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Questions about Active Nutrition? We've got Answers to Help You!

    Active Nutrition Basics

    Why should I eat 5-6 meals a day?

    If you want to perform at the top, get strong, get lean, and look and feel great, then eating five to six small meals is a nutrition strategy that you must not overlook. This strategy has been used by athletes for many years and it's really caught on among active lifestyles over the past decade -- especially so among people who simply want to improve their health!

    Countless research studies validate the benefits of this strategy. In fact, a recent study at The New England Journal of Medicine proved that:

    • Eating 5-6 small meals a day boosts your body's basal metabolic rate (BMR). A higher basal metabolic rate means that your body's resting metabolism allows you to burn more fat, even while you are not exercising. By boosting your metabolism (BMR), you can be burning fat while driving your car and even while sleeping!
    • Eating 5-6 small meals a day improves protein utilization and muscle growth.
    • Eating 5-6 small meals a day reduces insulin levels. Insulin plays a very important role in fat metabolism by increasing the uptake of fat from the bloodstream and into body cells. When insulin levels are low, your body is less likely to convert calories into body fat.

    How am I supposed to eat 5-6 meals a day, isn't that a lot?

    • Not necessarily, because you are basically dividing your traditional three large meals by half; thus, the 5-6 meals contain the same total amount of food.
    • Plus, when we refer to meals, think of them as mini-meals, because that's what they are essentially. For example, a meal can be an apple and a protein shake made up of one serving of our Whey™ protein. Another example of a meal could be a small bowl of oatmeal mixed with our SoyProtein powder, and yet another example of a meal is a 2 egg omelette with fruit.
    • There are also active nutrition supplements that can be considered a meal replacement because they include all the essentials of a full balanced meal: protein, carbohydrates, good fat, vitamins, and minerals. Such supplements include our Mammoth 2500™!

    As you can see, having a nutrient-rich meal has never been easier. The convenience of supplements allows you to create nutritious meals in seconds.

    Why should I be interested in InterActive Nutrition products?

    Active Nutrition Supplements take the guess work out of basic proper nutrition

    • Help you fuel your body on a consistent basis, day in and day out, with high quality nutrients that are rich in protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats and vitamins.
    • Help make up for any deficiencies in your diet
    • Are especially beneficial for those who are not used to, or have difficulty, eating frequently throughout the day.

    Active Nutrition Supplements are Fast food for fitness and healthy living

    • Simply a convenient way to get the best nutrients that nature has to offer. For example you can turn a bowl of oatmeal in to a high protein meal, simply by mixing a scoop of quality protein into it, such as ISOWhey™.
    • No time for cooking or preparing meals. You can get all the benefits of a full meal, by mixing a powdered meal replacement in a shaker, such as Mammoth 2500™.

    Active Nutrition Supplements give you an edge on performance

    • Naturally boost performance for just about any activity that requires, strength, speed endurance, to name a few, without any harmful side-effects

    Active Nutrition Supplements are NOT MIRACLES!!

    Do not expect any supplement to compensate for:

    • Lack of proper nutrition planning, which is a combination of wholesome and nutritious foods at the right times
    • Lack of proper exercise and rest
    • Lack of a goal specific supplement strategy

    Do I have to use InterActive Nutrition products?

    The answer is frankly no. Supplements are not essential, but they can certainly help make up any deficiencies you may have in your nutrition program, enhance your results and accelerate progress, with convenience. If you are able to eat 5-6 wholesome, organic and nutritionally balanced meals every day and at the right times, then you don't need supplements.

    What's the history of InterActive Nutrition products?

    • Known traditionally as sports supplements, these products had their origins in gyms back in the early 50s to help bodybuilders get more protein to build muscle. They have certainly evolved since then and have been embraced by the public as beneficial to living an active and healthy life.
    • Active Nutrition supplements are a common item on the shelves of today's health food retailers, pharmacies and even grocery stores.

    Who uses InterActive Nutrition products?

    Just about everybody can benefit from the use of supplements. No longer are they used exclusively by athletes and bodybuilders. Due to their many benefits, Active Nutrition supplements are used by:

    • Business men and women who seek to stay in top physical shape, in order to succeed in the business world
    • Seniors who want to stay healthy throughout their golden years
    • All athletes, ranging from endurance and strength to improve performance
    • Weekend warriors to play harder
    • Bodybuilders to sculpt their physiques
    • Fitness Models to tone their bodies to perfection
    • Active people who are on the go but who want to ensure optimal nutrition
    • Hospitals use active nutrition supplements such as Whey Protein™ in their IV solutions and in their treatment of HIV burnt victims.

    What are the different types of InterActive Nutriton products?

    There are many different types of Active Nutrition Supplements, but they can be categorized under three levels: Foundation, Level I and Level II.

    Foundation supplements

    These supplements help you meet your daily requirement of nutrients necessary for healthy living and for achieving your health goals.

    • They help you build the foundation for your nutrition program that may be lacking from real foods.
    • These supplements include meal replacements shakes and bars, which help to ensure that you are fueling your body with quality carbohydrates, protein, healthy fat, minerals and vitamins.

    InterACTVE Nutrition supplements that are considered Foundation supplements include:

    • Mammoth 2500™
    • Lean Gainer™
    • Any of our Protein supplements when combined with other real foods or on their own to help meet and or exceed daily protein requirements and goal specific nutrition programs.

    Level I Active Nutrition Supplements

    Once you have a solid nutrition foundation, Level I supplements can help you build upon it to reach a higher level of performance.

    • Level I supplements help supply the body with a particular nutrient that is in low supply or not in optimal levels to gain any performance benefits.
    • These supplements include for example, creatine, glutamine, and essential fatty acids.

    InterACTVE Nutrition supplements that are considered Level I Active Nutrition Supplements:

    Level II Active Nutrition Supplements

    These supplements are designed to reach maximum levels of performance and gains. They should be considered once you have established a foundation and are looking for an added edge beyond those that Level I can provide on their own.

     

    What's the biggest dieting mistake that most people looking to lose weight make?

    Quite simply the absolute biggest mistake that anyone looking at losing "fat" weight (not healthy muscle weight) could make is NOT EATING ENOUGH! The misconception is that eating food is going to make them fat or prevent them from losing weight (the exception is of course junk food), when in fact the real enemy is not food but lack of it!

    When you're body is hungry, it's telling you that it needs food for energy. If you deprive it of healthy food, then it will hold on to any fat in the body as a defense mechanism from starvation. By eating good foods and in small portions through out the day, and not going hungry, you actually speed up your body's ability to burn fat.

    The lesson to be learnt is that if you are hungry, eat, but eat good wholesome and nutritious foods along with the appropriate active nutrition supplements to achieve a balanced nutrition program!

    How can I reduce my craving for sweet foods?

    The reason why your body is craving sweets is because it needs energy and it knows that sweets can satisfy energy levels quickly. The key to reducing cravings for sweets is to keep steady blood sugar levels stable. You can do this by eating small meals throughout the day.

    By eating small portions of food every 2½ - 3 hours you will keep from getting hungry and prevent the urge to reach out for something sweet! If you find yourself hungry, reach for an apple, yogurt, or a glass of milk mixed with some flavored protein such as one of our delicious ISOWhey™,or Absolute Soy™ proteins.

    How can I control late night food cravings?

    If you find yourself binging and craving food late at night, it's a clear sign that you're likely not eating enough during the day. By not eating throughout the day, a drop in blood sugar levels occurs which leads to hunger at night.

    We suggest that you eat during the day and in the evening do your best to eat a meal that is rich in fiber. A great idea is to include fibrous vegetables with your supper, or a large green salad. The fiber in such foods will help you from feeling hungry later at night and helps to keep blood sugar levels stable.

    Carbohydrate Basics

    Carbohydrate Basics

    Carbohydrate Basics

    Our body's preferred source of energy are carbohydrates, and as such they must be a major component in a successful nutrition program. Our muscle and other tissues rely heavily on a continued supply of carbohydrates to satisfy immediate and long-term energy demands.

    Carbohydrates come in three categories:

    • Simple carbohydrates:
      • Monosaccharides - naturally occurring sugars found in all kinds of fruits and from honey.
      • Disaccharides - processed sugar found in man made sugar such as table sugar.
    • Complex carbohydrates:
      • Polysaccharides - complex carbohydrates found in rice, yams, green beans.

    The key difference between these types of carbohydrates is the rate at which they are converted to energy. Simple carbohydrates are converted at a quick rate and make a great source of short term energy, such as during post exercise recovery.

    On the other hand, complex carbohydrates are converted at a slower rate which make them ideal for prolonged energy demands, such as throughout the day.

    How do carbohydrates work?

    • All carbohydrates must be broken down to glucose, so the body can use them as energy. This process is called digestion.
    • Simple carbohydrates are absorbed rapidly from the small intestine into the blood stream where they travel to be used as a source of energy by cells.
    • Complex carbohydrates, because of their more complex molecular structures, have to be broken apart by digestion in the small intestine, in order to be converted into glucose. Because of this they take longer to digest and thus provide a more sustained release of energy.

    What is the Glycemic index?

    The glycemic index (GI) of food is a ranking of foods based on their immediate effect on blood glucose levels. The GI ranks a food on a scale from 0 to 100.

    Simple carbohydrate foods:

    • Have the highest glycemic index rating between 60 - 100, because they break down quickly during digestion, releasing glucose quickly into the blood stream.
    • High-GI foods produce a great surge of in insulin by the body, in an attempt to control blood glucose levels.

    Complex carbohydrate foods:

    • Have a low glycemic index rating, below 60, because they break down slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream.
    • Produce gradual rises in insulin and glucose levels
    • Tend to be unprocessed, high in fiber and include whole foods such as vegetables, legumes and whole grains. Maltodextrins are also a form of complex carbohydrates.

    When should I eat simple and complex carbohydrates?

    By selecting the type and timing of which carbohydrates you eat and when you eat them, you can have a significant control over your gains or lack of.

    Below are some general guidelines regarding when to eat simple and complex carbohydrates.

    Eat simple carbohydrates right after exercise:

    • The 2— to 3 hours right after exercise is the best time to consume simple carbohydrates (high GI foods), as they quickly boost blood sugar and insulin levels, helping your body to absorb foods to help it replenish glycogen levels and muscle building nutrients.
    • Consuming simple carbohydrates (high GI foods) with quality whey proteins such as IsoWhey™, or Whey™, in the 2½ - 3-hours after training stimulates insulin production even further. Not to mention an enhanced protein absorption which contributes to major gains in muscle and recovery!
    • You may also want to supplement with InterACTIVE MicroCreatine™ at this time, as research shows that creatine absorption is enhanced after training. Be sure to consume your creatine with a high glycemic simple carbohydrate such as grape juice for optimal benefits.

    Eat complex carbohydrates before and after the 2½ - 3 hours after training:

    • Complex carbohydrates maintain the optimal muscle building environment by ensuring blood glucose and insulin levels stay within the low range. This helps to keep energy levels steady throughout the day, preventing cravings and helping to burn fat.
    • InterACTIVE Nutrition products that contain complex carbohydrates include Mammoth 2500™, Lean Gainer™

    Protein Basics

    What is Protein?

    • Protein is used to restore and repair all tissue structures, build up muscles, and is the key to such bodily functions as the production of cells and hormones. Eating too little protein, however, can severely limit your muscle gains and weaken your immune system, because the body will always use protein to first repair and build all other tissue and for hormone production, before it uses it on muscle tissue. In fact, when inadequate protein levels are in a diet, the body will use protein from muscle tissue to perform body functions where protein is needed.
    • There are 20 different amino acids used in the construction of protein; nine of these must come from food because they cannot be produced inside the body.

    Sources of protein

    • Beef: sirloin steaks, veal, horse, goat, ground beef
    • Poultry: chicken, turkey, game
    • Fish: Tuna, salmon, trout, halibut, herring
    • Dairy: Milk, cheeses, casein
    • Tofu

    • Whey protein
      InterACTIVE Nutrition supplements that contain whey:

    • Vegetable Protein
      InterACTIVE Nutrition supplements that contain Vegetarian protein:

    • Rice protein
      InterACTIVE Nutrition supplements that contain Rice protein:

    • Soy protein
      InterACTIVE Nutrition supplements that contain Soy protein:

    How much protein do I need?

    People who are highly active in physical activity are breaking down muscle at a much higher rate than a sedentary person and need to consume much more protein in order to maintain and to build new muscle.

    Active individuals

    • A good rule of thumb for Active Individuals is to consume a MINIMUM of between 0.8 - 1 gram of protein per pound of lean bodyweight*
    • If you are active and you are looking to truly build extra muscle then you should consume a MINIMUM of 1 - 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean bodyweight*
    • Be sure to consume protein from high quality protein sources.
    • A great way to help you achieve your daily protein intake is by making up the difference of protein from your regular food with a protein rich shake made from one of our protein powders. Try our whey , soy, and vegetarian protein formulations.

    Sedentary individuals

    The minimum amount of protein that non active individuals should consume per day, in order to maintain healthy muscle and bodily function is 0.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body weight*.

    * Lean body weight refers to the amount of lean tissue in your body. A good healthcare provider and many fitness centers can help you calculate your lean body weight, which is your weight without any fat.

    Fat Basics

    What are Good Fats and Bad Fats?

    Fat is a concentrated source of energy. This source of energy is very useful during aerobic exercise. The longer the exercise, the higher the fat contribution for providing energy.

    Fat is particularly used in large quantities in the brain and nervous system. There are two types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. Unsaturated fats are commonly referred to as "good" fats, and should make up the greatest percentage of your fat intake.

    UNSATURATED

    • Unsaturated fats, "good fats" are liquid at room temperature, and remain in liquid form even when refrigerated or frozen.
    • Good fats are part of the essential fats: omega 3 and omega 6, both of which are unsaturated fats.

    What are Essential Fats, also known as EFAs?

    • Scientists have coined these special fats essential, because the body must have them to survive and to function properly, but it cannot synthesize them from foods we eat, so direct supplementation is important.
    • Alternatively, non-essential fats are coined so, because the body has the ability to produce them from foods. These include, other fats such as omega 9 (monounsaturated), omega 7, and saturated fat.

    Where do Essential Fats come from?

    Sources of Omega 3 and Omega 6 essential fats:

    • Cold Water fish such as Salmon (coho, king and pink), sardines, cod, albacore tuna, trout, halibut , herring. (these fish are also a great source of Omega 6, but are predominantly richer in Omega 3).
    • Flaxseeds and green leafy vegetables are great sources of Omega 3.
    • Sesame and sunflower seeds and other seeds and nuts are great sources of Omega 6.
    • Borage oil and evening primrose oil are rich sources of GLA which is part of the Omega 6 essential fats.

    How can I benefit from Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)?

    Numerous research studies validate the importance of consuming EFAs for optimal health and performance for active lifestyles and for general optimal health. Here are just a few key reasons why you must consider them in your success strategy!

    • Believe it or not but EFAs can actually boost thermogenesis, by helping your body turn up it's metabolism and boost its ability to use unwanted body fat for energy.
    • EFAs also help to suppress appetite, thereby aiding in weight loss.
    • EFAs Help to block the genes that produce fat in the body.
    • EFAs can help you build muscle, by enhancing the anabolic environment and preventing muscle break down (catabolism).
    • They can help you recover faster from your exercise and help boost energy.
    • EFAs (especially omega 3) lower abnormally high levels of blood pressure and riglycerides.
    • For Women, studies indicate that Omega 6 (GLA) and particularly Omega3 fats help to ease premenstrual syndrome.

    How much should EFAs should I take a day?

    Research indicates that a healthy dose is around 2 tablespoons a day, but you may need to consume more. A good sign to tell that you're taking enough EFAs is when your skin becomes silky and smooth. A sign that you are taking too much is if you begin to experience a leaky gut.

    What is MCT Oil?

    MCT oil is a unique performance fat, which is particularly interesting because, when it is metabolised in the body, it behaves like a carbohydrate as opposed to a fat. It has been used by athletes who need extra energy in their diets. MCT oil is rapidly burned for energy, much like a carbohydrate.

    • MCT oil is a great source of energy, it's converted into energy much faster than regular oils.
    • Little MCT oil gets stored in fat cells.
    • MCTs may enhance growth hormone release.
    • MCTs are a great way to benefit from extra calories in a diet, particularly for those who have difficulty putting on and maintaining weight. This is whey MCTs can be found in Mammoth 2500™ and our Lean Gainer™ products.

    SATURATED FATS

    Saturated fats contain large amounts of saturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids are named so, because they are "saturated" with hydrogen, meaning they have only single bonds between carbon atoms, leaving no room in their chemical structure for additional hydrogen atoms. Saturated fats are typically solid at room temperature.

    Varieties of Saturated fat include:

    Butter, coconut and palm oils and lard.