“Health is wealth” is a slogan on apparel items at Wholesale Nutrition Center in the Midway District, but it could just as easily be the company’s mission statement.
“We’re actually the largest privately owned supplement store with apparel on the West Coast,” said Nayef Amhaz, district manager at WNC, which opened recently at 3610 Midway Drive. “We are not just a sports supplement company. We carry full-on weight loss and vitamins. We are literally the store for every single consumer. You can find everything [here], including an apparel line that’s patented to us.”
Amhaz said WNC is a one-stop shop, while pointing to shelves lined floor-to-ceiling with products. Noting they label themselves as “the team,” Amhaz said that includes everyone associated with the business: employers and owners, athletes and motivational speakers, everyone involved with the supplementation industry.
WNC is known for its variety. “We do carry everything from protein donuts, pizzas and popcorn to egg whites and enchiladas,” said Amhaz, noting the special food products are “high in protein, low in everything else.”
WNC has supplements for people on high-fat, low-carb diets, or on high-carb diets for those looking to acquire more energy or gain weight. The high-protein pizzas and popcorn sold have crust made out of chicken breasts, which allows carbs to be minimized to just 4 grams.
Why is protein so important in diet?
“Protein is necessary for the recovery of your muscle,” answered Amhaz. “It’s the fuel. When you train or do any kind of physical activity, your tearing your muscle. When you tear your muscle, the best way to recover is the proteins you get from your food, or powders (supplements).”
Amhaz pointed out today’s highly processed foods come at the cost of loss of much of their nutritional value. He discussed the theory behind supplementation.
“It’s whatever you can’t get from your diet,” said Amhaz, adding it’s hard for athletes and others on heavy workout or diet plans to get enough protein from their typical diets. Hence, the need for supplementation.
“Whatever you’re doing besides sitting on your couch — you need to supplement because you can’t get it just from normal food out there,” Amhaz said, adding WNC is the best and least-expensive place to get supplements.
“We are wholesalers in this business, everything in this store is about 30 to 40 percent cheaper than online as well as competitors,” he said. “Hence our growth. We guarantee our prices.”
Based out of Orange County, WNC now has 18 locations spread throughout Southern California and Riverside County.