A Month of Herbalife Nutrition

A paid partnership with Herbalife Nutrition, opinion and words by Ape to Gentleman

Introduction

In 2016 Herbalife Nutrition turned over $4.5bn via over 90 countries and millions independent members. The nutrition supplements, weight management and sports nutrition industry is big business, evidently. The company was founded in 1980 by Mark Hughes, and in its 37 years has grown quickly with its Formula 1 protein shake, a soy-based meal-replacement, becoming its best-selling product. The Formula 1 shake at 220kcal per serving is the companies weight-loss hero, a meal replacement with less calories, more protein and added vitamins. What’s not to like?

On Today’s Menu

Our mint chocolate version of the Formula 1 shake tasted delicious, no doubt, and after speaking with a Herbalife Nutrition member it was advised that my concern of excessive sugary-snacking in the office would be best countered with a Formula 1 shake in the morning alongside a Protein Bar mid-morning. Interestingly, my advisor- Martin, wasn’t a scientist nor a dietician but an advocate of the brand and a Herbalife success story having lost an impressive amount of weight. He attributes his success to plenty of exercise, Herbalife and a healthier diet.

The brand has had a somewhat dogged past- accused of a variety of, from what I can see, relatively standard corporate growing pain issues. This is perhaps the root cause of my instant negative feeling when Herbalife got in touch offering me a free trial, but most of what I’ve read from credible sources seems insignificant to the end goal- me snacking less. So, I’ve given Herbalife the time of day and put it to the test.

Fuller for Longer

As perviously mentioned- the Formula 1 shake tasted delicious and certainly kept my hunger at bay throughout the morning. My concern isn’t weight-loss so I combined it with my usual slice of toast and coffee in the AM. I ate a Protein Bar mid-morning and that was me done until lunch. A healthy protein-packed lunch, on Martin’s advice, meant I wasn’t craving sugar by 3pm, and I managed to avoid snacking throughout the afternoon, filling up later on with a healthy evening meal. I play a lot of sport, so eating plenty to counteract the calorie loss is fine, as long as it’s good fuel and not fast-burning carbohydrates which are no doubt responsible for afternoon lethargy and an insatiable appetite for sugary treats.

In light of this- I’d say Herbalife was a success for me. I did have one concern; the high level of sugar in the shake but Martin assured me this is low-GI fructose similar to fruit sugar.

Results

My Herbalife Nutrition perception is now a good one, and I’ll continue to use it. It helped me achieve my goals, and in truth, I kind of enjoyed knowing I was consuming all those extra vitamins as an added bonus. I don’t see what’s not to like, and my best guess- first mover advantage, success and popularity were all cause for the naysayers to hate on the brand. If rumours are to be believed that Cristiano Ronaldo was buying Herbalife himself, before being signed on as an ambassador with his own product line (CR7 Drive), then it must be reasonable body fuel.