About Innerme

Innerme is more than just food, it’s a way of life. Simple, natural and pure – three words that summarize what Belgian Founder Dirk Baelus wants out of life, his vision on nutrition and the basis of Innerme. A former pub owner who quit smoking and drinking, became a top triathlete and discovered the impact of natural nutrition on his journey.

Innerme products are based on pure, powerful and organic ingredients. The right selection of natural foods in the bars, drinks and shakes generates pure power, lots of energy and vitality. The products do not contain refined sugar, are lactose-free and include only gluten-free ingredients. All ingredients are 100% natural and plant-based - colourants, artificial substances, genetically modified ingredients, preservatives and animal products are banned.   

How It Started

After university, Dirk Baelus opened a pub in his hometown of Arendonk, Belgium. Growing up Dirk was often sick, and as pub owner, working long-hours, smoking, drinking his beloved beer and unhealthy eating habits, he was always tired, sick and felt drained. An innocent beer-fuelled bet in 2004 changed his life. 

A regular customer was talking about their plans to complete a quarter triathlon and challenged Dirk to join him. With fond memories of biking and running as a child, Dirk was immediately interested, accepted the challenge and started training. 

“When I started training, I thought I would become the healthiest person ever. I quit smoking and stopped drinking. But I got injured and kept getting sick so I took a look at the food I was eating. After 2 weeks without meat, diary or refined sugar, I was a different person and really started to blossom.”

As his passion for triathlons grew, he started searching for solutions that would give him the energy he needed. He tested diets, devoured books and in the process discovered how natural, plant-based nutrition can heal the body and mind. He became more and more healthy, stronger and energetic, and has eaten nothing but 100% natural and balanced meals with pure, plant-based ingredients since January 2007.

Between training and competitions, Dirk delved deeper into natural nutrition – traveling to the French Pyrenees and spent over 2 months with Japanese Sea Farmers – to learn new ingredients and recipes and even started to give cooking workshops. He wanted to convert his balanced meals into compact food for cyclist. Through trial and error, he developed the most natural sports nutrition bar and the dream of his own sports nutrition brand was in full swing. 

In January 2012, the first sports bar was released on the market in Belgium as Innerme Pure Power. The brand was grown to include more bars, gels and sports drinks. Dirk has written 3 books on nutrition and created a triathlon team, the Innerme Triathlon Team. It now has more than 30 members and its mission is to exercise together and afterwards eat delicious healthy meals. 

In 2013, the products caught the eye of fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters, 4-time singles grand slam tennis champion, former WTA World No.1 and mother-of-three. She was so impressed by Dirk after meeting him at a health & nutrition conference and the development of the Innerme products she became an investor in the company. 

“I’m very proud to be part of the company and to use the products — and to see it continue to develop. I believe very strongly that it has more potential and I hope that’s something I can help with.  Health and sports nutrition – and finding the right product – because a real interest and passion to me. And Innerme is by far the best product out there. Unlike other products that I’d tried in the past – I know that every Innerme product is giving me everything I need to perform at my best. It’s helping me find the ability to balance it all and I know that Innerme can help me reach the highest level at this stage of my career … and on days when I’m just Mom to 3 very busy kids.”

Innerme continues to grow – it helps fuels over 20 elite athletes from rowers to cyclists to snowboarders and kite-surfers. It has over 17 products available in Belgium, Netherlands and France. 

In May 2021, Innerme launched 3 products in the United States; available to purchase at Walmart and Amazon … with the goal to add more retailers, products and athletes to the Innerme family.   

From a life of excesses as a Pub owner to that of a healthy triathlete and successful entrepreneur – it sounds like a fairy tale, but it took a lot of work and miles. On the road to balance - his passion for triathlon took him to Hawaii; his quest for pure food to Japan. Yin and Yang. 

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