Kristel De Groot is the co-founder of Your Super, a plant-based superfood brand whose potent products (like this cacao mix) we’ve been using for years.
Kristel started Your Super after her partner Michael Kuech, then 24, was diagnosed with cancer. With the help of her mom, who happened to be an orthomolecular nutritionist, Kristel created superfood and vegan protein mixes in her own kitchen to support Michael’s healing. After Michael fully recovered, and after a ton of demand from their friends and family for the blends, Kristel and Michael decided to go into business with their products. Fast-forward six years later and Your Super is now one of the hottest wellness brands going with a global presence and a powerful new investment from Power Plant Ventures (Beyond Meat, Thrive Market, Veggie Grill) and Clif White Road Investments (Cliff Bars).
This summer, Kristel and Michael have launched a new product specifically with women in mind. Moon Balance is a smart blend of powerful ingredients designed to naturally balance hormones and reduce symptoms of PMS and menopause. When our hormones are out of balance so is our mood, sleep cycle, weight and skin health. Moon Balance blends six superfoods to support total hormone optimization.
To launch the new mix, Kristel also initiated a super cool “Moon Day Policy” at Your Super. We spoke with Kristel about the new policy and the benefits of her exciting new product…
The Chalkboard: Kristel, we loved learning about the new “Moon Day Policy” you’ve put in place at You Super to celebrate the launch of Moon Balance. Will you talk to us about the new policy and how it works?
Kristel De Groot: At Your Super, employees who identify as women are permitted one “Moon Day” before or during their menstrual cycle to be at home. I call it a “do what you can day” — that can be working from home on the couch, cancelling your meetings or simply taking off. This is to encourage our team to listen to their bodies, tap into their intuition, rest in order to perform at a high level.
A recent study revealed that 20% of womxn suffering from period pain felt that this pain interfered with their daily activities, including work. While physical symptoms are important, they say nothing of the various mental health implications that periods can have for many womxn. PMS is a medically recognized condition that severely affects between 20-40% of menstruating women.
Now, at Your Super qualifying employees can use Twelve Moon Days throughout the year. We manage this new shift by encouraging teams to communicate and collaborate to ensure everyone takes leave without disrupting operations. We help team members find ways to delegate, postpone or otherwise manage projects that will be affected by their Moon Day.
TCM: Women often simply ‘deal with’ the pain and discomfort of their periods, but can you talk about the health benefits of dealing with them head-on?
KD: It’s great that women are so strong that we can feel pain and pretend not to — I mean, it’s what all of us have been doing in school and work for all this time. We pretend that we’re fine. We’re really good at that. But it doesn’t mean that’s a normal way to live your life. I am interested in women (and really all people), listening to their bodies and helping support them using natural herbs and adaptogens, so it never even reaches that painful point.
TCM: What would you say to those who are skeptical of using a natural product like this for PMS? I always love to ask this question. How would you respond to women who would just prefer to pop a pain pill to manage period symptoms?
KD: What if you didn’t have pain to begin with…? What if you were able to balance your hormones, support your body and mitigate the offset of pain and hormone-related symptoms. Isn’t that something worth trying out…?
Being out of balance may show up through pain, but it also shows up through other ways during the month like having a bad mood, low energy — just not feeling like yourself. Your lifestyle and what you eat day to day influences your overall health. And just because PMS is common, it doesn’t mean it’s normal to have pain or heavy cramps every month.
TCM: So true and so well said, thank you. Let’s talk about the ingredients in Moon Balance. Our readers are pretty knowledgeable, so don’t be shy!
KD: We use herbs which, of course, come from nature. That being so, each ingredient works with your bodies’ innate ability to heal and regulate itself.
Adaptogens literally adjust to what your body needs at any given time — so if a certain hormone is too low, and adaptogenic herb can support your body’s ability to either increase or decrease. Fascinating stuff, really.
Hormones influence our mood, quality of sleep, ability to focus, skin & hair health, weight, and cognitive function. Simply put, they’re essential for your health and to feel good every day. Moon Balance‘s two superstar ingredients are:
Maca (Peru) | This ancient superfood from Peru is a powerful adaptogen that was used hundreds of years ago by the Incas for more energy and hormonal balance.
Shatavari (India) | Loved for its ability to fight symptoms of PMS, this adaptogenic herb is a hormone health superstar.
The three supporting superfoods and herbs include:
Baobab (Ghana) | Harvested from the “Tree of Life,” baobab is a vitamin and nutrient-rich fruit that keeps your mood stable and your hormones balanced.
Hibiscus (Egypt) | This superpowered plant is as practical as it is pretty, thanks to its ability to reduce mood swings while helping to alleviate PMS pain.
Beetroot (Canada) | Cherished by the Ancient Romans, this ruby-colored vegetable reigns supreme when it comes to fighting symptoms of PMS and menopause.
TCM: Okay, so easy to put in a smoothie then. Is there a cumulative effect to taking Moon Balance over time?
KD:While some of our mixes’ effects are felt immediately, with Moon Balance it is a more subtle stability that occurs over time. Our community has already reported a regulation of PMS symptoms, reduced menopause hot flashes, less period pain (cramps and bloating) and one of the most interesting ones in our customer groups; INCREASED LIBIDO. One of our customers wrote telling us that resulted in her becoming pregnant so this is one of our first Your Super babies that we know of, ha…!
Fun fact; the ingredients in the moon balance formula are also known to increase libido and fertility in men.
TCM:Let’s talk about the actual ingredient quality. This is where shopping for superfoods can get tricky — understanding how ‘clean’ or well-sourced ingredients are makes a big difference…
KD: Our ingredients are naturally dried to preserve the micronutrients and are tested by third party labs before, during and after production to ensure they are of the highest quality. Every Your Super ingredient is certified organic, Non-GMO certified, Glyphosate-Free, plant-based and gluten-free.
You’ll also never find any sweeteners, stevia, artificial flavors, fillers, preservatives or additives.
We believe that you should know where your (super)food comes from so our supply chain is also 100% transparent. We source all of our ingredients directly — we know where each berry and seed come from and we try to have a positive impact on the local communities where they’re sourced as well.
This story is brought to you in partnership with Your Super. From time to time, TCM editors choose to partner with brands we believe in to bring our readers special offers. The Chalkboard Mag and its materials are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. All material on The Chalkboard Mag is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health-related programs.
