I went to a nutritionnist and she told me that huel had unhealthy doses of vitamin d and protein

[Phil_C]

There is a guide here on Huel use and requirements for children and adolescents who are still growing - perhaps this will help you too.

[Brinax]

Thanks! Yes it confirms that 3000cal is reasonable for me. But it says that i can “eat huel freely”

[Hex]

@Brinax

I don’t think I’ll go beyond 10% Huel unless there are solid counterarguments against what my nutritionist said. Alternatively, I might consult another nutritionist, but it doesn’t seem very rigorous to change nutritionists simply because the first one said something I don’t like.

You absolutely do want to be cautious about anything you put in your body. But obtaining diverse opinions IS being rigorous, especially if the first person you consult makes claims that go against the widespread consensus. Never rely on only 1 perspective for anything in life. You can find 1 article about high Vitamin D doses being toxic, and tons of other articles all contradicting each other. Some starter questions to ask yourself:

• Who funded the study?
• What’s their reputation and trust-level?
• Were they RDBPC (randomized double blind, placebo-controlled) trials?
• Is the website/person selling anything?
• Do they display any behavioural indicators of illogical thinking, deception, stubbornness, urgency, etc?

Titles are only made-up words. 1 person does not know everything. Humans are stubborn, emotional, easily manipulated, etc and can make anything sound convincing. The fact that a successful scientist could hold beliefs that make zero sense and go against science like Earth being a few thousand years old or someone flying into the “heavens” on a winged horse, should quickly instill the acknowledgement that no-one is perfect or a vessel of complete truths. Another example is America’s resident oompa loompa succeeding through manipulation, misinformation and conspiracies. Look up what it takes to become a nutritionist or other profession, and it makes your perspective of people more grounded.

Years ago, my grandad started having breathing problems. He went to 1 doctor who said it was 1 thing. It wasn’t. When it worsened, he visited multiple doctors, then this diversity of knowledge, perspective and opinion identified the true cause: asbestos from his decades of working in unsafe buildings. Unfortunately, too late. He went from a healthy active senior to skinny, bedridden and dead within a couple months.

Diversity and rigor are crucial. When a “professional” tells you something, kindly ask them to explain it, ask if they could be wrong, ask them to break it down so you can understand it, ask why their opinion differs to other findings. If they can’t do that, or they do and you see flaws or lack of evidence in their thinking, these are major red flags. Regardless, always seek multiple perspectives for anything.

[hunzas]

I learn everything from Wikipedia, randomers on Facebook and YouTube influencers. Am I doing it wrong?

[Hex]

Wikipedia still allows multiple people to edit. Throw your grains of salt out, narrow your focus exclusively to influencers, and buy whatever they tell you to!

[Phil_C]

Sceptics could also keep in mind that Huel isn’t Goop. Gwyneth isn’t on the development team payroll – but registered nutritionists and doctors are – so they might actually know what they are doing. Maybe

[epicure]

Gwyneth’s flavour options would be interesting.

[Phil_C]

@epicure

flavour options would be interesting

A Hot & Savoury pasta option maybe – like their sea urchin and caviar cook at home pasta meal kit for a modest $299 for 2 servings. Bargain.

(Fun fact – you don’t get any ingredients, nutrition or allergen information for that cash either – kind of odd for a ‘wellness brand’)

[epicure]

Ah, I take it back. Not interesting at all, and not even vegan.

[Amy_Huel]

@hunzas

I’d at least wait to see what Amy has to say. It’s the weekend now and she’s probably had 3 bottles of wine and some tequila slammers (apparently all good for your liver, so what she will say about protein and kidneys I dread to think). I expect the packets of crisps will counteract some protein, and the kebab on the way home will soak up the rest of it. She may have recovered by Wednesday if you can wait that long.

Well I’ve managed to make a full recovery a day ahead of schedule! Must be because I managed to stop after just 2 bottles of wine…

@Brinax

Is that correct?
@Amy_Huel

Sure, if you were to consume 100% Huel and achieve 3000kcals/day, your protein intake would be considerably high based on your current weight. However, at just 4 servings a day, your protein intake would be 120g. This is around double the recommended protein intake considered essential, although this wouldn’t count as ‘excessive’ for a healthy individual as your nutritionist suggested. There are many benefits to a higher protein diet (1.2-1.6g/kg body weight), including feeling fuller for longer and supporting muscle growth.

Huel is designed to be nutritionally complete at 2000 calories, so if you’re exceeding this by 50% to meet your energy goals, of course some nutrients will exceed the Reference Intake. It’s worth noting that at 3000 calories, your vitamin D intake still wouldn’t be reaching unsafe levels as your nutritionist suggested (30mcg vs. the tolerable upper limit of 100mcg).

Especially in your case, I’d be inclined not to recommend a 100% Huel diet. I appreciate you might be pressed for time some days, but supplementing your diet with non-Huel foods and snacks could be the best strategy here. Let’s say you enjoy 400g of Huel U&U. That’s 120g of protein and 1600 calories. From here, I’d suggest adding in high-fat foods to your diet, as these are the most calorie-dense per gram. For example, nuts, seeds, nut butters with fruit or veggies, avocado on wholegrain seeded crackers etc. This should help you reach your calorie goal for the day without excessive protein or vitamin D.

[Brinax]

Yes, I just had a call with my nutritionist, who told me that the negative consequences of these doses of protein and vitamin D might only be seen in the very long term. It just happens that my nutritionist doesn’t like the idea of eating powdered food.

[Amy_Huel]

I see! I suppose powdered food isn’t for everyone, but remember your nutritionist is there for support and to provide evidence-based advice - you can make your own decision on whether Huel works for you

[AlexGreyhead]

@Brinax

my nutritionist … told me that the negative consequences of these doses of protein and vitamin D might only be seen in the very long term

I think that sound I can hear is your nutritionist furiously back-peddling on their nonsense whilst trying to save face.

Or, to be less-charitable, they are sowing seeds of anxiety in your mind about these unprovable health risks of having a diet with a little extra vitamin D and protein, and they have provided precisely zero evidence from peer-reviewed medical studies to back up their nonsense.

Your nutritionist is a numpty.

[epicure]

Experts feel pressure to justify themselves by insisting they know more than other experts, regardless.

What’s the likelihood of paying a nutritionist for dietary advice, suggesting to them you’re planning on a 100% Huel diet, and have them say ‘ok, that sounds fine: complete and balanced, go for it’.

Zero, I reckon.

Remember the expert nutritionist who was asked to pass judgement on Huel as part of the BBC radio programme awhile back? The best she could come up with was that Huel’s no good because it’s exactly the same for everyone, despite the fact that we all have slightly differing dietary needs. Well, duh, it’s not a bespoke service, it’s a one-size-fits-all convenience food. Talk about stating the bleedin’ obvious, but there had to be a criticism of some sort because the alternative would be to appear superfluous and unnecessary.

[ryanhellyer]

Were they referring to all Huels? Or just a particular Huel?

If it were just Huel Black, then that’s not surprising. Very few people would need that level of protein in their diet. I’m testing out a continuous glucose monitor right now, and I wanted to see what would happen on a full day of 100% Huel Black, and although my glucose levels were flat as a pancake, my kidneys were certainly getting a heck of a workout from all that protein; I was peeing significantly more often than normal.

[epicure]

The BBC thing was about the standard powder, v3. There was no mention of BE.
What was striking was the nutritionist’s failure to provide any serious reasons for criticism, and despite that her apparent need to find something negative to say.
I suppose it may have not been her fault entirely, there might’ve been editorial direction. I mean it would’ve made for a much shorter programme if she’d just said “Huel is great as it’s balanced and complete, and it’s got everything the average person needs, so speaking as a nutritionst… there’s nothing more I can say.” The BBC would’ve probably been in trouble for brand advertising, and they have to follow the doctrine of both-sides-ism.

[Raymondcal]

Ouais, y a des nutritionnistes qui sont des pures militantes du bio et du non-transformé, et donc dès que tu leur montres autre chose que des légumes du marché, elles sortent les flingues…

[Brinax]

Huel normal powder (original)