ANSWER: No. There are no substitutes for a real meal made with real food.
These nutritional drinks were originally created for people who weren't able to eat and digest whole foods - people who were sick or infirm. Today they're being sold to active seniors, health-conscious younger people and to those who haven't the time to shop for, prepare and eat regular meals. But, regardless of the marketing technique, they simply don't provide proper nutrition for those groups.
These drinks are mostly a mixture of water, sugar, oil, soy, milk protein and added vitamins and minerals. In fact, the first four ingredients of the most popular brand are water, corn syrup, sugar and corn oil. These ingredients might well sustain life and keep someone from wasting away, but they won't sustain health.
Instead of drinking these high-fat food substitutes, eat fruits and vegetables, whole grains, potatoes, beans and non-fat dairy products. These foods contain vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals (substances thought to help prevent cancer and heart disease).
A: Both are good; palms facing up is better. That's because more muscle is involved in the movement when you hold the palms up (known as a "supinated grip"). Holding the palms half turned in toward the body (half-prone) requires a smaller degree of muscle involvement to complete the move.
Avoid the tendency to combine two movements in one exercise; that may compromise your results. In other words, don't rotate your palms as you bring the weight up. Also, don't vary the position within a single exercise; it's more effective to either keep the palms face up for all sets of half-prone for all sets.
It's also important to follow the "Carrying angle" when doing bicep exercises. That means that at the beginning and end of each repetition, the shoulder, elbow and wrist are in a plumb line to the floor - the wrist directly below the shoulder. A full-prone curl - palms facing down towards the floor - follows such a poor angle of pull that it isn't even considered a bicep exercise. However, the full-prone position is effective at strengthening the forearm muscles.