Full Stop's One Stop Nutrition Blend provides the complete nutritional profile of macronutrients: carbohydrates, protein, fat and fibre and micronutrients: vitamins and minerals, boosted with greens, fruit, vegetables, prebiotics, probiotics and adaptogens for optimal health. Our macronutrient split is 45:30:25 - where 45% of energy comes from carbohydrates and fibre, 30% comes from nourishing fat and 25% comes from plant proteins.
Carbohydrates: Keep you full for longer and balance blood sugar.
Let’s be clear: not all carbohydrates are created equal. While carbohydrates are not necessarily essential for survival, the right kind of carbohydrates are very important for optimal health as they sustain energy levels throughout the day and keep you feeling full. Many companies use cheap base ingredients like maltodextrin which, while being plant based, is synthetic, highly processed and has a high glycemic index, meaning it causes a spike in blood sugar, followed by a crash in energy later.
Full Stop uses very finely milled gluten free oats as the main ingredient. They are a brilliant complex carbohydrate rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre, antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds known as polyphenols. Two important antioxidants to take note of in oats are:
- Avenanthramides, an antioxidant found solely in oats which has been clinically shown to lower blood pressure, and have anti-inflammatory properties
- Beta Glucan which has been shown to reduce blood sugar levels (Alminger, 2008) increase feelings of fullness (Rebello, 2014), increase growth of good bacteria in the gut (Valeur, 2016) and reduce LDL and total cholesterol levels (Whitehead, 2014).
Fibre: Contribute to happy and normal gut microflora.
One of the biggest changes in the Western diet over the last fifty years is the huge decrease in dietary fibre as a percentage of carbohydrate intake. The shift from fibre-rich foods to refined carbohydrates is the strongest correlation between diet and the rise in cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity (you heard it right - refined carbohydrates, not saturated fat!!). Fibre is important. It regulates digestion and slows the release of insulin. It increases the absorption of magnesium and may have an essential role in controlling systemic inflammation. Fibre rich diets have been shown to result in lower levels of inflammation. As our gut bacteria digests fibre, they produce short chain fatty acids such as acetic acid, propionic acid and butyric acid which are all anti-inflammatory. They also protect the gut from damage in inflammatory bowel diseases and potentially prevent cancer (both in the gut and the liver).
Chicory root fibre is the most well studied prebiotic fibre in the world. It comes from the chicory plant (part of the dandelion family). This herbaceous plant has many health benefits, but was specifically selected for Full Stop due to its high amounts of inulin - an amazing prebiotic that feeds the beneficial bacteria in the gut (Flam 2001) (Kelly, 2008), reduces inflammation and improves mineral absorption (MacFarlane, 2008), (Carlson, 2018).
Greens:
Chlorophyll is the superpower of leafy greens. Plants use this verdant pigment to trap sunlight and perform photosynthesis to generate oxygen. When you consume chlorophyll, it’s like getting a shot of solar powered energy straight to the centre of your being (yes please!). The inclusion of greens into our blend is what makes Full Stop a game changer for total nourishment. Greens in the form of algae, leafy vegetables, fruit and other plant extracts are some of the most important foods you can have in your arsenal for optimised health and overall wellbeing, yet they are one of the least consumed foods in the Western diet. Greens (algaes in particular) come the closest of any food to meeting our ideal nutritional requirements from one source, enabling the body to not just survive, but to thrive. For people who struggle to eat greens everyday because they (let’s be honest!) can’t stand the taste, we have made it super simple - you won’t taste them at all.
There are an abundance of health benefits to be gained from eating greens - they encourage the slow down cognitive decline (Morris et al. 2017), support healthy ageing (Masood, 2011), support detoxification and the growth of beneficial bacteria for good digestive health (Speciale, 2016). Research in 2016 actually found that leafy greens contain a unique type of sugar containing sulfur, known as SQ, that the microbiota feed on to fuel their growth, and enable them to block the action of “bad” bacteria in the gut. This functionality is completely different to the way that dietary fibre or prebiotic fibre work (Speciale, 2016). SQ is produced by all green plants to facilitate photosynthesis, and the greener the plant, the more SQ it contains. By eating greens, you also give your body the precursors to producing happy hormones: dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin.
In Full Stop, we use a variety of greens including spirulina, spinach, kale and broccoli. This complex of super greens floods the system with nutrients for a body that looks as good as it feels: powerful, efficient and thriving.
Protein:
When we think about protein, we usually think about energy or forming muscle, but this just scratches the surface. Protein is used to make everything from hair and skin to hormones and enzymes. A clean, plant-based protein powder is a wellness essential. Proteins are made up of amino acids - which are the building blocks of the body. While your body can make some of them, nine have to be obtained through your diet. Animal products like fish, beef and eggs contain every one of these amino acids, and thus are considered complete proteins.
Many plant sources of protein have low levels or are missing one or more of these essential amino acids. For this reason we have combined European yellow pea and brown rice to form a complete vegan protein source that is suitable for those with allergies and has high digestibility.
The amount of protein needed by the body depends on your size and how much you work out. The more muscle and bone you have, the more protein you need. The RDA for protein is forty to eighty grams, depending on your weight. This, however, is considered the minimum amount necessary for the body to function, not necessarily for OPTIMAL function. Full Stop contains 16g protein per serving.
Fats:
Despite 35 years of fat-phobia and the message that eating fat makes you fat, we now know that fat is in fact an essential (macro)nutrient. Healthy fats from plant sources including flaxseeds, sunflower seeds and coconut are power ingredients in Full Stop and the key to keeping you energized, focused, lean and radiant.They are essential for digestion, helping the body absorb fat soluble nutrients such as vitamins A, D and K and keep things moving during the digestive process. Fats are harder for the body to break down, so they keep you full, and your metabolism stoked, longer. They help both to reduce oxidative stress in the brain and to enhance the synaptic connections among neurons for better memory, learning, and clarity. And to top it off, they also contribute to building stronger hair, skin and nails.
Essential Fatty Acids:
Fats in Full Stop make up 30% of total energy, providing sustainable fuel for the body that is perfect for busy modern lives. There are the two essential fatty acids which cannot be made by the body that humans require - they are Alpha Linolenic Acid (an Omega 3 fatty acid) and Linoleic Acid (an Omega 6 fatty acid). Our blend of flaxseeds and sunflower seeds provide antioxidants and micronutrients along with delivering just the right amount of both essential fatty acids to support optimal health.
Micronutrients:
Full Stop contains a custom blend of least 30% of the recommended daily amount of the following essential vitamins and minerals:
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin D3
Vitamin E
Vitamin K1
Vitamin K2
Vitamin B1 Thiamine
Vitamin B2
Vitamin B3 Niacin
Vitamin B5 Pantothenic Acid
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B7 Biotin
Vitmain B9 Folic Acid
Vitamin B12
Potassium
Calcium
Phosphorus
Magnesium
Iron
Zinc
Copper
Manganese
Selenium
Iodine
Chromium
Adaptogens:
Adaptogens are herbs that help the body adapt to stress - physical and emotional. Full Stop contains ashwagandha, which has been used for thousands of years in ayurveda and is one of the best studied adaptogens available. We use Ashwagandha KSM 66 - a full spectrum, highly concentrated form with the highest bioavailability of ashwagandha on the market.
Probiotics:
Probiotics enhance your bodies ability to absorb nutrients and promote immune system function. In Full Stop, we use market leader Lactospore Probiotic which is said to help produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), inflammation fighters around the body. LactoSpore, has the best (and most extensively researched) absorption rates of any available probiotic strains.