Marcus Ettinger DC, BSc.
Chief Science Officer (CSO)
California Academy of Health
Almost on a daily basis In get an e-mail or asked, “what supplements do you take and why?” After 18 years of supplement formulation, having a large holistic medicine practice and studying just about every supplement on the planet I have narrowed it down to a few core products. This is the base to almost every nutritional program in my practice. When I came to California academy of Health I brought these core products so everyone could have them. Here are my core supplements and why I take them (this list is in order of importance). The statements below have not been evaluated by the FDA and are merely my personal thoughts and opinions. These statements are not meant as a substitute for seeking medical attention for a specific body problem.
Whey Protein Powder: Proteins are essential parts of all living organisms and participate in every process within our cells. Protein is also what makes up our muscles, immune system, internal organs, hair, nails, skin, and connective tissue. Whether your body resembles a brick house, stick house or straw house is determined by the level of protein in your body. When a client comes in for a consultation with weak nails, poor hair growth, a weak immune system, and/or low energy, I always know they are deficient in their intake of (quality) protein. I usually take one scoop a day (25gr. Protein) but two a day on the days I am working-out in the gym.
Liquid Power: This is my insurance policy! – all the vitamins, minerals, phyto-nutrients, antioxidants, and on and on…. I would need a to write a book to express all the reason why I feel a whole-food multi-vitamin and mineral supplement is so important. Liquid Power is 100% vegetarian, there are no stimulants; it contains no soy, corn, wheat, artificial colors or sweeteners. I give it to my two year old daughter, Maile, and she loves it.
Super Power Enzymes: Digestive enzymes produced by the pancreas and hydrochloric acid produced by the stomach begin to decrease with age, making it more difficult to digest and metabolize the nutrients (or lack of) from the food we eat. Mixing carbohydrates with proteins also make digestion more difficult. The solution is to support the body with a broad spectrum digestive aid. I have personally taken this product with 99.9% of every meal since 1993. Digestive enzymes are also a large component in alternative cancer treatments.
Ultra Supreme Greens: Again I would need a book to do this justice. Chlorophyll is a purification substance, it’s an alkalizing substance, it’s a natural body deodorizer – from the inside-out. In a nutshell acidic bodies are bad, they facilitate all forms of degenerative disease to form, progress, and spread. Alkaline bodies promote health and innate (from within) healing. Ultra Supreme Greens also contains many other beneficial phytonutrients and antioxidant components.
Lecithin Granules: Nervous (brain, nerves, and spinal chord ) and circulatory (in the blood) lecithin is produced by the liver if the diet is adequate. It is needed by every cell in the body and is a key building block of cell membranes; without it, they would harden. Lecithin protects cells from oxidation (oxidation is a bad thing – it’s what makes nails rust). The way I describe it to my clients is that without lecithin, as we age, our brain or skin goes from a soft juicy plum to a hard dry prune. That is one of the mechanisms behind Alzheimer’s – dehydration of the brain, but instead of water it’s phospholipids (Lecithin).
Ultra Omega 3, 6, 9: Essential fatty acids are not produced within our body, they must be obtained from dietary sources and our body can’t fight inflammation without them. Since the early part of the last century we have processed out almost all EFA’s from our food. Inflammation is one of the primary components of almost every disease (cancer, arthritis, autoimmune diseases, allergies, etc….) Vioxx, Celebrex, Prednisone, Voltaren, Sulfasalazine, Motrin, Aspirin, and many other prescription medications have done little to curb the tide of this epidemic. Only by adding EFA’s back to the diet will we as a society begin to see a decrease in inflammatory related diseases.
Lastly, Just because I take nutritional supplements doesn’t mean I can slack-off on my intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. My wife being a personal trainer and diet consultant makes sure we eat a low carbohydrate, low fat diet, high fruit and vegetable diet. I am 42.5 years of age, I have never had to take a medication and have not stepped foot in an MD’s office since I was 5. I attribute this to my nutritional supplements that I started taking at 19, eating a clean diet, and exercising daily.
Health is really something almost everyone can have. All one needs are the right ingredients, knowledgeable coaches, a goal, and putting in the effort to achieve that goal.
