By Guy Lawrence

This is not a post about whether we should be eating dairy or not, but whether we actually need dairy in our diet. Of course there’s the obvious push that it gives us strong bones and it’s a great source of calcium and protein. But can these be sourced from anywhere else to the extent our body needs?

The other question I ask myself is; are people eating dairy because it tastes nice, not because they are actually worried about their bones in the first place? When I sit in a cafe on a Saturday morning and watch people drinking their lattes, I’m pretty sure they couldn’t give a sh*t about calcium levels and bone density as they are simply enjoying their coffee.

So do we really need dairy in our diet? Let’s take a look… Continue reading →

Podcast episode #3

By Guy Lawrence

In this weeks episode of The Health Sessions I hang out with leading Naturopath and Nutritionist Tania Flack and discuss leaky gut, dysbiosis and how to fix it. If you want to jump straight to this and skip Stu & I’s ramblings go to [13:03] of the podcast.

Download or subscribe to us on iTunes here.

Continue reading →

By 180 Nutrition

We all know that men and women are not created equally, at least not in terms of our body chemistry. As such, the same nutritional supplements that may work for men might not be right for a woman and vice versa. However, many supplements do provide both health and fitness benefits for men and women, including protein supplements, so finding the right type of protein supplements for women is well worth the time.

About Protein Supplements

Protein, typically found in many foods such as lean meat and dairy products, helps muscles grow and rebuild. In addition, protein helps to maintain lean muscle mass and decrease body fat, which provides that lean, strong look that so many athletes have.
Technically speaking, protein is a macronutrient, just like fats and carbohydrates. Consisting of amino acids linked together, protein is responsible for muscle repair and growth, as well as helping maintain a healthy immune system and energy source.

While most people obtain the necessary amount of protein through food sources, athletes often benefit from additional protein through supplements. The recommended dietary allowance for most healthy adults is about 72 grams of protein per day for men and 54 grams of protein for women.

For serious athletes, researchers recommend consuming between 1 and 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight, with approximately 40 percent of that protein coming from food sources. As an example, a woman weighing 125 pounds requires between 125 and 188 grams of protein, while a man weighing 250 pounds needs 250 to 375 grams of protein.

Protein Supplements for Women

Variance in daily protein requirements really has more to do with weight than gender; however, many protein supplements come in a one-size-fits-all mentality that does not account for variances in weight and protein needs.

Protein supplements for women usually have over 20 grams of protein as well as vitamins and minerals for added energy, immunity support and muscle repair and growth.

Many protein supplements for women come with additives, preservatives and chemicals. As such, women should seek natural protein ingredients, such as the following:

- Almond meal
- Grass fed whey protein isolate
- Coconut flour or shredded coconut
- Flaxseed
- Pumpkin seeds
- Psyllium husks
- Natural cocoa
- Inactive brewers yeast
- Chia seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Stevia

Look for protein supplements that are low on sugar, high in dietary fiber and protein and contain additional health supplements and vitamins such as B vitamins, magnesium, zinc, and potassium, folate (B9, calcium and iron.

For more information about natural protein supplements for women, visit 180Nutrition.com.au

By Guy Lawrence

Do you hang out in cafes? We do! Do you drink soy lattes? Mmm, we don’t.

This post was inspired by a conversation I had recently in a cafe (of course …) so let me paint a quick picture for you.

The one thing I’m finding as 180 Nutrition continues to grow is that Stu & myself seem to be involved in more meetings. This is actually a compliment and we are always looking at different ways to make them fun and worthwhile.

Our usual criteria is:

• funky cafe
• great staff
• stones throw away from the ocean

Just last week we had the NSW Police S.W.A.T team sitting next to us in a cafe. One of them approached us and it turned out that he uses our 180 protein supplement and also trains CrossFit. We hung out with them for 20min talking everything from CrossFit to diet and gave them bar samples and a t-shirt… relevant? No… Seriously cool? Oh yeah!

I try and stick to one coffee a day and anything after that I reach for the tea – but never the soy.

Turning up at these meetings, I can’t help but notice what different people order. Now I’m a live and let live kind of guy, as I certainly don’t like to judge. But it doesn’t take long before I get asked questions on health and nutrition, it simply comes with the territory.

During a recent conversation, I happened to mention that I ate 1 – 2 avocados a day as I have them in my 180 smoothies. The person I was meeting seemed quite shocked and their instant reaction was ‘what about the fat?’ They felt counting calories and a low fat diet was the way forward. This was said whilst they sipped on their soy lattes with honey (you can read my thoughts on honey & fructose here).

Without wanting to sound like a tool, my reaction was simple. I said I would rather eat half a dozen avocados a day than drink that soy latte. Naturally I had to explain myself, and here are my thoughts on why I don’t drink it… Continue reading →

Introducing the 180 Natural Protein Superfood Bars. The formula you love is available in both chocolate & coconut flavours (chemical & gluten free of course).

These bars are so nutritious and filling that they are available in a convenient 45g size. They come in boxes of 12 and you can also try 2 full sized bars here before purchasing a box.

Guy Lawrence, Director 180 Nutrition

After months of planning and mountains of phone calls and emails, the team at 180 Nutrition are proud to offer the 180 Protein Bar. While we continue to love our 180 recipes and smoothies, we also recognise that managing a healthy diet can be a challenge when the pressures of life and work come into play.

The 180 Bar will help you:

• Quickly and effectively refuel ‘on-the-fly‘ after a workout
• Avoid bad food choices when the mid-afternoon craving hits
• Add a healthy and nutritional option into your kids diet
• Cut your intake of foods packed with chemicals, flavourings & preservatives

Say Hi To Our New Ingredients

Let’s face it – the majority of snack/sports bars available today suffer from the same problems as their powdered counterparts – low grade ingredients, artificial additives, preservatives and a list of chemicals that you need a PhD to understand.

If you know 180 already, you will soon realise that two of our new ingredients are already present in the Original 180 Formula. (If you don’t you can check the ingredients here)

180 Nutrition are not on a mission to add as many different ingredients as possible to our products. Good nutrition is quite simple and you know us – we believe that nature can provide all the nutrition your body needs.

This is what we added to the Original 180 Formula  to build the 180 Bar:

• 

  Almond Paste

  Long been declared as a ‘Super Food’, almonds are an incredible source vitamin B6, riboflavin, dietary fibre, and minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, calcium and zinc.

• 

  Tahini Paste

  Made from ground sesame seeds and contains virtually zero measurable trans-fat or cholesterol, tahini is a great high source of vitamin A, magnesium, folate and calcium, and is especially abundant in phosphorus and potassium.

• 

  Organic Rice Malt

  A natural binding ingredient where the low GI carbohydrate from the brown rice releases energy over a longer period of time. Contains no fat or cholesterol of any type and is 100% fructose free.

Common Ingredients That We Will Not Use

The typical snack/museli bar will contain many of these ingredients: emulsifiers (soya lecithin 476), polydextrose, glycerine, maltitol, maize starch, maltodextrin, sucralose, humectant (glycerol), vegetable oil, glycerine, gluten, hydrolysed collagen, salt, flavourings, colouring… 

We are incredibly excited to launch the 180 Bar. It’s another step in turning an industry built on chemicals and empty promises upside down.

By Tania Flack

Guy: Did you know if your body suddenly disintegrated into a pile of dust, up to 5% of it would be minerals. So as you can imagine, minerals have a major role to play in good health and body functionality.

There is the fear of having too much concentration of minerals which is toxic to the body. But as minerals can only be ingested from external sources, the main problem that arises is mineral deficiency through a typical western diet.

The question to ask yourself is, how do I know if I’m deficient?

Continue reading →

The advantages of nuts and seeds lie in their healthy fatty acids, which fight cell oxidation, resulting from free radicals, stress and inflammation. Such fats protect our cells from damage and carcinogens.

Because they contain powerful phytocompounds, nutrients, amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids that combat harmful fats, they are considered the ideal food for cardiovascular health. They protect the arteries from hardening, clots, and plaque buildup and keep them flexible, reducing the risk of heart attacks, hypertension and stroke.

Today, I shall start with some of the most commonly used nuts in our kitchens in order to reveal their nutritive and curative properties.

Almonds are an important source of vitamin E, very much needed for the vascular and nervous systems, heart and brain. While some nuts are acidifying, almonds are alkalizing to the blood. They are necessary for vascular and skin elasticity. Magnesium in the nuts helps regulate heartbeat and high blood pressure. Taken along with cinnamon and chromium, almonds control the activity of insulin. Insulin and blood sugar surges harm the system by triggering the onset of diabetes type 2. The essential fats in the nut enhance cognitive skills and stimulate the reproductive system. They also offer certain B vitamins, calcium, magnesium and zinc for building and maintaining strong bones. Almonds cleanse the liver; help healing and repairing skin and increase muscle mass.

Almonds contain good amounts of healthy fats, vitamins B and E, fiber, minerals, phytochemicals and amino acids. Their fatty acids activate the metabolism and help burn body fat. Don’t be surprised; consuming healthy fats breaks down “dangerous” body fat around the waistline. They also keep hunger at bay as a snack in small amounts with dried fruits.

Due to its vitamin E and healthy fat contents,  walnut is recommended for lowering “harmful” low density lipoprotein (LDL) and raising the “healthy” high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels. It also regulates overall cholesterol. The nuts maintain the flexibility of the vascular walls usually narrowed and hardened by plaque and high blood pressure.

Recent studies on rats indicate that almonds due to their fiber content appear to protect against colon cancer. Apart from the fiber, the bitterness of the skin gives medicinal benefits. Soaking it overnight improves their digestibility and increases the nutrient content of the nuts.

Bitter almonds have anti-cancer compounds like amygdaline; but their consumption should not exceed one or two kernels.

Almonds, peanuts and walnuts offer an important amino acid called arginine. The amino acid slows down the development of tumors and cancer and bolsters the immune defenses by enhancing the activity of the thymus gland, which produces killer T cells. They are particularly helpful for those who suffer from suppressed immune systems and AIDS.

While arginine activates the release of insulin, its deficiency can cause glucose intolerance. One of collagen’s components is arginine, which helps rebuild bones, tendons and connective tissue and speeds scar healing. The amino acid retains the elasticity of skin, blood vessels and arteries, enhancing blood flow; regulating hypertension and slowing the ageing process.

Traditionally, almonds relieve cough; break up phlegm and lubricate the intestines to prevent constipation. Almond oil massage is recommended to nourish and soften skin and hair.

Increase you almond intake with 180 natural protein superfood.

Read full article here.

The whey protein isolate (WPI) we use in the ingredients of 180 Natural Protein Superfood is grass fed instantised whey protein isolate. It is manufactured by cross flow micro-filtration (MF) and ultra-filtration (UF). Micro-filtration naturally isolates undenatured protein, providing a MF whey protein isolate (WPI) product that is low in fat, high in protein and very low lactose. The WPI whey protein isolate is an undenatured, soluble whey protein with excellent nutritive value, making it a great choice of WPI for our 180 natural protein superfood.

WPI Whey Protein Isolate Characteristics

• Excellent nutritional value
• Low lactose
• Low cholesterol
• Clean flavour
• PDCAAS score of 1.00 (Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score). 1.00 being the highest.

Note: The table below is the nutritional analysis of the WPI whey protein isolate that we use in 180. It is NOT the nutritional table of 180 natural protein superfood.

Quality Assurance

Strict quality control procedures are enforced during manufacture of WPI whey protein isolate. The manufacturing environment is also subject to regular monitoring and control.

Final product of WPI is tested for chemical, sensory and microbial parameters using internationally recognised procedures.

We are supplied WPI whey protein isolate by Fonterra.

There are several reasons people decide to stop consuming meat, and turn to a vegetarian diet. They might do it because they feel guilty eating other animals or simply to feel better about themselves.

Recently, there has been an increase in the popularity of vegetarianism. According to the 2005 Harris Poll, 5 to 11 percent of the United States population identified themselves as being vegetarian. The popularity of the vegetarian diet has extended into the sports world and is now popular among different types of athletes. Some athletes are turning to a vegetarian diet because they believe it can increase their performance.

Planning a vegetarian diet

Those choosing vegetarian diets know they still have to allow their bodies to have the necessary amounts of protein, and this can take planning. Protein helps build muscles, which is crucial to the body and especially important for athletes. This leaves some wondering if a vegetarian diet can in fact work for athletes.

Anyone who follows vegetarian diet also has to take extra steps to avoid other possible deficiencies that might occur with the lack of a meat-oriented diet such as zinc, iron and B12, which can negatively effect strength and performance.

With these concerns, poses the question, can a vegetarian  diet influence a athletes perform as well as their meat-eating opponents?

The answer to this question is relatively obvious, as people do not realize how many athletes consider themselves vegetarians.

Lane Trembley, business major and black belt in Karate, has been a vegetarian for seven years and credits his diet for his athletic ability.

“I turned to vegetarianism because my trainer said it could help improve my performance,” said Trembley.

Trembley says he started feeling better a few months after turning to vegetarianism.

“When I eliminated meat from my diet, I started performing better and I noticed an increase in endurance,” he said.

Many athletes have actually been vegetarians at the peaks of their careers, disproving those who think a vegetarian-based diet negatively effects an athletes performance.

Improve you daily diet with 180 SuperFood.

Read the full article here.

By Guy Lawrence

One Sunday in Feb, 7pm at the Spanish Fly tapas bar in Randwick.

Waitress: “Would you like greens with that sir?”
Me: ” I’ve been eating greens for the last six weeks. Only the steak thanks- Just make sure its juicy, bloody and rare!”

It had been 6 weeks since I sank my teeth into red meat. Thankfully the time had come. Continue reading →