As a strength and conditioning coach and gym owner, clients and friends constantly sought nutrition advice.  My food prescription was very simple: nothing beats nature. The fitness world screams “eat real food”, “eat clean”, “organic”, “non GMO”, etc. Unfortunately the majority of these groups (myself included at one point) while recommending a quality meal plan will then push, sell, and praise supplements without knowing the products source, ingredients, or fundamental mission.

I became increasingly troubled by this conflict, and I was curious why we, as an industry, accepted this ridiculous exception. The statement “if you can’t pronounce the ingredients you should not eat them” doesn’t get to the root of the issue. A good product should consist of items that could be individually purchased at a grocery store. Once I recognized this as the central shortcoming in supplements (and all packaged foods) I started to look for answers. 

In 2012 the majority of supplements available were very similar. Some had ten ingredients and some had forty -- but all of them had ingredients that I could not buy at the grocery store and would never consume on their own. 

I researched the most common ingredients in everything from protein powders to fish oils. It was empowering to learn why ingredients like Maltodextrin and Guar Gum were being used in foods. I also found that there is wide variability in the qualities of ingredients that when listed seem harmless like Whey Protein, Vanilla, or Stevia which are often assumed to be basic and consistent.. At this point I was so deep that each rock I turned over became less enlightening and more challenging to accept. 

My conclusion became: The profit motive had superseded the importance of health and wellness. Companies were opting for the easiest to source instead of highest quality ingredients, cheap fillers or sweeteners were added for flavor or mouth feel despite being bad for the body. Ingredients that add to an “ideal” nutrition facts label number but do little for health or nutrition are in place of actual food ingredients. Overall our food and supplements as a whole are of poor quality and have (in many cases) more ingredients that cause more harm than good.  

I was at a crossroads; either I develop a purpose built real ingredients product which supports the mission that nutrition is the foundation of success, or continue pushing products that facilitate the greed and disingenuousness of the food and supplement industry.

Over the last 8 years I have worked to source only the best ingredients available. I then partnered with the most professional and respected co packers to ensure absolute purity. I took the time to perfect a line of products that I am proud of, that are safe for everyone, that outperform our competitors, and do far less harm to the planet we live on. 

What started as an inquiry transformed into a journey, an idea developed into a mission, Eight years seems like a significant amount of time, but it was necessary to develop something that the community deserved. The Parlett Nutrition team is committed to excellence, we are looking forward to many more years of learning, and simply doing the right thing.