Effective Date: September 13, 2025
Last Updated: September 13, 2025
Look, we get it – nobody loves reading privacy policies. But since you’re trusting us with your personal information to help transform your gut health, we want to be completely transparent about what we collect, why we collect it, and how we protect it. This isn’t corporate legal speak – this is a real conversation about your privacy.
Information We Collect
Information You Give Us Directly
When You Subscribe to Our Newsletter:
- Your email address (obviously!)
- Your first name (so we can say hi personally)
- Optional: Your biggest gut health challenge (helps us send you the most relevant content)
When You Contact Us:
- Whatever you choose to share in your emails to marcus@zestyum.com
- Sometimes you include personal health details – we treat these with serious confidentiality
When You Comment on Recipes:
- Your name (real or nickname – your choice)
- Your email (never displayed publicly)
- Your comments and recipe modifications
When You Download Free Resources:
- Email address for delivery
- Which resource you downloaded (helps us create more helpful content)
Information We Collect Automatically
Website Analytics: We use Google Analytics to understand how people use ZestyUM, including:
- Which recipes are most popular
- How long you spend reading articles
- What device you’re using (mobile vs. desktop)
- General location (city/state level, not your exact address)
Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies to:
- Remember if you’ve subscribed to our newsletter (so we don’t keep asking)
- Keep track of recipes you’ve bookmarked
- Improve site performance and loading speed
- Show you content recommendations based on what you’ve read
How We Use Your Information
To Provide You Value:
- Send you weekly gut health tips and recipes via email
- Respond to your questions about recipes and gut health
- Customize content recommendations based on your interests
- Notify you about new resources that match your health goals
To Improve ZestyUM:
- Understand which content helps people most
- Fix technical issues and improve site performance
- Create new resources based on what you’re asking for
- Test new features to make your experience better
To Build Community:
- Feature reader success stories (always with permission)
- Share recipe modifications from community members
- Connect people with similar gut health journeys
Data Protection & Security
We take protecting your information seriously because your trust is everything to us.
Security Measures:
- SSL encryption for all data transmission
- Secure hosting with regular security updates
- Limited access to personal data (basically just Marcus)
- Regular backups stored securely
- No storage of payment information (handled by secure third-party processors)
Data Retention:
- Newsletter subscribers: Until you unsubscribe
- Email correspondence: Kept to provide ongoing support
- Analytics data: Aggregated and anonymized after 26 months
- Comments: Kept as long as the recipe post exists
Your Rights (GDPR & CCPA Compliant)
You have complete control over your personal information:
Access: Want to know what information we have about you? Email marcus@zestyum.com and we’ll send you everything within 7 days.
Correction: Notice something wrong in our records? We’ll fix it immediately.
Deletion: Want us to delete everything? We’ll remove all your personal data within 30 days (except for essential business records required by law).
Portability: Want to take your data elsewhere? We’ll provide everything in a readable format.
Opt-Out: Unsubscribe anytime using the link in our emails, or email marcus@zestyum.com.
Object to Processing: Don’t want us to use your data for marketing? Just let us know.
Cookies & Tracking
Essential Cookies (Required for Site Function):
- User login information
- Shopping cart contents (for future store features)
- Security and fraud prevention
Analytics Cookies (Help Us Improve):
- Google Analytics for site usage statistics
- Content performance tracking
- User experience optimization
Marketing Cookies (Optional):
- Email signup tracking
- Content recommendation personalization
- Social media integration
You can disable cookies in your browser, but some ZestyUM features might not work properly.
Third-Party Services
We work with trusted partners who help us serve you better:
ConvertKit (Email Marketing):
- Handles our newsletter delivery
- Subject to ConvertKit’s privacy policy
- GDPR compliant with data processing agreement
Google Analytics (Website Statistics):
- Provides anonymized usage data
- No personal information shared
- Data retention set to 26 months maximum
Social Media Platforms:
- When you share our content, their privacy policies apply
- We don’t track your social media activity
- Optional integration only
Affiliate Partners:
- We may recommend products through affiliate links
- We only recommend products Marcus personally uses
- Your purchase data stays with the retailer, not us
Children’s Privacy
ZestyUM is designed for adults dealing with digestive health issues. We don’t knowingly collect information from children under 13. If you’re a parent and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact marcus@zestyum.com immediately and we’ll delete it.
International Users
If you’re visiting from outside the United States:
- Your data may be transferred to and processed in the US
- We follow GDPR standards for EU visitors
- All the same privacy protections apply regardless of your location
Changes to This Policy
We’ll update this privacy policy as ZestyUM grows and evolves. When we make changes:
- We’ll post the updated policy with a new “Last Updated” date
- We’ll email subscribers about significant changes
- We’ll never reduce your privacy protections without clear notice
Contact for Privacy Concerns
Got questions about your privacy or this policy? Marcus personally handles all privacy-related emails:
Email: marcus@zestyum.com
Subject Line: Privacy Question (helps me prioritize)
Response Time: Within 48 hours, usually much faster
Mailing Address: Marcus Rodriguez
ZestyUM
Austin, Texas, USA
(Full address available upon request for legal purposes)