by Clint Fuqua, The Health Engineer IV Hook-up
Pills, potions and powders
There are pills, potions, and powders for every want and need you can imagine and marketing geniuses creating ads for those you haven’t imagined yet. The media inundates us constantly with sales pitches disguised as information so well-written even the most knowledgeable of us don’t realize they may actually be fiction. A product packaged with a page of eloquent research reviews with models in white coats on an infomercial or featured on a popular program, gives just enough information to make you buy.
Throughout history, every civilization used nutritional supplements for the same reasons we now use them; to prevent disease or cure disease, increase performance, improve body image, etc. For this reason, clinics use Ancient traditional institutions like Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic (Indian) Medicine as the basis for many supplements and treatment protocols. Their methods incorporate using parts of plants for extracts and how to administer these extracts. Greek athletes and warriors constantly ingested plant and animal extracts to increase virility and performance in the ring and on the battlefield.
Nutritional supplements explained
Nutritional supplements are just that, supplements. Nutrients come from the ground. We use herbs to season our food, and plant and animal life surrounding us for food, energy, and clothing. These nutrients are small pieces derived from whole substances and not intended to replace these whole substances. More appropriately, people may use them to fill dietary gaps of nutrient supply due to the lack of available food or to enhance the effects of nutrient dense food. Keep in mind that no matter the quality or quantity of supplements you take they will never add up to the whole substances from which they are derived.
We find vitamins and minerals in hard pill, powder, and liquid forms. Which provides the most benefit? That question does not have an easy answer as each has benefits and drawbacks. It really comes down to what a person needs. Let me illustrate this with a few client stories.
Client stories
Donna is a relatively healthy woman in her early 50’s. She is relatively healthy, but has but has allergy (food/pollen) issues and wants to shed a few pounds. She does not like needles and can’t swallow hard pills, but needs more micro-nutrients to help improve her health. Powder and liquid vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and probiotics proved the best choices for Donna. After adding the recommended powder and liquid nutrients daily for a year, without making significant changes to her food intake, she no longer had allergy issues She can now enjoy concerts or even gardening outdoors without the risk of allergy attacks – and, she fits in her favorite clothes once buried in the back of her closet.
Don, an active guy in his early 60’s still competes in track events but feels his age more now than when younger. He is on a very rigorous nutrition program consisting of both food and vitamins, but they are not enough to cover his needs. He began using a combination of lifestyle shots for endurance and hormone stabilization during training; quickly, he regained the performance he enjoyed several decades before. These shots were just what he needed to add to an already very good program to provide an immediate boost in blood levels of needed nutrients.
Pam is in her late 50’s and recovering from several health issues including digestive and thyroid problems. She was unable to efficiently digest nutrients and disliked taking pills. As a result, she wasn’t utilizing her medications effectively. She started two IV’s a month along with a combination of shots to directly get nutrients into her body as her gut issues resolved. She now feels more energetic and better able to handle her daily job related stress.
The bottom line
These stories each illustrate one basic truth. The best way to obtain necessary nutrients is the one specifically customized for the individual and their specific situation. Both pure pharmaceutical grade powder vitamins or injectibles are good options for use in either shots or IVs as needed. The bigger question is exactly how much of which nutrients you need to live your best life.
Disclosure: This article is not intended as medical advice. The opinions expressly belong to the author, Clint Fuqua. 50Plus-Today seeks to share opinions from a wide variety of professionals in an unbiased manner: it is the responsibility of the consumer to educate themselves and make their own health care decisions. Consult your physician before incorporating any new therapies into your wellness program.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Clint Fuqua “The Health Engineer” is a highly sought after Certified Health Coach and Personal Trainer in North Dallas. He has specialized training in the areas of corporate wellness, personalized nutrition, and exercise biomechanics with over two decades of wellness industry experience. He has been an executive and formulation specialist for a nutritional supplement company, Personal Training Certification Instructor, and the Strength and Conditioning Director for the Dallas Heroes Basketball Academy.
Clint has created programs for athletes, small businesses, and many people just like you, wanting to improve their health. Clint previously hosted the nationally syndicated “Personal Health Care Reform” Talk Show and now hosts “The Health Engineer Show”. Clint has published several books, written for multiple publications, and works with private clients to help everyone learn the best ways to get and stay independently healthy for life.
Leslie Farin is the Publisher and Founder of 50PlusToday. She is an experienced communications and marketing professional passionate about working with older adults and their families. She works with a team of writers to provide essential and cutting-edge information related to the 50Plus community.
