Are We Doing Supplements Wrong? The New Wave Of Supplements Nutritionists REALLY Recommend
Supplements are big business but are we doing them all wrong? For decades we’ve been washing down pills that promise glowing skin, well-oiled joints and better gut health, but do they really work? Is it all just a false economy and pretty packaging? Well, recently there’s been a wave of new-gen supplements changing the health and wellness sphere and one brand leading the charge is Indi Supplements. The Handbook’s Contributing Fashion & Lifestyle Editor, Astrid Carter, trialled some of their products for two weeks straight in a quest to find better sleep, more energy and all-round health. Here’s what happened…
In Partnership With Indi Supplements
I’ll admit it, I’m a bit of a supplement nut. I’ll try any if they promise a better version of me. But it wasn’t until I discovered Indi Supplements just over a year ago that I realised the key to overall health might be less is more. Their award-winning products are small in number but pack a punch in nutrition, using the world’s most powerful plants to create high-fibre, gut-boosting and brain-supporting powders. A testament to their expertise, Indi were recently approached by revolutionary health brand ZOE – no doubt you’ll know them from their huge social media presence – to develop the brand’s first whole-food supplement. The Daily 30+ is a nut and seed-like mix of 30 or more plants that are to be topped onto meals and provide people with the ingredients they are lacking, and crucially, to address the lack of fibre in modern diets.
Choosing the right supplements
Fibre really is one of the core principles of what Indi does and what sets it apart from other supplement brands. We live in a world obsessed with protein and probiotics but have we all forgotten about the importance of fibre? It appears so.
A whopping 90% of us are fibre deficient and don’t reach the recommended 30 grams a day. That’s a wild statistic and makes you wonder why, as a society, are we failing so monumentally on fibre.
A whopping 90% of us are fibre deficient.
Speaking to ZOE’s Head Nutritionist, Federica Amati, I asked why. “It’s a combination of factors, one being marketing. Fibre isn’t seen as a valuable ingredient like say protein, where people will spend an extra 20% on it if it says “high protein” printed on it. But high fibre is not something often called out, even on foods like lentils.”
Then there is the fact that we’re cooking less at home, using less of the core ingredients that used to make up the bases of meals, even simple things like onions, carrots and celery. And the rise of convenience foods which don’t tend to be high in fibre and often prioritise meat over plant-based ingredients.
For those thinking that fibre just keeps you regular, it’s not. It plays a fundamental role in our general health. “It is important for our gut microbiome and imperative for correct immune system function,” explains Federica. “If you want to have a healthy immune system that can respond appropriately to infection, but not go into overdrive and autoinflammatory disease.”
Having a high-fibre diet also helps to regulate and reduce the risk of insulin resistance which can lead to a whole host of conditions, most notably Type 2 diabetes. “Think of it as fibre helping the entire flow of the absorption of nutrients throughout the gut to happen at a more natural pace,” said Federica, “Causing far less rapid and excessive glucose peaks.”
My experience
Now, I’d like to think I was pretty healthy and I definitely subscribe to ZOE’s Dr Tim Spector’s ‘30 plant-based foods per week’ quota – or as near to it as I can get – but given the fibre crisis we’re in, I wasn’t that confident I was nailing fibre like the experts recommend. In a bid to remedy that, I trialled Indi Supplement’s Body powder and ZOE’s Daily 30+, also made by Indi, for two weeks straight.
You might think two weeks isn’t enough to see results and I was sceptical. But, honestly, I was blown away by the combination of these two products.
First up, Indi…
Loved by coveted nutritionists, including Rosemary Ferguson and Farazanah Nasser, Indi’s Body supplement is ideal for days you want to get your nutrients in with as little fuss as possible.
I’ve been taking it in the morning, either in a smoothie or adding it to a breakfast bowl, and for days when I have little to no time, I add it to 200ml of coconut milk (you can use it with any plant milk or just water, too), and know I’m getting my goodness in early, ready for the day ahead. It’s high in gut-loving prebiotic fibre, rich in 15 plant ingredients – from reishi mushroom to moringa – and it comes in handy little sachets that are perfect for on-the-go. And unlike many powder supplements, I can’t complain about the taste, a natural berry flavour that mixes well.
I have more energy, especially in the afternoon when I get a low ebb and feel like I need something sugary to pep me up.
I have also been a big fan of Indi’s Mind drink for over a year, it was the hero product that introduced me to the brand. It’s become my mid-afternoon ritual for when I need an energy boost and fill the coffee-shaped hole in my life. Thanks to its potent ingredient list of 10 plants including everything from lion’s mane to magnesium, it sets me up for workouts or big meetings when I’m craving the crutch of a flat white.
You can find out more about just how much I love it here.
Next up, ZOE…
Similar to Indi Body, ZOE’s Daily 30+ aims to add more plants and fibre to your diet but in a kind of nut/seed mix rather than a powder.
You might think two weeks isn’t enough to see results and I was sceptical. But, honestly, I was blown away by these two products.
The mix comes in a pouch with roughly one month’s worth of doses – that’s 5g of fibre per day and a little scoop to portion it correctly – and is made up of 30+ – as the name suggests – fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Everything from medicinal mushrooms to fibre-packed seeds.
On first impressions, it looks just like and seed mix you might top on yoghurt and berries or a salad. And it is just that. It tastes and looks like real food – is it real food – and that’s the beauty of it. I’ve used it almost every day on at least one meal, sometimes more, and it’s honestly helped me reframe the way I’m putting goodness into my body, with hardworking, natural ingredients and in a way that is as most like eating whole foods as possible.
It tastes and looks like real food – is it real food – and that’s the beauty of it.
I’m a big fan of eggs in the morning, and fluffy scrambled eggs or fried eggs on toast with some avocado have been a real game-changer. I’ve also been adding it to salads at lunchtime – not only upping my nutritional intake but making me want to put down the phone and the laptop away for 20 minutes and make something wholesome and delicious. It’s my moment of respite during the busy working day and has become a bit of a habit I’d lost. I’m looking forward to adding it to soups as the weather keeps getting colder, too.
The results
So what have the benefits been? First and foremost, I’ve embraced the idea of adding goodness to every meal, be it breakfast with Indi Body or lunch with ZOE. I’ve been loving the ritual of cooking and adding ZOE to salads or making sure I start the day right with an Indi-packed smoothie. Taking these two supplements has been such a small change to my daily routine but made me rethink the importance of food, not just for nutrition but to take a break, slow down and enjoy it. It’s made me more aware of the good stuff I put into my body, making sure I do whenever possible, rather than just washing down a load of supplement pills in the morning.
I have more energy, especially in the afternoon when I get a low ebb and feel like I need something sugary to pep me up. I’ve also felt much fuller for longer with no need to snack between meals but without feeling overly full or heavy. And I’m sure I’ve been sleeping better since taking it.
Indi’s Mind, Body and the new ZOE supplement have replaced all the other supplements I was taking and I can honestly say I think I’ve found my daily ritual when it comes to putting good things into my body, along with all the common sense things like staying hydrated, eating well and getting a decent night’s sleep. I was lucky enough to try the products as part of this piece but can hand-on heart say I will be buying them myself from here on out.
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