World recognition of the importance of phytonutrients is spreading. This week the Chinese Nutrition Society (CNS) announced that it is revising its “daily reference intakes,” or DRI, to include phytonutrients.

That means the society will now recommend people get a daily dose of phytonutrients along with their vitamins and minerals to maintain optimal health.

We are proud to say that the Nutrilite Health Institute worked closely with the CNS in gathering research and scientific data to establish the DRIs.

The announcement comes as the 11th China Nutrition Science Conference and the 2013 China & Korea Joint International Phytonutrient Symposium wrap up this week where our own Dr. Keith Randolph presented.

Dr. Randolph is the nutrition technology strategist at the NHI. He called the decision by the CNS “a significant development in the effort to improve the overall health of a large portion of the world’s population.”

Read more about the announcement at the Amway Global Newsroom and see more photos from the symposium at our Nutrilite Facebook Page.

At our Nutrilite farms we take our soil health very seriously. It’s a crucial component of organic farming. One way we do this is through composting. We test our compost for nutrient analysis and apply it at specific times during the season to get maximum benefit. At our Trout Lake Farm, that happens twice a year.

When we drop compost on the fields, it must be worked into the soil within a couple hours, otherwise the nutrients will evaporate and the compost will lose its strength.  We use a synchronized process with two GPS-controlled tractors – one dropping the compost, the other following behind tilling it in.

Organic has been a way of life for us long before the term existed, including using compost in our soil.

We were composting in the fifties, as you can see in the top photo taken from our archives. We are composting today: The second photo was taken recently at Trout Lake.

And, we will continue our organic farming and composting practices long into the future – it’s part of our legacy.

Feeding the soil natural materials to yield the healthiest plants is just one way that Nutrilite maintains control of the process — from seed to supplement.

Today we spend 5 minutes with “Dr. B,” also known as Rohan Fernando. Rohan has worked in Quality Assurance for Nutrilite for 20 years.

His team tests our B vitamins for potency, making sure they meet our standards and do what we want them to do. And, if you’ve ever toured our Nutrilite Center for Optimal Health, you may have met him. He’s the one who shows the tour groups around his department.

When did you first know you wanted to be a scientist?

In high school I was strong in science and math. With math I thought I could be a CPA or something like that, which didn’t interest me as much; I wasn’t sure I wanted to deal with numbers all day. But I realized that science would be a broader field to pursue, so I studied microbiology and chemistry, which led me to my job here at Nutrilite.

What’s the funniest thing that’s happened on a tour?

Well, people see me in my lab coat and they think I’m a doctor. And people love to take pictures with me. When they go back and share their pictures, other people who come visit recognize me, and they’re excited to see me. It’s a good feeling. They call me “Dr. B” because I handle B vitamins. People feel they know me, which is nice.

What do you like most about your job?

It’s just nice to work for a company you believe in and can be proud of. I like to wear my Nutrilite logo gear out and about and have people recognize who I work for.

What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in the 20 years you’ve been here?

Our QA lab has really grown. It was 7,000 square feet when I started here in 1993. Now it has grown to 37,000 square feet.

What keeps you busy when you’re not at work?

I like playing basketball with my kids, and I’m into cars so I like going to auto shows. I stay in shape and jog every day. I preach staying healthy, so I need to stay fit. I enjoy exercising.

Since the start of low-carb diet fads at the turn of the century, carbohydrates have been getting a bad rap.  Even the good carbs that help maintain energy levels have been unnecessarily restricted in diets. So how can we identify the good from the bad in our everyday foods?

All carbs start from a sugar molecule.  The simplest forms, like table sugar, contain few linked molecules.  But complex carbs, like those that come from fruits, vegetables and whole grains, are made from three or more linked sugar molecules. All carbs are broken down by the body into single sugar molecules which are converted to blood sugar and used as energy.  At one time dieticians thought that all complex carbs were good carbs, but science now knows it’s more complicated than that.

So when is a carb bad? To answer that, scientists created a system called the glycemic index. It shows how different carbs are digested and their subsequent effect on blood sugar. Carbs with a high glycemic index, like potatoes, rapidly increase blood sugars in the body.  Carbs with a low index, like carrots, green beans and whole grains, are digested more gently and more steadily increase blood sugar levels.

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, adding more carbs with a low glycemic index can protect you from a range of chronic health issues and help maintain optimal health. The school’s website offers these suggestions for adding more good carbohydrates to your diet:

• Start the day with whole grains. If you’re partial to hot cereals, try steel-cut oats. If you’re a cold cereal person, look for one that lists whole wheat, whole oats or other whole grain first on the ingredient list.
• Use whole grain breads for lunch or snacks. Check the label to make sure that whole wheat or another whole grain is the first ingredient listed.
• Bag the potatoes. Instead, try brown rice or even “newer” grains like bulgur, wheat berries, millet or hulled barley.
• Pick up some whole wheat pasta. If the whole grain products are too chewy for you, look for those that are made with half whole-wheat flour and half white flour.
• Bring on the beans. Beans are an excellent source of slowly digested carbohydrates as well as a great source of protein.

Read the full story from Harvard here, including a list of foods indicating where they fall on the glycemic index.

(Guest post by Jenie Altruda)

Would you like to own a piece of a Nutrilite Farm? Why stop there — how about a Nutrilite Lab? Amway Korea  has made it possible.

The more than 5 million users of a popular mobile game called Rule the Sky can purchase Nutrilite farms or crops, build Nutrilite structures and visit other users’ islands. It’s similar to Farmville, but in Rule the Sky users are on their own floating island in the sky called Flotia.

The marketing effort is called “advergaming,” and it’s not just a cool buzz word. When done correctly it can be a successful tactic with an immersive effect on players. Of the more than 5 million users of Rule the Sky, an average of 800,000 of them play 45-60 minutes more than once a day.

Rather than being exposed to a 30-second ad, a gamer’s attention is captured in a much more significant way. Advergaming also offers an additional measuring stick in the form of downloads: Nutrilite’s laboratory has been downloaded nearly 330,000 times. And Nutrilite’s El Petacal farm in Mexico? That’s been downloaded nearly 790,000 times.

So start tilling the virtual soil and rule the sky with your Nutrilite Farm!

Workplace wellness is an integral part of optimal health. At our Nutrilite and Amway facilities in the U.S., we have a brand new program to help our employees achieve it as part of Amway’s Optimal You program. It’s called Fitness that Works, and it is the brainchild of Sean Foy, Nutrilite Fitness Instructor, and creator of the 10 minute workout.

Think of it as a first step toward wellness. Many of us sitting at desks and staring at computer screens all day — otherwise known as a “desk sentence” — have a hard time just getting started with an exercise regimen.  Fitness that Works addresses that with a simple approach — seven basic moves over a seven week period. They are moves you can accomplish in a minute or two in your office area throughout the day. They cover balance, reach, step, push-pull, squat-lift, twist and lunge.

Fitness that Works was developed through Sean Foy’s work with the Wellness Council of America. Interested in learning first-hand how this program works? You can soon follow the seven simple moves on our Facebook page. Now is the time to make your move!

Did you know we are growing? We are expanding Nutrilite manufacturing facilities at sites around the globe to meet increased demand and to continue to provide the high quality products customers have come to expect.

In Buena Park, California, a new granulation plant and a research and development facility are under construction. The new buildings, along with a new visitor experience at the Nutrilite Center for Optimal Health, are scheduled to open in late 2014 or early 2015.

Work began on these projects last year when we started demolition of the older facilities. We’re far enough along to provide regular construction updates, not only from Buena Park, but also from the new facilities we’re building in Quincy, Washington, at our World Headquarters in Ada, Michigan, and other locations around the world.

Right now in Buena Park, the construction team is installing structural steel. That will continue for about six weeks. The granulation tower has been the first priority and is far enough along to allow the second floor decking to begin.

Watch us grow on our Nutrilite Facebook page, where we will be sharing regular photos from our construction sites.

Today we spend 5 minutes with one of our “nutritional sleuths,” Samantha Izzy. Samantha is a nutrition investigator in Buena Park. She joined Nutrilite in 2008 and describes her job as a liaison between science and the rest of the world.

How did you get started in this type of work?

I started in school at Purdue University as a pharmacy student. But I realized I wanted to be involved in prevention, so I switched into the dietetics program. When I saw a job opening at Nutrilite in Southern California, I applied, got the job, and moved from Indiana to Orange County. It was a great move!

What do you work on each day?

Every day I touch a little bit of everything. In product development we do a lot of research: exploring new ingredients we can put into products, understanding the benefits of those ingredients and how they will function in the human body. We do a lot of reputational work as well, publications and presentations to different audiences, including distributors.

You just returned from a trip to India. What did you do there?

It was huge, and very exciting. They’re launching their women’s health product line, so I traveled to five different cities, five days in a row to support the launch. I gave presentations to distributors on what a woman needs to maintain good health through the different stages in life and where supplements fit in. We highlighted NUTRILITE Complex for Hair, Skin and Nails; Tri Iron Folic; Cal Mag D Plus; and Black Cohosh and Soy. The audiences were the largest I’ve ever presented to; the people were really excited.

Did you feel like a rock star?

I did, people were asking for autographs. I kept joking that I felt like Madonna when I was on stage. But it’s so cool to see people this excited about health and well-being. They’re so passionate about it. That’s what we live for working in this industry.

What does Optimal Health mean to you?

It’s the million dollar concept: Striving to live a healthy life helps enhance the quality of life. I get all the healthy food I need, and I take my basic supplements each day. I take a multivitamin and omega-3. I take Complex for Hair, Skin and Nails, and I take Cal Mag D. I notice that when I take my supplements each day and maintain an active lifestyle, something as simple as walking in the evening, I feel better and happier. And I have the faith that I’m extending my life.

All types of people participate in Team Nutrilite running events around the globe. And many of our Nutrilite employees make running part of their routine, too, since its an excellent way to work toward optimal health.

As in years past, Nutrilite is paying the entry fee for its employees to run in the upcoming OC Marathon in Newport Beach, California. They’ll be wearing their Nutrilite gear and representing the company.

Participants come from across the departments at our Buena Park and Lakeview locations, and many are stepping up their training for the event. Some will be running the 5k, others the half marathon and we even have a few in the full marathon – all 26.2 miles of it.

To get you into the running spirit — and keep you focused on ways to pursue your own optimal health — we’re featuring three runners from the warehouse in Buena Park that are challenging themselves this year.

• Ole Andrade is running the full marathon – 26.2 miles (42km).
• Steve Huizar is running the half marathon – 13.1 miles (21km).
• And Rosa Martinez is running the 5k race (3.1 miles).

Learn more about them by visiting our Nutrilite Facebook page. And check back after the May 5 event for photos of the race and to see how our runners fared.

Nutrilite’s new All Plant Protein Powder is unique because it uses a tri-blend of soy, wheat and pea protein to help keep you healthy and energetic without animal products or dairy. But it’s not just what’s inside the package that makes this product special. The canister itself has unique characteristics.

Packaging engineers and designers created multiple prototypes using wide variety of feedback to produce an All Plant Protein canister that really stands out. You’ll notice the uniqueness when you pick it up and hold it in your hand.

It has a visual connection with the NUTRILITE™ supplement bottle shape. The handle grip makes the container easier to hold. And the translucent green cap matches the color and transparency of a DOUBLE  X™ supplement tray. It’s also made of plastic, which has a smaller carbon footprint than our previous package and is more easily recycled into common recycling streams available around the globe.

So, when you open your All Plant Protein Powder, enjoy what’s inside, but take some time to appreciate the package it came in, too!