If you’re active or have been into fitness for quite some time, you would know that training, recovery and proper nutrition are the three most crucial things you need to tick off first to achieve your goals. Nutrition from wholefood is king and there’s absolutely no substitute for it. However, there is a place for dietary supplements in your road to a fit life. Supplements should remain as such, supplements. You don’t ‘need’ to take them per se, but they can greatly help you with recovery and performance, which in turn leads to better results. I myself take dietary supplements and can attest to their benefits. Do consult your doctor and/or trainer, if you have one, before taking protein shakes, multivitamins, etc.
Supplements can be purchased in pharmacies and health and fitness shops. But we’ve found a neat site which facilitates your supplement requirements, ultimately making your active life a bit more convenient: the newly launched proteinandco.com
Gulf News tabloid! talks to the founder of Protein&Co., Dominic Deevey. This decorated former UK boxer of 12 years tells us the idea behind its creation and how people can use it to further their health and fitness.
Why open Protein&Co?
One of the reasons I launched Protein&Co. was because I couldn’t buy the simple and affordable products I wanted in a convenient way. All protein and health supplements in the region tended to be overpriced and weren’t easily available on a simple website with next day delivery. Most stores and websites are resellers of multiple brands, therefore confusing consumers and making them ask, ‘which brand do I buy?’ I found that this was a common issue.
Another reason is the growing e-commerce industry in the region. More people are buying online and I realised that there wasn’t another protein and supplement brand with the same online business model.
Overall, there simply wasn’t an option to buy simple, high quality protein or supplements in the UAE that are affordable, great tasting and convenient to buy, and this inspired me to start Protein&Co.
What separates Protein&Co from other supplements available in the market, and how can people benefit from it?
There are quite a few differences with our products compared to others, these are mainly:
1) Keeping things simple: I didn’t want consumers to be confused, standing in a shop looking at numerous products not knowing which one to buy, or knowing how it will benefit them. There’s all these marketing slogans that leave many customers unaware or not knowing what to buy, so the brand is making this choice easier and simpler with clear categories such as weight loss, muscle and strength, healthy snacks etc. — the branding is plain, to the point, and no ‘buzz words’ commonly used with other brands.
2) Educating consumers with bundles: I wanted to help consumers understand how to effectively incorporate our products into their lifestyle, improving health, fitness and well-being. I created two simple ‘bundle’ packages to make it easier to purchase the product consumers need to achieve their goal, these are called the ‘Weight Loss Collection’ and ‘Muscle and Strength Collection’. I’ve also added a protein guide on the website and every product has a detailed ‘how to use’ description.
3) The source: Protein&Co. protein shakes (Whey Protein 80 and Diet Whey Protein) and supplements are GMO free, have no artificial colourings, only use natural flavourings and come in a variety of flavours such as Triple Chocolate, Vanilla Ice Cream, Strawberries and Whipped Cream and Simply Banana. The Whey Protein 80 powders are grass fed, free range and are gluten free, too. We want to make sure that our products are simple with as little ingredients as possible.
4) The product range: I want to triple the product range by next year — with many new products launching such as a flavoured Vegan protein range and a Pre-Workout range including various other tablets like ZMA, L Glutamine and nut butters…bring in products that are quite sparse in the region, or that are quite expensive to buy from shops here. Everything is typically between Dh40 and Dh300.
5) The ordering method and delivery: An online website with options for free and next day delivery is available when buying products. In addition, there is the option of cash on delivery or card payment to suit whatever customers prefer.
Who can take Protein&Co. products?
The brand’s aim is to help everyone, from the body conscious gym-goers, aspiring or professional athletes and even busy health mindful adults achieve a better nutritional diet or lifestyle which is affordable and convenient within the UAE. I want to take away the perception that protein and supplements are for ‘body builders’ and that protein and supplements can support any health or well-being goals, e.g. women wanting to ‘firm up’ or men wanting to slim down.
