Huel complete food mix has anyone tried it?

[Pollaidh]

Hi folks. OH wishes to try the Newcastle Diet and is looking for good meal replacement drinks. He’s heard about a firm called Huel. Has anyone tried them?

 

[KennyA]

Not personally but a family member is using them. I had a look at the ingredients and that confirmed I wouldn't be using these.

For me, too much carb and over-processed.

 

[Pollaidh]

Thank you. Have you looked at other brands?

 

[KennyA]

No, because I prefer real food and I have found that calorie control is a waste of time and effort. I avoid processed ready-made stuff anyway, so a low calorie shake is never going to appeal.

here's a list of the ingredients for one of the shakes:

Cinnamon Swirl v3.1​

Oat Flour, Pea Protein, Ground Flaxseed, Tapioca Starch, Natural Flavourings, Brown Rice Protein, Sunflower Oil Powder, Micronutrient Blend (Minerals (Potassium (as Potassium Chloride, Potassium Citrate), Calcium (as Calcium Carbonate), Iodine (as Potassium Iodide)), Corn Starch, Vitamins (Vitamin C (as L-Ascorbic Acid), Vitamin K (K2, as Menaquinone-7), Vitamin A (as Retinyl Acetate), Vitamin E (D-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate), Niacin (as Niacinamide), Vitamin B12 (as Cyanocobalamin), Vitamin D (D2 as Ergocalciferol, D3 as Plant-Derived Cholecalciferol), Pantothenic Acid (as Calcium D-Pantothenate), Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B2 (as Riboflavin), Folate (as Calcium-L-Methylfolate), Vitamin B1 (as Thiamin Mononitrate)), Lutein), Medium-Chain Triglyceride Powder (from Coconut), Stabilisers: Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Faba Bean Protein, Sweetener: Sucralose.

 

[Chris24Main]

I did use Huel Daily greens while I was doing alternate day fasting - really just to make sure I couldn't be getting into any dangerous nutritional territory.

I also got a free Black Pack of the normal powder.
Short version - I think these are probably the best of class, and the company does a good job of marketing, and the ingredient list covers all the bases.

But - does not hold a candle to real food.
As soon as I stopped stressing about intermittent fasting, I stopped using the daily greens, and while the free T shirt is good quality, currently I only use one of the plastic scoops as a coffee bean dispenser.. both packets are unfinished.

And as @KennyA points out, as I learned more about how starch is usually loaded into products like these, I just saw them more and more as UFP, just to be avoided.

Actually, from the perspective now (several months after buying the daily greens) - I look at that list and shudder - it's just loaded with stuff I don't want to put in my mouth.

 

[Pollaidh]

No, because I prefer real food and I have found that calorie control is a waste of time and effort. I avoid processed ready-made stuff anyway, so a low calorie shake is never going to appeal.

here's a list of the ingredients for one of the shakes:

Cinnamon Swirl v3.1​

Oat Flour, Pea Protein, Ground Flaxseed, Tapioca Starch, Natural Flavourings, Brown Rice Protein, Sunflower Oil Powder, Micronutrient Blend (Minerals (Potassium (as Potassium Chloride, Potassium Citrate), Calcium (as Calcium Carbonate), Iodine (as Potassium Iodide)), Corn Starch, Vitamins (Vitamin C (as L-Ascorbic Acid), Vitamin K (K2, as Menaquinone-7), Vitamin A (as Retinyl Acetate), Vitamin E (D-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate), Niacin (as Niacinamide), Vitamin B12 (as Cyanocobalamin), Vitamin D (D2 as Ergocalciferol, D3 as Plant-Derived Cholecalciferol), Pantothenic Acid (as Calcium D-Pantothenate), Vitamin B6 (as Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B2 (as Riboflavin), Folate (as Calcium-L-Methylfolate), Vitamin B1 (as Thiamin Mononitrate)), Lutein), Medium-Chain Triglyceride Powder (from Coconut), Stabilisers: Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Faba Bean Protein, Sweetener: Sucralose.

Eek!

 

[Resurgam]

Feed him steak and mushrooms for breakfast and something with stirfry for dinner - works wonders.

 

[Pollaidh]

And for lunch??

 

[_Steve_]

You can purchase the exact same products they use on the NHS remission program if you wanted to try the diet yourselves, the ones I have been sent are from Habitual. Id speak to a GP/professional for advice before starting anything like that though.

 

[Chris24Main]

I'm finding that with a decent bacon, sausage and egg breakfast, I just don't need lunch, and I'm not hungry at all till dinner, but you have to do what works for you...

@_Steve_ - can you expand at all on the "NHS remission program" - is that by any chance a low calorie diet?

For what it's worth, I've found that I've been told a total of zero useful things from GP/ Dietician related to diet... in fact three hard years on a low calorie diet was what preceded my first diabetes diagnosis... but of course everyone is different.

If you are even interested in low carb, look back through that list - the key benefit of a low-carb way of eating (deliberately don't think of it as a diet) is that you start to nibble away at the insulin resistance which is the foundation of the diabetes. All the extra starch and protein extracts in that milkshake ingredient list will hit your liver and spike insulin... it's much easier simply to think of it all as sugar, cause that's the effect it will have.

 

[Pollaidh]

Yes, agreed we will consult GP. We live in Scotland and I don’t know whether the same programme operates here or whether OH will qualify. We’re really just doing the research into the whole remission idea. Any “crash” diet we would plan to begin mid Sept when diaries are clear! We’ve made a positive start with low carb/low sugar eating even though we’ve been on holiday! I can tell he’s shed a few pounds already. Was the remission programme successful for you? I’m really grateful for your informed response it helps a lot.

 

[ajbod]

If the changes to diet you've made have already shown a weight loss, then you are very much on the right track. Why change from what you are doing, it's working.

 

[_Steve_]

I'm finding that with a decent bacon, sausage and egg breakfast, I just don't need lunch, and I'm not hungry at all till dinner, but you have to do what works for you...

@_Steve_ - can you expand at all on the "NHS remission program" - is that by any chance a low calorie diet?

For what it's worth, I've found that I've been told a total of zero useful things from GP/ Dietician related to diet... in fact three hard years on a low calorie diet was what preceded my first diabetes diagnosis... but of course everyone is different.

If you are even interested in low carb, look back through that list - the key benefit of a low-carb way of eating (deliberately don't think of it as a diet) is that you start to nibble away at the insulin resistance which is the foundation of the diabetes. All the extra starch and protein extracts in that milkshake ingredient list will hit your liver and spike insulin... it's much easier simply to think of it all as sugar, cause that's the effect it will have.

Hello,

Yes, In short, it's a low calorie meal replacement program. I believe this can explain it better https://www.england.nhs.uk/diabetes/treatment-care/diabetes-remission/

It is done in stages lasting 3 months for meal replacement, and a further 9 months of coaching/advice/education on healthy eating and how to maintain/keep the weight off. It's recently had some press again.

 

[Chris24Main]

Fantastic attitude - @Pollaidh
If you're up for a little research, I would thoroughly recommend "The case for Keto - by Gary Taubes" - mainly because I've just finished it, but also it's a great summary of the entire background and where we've gotten to ..
I'm a Scot myself, though I don't live there any more, and if you want a Scottish perspective, I would recommend Dr Malcolm Kendrick - though he is more focussed on the Heart Health side of things - given Scotland's positioning on the league tables there..

Low carb and low sugar is an excellent start, and it turns out that this was really the underlying advice for the last couple hundred years - it's only recently that we've begun to talk about low calorie, reduced saturated fat and red meat...

It is worth digging a little down the rabbit hole; if for no other reason than ... everyone is more different than you think in how we respond to different foods, and the whole thing starts to make much more sense when you understand T2DM from the perspective of insulin rather than glucose..

Good luck!!

 

[Chris24Main]

@_Steve_ - thanks for that link...

If that's working for you, and you are motivated to do it, brilliant... whatever works is good.

Just speaking from my own experience, 800-900 Calories a day is tough... I spent a hard three years limiting myself to about 1000 per day, and was hungry all the time, and at the end of it was diagnosed with diabetes.

if there was one thing I could have told myself from 4 years ago it would be - look, it's got nothing to do with calories, it's always been about sugars starches and seed oils, and replacing them all with fat.

But -to be fair- I wouldn't have believed that... I had to go through it all...

 

[Pollaidh]

Fantastic attitude - @Pollaidh
If you're up for a little research, I would thoroughly recommend "The case for Keto - by Gary Taubes" - mainly because I've just finished it, but also it's a great summary of the entire background and where we've gotten to ..
I'm a Scot myself, though I don't live there any more, and if you want a Scottish perspective, I would recommend Dr Malcolm Kendrick - though he is more focussed on the Heart Health side of things - given Scotland's positioning on the league tables there..

Low carb and low sugar is an excellent start, and it turns out that this was really the underlying advice for the last couple hundred years - it's only recently that we've begun to talk about low calorie, reduced saturated fat and red meat...

It is worth digging a little down the rabbit hole; if for no other reason than ... everyone is more different than you think in how we respond to different foods, and the whole thing starts to make much more sense when you understand T2DM from the perspective of insulin rather than glucose..

Good luck!!

Thank you. We’ve made a good start as OH has lost half a stone whilst on holiday!

 

[Pollaidh]

If the changes to diet you've made have already shown a weight loss, then you are very much on the right track. Why change from what you are doing, it's working.

Lost half a stone whilst on holiday!

 

[lovinglife]

@Pollaidh

I’m not sure which Health Authority you are in but I found a couple of links for you, the second has a self referral form which may not apply to you but may give an idea of what the criteria is (I haven’t read it)

https://www.nhstayside.scot.nhs.uk/WorkingWithUs/ReferralHelpSystem/PROD_371876/index.htm



https://services.nhslothian.scot/awmt2d/type-2-diabetes-remission-through-counterweight-plus/

 

[RLCC]

I have used Huel a lot in the past and have recently restarted. The "white" range has more Carbs than the "black" range. I find many of the flavours a bit sickly sweet, but the chocolate flavour one is OK. I do wish they'd bring back their plain coffee flavour one. I find the drink filling. Getting started with it led to a bit of a gastric excitement, but after a week or two that settled down.

When I first used it I took it as a full meal replacement for around 6 months and lost quite a lot of weight on a Huel-only diet. All the weight came back on when I stopped. In the last year or so I've been using it intermittently. It seems to work OK for me, and since my diagnosis in June I've been testing my blood sugar and its barely moving the needle. You can buy some of the bottled shakes in Tesco, so may be worth trying that way first.

 

[Pollaidh]

Thank you! That’s really interesting.