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The Complete Guide to Diet, Training and Lifestyle on a GLP-1

There’s no official GLP-1 diet. What changes once you start a medication like Mounjaro or Wegovy is your relationship with food. Their job is to reduce your appetite and therefore your calorie intake, and it’s that deficit that causes weight loss. When your hunger is reduced that means your portions shrink, and a full plate can start to feel like hard work. How you eat, train and live around that change is what determines your end result, how you feel along the way and how much of it lasts. In ten years of coaching, nothing has changed the questions clients bring me as quickly as these medications. A few years ago it was how to break a plateau or add a bit of muscle. Now, more often than not, it’s what to eat when you’re never hungry, why training suddenly feels so hard, and what happens when you stop taking weight loss medication. Most people start treatment with a prescription and a patient leaflet, and not much else. A 2025 joint advisory from four leading US nutrition and obesity organisations noted that most people prescribed these medicines receive little nutritional or behavioural support. This guide is an attempt to help fill that gap. It covers what GLP-1 medications do, how to eat and train while taking one, the side effects that food and habits can help with, the risks worth planning for, and what the research shows happens when you stop. Remember though: this should sit alongside your prescriber’s advice, not replace it. Key takeaways Put protein first. Guidance for people on GLP-1 medications suggests 1.2–1.6g per kilogram of body weight a day during weight loss, or around 80–120g for most adults, spread across three or four meals. Strength training is the clearest signal your body gets to keep muscle while weight comes off. Eating less means getting less of everything. Don’t neglect fibre, fluid and micronutrients because your calories are lower. Most digestive side effects are mild, settle with time and respond well to smaller, slower meals. Weight tends to return after stopping. The habits and muscle you build during treatment are the part you keep. Supplements can fill specific gaps in a smaller diet. None of them change how the medication works. What GLP-1 medications do (and what they don’t) GLP-1 medications are prescription medicines that mimic glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone your gut releases after you eat. They act on the appetite centres in the brain, slow the rate at which the stomach empties and help regulate blood sugar. For most people, this means they feel full sooner, think about food less and eat considerably less, without the constant tug of hunger that can make extended dieting so hard. In the UK, the main medicines used for weight management are semaglutide, sold as Wegovy, and tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro, which also acts on a second hormone pathway called GIP. In June 2026 the MHRA approved the first GLP-1 tablet for weight loss, an oral form of semaglutide. All are prescription-only, and all are licensed for use alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity rather than instead of them. In plain English, think of them as a support mechanism for healthier habits rather than a replacement for them. If you’d like to understand the hormone your body makes itself, and why food can’t replicate what these medicines do, we’ve covered that in our guide to how to increase GLP-1 naturally. The medication changes how much you eat. What you eat, how you train and how you live decide what that weight loss is made of, how well you feel during it, and how much of it stays after treatment. That’s what the rest of this guide is about. Why what you lose matters as much as how much Weight loss on these medicines can be substantial. The question that gets less attention is what that weight is made of. Body composition scans from the major trials give a useful picture. In a substudy of STEP 1, the landmark semaglutide trial, roughly 39% of the weight participants lost registered as lean mass on DEXA scans. In the equivalent analysis of SURMOUNT-1, the tirzepatide trial, the figure was closer to 25%. However, those numbers don’t mean anything without context. “Lean mass” on a DEXA scan means everything that isn’t fat or bone, so it includes water, stored carbohydrate and organs as well as muscle. The liver, which often shrinks as excess fat clears from it, is counted too. Not all of that lean mass loss is muscle, and because fat fell faster than lean tissue in both trials, lean mass made up a larger share of participants’ bodies by the end. Some muscle loss does happen, though, and it’s important to understand what that might mean for you. Muscle keeps you strong and mobile, plays a large part in how the body handles blood sugar, and gets harder to rebuild with age. The people who should pay closest attention are older adults, anyone starting with relatively little muscle, and anyone losing weight very quickly while eating little protein and doing no resistance training. The two biggest levers you can use to minimise protein and strength training, are entirely within your control. We go into the muscle side in depth in our guide to maximising muscle mass on a GLP-1. How to eat on a GLP-1 Build each meal around a source of protein, add vegetables, pulses or wholegrains for fibre, keep portions small and eat slowly, and drink steadily between meals rather than with them. That’s the short answer to what to eat on Mounjaro or any other GLP-1 medication. The sections below explain each part in more detail. How much should you eat? There’s no single calorie target that suits everyone on a GLP-1, and it’s worth being wary of anyone who offers you one without knowing your history. Remember that your target calorie intake is unique to you and should consider your starting weight, level of activity and personal goals. If in doubt, it’s worth using an online calculator for a starting point and then going from there. What changes on these medicines is the direction of the risk. For most people trying to lose weight, the challenge is eating less. On a GLP-1, the medication does much of that for you, and the more common problem becomes eating too little to meet your protein needs, fuel your training and get enough vitamins and minerals. NICE treats diets of 800 calories a day or fewer as very-low-calorie diets that need clinical supervision. If you find you’re regularly eating at or near that level simply because you aren’t hungry, mention it to your prescriber or ask about a referral to a dietitian. Eating a little more of the right foods will usually serve you better than eating as little as possible. Make protein the first thing on the plate Protein contributes to the growth and maintenance of muscle mass, and it’s the nutrient most likely to fall short when your appetite drops. The 2025 joint advisory suggests 1.2–1.6g of protein per kilogram of body weight a day during active weight loss, compared with the standard reference of 0.8g/kg. It also acknowledges an awkward detail. For people with a higher body weight, it isn’t clear whether that figure should be calculated from total weight or from something closer to lean mass, and working from total weight can produce targets that are hard to reach. As a practical alternative, the advisory suggests an absolute target of around 80–120g a day, which is a sensible range for most adults to aim for. How you spread it matters as much as the total. Three or four meals spread evenly throughout the day, with around 25–40g of protein each, is easier to manage on a small appetite, and supports muscle protein synthesis more consistently than leaving most of it until dinner. With clients on a GLP-1, protein is the first thing I look at, and it’s almost always lower than they think. A few habits make a real difference: Eat the protein on your plate first, before your appetite runs out. Choose dense sources such as Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, eggs, fish, chicken, tofu, and lentils. Build protein into snacks rather than relying on main meals alone. On days when solid food feels like hard work, a protein shake is often easier to finish than a meal. That’s where a good protein powder earns its place. The Strong Protein provides 34g of protein per serving from whey and casein, The Lean Protein provides 31g at under 150 calories, and The Health Protein is a vegan blend of pea and brown rice protein. A shake won’t replace a balanced diet, but it can close a gap that food alone often can’t when you’re barely hungry at all. For more on what makes a good protein source, see our guide to whey protein. Fibre, and why you probably need more of it Constipation is one of the most common side effects of GLP-1 medications, and fibre is one of the most useful ways to manage it. The difficulty is that most of us were short of fibre before treatment began. Adults in the UK average 16.4g a day, according to the latest National Diet and Nutrition Survey, against a recommendation of 30g. Only around 4% of adults reach that target. Eating less food usually means eating less fibre, so it pays to be deliberate: Choose wholegrain versions of bread, pasta and rice. Add beans, lentils or chickpeas to soups, stews and salads. Keep the skins on potatoes and fruit where you can. Snack on fruit, nuts and seeds. Increase fibre gradually and drink more as you do. Fibre draws water into the gut, and a sudden jump without extra fluid can make constipation worse. Very bulky, high-fibre meals can also add to that early feeling of fullness, so spread fibre across the day rather than loading a single meal. If food alone isn’t enough, a plain fibre supplement such as psyllium husk can help. Check with your pharmacist first, because fibre supplements can affect how some medicines are absorbed and may need to be taken at a different time of day. Our guide to the benefits of a high-fibre diet has more ideas. Micronutrients: eating less means less of everything When you eat significantly less, you take in fewer vitamins and minerals along with fewer calories. A 2026 review in the journal Nutrients described this as a form of hidden malnutrition, where weight comes down but nutrient intake can fall with it. The authors are clear that direct evidence of widespread deficiency on GLP-1 medications is still limited, so this is a risk to manage rather than a certainty. The joint advisory lists iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc and vitamins A, D, E, K, B1, B12 and C as nutrients to watch. In practice: Prioritise nutrient-dense foods: oily fish, eggs, dairy or fortified alternatives, leafy greens, pulses, nuts and seeds. Consider a good quality A to Z multivitamin and mineral as a safety net, which the advisory also suggests. Follow the NHS advice that everyone in the UK should consider supplementing with 10 micrograms of vitamin D a day during autumn and winter. If you’re on treatment long term, ask your prescriber whether routine blood tests make sense for you. The Recover Capsules provide vitamin D, which contributes to the maintenance of normal muscle function, alongside magnesium and zinc. They’re a convenient way to cover vitamin D through the darker months, particularly if you’re also training regularly. Hydration and electrolytes There’s no specific water target for people on GLP-1 medications. The NHS general guide is 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day, with more in hot weather, when exercising and when you’re unwell. On a GLP-1, there are good reasons to aim for the upper end. Thirst can quieten along with appetite. Eating less also means taking in less water, because food normally supplies a meaningful share of daily fluid. Vomiting or diarrhoea, particularly in the early weeks, add to the losses, and the MHRA notes that dehydration linked to these side effects can occasionally be severe enough to need hospital treatment. The simplest check is the colour of your urine: clear, pale yellow suggests you’re drinking enough. Sip steadily through the day rather than drinking large volumes with meals, which can add to the feeling of fullness. If you’ve been unwell or are sweating heavily during training, replacing electrolytes as well as water can help. The Hydrate Blend contains six electrolytes and no sugar, including magnesium, which contributes to electrolyte balance. Building meals that sit well How you eat affects how you feel on a GLP-1 almost as much as what you eat. Because the stomach empties more slowly, large or rich meals tend to sit heavily. A few simple changes help most people: Eat smaller portions and stop at the first sign of fullness, rather than finishing the plate. Slow down. Fullness signals take time to register, and of all the habits I suggest to clients, eating more slowly is the one nobody has ever regretted. Go easy on fried, greasy, and very sugary foods, which commonly make nausea worse. Avoid lying down straight after eating, and leave a gap between your last meal and bed. When you’re not sure where to start, this simple plate template helps: Part of the plate What to include Why it matters Protein (eat it first) Fish, chicken, eggs, Greek yoghurt, tofu, lentils Protects muscle; the nutrient most likely to fall short Vegetables and fibre Leafy greens, beans, wholegrains, fruit Supports regular digestion and nutrient intake A modest carbohydrate Oats, wholegrain rice, potatoes with skins Fuel for training and daily activity A little fat Olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds Flavour and fat-soluble vitamins, in small amounts Managing common side effects through food and habits Most side effects of GLP-1 medications are digestive. The MHRA describes most as mild to moderate in severity or short in duration, and many people find they’re most noticeable in the first few weeks and for a while after each dose increase, before settling as the body adjusts. If side effects don’t ease or are affecting your daily life, speak to your prescriber or pharmacist, and don’t stop or change your medication without their advice. Side effect What tends to help When to get advice Nausea Smaller, slower meals; bland foods on difficult days; avoiding greasy food Persistent vomiting, or you can’t keep fluids down Constipation More fluid, a gradual increase in fibre, daily movement No improvement after a few days, or severe pain Diarrhoea Replacing fluid and electrolytes; smaller meals Lasting more than a few days, or signs of dehydration such as dizziness or dark urine Reflux and indigestion Smaller portions; not eating late or lying down after meals Symptoms that persist Does a GLP-1 make you tired? Tiredness is listed by the NHS as a common side effect of both semaglutide and tirzepatide, and it’s often worst early on and after dose increases. Some of it may come from the medication itself, but the most common contributors are things you can act on. A sudden, large drop in food intake, too little protein, not drinking enough and poor sleep can all leave you feeling flat. Before assuming it’s something you just have to live with, check whether you’re eating regular meals, even small ones, with protein at each; whether you’re drinking enough through the day; and how well you’re sleeping. Gentle activity often helps more than rest. If tiredness doesn’t lift as your dose settles, or it’s affecting your daily life, talk to your prescriber. Can a GLP-1 cause hair loss? Hair loss is also listed by the NHS as a common side effect of both medicines. It’s usually down to a temporary condition called telogen effluvium, where a physical stress pushes more hair follicles into their resting phase at once. Rapid weight loss is a recognised trigger, as is a sustained low intake of protein, iron or calories. The shedding typically appears a couple of months after the trigger and usually settles once weight stabilises. The most useful things you can do are to avoid crashing your nutrient intakes, keep protein at the levels outlined above, and include iron-rich foods such as red meat, pulses and leafy greens. If hair loss is patchy, continues for a long time or worries you, see your GP. When to get help urgently Contact NHS 111 or your GP urgently if you have: Severe stomach pain that won’t go away, which may spread to your back (a possible sign of pancreatitis) Pain in the upper right of your tummy, a high temperature, or yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (possible gallbladder problems) Sudden changes to your vision Signs of severe dehydration, or you can’t keep fluids down In an emergency, call 999. How to train on a GLP-1 If you add one thing to your routine alongside the medication, make it strength training. It gives your body a clear reason to hold on to muscle while weight comes off, which cardio alone doesn’t do to the same extent. I’ve watched a lot of people lose a lot of weight over the years, with and without medication. The ones who come out the other side strongest, and who tend to feel best about the result, are almost always the ones who kept lifting throughout. Not heavily, and not every day. Consistently. The UK Chief Medical Officers recommend muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days a week, plus 150 minutes of moderate activity such as brisk walking. The 2025 joint advisory goes further for people on GLP-1 medications, suggesting strength training at least three times a week. You don’t need a complicated programme: Build sessions around compound movements: squats or leg presses, hinges such as deadlifts or hip thrusts, and pushing and pulling exercises. Aim to do a little more over time, whether that’s slightly more weight, an extra rep or better control. Progressive overload is still key! Start where you are. Two short sessions you’ll keep doing beat an ambitious plan you can’t maintain. Keep walking. Daily movement helps with constipation and energy as well as overall activity. Fuelling that activity is the part people forget. Training on very little food can leave you light-headed and flat, and a small snack containing protein an hour or two beforehand often helps. Creatine is one of the most researched supplements for anyone doing strength training. In adults performing high-intensity exercise, creatine increases physical performance in successive bursts of short-term, high-intensity exercise, with the benefit seen at 3g a day. The Power Booster provides 5g of pure creatine monohydrate per serving, and there’s 3g in every serving of The Strong Protein. If you have a kidney condition, check with your prescriber before starting creatine. For a full training playbook, read our guide to maximising muscle mass on a GLP-1, or start with our beginner’s guide to weight lifting. Alcohol, sleep and social eating Can you drink alcohol on a GLP-1? There’s no outright ban, but the NHS advises that it’s best not to drink alcohol while taking semaglutide or tirzepatide, because it can make nausea and vomiting worse. The joint advisory adds that alcohol can worsen reflux and recommends keeping it to a minimum. There are other reasons for caution too. Many people find alcohol hits harder when they’re eating much less. It adds calories without any protein, and it’s dehydrating at a time when side effects may already be costing you fluid. If you do choose to drink, ensure it’s in moderation, have it with food, alternate with water, and avoid the days when side effects are usually at their strongest, such as just after a dose increase. If you have diabetes and take other medicines that lower blood sugar, ask your prescriber specifically about alcohol and the risk of low blood sugar. Sleep, stress and social eating Sleep affects appetite, food choices and how well you recover from training. Short or broken sleep makes healthy eating and exercise harder to sustain, with or without medication. Our guide to magnesium for sleep covers some of the basics. Eating out can feel awkward when you’re full after a few mouthfuls. Ordering a starter as a main, eating the protein first and leaving what you don’t want are all fine. Nobody else is keeping score. It’s also worth keeping an eye on your relationship with food. Very low appetite can make it easy to skip meals entirely, and for some people that can quickly spiral into unhealthy habits. If eating has started to feel difficult to manage, talk to your GP. If your weight loss slows down Almost everyone on a GLP-1 hits a stretch where the scale stops moving. It’s normal, and it rarely means something has gone wrong. Weight loss is never a straight line. Early losses include a fair amount of water, which flatters the first few weeks, and your energy needs fall as you get lighter. If you’ve started strength training, holding on to or building muscle can also mask fat loss on the scale. A tape measure around the waist and the fit of your clothes are useful second opinions here, but it’s how you look in the mirror that should matter most. When a client tells me the scale has stalled, I ask them to write down everything they eat and drink, as well as their training and sleep, for three days before we change anything. That usually provides the answer and it’s commonly one of these: Liquid calories from milky coffees, juices, smoothies and alcohol Frequent grazing on small, high-calorie snacks Decreased protein intake Less or worse-quality sleep and increased stress levels Activity that has dropped off as energy has dipped Under-eating can backfire as well, leaving you too tired to train and more likely to lose muscle. If your weight has stalled for several weeks despite these checks, raise it with your prescriber. Decisions about your dose are for them to make with you, so don’t change it yourself. The risks you should be aware of, and how to reduce them GLP-1 medications are effective and well tolerated by most people. Like any medicine they carry risks, and most of the ones worth knowing about can be reduced with a little planning. Risk Why it happens What reduces it Muscle and strength loss A large calorie deficit, low protein and no resistance training Meeting your protein target and strength training at least two or three times a week Low protein intake Appetite suppression makes protein-rich meals harder to finish Protein-first meals and protein-rich snacks or shakes Micronutrient shortfalls A smaller, often less varied diet Nutrient-dense foods, a multivitamin, and vitamin D in autumn and winter Dehydration Lower thirst, less water from food and fluid lost to side effects Steady fluid intake and electrolytes during sickness or diarrhoea Pregnancy while on treatment GLP-1 medicines should not be taken in pregnancy, and Mounjaro may make the contraceptive pill less effective Effective contraception throughout. With Mounjaro and the pill, the MHRA advises adding a barrier method such as condoms for four weeks after starting and after each dose increase or switching to a non-oral method. Stop treatment before trying to conceive at least two months beforehand for semaglutide and at least one month for tirzepatide Fake or unregulated products Medicines sold through social media, beauty salons or unregulated websites Only use a medicine prescribed by a healthcare professional and supplied by a registered pharmacy Interactions with supplements Some supplements and herbal products interact with medicines Tell your prescriber or pharmacist about everything you take None of this is a reason to avoid treatment if it’s right for you. It’s a reason to start with a plan. What happens when you stop taking a GLP-1? This is the conversation I have with clients most often now, and there’s no real way to soften this, so I’ll just state it bluntly: the weight tends to come back. A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis in The BMJ, led by researchers at the University of Oxford, pooled 37 studies involving more than 9,000 adults. After stopping weight-management medicines, people regained an average of around 0.4kg a month. At that rate they were projected to return to their starting weight within about 1.7 years, and improvements in markers such as blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar were projected to reverse within about 1.4 years. Weight also returned faster than it did after people finished diet and exercise programmes. There is one finding that deserves an honest mention. In that analysis, behavioural support during treatment was linked to greater weight loss but didn’t slow the rate of regain afterwards. So no particular diet or training plan can promise to hold everything in place. Appetite does return when the medication stops, though, and the habits and muscle you’ve built are what you’ll have to meet it with. The clients I worry about least at this point are the ones for whom the gym and a protein-first plate already feel normal, because there’s nothing new to start when the injections stop. How to keep weight off after stopping weight loss treatment Keep strength training. The muscle you’ve built and the habit of training are two of the most valuable things to carry forward. Keep protein at the centre of your meals. It’s among the most satiating nutrients, which matters more once appetite returns. Expect hunger to come back, and plan regular meals for it rather than reacting to it. Weigh yourself regularly, so small changes are noticed early. Ask your prescriber what follow-up support is available. How to come off a GLP-1 Don’t stop suddenly without speaking to your prescriber first. Both the NHS and the MHRA advise discussing any change with your doctor, and for people with type 2 diabetes, stopping can affect blood sugar. Your prescriber may recommend reducing the dose gradually. Where supplements fit, and where they don’t Supplements can’t change how a GLP-1 medication works, and they shouldn’t be marketed as if they can. What they can do is fill specific gaps that a much smaller diet leaves behind. This is the same list I’d give a client, in roughly the order I’d give it. Useful when they fill a real gap: Protein powder, when food alone can’t get you to your daily target Creatine, if you’re doing regular strength training Vitamin D in autumn and winter, in line with NHS advice for everyone Electrolytes, during bouts of sickness, diarrhoea or heavy sweating A standard multivitamin and mineral, if your diet has become small or repetitive Situational: A plain fibre supplement, if food isn’t enough, taken with plenty of water and after checking the timing with your pharmacist Best avoided: Anything marketed as a “GLP-1 booster” or “natural Ozempic”, or berberine sold as an alternative to medication. None of these work like a GLP-1 medicine, and some, berberine included, can interact with other medicines. We explain why in our guide to how to increase GLP-1 naturally. Whatever you take, tell your prescriber or pharmacist so they have the full picture. What a day of eating can look like Here’s one example of a small-appetite day built around protein. It’s a guide rather than a meal plan, and portions will vary with your size, activity and appetite. Meal Example Approx. protein Breakfast 200g Greek yoghurt with berries and a tablespoon of mixed seeds 22g Lunch Two-egg omelette with spinach and a slice of wholegrain toast 16g Snack Protein shake made with water or milk 31–34g Dinner 100g salmon with roasted vegetables and a few new potatoes 22g Evening (optional) 150g cottage cheese 16g Total Around 105–110g The bottom line A GLP-1 medication changes how much you want to eat. It doesn’t decide what your weight loss is made of, how you feel along the way or what happens once you stop. Those parts come down to the protein on your plate, the strength training you do, the fluid you drink and the habits you build. Start with the basics: make protein the core part of every meal, get your strength training in at least twice a week, keep your hydration steady and ensure you get enough fibre. Use supplements to fill genuine gaps rather than as shortcuts, and keep your prescriber in the loop on anything that affects your treatment. If getting enough protein is the hardest part, The Strong Protein, The Lean Protein and The Health Protein each make a high-quality serving easy to manage on a small appetite, and protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass. If you’d like help working out what fits your goals, book a free consultation with one of our nutritionists. This article is for general information and isn’t medical advice. It doesn’t replace the guidance of the doctor, pharmacist or prescriber responsible for your treatment. Frequently asked questions What should you eat on a GLP-1 like Mounjaro? A good GLP-1 diet is built around protein at every meal, plenty of fibre from vegetables, pulses and wholegrains, and small portions eaten slowly. Go easy on greasy, fried and very sugary foods, which tend to worsen nausea, and drink steadily between meals. Most adults should aim for around 80–120g of protein a day. Can you drink alcohol on Mounjaro? You can, but the NHS advises it’s best not to. Drinking alcohol while taking tirzepatide (Mounjaro) or semaglutide can make nausea and vomiting worse. If you do drink, keep it small, have it with food, alternate with water and avoid the days just after a dose increase. Does Mounjaro make you tired? Tiredness is a common side effect of tirzepatide and is usually worst early on and after dose increases. Eating too little, low protein intake, dehydration and poor sleep often contribute. Regular small meals with protein and steady hydration can help. If it doesn’t ease, speak to your prescriber. Can Mounjaro cause hair loss? Yes. Hair loss is listed by the NHS as a common side effect. It’s usually temporary shedding linked to rapid weight loss or a low intake of protein, iron or calories, and tends to settle as weight stabilises. Keep protein and iron intake adequate, and see your GP if the loss is patchy or ongoing. How much protein do you need on Mounjaro? Guidance for people taking GLP-1 medications suggests 1.2–1.6g of protein per kilogram of body weight a day during weight loss, or roughly 80–120g a day for most adults. Spread it across three or four meals of around 25–40g each, and eat the protein first while your appetite lasts. How much water should you drink on Mounjaro? There’s no medicine-specific target. The NHS recommends 6 to 8 cups or glasses of fluid a day for most people, with more in hot weather, during exercise and when you’re unwell with sickness or diarrhoea. Clear, pale yellow urine is a good sign you’re drinking enough. How do you keep weight off after stopping Mounjaro? Research shows weight tends to return after stopping weight-loss medicines, and the habits you build during treatment are your main defence against this. Keep strength training, keep protein at the centre of your meals, plan for your appetite returning and weigh yourself regularly. Always agree a plan to stop with your prescriber rather than stopping suddenly. References Mozaffarian, D., Agarwal, M., Aggarwal, M., Alexander, L., Apovian, C., Bindlish, S., et al. (2025). Nutritional priorities to support GLP-1 therapy for obesity: a joint Advisory from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society for Nutrition, the Obesity Medicine Association, and The Obesity Society. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 122(1), 344–367. Click here. West, S., et al. (2026). Weight regain after cessation of medication for weight management: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 392, e085304. Click here. Wilding, J., Batterham, R., Calanna, S., Davies, M., Van Gaal, L., Lingvay, I., et al. (2021). Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity. New England Journal of Medicine. 384(11), 989–1002. Click here. Look, M., et al. (2025). Body composition changes during weight reduction with tirzepatide in the SURMOUNT-1 study of adults with obesity or overweight. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism. Click here. Hidden malnutrition in the GLP-1 era: micronutrient status, protein adequacy, and lean mass as emerging nutritional considerations. A narrative review. (2026). Nutrients. 18(17), 2757. Click here. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (2026). GLP-1 medicines for weight loss and diabetes: what you need to know. Click here. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (2026). First GLP-1 tablet for weight loss approved in the UK. Click here. NHS (2026). Semaglutide: a medicine to manage type 2 diabetes or treat obesity. Click here. NHS. Tirzepatide: a medicine to manage type 2 diabetes and treat obesity. Click here. NHS. Water, drinks and your health. Click here. NHS. Vitamin D. Click here. Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2019 to 2023 report. Click here. UK Chief Medical Officers (2019). UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines. Click here. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2025). Overweight and obesity management (NG246). Click here.

Shiitake Mushroom Benefits: Nutrition and What the Science Says

Shiitake mushrooms have been part of everyday cooking in East Asia for centuries. Their rich, savoury flavour adds depth to broths and noodle dishes, while their firm texture makes them a popular addition to stir-fries. More recently, they have found their way into mushroom coffees and supplement blends, bringing a growing list of health claims with them. Search for shiitake mushroom benefits, and you’ll find them credited with everything from supporting immunity to strengthening bones. While some claims draw on human studies, others come from laboratory experiments or animal research, making it difficult to work out what the findings actually mean for you. Below, we look at shiitake mushroom nutrition, what research says about their benefits, where the evidence is limited, and how the form you eat them in affects their nutritional value. What are shiitake mushrooms? Shiitake mushrooms, scientifically known as Lentinula edodes, are edible fungi associated with East Asian cooking. They have brown, umbrella-shaped caps and a firm texture that becomes pleasantly meaty when cooked. The name comes from Japanese: take means mushroom, while shii refers to a tree related to oak and beech on which shiitake were traditionally grown. Today, growers also cultivate them on blocks made from sawdust, rather than relying solely on hardwood logs. Their distinctive savoury flavour comes partly from naturally occurring glutamate, a compound associated with umami. Dried shiitake have a particularly concentrated flavour, making them a favourite for adding depth to stocks and braises. You’ll find shiitake fresh in supermarkets or dried in Asian grocers and larger food shops. They also appear as powders and extracts in supplements. These formats differ in how they are prepared and what they provide nutritionally, so it helps to know which form you’re buying. Shiitake mushroom nutrition Shiitake are low in calories and fat. Most of their energy comes from carbohydrate, and a good share of that is fibre. What makes them nutritionally interesting is what comes alongside: several B vitamins, plus copper. Nutrient Fresh, raw, per 100g Fresh, per 80g portion Dried, per 100g Dried, per 15g (about 4 mushrooms) Energy 34kcal 27kcal 296kcal 44kcal Protein 2.2g 1.8g 9.6g 1.4g Fibre 2.5g 2.0g 11.5g 1.7g Riboflavin (B2) 0.22mg 0.17mg 1.27mg 0.19mg Niacin (B3) 3.9mg 3.1mg 14.1mg 2.1mg Pantothenic acid (B5) 1.5mg 1.2mg 21.9mg 3.3mg Copper 0.14mg 0.11mg 5.17mg 0.78mg Potassium 304mg 243mg 1,534mg 230mg Vitamin D 0.4µg 0.3µg 3.8µg 0.6µg *Source: USDA FoodData Central, entries 169242 (raw) and 168436 (dried). An 80g serving is the standard UK portion of vegetables. Nutrient content varies with strain, growing medium, light exposure and drying method. The fresh and dried figures also come from different samples, so they aren't a direct before-and-after comparison. Figures are rounded. The raw values describe mushrooms before cooking and are not a recommendation to eat them uncooked. B vitamins and minerals in shiitake Per 100g, fresh shiitake provide at least 15% of the nutrient reference value for niacin, pantothenic acid and riboflavin, which makes them a source of all three. Each contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism. In practice, that means they play a part in releasing energy from the food you eat, rather than providing the immediate lift you might associate with caffeine. Shiitake also contain minerals, including potassium and copper. Their contribution depends on the amount you eat and how the mushrooms are prepared. The same principle applies to protein: they contain some, but a serving should not be treated as equivalent to a protein-rich meal. How drying and cooking change the figures The dried column can make shiitake look like a completely different food. Much of the difference comes from removing water. Fresh shiitake are around 90% water. Drying removes most of it, so everything left behind is concentrated into less weight. That's why dried shiitake look calorie-dense and nutrient-rich per 100g, even though the mushroom itself hasn't changed much. Cooking introduces further variables. Mushrooms can lose water in a pan or absorb it in a broth, while added oil changes the nutritional profile of the finished dish. Compare equivalent preparations and realistic portions rather than choosing whichever per-100g figure looks most impressive. Shiitake and vitamin D Mushrooms contain ergosterol, a compound that converts into vitamin D2 when exposed to ultraviolet light, much as your skin produces vitamin D3 in sunshine. Vitamin D content depends on light exposure during growing and processing. The fresh shiitake figures in the table show a relatively small amount: around 0.3µg in an 80g portion. Mushrooms exposed to sunlight or deliberately treated with UV light can contain considerably more. Check for a stated amount on the packaging rather than assuming all shiitake provide the same quantity. For UK readers, the NHS advises considering a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D during autumn and winter. A mushroom ingredient should not be assumed to cover that amount unless the nutritional information confirms it. Shiitake mushroom benefits: what the research shows The benefits of shiitake mushrooms start with their nutritional value. They contribute fibre and useful nutrients to meals, while their rich flavour makes them an enjoyable addition to a varied diet. Research is also exploring how compounds within shiitake could influence immune function and cholesterol metabolism. Some findings are encouraging, although the strength of the evidence differs between these areas. Providing B vitamins that help release energy from food Shiitake contain niacin, also known as vitamin B3, and pantothenic acid, or vitamin B5. Both help the body release energy from food, giving them an established role in everyday nutrition. Including shiitake in meals can contribute to your intake of these nutrients. Their role is to support normal energy metabolism, rather than provide the immediate lift you might associate with caffeine. Adding fibre to support healthy digestion Fresh shiitake count as a source of fibre, and most of us could do with more of it. UK guidance recommends around 30g of fibre a day for adults, ideally from a variety of foods. A serving of shiitake provides a modest contribution towards that total. Adding them to a dish with brown rice or beans is an easy way to build on it, while bringing extra flavour to the meal. Improved immune function Shiitake contain beta-glucans, complex carbohydrates found in fungal cell walls that researchers are studying for their interactions with the immune system. One human study offers an encouraging example. Over four weeks, 52 healthy adults consumed either 5g or 10g of whole dried shiitake daily. Researchers observed increased activity in certain immune cells and higher levels of a salivary antibody involved in immune defence. A marker associated with inflammation, C-reactive protein, also fell. Together, these findings suggest that regularly eating shiitake could influence aspects of immune function. They provide a useful basis for further research into a food that is already easy to include in everyday meals. Improved heart health Another compound found in shiitake, eritadenine, has been studied for its effects on cholesterol metabolism. This has prompted scientists to explore whether shiitake could contribute to cardiovascular health beyond their nutritional value. Animal studies have reported changes in blood lipids with shiitake-containing diets, offering clues about how their compounds may interact with the body. Research has also highlighted the importance of the wider diet, with different dietary fats influencing the results. It is an interesting area of investigation, although stronger human evidence is needed before shiitake can be recommended specifically for lowering cholesterol. How to include shiitake mushrooms in your routine Shiitake come in several formats, each offering a different way to fit them into your day. The form you choose affects how you prepare them and what you get per serving. Fresh shiitake – These work well in a hot pan or simmered in soup. Remove tough stems and cook the mushrooms thoroughly before eating. Their savoury flavour pairs particularly well with noodles and rice dishes. Dried shiitake – Dried mushrooms are handy to keep in the cupboard and offer a concentrated mushroom flavour. Rehydrate them according to the pack instructions, then cook them as part of your dish. Remember that dried nutrition figures describe the mushrooms before soaking; the added water changes their weight. Shiitake powders - Powders generally contain dried mushroom material that has been ground down. Some are cooking ingredients, while others appear in supplement blends. Check the intended use and amount per serving, as a small quantity in a blend differs from a whole-mushroom portion. Shiitake extracts - These are processed to concentrate selected compounds, so their composition depends on the extraction method. Look for information about what the extract contains and follow the finished product’s directions. On supplement labels, you may also see fruiting body or mycelium. The fruiting body is the recognisable mushroom, while mycelium is the network of fungal threads that grows through its food source. Neither term alone establishes quality. A clear ingredient description and testing information are more useful when assessing what a product provides. Side effects and precautions Shiitake are well tolerated by most people, with one unusual exception. Shiitake dermatitis is an itchy rash of whip-like streaks, typically appearing a day or two after eating raw or undercooked mushrooms. It's thought to be linked to lentinan, which cooking breaks down. The rash usually clears on its own within a few weeks, but it's worth seeing a pharmacist or GP if you're concerned. Cooking shiitake thoroughly is the simple way to avoid it. As with any food, anyone with a known mushroom allergy should avoid shiitake. The shiitake used in Innermost products are cooked during processing, so the advice about preparing raw or undercooked whole mushrooms does not apply to these blends. Simply follow the directions on the packaging. Where shiitake fits into Innermost’s products At Innermost, shiitake is one ingredient within a wider formulation. The amount provided and the other ingredients in the product matter when deciding how it fits your routine. The Health Protein contains 250mg of shiitake per serving, alongside maitake, reishi and cordyceps mushrooms. It also provides 31g of pea and brown rice protein. That protein comes from the pea and rice ingredients, rather than the mushrooms, and makes the blend a practical option for adding protein to a shake or porridge. The Rise Blend combines 1.5g of Arabica coffee with a six-mushroom blend, including 250mg of shiitake per serving. It comes in single-serve sticks that can be stirred into hot water, with milk added to taste. For someone who enjoys coffee, it offers a straightforward way to include a mushroom blend in an existing habit. Are shiitake mushrooms worth adding to your diet? If you enjoy them, yes absolutely! Shiitake mushrooms offer nutritional value, and research into their compounds provides further reasons to be interested in them. When choosing a supplement, though, the word “shiitake” on the label only tells you part of the story. The ingredient’s form and the amount provided affect what you are actually getting. A clearly labelled formulation makes that choice easier. Look for information about the mushroom ingredient and its quantity per serving, alongside an explanation of what the wider blend is designed to support. This helps you choose something relevant to your goals rather than relying on the mushroom’s reputation alone. Taste matters too. A supplement that fits comfortably into your day and is enjoyable to take is one you’re more likely to use consistently. Explore Innermost’s supplement range to find a formulation that suits your needs, with an everyday routine you can look forward to. References USDA FoodData Central. Mushrooms, shiitake, raw (169242) and dried (168436). Data reproduced by WhatYouEat: raw shiitake and dried shiitake. Dai, X. et al. (2015). Consuming Lentinula edodes (Shiitake) Mushrooms Daily Improves Human Immunity: A Randomized Dietary Intervention in Healthy Young Adults. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 34(6), 478–487. Click here. Asada, N. et al. (2019). Effects of Shiitake Intake on Serum Lipids in Rats Fed Different High-Oil or High-Fat Diets. Journal of Dietary Supplements, 16(3), 345–356. Click here. Ultraviolet Irradiation Increased the Concentration of Vitamin D2 and Decreased the Concentration of Ergosterol in Shiitake Mushroom (Lentinus edodes) and Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) Powder in Ethanol Suspension. (2020). ACS Omega. Click here.

The Complete Guide to Amino Acids

Is Creatine Halal? What to Know About Creatine Monohydrate

The Glow Blend: A Confession

I need to tell you something I've never said publicly, and it's not flattering. When our product team first brought me a plan for a collagen supplement, my honest reaction was no. Not "let me think about it." A flat no. And if I'm being fully honest about why, it wasn't the science. It was that collagen felt, in my head, like a beauty category. Something for someone else's brand. Not ours. I built Innermost around performance and evidence. Protein, creatine, mushrooms, electrolytes. Things I could point to a study for and feel comfortable talking about at a dinner table full of people who workout regularly. Collagen sat in a different mental folder. Skincare aisle. Jars with gold lids and brand sponsorship by one of the Kardashians. I'd absorbed a version of what "beauty" meant without ever examining it. The argument in the room So we had the argument internally. A proper one. A few people on the team pushed back hard, and rightly so. One of them put it to me plainly: we started Innermost to follow the evidence wherever it goes, not to follow it everywhere except the places that feel awkward. That line stuck with me. Here's what changed my mind, and it wasn't a feeling. It was the research. What the evidence actually says Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. It's structural, it's in your skin, your joints, your gut lining, and production declines steadily from your mid-twenties onward. That's not a marketing claim, that's basic physiology. The question was never whether collagen matters. It was whether supplementing it actually does anything, and that's where most of the category falls apart. Most collagen products on the market use whole collagen molecules, which are too large to be absorbed effectively when you drink them. The ones that do use hydrolysed peptides, which are broken down into smaller chains your body can actually take up, still run into a second problem: dose. A lot of labels list collagen content that sits well below the 2 to 10 grams used in the trials that show measurable effects on skin elasticity and hydration. You're paying for a placebo with good branding. The ingredient most brands leave out The third problem is the one that convinced me completely. Vitamin C isn't a nice-to-have alongside collagen. It's a required co-factor for your body to actually synthesise collagen at the cellular level. Without adequate vitamin C, the enzymes responsible for stabilising collagen structure don't function properly. You can take a perfectly dosed hydrolysed peptide and still get a fraction of the benefit if the product doesn't include enough vitamin C alongside it. Most don't. They sell you the raw material and leave out the one thing your body needs to use it. Once I saw the category clearly, laid out like that, the decision stopped being about how I felt and started being about what the evidence supported. That's the whole operating principle of Innermost. I couldn't defend saying no to a legitimate, well-evidenced product category. What we built So we built The Glow Blend properly. Hydrolysed collagen peptides at a dose that reflects the research, alongside vitamin C, hyaluronic acid for hydration, biotin and folic acid for hair and nail health. Nothing in it that doesn't earn its place. What surprised me after launch The part I didn't expect was the response once we launched it. A good number of the messages came from women, as you'd expect, and they were generous and specific about what they'd noticed. But a surprising number came from men. Customers writing in to say they'd felt exactly what I'd felt, that awkward little flinch at "collagen," and had quietly bought it anyway because the ingredient breakdown made sense to them. That response told me more about why this category needed an honest voice in it than any research paper did. I'm not going to pretend I have this fully figured out. I still catch myself, occasionally, hesitating slightly before I mention it in a room. Old habits sit deeper than good evidence sometimes. But I take it, and increasingly a lot of men I respect take it too, quietly, without needing to make a thing of it. If this sounds familiar If any part of this resonated, and you've felt that same small resistance to a category you assumed wasn't for you, hit reply and tell me. I'd genuinely like to know I'm not the only one who had to get over it. And if you know someone, a friend, a partner, who could use this exact reasoning rather than a tesimonial, forward it on. It might do more good coming from someone else's honesty.

Nutrition

The Health Benefits of Camu Camu

Have you heard of camu camu? In recent years the fruit has started appearing in everything from smoothie powders to daily wellness blends. Yet, outside nutrition circles, this small Amazonian fruit remains relatively unknown. It is best known for containing a high concentration of vitamin C, but that is only part of its nutritional profile. Camu camu also provides polyphenols, carotenoids and other naturally occurring plant compounds that have attracted growing scientific interest. So, what is camu camu, what can it genuinely do for your health and how strong is the research behind its growing reputation? Let’s get into it! What is camu camu? Camu camu, scientifically known as Myrciaria dubia, is a small fruit native to the Amazon rainforest, particularly the flooded river regions of Peru and Brazil. It grows on a shrub and looks a little like a large red or purple cherry when ripe. Fresh camu camu has an intensely sharp, acidic taste. Because of this, it is rarely eaten like an everyday berry. It is more commonly turned into juice, pulp, powder or a concentrated ingredient for use in food supplements. The fruit’s main nutritional claim to fame is its vitamin C content. Camu camu is widely regarded as one of the richest known natural sources of the vitamin, although the precise amount varies considerably. The variety of the plant, growing conditions, ripeness, storage and processing method can all affect the final concentration. Beyond vitamin C, camu camu contains several groups of plant compounds, including polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins and carotenoids. Researchers are interested in how these compounds may work alongside vitamin C, rather than viewing the fruit as a source of isolated ascorbic acid alone. What makes camu camu different from other sources of vitamin C? Vitamin C is found in many everyday foods, including citrus fruits, berries, peppers and leafy vegetables. Camu camu stands out because it can provide a particularly concentrated natural source of the vitamin. A relatively small amount may provide considerably more vitamin C than the same amount of many familiar fruits, although the precise concentration depends on how it has been grown, harvested and processed. Vitamin C source Common format Vitamin C context Other nutritional compounds What to consider Camu camu Powder, pulp, juice or supplement blend Naturally rich, although the amount varies with ripeness and processing Polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids and anthocyanins Check the actual vitamin C provided per serving Orange Whole fruit or juice A familiar dietary source with a more moderate concentration Flavonoids, water and fibre when eaten whole Easy to include in the diet, but juice contains less fibre Acerola cherry Powder, juice or extract Another highly concentrated natural source Carotenoids and polyphenols Nutrient levels also vary between formats Isolated vitamin C Tablet, capsule or powder Standardised and straightforward to measure Usually contains few or no whole-fruit compounds Useful for a precise dose, but less nutritionally complex Camu camu also contains plant compounds that would not normally be found in a standard isolated vitamin C supplement. However, that does not automatically mean it produces better results. The most useful comparison is the amount of vitamin C provided per serving and the quality of the wider formulation. What are the health benefits of camu camu? When it comes to the health benefits of camu camu, there is an interesting body of ongoing research. Many of camu camu’s clearest health benefits come from its vitamin C content. Researchers are also studying whether its wider collection of plant compounds may offer additional effects, although much of that evidence is still developing. Supports normal immune function Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system. It supports several cellular processes involved in the body’s immune response and helps maintain normal immune function during and after intense physical exercise. This does not mean that camu camu can prevent everyday illness by itself. Sleep, nutrition, stress levels and physical activity all influence immune health, but an adequate intake of vitamin C helps the immune system function normally. Supports collagen formation and skin health Collagen is a structural protein found throughout the body, including in the skin, bones, cartilage and blood vessels. The vitamin C found in camu camu contributes to collagen formation for the normal function of the skin. This is one reason camu camu has become a popular ingredient in beauty and wellness formulas. The vitamin C it provides supports the biological processes involved in normal collagen production. Helps protect cells from oxidative stress Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between free radicals and the body’s ability to manage them. Free radicals are naturally produced during processes such as metabolism and exercise, but they can also be influenced by smoking, pollution and other environmental factors. Vitamin C contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress. Camu camu also contains polyphenols and other compounds that have demonstrated antioxidant activity in laboratory studies. To clarify, antioxidants should not be viewed as a way to “cancel out” an unhealthy lifestyle. Their role is part of the body’s wider defence system, which also depends on a varied diet and sufficient recovery. Contributes to energy and reduced tiredness Camu camu is sometimes described as an energy ingredient, although it does not behave like caffeine. This is a result of the vitamin C, which contributes to a normal energy-yielding metabolism and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Energy-yielding metabolism is the process through which the body releases and uses energy from food. What does emerging research say about camu camu? While the vitamin C content is a clear driver for the benefits of camu camu, there is an emerging area of research that is starting to look beyond this. Scientists are now looking at whether the fruit’s wider mixture of polyphenols and other plant compounds could influence inflammation, gut bacteria and metabolic health. One small human study compared camu camu juice with tablets containing the same amount of vitamin C. Researchers observed reductions in certain markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in the camu camu group, suggesting that compounds beyond vitamin C may have contributed. However, the study involved only 20 male smokers and lasted seven days, so larger trials are needed. One frequently referenced study found that camu camu extract altered the gut microbiota and limited weight gain in mice consuming a high-fat, high-sugar diet. The animals also showed changes in energy expenditure and markers associated with metabolic health. These results have led to suggestions that camu camu could eventually have a role in research around the relationship between plant compounds and the gut microbiome. Further research is needed however before definitive conclusions can be made. How much camu camu should you take? There is no universally established daily dose of camu camu. Powders, extracts, juices and blended supplements can vary considerably in concentration, so the appropriate serving depends on the individual product. Follow the serving instructions provided by the manufacturer and check how much vitamin C the recommended quantity contains. Remember to account for other supplements you may be using, particularly multivitamins or immune-support products. Is camu camu worth adding to your routine? On balance, camu camu can be a useful addition to your routine, provided your expectations are realistic. Camu camu is a particularly rich source of vitamin C, and vitamin C's contributions to immune function, collagen formation, protection of cells from oxidative stress and normal energy metabolism are among the best-established in nutrition. These are the benefits supported by the strongest and most established evidence. You can find camu camu in our vegan protein powder The Health Protein. It is developed to support everyday health alongside repair and recovery, containing 31g of pea and brown rice protein, together with camu camu, bilberries, acai berries and a blend of mushrooms. The formula provides 250mg of camu camu per serving and can be mixed into a shake, smoothie or porridge. References García-Chacón, J., Marante, F., Boix-Castejón, M., Campanella, O., López-Nicolás, J. (2023). Camu Camu (Myrciaria dubia (Kunth) McVaugh): An Amazonian Fruit with Biofunctional Properties: A Review. ACS Omega. 8(6). Click here. Azevedo, L., Ribeiro, P., Oliveira, J., Correia, M., Ramos, F., Oliveira, E., Barros, F., Stringheta, P. (2019). Camu-camu (Myrciaria dubia) from commercial cultivation has higher levels of bioactive compounds than native cultivation (Amazon Forest) and presents antimutagenic effects in vivo. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture. 99(2). Click here. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA). (2015). Vitamin C and contribution to the normal function of the immune system: Evaluation of a health claim pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. EFSA Journal. 13(11). Click here. EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA). (2010). Scientific opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to vitamin C and reduction of tiredness and fatigue, contribution to normal psychological functions, regeneration of the reduced form of vitamin E, contribution to normal energy-yielding metabolism, maintenance of the normal function of the immune system and protection from oxidative damage. EFSA Journal. 8(10). Click here. Anhê, F., Nachbar, R., Varin, T., Trottier, J., Dudonné, S., Le Barz, M., Feutry, P., Pilon, G., Barbier, O., Desjardins, Y., Roy, D., Marette, A. (2019). Treatment with camu camu (Myrciaria dubia) prevents obesity by altering the gut microbiota and increasing energy expenditure in diet-induced obese mice. Gut. 68(3). Click here.

Your Summer Survival Kit (From Someone Who Travels A Lot)

I'm putting the finishing touches to this post from an airport, which feels appropriate. By my count, I'll be going through three countries in the next six weeks. Meetings, a trip to see family including my niece and nephew, a supplier visit in Italy that I've been putting off for a year. And every summer the same thing happens. The carefully built routine, the one that took months to lock in, gets thrown into a suitcase and I hope for the best. Most people react to this by either giving up on the routine entirely ("I'll sort it out when I'm back") or overpacking so aggressively that half of it never leaves the bag. I've done both. Neither works. What actually works is deciding, in advance, which two or three things earn a place in my bag and which ones can wait until September. So here's mine. Not a wellness influencer's "what's in my bag" video. An honest list, built over about a decade of getting this wrong first. Why travel breaks routines specifically It's worth being precise about what actually changes when you travel, because it isn't just "less discipline." Three things shift at once. You sweat more and drink less water than usual, because you're distracted or the flight dried you out or the hotel room is warmer than home. You're outdoors more, often somewhere sunnier than wherever you live. And your meals stop being yours. You eat what's available, when it's available, and protein is usually the first thing to slip, because sugar, carbs and fat are what's on offer at 6am airport cafes. None of this is a discipline problem. It's an environment problem. The fix is making sure two or three specific things are in my bag before I leave home, so I’m not relying on willpower to begin with. 1. Electrolytes, non-negotiable Most people remember to pack sunscreen. Almost nobody packs electrolytes, and it's the one that actually catches up with you. Water replaces volume, not what you lose through sweat, which is mostly sodium and potassium and magnesium doing the quiet work of keeping muscles firing and fluid balanced properly. Miss that balance for a few days in the heat and you get the symptoms everyone blames on jet lag: the headache, the flat energy, the slight fog by 4pm that a coffee doesn't fix. It's usually not jet lag. It's electrolytes. I take The Hydrate Blend for exactly this reason. Six electrolytes, no sugar, no synthetic flavouring, dissolves in a bottle of water in about ten seconds. One sachet on a travel day, first thing in the morning, does more for how I feel by evening than anything else in the bag. 2. Something for the sun you're actually going to get Here's the part most people don't think about until it's too late. UV exposure accelerates collagen breakdown, which is a slightly clinical way of saying that a week of proper sun does more to skin structure than most of the year combined. This isn't about vanity. It's a straightforward mechanism: UV generates free radicals that degrade existing collagen faster than your body can replace it. Sunscreen protects against the burn. It doesn't do anything for the collagen you're losing underneath. I've been taking The Glow Blend through summer for this reason specifically. Hydrolysed collagen peptides paired with vitamin C, which matters because vitamin C is a required co-factor for collagen synthesis and most collagen products leave it out entirely, then wonder why customers don't notice anything. It won't undo a week in the sun. It gives your skin something to rebuild with while it's under more pressure than usual. 3. Protein, especially when the meals aren't yours This is the one I've learned the hard way. When your diet goes inconsistent, protein is usually the first macronutrient to drop, simply because it's the hardest to find on the move. Airport food, hotel breakfasts, whatever's left at a conference buffet by 1pm, none of it is built around protein. And the honest science here is less dramatic than people expect: you don't need to train harder to maintain muscle through a disrupted period, you need to keep protein intake somewhere close to normal. That's the whole trick. I'll say this honestly because I'd rather be straight with you than pretend otherwise: my go-to for this is still The Strong Protein (whey based) and The Health Protein (vegan). They earn their place in my bag because they travel well, mix with nothing but water, and does the one job that actually matters on the road, which is making sure protein doesn't disappear from your day just because your routine has. The actual point None of this is about maintaining perfect discipline on holiday. Nobody does that, and if a brand tells you they do, they're not being honest with you. It's about deciding in advance which three or four things matter enough to bring, so the choice isn't being made for you by whatever's in the hotel minibar. If you've got a system that works for you when you travel, reply and tell me. I read every one of these, and I'm always looking to steal a better idea for my next trip. If this is useful, forward it to whoever in your life is about to live out of a suitcase for the next few weeks. It's the email I wish someone had sent me a decade ago.

Life

How to Increase GLP-1 Naturally: The Foods and Habits That Actually Work

Search interest in GLP-1 has followed the medications that made it famous. Mounjaro and Ozempic turned a piece of gut biology most people had never heard of into a household term, and that’s given rise to a big question: if these drugs work by acting on a hormone your body already makes, can you do something similar with food? You can influence your own GLP-1 response. The mechanism is well described, and the foods involved are ordinary ones you can buy in any supermarket. What you can't do is replicate what a weekly injection does, and the gap between the two is larger than most of the content on this subject admits. This guide covers what GLP-1 actually is, how food triggers it, which foods have the strongest evidence behind them, how the way you eat changes the response, and where the "natural Ozempic" claims stop being accurate Key takeaways No food contains GLP-1. It’s simply a hormone your gut releases, and food influences how much of it you release and when. Protein and fermentable fibre are the two most reliable dietary triggers available for GLP-1 release. Fibre works indirectly. Gut bacteria ferment it into short-chain fatty acids, which then stimulate GLP-1 release, so the effect arrives hours after the meal rather than at the table. How you eat matters more than you might realise. The same meal eaten slowly produces a larger hormonal response than the same meal eaten quickly. Food cannot replicate a GLP-1 medication. Your own GLP-1 is broken down within minutes; semaglutide is engineered to last around a week. Most supplements sold as "GLP-1 boosters" are fibre blends or berberine. They may have their place but, like any supplement, should not be relied on as a crutch What GLP-1 Actually Is GLP-1 stands for glucagon-like peptide-1. It is a hormone produced by enteroendocrine cells known as L-cells, which sit in the lining of your gut and are concentrated towards the lower end of the small intestine and into the colon. They release GLP-1 when food arrives.Once in circulation, it does four things: Signals to the appetite centres in your brain that you have eaten Slows the rate at which your stomach empties, so food stays with you longer Prompts your pancreas to release insulin, but only when blood glucose is elevated Suppresses glucagon, the hormone that raises blood sugar You can think of this as your body's own satiety system, and it’s been running quietly in the background after every meal you’ve ever eaten. However, here’s something many people don’t know, and even fewer talk about: Once released, GLP-1 is broken down almost immediately by an enzyme called dipeptidyl peptidase-4, usually shortened to DPP-4. Its half-life in the bloodstream is somewhere in the region of one to two minutes. A large proportion of what your gut releases is degraded before it ever reaches general circulation. That means you shouldn’t see GLP-1 as a level because it isn’t. It’s more of a pulse: a short signal fired around meals and cleared almost as quickly. It’s important to make that distinction, because a lot of people searching for how to raise their GLP-1 levels are imagining something like a vitamin store that can be topped up and kept high. There’s no reservoir here, only a response, and you can shape how large it is. No Food Contains GLP-1 A surprising number of the questions people ask about this assume GLP-1 is something you can eat. Foods high in GLP-1. Foods that contain GLP-1. GLP-1-rich foods. None exist. GLP-1 is a hormone your own body manufactures, not a nutrient. No plant or animal food supplies it, and if you did swallow the hormone directly, your digestive system would break it down like any other protein long before it could do anything useful. That same problem is why this class of medication was injectable for so long, and why the tablet versions have required a great deal of engineering to get around it. The question worth asking is a different one: which foods prompt your gut to release more of its own GLP-1? How Food Triggers a GLP-1 Response Release happens in two waves. The first begins within about ten to fifteen minutes of eating, before most of what you have swallowed has physically reached the L-cells at all. This early phase is driven by nerve signals and other hormones from the upper gut, essentially a heads-up that food is on its way. The second, larger wave follows over the next hour or so, as nutrients make direct contact with the L-cells further down. Three components of a meal drive that second wave, but they don’t work in the same way or to the same degree. Protein Amino acids and small peptides are detected directly by receptors on L-cells, which respond by releasing GLP-1. This is the most immediate and most consistently demonstrated dietary trigger. Whey has been studied more than most, though the effect is not unique to it. Fermentable fibre This one is indirect, and understanding why explains a lot. You can’t digest fibre yourself, so it travels intact to the colon, where your gut bacteria ferment it. That fermentation produces short-chain fatty acids, principally acetate, propionate and butyrate. Propionate in particular binds to a receptor called FFAR2, which is expressed on the surface of L-cells, and that binding stimulates the release of both GLP-1 and PYY, a second appetite-suppressing hormone. Two things follow from that. The fibre effect is delayed, arriving hours after the meal rather than during it. And it depends on your gut bacteria, which means it varies between people and builds over time rather than switching on overnight. Fat Long-chain unsaturated fatty acids also stimulate GLP-1 release. The mechanism is real, but fat brings a lot of calories with it, which limits how useful it is as a deliberate weight loss strategy. The Foods That Increase GLP-1 Protein-rich foods Like so much else in fitness and nutrition, protein is the most dependable lever you have. It also has the advantage of being straightforward. Any complete protein source at a reasonable portion size will produce a response, and there’s no need to chase a specific type. Eggs, fish, chicken, lean red meat, Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, tofu, tempeh, lentils, beans and a quality protein powder all qualify here. If you’re eating protein at every meal rather than loading it all into dinner, you’re already doing the most useful thing in this article. If hitting your protein goals consistently is proving tough, our guide to natural protein supplementation might help. Strength of evidence: strong and consistent across human trials, though the effect is acute rather than something that accumulates. Fermentable fibre This is where the research gets genuinely interesting, and it’s also where most people in the UK fall short. Average fibre intake in the UK is only around 19g for people aged between 19 and 64, and that’s only around 60% of the recommended 30g per day. It’s also the fermentable fractions that are the ones most likely to be missing.Not all fibre ferments equally well. The types that matter here are: Beta-glucan - oats and barley Inulin and fructans - chicory root, onions, leeks, garlic, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes Galacto-oligosaccharides - beans, lentils, chickpeas Resistant starch - slightly underripe bananas, and cooked potato, rice or pasta that has been cooled The last one is worth explaining further, because it sounds like folklore and isn't. When cooked starch cools, some of it recrystallises into a form your small intestine can no longer break down, a process called retrogradation. It then reaches the colon intact and becomes food for your bacteria. A potato salad, or rice cooled and used the following day, delivers meaningfully more resistant starch than the same food eaten straight from the pan. Reheating it does not undo the effect. One practical warning: if your current fibre intake is low, increase it gradually. Fermentation produces gas as well as short-chain fatty acids, and going from less than 20g a day to 30 overnight is an unpleasant way to find that out. Strength of evidence: the mechanism is well established in humans, and the clinical trial data is promising but more limited than the enthusiasm around it suggests. More on that below. Unsaturated fats Olive oil, avocado, nuts and oily fish all stimulate GLP-1 release through long-chain fatty acid receptors on the gut lining. The mechanism is sound. The practical value is limited by the fact that fat carries more than twice the calories per gram of protein or carbohydrate (9kcal/g vs 4kcal/g), so deliberately adding fat to trigger a satiety hormone tends to work against the reason most people are interested in the first place. Include these foods because they are good foods. Don’t add extra oil to your dinner in pursuit of a hormone. Strength of evidence: solid for the mechanism, poor as a strategy. Bitter compounds and polyphenols Bitter taste receptors are not confined to your tongue. Versions of them appear throughout the gut, including on L-cells, which has prompted interest in whether bitter foods and certain plant compounds might stimulate GLP-1 release. Green tea, coffee, bitter leaves such as rocket and chicory, and cocoa polyphenols all come up in this context. The honest position is that most of this work has been done in cell cultures and animal models, with a smaller number of human trials showing modest effects. It is a reasonable area of research, but a poor foundation for a plan. Drink your green tea because you like it, not for the effect it might have on your hormones. Strength of evidence: early and mixed. Category Foods How it works Evidence Protein Eggs, fish, poultry, dairy, tofu, pulses, protein powder Amino acids sensed directly by L-cells Strong Fermentable fibre Oats, barley, beans, lentils, chicory, onions, leeks, cooled starches Fermented into short-chain fatty acids, which stimulate release Good mechanism, moderate outcomes Unsaturated fat Olive oil, avocado, nuts, oily fish Fatty acid receptors in the gut lining Sound, but calorie-limited Bitter compounds Green tea, coffee, bitter leaves, cocoa Bitter taste receptors in the gut Early and mixed How you eat matters nearly as much as what Most articles on this subject stop at the shopping list. The way a meal is eaten changes the hormonal response to it, and this part costs nothing. Slow down In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, participants ate an identical meal on two occasions, once over 5 minutes and once over 30. The slower meal produced higher circulating GLP-1 and PYY, and participants reported feeling fuller. The same food was used and the same calories consumed, but the hormonal outcome was different. There is a caveat that most coverage of this study leaves out. When the same research group repeated the design in adults with obesity, the effect was blunted, and in some cases absent altogether. So this is a habit worth building rather than a guaranteed result, and it may do less for the people most interested in it. I will say that in more than a decade of coaching, eating slowly is one of the very few interventions I have never seen anyone regret, and one almost nobody does without being asked. It’s free, it works from your next meal, and it requires nothing you don't already own. Eat protein and vegetables before the carbohydrate Meal sequencing has been shown to improve post-meal glucose control and increase GLP-1 relative to eating the same components in the opposite order. The effect is modest, but the cost is nothing. Eat distinct meals Your L-cells respond to nutrients arriving, which means grazing continuously across the day gives you a series of weak signals rather than a few strong ones. This is a reasonable inference from the mechanism rather than a heavily trialled finding, so treat it as a sensible default rather than a rule. Can Food Replace Mounjaro or Ozempic? No, and it’s worth understanding why that is rather than just taking it as a given.Your own GLP-1 is broken down within a couple of minutes of release. Semaglutide is a modified version of the same molecule, redesigned specifically to resist the enzyme that would otherwise destroy it. Its half-life is around a week. Rather than brief pulses around meals, it produces sustained concentrations far above anything your body generates on its own, for seven days at a stretch. That means the difference between naturally released GLP-1 and semaglutide isn’t one of degree or magnitude. It’s a difference of kind, and it shows up in the outcomes. In the STEP 1 trial, participants on semaglutide lost close to 15% of their body weight over sixty-eight weeks. SURMOUNT-1 reported around a 21% loss over 72 weeks at a 15mg weekly dose of tirzepatide (the highest dose available). Now compare that with the best dietary fibre evidence available. In a 2015 trial published in Gut, researchers at Imperial College London gave 60 overweight adults a supplement designed to deliver propionate directly to the colon, bypassing the variability of fermentation. Acutely, it raised GLP-1 and PYY and reduced how much participants ate. Over twenty-four weeks, it reduced weight gain and limited the accumulation of abdominal and liver fat compared with the control group. That’s a genuine and useful finding, but it’s also a different category of outcome from double-digit weight loss. The same research offers the single most clarifying number in this whole subject. The ten grams of propionate ester used in the trial delivered an amount of colonic propionate that would otherwise require roughly 60g of conventional dietary fibre per day. Remember that the UK average intake is less than 20g. That alone shows the practical ceiling of what food can do here, expressed in terms anyone can check against their own diet. So, the honest summary is this. Eating more protein and more fermentable fibre will make you feel fuller, will improve your glucose response, and is worth doing on its own merits. It won’t produce the effect of a prescription medication, and anyone telling you otherwise is either mistaken or selling something. The tablets don't change that answer Weight-loss pills have now arrived. In June 2026 the MHRA licensed an oral form of semaglutide, the first GLP-1 tablet approved in the UK for weight management, currently available privately while NICE completes its assessment. Others are moving through development behind it. It would be easy to read that as the gap between food and pharmacology closing. Actually, it demonstrates the opposite. Semaglutide is a peptide, and peptides are destroyed in the gut, so the tablet has to be formulated with an absorption enhancer and taken on an empty stomach with a small amount of water. Even then only around one per cent of the dose reaches the bloodstream. That’s why the tablet is dosed at 25mg, while the injection is 2.4mg. The newer non-peptide drugs take a different route to the same problem, abandoning the peptide structure entirely in favour of a small molecule built to survive digestion. Either way, a great deal of pharmaceutical engineering has gone into solving a problem your dinner can’t, which is that your gut destroys this class of molecule on contact. Food works with that system rather than around it. That’s an advantage where safety and cost are concerned, but places a hard limitation on the size of the effect.If you’re already taking a GLP-1 medication, none of this becomes irrelevant. Food and training matter more, not less, and we've covered that separately. The "natural ozempic" claims worth ignoring Oatzempic and eggzempic Blended oats with lime, or a breakfast built entirely around eggs. Both trends do produce fullness, for the entirely unremarkable reason that a low-calorie meal high in fibre or protein is filling. Nothing about either is a GLP-1 phenomenon requiring a new name. Oats are oats and eggs are eggs. Simple as that! Berberine Widely marketed as "nature's Ozempic", which is the most misleading label in this category. Berberine is a plant alkaloid that appears to act largely through AMPK signalling, an entirely different pathway. It is not a GLP-1 receptor agonist and does not behave like one. It also has meaningful interactions with a number of common medications, which is a serious point rather than a footnote, and it should not be started without speaking to a pharmacist or GP. Apple cider vinegar There is some reasonable evidence that vinegar taken with a meal blunts the post-meal glucose rise. That’s a real effect, but not related to GLP-1. The two have been conflated online to the point where the distinction has almost vanished. Having had clients bring each of these to me in turn over the past few years, the pattern is fairly consistent: a food with a modest, genuine property gets attached to a drug name, and the drug name does the work the evidence can’t. What about GLP-1 supplements? A whole category of products has appeared with GLP-1 in their names, or somewhere close to it. Most contain some combination of fermentable fibre, berberine, chromium, green tea extract and bitter plant compounds. None of them contain GLP-1, for the reasons already covered, and none are GLP-1 receptor agonists. Several do contain ingredients with a plausible mechanism behind them, and a fibre supplement that describes itself as a fibre supplement is a perfectly sensible thing to buy. The difficulty is the naming, which borrows credibility from a medication these products have no relationship with. We make supplements, so take this in that spirit. The questions worth asking of anything in this category are the same ones worth asking of ours. Does the label give you named ingredients and their doses, or a proprietary blend? Do those doses resemble what was used in the research being referred to? For fermentable fibre, this tends to mean ten grams a day or more, and that’s going to be tough to fit into a capsule! Finally, is the product described in terms of what it actually contains, or in terms of a prescription drug it isn't? If it’s the fibre you are after, though, the cheapest and best-evidenced version of it is food. The practical version Eat protein at every meal rather than concentrating your daily intake all at once. Increase fermentable fibre gradually, aiming for the 30 grams a day most people in the UK don't reach. Cool your cooked starches when it suits you. Slow down at the table, and put the protein and vegetables in first. That’s a short list, and it’s not a dramatic one. It also happens to be the same advice that improves your glucose control, your gut health and your general diet quality, which is usually the sign that a recommendation is worth following. At Innermost, we take the same view of supplements. Protein is the most useful thing most people can add to their day, which is why our blends are built around a proper dose of it rather than a long ingredients list designed to look impressive. If you are eating less than you would like to and want to make each meal count, that is exactly the gap a good protein blend fills. If you are not sure where to start, book a consultation with one of our nutritionists. They’ll be happy to help you work out what fits your goals. Frequently asked questions Which foods contain GLP-1? None. GLP-1 is a hormone produced by cells in your gut lining, not a nutrient found in food. Foods can trigger its release, but no food supplies the hormone itself. Can you increase GLP-1 naturally? Yes, in the sense that you can produce a larger release after meals by eating more protein and more fermentable fibre, and by eating more slowly. You can’t maintain a permanently elevated level, because the hormone is broken down within minutes. Is there a natural alternative to Mounjaro? No. Mounjaro and similar medications produce sustained hormone activity for around a week per dose, at concentrations far beyond anything achievable through diet. Food can meaningfully improve appetite regulation, which is worthwhile in itself, but it’s not a substitute. Do GLP-1 supplements work? It depends entirely on what’s in them. A well-dosed fermentable fibre supplement has a plausible mechanism behind it. Products relying on berberine or proprietary blends, particularly those marketed with drug comparisons, deserve considerably more scepticism. Does exercise increase GLP-1? There is some evidence of an acute rise after exercise, though findings are inconsistent and the effect appears smaller than the response to a meal. Exercise is worth doing for reasons unrelated to this subject though. Does apple cider vinegar increase GLP-1? The evidence for vinegar relates mainly to post-meal blood glucose rather than GLP-1 specifically. The claim has spread further than the research supports.

Is Whey Protein Halal? What to Check Before You Buy

If you’re at all in the fitness space, you’ve probably heard of whey protein. It’s one of the most widely used supplements for supporting strength and recovery and is something we have spoken about at length in previous blogs. Whey protein is a milk-derived protein created from the liquid whey separated during cheese-making. As it comes from milk, it is easy to assume that every whey protein powder is halal; however, the reality is a little more nuanced. In short, whey protein can be halal, but its suitability depends on how the whey was produced, what has been added to the finished formula and the controls followed during manufacturing. Certain details, including the source of enzymes used during cheese-making, may not be obvious from the ingredients listed on the packaging.Understanding these steps can help you make a more informed choice and find a halal whey protein that supports your dietary requirements and training goals. Is Whey protein halal? Whey protein can be halal, but not every whey protein powder is automatically halal. Its status depends on several connected factors including: where the milk came from, how the whey was separated from it, what else is in the finished formula, and how that formula was manufactured. Milk itself is permissible, which is where much of the confusion starts. But whey isn't drawn straight from the animal. It's a by-product of cheese-making, and cheese-making means adding something to milk to split it into solid curds and liquid whey. That something is rennet, a coagulating enzyme, and its origin is one of the most important variables when assessing cheese-derived whey. Is whey protein isolate halal? Whey protein isolate is a highly filtered form of whey that contains a greater proportion of protein and lower levels of lactose, fat and carbohydrate. It can be halal, but the word “isolate” is not a halal claim. It only describes the way the whey has been processed. The additional filtration does not automatically mean that a whey isolate protein powder is halal – the source of any enzymes or processing aids must still be considered, along with every other ingredient added to the final powder. Is whey protein concentrate halal? Whey protein concentrate is a filtered form of whey that retains more of its naturally occurring lactose, fat and other milk components than isolate. It can also be halal, and its nutritional composition does not make it any more or less suitable from a halal perspective. What matters is how the original whey was sourced and processed, followed by what happens when it is turned into a finished supplement. A whey concentrate made using suitable ingredients and manufacturing controls can meet halal requirements in the same way as a certified whey isolate. Whether a product uses isolate, concentrate or a combination of the two, the same broader conditions determine whether the finished whey protein is halal. What makes whey protein halal For a whey protein powder to be considered halal, the complete product needs to meet halal requirements. Below we have listed some of the key considerations that help to ensure halal compliance. The milk must come from a permissible animal Milk from animals such as cattle, goats and sheep is generally considered halal because it is taken while the animal is alive and does not depend on how the animal is later slaughtered. A suitable whey source This is one of the most important factors, but also one of the hardest to verify from a product label alone. Now stick with us as there are a few considerations here: Where microbial or plant-derived rennet has been used, the resulting whey is generally regarded as halal. The same applies where the rennet comes from an animal slaughtered according to Islamic requirements. Where the rennet comes from an animal that was not slaughtered in this way, scholarly opinions can differ. Some interpretations consider the rennet, and therefore the whey produced from it, to be unsuitable, while others may regard it as permissible provided it is not porcine in origin. This is why recognised halal certification provides the clearest practical assurance of compliance when choosing a supplement. Halal-compliant added ingredients Any added flavourings, emulsifiers, sweeteners, vitamins and functional ingredients also need to be considered for halal compliance. A halal whey ingredient does not automatically make the complete protein powder halal if other parts of the formula have not been assessed. Some flavour systems use carriers or processing aids that are not obvious from the label, while certain emulsifiers, anti-caking agents or added nutrients may be derived from non-halal animal sources. Every part of the finished formula needs to be considered, including ingredients used in small amounts and those introduced during processing. Prevention of cross-contamination Key to halal certification is actually the prevention of cross-contamination between any halal and non-halal sources. Ingredients should be stored, handled and blended in a way that prevents contact with non-compliant materials. Cleaning procedures should also be strongly adhered to during manufacturing, especially if shared production equipment is being used between halal and non-halal sources. How to check whether a whey protein is halal So, your next question is likely to be ‘how can I tell if a whey protein powder is halal?” You don’t have insight into the manufacturing process so how are you meant to know? Below we have included a handful of tell-tale signs: Look for recognised halal certification It sounds simple enough, but the first step is to find out if a whey protein powder is halal certified. Look for certification information on the packaging or the brand’s official product page. If the product is halal certified, then this is the first place it will be mentioned. Certification means an independent body has assessed the product across sourcing, processing and manufacturing and has determined the product to be halal-compliant. Review the complete ingredient list Even if a whey protein is halal certified, you might also find it reassuring to review the ingredients. Some of the key ingredients that could impact halal certification are the following: Flavourings - some flavour systems use ethanol or other carriers, so their composition and residual levels may require review. Emulsifiers - soy lecithin and sunflower lecithin are both plant-derived and fine. An unspecified "emulsifier" is worth querying. L-cysteine (E920) - this can be derived from animal sources. Anti-caking agents - some stearates are animal-derived. Gelatin – this is relevant if you're looking at capsules or bars rather than protein powders. Ingredient transparency is also useful for reasons beyond halal suitability. You may want to avoid a particular sweetener, check for allergens or choose a formula designed around a specific training or wellbeing goal. Use official brand sources When verifying halal status, use the product packaging and the manufacturer’s current website as your primary sources. Third-party marketplaces and comparison sites can contain outdated information as product formulas change. This could mean that a product that was once halal-compliant is no longer being produced with halal ingredients. It’s also important to look for a clear statement that the finished product is ‘halal certified’. Phrases such as “made with halal ingredients” or “suitable for halal diets” don’t necessarily mean that the product as a whole is halal-compliant which can catch people out. A transparent manufacturer should be able to tell you which products are certified and whether that certification covers the flavour you are considering. Finding a halal whey protein you can trust If we haven’t made it clear, whey protein can be halal, but the answer depends on more than the fact that it comes from milk. The source of the rennet, the wider ingredient list and the way the finished product is manufactured can all affect whether it is suitable. For most consumers, recognised halal certification offers the clearest reassurance. It confirms that the complete product has been assessed, rather than leaving you to interpret a supply chain that is rarely visible from the label alone. At Innermost, we are proud to offer two halal certified whey protein powders with all flavours being compliant: The Strong Protein - designed to support strength, performance and recovery. The Lean Protein - supports daily protein intake and healthy body composition goals. Both combine trusted certification with premium quality and great taste. Explore Innermost’s halal-certified protein powders to find the option that best fits your goals. References Mirzakulova, A., Sarsembaeva, T., Suleimenova, Z., Kowalski, Ł., Gajdzik, B., Wolniak, R., Bembenek, M. (2025). Whey: Composition, processing, application, and prospects in functional and nutritional beverages: A review. Foods. 14(18). Click here. Mestawet, A., France, T., Mulcahy, P., O’Mahony, J. (2024). Microfiltration retentate co-product from whey protein isolate production: Composition, processing, applications and potential for value addition. Trends Food Sci Technol. 153. Click here. IFANCA Pakistan. (2022). What is the source of rennet? General Halal. Click here. Hassan, F., Hanif, A. (2017). Halal issues in processed food: Misuse of the Halal logo. J Emerg Econ Islam Res. 5(3). Click here. Halal Certification Services. (2026). Halal certification requirements. Click here.

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