Our ancestors got their critical nutrients from their diet. These days we don’t have that option. Our topsoil’s depleted, and our grocery stores are filled with food that’s been processed, denatured, and tweaked. To optimize your nutrition, along with eating well, you need to add other sources. Here are the supplements that I rely on.*
NEURO 1 I take Neuro 1 powder every day. Basically, it’s a brain supplement that works on your focus, short-term memory, and motivation. My friend Bill Romanowski, the former linebacker and four-time Super Bowl champ, developed it to help himself recover from numerous concussions. Working with doctors and scientists, he devel - oped a cutting-edge mix of vitamins, minerals, and brain-support nutrients like phosphatidylserine (a fatlike molecule that’s a key part of neuron membranes). Healthy neuron membranes are important: They’re what’s standing between you and dementia. And they’re highly vulnerable to wear and tear, something that all of us begin to notice as we age. Suddenly it’s no longer quite so easy to remember where we left the car keys.
CATIE’S ORGANIC GREENS If perfect health came in powder form, it would look exactly like this stuff. Catie’s is the real deal. One tablespoon equals seven servings of green vegetables in a form that your body can easily assimilate. Aside from delivering great nutrition, Catie’s helps balance your body’s pH levels. This is important because many diseases, including cancer, can only thrive in an acidic environment.
CATIE’S VITAMIN C PLUS This is the sibling of Catie’s Greens, but instead of vegetables, it mostly involves fruits. Along with what it does contain—a megadose of antioxidants (a class of vitamins that help heal cell damage)—I like this product for what it doesn’t: the synthetic chemicals and sugar that are added to many vitamin C powders.
COLLOIDAL SILVER Colloidal silver, a suspension of ultrafine silver particles in demineralized water, is a natural antibiotic and disinfectant. I use it to treat ear infections and for cleaning cuts—and unlike hydrogen peroxide, it kills bacteria, viruses, and fungi without harming enzymes or tissue. Some people take colloidal silver internally, but I only use it topically. Quality can vary; avoid brands that tell you to shake or refrigerate them. That means they contain additives or that the silver particles aren’t dispersed properly.
FRESH NONI Noni is a fruit that the Polynesians use to remedy everything from migraine headaches to diabetes to cancer. It contains a potent medicinal alkaloid called proxeronine, which helps damaged cells mend themselves. It’s also a blood purifier, an immune system booster, and a digestive stimulant, and it helps the body remove toxins. Unfortunately, noni smells like vomit and tastes absolutely vile. When you first take it, you break into a sweat instantly. If you can get past that, it’s unbelievably good for you.
UDO’S OILS I think people underestimate the importance of high-quality fats and oils in their diet. These fats are the basis for all cell activity—every system in your body needs them to operate, and your only way of getting them is through diet. The body doesn’t manufacture its own supply. I like Udo’s Omega 3-6-9 Oil because it’s made from the purest sources, and it contains the right ratios of omega-3 to omega-6.
MUSCLE MILK PROTEIN POWDER There’s no shortage of protein powders to choose from, but I like this brand because it’s easy to digest. After that it’s my usual criterion: zero or minimal added sugar; the highest-quality ingredients balanced in the right ratios; easily absorbed by the body; no chemicals or fillers.
*Full disclosure: I have no financial interest in any of these products, and where there’s any kind of relationship, I say so. With supplements, as with anything else, there’s a sliding scale of quality. The bottom line is that, for me at least, these work.