I like to think that I am someone who is relatively healthy. I run three or four times a week, I do daily dog walks of over an hour, I occasionally partake in a bit of strength training at home and I eat a reasonably balanced diet. That being said, I will always choose cake and biscuits over fruit and believe life’s way too short to be worrying about the carb to veggie ratio of my meals.
Having taken a DNA nutrition test a few years back I know that I am prone to certain deficiencies, some of which I am sure could quite easily be sorted out by changing what I eat. But let’s face it, unless you’ve got a degree in nutritional science, who really has a) the extensive knowledge and b) the time and inclination to work out the correct ratio of this, that and the other. So supplements it is!
I have spent the last month trying out a selection of natural supplements from HUM Nutrition, a funky personalised supplement brand aimed at making you “look greater and feel even greater”, and I’m here to share the results with you all.
Personalised Service From The Start
I don’t know about you lot, but when it comes to supplements it can feel a little overwhelming right? There are so many different types on the market that it can be really difficult to know which ones are right for you. So imagine if you had a team of registered dieticians at your disposal ready to help point you in the right direction. Well, that’s exactly what you get with HUM.
Their easy to use website has a clickable ‘let’s get started’ button, which takes you through to a quiz that asks various lifestyle questions so that they can find out more about your daily habits, such as what you eat, how much you exercise you do, whether you smoke, whether you experience skin break outs, have brittle nails etc. This information is crucial in understanding what your body is or isn’t lacking and I found the process really useful for myself as well, because although deep down you know things aren’t right, it’s only through facing up to it and being honest with yourself that you can get the answers that will help you in the long term. There’s no point lying about how many of your 5 a day you have each day, or how many units of alcohol you drink each week, because the only one it is affecting is YOU.
After you complete the questionnaire, one of the dieticians analyses your results and then makes some product recommendations to offer a personalized solution to your problems. Now you might be thinking that this all sounds a bit salesy, which I mean yeah sure they’re a business of course they’re trying to sell to you, but what I love about HUM Nutrition is that at no point do they commit you into buying their products. Indeed, prior to you even looking at the products they’ve not only guided you through the personalized quiz, but when they make their recommendations they also give you a comprehensive breakdown of the things that you’re doing well (for me it was that I don’t smoke, that I get regular exercise and that my diet is generally well balanced and has a good selection of the different food types), as well as the areas that could do with some improvement (my skin, hair and nails is a weak point, my moods are horrendous especially at a particular time of the month (you hear me, ladies?) and just generally my overall female hormonal health isn’t all that great). This might I add, is all free advice. They’re not signing you up to a life long contract, this is genuine, free advice from experts whose passion lies in helping people achieve their health goals.
And this level of service continues throughout my whole experience with HUM Nutrition, my assigned dietician was there to answer my questions. Let me give you an example… I received my products (I’ll explain which ones I went for in the end in a mo) and as there was more than one type of supplement I was confused as to whether I should be taking them all at the same time. I sent HUM a message from their website and within the space of an hour I had a really detailed answer, I mean you can’t ask for much better service than that, can you!
Based on my results I was recommended three different supplements of which I’m going to go into a little bit more detail.
HUM Nutrition Red Carpet Supplements
These are for those red carpet moments… hey I might not be a celebrity but I can certainly have a go at looking and feeling like one! HUM Red Carpet supplements contain blackcurrant seed oil (improves skin texture) and Vitamin E (an antioxidant that neutralizes any free radicals that could potentially damage collagen and dry out the skin), which is a winning formula for glowing skin and shiny hair.
This is exactly what I need considering my skin always looks so dull (I swear some days it almost looks grey) and my hair is an absolute law unto itself, so anything that goes towards sorting these issues out, 100% works for me. They come in the form of 60 small red soft gels that are suitable for vegetarians and vegans and should be taken once a day with food.
HUM Nutrition Moody Bird Supplements
I love, love, love the name of this one because I am indeed a moody bird! And as you may have guessed from the name, these supplements are all about helping out with the symptoms of PMS (premenstrual syndrome). I am moody at the best of times, but around the time of my period, like many women, I turn into a raging hormonal, emotional monster – woe betide anyone that crosses my path. On top of that my skin gets worse, with breakouts on my chin and around my jawline (very typical of hormonal outbreaks) and the urge to eat sugary food increases tenfold.
These PDP – Moody Bird supplements contain the two natural and potent ingredients Dong Quai Root and Chaste Berry. Both of these have long been used as traditional herbal remedies to maintain a healthy hormonal balance and to relieve the symptoms of PMS. Each pot contains 60 vegan capsules (enough for 30 days worth) and 1 capsule should be taken twice daily with food.
HUM Nutrition Daily Cleanse Supplements
The third supplement recommended to me was the HUM Daily Cleanse supplements, a mix of organic algae, detoxifying herbs and cleansing minerals. And I suppose whereas the other two are about adding things to my body, these are more about helping to flush things out, to give the body a good out clear out by cleansing it of toxins and to start with a fresh palette. The ingredient list alone is super impressive, with 13 detoxifiers crammed in just one capsule: organic chlorella, beetroot, red clover, dandelion leaf extract, Oregon grape root, milk thistle, alpha lipoic acid, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, Spirulina, and Matcha green tea. And if that little lot isn’t going to sort me out then I am not sure what will. Again you get 60 capsules and like the Red Carpet supplements you should take 2 capsules daily.
The Results
So first up let me say that it was really easy to get into a habit of taking these supplements, I took all of mine at the same time – with my breakfast – and it became as familiar a thing to do as it is to brush my teeth.
And then on to the important stuff, did any of it actually work? Well look I’ve said this before when I’ve tested supplements, I am not entirely convinced that a month is enough time to see dramatic changes and you never really know how big those changes are going to be anyway do you? But what I will say is that my skin has definitely had far less breakouts than it usually would and I also think my pores have shrunk, which also helps to reduce the chance of spots as there is less opportunity for dirt and grime to get trapped. I do also feel more glowy, to the extent that most days I don’t even wear any make up because I feel confident enough without it. I mean don’t get me wrong, my skin hasn’t gone from pathetic to perfect in a month, but there have definitely been some marked improvements.
I think sometimes the signs of what taking supplements has done can be far more noticeable when you stop taking them, than when you are on them; I guess maybe as a race we tend to focus on our flaws instead of our features. All in all though I’ve been impressed, and not just in a physical sense but also in how I feel too. I am feeling a lot more laid back of late, despite the state of the world right now, and I feel that I have taken some control of my PMS – the symptoms haven’t gone entirely but they have lessened, cramps aren’t as bad, and hormonal breakouts don’t last as long.
In terms of cost, each jar of HUM Nutrition supplements costs $25 and you can either buy them as a one off monthly supply or you can save 25% by setting up a 3 month subscription, which I would personally recommend as you are far more likely to see better results and you also don’t have to worry about running out of them.
I guess the big question is, would I continue to use these supplements? And the answer is that yes I would…. now if they could just get all that goodness squeezed into just one capsule, rather than me having to take 6 a day that would be the dream!
*HUM Nutrition products gifted for review
