This regularly comes as a shock to people when we tell them. A big shock.

Why? 

Because we don’t charge extra. We keep our prices competitive with a formula that at Hence we KNOW to be unmatched in the market of Greens powder.  

In the world of health, particularly in the health-conscious, focussing on greens powders is often treated like some great, secret recipe that must not be shared with the general public. Sure, we have a rough idea of why we take our greens, or why we SHOULD take it. But ultimately, it shouldn't be treated like some great conspiracy theory that only the mega elite in the world of nutrition fall privy to.

In reality, it's fairly damn simple. 

"Then why the secrecy???" You ask …. It's simple, really. The companies rely on YOUR lack of understanding in order to make THEIR money. 

And for that reason, the experts here at Hence have put together a 'tell all' blog post for you so that you can separate the facts from the bullshit. 

Health is at the forefront of everything we do. It always has been, and it always will be.

Please read on. It's for your benefit.

You can thank us later. 

HOW TO READ THE LABELS

This is a big one. Hands up if you've ever looked at the ingredients on a label and recognised some of the products as being 'superfoods' or something that you think perhaps should be included in your diet as you've heard it casually thrown around somewhere as being 'healthy'?

Yeah. Well. This is where we can become an easy target in the big, wide world of Greens Powders. 

• So often you'll see ingredients like 'apple', 'melon', or 'pineapple'... all fruits we recognise. All things we probably don't get enough of in our diet. But in truth are high sugar, low colour fruits and fairly pointless in terms of getting the full potential out of your Greens powder.

• Did you know that legally, the first thing on your list of ingredients is the largest percentage of the blending?! This knowledge will revolutionise your understanding of the nutritional value of the product. 

eg. If you come across a Greens powder where the flavouring is near the top of the list, then you seriously need to consider the nutritional value of the contents there within. The flavour should absolutely NOT be the priority here. 

• Nutritional Information is another legal requirement. It shows you the basic macronutrient breakdown plus sugar, sodium etc. As your choice of Greens is a supplement, it probably doesn't mean a great deal in your daily macronutrient totals.  DON'T BASE YOUR CHOICE ON THIS.

• Ingredient quantities. The other day, we stumbled across the ingredients list of the world's best selling Greens powder. This is actually where the inspiration for this blog post came from, but I digress. IT HAD OVER 100 INGREDIENTS FROM PLANT EXTRACTS. Now, I'm no rocket scientist, however, it doesn't take a genius to work out that a serving of approx. 0.001g is going to have minimal impact on your all-round health and daily nutrient requirements. Especially if it's an ingredient that needs 3-5 g per day to have any sort of result. It might seem attractive to go with a powder that has the most varied ingredient list, but when you break it down in terms of quantities, it's not going to make a great deal of difference to your health.

• Hidden sweeteners. Who even knew this was a thing?! Sweeteners such as sucralose can be made specifically to sit in a lesser-known area of labelling so that it legally doesn't even need to be included!  If the product is too sweet for what the label is telling you, then you are being deceived. Is this a company you can trust your health needs with???

• Now. For our personal favourite. 'Trademarked blends'. This can be such a cop-out. Trademark the blend and then they don't have to, technically, tell you what is in this 'revolutionary' compound of theirs. In truth, it probably has all the health benefits of a bag of rice, whilst selling to you under the guise of being some sort of beneficial, super, top secret recipe. Bullsh*t. If it's THAT beneficial, then they should be transparent. We should all be trusted to make OUR own minds up about what we put into OUR bodies, after all.

THE CONTENTS

There's a reason it's called 'Greens Powder'... It's green. We don't need to make things more complicated than that. Life’s hard enough as it is. But here's the clincher; The darker the green, the more powerful the benefits. Mind. Blown. This is in fact a rule that is carried over from nature to greens OR reds OR micronutrient powders. The truth of the matter is, if it's a bit grey in the pot or shaker, then it's a bit sh*t and probably not worth your money.

Does anyone else get annoyed when you order a product and you realise that you've paid more for the packaging than the contents within??!!!

You remember the uproar when they reduced the contents of Quality Street? Or Walkers crisps?? You’d open a packet to very little in there. Well. It should be the same in the health industry too. A bigger package can make it look as though you're getting a lot, but often they're only half full. The packaging costs more than the product itself! This is an environmental catastrophe! 

Also, the makeup of the powder is a huge factor in the amount of Greens you're getting for your money. Fine, dense, flake size, you name it. It comes in all shapes and sizes. But the finer the powder, the higher the density and therefore, even more of that green goodness for your money in each scoop. 

Greens will never be known for their enjoyable flavour.

I've rarely sat there and thought to myself "I'm really craving a nice big glass of greens". But we take it because we know it'll make us feel amazing. But for us connoisseurs, the flavour is integral in defining the quality of the product.

For example, Wheatgrass has a distinct flavour and is a great filler offering very little bang for your buck... it's as cheap a green as you can find on the raw market and therefore commonly used in greens powders. On the other hand, you have spirulina which also has a very distinguishable taste. Spirulina is far more nutrient-dense gram for gram, but in order to ensure its highest quality, it is almost blue and NEVER dulls. 

Well, now we've divulged the trade secrets with regards to your Greens. Except, it's not really a secret. And now you know the key points, it'll help you make the right decision FOR YOU when it comes to picking your Greens, and prioritising your health.

And in future, when you see the glossy ads on your Instagram timeline marketing ingredients that sound vaguely familiar, always double-check what it is EXACTLY that you're buying. 

Because money CAN'T buy you everything. 

But it certainly can buy a Greens Powder that works for YOU.