SSP Success Story: The Secret Resides in the Spine

Name: Brian Heller

Age: 47

Location: North Bergen, NJ

Occupation: Chiropractor 

How does someone your age remain so youthful? What’s your secret?

I’ve been working out since I was 15 years old. I’ve always been athletic, good at sports and actively weight training since that age. I’ve never had to address my diet for maintaining leanness until my mid to late 30s when my metabolism seemed to slow a bit. The fun can’t last forever, right? Then, I realized that I had to pay attention to my nutrition: One, for energy and two, to stay lean.

I realized that if I portion my meals, if I stay relatively low carb, time my meals and make sure that I hydrate, I was able to get back to the leanness that I was used to in my 20s. Then, I actually discovered how to fine tune. Manipulating some factors like meal size, meal timing, salt intake and hydration made all the difference. Only at the very edge of my training to compete did I actually start to exclude fat for leanness. I wanted to just have the nutrients in my vegetables, the small amount of complex carbs along with my protein, without the added calories of fat – and that's just the last two weeks before competition. Generally, it’s important to ingest fat. I also realized that if I replaced table salt for Himalayan sea salt, my body didn't retain water the same as ordinary table salt. So, these factors discovered throughout the process became a game changer for me.

Growing up, what were you like athletically?

I was a competitive sprinter in public school in Brooklyn. Winning and medaling in the 100-yard dash got us to the Junior Olympics in Brooklyn in 1983 that was held in Midwood Field. I played in a basketball league for 3 seasons from age 11-13, but only scored 10 points combined. Not my sport, obviously. Interestingly, every sport I played intramurally or non-organized, I seemed to excel in. I was great at softball, volleyball and street hockey.

What made you passionate about Chiropractic care?

I looked at all the mainstream, western healthcare modalities and they all seemed to be reactive. They didn't have a place in healing until there was a problem. I learned that Chiropractic care helped people be healthy before there was a problem. I knew the body had an ability to heal itself naturally without drugs and surgery. The model of Chiropractic made perfect sense and it’s a simple model: The brain controls the body through the spinal nerves. If we maintain the integrity of the housing of the spinal nerves (your vertebral column) then the body has a great chance to be as healthy as it can be while also including other facets of health like nutrition, exercise, rest, and positive relationships.

Talk to me about your business.

I’ve been in private practice since 2001 specializing in posture and restorative chiropractic. I believe that proper structure dictates proper function. We have been providing some combination of Chiropractic along with Physical Therapy and Acupuncture since that time.

Talk to me about your accomplishments in Bodybuilding.

My girlfriend at the time, around 2013, competed in her first figure show and she was going to compete again in Florida since we had a planned a trip to Florida to visit my grandfather who was turning 98 (incidentally he's going to turn 102 this year). We went down to Hollywood, Florida where there was a Musclemania event in which she was going to compete, and she's like, “Why don't you just do it?” I reluctantly agreed. For 6 weeks, I trained hard. I won overall physique.

By the way, I thought I would be competing in the Master’s category (old guys). I ended up in a division with guys 27, 31, and 34 years old, and I beat them all. I’m proud of that. I actually wept (laughs).

Which SSP products do you use?

I’ve used PRE, POST, and LEAN MUSCLE MEAL.

What benefits have you noticed from the products?

I’ve dabbled in other products which were not WADA compliant and I’ve found that SSP is right up there with the intensity of those other products, which aren't regulated. From the first dosage during the first workout, I was hooked. It’s the real deal.

SSP is the only thing I recommend. I sometimes go back to other products and I don’t even notice I’m taking those, but I notice when I’m taking PRE.

Have you ever found yourself recommending SSP products?

Yes. My patients ask what I take when I work out. When I’m in the gym, people walk up to me and ask questions. The answer is always SSP. It’s always PRE. It’s a no brainer. You literally feel the results of the product in real time.

What message do you have for people entering a journey of health and wellness?

You could be eating a perfect diet. You could be working out the ultimate routine for your sport. You could be hydrating, getting proper sleep, and have the best relationships with your spouse, family and friends, but if the connection between your brain and the rest of your body is interfered with, you will never be all you can be: mentally, physically and spiritually.

“...Dr. Heller has consistently produced excellent results in people from all walks including numerous professional athletes, Broadway dancers and choreographers, fellow doctors, police officers, fire fighters, mommies, teachers, kids, and clergy. His professionalism with a touch of humor has made him an appreciated permanent fixture in Northern New Jersey. His approach incorporates a technical expertise acquired from delivering nearly 120,000 adjustments to human spines, a native endowment for art and sculpture, and a common sense perspective towards… What people need…”

Heller Wellness