HERBALIFE NUTRITION is all about giving consumers choice: their meal replacement shakes come in a variety of flavours, and they even have vegetarian, kosher, and soy-free versions of their popular meal replacement shake. The company now offers a vegan protein shake in select markets.

With forty years experience providing science-driven creations (that happen to be taste-bud approved, too), Herbalife is a leading force in the world of nutrition and proud to share its Tri Blend Select product.

Why vegan? Herbalife prides itself on providing customers with options. Nearly 5 million of the companys protein shakes are consumed every day, pointing toward a steady demand for tasty and health-conscious products.

Herbalifes Tri Blend Select is another opportunity to provide customers with a variety of healthy options. Consumer practices are shifting. More and more shoppers want clean labels products with ethical manufacturing processes and animal welfare in mind.

While veganism is on the rise, many people still correlate vegan food with poor taste or quality.

Not Herbalifes Tri Blend Select.

Its what the nutrition company likes to call uncompromising. Each ingredient is sourced from generational farmers and producers that have a proven track record for quality. These farming communities have been around for years and years, treating their services as a way of life. Expert knowledge, quality first, and environmentally friendly processes. They understand and appreciate local habitats. Their agricultural work doesnt take precedence it coexists with plants and animals, yielding sustainable growth, as well as the organic and delicious ingredients that make up Tri Blend Select.

Herbalifes mission in creating Tri Blend Select has always been people-focused: the right people creating the right drink for the right consumers those who enjoy a health-conscious, vegan-friendly protein shake.

What separates Tri Blend Select from other vegan protein shakes is not only its attention to taste, but also the carefully calculated blend of Herbalife ingredients that make it so pure.

First, of course, is the companys commitment to sourcing organic and wholefood ingredients. Tri Blend Selects formula has been designed to increase fiber and protein intake while still providing other essential vitamins and minerals.

Then theres the tri of the blend: pea, quinoa, and flaxseed.

Did you know? Pea proteins are friends of the digestion system and dont pose as much of an allergy risk as soy or dairy. Herbalife Nutrition sources its pea proteins from France, which acts as a sort of Mecca of pea agriculture. Seriously, theyve been grown there for hundreds of years!

As for flaxseed, its another pal of the digestive system. You may have used it before to cure an upset stomach, but its also high in a heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-linolenic acid.

Mix in its protein, fiber, and phosphorous for bone strength, and its impossible to deny the healthy punch that flaxseed packs. Herbalifes product comes from Canada, which, due to its northern climate, helps strengthen the alpha-linolenic acid and iodine content.

And last but not least, theres quinoa. Non-vegans (or recent converts) tend to be most familiar with this incredibly healthy ingredient. Quinoa comes loaded with protein, vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats.

Herbalifes quinoa is sourced from Colombia, a country well-versed in its cultivation. Also worth mentioningquinoa is gluten-free yet another advantage pending diet restrictions.

Pea, flaxseed, and quinoa make up the main base of Tri Blend Select. In fact, pea accounts for about 50 per cent of the formula, flaxseed roughly 11 per cent, and quinoa approximately 5 per cent.

In addition to pea, flaxseed, and quinoa, Tri Blend Select incorporates organic rice fibre, organic coconut blossom nectar powder, rice protein isolate, inulin (chicory), gluten-free oat fibre, natural flavourings, sweetener (steviol glycosides), and acerola cherry extract.

The banana flavour in particular is high in protein and low in sugar, without jeopardising taste. Each serving offers 20g of protein, along with 6g of fibre, as well as Vitamin C and 7 other key minerals.

While Tri Blend Select is most commonly consumed as a meal replacement shake, it has a variety of usage at any point in the day. Consider it a post-workout recovery drink or protein shake to accompany your meal or even as a mix for overnight oats. Stir it up with oats, seeds, berries, and yogurt the night before and wake up to a nutritious drink.

Tri Blend Select is also well suited for baking. Herbalifes high-quality ingredients lend themselves to being baked, whether thats as a crunch bar, protein ball, or some other delicious recipe.

Herbalife Nutrition makes products for anyone and everyone looking to live a more healthy lifestyle. However, not all products can be applied to a strict vegan diet. If veganism is of interest, its important to understand what it is and the benefits of following the demands of the lifestyle.

Not only does veganism shift ones eating to a plant-based diet, but it also removes dairy products, eggs, and honey. While a vegan diet can prove quite healthy (more on this below), theres also a moral force behind the plan.

Those who practice veganism do so to exclude the exploitation and cruelty of animals, be it for food, clothing, or other products.

From a health standpoint, plant-based diets offer much value. They shift focus to very specific food groups: fruits and vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Fruits and vegetables are loaded with nutrients, despite their low-calorie count. So, consumers get a lot more bang for their buck.

Vegan diets often have less saturated fats and cholesterol, which results in less risk of heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and various cancers. Plus, theres the added humanistic value of having a social impact.

A challenge with veganism can be finding enough good protein every day. Protein is essential to a healthy human body, especially with a rigorous exercise regimen since protein is necessary to help restore and build muscle.

Dietary proteins are made up of building blocks called amino acids. There are 21 amino acids in various foods, with 9 deemed essential because theyre acids that the body doesnt produce.

Except for soybeans, the majority of plant-based foods lack at least one of the essential amino acids.

The answer? Not only a variety of plant-based foods, but protein shakes. Using vegan protein powder is a great way to hit daily protein goals without consuming a large amount of calories. Herbalifes Tri Blend Select is intended to help consumers do just that.

The need for more vegan-friendly shakes that dont make consumers scrunch their noses when drinking isnt going away. Think back to the conscientious consumeras people buy more stock in their own health routines, more options are beneficial.

Above all else, Herbalife Nutrition is committed to creating healthy products that work for a diverse community of people. The company employs over 300 scientists whose work begins with Herbalifes ingredients. Every product goes through rigorous testing to ensure quality and to comply with government regulations in the 94 countries they operate in.

Diet is a ubiquitous term thats often misused. A lot of focus seems to be put on the lose side of a diet, when, in reality, your diet can be much more generalised. What are you eating? How? When?

Dieting isnt just about losing weight. Its about finding a healthy nutritional balance and developing strong goals that are both realistic and measurable.

Herbalifes nutritional philosophy rests upon three pillars:

1. Balanced nutrition

2. Healthy, active lifestyle

3. Personalised programming

In crafting its products, the Herbalife Nutrition team looks to create opportunities for consumers to engage in a healthy lifestyle that is driven by balanced nutrition. Whether its Herbalifes new Tri Blend Select for practicing vegans, or its flagship product like the Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix, there is a common theme of high-quality and high-priority.

That priority is helping people live healthier lives by giving them better choices. In todays world of options (both good and bad), health is something that demands attention. Herbalife remains committed to providing its large consumer base with products that adapt to shifting demand and emerging trends.

This commitment led to the creation of Tri Blend Select. As people explore their health options and adopt different diets, Herbalife Nutrition plans to be there every step of the way, utilising its talented team of scientists and dieticians to create products that help people live their best lives.

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Introducing Herbalife Nutrition's vegan protein shake - Voice Online - The Voice Online

Want to add some fun to your meal at home? How about throwing some fun into the fresh fruit juices that you serve? Just create a few fun ice cubes to go with it. These are easy to mae and need just a few ingredients. Here's what to do...Floral ice cubes Here's something colourful that kids are sure to love. Just wash a few edible flowers and freeze them in the cube moulds. You can use anything from lavender to roses. Herbs on iceHere's a smart way to keep herbs fresh for your next cooking day. Choose herbs such as parsley, oregano, mint, rosemary, basil or thyme. Break then up and add them to boiling water which helps preserve their taste. Cool and fill into the moulds and pop them out whenever you are ready to use them.Caramelised onions when you need themThe same thing can be done for caramelised onions where you caramelise the onion and add them to the ice cube trays with a little oil or melted better. Freeze. Remove the cubes when you need them. Coffee on the rocks Hey this one gives a pep to your cold coffee! Brew the java, semi-cool and pour it into the trays. You may add milk or keep it plain. Freeze and dunk it into the iced coffee glass whenever required.

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Hey busy cooks, try these foodie hacks with ice cubes! - Times of India

The Prime Minister listed the things he looked forward to most as he announced significant changes to lockdown restrictions, including getting a haircut and dining at a restaurant.

From July 4, pubs, restaurants and hair salons in England will be allowed to reopen - and indoor gatherings involving two separate households will be permitted.

At the Downing Street press briefing on Tuesday, Boris Johnson said he had a "very long list" of things he was looking forward to.

"I think it's great to see people out shopping again and frankly I can't wait to go to a pub or a restaurant, even if it may not be compatible with the new diet that I'm on," he said.

"I'd love to go to the theatre again, I'd like to go and see The Globe.

"I'd like to go to a restaurant, frankly. I would love to get my hair cut."

He added that he would "love to play village cricket again", although he described a cricket ball as a "natural vector of disease" at the Commons on Tuesday as he confirmed the sport remains banned outside the elite level.

But he assured that work was continuing with the likes of the performing arts and sports sector to ensure more activities could be given the green light in the future.

Mr Johnson added: "Don't think that this package represents the summit of our ambitions.

"It is as far as we can go for now but I want to stress again that we won't be able to make further progress unless we continue to work together to keep this virus under control."

Other venues that are set to open their doors include hotels, B&Bs and campsites along with most leisure facilities and attractions such as theme parks.

Outdoor gyms and playgrounds will be returned to use, and cinemas, museums and galleries will also be allowed to open their doors again.

However, live performances at concert halls and theatres are still banned, partly due to the risk posed by singing in spreading the virus.

"Close proximity" businesses including nightclubs, soft play centres, indoor gyms, nail bars and beauty salons will also remain shut, as will bowling alleys and water parks.

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Boris: I can't wait to get my hair cut and have a meal out (despite his diet) - Echo

One in five 17-year-olds consume high levels of alcohol, are daily or occasional smokers and have poor diets, new research on clusters of health behaviour in adolescents shows.

A new report from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), the States independent think tank, published on Tuesday, found three distinct health clusters among young adults.

A group comprising 21 per cent of 17-year-olds - described as unhealthy smokers and drinkers - were found to have the highest level of alcohol consumption, were daily or occasional smokers, had moderate to low levels of physical activity and poor to moderate dietary quality.

Another group described as the unhealthy diet and physical activity group made up 36 per cent of this age group and did not smoke or drank alcohol rarely, once a month or less, but had the worst levels of physical activity and had the poorest diets.

A healthy group representing 43 per cent of 17-year-olds were non-smokers, drank rarely, engaged in exercise in six or more occasions in the previous fortnight and had the best diet.

The research, drawing on data from the Growing Up in Ireland 98 Cohort and funded by HSE Health and Wellbeing, found that young women are more likely to fall into the unhealthy smoker and drinker group and especially the unhealthy diet and activity groups.

Young people from working-class backgrounds were more likely to be a smoker and drink and those whose mothers had lower levels of education - Leaving Certificate or lower - were more likely to have poor diet and physical activity levels.

There were higher rates of drinking and smoking among young people whose parents are occasional or regular smokes, reflecting the impact of parental health behaviour on children.

The socioeconomic background of students and the school climate had a more significant effect than school policy on the membership of the various groups.

Negative interaction with teachers and disaffection from school was found to lead to greater levels of smoking and drinking.

The research findings show that measures to promote both school engagement and a more positive school climate, while important for educational outcomes, are likely to have positive spillovers for other aspects of young peoples lives, including health behaviours, said Anne Nolan, one of the authors of the report.

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One in five 17-year-olds are unhealthy smokers and drinkers - ESRI report - The Irish Times

There's no question that modern, processed diets are bad for the gut. Due to the vast majority of farming subsidies going to producers of corn, wheat, and soy, prices for the foods containing these crops (many of which are high in sugar and refined carbohydrates and low in meaningful vitamins, minerals, micronutrients, and fiber) have droppedmaking them cheap and readily accessible for consumers.

Fiberfound in vegetables, fruits, and a variety of whole grainspromotes microbial biodiversity and feeds beneficial gut bacteria, which these "good" bugs then use to produce gut-healing, anti-inflammatory compounds called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). But the average American gets just 15 grams of fiber per day, when we should be getting at least 25 to 30 grams. "Part of the problem we're seeing today could be due to three to four generations of progressively diminished fiber consumption," says gastroenterologist Will Bulsiewicz, M.D., referencing a groundbreaking 2016 study inNatureby Stanford University microbiome researcher Justin Sonnenburg, Ph.D.

For the study, researchers fed mice a low-fiber diet over multiple generations. After one generation, there was a decline in microbial biodiversity in the gut, which was reversible when fiber-rich foods were returned to the diet. But with each subsequent generation, there was a progressive loss of biodiversity that was harder to reverse (and impossible tocompletelyreverse).

"Compared to the Hadza of Tanzania, some of the last remaining communities of hunter-gatherers, people in the U.S. have about 40% less microbial diversity in the gut," says Bulsiewicz. "This leads us to believe that we've essentially lost 40% of what we're supposed to have as humans. To an extent it's reversible, but this study shows that we might be in a place where we're impaired from the get-go."

Excessive consumption of animal products (particularly in the absence of fiber-rich foods) may also have a negative impact on the gut microbiome. This was illustrated in a 2014 study by Harvard researchers in which they put the same group of people on two drastically different dietsan animal-based diet of foods like bacon, eggs, salami, and pork rinds; and a vegan diet of foods like rice, tomatoes, lentils, squash, and fruitand measured the effects of each. What they found: On the animal-based diet, there were significant increases in the bile-tolerant gut microbes, which are necessary for breaking down fat but also associated with inflammation.

Additionally, excessive refined carbohydrate and sugar intake has been shown to reduce the microbial biodiversity and feed bad microbes. "Someone who's eating way too much sugar is going to become a fertile ground for yeast to grow in their gut, and they can get candida overgrowth," says Vincent Pedre, M.D., integrative physician and author ofHappy Gut.

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5 Things That Are Seriously Messing With Your Gut And What You Can Do - mindbodygreen.com

Have you ever felt cramps in your stomach right before you enter an exam hall or meet an interviewer? Well, this is one of the simplest signs that indicate a connection between your brain and your gut. But what you might not know is that some diseases or microbes related to your gut could result in neurological diseases such as Parkinsons disease, Alzheimers and dementia.

Can gut microbes result in brain diseases?

Many studies in the past have suggested that the microorganisms in the gut can affect the brain. A study published in the Journal of Parkinsons Disease stated that Parkinsons disease (a chronic illness affecting the nerve cells in the brain) can also begin from your gut and can affect the entire brain function. The scientists found Lewy bodies in the gut and the nose which are abnormal protein bodies that form inside nerve cells and are responsible for Parkinsons disease. These Lewy bodies were seen to affect the peripheral nervous system (the nervous system outside the brain and spinal cord) first and then the brain.

Inflammatory bowel disease can lead to dementia

A new study, published in the journal Gut on 23 June 2020, stated that people with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) may have an increased risk of developing dementia in later stages of life. IBD is the chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. The study included data of around three million people from the Taiwan National Health Insurance programme, out of which 3,744 patients above the age of 45 years were reported to have IBD and 17,420 people were included in the control group.

After 3 to 5 years, scientists found that out of all those subjects 1,742 people with IBD developed dementia. With this study, the scientists concluded that people with IBD have significantly higher lifetime dementia risk than those included in the control group.

How to keep your gut healthy?

You can keep your gut healthy by following ways:

1. Probiotics and prebiotics: Include probiotic foods such as curd, cheese and kimchi and prebiotic foods such as asparagus, bananas, garlic, onions and whole grains in your diet as they promote the growth of good bacteria in the gut.

2. Reduce stress: Psychological stress can disturb the colony of good microorganisms in the intestines. Keep stress at bay by practising deep breathing exercises, meditation and listening to soothing music.

3. Exercise daily: Studies reveal that exercising 15 minutes a day or 90 minutes a week can help in improving the gut microbes and also add on three years to your life.

4. Maintain your oral health: Various inflammation-causing bacteria can travel from down from your mouth to your gut. Maintain oral hygiene by brushing your teeth and cleaning your tongue regularly.

5. Cut down sugar: Studies reveal that sugar and artificial sweeteners can result in dysbiosis, which is the medical term for an imbalance in the gut microbiomes.

6. Sleep well: According to various animal studies, irregular sleeping patterns can damage gut microflora, thus leading to inflammatory diseases. Sleep for at least 7 to 8 hours a day.

7. High fibre diet:Food rich in fibre such as legumes, beans, peas, oats, bananas and asparagus help in improving gut health.

8. Quit smoking: Chronic smoking can damage the good microbes present in the gut and also gives rise to the harmful microorganisms which can lead to intestinal conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and Crohn's disease.

9. Add polyphenols in your diet: Foods like dark chocolate and black tea contain polyphenols which are plant-based molecules known to enhance the growth of good bacteria in the gut.

For more information, read our article on Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Health articles in Firstpost are written by myUpchar.com, Indias first and biggest resource for verified medical information. At myUpchar, researchers and journalists work with doctors to bring you information on all things health.

Updated Date: Jun 24, 2020 16:13:06 IST

Tags : Alzheimer's Disease, Brain, Dementia, Health, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Lewy Bodies, Myupchar, Nervous System, NewsTracker, Parkinson's Disease, Reuters, Spinal Cord

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Gut microbes are connected to brain diseases; probiotic foods, high fibre, low sugar diet key in keeping... - Firstpost

Fatty foods, dairy, and sweetened treats can raise the risk of acne in adults.

A study by French researchers found that foods such as milk chocolate or sugary drinks could trigger acne in adults.

The results of our study appear to support the hypothesis that the Western diet (rich in animal products and fatty and sugary foods) is associated with the presence of acne in adulthood, the authors wrote.

More than 24,000 adults in France took part in the study. They were asked to keep a 24-hour dietary record over a 2-week period.

The participants were asked to note everything they ate and drank as well as the amounts consumed.

The researchers concluded that fatty, dairy-based, and sugary foods can trigger an acne outbreak.

Drinking five glasses a day of either milk or a sugary drink increased risk of acne by more than 50 percent.

One portion of fatty foods such as french fries or a sugary food like a doughnut increased the risk of acne by 54 percent, the researchers reported.

Dr. Joseph Zahn, an assistant professor of dermatology at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., says the study results arent surprising.

The fact that fatty foods, sugary foods (those foods that are high glycemic), as well as dairy foods (particularly low fat dairy) cause acne doesnt surprise me in the least, Zahn told Healthline.

There have been a number of studies in the recent past which have suggested this particular link, and many of my patients have personally noted acne flares when eating such foods, he said.

Though the exact reasons arent clear at this time, the current school of thought regarding why these particular foods may cause acne to flare is that they may play a role in regulating certain hormones, such as insulin or androgens, which we already know cause acne to flare, Zahn explained.

The researchers suggest a diet high in sugar as well as the consumption of milk causes a rise in levels of circulating insulin.

This, in turn, stimulates cell production while also inhibiting cell death, promoting inflammation and the development of acne.

In addition, an increase in insulin levels also encourages the production of hormones that produce sebum, which can cause acne.

Insulin is a hormone secreted by our pancreas to address glucose levels in our blood. It would make sense that having a high sugar diet or one that is processed would affect insulin levels and other hormones within our bodies as well, some of which also apparently regulate acne, said Dana Hunnes, PhD, a senior dietitian at the University of California Los Angeles Medical Center.

Dairy has its own innate hormones, estrogens, progesterones, likely even some testosterone (as even human females produce some testosterone) that is likely exacerbating our own endogenous hormones and increasing the likelihood of a breakout, Hunnes told Healthline.

Study participants who reported having current acne consumed significantly more milk, sugary beverages, milk chocolate, and fast foods than the participants who reported never having acne.

The group with current acne also ate significantly less meat, vegetables, and dark chocolate.

Lauri Wright, PhD, an assistant professor in public health at the University of South Florida, says if dairy foods trigger an individuals acne, they can find their calcium elsewhere.

Dairy is an important source of calcium and protein, and generally can be a part of a healthy diet. If individuals with acne find dairy to be a trigger food, they can substitute nut milks instead, Wright told Healthline.

She argues that more research needs to be done to determine a diet that could help prevent acne, but she says cutting back on sugar is a good place to start.

​A diet low in sugar and saturated/trans fats is protective against many diseases. For health, limiting sugar and saturated/trans fats while incorporating healthy fats, lean meats, whole grains with a foundation of fruits and vegetables is optimal, she said.

Milk chocolate increased the risk of an acne outbreak by 28 percent, while dark chocolate was linked to a 10 percent reduction in the risk.

Experts say theres some truth to the claim that chocolate can cause breakouts.

Milk chocolate contains whey, a milk-derived protein. Intake of whey protein has been associated with increased levels of acne. Some individuals will be more sensitive to whey, dairy, and sugar (no matter the amount) than others. When we look at the composition of chocolate, it also contains sugar, Kristin Kirkpatrick, a registered dietitian and manager of wellness nutrition services at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute in Ohio, told Healthline.

Zahn agrees that people can respond differently to foods like chocolate, and not everyone will experience acne if they eat it.

Acne can be flared by many different foods, and each person has their own unique triggers. Im not surprised that some people flare in response to milk chocolate or any kind of chocolate, he said.

We just arent sure yet what part of the food causes the outbreak, if its the food itself or a secondary effect of the food, such as increasing levels of certain hormones, Zahn added.

Zahn says acne in adults appears to be on the rise, although the reasons why are yet to be determined.

Its possibly related to rising amounts of stress, fluctuating hormone levels, or new medications, or even other reasons we dont fully understand yet, he said. Its a common problem, and many adults aged 30 to 50 still have acne.

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Adult Acne Is Real: Here Are the Foods That Can Cause It - Healthline

WWE wrestlers are well-known for their imposing physiques, and one ex-wrestler is coming good on a vow to return to his prime physical condition.

The Great Khali - real name Dalip Singh Rana - became the first-ever Indian WWE world champion in 2007 after winning a 20-man battle royal.

Khali rose to prominence in WWE in 2006 when he fought The Undertaker in a last man standing match, with his huge 7ft 1in frame making him a unique threat in the world of wrestling.

He retired from WWE in 2014, but returned briefly in 2017 to help Jinder Mahal beat Randy Orton to retain the WWE world title.

The longer he spent in the sport, however, the less toned the Indian wrestler became - though Khali is determined to return to his previous shape.

Over a decade after he first took on The Undertaker, Khali has been working hard to bring his physique back to the same level as his early days as a pro wrestler.

Now, the 47-year-old looks better than ever thanks to a gruelling workout regime and strict diet.

The so-called Punjabi Playboy consumes an enormous amount of food every day, which is packed with protein to help him maintain and build his muscle mass.

According to Sportskeeda, Khali starts his day with fruit juices, two glasses of milk, eight eggs and 100 grams of dried fruit.

Before he even begins his workout plan, the Indian ex-wrestler also goes for a morning walk before taking down a breakfast of chicken and bread.

For lunch, he reportedly eats curry, pulses, vegetables, wheat bread, eggs, more dried fruit and, if that isnt enough, another kilogram of chicken.

For dinner, Khali consumes another mountain of food, including even more chicken, brown rice, six eggs, wheat bread and two litres of milk and ice.

He also has a sweet tooth and a need for a caffeine fix, meaning his diet also includes ice cream, sweets, coffee and curd - a product similar to yoghurt that is popular in India.

His huge diet seems excessive, but his need for so many calories becomes clear with a look at his workout plan.

Khali starts his week with bicep and tricep training on a Monday, which includes barbell and dumbbell curls, tricep dips and sit-ups.

Tuesdays are for cardio work, centred on treadmill and cycling sessions.

On Wednesdays, Khali works on his shoulders and traps, before moving on to his back and abs on a Thursday.

Fridays are for his legs and abs, with sets of leg extensions, leg press and squats, as well as ab crunches and squats.

On Saturdays, Khali takes a rest day, though, even that includes 30 minutes on the treadmill. On Sundays, he returns to his full schedule, focusing on building his chest.

Khali regularly shares his progress on Instagram, allowing his 436,000 followers to keep track of his body transformation since his retirement from the sport.

Rana's diet and workout plan certainly arent for the faint-hearted, but they have clearly had results for this WWE icon.

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WWE news: The Great Khali has undergone an impressive body transformation - GIVEMESPORT

Right now companies have these pretty deeply embedded structures that are geared toward diversity, says Lieberman, who studies race-based discrimination and policy. If a diversity program is to become an instrument of racial equity, rather than an instrument of creating and sustaining diversity, theyre going to have to do something different.

So why not consider the coercive powers of quotas? In perhaps the most successful diversity push in recent years, California passed a law in 2018 requiring all public companies based in the state to have at least one female director by the end of 2019. At the close of 2021, boards with five directors must have at least two women, and those with six or more have at least three. Failure to comply costs $US100,000 ($145,000) the first year and three times as much after that. The move was unpopular, even with women, because it suggested hiring committees would have to lower their standards. A year after compliance began, thats not what happened. Instead, opportunities opened for overlooked executives.

There was a perception when the law passed that there was a limited pool of qualified candidates, says Annalisa Barrett, a governance expert at KPMGs Board Leadership Centre. It doesnt seem to have been the case. Women accounted for almost half of new board seats in the state in 2019, outpacing female hires for similar positions in the rest of the country.

Even without quotas, people assume you were hired because you were Black.

Kimberly Reyes, a Black copywriter

There are judicial roadblocks, of course. Since the Supreme Court weighed in on its first affirmative-action case in 1978, its limited government use of numerical targets. In the ruling, a university admissions case, the court said an institution could use race as a factor in its decisions, but that quotas went too far.

Meanwhile, Californias law has faced multiple legal challenges. Judicial Watch, a conservative activist group, called the requirement unconstitutional in a lawsuit filed on behalf of taxpayers, and a shareholder of a California-based company with an all-male board argued in a federal complaint that its discriminatory. The first case is ongoing; the second was dismissed in April. While lawyers duke it out, California companies are moving ahead with meeting their quotas. Even if the law is struck down, the gains women have made will be in place.

Despite programs to improve diversity, there are even fewer Black coaches in the NFL than there were five years ago.AP

Boards are just about as White as they are male as of 2019, 37 per cent didnt have a single Black director. Still, a law similar to Californias that would address racial inequities is highly unlikely and would face much stronger opposition than the gender quota law, says Michael Hyter, chief diversity officer at Korn Ferry. There is an apprehension among companies that if they are perceived as setting a target for hiring for people of colour, that the focus will mean hiring less qualified candidates, Hyter says. Its a familiar yet unfounded fear that is hilarious on so many levels, says Kimberly Reyes, who spent years working as one of a few Black copywriters at various companies. Even without quotas, people assume you were hired because you were Black.

If legislators wont act, shareholders could. State Street, BlackRock and activist investors already pressure companies to disclose the gender diversity of their boards. Those campaigns have resulted largely in gains for White women. They could shift their focus to Black representation, says Natasha Lamb, a managing partner at Arjuna Capital, which pushes banks and tech companies to disclose gender and racial pay gaps. People bristle at the idea of racial quotas, Lamb says, but they work. There need to be interventions, she says. The protests are an intervention. Shareholders exercising their voice is an intervention. Without intervention, nothing is going to change.

Vanguard says it had already planned a 2020 emphasis on getting boards to disclose their racial and ethnic data. BlackRock says it continues to be committed to pushing for board diversity. State Street says its committed to being part of the solution and continuously evaluating the issue of racial diversity.

Our goal is to inspire people versus shame them.

Pam Jeffords, diversity and inclusion consultant at PwC

The boardroom is just one of many White corners of the business world. Up and down the corporate ladder, strictly enforced targets could legally be used to fix racial imbalances, says David Oppenheimer, director of the Berkeley Centre on Comparative Equality & Anti-Discrimination Law. Quotas cant be used in perpetuity, he says, but they can be put in place for a short period to correct a manifest imbalance in workforce make-up.

Its sort of like dieting, says Oppenheimer. Sometimes you have to go on a severe diet to lose some weight, and then hopefully you can go on a maintenance diet where you can eat a little bit more. Thats the theory. One hopes it works better than dieting.

Why arent more companies wielding the powers of this blunt but useful tool in their commitment to diversity? Quotas are always a bit of an issue, says Pam Jeffords, a diversity and inclusion consultant with PwC. Our goal is to inspire people versus shame them. The consulting firm prefers to look at hiring rates instead. The idea, she says, is to make sure companies arent hiring any specific demographic at a greater rate than another. Jeffords concedes that alone wont change overall representation over time: What are we really looking for? We dont want the numbers to go down. Theres been some decreasing in hiring rates for Black employees.

Half-measures rarely move anyone forward. Take the Rooney Rule named for Dan Rooney, former chairman of the diversity committee of the NFL, which pioneered it. The 2003 rule, widely adopted by corporate America, requires hiring managers to include a diverse slate of candidates for a given role. Since 2003, non-Whites have been considered for open slots in head coaching positions at professional football teams. There are just as few Black coaches now as there were then. In May, the leagues owners all but admitted the failure of the program when they met to consider additional incentives for teams that hire non-White coaches.

To be sure, quotas are limited in what they can achieve. In Norway, where public companies must set aside 40 per cent of board seats for women, they hold 42 per cent of those positions. But even with all those women in charge, men still hold most of the executive power. Only 7.7 per cent of those companies have female chief executives. In Malaysia, government policies giving preferential treatment to the ethnic Malay majority have helped them move up the social and economic ladder, at the expense, critics say, of ethnic Chinese and Indians.

The way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.

US Supreme Court Justice John Roberts in a 2007 ruling

Quotas wont solve racism. As US Supreme Court Justice John Roberts said in a 2007 ruling, the way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race. Sending Black people into a hostile environment isnt much better than not hiring them at all. If you hire a lot of Black people and the culture is such that their jobs are at risk, they will be undermined, says Nadia Owusu, who does diversity and inclusion work at Living Cities and earlier this year wrote a column for the online magazine Catapult called "Hiring a Chief Diversity Officer Wont Fix Your Racist Company Culture. Indeed, the internal dynamics of corporations often end up undermining the executives in charge of diversity, many of whom are women of colour, Owusu says.

Quotas also invite lawsuits as they have in California. Harvards use of race as a factor in deciding on admissions has been called an evil of private prejudice and discriminatory by Edward Blum, a legal activist whos brought multiple suits against universities, including Harvard, for what he sees as biased admissions policies. The Supreme Court has allowed institutions to consider race in hiring and admissions, as long as its in an organisations interest.

Diversity as the reason for affirmative action is incredibly ahistorical.

Kimberly Reyes

Affirmative action was originally meant to counteract deeply ingrained prejudices. It has travelled somewhat of a distance from that idea, says Johns Hopkins Lieberman. It used to be a form of reparations and compensatory justice a form of payback for inequalities that exist because of the US history of slavery. It also counteracts programs like legacy admissions that work as affirmative action for White people.

Through the decades, however, its become part of a mushier push for diversity. Racial justice has been dropped in favour of a business case for diversity of thought and experiences, says Lieberman. Indeed, while research has confirmed the financial benefits of diverse teams, the profit motive hasnt changed the face of corporate America. Many companies still look for credentials Ivy League, Fortune 500 internships, for example that perpetuate the status quo.

A debate about quotas may just force corporate diversity programs to shape up. Maybe thinking about the issue as a matter of justice not just money will make a difference. Diversity as the reason for affirmative action is incredibly ahistorical, says Reyes, a Fulbright scholar whos written about affirmative action for the Atlantic. It was initially supposed to be about righting wrongs, or trying to balance something lopsided. Without quotas, how exactly do you change that?

Bloomberg Businessweek

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Quotas can help fix the glaring whiteness of America's C-suites - The Australian Financial Review

BARTOW, Fla., June 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --A new population based study1 published in Frontiers in Nutrition reports that the consumption of 100% orange juice was associated with multiple dietary and health benefits for children and adults. Orange juice consumers had higher quality diets, higher intakes of key nutrients, including bioactive flavonoids, and lower intake of added sugars. There were no negative effects on body weight.

Dietary data for almost 16,000 children and adults (>2 years of age) came from the nationally representative 2013-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Washington and Albert Einstein College of Medicine and was funded by the Florida Department of Citrus.

Orange juice consumers had diets with significantly higher amounts of vitamin C, potassium, calcium, and vitamin D (adults), when compared to non-consumers. No difference in dietary fiber intakes was observed, suggesting that 100% orange juice did not displace any fiber from the diet. Notably, orange juice consumers had diets with significantly less added sugars when compared to non-consumers.

Focusing on the intakes of bioactive compounds from plants, the study found that orange juice consumers had significantly higher intakes of flavanones and total flavonoids (children), as compared to non-consumers. The flavanone, hesperidin, is provided in the diet almost exclusively by oranges and orange juice. Hesperidin may have antioxidant properties and help promote cardiovascular and brain health.2,3,4 For children, 100% orange juice may be especially important as a key source of healthful bioactives since their diets do not typically include fermented black tea, the principal source of flavonoids in the American diet.

Orange juice provides key nutrients, contributes to total fruit intake and may also serve as a marker of a healthier diet overall. For both children and adults, 100% orange juice consumers had higher-quality diets, measured using the USDA Healthy Eating Index 2015, which also tracks the consumption of grains, fruit, and vegetables, and the Nutrient Rich Food Index..

Importantly, there were no differences in BMI z-scores or waist circumference between children who consumed 100% orange juice and those who did not. For adults, orange juice consumers had significantly lower BMI and waist circumference. These results are consistent with the preponderance of research showing no negative effects of 100% fruit juice or orange juice consumption on body weight.5,6,7

"National data support the inclusion of 100% orange juice as part of an overall healthy diet for both children and adults. We show that orange juice consumption was associated with better diets, less added sugar, and did not affect body weight" said Dr. Adam Drewnowski, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Washington and principal investigator on this study.

Just one-in-ten Americans meet their daily fruit intake as recommended by the Dietary Guidelines, missing out on important nutrients.8,9 A glass of 100% orange juice can help close that gap in a convenient, quick, and satisfying way without contributing to overweight or obesity when consumed as part of a healthy and calorie-appropriate diet. This study is cross-sectional in nature and, therefore, can only show associations and not cause and effect.

About the Florida Department of Citrus

The Florida Department of Citrus is an executive agency of Florida government charged with the marketing, research and regulation of the Florida citrus industry. Its activities are funded by a tax paid by growers on each box of citrus that moves through commercial channels. The industry employs more than 37,000 people, provides an annual economic impact of $6.5 billion to the state, and contributes hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues that help support Florida's schools, roads and health care services. For more information about the Florida Department of Citrus, please visit FloridaCitrus.org.

1Maillot et al. Front Nutr. 2020; published online May 13. 2Rangel-Huerta et al. J Nutr. 2015;145(8):1808-1816.3Morand et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2011;93:7380. 4Kean et al. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015;101(3):506-514.5 Auerbach et al. Pediatrics. 2017;139(4): e20162454.6 Crowe-White et al. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2016;56(5):871-884.7Sakaki et al. Nutrients. 2019;11(11):2687.8USDA/DHHS. 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 9CDC. Disparities in State-Specific Adult Fruit and Vegetable Consumption. 2015.

SOURCE Florida Department of Citrus

https://www.floridacitrus.org/

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New study shows that children and adults who consumed 100% orange juice had higher-quality diets with more bioactive flavonoids and no negative...