Frequently Asked Questions
When is your Discount day?
The last Tuesday of every month, Terrific Tuesday. This day is exclusively for club members and allows you 10% discount store wide. This does not include already discounted items.
Can I see a naturopath or nutritionist by consultation?
Yes. We can either give a short consultation on the shop floor or if you require a more thorough consultation or have a complicated health issue please contact the store to make an appointment with the practitioner of your choice. A consultation fee will be charged for longer appointments. Health fund rebates are available.
We also specialize in sports nutrition consulting. As part of this process we can recommend diet, lifestyle and supplements to enhance sports performance for athletes or weekend warriors alike. We can also assess body fat to lean muscle ratios, provide detailed hormone profiling by salivary testing and assess other nutritional deficiencies through laboratory testing.
Is protein gluten free?
Pure protein powers are commonly made from whey or casein (dairy), soy, pea or rice and therefore do not contain gluten. Protein powder manufacturers can only state that a protein contains no gluten if no gluten containing raw materials are used on the production line. We do have practitioner quality brands of protein that are certified gluten free for very sensitive coeliacs or severe food intolerances. Please ask our friendly staff to help you select the right protein for you.
What is a probiotic?
Probiotics are required by the gut for effective digestion and metabolism of food. Without adequate levels of ‘good bacteria’ symptoms such as bloating, wind, nausea and diarrhoea/loose stools may appear. Also, a supplement is the most effective way of restoring your levels after an episode of gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, the flu or an infection. Probiotics promote gut health and research has shown gut health is essential for a strong immune system.
What is the difference between a probiotic supplement and yoghurt?
Probiotic supplements are far more concentrated in beneficial bacteria than yoghurt. If you want a therapeutic response it’s a good idea to use a supplement rather than yoghurt as the number of bacteria are guaranteed and in most cases significantly higher than yoghurts. Also different strains of bacteria can be beneficial for different conditions. Most probiotic supplements have bacteria that can survive the acid and bile in the gut, therefore arriving alive to where they are most effective. A supplement such as “Inner Health Plus” or “Symbiotique” will help to restore beneficial bacteria levels more effectively than yoghurt. Yoghurt is still a good food to consume to maintain healthy flora in the gut, it’s just not the most concentrated form of beneficial bacteria.
I’m a 45 year old woman with a balanced diet, I go to the gym 3 times a week and am struggling to lose those last few kilo’s, what can I take to help me reach my goal weight?
Focus on increasing your basal metabolic rate. To do this, eat every 3-4 hours across the day. Incorporate a serve of protein at each meal to assist in lean muscle growth which will in turn stimulate your metabolism, include a Protein powder immediately after the gym or as a snack during the day.
Acetyl-L-Carnitine (e.g. Endura N Acetyl Carnitine Powder or Bioceuticals L Carnitine) used first thing in the morning (on an empty stomach) or 20 minutes before gym will help stimulate fat mobilisation and burning. Products containing 7-keto, green tea and coleus forskoli (e.g. Istaori’s MX LS7 or the original LS7), with further stimulate your metabolism.
Ensure you are getting enough “good” fats as they can stimulate weight loss. Supplement Omega 3’s with fish oil (Thompsons Reflux free Salmon Oil) capsules (6000mg) and add in some CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid, CNP ProCLA) to assist estrogen metabolism and thus fat loss in difficult areas such as the thighs, hips, abdomen and the back of the arms, 5 capsules is the best dose for fat loss.
I was wondering how much protein I need to take to help me bulk up, I’m 20 years old and I do 5 weights sessions a week as well as 2 cardio, I’m trying to eat more but I don’t always have time.
A rough guideline is to have a serve of protein rich food that is about the size of the palm of your hand or a clenched fist at each of your 6 meals (or 25g 6 times a day). If you struggle to prepare meals and take them with you to work or uni, you could use a “mass gainer” protein as a snack. That way you only need to prepare or buy one snack and a healthy lunch. Products like Vital Strengths Rapid Weight Gainer or BSC Mass Monster will provide you with the protein and carbs you need to gain muscle mass.
Make sure you focus on recovery. Have a serve of the mass gainer straight after weights session to repair and regenerate muscle mass, add some Creatine for an even better effect. Creatine will also help to increase force of contraction allowing you to lift more weight and therefore gain more muscle. Use 5g of creatine monohydrate (Vital Strength Creatine) powder before training and 5 g with your post workout shake or use a creatine ethyl ester (Muscletech Creakic), 2 tablets twice a day.
My personal trainer told me I need to eat more if I’m going to be able to increase my muscle mass, but I’m just not that hungry throughout the day, what can I do?
Most people find that their appetite is low for one of four reasons.
They don’t eat much during the day but they find themselves ravenous at night time. Do eat a large meal at night? If so, you will find you aren’t hungry when you wake up in the morning. Skipping breakfast will slow down your metabolism, making you less hungry for the rest of the day and starving again at night perpetuating the cycle. Force yourself to have breakfast for the first few days because by stimulating your metabolism in the morning you will find that you are hungry during the day. Training in the morning is another great way to stimulate appetite.
Zinc deficiency can cause loss of appetite. Come and see our naturopaths who can perform an oral zinc test or analyse the level of zinc in your blood to determine if you need zinc supplementation. Our naturopaths can also make a herbal bitters mix to stimulate appetite and improve digestion.
Stimulants such as caffeine can reduce appetite. Avoid consuming coffee and caffeine containing products if you struggle with appetite. Try and use coffee alternatives like dandelion root coffee (a good appetite stimulant and digestive tonic).
Folic acid (e.g. Microgenics Folic Acid 500µg) may be used to increase appetite whilst stimulating stomach acid production and healthy liver function.
I’ve been having trouble sleeping for the last few months and I just don’t know what to do, I’ve tried Valerian Root, but it just didn’t work for me, are there any other options?
Sleep problems can be quite diverse and each herbal sleep remedy has a different action.
- Do you have trouble falling asleep? or
- Do you wake regularly during the night?
- Are you waking up tired and sluggish?
The answers to these questions can help determine which sleep remedy is right for you. Herbs like passionflower and withania are great for people who sleep lightly and wake easily. They are also good for those who sleep the night through but feel like they haven’t slept at all when they wake up. Stronger sedative herbs like zizyphus, californinan poppy and jamaican dogwood are great for people who need something to assist getting to sleep in the beginning. Calcium and magnesium (e.g. Bioceuticals Ultra Musclease, and Nutra Life Calcium Complete) are also a good idea for those with sleep problems as they help relax the nervous and musculosketal systems creating a more refreshing night sleep.
I’ve been hearing a lot about a supplement called glucosamine and I was wondering if there is a particular type I should be taking if I have osteoarthritis?
You can use either glucosamine sulphate or glucosamine hydrochloride, both have been shown to be affective in clinical trials. Look for a daily dose that is over 1500mg, we would also recommend you use a glucosamine that is combined with chondroitin, a joint nutrient that potentiates the action of glucosamine. Long term these nutrients can assist in repair of cartilage as well as being anti-inflammatory.
Naturopaths would agree that glucosamine is a great preventive nutrient as well as for acute treatment. If you have very mild arthritis or any sports injuries it’s a good idea to start taking glucosamine now and prevent the long term wear and tear on your joints. Fish oils (3g – 6g daily), MSM – a sulphur based anti-inflammatory and pain relieving herbs such as devils claw, boswelia and turmeric, will further improve the effect
My kids won’t take fish oil. What else can I give them?
Fish oil has come a long way over the last few years. We now have some great tasting products specifically designed for fussy kids. They come in the form of chewy lollies (Melrose Jelly Fish), chewable capsules (Blooms Little Squirts) that are strawberry or orange flavoured or you can get some great tasting liquids too. Another option is a “jube-like” chewy lolly which contains the fish oil dose. You can’t even taste it your kids will think it’s just a treat!
If you still struggle you could mix flaxseed oil into yoghurt or use crushed flaxseeds in baked products or on cereal. Flaxseed oil and crushed flaxseeds are a good vegetable source of omega 3 and it doesn’t have the fishy taste. Just remember that for treatment of skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis or for behaviour problems like ADD or ADHD fish oils are more effective.
I regularly train at the gym (4-5 times per week), and one of the guys I train with mentioned something about a pre-workout formula. What are they used for and how will this help me in the gym?
Pre-workout formulas are fantastic for creating intensity of mind and promoting the energy required for a great workout. The majority contain a form of arginine that creates a great muscle pump by increasing nitric oxide. This encourages the delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the muscle cells enhancing recovery. The arginine also enhances glycogen storage after training which can assist in repair and recovery of muscle tissue. Pre-workout formulas can also contain creatine to enhance strength and energy and other nutrients that prevent muscle breakdown during training sessions.
Remember that you still need to ensure you get amino acids into the bloodstream after training so you will still need to use a post workout shake consisting of a rapidly absorbing protein powder and a tailored amount of carbohydrates. But pre-workout formulas are definitely the way to go if you are looking to get the most energetic and pumped training sessions of your life!