I still consume drinks that are non-zero calorie, but I want to gain more control on my nutrition.
The most important aspect is staying satisfied - so I wonder how this can be achieved by consuming Huel only.
I suppose Black Edition is the best product regarding satiety - are there flavours that keep you satisfied longer?
What are your experiences? What would you recommend?
I would have thought that on a 100% Huel diet, the fibre and protein combined with the volume of water consumed as part of the shake (in addition to the extra water you have) would effectively eliminate any cravings naturally. I remember reading (but can’t find it now) a Johns Hopkins study that talked about increased liquid intake promoting satiation because it passed through the system quickly, stretching the stomach which sends messages to the brain signalling fullness.
Huel products have the advantage of being well-balanced meals with a high protein content, which can contribute to a longer-lasting feeling of fullness.
Both Huel Powder v3.0 and the Black Edition have low glycemic indexes (16 and 19, respectively), which may assist in promoting satiety. However, it’s important to note that individual satiety levels can vary.
I’d recommend trial and error, listen to your body, and try different Huel products to discover the one that suits you best. Personally, I have found that Huel Powder v3.0 keeps me feeling sustained, but it’s, of course, everyone’s experience may differ
What seems to trouble many people is the fact, that full liquid diets, satisfy only a sweet tooth - due to the higher protein content lots of sweeteners seem to be necessary both for complete liquid foods and protein shakes, as protein tends to taste bitter - and the best way to mask bitterness is adding a sweetener.
Most people seem to crave savoury or salty foods/flavours. Only very few users seem to be fine with sweet stuff as their only “food”. Independent of the macros there seems to be an emotional aspect to satiety, as “normal” food involves a rich sensory experience, also regarding texture and optical appearance.
I’ve tried to “convert” some friends to use complete shakes to make life easier; most refused, only those who wanted to loose weight tried it, but gave up after some time. Some quite soon, but most after about two years. There seems to be a point where every normal person wants to have “real food” again - with rare exceptions, for example when psychological problems with food, dysphagea or other conditions make it impossible to “eat normal food”.
I’ve used v3.1, black edition, and essential. I feel the most full from essential. Not sure why but I do.
Maybe because it doesn’t mix as well as the others and I end up chewing the chunks. I actually like the chunks now
Sometimes when drinking a shake I’ll have a hard boiled egg, crackers, pb&j…that way I get to chew some of my lunch also. Mentally I think chewing helps me feel more full
You have two choices really:
- be hungry and choose not to mind
- eat enough calories
I currently drink 3 RTD in about 20 minutes and that’s my day and work against option 1. I have done 2 as well and at about 2000-2500 kcal I was already almost always satiated, sometimes even more than enough (hello double dose mac and cheese dinner).
Black huel may work better than the others because of the protein but then you may end up with a flatulence problem instead.
What is pb&j? What about chewing gum? Do you think that savoury taste plays a role, too? At least for some people that seems to be non-negotiable. And what about supplements promoting satiety, like glucomannan? Or other fibre additions?
Peanut Butter and Jam.
Doesn’t chewing gum promote hunger, by causing the body to expect food?
Two north-eastern scallywags who were on kids TV, had a bit of rap career before getting a career in Saturday night TV. One of them liked drinking and driving and crashing.
I think the chewing gum topic is as controversial as the discussion around sweeteners? Does it cause insulin spikes? Or alter the microbiome? The evidence you find in medical databases is very conflicting, and a lot of research has to be done on that. Maybe there are also individual differences. Emotional eating/drinking may play a role here, too.
But indeed I have noticed that if I start chewing gum it’s hard to stop. And as a consequence the time intervals between replacing one gum with the next become shorter and shorter. Although I have TMJ and get jaw pain from it. So I tried to stop it completely.
The effect of insuline on hunger, satiety and weight is something that I find very interesting. So if you know good articles or reviews it would be great if you could post them.
Maybe the Huel team can also comment on that…I am sure you have also done some research on it.