Sorry guys.
My son Jeremy that’s 4 broke out in hives twice from eating Herbalife protein bars. The first time he broke out we thought it was the grass. But after giving him just 1/2 the bar the second time he broke out. Lasted a week while giving him meds to help. I used Herbalife before and lost weight but didn’t really know what the ingredients they put in them. I thought Soy was good for keeping your appetite down and giving you the feel that your full. Thanks for the insite and I’m going to try the WHEY protein this time.
Soy is extremely allergenic, he may have been reacting to it, or the gluten. Well, considering how many processed and nutritionally poor ingredients they use it could have been a lot of things. Glad you were able to figure out it was the Herbalife bars!
gr8 testimonial…..anthony..God bless your son & herbalife food.
Hi,
Thanks for the info, i use to be Herbalife user too.. but since i know something not good on the products .. i stop taking it… anyhow it really works for losing weight but its bounced back if u stop taking it… hehe
so currently im started to take another shake product called Isagenix.. have u heard bout this?? It is MLM also but its commented they are whey protein, organic produce… just wonder can u help me to check and see if this product save to be taken as i prefer shake as my breakfast replacement.. thanks…
I do not recommend Isagenix. The only protein powder I use or recommend is the one I linked to in the post. It’s the healthiest one I’ve found.
I don’t think the bees know which plants are GMO and which ones are not. (Unfortunately, pesticides are killing them at an alarming rate.) Plants that pollenate each other via wind don’t know which gardens/farms are GMO or non-GMO.
How can we truly know what is organic and what is not? We have ruined the soil with chemicals. We scrutinize even the compost and soil that we bring in for our home garden to make sure that it is sourced from non-pesticidal sources, and even then it isn’t 100% clear. Organic is better than GMO, of course, though it seems possible to have mostly organic yet impossible to have completely organic produce. How do we get rid of GMOs? Throw them away? That will leach into the soil that we will eventually grow our organic food from. Burn them? Add more pollutants to the air. These chemicals and mutants are here and we wish that they were not, because now we have to deal with them in order to return to overall health.
Seems to me, it’s like introducing cats to an island riddled with rats only to find that they will kill all the native bird species that have never before been in fear of a predator. No one knew what the adverse effects would be when they sought to nix one problem by introducing a new one.
I have always been a whole-food eater. My family was not, but I figured out how beneficial whole-food nutrition is at an early age. Fast forward through years of proper nutrition… As a biologist aiming for the holistic medical field, I feel that I researched soundly and ate well. Rotating seasonal foods, eating colorful variety with a balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat with each meal, eating frequent smaller meals, avoiding fast food and refined items, etc…
What did I discover? Five main things. One, that vegetarianism is not for me; during those four years, I was sick with a cold that never truly went away. Two, dairy is not the greatest idea for my stomach. Three, refined gluten-filled foods are best avoided, but whole grain foods seem to have little adverse effect on my state of being. Four, Paleo is a great idea but all that bacon can’t possibly be healthy in the long run. Five, that even with a balanced whole-food diet and healthy lifestyle (athlete, circus arts, cycling, weight resistance, running), one can still have life-long health issues.
Whether I was predetermined for it, caused by the lead level of my blood, by working the xray machine with a malfunctioning thyroid guard, or by malnutrition, I have Hashimoto’s hypothyroid. I have been on medication for years, continuing to live and learn about whole food healthy nutrition. And I felt terrible. All the time. Better than when I was off medication, for sure, but still fatigued and digesting improperly. I tried “natural” remedies, a compounded hormone (that worked really well), and a synthetic hormone that I am on now, which is obviously not as great as the compounded one.
I am not “sold” completely on the Herbalife product, because the negative things I read about it concern me. However, I do know that when I used it last year, I felt great. I stopped using it for a while, but then started using it again about six months ago. I feel more energy and strength than I ever had before. Much better than when I was not adding it as an enhancement to my whole-foods diet. I am not a doctor or or a certified nutritionist, just an active health-conscious woman who wants to have energy to live, work, and create with fantastic exuberance.
Hi Kate, there are ways to heal your Hashimoto’s naturally. Please email me if you’d like to discuss natural remedies. As I stated in the post, I do not recommend Herbalife. The bad far outweighs the good.
I agree with everything you say Dani but have dear and good friends that sell the stuff and are genuinely brain washed and honestly believe in the sales model and quality of the product. They are like born again Christians but with Herbalife instead. I think that the culture and sales technique of the management of Herbalife is about as dangerous as the products themselves. You can’t say a word against the product because they take it as a slight on them.
You know, I’ve really noticed that. It’s REALLY strange. Even though I clearly pointed out that Herbalife contains unhealthy, overly-processed, synthetic, genetically modified ingredients, people have just blindly looked passed this and have attacked me for saying anything negative about Herbalife. I understand that it helps people lose weight, but it’s NOT a healthy way to do so. They just can’t accept that. Definitely strange.
What do you know about Nutrie / Automatic body. ? Is it a pyramid scam ?
I haven’t heard of it. But, I really do not recommend most shakes/protein powders. The healthiest one and really the only one I can recommend is the one I linked to in the post.
Great article Dani, with some fantastic points. I wholeheartedly agree, and I would also add that the answer to long term health/ fitness/ weight loss lies within us, not outside of us in an over-priced man-made product such as Herbalife. The answer lies in our behaviours, our beliefs, and our lifestyles. These need to change to bring us back into balance. I am a wellness coach, and I have helped thousands of people lose weight naturally, and keep it off. I have been approached by numerous Herbalife sellers to sell their product and my answer is the same “I prefer to empower people to change themselves, I do not sell any magic pill, because there is none”. Also well done Dani on your responses.
“I would also add that the answer to long term health/ fitness/ weight loss lies within us, not outside of us in an over-priced man-made product such as Herbalife. The answer lies in our behaviours, our beliefs, and our lifestyles. These need to change to bring us back into balance.” EXACTLY! I think it’s amazing that you declined to sell their products and that you’ve helped thousands! Got any advice for a health coach just starting out?
I noticed all the negative comments by you about Herbalife. Are you such an expert on healthy foods yourself. Just because you call yourself a “Holistic Health Coach” doesn’t mean your any better than the Herbalife organization. ANY AID THAT CAN HELP PEOPLE LOSE UNWANTED POUNDS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. The weight loss process is a very complicated process. There are many reason a person is over weight.
“ANY AID THAT CAN HELP PEOPLE LOSE UNWANTED POUNDS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.”
Really? So using your logic, anorexia is a step in the right direction.
And yes, I am an expert on health and healthy foods. Let me ask you what no Herbalifer has been able to respond to: how can Herbalife be good for you if it’s full of processed ingredients, GMOs, and toxins including trans and hydrogenated fats?
Do you think contracting beriberi is a step in the right direction? A 30 year old women was found to be suffering from Wernicke’s encephalopathy from a thiamine deficiency after spending eleven months on an Herbalife diet.
She lost weight, and developed symptoms such as nausea, vertigo, unsteadiness of stance and gait, double vision, difficulty with opening her eyes, etc. She ended up hospitalized.
You can read all about it here: http://www.webmd.com/diet/news/20020610/herbalife-diet-linked-to-brain-ailment
Dani,
Thank you for posting this. I have a friend who is constantly touting the benefits of Herbalife – saying she’s never felt healthier, how she’s lost so much weight, etc. (although I don’t think she needed to lose weight at all), but I’ve always had my doubts since I’ve seen the list of ingredients in their shakes.
Although I’m no health expert, I do believe in eating real food over the highly processed crap that is everywhere you turn. I’m in the process of doing research and becoming more aware of what I am putting in my body. Thanks again for showing the ugly side of Herbalife.
Glad I could help, Jenn!
Great insight, Dani!
You are quite amusing!
Herbalife is in revival-mode in my neck of the woods and my friends have recently joined. Yes, they’ve all lost weight but, equally, have all become akin to Scientology cult members. It’s like they have found a new religion and are thirstily lapping up – without question – all the hype and ‘ra-ra-ra’ mind techniques that are being poured over them in an attempt to get them to ‘sell, sell, sell!’
My father, a doctor and WHO Coordinator (Director-General representative) for three countries over five years, taught me to question everything – sound advice that I have passed on to my daughter. When I questioned my friend about the farms and whether they grew GMO crops, he could not answer me. He excused himself by saying he was still in training! This would be the first question I would pose to any nutritional / food company that had asked me to sell their wares!
I then went on to ask him if he was aware that the company’s founder had died at the tender age of 44. He looked at me blankly. Admittedly, there is nothing conclusive or that has even been suggested to link his demise with his herbal products. That said, he died of a drinking binge coupled with anti-depressant consumption, which was attributed to insomnia. One might question why a successful CEO of a health corporation would be an insomniac, depressed, smoke six to eight (toxic) cigars per day and ultimately indirectly take his own life. Certainly not an example of good health or the health-giving properties his products claim.
I congratulated my friend on his new-found passion and advised him to undertake his own research and not blindly accept the proselytising of self-serving people. My friend then unwittingly admitted to me that our country market was not as strong as he had first indicated – i.e. he could not understand why his convention associates had spent thirty minutes picking his team’s brain as to how they had been so successful so quickly when, as one lady admitted, her success had taken twenty years. None of his team told their associates nor their leaders the real truth behind their unusual success for fear of imitation!
I am all for success, the betterment of lives and the inspiration they provide. However, I am also big on Truth. I don’t like being treated as a fool nor treating others as fools. I cannot sell something about which I am not 100% convinced and whose integrity – product or corporate leadership – is not intact.
I firmly believe research is key and no word should be taken as gospel until it is proven to one’s own satisfaction; because, remember, you become the face of the company for whom you stick your neck, reputation and credibility on the line. It is you who will be discredited if the fan takes a hit from something unpleasant that originates from a dark, nether region!
In the words indoctrinated into Amway distributors, I say to you: ‘some will, some won’t, so what!’
Some will do their own research, some won’t, so what!
Some will accept the questioning, some won’t, so what!
Some will get to know their product, some won’t, so what!
Some will care what they put into their bodies and others’ bodies, some won’t, so what!
You’ve made a strong case for questioning, Dani, and for that I thank you!
Why thank you! I try.
I had no idea about the founder dying at such a young age and under those circumstances. I love that your father taught you to question everything. It’s sad that more people do not do this. That’s what I don’t understand about Herbalife pushers. They do not question it at all. They blindly accept. In this post I specifically say that it may be effective for weight loss (and so is anorexia) but it is NOT healthy. People can’t accept this. They have blindly followed Herbalife so passionately, and yet none of them can answer simple questions regarding the processing, GMOs, etc. Thanks so much for your comment!
Im glad youre getting this info out, people will do anything to lose weight for a little while but these ingredients are similar to junk food ingredients like some chips and those cheap frozen foods.i lost alot of fat and became fit by working out 5 days a week and removing added sugar and wheat from my diet and drinking lots of tea and water i still have a ways to go,i also used whey shakes and organic super green foods,lots of delicious fresh fruit and getting out for a long walk in beautiful parks every weekend. If something makes people feel good they dont get angry when other people dont like it.if someone were to say, “apples are evil and give gas” i would say,hm,thats a funny thing to say. These folks go into a hateful tirade, unless of course, its the same h.l. troll pretending to be different people,it has same general tone and similar grammatical errors. If its real,then the anger stems from the fact that its not about health, its about money.people dont want you to expose their junk food ingredients as the company is the subject of a very public financial scandal.
Also,non natural sugar replacements have, every single time, caused tumors during experiments.
Dani,
So glad you posted this and researched the product. Ironically, I specifically google’d this subject, because I had bought into the Herbalife line, to the tune of almost $300 because a friend of mine was continually posting on FB about the tremendous success her and her clients were having with the products. Lots of before and after pictures, and lots of six pack abs etc…
After my first week, I felt very hungry and very bloated while using the all the different shake’s, tea’s & supplements…and even gaining weight none the less. After looking at the ingredients, I noticed the soy content, and thought about all the recent GMO findings in conjunction with soy, but I couldn’t really find anything correlating to it online in relation to the Herbalife line.
In any event, I now have about 4 dried out containers of the shake powders in the back seat of my car, which were replaced by one $59 container of Lean Active Whey Protein. It works great as a meal replacement, and it doesn’t make me hungry…go figure 🙂
Thank you for researching and posting!
Glad I could help!
Amazing article Dani… Common sense prevails every time!
I agree. Thanks Steve!
For someone who claims to know so much about health dani, you really should study about the human body before posting something such as this considering you’re actually embarrassing yourself. Rather remove the post and everyone can stick by on their own beliefs about this topic
It’s funny that you’re telling me I’m embarrassing myself when you (or any other Herbalife pusher) can’t answer some basic questions about the products.
So tell me what I don’t understand about the human body. While you’re at it, can you answer my questions about GMOs, soy, trans/hydrogenated fats, etc?
Let me help you out.
Soy:
https://ancestral-nutrition.com/why-i-have-beef-with-soy/
GMOs:
https://ancestral-nutrition.com/top-10-gmos/
Thanks for this information. I will look into the whey protein shakr you recommended. I found an awesome, easy recipe to take my protein shakes with: 1 banana, 1 cup of berries, 1tsp. Agave, 1/3 cup almond or coconut milk, 3 ice cubes and 1- tsp. flax meal ( ground up flax seeds from the blender that are stored in the freezer to preserve freshness). This is a serving for 2 people, FYI. I cut my bananas in half and store them in the freezer. Enjoy.
Great job Gina for being health conscious! I use to be an Agave user until I started reading about the product. Here is an article that warns against using agave – https://app.box.com/shared/23f4rfnsnz
I hope the link works.
Smiles!
Michael
Dani youre so hot. thats all. bye.
All I can say is that of course its gonna be better to eat a wild turkey or wild lamb, and just all organic food than anything else!. But the truth is that, Human race has exploited Earth to the point that its now almost impossible to have a good healthy diet, you cant just go to work and go to a corner store and ask for some real foods and pay what your wallet can afford after work when you have class in one hour. My point is if you compare Herbalife to any fast food restaurant that you can find anywhere, its gonna be certainly better to have a shake. People have to be able to make decicions and I personally have many friends that know that fast food is bad for them, I offer them some good organic spinach with some good Pasteurized egg or whatever, super healthy breakfast. and yet will rather go to McDs! and thats how people are! many already know its unhealthy yet still go for the cheapest better tasting greasy food! If you are on the go, fulltime student fulltime job, whatever. making some wild turkey or wild lamb accompained with some good organic baby spinach for dinner is certainly a good option and very heaqlthy, not very efficient timewise though and impossible because most of mankind now live in cities not in the forest, therefore we have to engineer our foods too not just our cities. Sad But True :/
That is ridiculous. We have no exploited the earth to the point that it’s next to impossible to eat organic foods. Buying organic foods ensures that we will continue to build this movement and not pollute our bodies or the earth.
I work two jobs. Prior to working two jobs I worked full time and put myself through school. I hardly made any money. I still always managed to buy organic and cook for myself, because I prioritize being healthy. If you choose to not eat well, if you choose to buy crappy food and not cook for yourself, that is YOUR choice. If other people want to do that, it’s their choice. You make the choice to take care of yourself or not. Please do not make excuses for your poor food choices.
Well done Dani, great post. It’s upsetting to see how many people have clearly become brainwashed by this awful product. Jamie Oliver attempted to change the way American school children eat. Most of them couldn’t even identify a potato, and his advice fell on deaf ears. It was heartbreaking to watch. It saddens me that so many people aren’t properly educated about nutrition and health – it’s not a complicated process.
You eat Gmo fed chicken eggs and you have a brownie recipe made with chocolate with refined sugar.
Aaron, you’re really grasping at straws. Just because I didn’t write “gmo-free” eggs doesn’t mean I don’t use GMO-free eggs. I buy majority of my food from the local, organic farmers market; including my eggs, which are raised on pasture and supplemented with organic feed. Also, my brownie recipe has less than 1 tbsp of sugar from sugar cane. These comments are ridiculous. Yes, I have a brownie recipe, a gluten-free-refined-sugar-free-organic-coconut-oil-rich brownie recipe. I have a lot of other healthy dessert recipes, you should probably check those out as well.
I read the article and every comment. It truly amazes me that not one single person defending Herbalife would answer any of the questions you posed. Nor did any of them defend the long list of toxic ingredients. Sad really.
Thanks for the article.
I know! That’s what is so frustrating. The ingredients are indefensible, and I think they know that.
Thanks for reading Tori!
Great article Dani! I have to share this story with you:
On several occasions a friend of mine asked me to go to this “free” boot camp. She asked so many times that I finally went.
The whole idea of the “free” boot camp was so that you bought the Herbalife shake immediately afterwards. This was the first I had heard of the product so I asked to take a look at the ingredient list. I was in total shock that these people that were just pushing everyone to exercise to get fit and healthy were trying to sell this obviously synthetic, GMO-filled product.
My friend knows I eat as clean and fresh as possible. When she saw me reading the ingredients, she immediately saw on my face that I was not happy about it. She felt really bad about bringing me, but it wasn’t a big deal to me. I just knew I wouldn’t drink the stuff. What baffled me the most was that she never even bothered to read the ingredient list.
Needless to say, while they were all very nice, I never went back to the “free” boot camp.
I also went through all the comments here and I was amazed that none of the Herbalife representatives could answer your questions and how they all seem to read from the same scripts. They all said the same thing over and over again. It was getting a little annoying honestly! 😉
Anyways, thanks for the post! You confirmed my initial instinct of the product.
That is so sad. People NEED to check the ingredients. Thanks for sharing!
Hi!
I was recently approached by a co-worker to try Herbalife. Knowing that I want to lose 35-40 lbs or so, everything he said sounded totally awesome! Later I started to think…. well what ingredients do they use? What is in a meal replacement shake? When I asked my co-worker (via text), I received no response to my question.. but a redirection to the good Herbalife does for people. I didn’t think too much on it and decided to research for myself. I am glad to have found this article. I have a really great farmers market nearby I will start visiting more often. I think I will invest in a juicer. I am big on the meal replacement idea so maybe juicing organic and locally grown products might be the best option for me currently.
Thank you for writing Dani!
I’m so glad you thought to ask about the ingredients! It’s definitely better to drink a smoothie/juice instead of Herbalife. However I don’t recommend juice/smoothies as meal replacements, this can lead to nutrient deficiencies if not done properly, impaired metabolism and even over eating. If you feel that it’s right for you and works for your body, that’s great! Just be cautious, some people don’t respond well.
Lisa, your comment reminds me of the GNC store. I’ve only been in the store a couple of times with my triathlete and marathon runner friends. The ingredients on the products they bought (similar to Herbalife) reminds me of what Dani is trying to communicate – just because someone is selling you something doesn’t mean it’s good for you. We may not see in the short term negative results; however, do we really want to be the lab rats for the chemical industry?
Wow! I had no clue about herbal life that makes me sad cause I have lots of good friends who take this stuff! Have you looked in Genesis PURE products and ingredients? Just wondering your thoughts on these since you seem to do lots of research. Also do you have any thoughts on body by vi cause I got lots of friends who take this also. I was trying to find where you post what you recommend but couldn’t find it? Thank you for this research on herbal life wow – eye opening what people think are healthy and just aren’t!
Some people are so close-minded that you can talk (type) until you are blue in the face! Thank you for this post I know people that sell nasty Herbalife and I tell them all the time that they are merely selling poison. Some people will never understand that losing weight and being healthy is as easy as choosing the right foods and getting up off the couch! If they can spend hours watching television or hours on the computer then they for sure have time to work out.
Thank you for being awesome Dani!!!
Hi Dani! Thank you for taking the time to research;
I would like to ask you for a couple of things since I am trying to compile some Herbalife research myself;
could I get the links to the labels you posted above and also the source for the soy GMO -claim?
Thank you so much!
Maurine
Hi Maurine,
All of the info is directly on the Herbalife website.
I agree with you Dani on everything.
I wanted to lose a few extra pounds and came across Herbalife. I started on the two shakes a day with protein bars and lost a few pounds but was constantly hungry as I exercise two hours most days a week and also have a very physical job, I was also knackered all the time. I was advised to take the Herbalife thermo tea to give me an energy boost and burn more calories. The first time I had a cup of the tea I was so ill, I had to cancel work, I went very faint and was violently sick! It took me a good 24hrs to get over it. I carried on using the products for about 8months and in that time I had to have three fillings in my teeth, my dentist quizzed me about my diet and she was appalled she basically said all the crap in the products was rotting my teeth. I then fell very ill had changed nothing in my diet still on two shakes a day, protein bars and a good meal in the evening full of protein and veggies. I started having black outs and fits. I was in hospital for four days while they ran test after test and eventually I was diagnosed with Epilepsy. This is not the sort of illness you just develop, it is triggered by something unless you are bore with it. Myself and my neurologist are convinced it was the high intake of Herbalife products.
I am now on a very clean diet of lots of protein, veggies and some fruit and whole grains, I make all my own sauces, brownies drinks etc… I have been able to reduce my medication for my epilepsy an now live a normal life again, back to my exercise and busy work schedule. I have loads more energy and feel great.
The distributer of Herbalife I got my produces from stopped selling it as soon as they found out about my epilepsy. They now run a fits group called kick start fat loss which is all about clean eating, nothing processed at all and sourcing meat and veggies that are local, organic and sustainable.
It’s awful that you went through all of that because of these products! I actually have epilepsy but I was born with it (it no longer affects me though). Ketogenic diets can be very helpful for epilepsy. I’m so glad you’re eating and feeling better!
Hi, well I’m here for advice basically. I am an avid user of this stuff but I also look into loads of healthy foods and I know I can eat better if I just put some effort. Basically my breakfast I don’t have time so I drink a shake or a bar then dinner I do it as ell because its easier. I’ve lost a lot of weight over the summer. I started dieting well no, changing the way I eat this April and in May began with Herbalife. I’ve known about it so I know what I have to do to lose weight, I have lost a lot. Now, I kinda want to stop. Not because I’m getting sick of the stuff because I don’t want to be on it for the rest of my life.
Now I pay attention to my meals, not just calories but the ingredients. I want to be a nutritionist well it’s something i’ve thought of… but now looking at the ingredients and the main one being Soy Isolate i started researching…. and I’m scared… because once i stop this will I gain all the weight back? I mean, once I stop i’m going to make sure i get a good break fast, like steel cut oats or egg whites and 2 pieces of whole wheat toast with a bit of avocado. I mean i want to be eating 6 times a day. Which is what I kinda do now but with the shakes:
Here is my typical day:
Breakfast – Shake
Snack – Fruit/Yogurt with Granola/Protein bar or Fiber bar (not herbalife, i go into whole foods so i look into the bars they have)
Lunch – It changes but i keep portions the same, like today i have a cup of brown rice, piece of chicken breast the size of my palm, cup and a half of broccoli and slices of sweet potato.
snack 2 – today i had some low fat vanilla yogurt the australian kind i think its called wallyby? not sure with some organic chocolate granola i got from whole foods and some grapes
i went to my aerobics class about an hour
came home had 2 rice cakes with guacamole on top
then the shake at the end…
I don’t know i’m just scared of ending this Herbalife thing and having all the weight back on me… I now that with a little hard work i can do without it. I just don’t want the weight back on me… PLEASE HELP! Literally freaking out… 🙁 🙁 🙁
I work out with aerobics and zumba class one hour each day, 6 days a week, basically want to burn off all the excess fat and get down to my goal weight and gain lean muscle.
Hey Daysi,
This is a very loaded question and there is no way I could answer it in a comment. First, no need to freak out!
Second, I would ditch the Herbalife immmediately. You are literally putting toxins and chemicals into your body.
Don’t fear food or gaining weight! For people to lose weight (if they need to) the focus needs to be on health, not on losing weight. If you’re healthy, you will lose weight. But if the focus is “getting skinny” that’s a very unhealthy mindset and one that doesn’t stick, which is one reason why people often gain all of the weight back.
I would suggest searching around my site and reading some articles and recipes. The food you listed is pretty unhealthy; low-fat foods, refined carbohydrates and an overall lack of healthy fats is not a good diet.
I would also suggest looking into lifting weights instead of just doing aerobics. It is healthier and will help you build muscle and lose fat much faster.
Let me know if you have any questions!
Oh my, I really want to achieve a healthy life style. My mindset is not to be skinny but to be healthy and be lean along the way. I’m just impatient. But I realize that for my health it’s gonna take time. The food I listed was was no good?
I mean now that I’m considering quitting the herbalist stuff I’ve lost lots of weight from it and I want continue in with eating real food.
My problems are my breakfast what will I have? I know steel cut oats is an option I’m just afraid ill run out of healthy ideas just like my dinner. Her alive replaced both of those.
I am really considering lifting weights but I don’t want to get really bulky and someone told me the fat will be harder to lose because your gaining muscle and so the fat turns into that. I dont think that’s really true but i keep thinking about it.
I’m 19 and was very overweight. I’m also gonna try and see a nutritionist I just freak out a lot. I want to achieve this goal I’ve set for myself but being healthy isn’t about doing it fast its about my life.
I usually have eggs and vegetables for breakfast. Super easy. Like eggs scrambled with onions, spinach, tomatoes, etc all cooked in grass-fed butter.
It is not possible for women to get bulky from lifting weights. We do not make the amount of testosterone that is necessary to become bulky. It’s just not possible. I definitely suggest lifting weights over cardio.
No need to freak out, you didn’t become overweight overnight and you won’t get back there overnight. You obviously care a great deal about your health and that’s great. Let me know if you have any other questions.
I hear pro herbalife people argue all the time “it makes you loose weight” yeah… A caloric deficit will do that to you… 180cal is simply not enough to sustain health and its mostly the newbies who have zero nutritional training other then the misinformation herbalife preaches that argue relentlessly…letme put it to your like this the old generation of herbalife had ephedrine derivatives in it… Go back to 1980 everyone on it would say they’re healthy but ephedrine’s do irreversible damage just like… Find someone on coccaine whose been using correctly for 5-10 yrs he’ll be skinner and look possibly healthier but now find him in 20yrs and if he’s still alive hell be irreversibly damaged… Furthermore to say herbalife is better than McDonald’s so it must be OK is ludicrous… It is not ok to instill poor eating/starving habits so people loose weight that’s a temporary fix… The last thing I’ll say is watch out for wolves in sheep’s clothing at herbalife… I come from family of Drs nutritionist and athletes/body builders… And we’ve all been approached to join soo they can show off already massively in shape people and claim we did it through herbalife… Just take a look at a photo of a team of herbalife people there the majority who were already fit and then there’s usually that guy who jacked off the juice… As a 15 yr bodybuilder and a someone with way more college time into nutrition then the average termtern of HL distributors let me just state for a FACT you cannot build muscle like that on that big of a caloric defficideficit
Sorry about the horrible grammar this site doesn’t run well on my phone – Ryan
I think it’s awesome that you’re 15 and can recognize the junk that’s in Herbalife! Keep it up, Ryan!
Again I apologize for the grammar I’m a 15yrbbody builder as in 15yrs exp not 15 yrs old ps also saw a guy today whoclaims he gained 8lbs of leanin 3 weeks witha two shake one meal a day diet.The science begsto differ
Oh haha! That makes more sense than a 15- year-old body builder. That definitely confused me a bit. Thanks for the comment!
Most of the herbalife distributors i have met here in turkey are all fat.If the shakes are that good why have these fat mother ……
not lost weight 🙂
Hi dani, thank you for the information, as soon as i heard about hepatotoxicity in herbalife i am rushing out to find answer, i read journal, blogs, and landed here. Reading thoroughly on the comments save a lot of question. and yes, immediately ditch the products (ugh to think about the money i wasted for such things!)
Hey Dani,
Absolutly love your post. Was reading through the comments and saw that you mentioned Isagenix. Can you please maybe go into some more detail about this product and your thoughts? =) xxx
Thanks Hayley! I just wrote this post: https://ancestral-nutrition.com/isagenix-is-unhealthy/
Pingback: Isagenix Is Unhealthy » Ancestral Nutrition
Dani – this is awesome! THANK YOU for writing this. I have recently seen a few trainers promoting Herbalife in my area and they really have no clue. Maybe people DO have some weight loss or positive results in the beginning but I cant even imagine what damage is really happening over time.
People STILL want a quick fix. That’s it. Period. Learning about real food and cooking is just too much to imagine. The excuses are endless… and the validate nothing.
Anyway… amazing job on the post AND the responses to people trying to argue completely ill prepared. 🙂
Thanks so much, Jessica!
More exercise, and more healthy meals with a balanced diet too seems to be lacking with a lot of people I know/see that swear to Herbalife. A lot of people I work with guzzle it on a daily basis, but a lack of even basic exercise in their routine doesn’t help, and it actually makes me cringe when they use the stuff, especially when they swear blind by it and look to spend their hard earned money on more of it. No doubt when the fad passes the weight lost will soon return and another quick fix will soon be looked for. Agree with what you say Jessica, a bit of thought into your food preparation and meals goes a long way.
Good article all the same, here’s hoping it bursts a few bubbles as to the myth of Herbalife being a miracle diet.
Hi Dani
Wonderful blog, Still do not understand why people do and try these knew fads, not even realising what they are putting into their bodies. It baffles me that they do not even know what is in these products, when asked..
(I suppose ‘ignorance is bliss!’)
Organic natural food and chemical free products all the way if you would love to lose weight (and maintain that weight) and have a healthy energetic body.
“I get locally grown AND organic foods, so not being sprayed with pesticides is standard. I know where my food comes from, I’ve met the farmers, I’ve developed relationships with them. Can you say the same?”
Well, good for you! So do you want the rest of humanity to start having a “closer” relationship with farmers and find the same sense of trust? And how many people do you think can do that?
So what is your solution to this whole mess. Throw together a bunch of posters and slogans, march down Main Street and intimidate the billion dollar companies? Maybe throw in a article or two on you website and “get the word out”. Good lord. No offense, I’m actually with you on this but seriously. Things are so messed up it would take the Apocalypse to get us back to where things were – nutrition wise and most likely family wise as well. 😉
If you really want to get down to the core of the problem then get rid of cell phones, cars (especially) , nuclear and coal, plastics (have you seen the damage that has been done to the ocean basin?), radio waves, etc. What both you and herbal life is suggesting is basically the same thing. Keep humanity alive as well as we can while they keep the wheels turning inside the monster humanity has created. It’s like a add for a Nuclear Plant:
“Hey, did you remember to drink your rad pills this morning? Remember, a happy worker is a alive worker!”
I try to be as health conscious as I can with the limited resources at my disposal. I don’t live on a farm, or even close by. I can tell you one thing though… Forget GM foods, the damage has been done a long time ago with selective- and cross breeding. Some of the farmer’s living around my parent’s in Ladismith (South Africa) are fourth and fifth generation and they have some interesting stories (“facts”) to tell you.
I don’t endorse HB but I do think that in moderation and at times it can be beneficial. This stuff, as well as “lab farms” is going to be needed more and more as we trans humanize from human to… well, use you imagination.
You see, if you want the civilization we have today then you are going to have to make some sacrifices. But don’t frett! (‘sarcasm’) We have the inherent potential to overcome these obstacles and to find a solution to every new problem the current course of humanity throws our way.
The scrap metal from sunken boats in the deep sea are recovered by deep sea divers over the course of two to four weeks in submersion. In the early days these divers used to suffer from arthritis and bone denigration due to the oxygen helium mixture. But behold! Humanity has found a solution: a new mixture that has a very minor heath risk to the diver. Are we not clever.
Overpopulation? Well, GM foods might be the solution. Or we could go for Genocide… mmmm.
You see, civilization as we know it is a viscous cycle of invention and adaption that will never end. Herbalife is just part of that process.
Nobody knows about GMO impact in long term. Maybe no bad impact at all… and/or not in all cases. It is new technology. All new is scarry.
How you can be 100% sure that “natural grown in nature” does not have impact from acid rains?
How you can be 100% sure that an label “grown naturally” is not just fake label on the product?
At the end everybody dies anyway. Question is only about how you live your life – how much energy, inspiration and passion you have and how much of it you share with others..
I see a lot of people to whom Herbalife products helped. Old people (over 90 years) have got out of beds, can walk, can meet other people. Womens lost more than 50 kg fats and have possibility to walk, to meet other people, to have babys and families. All they have inspiration and hope for better life. You should speak with parents whoses kids gained health by using Herbalife products. They are so happy and excited.
As I am because my kid improoved health as well after using Herbalife products. It’s not only products – it’s education, community and inspiration.
Yes, as any big organization, there can be mistakes and some people making mistakes, including founder who died at 44. That happened so long time ago but Herbalife is still growing as company and community, it is attracting more and more educated people, scientists, fitness instructors etc And products, marketing, comunication etc are constantly improoved.
Actually it’s been proven in long term studies that GMOs cause accelerated tumor growth, inferility, cancer, inflammation and several other issues.
I don’t buy food with labels. I buy local, organic food from farms.
Herbalife doesn’t make anyone healthy, it makes them lose weight. There is a huge difference.
From all previous comments about Herbalife products, what I can see is that you only concentrate on meal replacement, i.e. the shake … how about all the rest of the products? the skin care products, the multivitamins, the digestive, etc..
I have not looked into those. I can if you’d like to provide a link.
You were attacking Herbalife Company, and now you say that you haven’t seen the rest of the products. Herbalife has more than 50 products for body wellness. Soy protein is used for almost 4 products… How about all the rest made of Herbs and natural substances.
As for the link, it’s the same link where you found out about the Formula 1 Shake.
Hello I have a healthy diet and I exercise regularly I use USN pure protein in my diet to help change my shape is this protein ok to use?
Hi Naomi,
Can you provide a link to the ingredients?
Hi Dani,
Could you let me know what you think of the flavoured whey protein at the web sight I quoted for my protein.
Thanks
Not good, I immediately noticed soy and sucralose.
That’s great, thanks Dani 🙂 Just starting out on the whole shake journey and really not sure what to go for :-/
I personally emailed Dani to show my support, but I wanted to publicly say that Herbalife is crap. It’s amazing that these products are even allowed to be sold.
Herbalife statement regarding GMO.
http://www.lifestyle-herbal.com/resources/HerbalifeNONGMO.pdf
Their American products are still genetically modified, they clearly state they only use non-GM products in Europe. This link also proves that they use products from animals that are fed GMOs.
The statement regarding animals is on the statement in 2008.
The newest statement says all ingredients are gmo free.
Well would you like to provide a link to that statement then? Because I have been unable to find anything at all verifying that Herbalife is certified GMO free.
The link I gave tells you the previous statment at the bottom of the page and the new statement at the top along with the dates (2008 and 2011).
The 2011 statement says that all inner nutrition ingredients are NONGMO.
Everything you have said is absolute rubbish. If we have the likes of Christiano Ronaldo, David Beckham and the like using our products then we are either the worst undercover scam in the world or we are the best company out there – why would these elite athletes go for anything less than the best? Do your homework first before spouting a lot of ignorant garbage.
Hi Andy,
What exactly is rubbish? I linked directly to the toxic ingredients they use. If Herbalife is healthy, please answer what NO other Herbalife supporter has been able to answer:
How are GMOs healthy?
How is MSG healthy?
How is sucralose healthy?
How are rancid vegetable oils healthy?
Like you said, it’s a scam. Athletes endorse Herbalife beause they are paid a lot of money to endorse Herbalife.
I suggest doing your homework before making uninformed comments on my website or pushing these toxic products on unsuspecting people.
I’ve been doing this for just over a year now, so I’m clearly not misinformed. You however have only just stumbled across it by chance and immediately think that your “knowledge” in nutrition surpasses that of 9 of the best doctors in the world – including the only man in history who has received a Nobel Laureate for his work in medicine and nutrition – would you care to explain how you clearly assume your superiority in this area?
You also clearly cannot grasp basic sarcasm – I did not say it was a scam literally, if you’ll actually read back my comment on the subject you’ll (maybe) realise this. Ronaldo etc don’t just endorse the products – they also use them to ensure they are taking serious care and attention towards their nutrition as part of their results: if you were Ronaldo’s nutritionist or manager, would you allow him to take any supplement or product that was even remotely considered dangerous or harmful to such an elite athlete? Maybe you would (since you clearly lack any sound knowledge of basic core nutrition in general) but his real manager(s) and nutritionist(s) wouldn’t allow a single bit of it near him!
Do yourself a favour – take this biased and ridiculous opinion off your extensive blog of lies or whatever you want to call it and actually go and train as a nutritionist like I did BEFORE I became part of Herbalife. There is absolutely nothing they say that I can really argue with at all in all honesty and I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if you got your nutritional “experience and knowledge” through an ill-informed and unreputable source (Wikipedia comes swiftly to mind). A company doesn’t last almost 34 years if it’s a scam – do you know of any pyramid or ponzi schemes that lasted more than even 10 years? No? That makes several million of us then!
Andy: why didn’t you answer any of her question, you mighty trained nutritionist?
How do you know that Ronaldo is using these products? Are you his nutritionist? Anyone who would get paid millions of dollars would promote anything, even poison if it was “wrapped up in a nice package”. In youtube video, Ronaldo was introduced to Herbalife and had no idea what it was, you can see that he has no idea what Herbalife is – you can check it out, it’s on youtube. And that was when he was already promoting it.
Herbalife is successful because it has fooled a lot of people. I know a lot of people who are selling it and I can see that they actually believe what they are saying, because they are naive and stupid. I also know some of them who stopped drinking Herbalife shakes, because they had some serious health issues because of this “magic shakes”, after a long time using it. But there is no point of telling you that, because you are blind and ignorant.
I am in Europe so don’t have an issue with GMO because we don’t have it as the previous statement says.
Here is a link to MSG question
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA400215
Dani,
Have you heard of the fat flush diet? Any thoughts?
I went to a woman who claimed to be a dietician/nutritionalist. I made an appt and showed up to a Herbalife rep in sheeps clothes. I eat extremely healthy. I knew it was fishy when she said eating a shake is a quick easy meal better than Burger King. I was so confused. You see the last time I ate food from a fast food place was a child and a friends mother took me. Fast food wasn’t an option in my life or family. I honestly don’t know anyone who eats that way so I don’t believe that is standard.
Regardless I was offered a smoothie but was confused bc there was no fruit just powder. I drank it. I was offered green tea. It was made with a powder. I am not a doctor or a nutritionist but health and powdered don’t go together in my mind.
I’m not sure which one but I felt horrible immediately. Then all day. I’m super sensitive. I knew something was off it tasted artificial.
When you’ve eaten healthy, local, organic, non-processed food, you have extremely sensitive taste for artificial. A coke a cola is a cup of salty corn syrup in my mouth.
I went to find help. I gained 40 lbs this year bc of my thyroid. I won’t drink a powder. I was scammed out if an afternoon.
I found this person on a truly misleading yelp advertisement.
I believe in what you believe. And of course I grow my own food and know my farmers. But to all of those who don’t have that in their life. You can. There are farms everywhere. Organic farms. Everyone can grow food.
Lucky for me I live in San Francisco and will find an honest nutritionist.
Love & Light,
Elle
Hey Elle,
I haven’t heard of the fat flush diet. In general I’m not a fan of diets but if you provide a link to it I’ll be happy to give a quick review.
I love your entire comment. Can’t believe any RD would recommend Herbalife, but they do. It’s so unfortunate.
Good luck with everything and thanks for the comment!
Sue them if you think you have enough arguments and if you think you’re smart! Maybe you’ll get rich :)))))) Do you think that a crappy product can be for 30 years on the market? Do you still think that a crappy product can be sold on over 90 countries?!!
People have good results on using this products so stop being a hater!
MSG, vegetable oils, additives and tons of other products have been on the market for 30 and years and in all countries. Does this somehow make them healthy? That’s incredibly poor logic.
If Herbalife is healthy, please answer what NO other Herbalife supporter has been able to answer:
How are GMOs healthy?
How is MSG healthy?
How is sucralose healthy?
How are rancid vegetable oils healthy?
Hey guys, Ive loved reading this debate. I am still in the process of distributing this Shake. Yes I have 100% customer satisfaction, yes my kids love it, yes theres success there but you have to work hard. I hate sales. I love people talking to me about the products. It it such a wonderful feeling when you help an overweight person, a child with an eating disorder, people reaching their goals. But recently I had a massive reaction to something. My entire body was swollen and I was in agony. I have never experienced pain like it. This started at 3pm and I had nothing but Herbalife shakes and supplements. I am, after 48 long hours now 95% well. I cannot blame Herbalife for this, nor can I put it down to anything else. I have started to research more in depth to the products and ingredients, which leads me here. I am horrified and won’t be using them again. I loved using the products and it’s convenient, but nothing beats raw organic home grown home cooked vegetables. I have no degree, or certificates that will ‘prove’ I know what I am saying, but I have experience of all kinds. Time some you put down your laptops, dig a hole in the ground, add some seeds, weed periodically, water regularly, have a little patience and cook cook cook. Dani, I asked these questions to a a forementioned research team. The response was a bunch of rules and regulations I can and cannot use during my distribution……
I’m sorry you were in so much pain! That really is terrible and no one should have to go through that.
But I’m glad you gained some clarification on the ingredients (even if it wasn’t from Herbalife, who should have given it to you). Good luck with everything and thank you for the comment!
Lol tobacco products have been selling forever, and they’re not good for you.
Good point.
Hi my friend works at herballife and is telling me there stuff is good and has helped him lose body fat but you seem for sure knowing what your talking about bascially all their products from a to z are crap email me if you can thank you.
Hi James,
Feel free to email me at [email protected] with any questions.
http://Www.fatflush.com
Thanks. Honestly I’m just wondering bc my best friend is doing it. I think it’s extreme. I’m trying to follow a self modified version. The current website tries to sell products but originally her book suggested going to the health food store and buying vitamins and protein shakes, etc. I’ve directed a couple people to your blog.
On another note to the person who keeps saying they’ve been around for 30 years as a reason for it being good for you. That is a ridiculous statement. Jenny Craig has been around that long too and it also works helping people regulate portion size and calories. Jenny Craig is also processed and unhealthy. No one is saying Herbalife doesn’t help people lose weight. And obviously losing weight is healthy. The question Here in this discussion/friendly debate is (and this might blow your mind) Are the ingredients in these diets actually healthy for you? Is this way of eating healthy? And for someone concerned with that is there a better way? Or is this a good way? In the sense of good for me. Personal. Subjective.
On another note, why would Dani want to sue them. Why would she care? She isn’t eating the product so it doesn’t effect her in a negative way. This is her observation about the ingredients. It’s just facts. She read the ingredients and her observation.
People do and believe whatever they want and find important for their life. Whatever floats your boat or what have you…some people choose to eat a burger from mcdonalds, I chose to eat a grass fed, organic, pastured beef burger from the local farm where six months ago I walked in the field and pet the cow. And thank you Dani I read about that protein powder and am going to order a bag.
Before I end my rant I just want to say the intensity of close minded ness of the people who sell/use this product is truly interesting. My father always told me never to get involved in pyramid schemes.
Exactly! Thanks for the comment!
As for the fat flush, I don’t support any diets, generally speaking. I think people should eat real food that our ancestors ate in the amount and macros that are appropriate the the person individually. I took a look at the site and the shake, and while it makes statements like “made out of pea and rice protein and healthy fats” I can’t actually find the ingredients listed anywhere. Am I missing it?
Herbalife do not use GMO in their products and not sure why someone did not bring this up earlier? Where do you get your facts from? Sound a little misinformed to me. If you are going to write an article at least make it factual now who is spreading lies?
http://www.lifestyle-herbal.com/resources/HerbalifeNONGMO.pdf
Hi Jon,
Herbalife DOES use GMOs, they only have non-GM products within Europe. This is significant because:
A) I am in America, as are majority of people who consume Herbalife.
B) Over 90% of soy, canola, cottonseed, etc are genetically modified in the states.
Dani,
Even if Herbalife used non-GMO ingredients (and I’m not saying they do in the US) isn’t their ingredients chemistry not food? I use the word chemistry as man-made and food as items that come from the earth.
I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Im in shock right now. I found out I’m a ovary body type and soy is the #1 thing i should not be taking in my body. To find out that the meal replacement shake I’ve been taking in for 2 years contains so much soy has me devastated. HA and no its not better than going to mcdonalds? Its the same thing. My opinion of this trademark has completely shifted with 30 minutes of research.
Soy is a no-no for all people, unless it’s been properly fermented and only in very small doses. Don’t beat yourself up about it, now you know and you can make the necessary changes to lead a truly healthy life!
Hey thanks for the post I Use Herbalife myself and sell it as a Distributor
I am quite concerned about what people are saying about Herbalife.
I agree not all the ingredients are natural but i use the shakes and i havent had any side effects i drink them with soya milk too
There is more to Herbalife than shakes though and i cant see them using bad substances as the people behind it are nutrition experts and scientists we have 1000s of happy customers..meeting i go to i get a posotive vibe we have changed peoples lives its a fact.. we have been going for 33 years and we are worlds number one we are not saying we got a miracle cure but a much healthier lifestyle
It might be different in the USA as i am in the UK and the products are slightly different over here
Daniel
Hi Dani!
first of all thank you so much for this article. I think it is absolutely hilarious how all of the herbalife advocates seem to be copying and pasting success stories and the same info about all of the wonderful doctors that are being paid off by the company. I too stumbled upon herbalife products through some “health coaches” on Instagram, I’ve been looking for something I could take pre- workout since I’ve had a hard time pulling through my workout for the last couple of days and I just wanted to take my body to the next level. Anyway, I emailed an hl distributor asking about the ingredients and if it contained artificial sweeteners and he told me that it didn’t and then directed me to the site where I had to create a login to view the products. I’m not sure if I was looking in the right place but I wasn’t able to find the ingredient list for the product I thought I was interested in. That is how I came across your article and immediately after reading the ingredients I knew that I wouldn’t even touch the product. I guess the only way to break down this article is that it is not for every one! For me, it is exactly what I was looking for. I know that not all farmers say the truth about whether they use pesticides or not but I do my best and buy my produce, meats and fish from my local farmers market… And I do ask a lot of questions, it might not all be true or perfectly natural but it is better than consuming a product like herbalife. For people that are seeking the truth about this product and are interested in their health and don’t mind preparing their meals containing the nutrients that we need, this is a wonderful article. For people who are just looking to lose weight and are not concerned about their long term health and absolutely do not care about the ingredients that are listed in plain ENGLISH! This is not the article for you!!! I get that people work and have many jobs and go to school and those are all called excuses… Excuses are what you make for something that is not a priority in your life…. There are tons of people that prep their meals on the weekend for the whole week… You can make healthy banana bread at night and eat it for breakfast or overnight oats that don’t even require cooking… I know people will be offended by this but herbalife is basically for LAZY people! Ok end rant lol
Hi Marlene!
I agree, and I’m glad you were able to find this article before buying into Herbalife products. Thanks so much for the comment!
Also can you please tell me what you think about garden of life raw protein? I’ve heard great things about it but I want to make sure before I purchase anything. Thanks!
What is really strange to me is that Herbalife has been around for what 30 years and more? It has -always- been known by those who know HEALTH to be a scam and MOST “multi-level-marketing’ business models make money for a FEW and dump a lot of product on MANY starry-eyed dreamers.
Dani,
Well written article.
For all the negative comments you’re getting, ignore them and keep on doing what you’re doing. Honestly, integrity, and transparency is missing with a lot of these companies. It’s great to hear someone speak out.
On a side note, have you ever checked out http://www.sfh.com?
-New Fan
Thanks Matt!
I haven’t checked out that website, do they sell shakes and products as well? It was slow loading for me, if you want a review on a product just send a link to it and I’ll let ya know.
Wow , Thank you for posting this. I bought herbalife when a friend started selling it back in March. I used it for 2 weeks, and I was like WTF am i doing. I cant live off stupid shakes.Also I had the worst bloat from it, which she siad I WOULD not get. The container is sitting on top of my fridge half full along with pills and supplements she said i had to buy with the start up kit. I am going to throw it out after I am done writing this. Im out 150 bucks, but whatever, live and learn right?
Exactly!
Dani!…I just stumbled on your website. I’ve gone natural in my workouts completely; Calisthenics and eating cleaner foods and I’m trying to learn and find more foods and supplements that are natural. I was hearing the hype around Herbalife and I had a gut feeling I needed to do some digger digging on them. The business aspect of it gave it away. When I came to your page and saw your information I was blown away and knew my gut feeling wasn’t lying to me…I skimmed through your page and was amazed and this is something I needed. I will definitely be keeping up with your page. I like what you represent when it comes to healthy eating – THE RIGHT WAY…
Thanks Brad! I really appreciate it.
same thing I was doing I been approached to sell this stuff but the salesmen were so cut throat so it pushed me to search and on the website they do not give info its like they hide every thing lol I got into it with a saleswoman after reading this she was so blinded by the money and product and also people don’t even exercise they just drink these drinks its like the new diet COKE lol Im done
Im reading this this is so vital to my direction from here on out! I feel like I was close to being sucked into selling Herbal Life and I knew something wasn’t right and I am clear minded know that I was right for real!
Dani,
First of all, thank you for writing this article.
I got involved with Herbalife briefly when I was out of work, and found that I simply could not recommend this product to someone in good faith. I told myself that Herbalife was better than fast food, much like some of the proponents would like to argue, but still found that it’s impossible to justify someone ingesting such poor nutrition. First chance I had to make a sale, I ended up telling a prospective buyer not to waste their money and go invest in something cheaper, organic, raw and much healthier for them. I just couldn’t sell something I didn’t believe in, especially after having negative effects using the 24 sport products myself.
I have never sold a Herbalife product, and from the beginning felt that their instructional DVDs and conventions were a JOKE. All about parties and sales and “leave the nutrition and science to us and not worry about what’s in it as long as it ‘works’.” Pathetic and sad.
Herbalife spends billions of dollars to keep their salespeople happy, productive and brainwashed. All products are made with Soy Protein Isolate–which contains high levels of phytic acid and antinutrients. Unfermented soy is NOT good for you and is used because it’s a cheap ingredient. Not to mention all the other artificial sweeteners and MSG and crap that is in their shakes.
Come on, people. Wake up. If you are a true advocate of health, you will realize that nutrition cannot be found in a bottle, and that you are only perpetuating an industry built on big business and corporate gain.
Thanks again Dani, and please continue to write articles with such integrity. Thumbs up to you and best of luck.
Thank you!
Your all talking a load of rubbish i dont care if your an expert in nutrition or health
I have already wrote to you before and never got a reply
First of all lets take Formula one out of the picture as im a bigger fan of the 24 Range
Herbalife24 is based on the latest proven science and every product batch we produce is third-party tested for substances banned by sport. It assures the athlete that what is listed on the label is exactly what is in the container. All products serve a specific nutritional purpose and contain all-natural colors, flavors and sweeteners.
95% of soy protein produced is gm but we are if the 5% who’s soy is not gm..
We are still number one in terms of weight loss and nutrition in the world in 90 countries in 30 years we even have a family foundation charity
I appreciate not all the distributors here have had the best experience from Herbalife but i got involved in the best team and my supervisor is an ex personal trainer from the Army i have the best community and friends and i use the products every day i sit and read articles about health and nutrition every day as i want to learn and be sucessfull i use the products every day and i have had no issues i have had no customers coming back to me either
Just another thing i havent noticed anybody having a go at the Herbalife personal care range this is the skin and body wash and fragrances and thats half of our product range .
I still eat good healthy meals to every day so you cant argue its just drinking milkshakes all the time either
I respect everyone has thier opinion and im fighting my corner on this one sorry i think it might be something to do with me being in the UK though the Herbalife community and products are a lot different over here
Many Thanks
Daniel
I have never received any email or message from you. I make it a point to respond to everyone, even if it takes a month.
Herbalife is only non-GM in Europe, which doesn’t matter because soy is still extremely unhealthy.
If Herbalife is a healthy product, please answer the following questions that NO other Herbalife pusher has been able to answer:
How is soy healthy?
How are rancid vegetable oils healthy?
How is gluten healthy?
How are processed foods healthy?
How are hydrogenated oils healthy?
I love how no one can answer your questions lol. It’s hilarious.
What actual qualifications do you, as a ‘holistic health coach’, have to be so assured about your very biased and factually incorrect review?
Perhaps you have a board of 8 highly acclaimed scientists/doctors/nutritionists behind you, including a Nobel laureate in medicine…no? Well Herbalife does. The product is also INDEPENDENTLY tested and the sports range is approved by the international Olympic committee and contains no banned substances. As such, professional athletes and Olympians use it.
Your very 1st line of this article is WRONG and so the entire article holds no credibility whatsoever because you clearly haven’t done your research.
Herbalife soy protein is NON GM. Herbalife know the life cycle of their ingredients from seed to feed and every 7th tub is quality checked.
Unless you grow your own vegetables you cannot claim they are the best thing for you…over farmed soil, gm, pumped with hormones, pesticides etc. you would have to eat a 1500 calorie meal to get the equivalent nutrition that 1 herbalife shake contains. We are the ONLY shake approved by the government in each country sold, to legally be classed as a ‘healthy meal’ due to its volume of nutritional content. I don’t push low fat meals at all, everyone needs a balance of all food groups and that’s what we encourage.
For your information, it costs less per day than many would spend on buying either breakfast or lunch.
Please read the wiki explanation of what a pyramid scheme is because Herbalife is NOT a pyramid.
Lastly, another reason why your whole article is tosh is that YOU ARE BEING PAID TO SAY THIS AND ENDORSE OTHER PRODUCTS!!
I don’t mind a debate at all and I will listen to and investigate any facts that I can’t explain but this is a load of made up-personal-opinion-not based-on fact-crap!
My credentials are clearly listed on the About page so I’m not sure how you possibly missed that.
Do you know the meaning of the word “fact?” Because I provided factually accurate statements and ingredients pulled directly from the Herbalife website.
My very first line of this article is about the amount of times #herbalife has been instragrammed…so how exactly is that wrong?
Athletes and olympians get paid to endorse this, there is a difference. They also smoke weed, if you’re using that logic.
Herbalife is only non-GM in Europe, NOT the US. This is a fact.
So…organically grown local vegetables are not one of the healthiest things I can eat? That is one of the most ridiculous statements I’ve ever heard. Also I wouldn’t mention GMOs, hormones and pesticides when you are literally ingesting them with every Herbalife shake.
I’m not being paid to endorse any products. I choose through Amazon who I want to endorse, and if someone buys through my link I receive commission. There’s a difference.
Again, please re-evaluate what you think a fact is, because all of the information I’ve provided are literally facts from the Herbalife website. If you think Herbalife is healthy to consume, please answer what NO Herbalife pusher has been able to:
How is soy healthy?
How are rancid vegetable oils healthy?
How is gluten healthy?
How are processed foods healthy?
How are hydrogenated oils healthy?
Resort to “wit” if you want as Ive clearly upset you, but throwing a wobbler at me is not helping your cause.
The 1st line of your article is contained within an image by the herbalife named logo…stating its gm soy protein. It does not say on the website that the shake is gm protein, you’ve assumed this from that snippet you uploaded about the majority of soy protein in America being gm.
Clearly I know the meaning of the word fact, please don’t use such condescending disrespectful terms with me.
Yes athletes are paid sponsors, I’m not aware Ronaldo smokes crack whilst he’s working on new personalised products with us. You’ve proven my own point here by stating that you are also paid to endorse something so what’s the difference. Nothing wrong with making a living if that’s what you’re attempting, so good for you.
Where exactly did I say locally grown organic vegetables where unhealthy???!!! I didn’t.
Just because you’re paid to write an article and I’m left in the comments, does not make you the leading authority.
People should do their own research into what works best for them…not everyone is perfect and no one is saying the shake is perfect, but its a lot more perfect than an increasing obese nation of super size McDonald eaters. Its helped so many people – not everyone is as perfect as you. Not everyone has the time or money to make the ‘perfect’ homemade shake
I stand by the products and the scientists/doctors/nutritionists and Nobel prize winner behind them.
Ive reported your ‘facts’ and comments to our ethics and legal team
No, I went on the Herbalife website and looked at the farms they use for the soy protein, they are GM farms. Herbalife’s European products are GM free because GMOs are much less tolerated in Europe. You should probably contact Herbalife directly about this issue, personally I think it’s pretty awful they still use GMOs for the US products.
I wasn’t paid to write an article, you clearly have no idea what you’re talking about.
The ingredients in Herbalife are not entirely different from McDonald’s; both use GMOs, rancid vegetable oils and processed ingredients.
I’m glad you’ve reported me to your ethics and legal team, because you still clearly have no idea what a fact is. I simply copied the ingredients directly from the Herbalife website and highlighted the unhealthy ingredients they use. I am not understanding your issue with this. Is it because I pointed out that the ingredients in Herbalife are complete garbage and you sell/use the products?
You realize you guys sound like a cult… Right? Because you really do
Ronaldo also endorsed a special product tie-in between Pepsi and KFC.
I don’t believe that this highly paid athlete fills his body with Colonel Sanders fried chicken and washes it down with a huge Pepsi.
I also don’t believe he’d ingest chemical-laden, fructose filled, artificially sweetened herbalife powder.
Athletes endorse for cash. That’s it.
I eat well, am fit, and all I want to do is eat as healthy as possible to sustain my health goals thus staying away from ANYthing GMO is my aim! My GMO questions with regards to herbalife have been answered here! Thank you everyone for the time taken to have these discussions online.
Interesting post Dani.
A friend of mine has kind of been nagging away at me to try these products (indirectly through a barrage of facebook updates and directly through a “you might like our shakes” approach) and I must admit I succumbed as I finally got bored of a fairly regimented Paleo-diet. Blindly I started having a shake for breakfast as my intention was to get some nice high protein without gluten. I didn’t get as far as the ingredients list to begin with. However after a few days I thought to myself these things are really sweet and figured it’d just be some form of sweetener and basically ignored it. 2 weeks in I checked my weight and found that I’d put on 4 pounds. FOUR! I’ve changed nothing in my routine other than adding Formula 1 and reducing the amount of nuts I eat during the morning.
I’ve since read up on the ingredients and found that they contain as much carbs from fructose as they do protein (25g per 100g!) Wow thats basically ruined nearly 2 years of eating no sugar.
I thought you might be interested to know theres another Formula 1 product called “Free From”. The ingredients seem to be slightly different to the ones you’ve posted. The Free From shake is from Pea Protein not Soy… its hard (impossible) to find the ingredients listed online so I’ve typed them out here – apologies for any typos these don’t exactly trip off the fingers.
Pea protein (43.5%), fructose, safflower oil, inulin, thickeners(guar gum, xanthan gum, carragenan, pectin), calcium citrate, potassium phosphate, flavourings, bulking agent (microcrystalline cellulose), corn bran, emulsifiers (sunflower lecithin), L-menthionie, rapeseed oil, magnesium oxide, sodium chloride, L-ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, D-alpha-tocopheryl acetate, blueberry juice powder, pomegranate juice powder, sweetner (sucralose), ferrous fumarate, nicotinamide, parsley powder, papaya powder, zinc oxide, calcium D-pantothenate, manganese carbonate, cupric citrate, cyanocobalamin, cholecalciferol, pyrodoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, thiamine hydrochloride, pteroymonoglutamic acid, potassium iodide, sodium selenite, D-biotoxin
I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on that lot.. in particular, am I wrong but wouldn’t corn bran be a type of grain, something I’d told my herbalife “nutritionist” I was specificially avoiding?
By the by, regarding their normal formula 1 shake I found these contradictory statements right in the product info, which I thought was telling.
“Rich in protein from dairy and soy” and then later in the same page “Free From – free from lactose, soy” – Wait, what! Which one is it?
Corn is a grain, a highly genetically modified one at that.
My issues with the ingredients you provided:
The very second ingredient is fructose, safflower oil is highly inflammatory, guar/xantham gum are very processed, carageenan destroys gut lining, corn bran is overly processed and GMO, sucralose is a toxic artificial sweetener, etc.
This shake is NOT healthy. I make a shake of raw dairy/kefir/coconut milk, 3 raw egg yolks, FCLO, cinnamon and turmeric, Great Lakes collagen and soemtimes the protein I linked to if I need it. Whole foods, my friend!
That’s what I figured. I’m a bit annoyed with myself for letting myself get suckered in. I’m a bit annoyed at the friend / distributor for ignoring everything I’d said about my diet and feeding me this ****. I’m quite astounded by the zealous feedback that the Herbalife faithful give. There’s a little part of me that thought to myself, Scientology?
What about Shakeology? I have been using that product and really love it. From what i have researched, **I AM NOT AN EXPERT** i dont find anything bad about it. Just a question. Good info though!
I think the first this to consider is the whey protein and if it comes from grass-fed cows, and then how it is processed. You can always ask the company. It also has isolated fructose which I’m not a fan of.
As for the vegan shake, the main ingredient is brown rice protein which is high in phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, it can be tough on the digestive system, especially if a person has impaired gut function. Same for the quinoa.
In general I’m not a fan of shakes, or anything with a lot of ingredients. I do make my boyfriend protein shakes, but it’s very basic, fresh, whole food ingredients. Most of the ingredients in Shakeology aren’t bad though.
Thanks! great info on here. Keep up the good work!
Thank you!
Hi, I was wondering if you knew anything about their Herbal Concentrated Tea or their Herbal Aloe Concentrate? Also if I wanted to use a tea and aloe concentrate, what a healthy alternative would be?
Thanks!
Could you provide a link to the ingredients? I’d be happy to do a review.
What are your thoughts on juice plus?
Thanks dani
Could you provide a link to the ingredients you’d like reviewed?
I looked on my friends site who sells Herbalife, but it does not list any ingredients…on anything! However I did find photos on this website http://www.evitamins.com/herbal-tea-concentrate–herbalife-11861.
I had a really hard time finding the ingredients listing for the Herbal Aloe Concentrate. But after a few Google searches I found a photo…
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Herbalife-Herbal-Aloe-Concentrate/271259581370?_trksid=p2047675.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222002%26algo%3DSIC.FIT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D18579%26meid%3D2979091804533554538%26pid%3D100011%26prg%3D8476%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D5%26sd%3D221293565678%26
I hope this helps 🙂
Yum, artificial sweetener! Also, citric acid and maltodextrin are GMO unless otherwise stated. Potassium sorbate is a preservative.
This is great, thanks Dawn!
It does have its uses hehe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Xzq3ognV-_c
OH MY GOD I LOVE THIS SO MUCH.
Haha I thought you might, he has a couple of videos like that, I have a couple of trainers that work at the same Gym as myself that sell Herbalife, needless to say after posting this stuff on my FB page they now don’t talk to me let alone try and get me to sell that rubbish any more…. Truth hurts I guess.
Great counter article. But there seems to be a lack of resources and what experience did you say you had regarding nutrition?
I’m not sure what this is in reply to; what counter article?
There is an entire “About” page, I suggest reading it.
There is no lack of resources, everything was pulled directly from the Herbalife website.
No no, it is a counter article. Herbalife claims to have healthy and nutritional products and you have said that to be false. I do not see any references that back up your claims. Nor do I see any references regarding your background or experience in the field other than some certification. Also you pulled these ingredient lists from the internet right? The Herbalife site does not post any ingredients for any of the products. You do not have proper references and resources for the ingredients pictures or your statements therefore making your claims false. Good try though.
Hi,
Until today i thought that Herbalife was usinng only Organic ingrediants. I looked at a few differnt websites and found out that they are not and that they infact use GMO’s and I was really surprised. I have always been intersted in a healther life style and it had nothing to do with losing weight so a few yrs ago i joined Herbalife and used the products (basically the formula 1 and the personalized protien for one meal per day for about 2 yrs.
I had no intrest in selling it I never even tried i just joined to get the 25% discount.
The point is if you read the lable and just make your decision based on that it total crap. Me as a user 1 herbalife formula 1 product is worth everything in any health store. Only a person who would try this can agree with me.
I dont know how they maganed to do so without using organic ingrediants. But i beleive 100% that they make awsome products for improving the health.
Contrary to what you said above. There products clear the artires from any blockage. I had some tests done and everything was in range in the blood. I did not get a cold or a cough in all the time that I was using it proving that it boosted my imune system as well.
Herbalife is my favorite company in the world.
To each his own, but I hope that in the coming years you do not see the negative effects of loading your body with toxic chemicals, GMOs and processed ingredients.
I’m honestly curious, how can you continue consuming Herbalife if you now know that the products are complete garbage? How can you say they’re your favorite company in the world when they support Monsato and the GMO initiative, they scam people and literally sell people toxic junk?
Dani
Please can you offer us some real proof that Herbalife supports Monsato!
Where can we look to see if this is true?
Where do you get your information from?
How can you say they sell toxic junk? If you have solid scientific proof then please share with us.
I literally provided all of that information in the article.
If you were unable to comprehend the information I provided, I really cannot help you.
Well, As explained that I used the products everyday for 2 years and I did not get any headaches or dierrihya or a cold or a cough.
So whether you like it or not thier products do work and they do boost health. I had an angiogram (A photo to see my arteries) and there was 0% clogging. They doctor thought that I was a super athelet.
I suggest that you would make a better test subject than me. So i would like you to conduct an experiment and try their product. They do have some that are not GMO.
You as a health person that used organic food already can give a real comparison. If you are not convinced about their products then I would pay you back the price and 100$.
I just would never put these toxins into my body.
I understand that coming from a bad diet and switching to Herbalife makes people feel better, that’s natural. But it doesn’t mean it’s a healthy product or that it makes you healthy. You’ve had a very limited amount of health markers checked, but really you have no idea all of the other ways putting this into your body could affect you in the future. I would be concerned about cancer from the GMOs, soy, rancid vegetable oils, etc.
More, I want to share more things. One big sign of good health is being in a good mood. I was in such a great mood all the time. I felt happy for no reason, even though I was livng in a tiny studio flat and had no car. The Herbalife meal was my breakfast and I spend the entire day with loads of energy. Usually at the end of the work day I would not be able to sit on my chair because I had so much energy. I would spend the last 30 min standing up. Many days after work I would go for a walk to do some chores. I used to walk around 4 miles before I got home. I still would not feel tired. Then I would do my daily workout and go off to sleep.
Hi Dani, would you take a look at Sci-MX Diet Pro Meal, the ingredients are on this page: http://www.gymratz.co.uk/scimx-diet-shake-wholesale
Not good; soy protein isolate, denatured whey protein, fructose, etc.
http://www.simplyshredded.com/top-protein-picks-the-ultimate-guide-to-protein-powders-for-muscle-growth.html
Also, check out how he used and sited his sources 🙂
Is this a joke or are you actively trying to prove my point even more? I only skimmed this article because I wasn’t sure if it was actually a joke or not.
From the article,
“Soy protein…It is produced using defatted soy flakes that go through a water or alcohol extraction process to remove the carbs.”
Soy protein is what is leftover after going through a lengthy processing treatment involving hexane (a neurotoxin) to remove the oil, which is one of the most widely used vegetable oils in the US because it’s cheap; which is why Herbalife uses it as well. Anyone with a basic understand of nutrition would understand this.
And by citing (not site, by the way) you mean his/her links to muscleleanfitless.com and flexonline.com?
Is this really your argument against me? HAHA.
How would a article with proper CITATION be a joke? YOUR ARTICLE is a joke. No proper sources to back up your claims, no citations, and no proper education regarding nutrition.
As for Herbalife using the certain methods with soy as you mentioned above, do you have any sites, articles, anything from HERBALIFE to base your claims? I assume no, for your statement claiming the photos of ingredients you found were from the Herbalife site were indeed false.
You clearly have no idea what it means to cite an article or how to properly do so.
Those are not proper citations, not even close. By your standards, I could “cite” by simply linking to gulliblesheep.com.
I don’t need to cite anything when I’m simply proving the ingredients directly from the Herbalife website.
Do you not realize this information is taken directly from the Herbalife.com? So what exactly do I need to cite?
You keep saying it’s from the Herbalife site but it is not. Herbalife does not post any ingredients on their site.
Point. Blank. Period. You are delusional to think those are from any approved Herbalife site.
And yes I do know how to site correctly. In the article it is mentioned several times where to find the information that they are posting that back up their claims. References were posted at the bottom of the article to solidify what they are saying is FACT. You have NO FACTS. Just silly accusations and pictures.
If you were as knowledgeable and as educated as you say you were, you wouldn’t be wasting your time posting FALSE articles on your website.
Oh and another thing, Herbalife does not use GMO’s. We are among the 5% in nutritional companies that use clean and safe ingredients and is GMO FREE.
We are in 91 countries around the world, FDA regulated which mean everything that is in our products must be on the label. The Label on each Formula 1 shake mix says non-GMOs. FACTS. All of that CAN be found on the Herbalife website.
Like I said, good try. Stick with what you THINK you know.
My article is 100% factual, if you had any idea about the toxic products you sell unsuspecting victims, you would know that. And considering you’re an Herbalife slinger, you should probably know the ingredients in your garbage of a product. It is a fact that Herbalife uses the ingredients I listed in my article.
Herbalife doesn’t have ingredients on their site? Here you go:
http://az31823.vo.msecnd.net/content/en-us/pdf/catalog/100907_sku1122_us_label.pdf
http://az31823.vo.msecnd.net/content/en-us/pdf/catalog/0291_soupmix_carton_us.pdf
http://az31823.vo.msecnd.net/content/en-us/pdf/catalog/120906_sku0058_us_label.pdf
And here is a link to all of the Formula 1 garbage –> http://catalog.herbalife.com/Catalog/en-US/Weight-Management/Formula-1/Formula-1-Nutritional-Shake-Mix
So…who’s delusional now? Because those are links directly to the Herbalife website containing toxic ingredients.
For the last time, it’s CITE, not site. So please read up on your products, because they DO contain everything I said in the article, INCLUDING GMOs. Herbalife is NOT certified GMO free and DOES use GMO ingredients.
So. Now that that’s out of the way, care to answer the questions no other Herbalife pusher has been able to?
How are GMOs good for you?
How are rancid vegetable oils good for you?
How is denatured protein good for you?
How are artificial sweeteners good for you?
How is soy good for you?
How are overly processed and toxic ingredients good for you?
How are hydrogenated oils good for you?
Hi Dani,
I came across this article two months ago when i started using the herbalife products and even when i was starting it i thought, this surely can’t be right that the words herbalife and nuritionists shouldn’t go together. Heres why.
Well I needed to change my diet because I was overweight, had a poor diet that led to irritable bowl (not because I was eating “mcdonalds” or “fast food”… which is still a stereotype by the way…) but because I wasn’t regulating my diet with my three jobs and drinking too much alcohol with my social hectic lifestyle. Any of these three things can lead to complete madness in your body.
So someone recommended to me a “wellness and nutrition centre.” Now I was desperate at first to sort out my bowl problem and stop feeling so awful. I’d just moved back home from where I was living and quit my jobs. I decided to go and see this ‘nutritionist and wellness’ person. So at first she gave me a regular BMI stuff, pretty much showed I was in a bad shape, (no shit?) and then came HERBALIFE: she reeled off shakes, protein powders, protein bars, fibre pills ETCETC. The list could go on. And the money came rolling out.
So she said to take a shake in the morning, then one in the evening and eat regular healthy meals such as fish, chicken with vegtables, greek yogurt for snacks etc. (All good stuff, no?)
So I’d come back to her regularly as follow up appointments to check my progress as she would call it. THEN came the pyramid scheme manipulation… at first it was all about your doing so well, then came… ‘come and help me do a talk in London at the herbalife conventions…’ then the next time was ‘I want to expand my business, you can help open up a centre where you live…’
I found the product TOO EASY. I went to see her recently and told her I want to eat more regular healthy meals and can she give me more advice and suggestions. Basically she said NO and wrote down on a scrap piece of paper the calories i need to check 1800 and 109g of protein. THANKS VERY MUCH. So she wouldn’t give me any other advice because I wasn’t buying herbalife anymore.
And you do put the weight back on. NOW when I say ‘PUT THE WEIGHT BACK ON,’ again it’s not because you aren’t regulating good healthy food, but it is because this product is designed for as I quote from the herbalife nutritionist woman I went to see “ a toned body” now toned meaning… high maintenance exercise work. I like walking, I like doing active fulfilling things… but this is some serious shit when it comes to looking like a body builder.
After a month I barely lost any weight but was so happy that my bowl was put right, and so my body was regulating itself again. Now I want to stay healthy through nutritious food and daily non-evasive mad exercise.
MY FINAL ADVICE: If herbalife “nutritionists” tell you its not easy, well they are lying, that is the ironic reason why it exists as another “weight loss programme.”
Just to mention I’m 22, and it’s best for my generation not to get mixed up in these places if I’m honest. Research your own nutrition needs, get advice from ACTUAL nutritionists (if they still exist?) Re-think other forms of exercise?
This is a pretty long message, I just am glad someone is being more vocal about the toxic nature of Herbalife… because the herbalife sellers sure got themselves into a pickle with this one!
“I went to see her recently and told her I want to eat more regular healthy meals and can she give me more advice and suggestions. Basically she said NO and wrote down on a scrap piece of paper the calories i need to check 1800 and 109g of protein. THANKS VERY MUCH. So she wouldn’t give me any other advice because I wasn’t buying herbalife anymore.”
That disgusts me. These people are not health coaches, they’re not wellness professionals. They have no idea about real nutrition.
Thanks so much for sharing your story!
Oh yeah, and p.s i forgot to mention –
in a kind of american psycho way (the bits about psychology in booming businesses in american in the 80s/90s…)comes the fact that the CEO of herbalife (if you do your research about the stuff the company now leaves out) committed suicide on a drug/alcohol binge after nearly loosing the company altogether and the cases against its ingredients/health values…. all of that combined when i was doing research into it (which is also not available when going to one of these herbalife people) then you just think, well there is definitely something wrong with this picture.
Here is what some herbalife guru replied to a post i sent on FB to a friend when i called out the bs about no herbs in herbalife http://company.herbalife.co.uk/sponsorships seems as though sticking Cristian Ronaldo with a herbalife tshirt makes it the dogs bollocks, ahhh ignorance really is bliss, great article your link was my response but you know what they say you can lead a horse to water but you cant make it drink i hope she does some research but most people would rather be led a merry dance while ignoring the FACTS..
HAHAHAHAHA an Herablife pusher? I don’t need to push Herbalife on anyone. I defend my company because it is what it says it is. A nutrition company with integrity and intentions to change the nutritional habits of the world. And being in 91 countries around the world, we are changing peoples lives. There are 27 doctors on our advisory board, one of which left the FDA to join Herbalife, another who is a Noble Laureate winner that was voted among his peers as the best with only 7 other winners alive today. I know who makes our products and they are certified doctors with experience in the field of nutrition. How can you compare? Your certification is nothing. This company has probably been here longer than you’ve been alive! And here to stay. Hey, I may not be a doctor, but anyone with common sense would know to listen to someone with credentials instead of someone who thinks they know what they’re talking about.
So with that, I no longer need to prove or say anything else. The company speaks for itself. I don’t judge what you believe in, nor do I think you are doing anything wrong. What I do ask is that you continue to do what you believe in, but leave other nutritional companies alone. There’s no reason to bash on other companies to promote what you believe in. It’s not worth your time. Especially if your going to attack a company that has been proven to be right.
You didn’t even know what was in Herbalife, your original argument was that I was lying about the ingredients. You know they’re complete trash, otherwise why would you accuse me of lying about what is in the products?
I see that you’ve changed your tune since I provided the links directly to the Herbalife site with the ingredients.
And I see that you won’t (because you can’t) answer the questions in my previous comment. Because you KNOW that GMOs, soy, hydrogenated and rancid vegetable oils, etc are not good for anyone.
You’re right, Herbalife does change people’s lives…for the worse.
I don’t have to answer your questions. Because I can’t. I’m not a doctor, scientist, or a dietitian. I believe in people with facts. So you can go on believing what you want. I’m not here to change your mind or change your beliefs. They are yours and yours alone. Just like my beliefs in Herbalife. If you really promoted what you believe in, you wouldn’t waste your time with a company like Herbalife. It’s petty and unbecoming. That’s all I’m saying. But in the long run, we’ll see whose right. Like I said Herbalife has been here 33 years strong, growing a billion dollars each year, opening up in an average 5 new countries each year. It’s here to stay and is changing the nutritional habits of people around the world!!!!
Yeah, I gave you facts. These cheap, toxic products are unhealthy. And yet you still sell them, and you have no idea what you’re even selling.
How is educating people on toxic products that people like you who have no idea about nutrition try to sell them petty and unbecoming? People are scammed everyday, it is literally my job to help people make better nutritional choices.
Yes, like I said, it’s changing people’s nutritional habits for the worse.
My 24 year old stepson became an HerbaLife “acolyte” about 8 months ago, going as far as to quit his job to pursue this full time, monthly meetings, trip to National Seminars, the works. He has convinced his mother, who is 48, to climb on the band wagon. Her over use of the product, shakes, tea with lanolin, and excessive pills hace caused her to lose so much weight, down to 110 pounds from 122, that she now looks sickly in her body and drawn in her face. Even when she does consume normal food now, it doesn’t stay in her system long enough for her to gain any nutritional benefit from it. My resistance to take the product myself, and demands that she stop have now led to him convincing her that she should leave me after a 19 year relationship. There’s nothing to be done about it now, but I’m still concerned about her long term health. If this isn’t a perfect example of cult mentality, then I don’t what is.
Jerry, I’m so sorry to hear that. Maybe you could show them this article? No 19 year relationship should end over Herbalife!
Hey Dani
Thanks for the information on herbalife. I have been an off and on user of the product and I cant really defend it or the ingredients. My main issue is I am trying to get my body to work the way it needs to work. I have been on and off steroid meds for a back injury which unfortunately piles on the weight with every steroid treatment.
I am on a paleo lifestyle since grains and dairy fire me up the wrong way. Anyway my main thing is healing my metabolism after building up toxins from all the meds that i have been taking. I cant shake weight off . Anyway what is your opinion on Vega one shakes? I need to the protein after my workout sessions at the gym. Also would you recommend Elite Iso-100 ( my SO uses the hydrolyzed whey and the casein) thanks
Can you provide a link to the list on ingredients?
Hi Dani, what a great article! I was just looking for Herbalife ingredient list as I wanted to see why they call their products ‘healthy’. I didn’t even need to read the article as just by looking at that list screams ‘junk food’ or ‘cancer’. It’s hard to believe that someone will be intelligent enough to believe that the product is healthy, it boggles my mind! Average people are just too plain lazy to learn about nutrition.
Some in their comments said that Herbalife works for weight loss, or they believe it does, yet it does not cross their mind that people with anorexia also lose weight – the deadly way. Just because weight is lost, it doesn’t mean it’s a sign of health. It’s obvious how Herbalife is packed with artificial vitamins and other junk that will just starve the body if there is no other means of getting good nutrition with food.
How disgusting that this company places their job ads everywhere on the net, without even mentioning their name or any specific information. They just lure people into this ‘wellness’ business. What a load of BL.
What do you think about the product Hot Rox ? http://www.t-nation.com/store/products/hot-rox-extreme. My boyfriend is taking it and likes it but Im fearful of any side effects that may occur. …especially down the road. Just like Herbal Life the ingredients do not seem too clear and how do I convince him to stop taking them? Has anyone else asked you about these? Thank you for all your research and information you post on this site, very helpful!
It definitely seems sketchy, but I haven’t heard of it before and I cannot find the ingredients. Am I missing them? I’d suggest emailing for an ingredient list.
Reading through these responses from the Herbalife experts is actually hilarious. I joined a similar company, YORHealth, that promotes a “better, healthy lifestyle” a few years ago to see what it was like. For the three months that I forced myself to stick with it was horrible. You guys can claim that you guys are different from x company to y company and so and so but it’s pretty close to similar. YORHealth had doctors, researchers, etc. from Harvard with all these great credentials. Cool beans, but it doesn’t take a person with an MD to educate themselves basic nutritional knowledge. Just like a professor in college, he/she may be an expertise in their field, but they still suck at teaching. First off, with “nutritional” companies like these are expensive and you have to pay a certain amount monthly. You seriously can save yourself time and money and get yourself some real food for your body. Second, you promotors are so AWESOME at manipulating people. “We want to help you. Don’t you want to show up at a business event in a Mercedes? We’ll teach you everything you need to know to get started.” The best one is, “I’m a part of this challenge! Join now and I can help you!” Now I don’t know if Herbalife tells your first time distributors that if your family and friends don’t join your “movement” they really weren’t there for you all along. LOL. Really? Cause Herbalife and YORHealth wasn’t there for me when I was 10 when my parents divorced. I’m pretty sure my best friends were and they are now today. Also you guys really don’t know what’s in your supplements. Ask anyone and they’re most likely going to tell you these are digestive enzymes, they meet your nutritional needs, it’s a meal replacement, proteins build muscles, and so and so. They aren’t MD doctors either so obviously your promoters don’t know crap and will tell you the basic general works of each supplement. Even the top distributors will have no idea. It’s cause they’re not there to educate you on science, they’re there for business. We all understand the products work and if it made a difference in your life then great. Lastly, somehow in someway when one of the people you know is a part of that company still insists in trying to get you to join the company. And when questions like Dani asked, can NEVER be answered for people like me and her that actually care what we put into our bodies. Bottom line understanding what you consume in comes from is essential. Whether you’re for Herbalife or YORHealth, you promoters seriously have a sick emotional attachment to a company that will eventually fade out. I hope the bandwagons understand this is a trend and something new will pop up and a different business will take over. It takes honesty from an individual to truly make a lifestyle change, not when a company persuades you to.
Hi
Thank you for the read, I am into quite healthy meals and once tried another form of healthy shake scheme, last two weeks and felt so poorly and was having to take extra vitamins for it. Now i am watching my friends join herbalife and i can’t how blind they are to see what it is.
I can’t tell them any different so they will have to get the result in the end. I know i feel better off without it and any other scheme and would share if people believed.
Thanks Again
Hi Dan,
Really enjoyed your article, I’m on the fence with this stuff as my girlfriend has been doing Herbalife (1-2) times a day and to be fair. Its the healthiest she has ever been. She has never eaten any types of fruit/veg (bar carrots) and the vitamins/minerals that are in a formula one shake she would never ever eat in a normal day. She also feels better and her confidence has really grown. Also one of my friends has lost a stone in a month on 2 shakes a day. As a personal trainer herbalife would not be what i advise, but for the right person i think it can be a healthier/easy to access product. Roughly £25 for a months worth of breakfasts is not even a rip off so I can see why people are for this. But i’d much rather a proper dinner every day!!
Just because people lose weight does not mean they, or the product is healthy.
Hi Dani,
I just started off on herbalife a couple of weeks ago and so far so good with the weight loss, about 7lbs in that time. I come across your blog and don’t pretend to know a lot about nutrition so forgive my ignorance.
I started with herbalife to ‘get healthy’, im not particularly overweight, 26 on the BMI scale with a body fat % just below 20% but what I liked about herbalife is that I feel less hungry, I have a morning shake at 7am, snack at 10, afternoon shake at 1pm, snack at 4pm, evening meal at 1830, anything I like really as long as it’s not fast food or ready meal, and then another snack at 20:30. My energy levels are up, Im feeling more alert and I’ve some how managed to lose 7lbs in 14 days. (Weight was 182lbs, now 175lbs)
Anyway, it beats my eating habits before which would consist of a couple of fried egg and bacon rolls for breakfast, a bag of crisps and a mars bar for snack, a tuna mayo baguette for lunch, another pack of crisps, fast food for evening meal followed by ice cream and a chocolate bar afterwards. I felt awful, always craving sugar, blood sugar high, followed by a big blood sugar low, craving more carbs, I’m sure you know the vicious cycle.
In summary, I like the idea of having a shake for breakfast and lunch, it’s easy and it’s healthier than what I was shoving down my throat before. I guess it’s the protein in the shakes that’s keeping me full and ending the carb craving?
If herbalife is no good for me, I have come across another company called 310 nutrition that also sells similar products. Can you cast your eye over their products and give me your opinion please?
Many thanks,
Craig
Hi Craig,
Could your please provide a link to the product ingredient list you would like reviewed?
Hi Craig, (and anyone looking to improve their health),
The key to good health is feeding your body with nutrients as nature intended it to be, and not the processed crap that companies want to shove down your throat and take your money. Don’t believe in any Herbalife, or any other company with their processed ingredients. It’s disgusting what companies would do to squeeze every dollar from consumers, hurting the environment as well as the people that buy them. Invest, instead, back in mother nature, and get organic greens and fruits, there will be noticeable differences, physically and mentally.
Watch this free educational and thought provoking movie “Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead”, to get the full story.
http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/
Also ‘Vanishing Bees’ to understand what commercial agriculture is doing to our environment.
http://www.vanishingbees.com/
Hi Dani,
Any shake from the link here … http://www.310nutrition.com/Why-310-Shake.html
NO soy protein
NO sucralose
NO aspartame
NO high fructose corn syrup
NO artificial sweeteners
NO hormones
NO artificial colors
NO MSG
They don’t list their ingredients. This makes me wary. You will probably have to email them for the list of ingredients.
Also, this review and comparison..
http://shakedietreviews.com/?reviews=310shake
Can you give me your thoughts,
Many thanks 🙂
There is no list of ingredients on this site.
I never trust fad diets. The larger the claim, the more I’m sure they’re hiding something. I have family members sucked into the Herbalife fad. I didn’t know they were full of soy until reading this article, however. Soy is a horrible little ingredient and I avoid it like the plague. If I see soy on it, it goes back on the shelf. I lost 70 lbs through good ole fashion exercise, portion control and eating the right foods. No fad diets.
But that’s not the whole reason I’m writing this. I wanted you to look into something for me. I don’t use meal replacement shakes, but I do drink shakes after lifting, mainly because muscle mass can be lost after a workout without proper protein and carb intake. I use AtLarge Nutrition’s Nitrean+, billed as “the most anabolic supplemental protein matrix on the market.” Contains no soy. It’s protein matrix contains whey, casein and egg. I was wondering what your thoughts on this product might be?
I looked at the ingredients of this shake: http://www.atlargenutrition.com/nitrean-dc and it’s not something I would take or recommend. The protein is denatured, it contains “artificial” flavors, and it contains sucralose, otherwise known as Splenda, otherwise known to cause tumors. So it’s definitely something I would stay away from.
The cleanest protein I’ve found is the one linked to in the article, it’s one ingredient, raw, grass-fed. For post workout protein shakes I use this with raw milk or coconut milk, raw kefir, 3 egg yolks, cinnamon, a tbsp of fermented cold over oil and two tbsp of grass-fed gelatin.
I understand the reasoning behind sucralose. I stay away from artificial sweeteners as much as possible. I only take the protein shake once a day, five days a week (in varying amounts depending on my workout) so I’m not worried about a small, insignificant amount. Maybe that’s naive to say. To be fair, I was unaware it contained sucralose until the other day.
However, not that I mean to argue, denatured protein, according to Dr. Swann of ProteinPow, is equally as beneficial as protein that hasn’t been denatured. Denatured protein is broken apart structurally prior to entering the stomach and aids in quicker absorption in the muscles while providing the same amino acids and benefits. Because of the quicker absorption, it is actually more beneficial to athletes who need the replenish protein more quickly. I would also like to point out Nitrean+ has concentrate and isolate, so that the protein provides a constant flow of protein to the muscles, or the best of both worlds.
I am not a nutritionist, though. And my knowledge of nutrition has come through constant research in the area, and is thus limited. The heated debate (no pun intended) between denatured and undenatured comes down to how your body processes it, which from I’ve read can vary significantly. So I guess my response would be, what is your take on denatured vs undenatured protein? And what is your take on the protein blend (if we could ignore the other drawbacks you might see)?
This might all be for not, anyway. It appears AtLarge stopped producing Nitrean+ in favor of its new Nitrean+ BLACK, which does contain soy. As I’ve already mentioned, I do not buy soy.
HAVE YOU HEARD OF OR TRIED – ARGI+ ?
can be found here –
http://www.desertlily.myflpbiz.com
ARGI+ Ingredients:
Vitamin C (since ascorbic chemical p) – for any immune process, a nutritious nervous process, concentration, sleep and nutritious bones and skin.
Vitamin D3 (as cholecalciferol) – for the immune process, bones, proper nervous system and confident mood.
Vitamin K2 (since menaquinone) : for bone formation, circulation clotting, therapeutic and vitality.
Vitamins B6 (as pyridoxine hydrochloride) – for the immune process, a healthy nervous system, brain, muscle groups, oxygen transportation, protein, body fat and carb metabolism.
Vitamins B9 – for innovative cells, head, nerves together with growth.
Vitamins B12 (as cyanocobalamin) – to get a healthy nervous system, beneficial mood, head, growth and oxygen vehicles.
Folate (since folic uric acid)
L-Arginine
Fresh fruit Blend (which include: grape skin extract, pomegranate extract, red wines extract, elderberry juice powder, raspberry liquid powder, morello cherry power powder, blackberry juice natural powder, blackcurrant moisture powder and blueberry power powder.)
so what is?:
Argi+ is a supplement containing L’Arginine, a critical amino acid and a popular supplement inside sports market. Essential amino acids are important to our health for the reason that cannot end up naturally synthesized by way of the body and for that reason must get found in your diet.
Within ARGI+, L-Arginine’s power has been enhanced with the addition of: Pomegranate – has robust antioxidant properties Merlot Extract – this helps maintain nutritious cholesterol levels Grape Skin color and Berry extracts for cardiovascular and disease fighting capability health
One with L’Arginine’s vital roles is to be converted in your body into Nitric Oxide. Getting the club 1992 when Nitric Oxide had been name your “Molecule of the Year”, scientists offers little idea that the overall body needs simply tiny numbers of this gas to do something as a cellular chemical type messenger, relaying information from anxious feelings to cells that control bodily processes and bodily organs. L’Arginine also removes ammonia, produces creatine (which is a major component of muscles), and may help regulate blood sugar by remodeling into carbohydrates or glycogen.
This is a link to the website, please provide a link to the specific product you would like reviewed.
I love this article. One of the biggest problem I have with Herbalife is that it can be sold by people who have no professional experience in the nutrition field. I live in the state of Florida. There is statute 468.517 here to protect consumers against these “Nutrition Clubs” giving nutritional counseling. These “distributers” do give it without ramification. How can this company get away with such practices? God forbid anyone with allergies or have a serious illness fall prey to this company. I can not wait to see this pyramid crumble.
Sincerely
Michele
Hi, I only use the Healthy Meal from Herbalife… I don’t really use any of the other products tho… To be honest, I just hate breakfast… And I’ve made shakes- organic yogurt, frozen banana, kale, and peanut butter, as a great and healthy day starter, but I still seem to have trouble just getting over my morning stomach issues to drink it.
I tried the chocolate Herbalife shake, and I realllllly liked the taste… I only drink 8oz of organic (grass fed) cow milk, and I eat healthy the rest of the day…
Can you look at the ingredients for me? If it’s not “too bad” I’d like to continue on it.
I do not have health issues that prevent me from eating in the am- I’m just extremely groggy and nauseous to morning smells… Always been that way.
No problem! Could you provide a link to the specific product you would like reviewed?
have your tried the clean 9 or nutri lean by forever living products. Be keen to hear your views on this 🙂 x
I’d be happy to do a review, just provide a link to the product.
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What about Shakeology? Here are links to the vanilla and chocolate ingredients:
http://images.beachbody.com/tbb/store/shakeology/pdf/shakeology_vanilla_supp_facts.pdf
http://www.carldaikeler.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Shakeology_ChocolateBag_1.5_Back_Web.pdf
There are obviously many other flavors, as well.
I wouldn’t take it because it contains grains, which are not only hard to digest but full of physic acid, which binds to vitamins and minerals and prevents them from being absorbed. Also, you might want to make sure the whey they use is from grass-fed cows. Conventional dairy is seriously hazardous.
Other than promising increased energy, the other big promise from Shakeology is that it promotes easier absorption of vitamins and minerals (not that I don’t believe these fad diets promise what they can’t deliver). For its price tag ($140 for 30 days), it’s unlikely I try it anyway.
This is directly from them:
Chocolate, Greenberry, and Vanilla Formulas:
The whey protein isolate that is used in Shakeology is the highest commercial grade available. At this time, we do not require that it be organic. Our whey protein isolate is ion-filtered, antiobiotic-free and BST free. It is not from grass-fed cows.
Vegan Chocolate and Tropical Strawberry:
In our vegan formulas, the protein blend contains brown rice protein, pea protein, along with chia, amaranth, quinoa, and flax. Together, they are a complete protein containing all 9 essential amino acids including sufficient levels of lysine and methionine, which are often deficient in vegan diets.
Not from grass-fed cows?! No good!
What is your opinion of protein powders from plant proteins such as pea and brown rice with no soy or whey? Such as Seeking Health. I’m not a vegan, but the price of these proteins seems to be much more reasonable.
I’m not a fan of plant based protein in general, they’re full of naturally occurring plant toxins.
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I just wanted to come and say that the comments from Herbalife pushers here are just absolutely hilarious. First of all, most are so incoherent I applaud you for your ability to respond to them so professionally — I’m not usually a “grammar nazi” but the terrible wording, lack of punctuation, etc was really getting to me. Next, I love that they all say the exact same thing — brainwashed much? It also makes me wonder if 1)all of them are by the exact same person and 2)one person went and told their buddies to come here and flood you with comments but instead they had their asses handed to them.
Seriously, I doubt that two commenters would have complained about your supposed use of gmo-eggs and how you have a brownie recipe unless they were the same person or one person who was butthurt got their friends involved.
This whole thing is hilarious. In other news, fantastic post.
Love this comment; thanks Christina!
The amount of knowledge the pro-Herbalife cult members commenting in this article have, can be condensed to produce a brain the size of a peanut.
It’s insanity – trying to explain the same thing over and over expecting the same results in the face of cold hard facts. Please read the article properly, and have an open mind that this product may not be all that good for you.
My boyfriend’s sister has been roped into this company as a distributor and I worry for her health in the long run.
OH MY WORD! I have been on Herbalife on and off for the last couple of years and I’m a registered distributor. Started again yesterday to loose a few kilos. WHILE drinking my shake I decided to google…is herbalife really good for you….and I came across this article……totally confused now!!
Also the comments about Herbalife people being obsessive about this whole thing is the one thing I have not been able to stand from the beginning!!!
Hi, I can’t find your link for the natural protein that you recommend. Could you out it up again or guide me to it. ? Thank you
http://amzn.to/1ayypJN
Thank you so much, have you ever heard of one called Ros force, whey Tru, I am on ipad at moment and it won’t let me forward link, if you need me to I can forward from lap top tomorrow. I would love to hear what your feelings are on this one. Thanks again
Hi again, I have tried to purchase the raw organic protein you suggest in your link but they will not deliver to ireland. I have tried amazon.co.uk and they do not stock it. I will keep looking but if possible could you check out the Ros Force. Thanks so much
I looked at a few of their whey products and I wouldn’t take them. They contain denatured protein and artificial sweeteners. I also didn’t see any mention of grass-fed whey. You’re in Ireland! Shouldn’t it be easy to get grass-fed dairy? Haha.
Ha ha you would think so lol. Thanks for your help. I really appreciate it. I will continue on my search.
What irks me about these herbalife people is that they call themselves “health coaches.” They do not have to have a degree in nutrition, certifications, qualifications, anything. They push this product, which is unhealthy, and boast that they ARE healthy and teaching others how to be healthy in the process, yet they know nothing about health. Obviously.
Suddenly over the last year or so I have seen an insane amount of people on my facebook raving about how herbalife changed their lives and how they lost so much weight so fast. Anyone would lose a 40 pounds in a month and half when he/she is consuming less than 500 calories of these shakes. One shake is only 90 calories, which just baffles me.
I can guarantee when anyone goes off of herbalife after a year and starts to eat real food again, they would gain weight back. Seriously, is anyone going to be doing this shake shit for the rest of their lives? Doubt it.
Thanks for the article!
ME TOO! One of the comments I got on this article said, “I sell Herbalife and I’m a health coach too. Since people lose weight on this, GMOs can’t really be that bad.”
WHAT?! These people know nothing about nutrition or wellness and are not qualified to call themselves health coaches.
Thanks for the comment!
Great article! As a former Mannatech Associate, I am very interested now to hear if their claims of producing whole-food, all natural products is true. While this may be true, I wonder if their products contain non GMO and organic ingredients. From listening to the Herbalife reps defend their company, I realise it sounds a lot like a Mannatech Associate defending Mannatech – interesting. I know a family who only has a shake for breakfast, including the 5yr old and have always thought that surely proper food would be better. What are your thoughts on just a shake for a meal?
I do not support replacing meals with shakes – it is completely unhealthy. There is no substitute for real, unprocessed, organic food.
Here is the reply I got from a friend in South Africa after posting your comment on my Facebook timeline… I don’t know where they got that label, but here is a photo I just took of a tin of shake I have.
– I don’t have any paperwork on hand to show that Herbalife doesn’t use GM soy, but I’ll find some. In the mean time, know that Herbalife owns the farms on which the soy is grown. It’s a project that they rolled out called, “Seed to Feed”. Where every single step of the process of creating a Herbalife shake is “owned”, and hence controlled by Herbalife.
– There are zero artificial sweeteners in a Herbalife shake. See ingredient list.
– There is no MonoSodiumGlutimate in any Herbalife product. See ingredient list.
– There are definitely no Trans Fats, in fact we educate people about the harmful effects of them. Transfats are used to extend the shelf life of products. Herbalife’s shelf life is relatively short. Check the Typical Nutritional Information section of your shake tin.
– No artificial flavours (or colours). For example, They use beetroot to colour the Strawberry shake. All natural.
– The shelf life is relatively short because of the lack of preservatives. See ingredient list.
They gave me this link … http://www.herbalifenutritioninstitute.com/en/ and shared this photo from the can of their own Herbalife shake… https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153841905035517&set=p.10153841905035517&type=1
I would love your thoughts on this!
My response to your friend:
I don’t know how to say this over this internet without sounding rude but know that’s not my intention: did you read this article? Did you read the ingredient lists? If you did, you would not be making these points.
1. The soy used in Herbalife in the US is genetically modified.
2. I very clearly laid it out the ingredient lists in this review and sucralose is listed in the shakes. Sucralose is an artificial sweetener. I also discussed the dangers of sucralose.
3. Autolyzed yeast extract is MSG and it’s in Herbalife products. Read the ingredient lists in this article.
4. What do you think fractionated palm kernel oil, hydrogenated corn oil, hydrogenated soy oil, hydrogenated cottonseed oil and margarine are? TRANS FATS. Read the ingredient lists in the article.
5. They literally list “artificial flavors” on their ingredient lists. Read the ingredient list for the creamy chicken soup. It’s on there.
Again, please actually read the ingredient lists.
I realize this is waaaay late here. But that’s the thing about people who sell Herbalife and numerous other Direct Sales (MLM) companies that sell weight loss and nutrition products. They read something someone said somewhere (ex. it doesn’t contain GMO) and run with it. I’ve seen many people claim that Herbalife doesn’t contain GMO. Sorry, but if that were true, they’d get certified with non-gmo project just like every other truly non-gmo protein. Although really, non-gmo soy protein isolate is very limited in the market… because people who care about buying non-gmo know that soy in general isn’t the greatest idea, and moreso there are far better quality plant-based proteins out there.
Agree!
Interesting debate..however, that label is not an Herbalife label…I have a formula 1 French Vanilla label just now and comparing it to what was posted…and that’s not authentic, or it was modified.
Go to their website and look at the label for a Formula 1 and see for yourselves.
Please do not insinuate I have altered, modified or otherwise was dishonest with the information I provided. I understand that you must have misread the article, but it’s unacceptable to make an accusation like that.
I never said the shake I listed was for the Forumla 1 line (which is still garbage by the way). I also clearly linked to the shake, which I did not alter AT ALL. Because I guess you missed it, I will link again for you: http://az31823.vo.msecnd.net/content/en-us/pdf/catalog/100907_sku1122_us_label.pdf#sthash.d4NmTrqc.dpuf
FYI – here is the link to the Formula 1 protein, it isn’t much different and is still full of processed, toxic ingredients: http://az31823.vo.msecnd.net/content/en-us/pdf/catalog/120424_sku3106_us_label.pdf
Hi Dani,
I copied your article onto Sleek Geek Girls which is a SA FB (secret ) page and there was an interesting debate going on. Just went on now to see whole thread deleted. Was some one feeling threatened perhaps.
I guess it’s not entirely surprising it was deleted. Thanks for sharing it though!
I know someone who sells Herbalife and I ended up buying a couple of their products… and was thinking of joining their team. So glad I read this though! I threw my products in the trash this morning 🙂
Great work Dani, never understood why people take advice off “sellers” – would you get a random person to sort your plumbing/gas/electric in your house or go to a professional? Nobody has answered the question about how these toxins can be good for you! Because they’re not! Still to meet anyone educated selling this stuff. I’m working closely with a woman who used it for 4 months and in the following 2 months has put on more weight than she originally lost (metabolic rebound) and became anaemic and was low on calcium and magnesium. Why? Because one of the toxins forced her body to urinate them out. Great “health” product! Eat real food not products you drones!
it is so sad that is true, i use herbalife since i was 16, i guess they used high tech to get rid of bad parts but still using GMO being a part of murdering the environment…i feel really bad about that, i just wrote a letter to C.O and a founder of herbalife, i hope that can do something and let them go organic.
Hi hun, my gf just linked me to your post as I was planning to start using Herbalife on Friday. I have to say im a little shocked at what you have posted, as I have 2 small kids and was wanting to start eating and drinking healthier to be a better mum for my children. But after reading your post I am shocked that my choice was actually not a good one. I do also eat organic but because they are a little more pricey I don’t buy it a lot more as I wish to.
2 of my girlfriends use and are herbalife reps and swore it was good for me and it was going to benefit my life. But know I know I have made the right decision and will be cancelling my herbalife appointment, and do more research.
Thanku 🙂
You’re very welcome! And I do encourage you to do even more research to find an eating plan that is best for you and your family; let me know if you have any questions.
Hi, im currently on and selling Isagenix, i was wondering what you thought about this system?
https://ancestral-nutrition.com/isagenix-is-unhealthy/
would listen to a word in that article, its all a load of rubbish, if it was bad for you would it be in 94 countries world wide?? where it has to go through strict government testing?? would it be pharmaceutically graded?? no think not!! it helped me improve my health massively, my doctor has even started using it because of the improvements to my health
Using your logic, cigarettes are healthy too!
If you truly believe Herbalife is healthy, please answer the following:
How is soy, especially processed soy good for you?
How are rancid vegetable oils good for you?
How are hydrogenated fats good for you?
How is gluten good for you?
How are processed, toxic ingredients good for you?
It seems to me Herbalife brainwash people, some ‘consultants’ on my Facebook will not hear a bad word against it, even launching an attack on someone who suggested one of their clients should be careful as they were getting quite skinny. I had to delete them as I was sick of it being shoved in my face 24 hours a day.
I don’t know about all this garbage that you are spewing. All I know is that Herbalife has been around for 34 years now, and is in 92 countries, with over 100 million people helped. So say what you want, but you can’t argue results. Not only that, but if the products were completely unhealthy, the FDA would recall them. In the 34 year history of the company, the FDA has never pulled one of our products. So, you might want to get the actual fact, instead of opinions.
Cigarettes are in every country and aren’t recalled, does that make cigarettes healthy as well?
You may also want to learn the difference between opinion and fact (which I thought was common sense but apparently not).
It is a fact that Herbalife uses GMOs. It is a fact that Herbalife uses artificial sweeteners. It is a fact that Herbalife uses hydrogenated oils. It is a fact that Herbalife uses MSG.
Care to elaborate on how these ingredients are healthy? Because no other Herbalife pusher has been able to.
All of the ingredients in this article were pulled directly from the Herbalife website, you may want to get a clue about what you’re ingesting and selling prior to commenting again.
Dani…while your comments may be valid tosomel degree, how can you compare cigarettes being in every country to herbalife?
Point is we look at results…not how many countries the product is in or what is recalled and not…. So understand Johnathon’s point.
Everyone knows and see the bad results of cigarettes…some see the GOOD results in their health using Herbalife…
Now I an not a user of Herbalife but I have been following this thread that has turned out to be a battle field. I respect your view on herbalife products…likewise….i believe the anti-herbalifers should respect the views of strong herbalife believers. It’s clear that some of them say what they say because of personal experiences with the product..
Just respectfully saying…
Hi Dani, just wondering if you have looked in to the Rapid loss Powder shakes please. Thank you.
I have not but if you’d like a review please provide a link.
Which healthy weight loss shakes or drinks do you recommend?
There are no healthy weight loss shakes. The only way to effectively lose weight in a healthy manner is to eat healthy, unrefined, organic food.
It seems as if nothing is trustworthy. Every new product that is marketed has people and external companies that criticize the ingredients. In addition, a vast amount of foods sold are considered unhealthy by somone. Seems like the list of unrefined orangic food is very limited and scarce.
It’s not. Eating real, unrefined, organic food is the best option, and honestly it’s the easiest and cheapest. Mother nature is trustworthy!
Do you even know what half of those ingredients are?
You’d find most of them are naturally occurring forms of Vitamins etc.
You go on about how modified Soy etc. is.. but the eggs you eat on your plate and the chicken breasts you eat are also modified due to medication and the foods they eat themselves.
There is no such thing as a non-modified piece of food and NO Herbalife distributor says that Herbalife is better than food.
GOOD distributors help to show you what your personal nutrition needs are and how to eat foods to achieve this. If people WANT to use nutrition supplements then they can!
Well, it’s clear that you don’t know what half of these ingredients are.
The organic chicken breasts and eggs I get from my local farmer who raises them outdoors as closely to nature as possible with no antibiotics is modified and fed medication? REALLY?
Because you clearly have no idea how soy is processed and did not read my article on soy, let me let you in on a bit of information: soy is processed with hexane, a NEUROTOXIN to extract the soy oil. And 90% of soy in the US in genetically modified. And that’s just one tiny part of the issue with soy.
You clearly need to read up on genetic modification. Let me help you out: https://ancestral-nutrition.com/top-10-gmos/
Hi love your review, I used herbal life several years ago for weight loss and although it did provide results, it’s sad to see so many people continue to push the product now that GMO are completely exposed to the world and have banned in several countries. I think people need to understand why gmos are unhealthy before they decide to write rebuttal against your article. Yes just like any weight loss supplement that starves you, if you follow it and add some exercise to it you will lose weight but it does not mean it’s a HEALTHY way to lose weight. Again I stated I used herbal life before educating myself on gmos and was considering buying supplements once again only now READING the ingredients so I love your blog on it. I’m glad I stumbled on it but even if I it was never written I don’t understand why people are still so ignorant as to what gmos are!!!? Any how my intention in this super long response was actually to ask you about Amway. They claim their products are 100% organic and everything I’ve read so far has not advised otherwise so maybe you could do some further research and maybe write something similar. So far I believe them to be a good company. Idk what do you think? Thanks in advance! ??
No problem! Could you provide a link to the specific product you’d like reviewed?
Dani, What is your opinion on USANA Health Sciences?
Here is a link about the company
http://usana.com/dotCom/about/index
Denatured proteins, soy, processed ingredients, most of which I can’t even pronounce.
Please provide a link to the product you would like reviewed.
This girl is ridiculous. I think she gets the biggest kick out of showing off what she knows about health.
She probably knows very little about how to help society as a whole though.
Herbalife is not a pyramid. And the shakes are not “garbage” compared to things like a Big Mac from McDonald’s loaded with fat, excess calories, and bad cholesterol.
dani stout, give society a realistic and practical alternative that can provide the most benefit to the largest number of people.
Most people cannot afford all the various ingredients you use to make those recipes you tout. Most will not have access to those ingredients. And most will not have the time and patience to understand everything they are putting in their body.
The more you complicate nutrition, the harder it will be to teach people.
I’m happy your promoting a healthy lifestyle and all natural ingredients, but your targeting a tiny subsection of people who will actually understand and apply the information you are sharing. The problem is most people do not have the time to learn about what you are teaching them. So keep doing what you are doing, but you do not need to call Herbalife a scam.
It is just ridiculous and it is truly a display of your lack of integrity. It’s no wonder you have such a small following.
Eating whole, unprocessed foods is too hard and too expensive…but spending over $30 on one can of Herbalife is a better option?
How is eating unrefined foods, veggies, meats, fruits, etc. more difficult than eating a fake, processed protein shake that is full of GMOs?
People who sell Herbalife to unknowing victims display the lack of integrity. I teach people how to eat well and take care of their bodies, how is there a lack of integrity in that? I also have over 100,000 visitors to this site every month so I’m not sure how my following is small.
If you comment again, please attempt to make your claims a little less ridiculous and ignorant.
Hi Dani
Have you about the eating plan that is all the rage in South Africa now. Its called the Real Man Revolution.
Its based basically on no carbs, high fat, no sugar, etc.
Would like your opinion on this…….
Dani,
I cannot thank you enough!!! I was visited by a Herbalife distributor yesterday who said a lot of good things (but obviously) about their Formula 1 drink and how it would help me lose weight quickly. She said she had tried the shake herself and had been so impressed with the product that she is now working for the company. Of course I didn’t believe in her BS (it might be true; maybe; I don’t know). Anyway, I had misgivings and looking up product reviews, I came across several forums where people have complained about liver problems after using Herbalife, and even the lead contents in the products. Your article was the only comprehensive product review I needed to decide.
Thank you once again! I walk everyday, for at least 30 minutes. I am trying to control my diet and slowly getting there. I am 32 so I am aware weight loss at this age is a bit difficult than when you are younger. But, better slow weight loss than slow poisoning!
Regards,
…from India
You’re welcome!
i was going to be a distributor for herbal life….after seeing this im having second thoughts. Gmos kill great post dani!
Thanks!
First, Dani I appreciate the work you are putting in to put together information and open discussion here. That said, this discussion is loaded with name calling, bad science, no science, and misinformation.
HerbaLife mostly pushes protein meal replacements, caffeine, and vitamins and they use multi-level marketing (a pyramid) to do it. If the alternative is fast food, I would say you are generally better off with a protein shake. But you are actually getting more nutrition (vitamins, minerals, full spectrum of amino acids, lipids, carbohydrates, and nucleic acids) from a hamburger or other meat source. You are also getting a lot of cholesterol, saturated fat, and by extension calories from fast food. So the advantage to shakes is lower calories and no saturated fat but you also need real food, which is in my opinion understated by HerbaLife.
As Dani said, the best solution is to shop for real, fresh fruits and vegetables and eat low fat, low calorie meals. Real food will give you far more nutrients than any supplement you will ever buy.
Okay, now back to physiology and the ridiculous beliefs floating around this forum. Your body is able to break down whatever you eat to basic nutrients and use what is there (carbs, lipids, amino acids, and nucleic acids). It doesn’t matter if that animal is grass fed, given hormones, or raised on the moon. Do hormones given to animals hurt humans? I don’t believe there is any scientific research to support this. There are new theories that it may cause problems for children born to those eat meat from animals given hormones, but that too is not proven. GMO’s are misrepresented here in two ways. First, nobody is really checking what is GMO and what is not, just like there is little oversight for supposed ‘Organic’ products. Just because a farmer is not planting GMO seeds, does not mean the wind has not carried GMO seeds over from a neighboring farm into his crop. Or just because a farmer does not use pesticides, does not mean they are not flowing in the soil and the water from a neighboring farm or area. Also, there is again, no scientific studies indicating GMO foods are dangerous. People just don’t like the idea of them. This it is an unfounded fear.
There are all these annoying claims that not cooking food, or drinking lots of water, or eating alkaline foods will somehow help you out and make you this really healthy person. The fact is that your body is amazing in its ability to compensate and adjust to various diets. If you are dehydrated, your kidneys will begin to conserve water making your urine more concentrated. You have a really efficient stomach that crushes, acidifies, and enzymatically breaks down anything passing through regardless of whether it is cooked or not cooked. Some nutrients may be lost if food is overcooked, but in general nutrients are made more accessible through the process. Your blood exists in a very narrow range of pH (7.35-7.45) and it uses buffers and filtration to ensure that it stays that way regardless of how acidic or how alkalinic your diet is. Remember, when food hits your stomach, it is exposed to gastric acid with a pH of 1.5-3.5 for breakdown and release of nutrients. This brings up another point. Many toxins you eat or even organisms found in foods are destroyed by this environment (unless you are somehow taking antacids or something that interfere with the acidity).
Oh, and this neurotoxin argument about some chemical is used to process soy is crazy. Chemicals are used in the preparation of a lot of foods. Some are toxic. The final product though does not usually contain significant levels of the toxin. It is washed away or separated out. Many American Indian tribes eat acorns, though raw acorns are highly toxic. They crush and leach the toxin out and then they form an edible form of protein and other nutrients.
Another highly exaggerated, money making scheme is vitamins. If you eat even reasonably well, you are getting all the vitamins and minerals you will ever need. Vitamins A, D, E, and K will stay with you as they are stored in fat, but the rest will be pissed away in most people (unless you have some major deficiency). Vitamins are amazing for the highly malnourished, but for the rest of us, they are generally a waste of money and pushed way too hard by HerbaLife and vitamin stores.
One last thing. Any of these extreme diets where you cut out major groups of food will typically cause weight loss. This is because you are eating fewer calories. You will also be starving your body of nutrients it needs to support its structure and function. Calories are only one part of the picture though it is the one that is most obvious and most focused on (primarily because sugar in high amounts is toxic to the body and to development, such as scene in type II diabetes and gestational diabetes).
There are way too many unsubstantiated fears and rumors in nutrition. I hope I’ve helped dispel a few.
If you want to compare nutritional contents, download the free app or go the website for MyFitnessPal or the U.S. gov tool called SuperTracker. You can compare many of the HerbaLife or Jenny Craig or other meal plans to other foods or plans and you can track your total daily sodium, potassium, calories, protein, etc just by selecting what you eat on there. According to this tool you get the same amount of protein in 8 cans of Budweiser as you do in one HerbaLife vanilla protein shake.
I’ve been trying to come up with a kind way to respond to this comment but there is such a massive amount of ignorance (and I mean that nicely, I’m not saying idiocy, I’m saying ignorance) that I don’t even know where to begin.
Hormones given to cows have proven to be carcinogenic. GMOs are carcinogenic. Toxins cause cancer. These are facts.
I encourage you to do actual research and educate yourself on a very basic level before making such outlandish claims.
Dani great article!! I have a friend questioning herbal life I know I tried it many many years ago back then I didn’t know about gmo’s etc. I’ve been learning a lot & have a friend that is founder of paleo fx conference. So like you she knows her stuff. Anyway I have found a new product that I’m really excited about & would love your input. Their protein meal replacement shake is also from grass fed cows, contains micro milled chia seeds, cross flow cold processed not really sure what all that means but ALL of the products are Non GMO, non soy, gluten free, casein free & lactose free. Look at PerfectIDLife.com under products there should be a info sheet on the shakes. If you need more info on it email me & I can forward you the ingredients if not listed.
Thanks for all you do! And I totally agree about the brownies!! We need more healthy recipes that will still satisfy our sweet tooth!!
Debby
Thanks Debbie!
Can you provide a link to the ingredients you’d like reviewed?
what about protein world??
http://www.proteinworld.com/
I think you would have to contact the company to find out if the whey is grass-fed and undenatured. It has synthetic ingredients and just quite a bit of ingredients in general, it’s not something I would personally take or recommend.
Love your post. Plan on sharing it with all my FB friends that seem to think this complete junk is actually healthy. I really feel for the people that haven’t done their homework on proper nutrition and get confused by all the bad advice and fitness/weight-loss crazes like Herbalife.
It’s crazy how they advertise this junk as a “healthy” meal supplement, even though one serving provides a measly 9g of protein, and the first two ingredients are SOY protein and fructose. Really? I thought my old conventional protein powder was bad enough, but my goodness, this crap really takes the cake! You really are better off taking traditional whey protein.
I try to stay away from protein powders as much as possible since they are still technically considered a processed food. Plus, call me crazy but I would much rather chew my food 🙂
You and me both!
My spouse and his relatives all took Herbalife when it was first popular in the US around 30 years ago. All members ingesting the products had success with weight loss. And, every one of them looked sick and very unhealthy. They all quit taking the products when HL was slapped with their first lawsuit. I’m sorry, I don’t remember the details on what the lawsuit was about. I personally did not take the stuff because it consisted of a lot of pill supplements and I have great problems swallowing a pill that is bigger than a baby aspirin. I asked my husband and he said all he ever took was pills; no shakes were involved.
It is my firm opinion that most people do not understand how their body works, and while what goes in must come out – and may take some weight with it, people need to get it through their heads that *every* component of *every* food we ingest affects us at the cellular level. In our grandparent and great-grandparent’s days, it was all about market to table, or even barnyard to table – and you didn’t have to muddle through trying to figure out how to say a word with 15 syllables! A chicken was a chicken, a carrot was a carrot, and so on. And, exercise was a part of every day living. An overweight person then was no where NEAR the size of most overweight or obese people today.
People overall seem to be too lazy to research those multi-syllable additives to their foods; for example MSG is a flavor enhancer which also encourages those “just a few more bites”. I’ve always wondered why one would want to eat food that was not already tasty in its preparation…why would it need to be enhanced? If you cannot pronounce every item in the ingredients, you probably shouldn’t be eating it!
People also seem to be certain that having that board of directors with letters behind their names, or “Dr.” in front of their name means something. It doesn’t….not in most cases. “Oh, it’s FDA approved!” I said that to a friend who laughed and said to me, “my dad is on the FDA board to approve medications for (specialty). They send him a letter describing the drug, he reads it, if he thinks the clinical trials look okay, and the drug is for a ‘good’ purpose, he signs the paper, sends it back and they send him a check.” FDA approved means nothing to me after hearing that! But, companies still have to try for that approval because so many people believe.
I have auto-immune disease and I watch my dairy and gluten intake, eat as naturally as I can, real foods, not processed as much as possible and I do use supplements, a brand which have not been mentioned by anyone here in this discussion. I researched the hell out of them before investing in them because I was not going to pollute my body – prior to taking them I was in liver failure from anesthetic poisoning, and by adding supplements, eating clean as much as possible, I am recovering.
People also need to think about *why* they sell for a particular company. Is it the thought of easy bucks and a chance to lose a few pounds? If a person is going to take the responsibility of selling a product to another person that will impact that person’s health, in my opinion, they had better be able to know as much about the products they are selling…and if they don’t have the answer, be able to get a good solid answer from the company. Obviously, HL has failed on that score.
Your blog is going to be required reading in my day as often as possible. Please keep up the good work Dani!
Thank you!
Hello Dani i just had a quick question! I see a lot of people replacing meals with a shake of some sort and I know you said that you shouldn’t really be replacing meals with shakes, so I was wondering why that is? Sad part is, all i see people doing now days is replacing their meals with shakes and I try to tell them they should not be doing this for every meal, but I don’t really have the evidence to back it up or the reason why. Your help will be greatly appreciated!!!
Shakes are processed and full of preservatives. Not to mention loaded with synthetic vitamins that the body is unable to absorb. Nutrients need to be obtained from whole, unprocessed, organic foods – not overly processed synthetic foods.
Thank you so much!!
You’re welcome!
Dani, great work, I got a few HL people in my family (they are all brainwash)
my question might be off topic
What do you think of “Kefir” as a healthty drink
Thanks
I love kefir! As long as it’s usnweetened, grass-fed and preferably raw.
Hi Dani,
I was ‘Googling’ Herbalife aloe and whether it really worked or not and your blog came up… I have read 40 or so of the above posts and found everything you said very interesting. I started Herbalife 3 days ago and I had no idea of some of the ingredients. I actually feel quite shameful trusting the person I knew rather than reading the ingredients label… yikes.
Thank you for all the research you’ve done, I’m going to now reassess and come up with a healthier way to get my body back in order.
What are your thoughts on aloe in general? does it actually have beneficial properties when ingested?
Thanks again, 🙂
Aloe is great! It’s not something that’s going to transform the body, but it’s a nice addition. Let me know if you’d like health coaching or have any questions – I’m running some great specials right now.
They have their own Soy farms and do all the food manufacturing themselves. There are no GMO’s in the product (its stated on the US label as it is a requirement over there).
Herbalife promote a healthy active lifestyle. The ingredients are all traceable and all very high quality. Their products are based on a conservative protein diet (30% protein up to 30% good fats and 40% good carbohydrates). The board behind Herbalife are some of the worlds most highly recognised and desired Doctors and Nutritionists in the world.
There is a website dedicated to the nutrition and science behind herbalife called the nutrition and science institute for all the missing information you require.
It is also not a pyramid scheme as all the reports will demonstrate.
I should add that while I use the products and have myself looked into the ingredients, the seed to feed policy etc, I am not a distributor, just merely felt you were missing some rather important information. I also believe in eating solid food, but I do that aswell because the shakes are not to be used in the way lighterlife for instance use shakes.
I hope you find this this helpful.
I not only find this info exceedingly unhelpful but also very annoying.
The soy IS GENETICALLY MODIFIED – I’m not sure how much clearer I can make this. Herbalife has confirmed that they use GM soy in their American products. Not to mention the fact that the other ingredients are complete garbage. Please re-read the article, I’m not sure you actually understood it.
Hi Dani,
How about the protein powder form Nutrilite (Amway)?
Please provide a link and I’ll be happy to review.
less ingredients but just as bad as herbalife.
I have been taking Herbalife for three or four months now and I had no idea about the ingredients. I just heard wonderful things about it and saw one of my coworkers lose tons of weight. I wanted to lose weight too, so I started. Now, I want to stop. I should have done my research earlier. The comments here opened my eyes! Now just in time because I was about to put my 13 year old on it, but before I decided to research it this time. He is my baby and I do not want to hurt him. OMG thanks for writing this.
Regards,
Y.
You’re welcome!
Haha boom. It’s funny how everyone tries to come back and you just take them down, because you’re right. Not one person has been able to honestly say they are good for you.
But my problem isn’t only with the fact that they are misleading people into thinking toxic meal replacements are healthy is the way they push it on the people close to them and how they change as people.
I’m gutted because my sister in law got into Herbalife and has gotten so into it she has changed. All she cares about is Herbalife. I had to unsubscribe from her on facebook because it’s doing my head in. And I hate to think about the stuff she’s feeding my little nephews. Now my brother has quit his job and joined her and they are like a pair of happy clappy nutters. People are noticing it and starting to avoid them because well it’s frigging annoying. Not to mention they have become so self consumed they are letting things of value go – like family. The only time my parents hear from them is to look after their kids while they go off to a hLife convention.
My brother just sent me a bunch of herbalife stuff for my birthday and it’s made me really angry. There wasn’t even a card just this stuff.
Give me my brother back!
I’ve had to unsubscribe from them on facebook because it’s like they’re on speed everyday promoting herbalife. I used to enjoy seeing pics and bits and pieces about their actual life, but now I’m faced with nothing but happy clappy promotional material.
Sure I want my brother to be happy, and whatever he wants to do it’s his life even though I know it’s not healthy for him that’s his decision – but that’s it – herbal lifers please don’t impose it on everyone around you beccause mark my work you’re gonna lose respect, friends and family…
Also I have to say my sister in law that has become a queen bee herbal lifer she has lost so much weight it’s not funny and she did have a lot of weight to lose, however unfortunately at 24 she looks 34. I got a shock last time I saw her because she looks a lot skinnier but looks very gaunt and unhealthy! She used to be lovely, but is only interested in Herbalife now unfortunately. She has been swallowed up!
Yikes, that’s awful for your sister in law. But thanks for the great comment!
My answer was to Aaron. Thanks to all those people who defend and give information about unhealthy products we are helping more people get wise.
holy cow does no one take responsibility for their own health anymore?
It’s all about the marketing and the money.
“Mary down the road took it and lost a ton of weight” and “Bill said he felt fine so it must be ok” or “I lost half my body weight in 48 hours, you can too without pain or hunger or detriment to your health”.
My personal favorite, “We’re just so proud to be helping others and giving them the opportunity to have access to the great products we have. knowing that you’ve helped someone lose weight and seeing them healthy and full of vitality…blah, blah, blah, how much more bullshit can I spew forth from my peppy, MLM detox diet, products a fly wouldn’t go near, mouth”?
Apologies, soap box came out for a moment there.
I’ve tried every “diet” on the planet! if it had a new name I did it. I’ve researched, believed and disbelieved every diet I can think of. I’ve even sold some of this crap as well (never made money, my conscience kicked in) and it’s all rubbish.
Then I found a site like this one and changed my lifestyle. I’ll say that again *I CHANGED MY LIFESTYLE* not just my eating habits. My body stopped aching, I slept better, my everyday mood got better, my energy level went up, I eat LESS, recovery time from physical training (cross-fit/mma) is faster and I’ve lost 49 pounds in weight since changing lifestyle (March 2013).
It really annoys people when i tell them I had lamb belly (you know the really fatty bit of the animal) in Mediterranean stew or a pile of bacon and eggs for breakfast. The references to heart attacks goes through the roof…but my cholesterol is lower, my blood pressure has normalized and my resting heart rate is now around 56 bpm.
I fast intermittently, not routinely, because my body tells me to. so I could go for a two day stretch without eating and without loss of energy or problems. If you think that’s dangerous then you really do need to look into this lifestyle, our genetic make up is designed to do just that, go without food for extended periods of time. We suffer from over eating/consumption in the west and that’s been pushed at us by the marketers, government and the money men.
Check out the book Death by Food Pyramid by Denise Minger for a real eye opener.
There’s still some way to go until my body says; “you know what? You’ve reached your natural weight”. Until then and forever after, this will be the way I live and eat.
Keep up the great work Dani the community is getting bigger and bigger. I hope your business goes from strength to strength.
Did we just become best friends?
I’m a big big fan of and follow Mr Sissons over at MDA. I log onto MDA most days just to keep me in indirect touch with the community.
I run my own business here in the UK and I attend networking events to help support other local businesses. However one of the individuals at a breakfast I go to is a Herbalife distributor. I’m also an ex MLM’er and I know how these companies work, I also know that their products are mostly junk and they charge high prices for them, marketed under the premise that they’re highly concentrated or have some amazing ingredient that justifies the high cost.
The real reason is that an MLM company will pay bonuses on sales of high volume either for an individual or group. Those bonuses come out of the cost of the product to the customer. Nothing earth shattering there I know, most businesses do that, but when you take into account how much it costs to manufacture the products with all the cheap crap they use coupled with the fact that you can go to a supermarket and buy the same type of product for a fraction of the price…need I say more?
The above then becomes the stereotypical MLM’er argument about what a pyramid scheme is and isn’t. It’ll go something like…
“MLM is not a pyramid! Take a supermarket for example you have one person at the top and everyone else below that’s a typical pyramid structure” As kind of used byHerbalife distributor and military vet CharlySue further up the page in her reference to the local sheriffs office.
However the sheriff’s office and a supermarket will pay their employees and the employees don’t have to “pay in” to get back. So Employees exist to ensure the day to day function of a company. An MLM business is not the same, sure it’ll have employees but the majority of those involved are independent distributors who’ve paid to become part of the business and the company relies on these distributors to market and sell their products on their behalf. That’ll mean a training program with lots of happy clappy events to attend for which you can charge distributors daft money and make a profit from.
The real rub for me is some of these companies market the fact that the ONLY way to be successful in life or financially is that this is the only real cost effective way of doing as setting up a conventional business requires so much more in time and finance.
This is wrong! I love this lifestyle, it’s not just the food, it’s the whole approach to living life. I do my utmost to emulate a caveman attitude to my daily life and it so much nicer being relaxed and happy than tense and stressed (except when I’m ranting at Herbalife distributors). It’s actually helping my business and family life grow in a positive way. I like that you’re doing what you do Dani and the call is getting louder to do something like this here in the UK, I’d love it to make money but I wouldn’t care if it didn’t. It’s so important people understand how vital correct diet is.
Hi Dani, thanks for the post.
How about Dymatize ISO 100 ?
Thanks,
Vadim.
Could you provide a link to the ingredients you’d like reviewed?
we have a guy at work whom also works for herbalife and he swears up and down about his product and all that we can see is his attitude changed he now seems like he is on crack all the time and we give him alot of shit about herbalife. but after reading this i now know the i was right all along. and there is a lot of people who actually fall for this shit. so i sent this guy a link to this website and told him to tell me how all this stuff is good for u and im waiting on a reply lol im pretty sure he will tell me tomorrow at work but any ways thanks
I already knew I’d never touch Herbalife. They are the number company slaughtered for things like dishonest practices, hidden ingredients(like heavy metals) in their stuff, etc. That alone I won’t bother with. But this broke something down for me that just astounded me. I can hardly believe that they are one of the most well-known ‘nutrition’ companies in the US! At the same time though…I can believe it! Which is just sad….
Question: Is yeast bad, as a whole? Or just certain kinds of it? Thanks!
Thank you so much for your intelligent insight. I am a head trainer and have seen one of my trainers get lost in the Herbalife rabbit hole. I call it the Church of the Herb. It is frightening how he has become so incredibly brain washed he cannot see the evidence in front of his face. The company is shameless. It has cult written all over it. They feed off of peoples’ weakness and need for a fast fix. Do your research people. Eat well, exercise, and get enough sleep. Don’t eat their crap or take their supplements. Use your brains….
Church of the Herb! Haha love it.
Spent a good hour reading all the posts. I have
Herbashite sales reps bugging me constantly. Initially I was interested until they told me it was £103 a month!!!! It is all about the profits with them and absolutely nothing about health and nutrition. If it was about health and nutrition there would be no need to rope people in to sell it. There is no alternative to clean eating and exercise. I did it the right way and lost 2st.
Hi Deni, can you comment on this shake 310 shake
https://310nutrition.com/products/310-shake-vanilla/
great work and info
thank you
Not sure if the whey is grass-fed and there are synthetic vitamins.
On top of nutritionally deficient supplements, Herbalife now encourages distributors to run free bootcamps to peddle their supplements. Very few of these distributors have any qualifications in fitness, let alone nutrition. They operate under ambiguous titles such as “Wellness Coach” without insurance, council fees for park use and without paying any of the dues that personal trainers pay to operate legitimately. They effectively steal from the fitness industry while giving it a bad name, in an industry which has taken measures to remove dodgy operators and has introduced professional registration to do so.
I’m in the process of identifying a decent supplement to boost my fitness routine. I was researching Herbalife and came across your blog. Thanks for saving me from a bad decision.
Well, well. I opened my eyes with this post. I thought all the time they really have natural ingredients. Just reading the label got me shocked! (I hope my English is good)
I sent and email to herbalife nutrition institute about they use GMO ingredients, just to confirm the obvious. Will copy the reply if I get any.
Do you know any supplement product real NON-GMO?
doTERRA does not use GMOs.
Glad I came across this blog Dani.
Over the past 3 weeks I have been attending a local free fitcamp, joined the fitcamp’s FB page, and made friends along the way. I won’t bore you with the details of my personal life, just that after the loss of my daughter, I became depressed and gained a hell of a lot of weight. So, when this fitcamp was suggested I jumped at it.
On my first visit, the first thing I saw was the Herbalife posters, shakes and tea stand, and ‘coaches’ all wearing herbalife tee shirts. Instantly my inner gut told me, don’t be fooled into buying into any of this, just see what the fitcamp is about.
To Be fair, the person who invited me, said from the get go that the driving force behind the fitcamp was to sell the products, but, I didn’t have to buy into it, just let them know my mind wasn’t closed to the idea. In addition, the ‘coaches’ and the FB page constantly talk about healthy foods, snacks (in the form of real foods, nuts, fish, chicken veg etc) Plus the camp runs 6 exercise classes a week for for weeks. They do a fitness test at the beginning and end, plus weekly weigh ins to monitor weight, hydration, and other stuff. Great.
So after 3 weeks of attending 3 exercise classes, drinking the daily recommended amounts of water, cutting out processed foods and eating lots of veg, chicken and fish, I have lost a total of 10lb, my stamina has increased and I am finally able to run albeit only for about half a mile lol… Yay me!
Then came the hard sell, and I am not gonna lie, I was nearly talked into it. Nearly went and drew the money out of the bank to boot, but something kept irking me, what is the difference between this and and other shake regimes (apart from the massive cost difference).
What was even more irksome, was how quickly the conversation went from my health and well being, to how much money I could make and how this isn’t a pyramid system etc. That set warning bells off in my head.. So I dived into the net, searching for information and surprise surprise, after trawling and trawling, the net, this is the first time I have found the actual ingredients.
I will continue going to the fitcamp, because clearly it is doing me some good, in fact, my progress was up there with others who attend as regularly as I do but have bought into the products.. That says a lot to me… a lot of ‘you don’t need to buy herbalife, just change your lifestyle.
Diet and lifestyle is where it’s at!
This company is in court right now. They were recently sued for something. I think because of their ponzi scheme practices. I remember being recruited in my native country (south America) by a “friend”of mine. Had to put $5.000 on the table to make a 50% distributor. I was a former independent associate on Amway or Quickstart in the U.S. (which is another MLM) with a terrible experience, so I decided to give another try with a new company, new product.
I was naive enough in thinking that I failed in Amway because of the product but I was wrong. It is the evilness of the system used. Even though when you enter to this company you put all faith and money in this company. But after eating not only their all bs marketing teachings and milkshakes ( that didn’t work AT ALL), you can’t even sell the expensive products that only a few could afford. Not to mention that the same distributors are your direct competence. And in regarding the leaders they use a lot of backdoor marketing techniques like NLP (Neuro programming Linguistic) which is used in brainwashing techniques and sales. Not to mention that most of those ballsy “rich people” that make that show in front of the stages somethings are about paid actors.
Another significant factor in this company are the barren efforts to make people believe that replacing two milshakes has nothing to do with dieting which is false. Most people need to “feel” the taste of food in their mouths so after the first month 90% of consumers quit it because of it. So that’s a another failure to add up to this scam. Consequently, you end up eating your own products since nobody buy them.
To sum up, the owner of this company Mark Huges has a dark past that has been tried to makeup for most of their leaders. His mother didn’t die because of a wrong diet. She died because she was on antidepressants and was a pill addict. Same as him that died in his bed because of the same thing in a party held in his house. The reality is that Mark Huges was never happy in his life because of the shadow of his mother befall in his life no matter how many dough he amassed. He secretly suffered from the same thing as his mother. A fact that was beguiled enough by his bellwethers.
Evidently and to cap it all off I was impacted with this revealing post to the point that my stomach was churning while reading. It can be seen from the above analysis why most people are cash-strapped in this company. I didn’t have any idea of the components of those milshakes.
Moreover, the milshakes they were unable to “pack” in the U.S. they now are targeting low-income people from third world countries. And here in Miami, where are desperate immigrants are not the exception. There is a like a resurgence again of Herbalife on new unready generations.
Terrible.
Hi Dani, thanks for the eye opening write up on Herbalife. I work as an interpreter for Herbalife and I believe that their members really believe they are getting the best nutrition there is out there. I tried their products a few times, and I did feel a change in general well being, improved energy and so on. I did however, worry about the source of protein which is entirely from soy, I read that too much soy promotes cancer. But can you explain the feeling of better health and energy that I experienced when I take the products? How can garbage make me feel healthy?
What was your diet like before you started Herbalife?
Hi Dani, I have been drinking the herbalife tea, I have never been into this sort of thing before and I do feel better, however I can’t tell if its just because I drink more water now and actually exercise haha.
I have however become addicted to the tea drinking about 5 bottles a day of it in ice tea form. I know it has caffeine in it and previously I was addicted to coke zero, so I do believe it is better to drink this then coke.
My question is though can you recommend an alternative that will give me energy, is healthy and is cheaper. Herbalife is so expensive.
thanks so much 🙂
Organic green tea!
Fabulous article. Thanks for sharing Dani.
Right off the bat, I’ll disclose that I am an Herbalife distributor and have been for just over a year. As of late, I have been really struggling in my dedication to selling this product- I feel like a hypocrite, instructing my clients to read labels and always eat real, unprocessed, food, when in reality I honestly don’t know what 90% of the shake ingredients are. It’s hard to find completely unbiased information from any source on these ingredients, as everyone has their own opinion about their safety, usability, etc., and I’m skeptical about the credibility of any one person’s actual, complete knowledge on the subject…government guidelines especially, given what the FDA approves…but that’s another conversation.
I don’t buy the argument about Herbalife being in ‘x amount of countries’ for ‘x amount of years,’ creates health credibility because McDonalds operates on a huge global scale and we all know that their food is complete garbage. The money issue is not a big deal for me either, any company is technically a ‘pyramid scheme’ if you really want to break it down- the people at the top are paid the most and the people at the bottom are paid the least and still make the people at the top more money. However the people that are going around and promising people that they can get rich off of this need to stop, it takes dedicated, hard work just like anything else.
The thing that is keeping me going back and forth is that being on this nutrition program has made me the healthiest that I have ever been in my entire life. I add organic fruits, veggies, spices, etc to my shakes and I literally feel like a superhero every day. I have gotten down to a healthy weight and I have compounded my results to put on good, lean, muscle, (continuously) and I am extremely active. I drink 2 Herbalife shakes a day (breakfast and dinner) and make my lunch extremely healthy- wild caught fish, cage free chicken, quinoa, freekeh, organic fruits, vegetables, and so on. The bonus that I no longer skip breakfast because it’s easy to throw together in less than 2 minutes but fills me up for 4 hours and gives me loads of energy is hard to get away from, too.
I know that being in the nutrition/fitness business is what I want to do with my life, and I am dedicated to getting people healthy. I want to do it the right way, however, and I am at a huge crossroads right now. I’m wondering if using these products long term will actually be detrimental to my health and to those that I promote it to, or if my eating and exercise habits will combat any negative ‘side effects’ that some of the ingredients may cause. I’m really invested in the success of my clients and myself so any additional insight or other credible unbiased articles that you could point me to is much, much appreciated.
I can tell you right now that consuming GMOs, soy, sucralose, synthetic vitamins and preservatives is not good for anyone’s health in the long run. I don’t doubt that you feel better, but how much of that is due to the fact that you’ve cleaned up your diet?
If you want to be successful in this industry, you need to be honest. With yourself and your clients. I tell anyone who wants to be in the health and wellness industry that to succeed, your goal has to be to help people – not just to make money. Find a product you believe in and can truly support, then work your ass off helping people. That’s why I promote doTERRA, and that’s why I’m successful at it. Because I truly care about people and my clients and I want to help them!
I trust you’ll make the right decision!
ALSO, Herbalife has rolled out a formula 1 shake that uses non- GM ingredients- which obviously means that all of the other shakes do utilize GM ingredients. That pisses me off. Why wouldn’t they incorporate that into all of the shakes??
GMOs are cheaper.
As a former user, I started to notice some red flags which is why Im switching to a regular healthy diet of natural unprocessed foods. One of the red flags was the questionable advice I and some other people were given:
I was told my sprints and HIIT circuit style training was not enough for fat loss and long moderate paced cardio is more effective for that. A friend of mine who is following Herbalife to prepare for a bodybuilding comp was advised to do moderate cardio over sprints because they told him sprints actually burn off muscle. Any thoughts on this?
Yeah – that’s horrible advice!
also, their comment on Paleo “we dont agree with cutting out any food group, the body needs carbs”.
If they did their research on Paleo they would actually realise Paleo acknowledges this too, it is just the type of carbs. After someone brought up fruit in Paleo, the person working for herbalife then said “fruit does not contain a lot of carbs, but they do contain sugars”- did they just imply that sugars are not a type of carb? my God…facepalm….and people pay as much as 200 UK pounds a month for this quackery?
Dani, I appreciate the feedback more than you can imagine. Because your post confirmed my suspicions, I have decided that I will no longer be distributing or promoting Herbalife nutritional supplements or consuming them myself. I’ll be pursuing my personal training certification and any supplemental certifications from here on out. Thank you for doing what you’re doing! You never know how many lives you could be changing.
@fuelfitlife
I so hate frankenfoods masquerading as safe and good for you!
However, I would like to disabuse a few that parrot the old ‘it’s a pyramid scheme’. Pyramid schemes are illegal in most countries now. How they work is the first person buys the product for x, sells it to the second person for w, who then moves it for a value of v and so on. Everyone attempts to make their little bit as the products move through the chain.
Multi-level marketing works by networks of width and depth. Everyone buys the product for the same value. However, the fun is in the point allocations of the products moved, so in distribution networks, if there are 50 people in that network, shifting a product – whether for their own consumption and retailing it – they have the retail profit they keep and then there is the value of the points.
So, if my network is 50 strong, plus me and that network moves say 102 points of value, the bonus system comes into play. Now, on this scenario, there would be bonuses earned within that group. But let us say, as a group, that 102 points has a bonus value of 6%, there is a calculation of a volume that will determine the actual dollar value of the bonus received and from that, the person who earned the 6% has to share some of that ‘down line’. Those that move the most product through their network are the ones that earn the bigger bonuses.
Naturally, as the person whose group earned the 6%, I am likely to be able to keep a fair amount of the $$ of the bonus and have to distribute lesser amounts down through the network.
Each distributor is encouraged to develop a manageable group of distributors and then assist them to develop depth. In that sense, it can look like a pyramid, but remember everyone pays the same dollar amount for the product within the network – it is the size of the network and the value of the bonuses that determine the success of individuals within the network.
It’s a complicated system, but its been around for decades. Amway was probably the benchmark of how to do it.
But, whatever you decide to do, it would appear that sadly, Herbalife products are compromised by GMO. I prefer my food clean.
I cant believe you are getting bagged out for eating Bacon and creating a healthy Brownie – It shows that people still believe food is the enemy, when it is 100% the opposite; meal replacement is the enemy!
I also can’t believe this debate has been going since March 2013… you really have caused quite a stir. Thanks for researching and putting together a well balanced argument against a product that is causing more health issues in todays society.
Thanks for the comment!
Hi Dani, thanks for your info. Can you tell me your thoughts on Unicity items. This is breakfast shake plus a matcha drink before the other 2 proper meals of the day. I am dubious about meal replacement groups because of ingredients etc but have someone who has just started this weight loss plan. Thanks in advance. http://freemanmedicalclinic.com/resources/unicitybalance/
http://media.unicity.net/usa/productinfo/26554_usage.png
http://www.supervitalgreens.com.au/shop/matcha-bios-life/
Synthetic vitamins, processed ingredients, canola oil, fructose, soy, etc. Would definitely not recommend.
Thanks for this article I had been using herbalife & started researching & found your blog that answered all my questions
Great!
Thanks for your article Dani. I only read through the first 50 or so comments, but it’s all I needed to keep me from caving in and going on this product again. I tried it last year and found that I was getting an excruciating gut ache directly after the shakes and tea, so I figured, ‘hey it’s not for me’.
I know a lot of people who are on it and it’s not surprising that it’s becoming so popular. They’re all so damn happy and positive all the time… they almost had me drinking the Kool-aid! But as far as I can see from a lot of the replies from herbies on here, they don’t really know a thing about the ingredients in the products. I didn’t see a single comment in the handful I read that actually addressed the ‘bad’ ingredients you mention.
Before xmas I was eating healthy and working out 4–5 times a week. But after having 3 weeks off, I lost discipline and motivation and have since been struggling to get back into my previously healthy lifestyle. So I’m ashamed to say I had been considering temporarily giving Herbalife another go just to kickstart my ‘diet’. HOWEVER, this article has given me the encouragement I needed AND some questions for all my herbie friends next time they try to recruit me ; )
Keep up the good work!
I cannot love this article enough times!!!!
I have friends who peddle this garbage and being a personal trainer myself they are always at me to become a distributor, use the product, blah blah blah and the thought makes me want to puke my breakfast of free range, home reared, organic fed chicken eggs, GMO free organic bacon and organic khorasan toast… I love my food!
This stuff is pure poison and expensive as hell to boot!!! What an absolute disgrace it is that companies like this are even allowed to manufacture, package and sell this garbage to unsuspecting people 🙁 I know for a fact that hurt more people than they help as I have spoken with many clients who have gotten very sick from consuming this crap, some have even ended up in hospital with kidney and liver problems not to mention the carcinogenic induced damage long term that they wont know about until they are older… sad, Sad, SAD!!!!!
I wish more people would get themselves properly educated before being duped by promises of quick fixes, rapid easy solutions and the like, it is a scam pure and simple!
Thankyou for this article, if only more people would read it before being scammed and made sick!
I don’t see my post…… is there a reason it hasnt been put up yet or responded to — or are you preparing a response?
It fell under several of the categories I delete comments for:
1 – comments that are offensive in any way name calling (this tells me you have no better argument against me by the way)
2 – calling me a liar
3 – commenters that try to argue by providing “research” directly from Herbalife
4 – commenters that accuse me of downing an MLM company just for being MLM, I never did this
5 – and in general, uneducated comments that do not promote the discussion surrounding Herbalife and the ingredients found in Herbalife products
Thank you so much for the helpful information. I was intrigues by the many flavors Herbalife has since I am getting bored with my vanilla, chocolate and chai options. I found the stuff on Amazon but there was no product label to read and no description clearly stating what’s in it. Your post confirmed that my gut feeling was right. Thanks for posting this and saving me from making a huge mistake by buying this stuff.
Mind you, I can delete whatever I want. This is my website. And I don’t have time to respond to someone who makes literally zero valid points. You didn’t challenge me. You didn’t even provide a semi-legitimate argument against me.
I invite you to challenge me, next time just try to actually make it a challenge.
Hy Dani,
thanks for the article and your point of view on the whole matter.
I am currently using herbalife for about a year. My whole family are using different kind of shakes (from chocolate to vanilla flavour). We mostly use their product vanilla free from lactoze, soy and gluten.
I don’t sell their products, I only use them. In my research prior to start using i found out a lot of + and – reviews. Well because of contradictory reviews I decided to give it a try. I was not an overweight person or didn’t have any other real recorded health problems. AT the same time I also started to eat more raw food than I ever had.
Now after almost a year I am having a second thougths about my decision. That had mostly to do with the fact that also my two young daughters are using the same shake as I do. And I want only what is the best for them. In prepschool they don’t get good nutrional food (a lot sugar, white wheat and meals with small amount of vegetables – the children can decide for themselves if they want to eat them. The veggies I mean). Because of all the information that is at our disposal on the internet, the choice to pick a right one is very hard.
I thought that I was educated enough to know the difference between what’s good or bad for my health. I can listen to my body and see the clues. But I can’t control the same thing with my daugthers. Just trying to figure it out.
Mitja
I would definitely not feed this to my children. Real food is the safest bet for kids.
1) I don’t compete with Herbalife. Herbalife is a garbage meal replacement product. I do not sell or even recommend meal replacements.
2) doTERRA is GMO-free and non-synthetic. They literally use no GMOs in their products and all of their batches of essential oils are independently tested not one, not twice, not five times – but seven times for contaminants. You try to call doTERRA out for using GMOs (which they don’t) but still use, sell and support Herbalife even though they openly use several genetically modified crops in their ingredients? That isn’t just nonsensical, it’s asinine.
Those were your points, and neither are valid. This is why I did not approve your original comment. It does not promote the discussion but instead makes “points” that are not based in fact, science or common sense. Why should I waste my time on that?
If you feel that Herbalife is such a great product, please answer the questions that NO other Herbalife pusher has been able to:
How are GMOs healthy?
How are transfats healthy?
How is MSG healthy?
How are processed ingredients healthy?
How are artificial sweeteners healthy?
How are rancid vegetable oils healthy?
For future reference and for anyone else reading this – this is why I do not approve certain comments. Because they do not promote a valid discussion but instead make little to no sense. I’m all for valuable debate, but I’m not going to waste my time with comments like these.
I went to a Herbalife presentation recently. I had no idea what it was for, the ad just stated “Do you like nutrition and fitness. Do you like helping people achieve their goals? Apply now, training provided” or something like that.
It was agonizingly long. I was there for an hour and a half (at which point I had to leave to make another interview) and there was still an hour left! The 20 minute long video they showed was archaic and kept cutting to frames of farmers smiling with their crops in the background. None of the information provided was factual, just testimonial. A lot of attention was on the company’s big wigs/”nutritional scientists” talking about all the good they do for the communities with focus on how charitable the company is and how they’re helping to inform children at a young age about nutrition.
Nowhere in the presentation did they even remotely mention WHAT went into the shakes or WHAT made them healthy/nutritional. They also had a skincare line they talked nothing about, instead about how fun it was to work there because they get to go on a lot of vacations. I’m pretty sure the slideshow had pictures from their vacation. In fact, there were pictures all around the office of people clearly on vacation.
I figured at some point we would LEARN about the product, but it was just a bunch of cult-like people smiling and telling their personal stories with the products. They showed 30+ testimonials while myself and the other possible trainees tried not to fall asleep.
As someone with general common sense, I knew better than to fall victim and would have left earlier had it not been for bemusement and curiosity. As a “trainer” you have to take the supplements yourself. In fact, you have to pay $167 for the training/supplements, with no real understanding of what you’re ingesting/promoting.
The saddest part is, they all seemed like nice people. Nice, uneducated (nutritionally) people who probably just needed a break financially and were brainwashed by photos of people with dolphins and promises of success and thinner waistlines.
I came home and searched the ingredients, and of course that’s why they weren’t in the presentation. If they actually educated you about their product, anyone with half an understanding of nutrition would walk out mid-presentation. Hopefully the majority of people would have found that as fishy as I did. And, for the record, the reason why they use those ingredients is because they are CHEAP to grow/modify (i.e. BIG PROFITS).
The whole thing seems so outdated. It’s super upsetting that they come at it from the angle they do, which is that they are promoting NUTRITION, something the company doesn’t seem to grasp or care anything about. I mean, yes, as a weight loss program.. sure, ok. Not the best way to go about it, but if you replace meals with a shake you WILL lose weight.
Before a “herbfreak” attacks me for that, I said COMPANY. That is not a personal attack on you. My suggestion to you would be to do some research. If you’re passion is helping people, EDUCATE yourself. Become a trainer. There is a reason why people spend years becoming a nutritionist, they can’t just suggest something because someone with no factual information said it worked for them. Something that requires no formal training is an obvious indication you’re not qualified to give nutritional information.
It’s nice to see someone giving some facts, it would be even nicer if the company could do the same. Seriously a shame for all of those who don’t know any better, or who are just so desperate for results that they’ll try anything.
Horrible company, horrible products.
Did we just become best friends?!
am gutted I didn’t read this earlier.. we believed the hype and just spent over $100 each on two weeks meal replacement shake.. one product.. reading the ingredient list, i’m gutted as funds are tight and it was a grasp to try and get us healthy. the salesmen are good.. ‘complete nutritionally balanced meal’ .. um.. nope. Would’ve been better going to the holistic doctor and getting hair sample tests done to see where we’re lacking… or getting our own chooks. lesson learned. will be getting the ingredients to try your shake.. thanks for the blog. 🙂
Awesome blog, Dani. Love it!
I haven’t read all 554 Responses yet, so if someone has already mentioned this, I apologize.
Anyways, over on Seeking Alpha, there’s an excellent article and follow up about Herbalife’s scummy business practices:
“Red Flags In Herbalife’s Shipping And Handling Revenues”
In standard business practice, a 30% markup on actual shipping and handling costs is considered reasonable, perhaps at the far extreme a 60% markup. However, it appears Herbalife passes on as much as a 600% plus markup on actual shipping and handling cost to the recruit, distributor, member, sucker, mark or whatever you want to call the HLF cultists.
These Herbalife “Health and Wellness Coaches” are really starting to piss me off. People study hard to get certs such as a Certified Personal Trainer or a Certified Health Fitness Specialist. But folks just sign up with Herbalife, and they automatically become registered as a new Distributor as well as a “Health and Wellness Coach”. I’m sure some HBLers have a few smarts, but the majority passing on advice likely know as much about training and a healthy diet as the characters on Sesame Street do.
Be interesting to see what happens when one of these so called “Health and Wellness Coaches” finally kill or seriously injure someone with their bullshit advice. It’s happened before. With Mannatech. You may remember Mannatech claimed to cure a young boy of Tay-Sachs disease. But the lad had actually died after being treated with Mannatech products. That didn’t stop the scumbags from still parading around naked photos of the boy seven years after the boy had died as proof Mannatech products worked. (Maybe Dani could do a post about Mannattech.) Worth noting is that Mannatech’s high paid medical shill, brain doctor Ben Carson, is making a 2016 Republican presidential run. Should be interesting when his opponents start digging up his dealings with the MLM firm!
But for sheer lunacy, it would be hard to beat that MLM firm out in Oklahoma, TREVO. Seems they take offense to the FDA looking into their affairs, so they’ve been flogging their “opportunity” to the poor folks in Africa. Their reps pass themselves off as “Life & Health Coaches”. Look at some of their ads and you’ll see claims for curing cancer and just about every other disease known to mankind. Or this doozy: “Against ALL ODDS Woman Pregnant for Two Years Gives Birth to a set of Twins After 2 months of taking Trevo Dietary Supplement”. (A two year pregnancy?)
But the best one of all has to be Health Coach Andy Ochumba’s ” 20 Things Every Woman Should Know About Her Vagina”. Sample Fact #2: ” The vagina doesn’t connect to your lung. If you lose something in there, don’t worry. Reach in all the way and pull it out. Do not–I repeat, do not–go hunting for whatever you’ve lost with a pair of pliers. If you think you put something in there and you can’t find it, chances are good that it’s simply not there. Think of your vagina as being like a sock. If you lose a banana in a sock…it stays in the sock.”
Honest! I’m not making this stuff up. Check the links out for yourself. And people wonder why MLM is considered the armpit of the business world.
Basically, Herbalife is just overpriced snake oil. The HLF reps need to exaggerate and make false claims about the products to sell them because they would be hard pressed to find any customers (besides themselves) if they told the truth about the Herbalife shakes. It’s no different than weight watchers or some other nutritional weight loss product except for it’s exorbitant cost.
The HLF apologists can come up with all kinds of justifications but the bottom line is their products are marginal and expensive and their business opportunity nearly assures you will end up losing money. The HLF income disclosures makes that crystal clear. Great blog post!
Thanks!
What do you think of when hear the country Cambodia mentioned? I picture it as a rather poor country, mostly jungle. Checking, the average income in Cambodia is about $750 per year. The Cambodian diet is based around noodles, soups, grills, stir-fried, curries, salads, desserts, lots of vegetables, tropical fruits, and of course rice which is the staple food for Cambodians. In other words, while a poor country, Cambodians seems to eat a fairly healthy diet.
But beware! Herbalife wants to change all that. Instead of lots of vegetables, tropical fruits, soups, grills, and salads, Herbalife feels Cambodians needs nutritional products for a healthy life – Herbalife products to be exact.
At a recent rally in Phnom Penh, Herbalife flew in Alan Lorenz, a 72-year-old Englishman and one of the top “members” of Herbalife. “I only came here for one reason,” Lorenz tells the crowd of more than two hundred. “To make Cambodia the fastest growing country in Asia!” “[Friends and family] only believed me when I made my first million dollars,” he tells the crowd, referring to the lucrative virtues of Herbalife. (I thought Herbalife just said they were only interested in creating a healthy life for Cambodians?)
But it appears to be a tough slug for those trying to sell the stuff. Han Muy Ngin runs a one-room nutrition club in the capital’s Sen Sok district. After two months of operating the nutrition club – located in a moto garage and festooned with Herbalife posters asking questions like “Have you had your shake today?” – Muy Ngin has not recruited any new Herbalife members. She does sell Herbalife products, but only by the cup – $2.50 for two cups of Herbalife tea. Suppose that’s about all the poor folks can afford. Really, who’s going to buy the crap? But the bigger question is, doesn’t Herbalife have any sense of decency or propriety? Apparently not, this is MLM after all.
Herbalife sees ‘no obstacles’ looking ahead>
Can you help me find out if Herbalife has any kind of substance that has glucocorticoid drugs, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and CRH levels. I am trying to find out if “Herbalife” causes tumor in the liver. I have a family member that has cancer and she consumed some of their products for a couple a years. She has a rare syndrome called cushing syndrome, and she also has cancer. Doctors think that the cancer was fallowed by the disease and I just need help with the researching, will you help?
I recommend contacting customer service and asking them, they should be able to tell you.
Wow! I stumbled on this site when I was looking for ingredients in the skin care products (call it morbid curiosity), needless to say I have spent several hours reading. I completely agree with you Dani, the ingredients listed are not healthy.
It amazes me that so many will find any excuse to justify choices especially when they are poor ones. I have to live on a GF diet, and have since I discovered that I have coeliac disease about 10 years ago, I am much more aware of the potentially harmful effects that certain ingredients can have. As a side effect, I now have the opposite issue where I struggle to keep weight on.
I am not a nutritionist, but I am an holistic massage therapist and actively promote a healthy balanced lifestyle. Within this industry we have a duty of care to ensure that you know as much about the product/service that you offer. I would never recommend anything that I wouldn’t put in or on my body, and anything I do use is meticulously researched.
Good luck, and keep up the good work ??
Thanks and same to you!
What is your opinion on young livings protein powders?
I’m not familiar with them.
Hi Danny,
Concerned and frustrated parent here. My 8 year old son lives with his mother who happens to be a herbalife distributor (I bet you’ve already how this is going to pan out)
She has replaced his breakfast with a shake as she blindly believes its healthy, and will ferociously defend Hebalife “to the death!” The creature is incapable of a rational convocation and I’m really concerned for my son. sending her some facts might help sway her thoughts though… any imput will be greatly appreciated.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Wez
Yikes. Eight years-old? No one belongs on Herbalife, much less eight year-olds. Maybe print this article out and give it to her? Or send it anonymously if you don’t want to start a fight.
Well I was sold on this product 2 weeks ago I ran out off one product already.I contacted the woman who sold me prior to running out with concerns of headaches and tummy issues. She tells me drink plenty of water its dehydration.
I look up to see about a refund,it says thirty day money back guarantee
but through the person you bought from not the actual company,great I
wonder how hard that will be to get back, because now shes avoiding my calls.
Stuck with a product I thought was healthy, (but read what was in it just now) and realized this company is a fraud they make all the profit and have no issues on there end as of now ,but see a lot of problems in the future.
just glad I found out now and not a few years from now.
Always a silver lining, at least you haven’t been taking it for years!
Well I have to say that I feel very foolish after reading all the posts. I too was pulled into the Herbalife scene. I’ve only been using it for about 3 weeks. Yes, I lost about 8 pounds so far, but I have to say that after each shake or protein snack I ate, I would feel bad. I am a recent breast cancer survivor so I was thinking maybe it just didn’t go well with all the medication that I have to take. I am seeing how wrong I am.
The whole reason I got into doing Herbalife is because my cousin, who had cervical cancer, gained over 80 pounds during and after chemo. I’m sure it had to do with depression also. I know because I too suffered the depression stage. Well she had been posting pictures of her health journey on FB and I was just really impressed because after 4 months of doing Herbalife and exercise, she lost 62lbs. And I was talked into doing it to. Probably because I saw an easy way to lose weight and a promise to get the products for myself 25% off if I became a distributor. So I did it and yes, it can get expensive! I have to say that I have made no money off of it barely because I was just wanted to help others, so I would give them up to 15% off whatever they bought. I just wanted to do it for myself and help others.
I am so disappointed now that I am seeing the truth of this product. Not only did I lose my own money on it, I also am promoting this stuff to other people thinking it is healthy when I didn’t even really look at what was in it. I even just got business cards made to promote it because I really thought this could be a healthy choice. How dumb am I? Thank you for opening my eyes. I will of course be destroying all those business cards and quitting Herbalife. I do not want to be putting carcinogenic products into my body. What a scary thought. My husband tried to tell me to research it first, but I was just wanting to lose weight so bad, I just went with it. 🙁
You’re not dumb, you were just duped. It happens to thousands of people. But now you recognize the ingredients and I commend you for making the choice to stop using and promoting them, for your health and the health of others. That’s awesome! Sending lots of love your way.
There is a girl in my office who is very over weight and unhealthy, who has been promoting this. She says it has changed her life and posts about her “specials” on fb all day and night.
So, I decided to google it. I read some costumer reviews that were very scary. People getting liver damage and having severe allergic reactions. After reading the ingredients you posted, I’m just so disgusted. How dare they market this as healthy? There isn’t even chicken in their CHICKEN soup! Insane. It’s really sad how far people will go to lose weight fast.
It’s not hard to make your own smoothies people.. fresh or frozen fruit, plain greek yogurt, honey or maple, spinach, non dairy milk.. maybe some peanut butter in there, maybe some rolled oats. Its easy to make a healthy and protein packed meal. Thanks for posting this.. very informative 🙂
I respect your opinions regarding Herbalife but saying your post is “An Unbiased Review” is the most far-fetched truth I have ever seen. Your bitchy attitude totally ruins your intelligence… Maybe try being truly unbiased and post again hun 🙂
I’m completely disgusted by this comment. You would have never said this had a man written this article. Having an attitude can’t “ruin” my intelligence. That comment literally makes no sense. Facts are facts and I’m firm, not bitchy. Get at me when you learn the difference and to respect a woman who won’t back down from people who know nothing about true health or nutrition.
Dani,
Thank you for your holistic and scientific approach to a healthy diet. I feel so sorry for those who have been brainwashed into thinking ingesting chemicals/carcinogens is beneficial, and for those who are quick to attack you for revealing what is truly lurking behind these labels. I am completely disgusted that someone would give this to children, cancer survivors, or to women in general. I also feel qualified to say this as I earned a degree in exercise science/nutrition. The best we can do is keep this crap out of our own bodies and hope that others will read this and stay away, too.
Great comment, thank you!
This is NOT ubiased at all. You are such a hypocrite – the garbage you talk about in food, is COMING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!!!
WHY DON’T YOU GO MAKE A DIFFERENCE WITH WHAT YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT & STOP SPREADING GARBAGE ABOUT WHAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE FOR OTHER PEOPLE!
YOU DON’T HAVE TO BRING DOWN OTHER PATHS TO LIVE YOUR OWN.
Well, in writing this I’ve made a difference. I’ve had a ton of people comment and email me to say they had no idea that Herbalife contained such horrible, toxic ingredients. I’m not bringing others down, I’m introducing people to the fact that these products are seriously unhealthy.
The only garbage here is the ingredients in Herbalife.
I started reading this hoping to get an educated insite on Herbalife but as soon as I read the anti GMO things I stopped. I’m sorry but if you are anti GMO then I can’t take you seriously.
If you’re not anti-GMO then you know nothing about GMOs.
European foods are BANNED from having GMO”s in them? What planet are you from? Food was basically born in Europe and they have put laws into effect so people will not consume them? Organic items should be a staple in everyone’s diet in some way shape or form. Good stuff Dani
Dear Dani,
I was interested with Herbalife due to its product’ promise to help me losing weight but reading your review (a very honest review), I rethought my decision to buy the products. Thanks for being so blunt. Go girls!
Thank you!
I purchased a nutri bullet 2 years ago and Love it. I eat fresh organic (when possible) fruit and veg everyday. 5 years cancer free and 3 years medication free,,yes I enjoy the weekend wine or beer but exercise and healthy enjoyable living is my key,,,Love your blogs
Congrats and thank you!!
Will you marry me?
Already married, my friend.
I’ve been drinking this stuff for years! Gosh I feel so stupid not knowing all this junk was in herbalife products. I just joined the weight loss program too! Oh well I would rather lose $50 than drink that junk. Thank you for publishing this!
You’re welcome!
hello..im just interested to know if its possible for the herbalife protein shake to cause elevated red blood cells,hemoglobin and hematocrit levels? The reason im asking is because back in December 2014, my CBC levels were all normal. Then in April 2015 (until now), i started using this product. During a routine CBC check in July 2015, it was noted that all my RBC,HGB and HTC levels were all elevated nearing maximum levels. i know that there are other reasons that could cause such elevation but I just wanted to check on the remote possibility of the herbalife product causing my high levels. Thanks.
Hey! I’ve been looking into Genesis Pure products and wanted to know your opinion on them? Here are some links to the ingredients of some of their products:
http://www.genesispure.com/products/display/2136/complete-shake-br-vanillacomplete-shake-br-vanilla
http://www.genesispure.com/products/display/2085/
Thanks!
Wait.. did I just read… you said Bacon was healthy? lol *makes a dash*
Hi Dani,
I just recently come across your blog here and seen so much negative talk about the Herbalife Products. Maybe you had a bad experience with Herbalife at one time or other? Multi Level Marketing is not a pyramid scam, anyone willing to do some proper research will understand this, actually MLM’s could be good profitable businesses for many people if if they did not have to deal with so much negative from people like the ones leaving all the bad comments on your blog. I mostly see this kind of negative profiling with people that have their own specialty business and they want to draw customers away from other businesses for their own personal gain. I live in Amway territory and have seen much of the same with their distributors. Maybe your business is not a MLM but your attitude lost my respect right from the beginning. I have tried many products from many different companies over the years, there was good quality in some areas and not so good depending on the company and where their specialty was the best. With foods I have tried just about everything, I like organic when possible but for many people around the world it is not always possible. So, why talk so negative about the ones that try to bring good quality to the people around the world? Have a little respect? I spent many years of healthy lifestyle, exercising, running long distances, riding bike and other sports. I tried many brands of nutritional products to get the best results. Some products were good, some not so good, and others were excellent. So I did my best to put the best of all the varieties together including organics. There are many products on the market that have much worse ingredients then the Herbalife products, why so negative about Herbalife? If people did some research they would see, Herbalife is not all that bad, if properly purchased their prices are very comparable to all the other health and nutritional companies out there and from my 30 plus years of experience in testing nutritional products I think that Herbalife has some of the best products available on the market. In my opinion your opinion of Herbalife
is extremely biased in this article and in all your comments. Have a nice day,
Steven
None of the labels you posted are Herbalife labels. You didn’t post one source of where you got your so called information. Everything that you have said is absolutely wrong and you haven’t even tried the product for yourself to see if it works. The reason is Herbalife distributors generally don’t bother with crap like this is because it’s miss information. By the way Herbalife is on the stock market and no pyramid scheme is on the stalk market. You obviously know nothing of mark hughs or the company. Nice try
Hi Nick,
I really don’t appreciate being called a liar, especially by someone who has no idea what they’re talking about. I suggest educating yourself on the products you consume and sell, because I’m not the one here spreading misinformation.
Direct links (which I also linked to in the article that you apparently ignored entirely):
http://az31823.vo.msecnd.net/content/en-us/pdf/catalog/1426_proteindrinkmix_vanilla_840g_label_us.pdf
http://products.herbalife.com/weight-management/recipes/meals/breakfast-burritos
http://az31823.vo.msecnd.net/content/en-us/pdf/catalog/0058_proteinbar_peanutbutter_label_us.pdf
By even saying I’m lying and have falsified this information, which I haven’t, you’re acknowledging that these ingredients are unhealthy, harmful and that Herbalife sucks. Nice argument.
You are a liar. Those are not Herbalife labels. Those are edited to look bad. If I could post a picture on here of a actual label I would show you that you are wrong but think what you want. By the way I sell Herbalife. This is how I know.
They’re literally from the Herbalife website, that’s where I got them. I even provided links – directly to Herbalife!
How can you sell these products if you literally have no idea what you’re selling? This is incredibly frustrating, because if you would just click on the links I provided you would clearly see that these ARE the ingredients in Herbalife. Sometimes talking to people like you makes me want to rip my hair out. You insist I’m a liar because you’re too ignorant to even know what’s in the products you’re pushing.
Can anyone weigh in on this? Is this guy taking crazy pills or just that far in denial?
Dani
its taken me like 2 hours to read all these comments. A local distributor/brainwasher’s father – who is a doctor- is promoting this crap in my town….um talk about unethical!!! Anyway thanks for the good read- have so much admiration for the way you have handled the SAME reply from every consumer haha it was doing my head in just reading them.
Best wishes
Actually saw directly from their website that they now carry a GMO free shake?
Thoughts?
Great article and seems like you have great knowledge and that’s definitely respectable.
Myself personally, have been taking the products for over 4 years. My goal was for weight loss. I lost 26lbs while on a program. I told my doctor what I was doing and he said it was good and that I should keep it up. I’ve never had any side effects while on products. I was even able to come off of my blood pressure meds (with my doctors approval) due to my weight loss. I’m not here to say you’re right, I’m right, he’s right, etc. I just can only tell you what my experience has been. I like to still start my day with a shake and Their green tea and then I make healthy meal choices for lunch and dinner. Again,I respect your knowledge and opinion. I’m sure you want what’s best for everyone but have you ever considered that maybe the products have changed people’s lives in a genuine way? I’ve seen it first hand.
*ps I’m not a business pusher. I just use the products occasionally. Seriously not here to argue or challenge your post.
Aw man…. This is so sad. The woman I am with right now is an Herbalife health coach. And she’s great at it. The herbalife support is amazing and very uplifting when you need something to be …. I try to explain to her over and over again how you don’t need Herbalife to be healthy and change peoples lives. Here’s the thing, I’m a chef and specialize in healthier meal choices. Informing people clients and loved ones on the LONG TERM effects of ingredients that are detrimental to your body. I was shocked to find how many of these ingredients existed in Herbalife products. My girlfriend and i decided to team up and create an option for pre made meal preps for their program… I would be doing them a diservice by not informing them about good ingredients and what to avoid etc. So i did my due diligence and researched the herbalife products. People. Herbalife enthusiasts succesful health coaches, please understand this simole truth, YOU are the ppsitive impact in your clients lives. You dont have to blindly defend herbalife becauae of the results youve seen. If you make healthier choices in your meals and exercise regularly you wiol naturally lose weigh . Your body functions will begin to work better . don’t play the blame game and point out what other people Do. If you truly care about the people you help look up the long term effects the ingredients in Herbalife products cause in humans. You can still be a health coach but be an effective one who guides clients to a TRUE change of health. Natural oraganic ingredients give your body the natural neccesities it needs to heal itself and function properly. No one is bashing you personally. I doubt anyone will read this but if you do please take responsibility and just research for yourself. Don’t take what Dani wrote here for fact if you feel raw about how she wrote it. Just look for yourself and recognize that you could be selling products that may cause a person who is highly susceptible long term hidden damage such as their children being born with the inability to have children. Though the amounts are too little to show in your lifetime a constant consumption will eventually store in your body and affect offspring or even you in your old age. Everyone eats sugar and is FINE. That’s not what this is about. Its about the toxic process of genetically modified ingredients found in products like these. Yes organic ingredients are expensive but you can at least avoid the truly bad Ingredients. I for one cannot agree advising people to take these products. My gf is gonna hate me :/ but right is right and wrong is wron .
Thanks for the information Dani! I’ve been following instagram accounts of herbalife sellers (and supposed “users”) and was on the fence about this stuff. I wasn’t even sure if the sellers of the herbalife products actually use the stuff themselves! I had a feeling it all had to be a scam, so thanks for confirming as such! There are no real short cuts to successful and sustainable weight loss.
Hi Dani. How do you feel about Alli pills? I recently bought both the alli pills and herbal life products to start my weight loss journey for the coming new year.
Hi Dani
I just want to say thank you for this.
I was directed to this page a year or so ago by a family member, and I was livid because I was a Herbalife distributor at that stage, and I believed in the products, I made money selling them, and I had lost a lot of weight.
Then I started studying at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, and I started doing my own research about soy. After it all, I had to take a stand against highly processed (junk) supplements, and processed soy in particular, and I had to admit that the Herbalife products I was consuming were doing a lot of damage to my body. Well, now I agree with you. Fully.
None of my Herbalife friends want to talk to me any more. I have voiced my concerns, and they want to hear none of it. I just cannot be a hypocrite, and sell this crap to my Health Coaching clients, when I know how unhealthy and toxic it is! Then I would rather go without the money, and even struggle financially! I guess what makes me even angrier, is that Herbalife allows their distributors to call themselves health or wellness coaches – with NO education about nutrition or coaching whatsoever! I paid my butt of for my education in health coaching!
Thank you for putting this out there! Keep on doing the good work!
Be glad that you have more integrity than those people. You don’t want “friends” like that. Congrats on going to IIN and finding out the truth about these products!
Dani, you’re awesome. Just wanted to show some love for you after reading all these comments left by herbafail sheep. I love your responses and how you aren’t afraid to show attitude when needed! Aaron + military lady + breast cancer lady comments were melting my brain and I couldn’t take it anymore! You can tell the uneducated by their terrible grammar, spelling, lack of punctuation, and their fear of hitting an extra key to capitalize any letters. Aghhhh kill me. Anyway, looks like you can hold your own girl. Keep at it! Cheers
Thanks, Justine! I appreciate it!
Thank you for this article! I was once a believer in the Herbalife product and consumed it for a long time period until it caused me adverse health effects that I am still dealing with some 4 years later. I am no longer a supporter of this product and have even lost friends because of it. I once spoke with a professional trainer to the elite and he said this stuff is junk and he would NEVER use it on his clientele. That the people that push it aren’t even real nutritionists. I can’t stand this product. They really need to ban it.
Good Post 🙂
Im currently using herbalife because a friend told me about it. I tried a shake and they are very very tasty. After i ordered some for myself I actually looked at the ingredients and was pretty shocked :/ It is very processed and contains ingredients like corn syrup solids, hydrogenated oils and artificial sweeteners. Yikes. I will probably return to my Vega One shakes. They might not be the best either since they are still processed but i know the ingredients are better. Does the shake you make taste good? I can’t imagine that tasting good haha!
Do you think Herbalife products are any safer in other countries? Because of different regulations of their foods and such.
I’ve just joined a herbalife ‘fit camp’ with a view to increasing my physical activity, not doing the products :-). I have refused point blank to entertain the shakes at the end of the session. Indeed not free as someone mentioned earlier. You do get the shake at the end, or 2 protein bars (they’re not bad and I figure a little bit isn’t too bad – hell, I eat all kinds of crap from time to time). I heard one of the fitness ‘instructors’ say that she insisted everyone had to have a shake to get the protein in quickly and having it in food takes too long…… Well I thought this was bollocks tbh. It’s getting to the point where I might not be able to go as I’m asking too many questions about the products and what qualifications they have (looks like joe blogs off the street to me). I actually enjoy the physical activity and know enough keep myself safe but some of the moves they do are hard for the unfit. They also don’t tell you about correct posture and sometimes move too fast. A recipe for injury if you ask me. But you sign a disclaimer so if you hurt yourself it’s not their fault!
They are currently trying to ‘recruit’ me and initially I was interested, but I’ve been doing my research. So, in the space of reading this article/comments, and comments on another forum I’ve read, it’s a definite no from me! I was called a hater the other day for saying I’d read bad press online about them by one of the coaches!
Dani, it’s nice to be informed of ingredients that don’t look safe. Despite me using it, I understand your health assessment of the product so I’m not bothering to promote it to anyone. There are people who say good things about Herbalife and those who don’t. It isn’t a perfect world, so I want to entertain your questions you have reiterated.
How are GMOs healthy?
How are transfats healthy?
How is MSG healthy?
How are processed ingredients healthy?
How are artificial sweeteners healthy?
How are rancid vegetable oils healthy?
I heard a long time ago that MSG is bad in that even though it can help make food taste better, some people are allergic to it and can die from a result. Either Herbalife is really good at covering up incidents causing those deaths or the ingredients associated with it on that product might not chemically react to form that substance.
You did state in the article carageenan comes from a seaweed, so it is technically derived from something in its natural state. If some type of study has shown sucralose is pretty safe to consume, the same goes for the other substances that raise your alarms.
This loosely reminds me of my Master’s level class with writing scientific, research papers. I scored a 100% on it, so I’ve learned quite a bit on some jargon researchers use. From doing literature research (conducting a survey of all the research out there), I am going to assume there are proponents for whatever reasons or conflicts of interests they have and also opposition with the findings.
This is a pretty fun example I had the privilege of discussing about in my class. For the website, Luminosity, the organization claims that people grow smarter from playing their games. I looked at some studies that stated otherwise and some that did. Overall, from a consumer point of view, it’s inconclusive for me, so I’ve chosen not to spend money to partake of playing addictive games that could or could not help me.
It’s pretty much what floats your boat in my perspective with Herbalife. It has a Kosher certification tag on it, and it’s not offending some big synagogues so at least it has some recognition. Of course, they hate bacon on a side note, which you wouldn’t be too thrilled about!
From a quantitative side of research ( the actual numbers and results), the research is still yet to be determined and has to converge with some bridge. Like, we know now that no matter how much the tobacco industry funds pro-tobacco research, they can’t deny that inhaling carbon monoxide for long exposure like chain smokers do contribute to lung disease! It even has a surgeon general warning on it and for some political reason, the country can’t let go of taxing it so stupidly!
From a qualitative side ( observing people), I have read accounts that people taking Herbalife for 20+ years have been “happy” off of it and even 70 year old women are actively enjoying sports from having taken it. I don’t know about you, but I want to do that too when I’m a grumpy old man in 40 years.
Basically, you informed the consumer what’s on there. People are giving mixed thoughts about it. It’s the glass is either half-full or half-empty. You don’t want to for your own convincing reasons, and I respect that.
I choose to take it because I’ve seen 8% body fat loss, 5 pounds of muscle increase, and my metabolism has went from a 50 year old to a 19 year old in three weeks time! I didn’t lose weight, I gained a pound of muscle.
The products work for me, and I agree it’s not for everybody. I don’t just take Herbalife by the way. I also work out and try to eat right, which is the key. Herbalife contains some good stuff, despite the ingredients you mentioned. You have to exercise man and eat right to lose weight and get the ripped abs that I so want! 80% nutrition and 20% exercise. 100% mindset, that’s what it takes to be a healthy and energetic person that we all so want to be.
Cocaine is derived from something in its natural state as well. By your logic, it’s totally safe and healthy to consume! Coke heads rejoice!
I provided factual information. If you want to consume toxic, unhealthy ingredients – that’s fine. It’s your body. Hopefully you make it to being a grumpy old man in 40 years, but consuming overly processed ingredients, GMOs, trans fats, artificial sweeteners and MSG aren’t going to help any.
My dad’s wife was recently diagnosed with liver cancer. Two weeks prior to her diagnosis she was in the ER where they told her she had gallstones. I was always very skeptical about her herbal life consumption but after reading all these posts and researching other sites they all state that herbal life destroys your liver which is exactly what is happening to her. This is so sad, I honestly couldn’t figure out what went wrong with her because I have read a lot of research on liver cancer and it just didn’t make sense to me that she was suffering from this super aggressive illness.
Wow. this was so informative. I’m trying to find recipes for healthier eating. I gave up soy a long time ago after I found out it was causing my fibroid tumors to grow and multiply. I would have never known that. I eat lots of organic veggies, but honestly I”M SICK OF CHICKEN too. I want to read up on foods you recommend, and follow this site. Thanks for knowing and providing factual feedback.
Thank you so much for your post! I had started following Herbalife accounts on instagram thinking they were health-blog posts. Soon I found myself thinking “It worked for them and they still eat, it could work for me!” Wrong. I went through all of the steps of becoming a member and bought hundreds of dollars of product. However, during this time while I was waiting for my products to come in there was always this little nagging thought in the back of my head that this wasn’t a good choice. (Prior to this decision, I eat organic, non-GMO foods, and follow a mostly Paleo diet (I don’t ingest wheat products and try to keep away from refined grains and sugars as best I can). But I had put on about 15 pounds since coming to college because I was less in control of my food choices and ingredients with the dining hall. I became impatient for the results of weight loss and muscle gain to come back and started looking for other alternatives) I started researching Herbalife more and more and found awful reviews. Some people’s digestive health was messed up so badly that they were on more medications after Herbalife than they were before! I also read Herbalife customers talking about the “haters” telling them this wasn’t good and DOCTORS telling them they needed to eat real food, quit the high caffeine teas, and actually find a healthy alternative to weight loss. Even before my products came in I decided I didn’t want this anymore. It was terrible lapse in mental judgement and sent the products back for a full refund as soon as they came in. I quit my membership and never put an ounce of that crap in my body. This is a starvation diet, not a healthy way to lose weight! I realized that my purchase of the Herbalife products was coming from a place of desperation to get the pounds I had gained off again. Since returning the products I went back to the healthy diet I had before coming to college. I live in an apartment now and buy all of my groceries as opposed to being at the mercy of the dining hall. I exercise on a regular basis and I love where THIS HEALTHY LIFESTYLE has brought me back to. You don’t need shakes with minimal calories and awful ingredients to lose weight. Eat real, unrefined/processed, foods and put in some exercise into your daily routine.
When I first discovered Herbalife I completely thought that everything they said was true and never to my imagination thought they were being dishonest about the ingredients. I loved Herbalife when I first when into their shop and tried out the tea and shakes and I was in awe how delicious they tasted and wondering how could all this be so good but not have any unhealthy ingredients in it? So after awhile I decided I wanted to purchase the tea and shake so I could make them myself at home and okay yeah I knew it would probs be pricey but worth it because they help you “lose” weight and seemed like all the ingredients were natural and nutritious. So when I had bought them, The first thing I did was look at the ingredients in the protein powder and when I saw cornstarch I was like WHAT. One on the worst things that your body can consume. Not only is that bad but also when they make their shakes for people and to make the flavor of the shake “cheesecake” they use cheesecake flavored gelatin jello sugar free. Again I was like WHAT. That’s using artificial sweetener which is just as bad as regular sugar! That’s not the only thing that’s artificially flavored the aloe that you put into the tea gets its sweetness from suclarose! So then you’re just consuming even more of an artificial sweetener! Seeing all these awful ingredients in there products makes you realize that these companies are IDIOTS and know absolutely nothing about health! And eventually will probably get sued for giving people cancer in the long run. I will never waste my money on this again. Lesson learned! I 100% agree with this article and so glad other people realize how awful it actually is for you.
I just finished Herbalife (which I did for a month.) I followed the plan and included daily exercise. Didn’t lose a lb, felt bloated, had breakouts on my face, and didn’t see a difference in my health. HL coach asked me if I was ordering more products and I explained why I am not ordering. I told him I hired a personal trainer and will be eating healthy meals and snacks. Well, he wasn’t happy about it. He left me a message bashing the personal trainer and was very upset. A SCAM INDEED!!
Omg I did not only waste my money? I am also destroying my body?! *intense crying*
Really me too i wasted lots of money truly speaking its of no use…rubbish
My primary physician actually gave me the OK to start Herbalife.. My moms Doctor OKayed her too. So I don’t think it’s that bad. Been on it for two weeks and lost 8lbs.
Time to get a new doctor.
Ok so you say herbalife is not good to consume. But even meat or chicken is fake at a supermarket, veggies and fruit are grown with tons of chemiclas that cause cancer. The very air we breath has GMO so what is the difference betweeen eating at a restaurant and a fast food chain. Surley starbucks has loads of chemicals. This article makes no sense in proving that Herbalife is not good when American food itself is fake.
I have been using the product for two weeks now, I feel crap, headaches, heart palpitations, nervousness, tiredness, bloated and the list goes on, suffice to say that going forward, I will continue to exercise, eat healthy veggies and fruit, organic foods, drink clean water – Now this will work for me, moderation and lots of exercise. Been there, done that – got the T-Shirt! Never Again and I know, Never is a looong time! Dani – thanks for opening my eyes!
If you consume Herbalife products you don’t have to stop eating veggies, organic foods, drink water… you musn’t actually. Maybe your weren’t eating properly and that’s why you had headaches, many people think you should only drink the shake which is strongly wrong.
Wow, so much information from so many people. the gym i go to is beginning an herbalife shake bar there and they are promoting it like crazy. I’ve always been skeptical about these shakes, but decided to look at its ingredients. After reading all the ingredients (which many i could not pronounce) Maybe this is not a good idea, plus its really expensive.
Thank you for all the info!!
Hi, whilst I agree on the whole with your argument, especially the comment backing you up about humans eating whole foods for thousands of years and all of a sudden eating processed carbohydrates in the past 2-300 years, however, you have an abhorrent problem with GMO crops, or just GMO’s as you have stated. My problem is that you may be just a little short sighted in the other direction, yes, whole foods are better, yes organic is better, but, the country and the world would have had a much worse global food epidemic had it not been for the advancements in crop modification. Certain wheat plants were cross bred to result in a much hardy crop, with an inbuilt pesticide; without which, we would have seen a huge decline in the stability of wheat, essential to the bread and cereal industry, of which accounts for roughly 35 percent of the global food industry. I’m not trying to incite an argument, but I believe you could have done without slamming all GMOs, as it is just perpetuating the irrational fear spreading across nations about genetic modification. Any dog breed not of one hundred percent pure herritage is a genetically modified organism – the genetics were modified due to cross breeding. The same with simple cross breeding of tomato plants to ensure a better yield – the only difference is we can now manipulate specifically on the atomic level, through nano-scopic instruments. This actually allows for a greater response to the modification, due to stripping out completely undesired traits.
I am completely against MLM schemes of any kind, especially ones that take advantage of basic human nature and our personal fears: why am I not as thin as this magazine model? How can I lose that extra tyre? And any “shake” or supplement that lists toxic chemicals should absolutely be avoided, I’m not disagreeing with you here but you should go into further detail about which genetic modification processes are more damaging, to allow people to take the information and make a very informed decision for themselves. Paradoxically, the message I received from your article on Herbalife and the way you address GMOs, is that they are all terrible, will all cause cancer but you haven’t fully explained as to why these particular genetically modified organisms are bad. I feel as though if you told all the information, we would have a slightly different view, and would negate the impact of your article.
I still stay away from any supplements, but that’s personall choice, and I understand if
I eat correctly I have little problems with personal health.
I will leave you this : what if the final stage of human evolution is the ability to evolve ourselves to adapt to our environment at a much faster rate of change than nature has allowed prior. We have ourselves evolved to a point where we have the ability to change and modify at a fundamental level.
Your argument is flawed because you’re not arguing in favor of GMOs, you’re arguing in favor of hybridized crops. They are completely different.
In 10 to 15 years people are going to be needing and wanting herbs all the food consumed these days has chemicals that is no good for you anyway people are in fact dying from consuming whole foods. It’s a balance of everything whole foods combined with herbs. The body actually needs it as you cannot consume it in whole food eating.
I hope this makes sense.
It doesn’t.
I’ve been consuming a broad variety of Herbalife products every day since the summer of 1993. I feel great and have always appreciated the extra energy and feeling of well-being they provide. I am told I look 15 years younger than I am at 54 years.
Not more important than our whole food diet or exercise habits, but a good, well-rounded supplement program like Herbalife can make a world of difference- especially when trying to minimize calories and increase activity.
Dani, your bias is in your name brand- “ancestral nutrition”
What I really dont understand here is that A LOT OF PEOPLE are saying that this product is not good, bad, deadly, cancerous, etc. And yet, the GOVERNMENT is doing nothing about it.
WHY?
I just really dont get it.
Governments don’t ever do anything about importing crap. It’s actually the other way, they prohibit products that can improve health. Like raw milk that was consumed for thousands of years, activated charcoal etc…. There is so much to write about this. You need to do your own research – I just wanted to put a fact in front of you.
Have you heard of Herbalife causing tooth sensitivity (like all teeth), I’ve been doing it for a few months, pretty skeptical of its “results” for weight loss having been consistently doing 2 shakes per day with a very healthy dinner 90% of the time with relatively no results…yes I exercise and have a very physical job too… And my teeth hurt, time to quit? Yup! But seriously interested in the tooth sensitivity issue!
Hello Dani! FANTASTIC, TRUTHFUL, DETAILED review. Thank you!
Please do a review of Purium Health Products http://www.puriumcorp.com/ I love your straight forward, details, unbiased approach and would love to get your feedback.
Blessing, Mike
Glad to have found this blog post. A “health cafe” called Healthy Way just opened up near me and I had seen people posting a lot about it so I checked it out today. I (naively) assumed they served veggie and fruit based smoothies. I walked in and their entire set up was a bar stocked full of Herbalife and Torani syrups. They had about 20 flavors listed on the wall with zero nutritional information or ingredients listed, but proudly boasted that nothing was over 200 calories. I had never heard of Herbalife, but didn’t want to just walk out so I ordered one. All shakes come with a mango aloe shooter and a cup of iced green tea (look those ingredients up! They’re just as terrible!)
Within 30 minutes of finishing the shake I had a horrible headache so I decided to look up the ingredients. I am absolutely floored. I assumed their would be a few unfavorable ingredients, but this is unbelievable!!!
Thank you for the article! Because of this article I started using PlantFusion. I bought it at Sprouts 🙂 http://www.plantfusion.net/products/lean?variant=21861087681
I know I am late to see this post but hopefully someone can explain things to me. I have been taking Herbalife for about 2 months now and I have recently started having problems with my body. Every time I go to the doctor my blood pressure is extremely high, I have constant headaches, and I just had to have an ultrasound because my doctor thinks I may have fibroids. I’m. It blaming it completely on HL but I didn’t start having these issues until I started the Herbalife. Does anyone have a similar situation or information in regards to this? My email is [email protected]. Thanks
I dont know about all that, but for some people it works and for some it doesn’t. You have to ask the person consuming it, “whats your goal”. If it works for some and they achieved there goals then who cares, herbalife isn’t trying to kill people on purpose…I have SEEN some very successful stories with herbalife. Some unable to workout so what choice do they have? Sure there are tons of other companies but they landed on herbalife so what can you do. I dont know where im going with this but results are results and people who are uneducated about nutrition, want results PERIOD. You can blog all you want, they are out there achieving results. I will say “everything in moderation” of course. You have to have some common sense. There will always be someone who doesnt get it.
Hello there. I am from Eastern Europe-Romania city of Sibiu and I just got on contact with Herbalife in my hometown. They have also a market in Europe, as you know, and I just want to try it out of curriosity .I see in this blog pro’s and con’s against these products. My first impression when I was there was ”ok these people are in like a cult” :)). I have to say that I bought some products, curriosity on my costs :)), but I want to see if I can lose some weight faster. I am a dedicated cyclist main MTB and road-in the range of 6000 to 10000km /year. This is about 3500-6000 Miles if I made the calculation correctly. But in the last years I worket only in the corporations that came in our town and with this I gain too much weight. Combined with stress… Too much stress.
I always had and I always will have a good and balanced diet. Comming from an eastern Europe country we have the culture of eating what you grow :)), my grandparent’s had it, me and my wife in our mid 30’s are buying from farmes. We are luky than most europeans that in my home land GMO’s were only tested but people were not that pleased about this.
So what I know is this: I can’t say that I lost 1kg=2,2 pounds because of Herbalife.I am in my training, build up period, and normaly in an 1,5h hours mountain bike training I am burning 1600-2000Kca. As a breakfast I am ”eating” a shake, drink a tea, and another drink of aloe-vera. Sounds nice, healty, and supposed to replace a chease, egg, vegetabe, and ham breakfast-NEVER :)).
OK I agree that if I eat it I don’t fell hunger because the stomack it’s full of liquid… Quite normal duh…. And the shake is consistent so I get 3-4 hours with this breakfast. BUT I know I will not continue. I just don’t see myself eating shakes, tablets-THERE I SAY ABSOLUTLEY NO GO!-.
What I use is the sports drink CR7-developed with Cristiano Ronaldo a famous soccer player. OK for that, I am using products like Power Bar or Isostar but only during training!!!! During training is known that you loose magensium, potasium and valuable minerals and only these sports products can help you not having severe cramps, or fatigue. But these are normal products than can be bought from the sports store. Exept de CR7…. Well the CR7 is ok, I felt OK, but I found the taste strange, and the smell. And I discovered, rememberd, identified the taste/smell :RED BULL-tried this crap also, didn’t like it. Well I belive that I will cross out this thing also. What I bought should last for about one and a half month.
I am not ”preaching” against Herbalife, who wants to do it, they can do it, but I do belive in this: work out and balance your diet. You don’t have to run 25km/day, or ride your bike at least 40-50 km/day as I do, but at least try to go out-if you work out you have to eat a lot also. And eat balanced, moderated, normally meals. If you have a diet based on KFC&McDonalad’s-wich we have in my home town-it is clear as sky that you will get in trouble very fast. But I do not trust these types of miracle products! Some of them might help up to a point but after that, as humans, we need to get our carbs, fat, protein from nature.
As an end here, I will do as I said: I will stop the shake/tea/drink breakfast, continue with the CR7. When the CR7 will be gone I will buy Powerbar just to see. Also I don’t use it always-these hypotonic or isotonic drinks. At least 2-3 times a week-I work out 6 out 7, I am using home made limonade as liquid for trainig:water, lemon and honey from a fried that has beekeeping busines . As I said: I am a normal person, and if I want to enjoy a bbq I will. If I want to eat our traditional bacon with cheese&onion I will. But I will keep it moderate, combined with sport. Only supliments, natural or not will just not do it. This is my opinion.
Sorry for the long text and sorry for the mispeling&grammar mistakes. This was not gainst Herbalife or it’s supporters but if people like, Ian Thorpe-swimmer, Christian Froome-mega road cyclist, Julien Absalon-mountain biker Olimpic Gold Medalist and others are saying that eating well, sleaping well and exercising well is the only way, I trust these professional athletes. Cristiano Ronaldo not that much because he is a soccer palyer :)))).
I would also like an unbiased review of the Arbonne products. I just did the 30 day challenge and I did do some research on it and couldn’t find anything bad. I’ve also never felt better in my life after doing their 30 day challenge! I FEEL like living again! They teach you how to eat and cook with healthy options. So I am just really curious to see an unbiased review on Arbonne products. Please send me something on this! They are vegan certified, non GMO, kosher certified, and I, myself love the products I have tried! I’m only curious to see what someone else’s opinion is that hasn’t tried it. Thanks
All these “herb-a-lites” all butt hurt over the truth. Lol. No one ever said the truth was kind or an easy pill to swallow. Anyone with a brain and some will power can lose weight by eating right and excercise…not by eating shit shakes and cancer causing chemicals. The only reason they are mad Dani is because their “truth” of herbalife has been exposed and more people then not KNOW….herbalife is shit.
If you read this idiots supposed unbiased opinions of every single program or product put there you begin to see a trend. He says there’s nearly the same things in each of the products that are bad for you. What he really should be assesseing is the foods that the food and drug administration approves for your daily use. The same crap that is making America obese. Go in your pantry and read the ingredients that are on your bag of Oreos or your canna soup or your processed meats, Cold cuts, bread, pudding, Weight watchers meal, smart ones, or any other microwavable processed garbage that you’re putting in your mouth. Why is only looking at all those things. Probably because he’s getting paid by the FDA to write these articles that put down these healthy alternatives. If you love your Oreos and your ice cream and your submarine sandwiches and you’re looking for an excuse to just keep on stuffing them in your face then you should continue to read this guys BS. If you’re looking for an alternative to the garbage that were forced to eat every single day in this country you go ahead and look for the healthiest one that fits your lifestyle don’t listen to that garbage this guys trying to sell you so that he can get keep getting checks from the FDA !
Can you do a review on ZEAL a product from Zurvita, I bought a tub and loved it! But when I went to buy again I just can’t get past the crystalline fructose and stevia. Is this odd for these ingredients to be in a vitamin drink? Also is there anything like Zeal that would be “better”?
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Herbalife is not cancerous, i’m a living proof of it, it doesn’t make you ill, is not a scam and it’s healthy with a proper diet.
I’m 20 years old and i have been consuming Herbalife since i was a fetus. My parents have been working in Herbalife for 25 years and we have a pretty nice life. My mom lost 35 kg and said goodbye to diabetes, migraines, high colesterol, among other things, and right now she’s as healthy as she can be.
Herbalife is not just for loosing weight, it’s design to help you have a long and healthy life. My hole family consumes Herbalife and I can proudly say that my great-grandmother lived for 105 years thanks to Herbalife.
So don’t critique a product and a company you don’t even know and haven’t been part of.
I’m not sick, im not anorexic nor fat and I’ll continue defending Herbalife.
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Great article! Thank you for this.
Kefir is fermented and i do not disagree with using it, so many probiotics for a healthy gut. But real milk has been proven to create cavities in bones. The research stating it gives you strong bones has actually been funded by the huge US corporations. Otherwise I pretty much agree with the majority of what she said, and personally I did actually find this helpful. Personally the next chance I will get to buy protein powder I will buy vegan. Hemp is incomparable to milk in nutritional values. And I am no where near vegan.
This is hardly an unbiased opinion ?just a few points I need to make. I have lived and worked on a farm my entire life so when you bash GMO products I have to point out that you haven’t done enough research on them. Numerous scientists and universities have done extensive studies that prove GMO products are not harmful AT ALL. In some cases they were found to be even better than nonGMO because it prevents disease and other issues. Secondly, grass-fed cattle is a huge scam. Almost all cattle are grass fed. The restrictions on what is considered “grass” is pretty lenient. A cow could be fed corn and still be considered “grass fed”. So, in short, companies putting non-GMO and grass-fed on their prodcts are really just getting all you health nut hippies to spend more money on the same products.
You’re scaring me. I just got recruited to be a distributor. I grew up without much money and my family never ate with nutrition in mind, so I was recruited with the goal of improving my nutrition and making some extra money. But after reading this, and considering what herbalife supporters are saying, I’m getting the bad feeling that I made a mistake. I’m studying culinary arts, and I am considering going into Culinology. I’ve only taken basic nutrition courses, and they don’t really go into a lot of detail so I still don’t know much. I just know what foods to avoid (I try my best to avoid fast food and soda). I don’t really know much besides that. To be honest, when I was being recruited, I saw that the meal plans required replacing meals with shakes; warning signs did go off in my head, but I was so stressed out from work, school, and life in general that the warning signs didn’t register to me. After reading this post, it unfogged my mind and now I’m thinking, “Did I make a mistake? Should I even do this thing? It’s not too late to get out.” What I’m wondering is, is it possible to treat herbalife products as an alternative to sweets? (because I can’t seem avoid sweets; the craving is REAL) I noticed that after drinking the formula 1 shakes, I stopped snacking. Also, I love food, so I can’t ever follow their meal plans anyways. Help me, this ignorant person. And don’t be mean to me.
Mary I think it’s totally possible to replace sweets with healthier options than Herbalife. I have numerous recipes on my site and I keep RX Bars around my house for when a sugar craving hits. They’re $2, so it’s also probably a lot cheaper to do this.
Follow your gut. Your intuition is so important, you already know what’s best for you.
That’s true. Thanks for opening my eyes.
Hi Dani, I see you have responded recently so hopefully you will see this. Is this still accurate in terms of their ingredients etc or have things changed at all?
You call this article unbiased? well thats pretty bizarre as that would imply pros and cons of encouraging different lifestyles! Disappointing article to say the least as I wanted to see both the pros and the cons. And telling everyone they’ll get cancer using a meal replacement is ridiculous, as is telling them that fast food is the same thing – no better or worse. I sure hope you don’t work as a nutritionalist
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HI Dani! My name is Tiffany and I have to say that it is refreshing to hear other people’s opinions on various products; hence my finding your article. I have recently gotten involved with Herbalife as a distributor, however; my husband and i are contiuously looking for healthy, on the go stuff because we are a very busy family and our health has taken a backseat for the last few years. I try my best to do ample research prior to jumping into anything because I am concerned with my health and the health of my family. Herbalife products and other “nutrition” products aside I honestly would love to pick your brain on how to be all natural or at least closer to all natural. Holistic medicine is a growing passion of mine and I’m not comfortable promoting something that could potentially cause more harm than good. Thank you for your time and to any of the other Herbalife Distributors who read this, I did not join the company for the potential money aspect I did it to help people like me and THAT is my main focus so if things don’t add up I will remove myself from the company.
Thing about Cambridge, though, is it’s evidently similar to Herbalife when it comes to cancerous ingredients.
Could you update this blog for the current times? I don’t expect much to have changed, but it’d be nice to see if my current H-life diet is actually a good choice.
Thank you for the info! I was also wondering if you could update, and if you could say your opinion and knowledge about Arbonne products.
Hey Dani,
I’ve followed you for several years now. I was just at the grocery store and saw this woman and thought, “man she looks terrible.” Awful of me to say but since becoming aware that how you look externally is a big indicator of what’s going on inside, I can’t help but think that way when I see puffy faces, puffy swollen eyes, red flushed face, huge bags under the eyes, etc. Anyway, after I got home, I was scrolling through Facebook and came across a local shop that sells teas and meal replacement shakes. Everyone around here raves about them (if you check in when you order you get a discount). I came across a picture and the lady I had just seen in the store was in the picture. I think “hmmmm, interesting.” Turns out she’s one of the owners of said shop. Then, I remember hearing/reading back when they opened that their products were from Herbalife. I then remembered reading your review of Herbalife. I’m glad to say that I have not been to that shop and will certainly never go. Thank you for these reviews. Hope you and yours are doing well. ?
What do you think of Dr Axe’s protein powder?
https://store.draxe.com/products/multi-collagen-protein-vanilla
Stop telling and sharing this fucking news you motherfucker blogger did you know the science behind our products even coma patients came out of their problems by using this products , how can you just say these kind of bullshit . You have this product for one month and you will know the benifits stupid shit . Stop doing this , it’s awesome product
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