First up a little history. After suffering for the last 10 years with IBS which has in turn given me severe anxiety and depesssion, I decided in September to follow a low fodmap diet to finally get to the bottom of why I always seem to have an upset stomach, low energy and terrible bloating and gas. By November I was in hospital with such severe stomach cramping that only morphine would relieve the pain. I spent two weeks there before coming home after being given a clean bill of health. I was laying on my sofa feeling very weak and not eating much, because of the digestive discomfort food causes me, when I saw something on tv about the future of food and huel was mentioned. I was excited about being able to not worry about different foods and getting everything my body needed. I could potentially get my life back! I put in an order.
I bought some vanilla 2.2 and went on these forums. I was filled with dread. The vanilla giving people terrible headaches wasn’t too bad to read about but the additional digestive issues some people initially experience has got me incredibly worried. I thought I’d wait until I have two consecutive days off work in preparation for the worst, but it’s been over 4 months and I can’t bring myself to try it. More Huel keeps arriving.
What’s the worst case of someone starting huel and sticking with it?
Do some people simply give up on it too early?
Should I start with original to avoid headaches?
Is it safe for me to use after being malnourished for months? I eat one very small meal for dinner and a pack of sesame snaps for lunch. Sometimes an activia yoghurt for breakfast if I’m feeling brave, haha!
Sorry for the long read. I’m a very anxious person when it comes to food and I want to be sure I’m making the right choices and start huel with confidence.
Everybody is different and therefore worrying over what some person experienced when they started consuming Huel happening to you is a bit pointless. Personally, I experienced heartburn and gas. Part of this was my portion size was too large (was 120g, now 90g) and I think part was my body’s adjustment period. Now I experience no issues.
Again, similar thing goes for the original vanilla vs new vanilla. Some prefer the original, some the new.
If you are that concerned, make up 50g (circa 1.5 scoops) of either Huel with x5 chilled bottled water (so 50g would need 250ml of water) and give it a go. You’ll know within a couple of hours if it disagrees with you but if you start worrying after consuming it you might convince yourself there is an issue where there isn’t.
You might want to think about suspending your subscription until you have tried it. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and try not to overthink it. Just start with one scoop and 175ml of water and have it as part of a larger meal. Or have it as a snack. As you get more confident add in another snack sized portion until you’re having two small amounts every day, then one day have them together, instead of breakfast or lunch. Gradually increase your intake so your body has time to adjust and it isn’t a sudden shock to your system. Try to recapture a bit of that initial excitement that you felt about getting your life back, but tackle it in small steps so you don’t get overwhelmed.
Great advice - especially the part about small steps. Everyone’s in such a rush these days. I see posts from people asking whether they should go 100% Huel and they haven’t even had their first shake yet
Hey Nathan, sounds like you need to cancel your subscription. There are instructions on how to do so here.
Take it easy easing into a full Huel meal and have a little snack of Huel like @Wendy_Shepherd suggests. You’re right that some have not ideal experiences, but people also have amazing experiences. So many people write in saying that despite all the foods their body rejects, for a multitude of reasons, Huel was actually beneficial.
I’m not saying this will be the case for you, but I’m saying, like @coup, not everyone’s experience is the same even if they have the ‘same’ condition.
Hey,
If it helps put your mind at ease I started using Huel (Vanilla) on the 1st of January. I went straight in with it and I have 2 scoops for breakfast with 400ml of water and the same for lunch. I have not experienced a single headache in nearly 4 months and it hasn’t given me any stomach discomfort. For every bad experience you read there are many more positive ones. You won’t know until you try, give it a go. I love Huel and it has finally helped me to lose weight.
Good luck!
Kate
