Today’s health power players are no longer just doctors or dieticians. They are smart businesswoman and men, fashion designers, bloggers, and health and fitness coaches – the new ‘it’ people on the health scene so to say.
Each week we will talk to a variety of inspiring individuals – from raw foodies, organic city dwellers, paleo peeps, nutritionists, bloggers & overall amazing human beings who actually practice what they preach.
This week I have the pleasure to introduce you to a couple of my fave dudes who are the brains behind Inside Out Almond Milk. I first met them at Bondi Markets one Saturday and Im not going to lie, I only bought the bottle, for the actual bottle. I mean it was in a cool glass old school milk bottle – how could I not?! Since then I have seen them go from humble market stalls to the likes of Harris Farm, Wholefoods and a bunch of cafes that make a mean almond milk latte. I also have the pleasure of training Vuong’s sisters at bootcamp who are pretty dam fab.
So, if you haven’t tried their almond milk yet, or have tried another brand in the past and didn’t like – I encourage you to go buy a bottle to see what delish almond milk really taste likes. It might be the fact they use high pressure processing (HPP) to make it which is a procedure that does not rely on heat; or chemicals, such as preservatives; or irradiation to kill harmful bacteria in food; instead it evenly applies pressure equivalent to 6 times the deepest parts of the sea. Yes heat is a highly effective way to kill bacteria, but it also damages the freshness, flavour, texture, colour and nutritional integrity of any product.
So to translate… they way they make their almond milk makes it tastes a whole lot better.
* my fave Inside Out almond milk and Bare Blends smoothie from this recipe *
Name: Vuong and Anthony (Inside Out Nutritious Goods)
Occupation: Business owner/student
For the people who arent familiar with you (or just want to know more), tell us a bit about yourself..
Anthony and Vuong: We are both from humble beginnings, are super lame, and have been best mates since our early childhood years. Yeah, I know. So cute.
Anthony: I have just finished my law degree and because I would be a horrible lawyer I am putting all of my time and effort into this business! Also, I am one of the more physically active people you’ll meet and I’m one of those people everyone hates because I can get away with eating more junk than the average Joe!
Vuong: I’m a third year dietetics student who loves to cook and create new things. Don’t believe me? Well, you’ll just have to invite me over so I can prove it! If you haven’t already noticed, you’ll soon realise that I like to tell bad jokes that make people cringe. To get away from it all, I love jamming to my favourite tracks on my drum kit.
How did the business come about? I know both of you have studied in pretty different areas!
Vuong: Being best mates, we wanted to have a bit of fun over a summer and possibly meet a nice girl (I wish we were joking) so we decided to set up a juice and smoothie bar at the farmers’ markets. We wanted to offer something different in our smoothies and because I wasn’t feeling soy (good about it) I decided to make my own almond milk at home because of its nutritional power. I guess it turned out tasting pretty good! Since Anthony is good at everything I’m not so good at, we make up a good team and have just taken it from there.
Were you shocked at how fast the demand grew for your products? From market stall to world domination, one almond at a time…
Shocked? No. We are awesome. Nah honestly, when we made our very first batch of almond milk, it took over 4 hours to make 17 lousy bottles. Then when we took them with us to the farmers’ markets and it disappeared in 20 minutes, we knew we were onto something.
What made you choose the path of leading a healthy life and was there a particular turning point?
Vuong: For me it was too much partying and the consequences that followed. My turning point was when everyone I knew was telling me how skinny and ill I looked. When I transformed myself I found my passion for health and my desire to help other people improve their lives.
Anthony: I think I mentioned this earlier but I’ve always one of the more active people. I played tennis professionally as a teen before a very unfortunate motor vehicle accident ended my career prematurely. Since then I’ve played reps basketball and American football (I love that sport) and continue to enjoy the competition and release what that sport offers, even if it is only socially.
What does your usual daily routine look like – what is on your ‘must do’ and ‘must take’ list?
Vuong: As soon as I wake up, I smash a superfood smothie! Throughout the day I eat wholesome meals and snack on nutrient dense foods that I prepare myself. I never let my stomach rumble. It’s hard but I try to stay away from caffeine as much as I can.
Anthony: I get up before the sun rises and do 100 pushups.. nah I’m kidding, I do 500. Seriously I get up and always do some form of exercise, it can be anything from going to the gym, to sprints or plyometrics, to an abdominal/core routine. I stay away from generic and boring forms of exercise like jogging and isolated resistance training routines.. Sorry.
Both: It might sound like we see other too much being work partners and best mates but we also train together quite often too..
What do you always have in your kitchen (both fridge and supplements)?
Vuong: Fresh kale, chia seeds, plenty of avocados and Bare Blends Native WPI!
Anthony: Ice Magic and glucosamine (my joints take a beating)
How important is clean, nutrient rich food in your diet? Do you follow a certain style?
Vuong: I think it’s essential if you want to optimise your lifestyle. What diet do I follow? The Vuong Diet! It’s a combination of everything I’ve learnt and it’s what works best for me. I like to keep an open mind about these things.
Anthony: I just make sure I get enough fuel for the day.. I eat a lot.
How do you like to move and keep fit? Is exercise an important part of your life?
Vuong: Definitely! I try to do some form of physical activity at least 5 times a week.
Anthony: Yes, it’s extremely important for my physical and mental health
Who or what has been the biggest influence on your health journey?
Vuong: It’s my former late-night-partying-self. I don’t think this kind of motivation can come from a stronger source than from yourself.
Anthony: My aspirations to become a professional athlete. Since that is now a thing of the past my current motivation comes from wanting to push my body to its physical and mental limits, to do things I didn’t think or anyone else could think I could do. I can dunk a basketball, for example. I’m a shade under 5’10”.
Currently loving:
Vuong: Bare Blends Native WPI, Fitness Never Sleeps gym in Terrey Hills and my bed!
Anthony: My basketball, football, and my powerbands.
Fave local cafe or restaurant?
Vuong: We want to be fair.. so any café that uses our almond milk
Anthony: I could get into a lot of trouble for naming one place but if I had to it’s hard to beat the Boathouse, Balmoral Beach. That place is even better at night when it’s lit up.
As your parting gift to us – what is your favourite health product/holiday destination/exercise/recipe/tip etc
Vuong: Add half a medium avocado to ALL your smoothies. Not only are they jam packed with nutrients (monounsaturated fats, fibre, antioxidants, phytosterols and carotenoids) but best of all, you can barely taste them and they add a creamy texture to your smoothies!
Anthony: Chicago, IL USA. I was there for a couple months in 2013 and fell in love with that city.
