Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with David Getoff, Naturopath and Clinical Nutritionist based in El Cajon, CA, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is very simple and very complex. It is helping my patients improve their health. My customers include anyone wanting to improve their health without drugs.
Tell us about yourself
I got into traditional naturopathy and clinical nutrition in what some people refer to as bass-ackwards. I had not studied nutrition or medicine in college and did not decide to go back to get an accredited bachelor of science degree in nutrition until 1995, when I was 43 years old. Even then, it was only after investigating the many different nutrition credentials to determine which had the most meaning.
I had already learned from many holistic MDs and PhDs that registered dieticians (RDs) were still being taught a great deal of incorrect information due to their organization being funded by big business and big pharma, and the fast-food industry so I did not want to get that credential. After determining that the credential I wanted was a board certification in clinical nutrition (CCN) from the clinical nutrition certification board in Texas, I phoned them to see what was required. When I learned that one of the requirements was a regionally accredited bachelor’s degree, preferably in nutrition, I decided to go back to school. I received my degree in 1999, and only then was I allowed to take their five-hour exam, which I passed, to get my CCN credential.
I continually spent thousands of dollars every year attending holistic medical conferences, clinical nutrition conferences, 3 to 5 day seminars from top holistic physicians such as Jonathan V. Wright MD, and top medical herbalists like Amanda McQuade Crawford. I also took multi-year training in various fields, such as German biological medicine with Dr. Thomas Rau and a three-year homeopathy program from the Homeopathic Academy of Southern California.
Because my knowledge far surpassed simply clinical nutrition, I phoned the attorney for the California business and profession office to ask what words I could use and found out that I could call myself a naturopath as long as I didn’t call myself a doctor or use any initials which would have represented that I was a doctor. Since doctors are the professionals who were not able to help those who were coming to me for my assistance, I didn’t want that title anyway.
Since the field of naturopathy much more accurately represented all the many fields I was trained in, I have been using that word ever since, even though I never attended any of the naturopathic “medical” schools. However, I was flown in to give an all-day lecture at one of them. Although I continue to attend many conferences, many of them, and a holistic dental school in New Jersey, now pay me to lecture at their venues, so I get to attend these for free.
More recently, one of my favorite organizations, Low Carb USA, developed a credential of MHP for the metabolic health practitioner. I completed all of their requirements and added that to the ones I already have attained. What makes me different from all the other health practitioners I have met over my 29 years in practice is two things, at the very least.
The first is that I have never met a single other practitioner who pays to attend multiple scientific conferences and seminars every year. They all tell me either they can’t afford the time off (I am self-employed, so I can take whatever time off I need to be the best), or they say they wouldn’t learn anything important enough to spend the thousands of dollars. How can you know that unless they attend a few every year? I have never attended a conference where I did not learn something that was worthwhile.
The second major difference is how I personalize my work to each person. There is an energy technique called applied kinesiology (common name muscle testing) which, when done properly, which is all too rare, can divulge information that is not accessible any other way. As a simple example, I carry seven vitamin C products, five vitamin D products, four magnesium products, four liver support, four kidney support products, etc. I never know which will be best for each individual until I test them for each one. I have yet to meet another medical practitioner in any field who customizes this way unless I trained them.
There was a time I've had to pivot. In July of 2021, I began feeling out of breath from walking a few steps. This story could fill a book, but I will shorten it here. I ran some blood tests and found that I was critically low in many values, such as red and white blood cells, hematocrit, etc. I stupidly continued to work, thinking that I really needed to investigate what was going on with me but not doing much until I passed out twice and my wife called 911. I ended up in Scripps Mercy hospital and after numerous tests, scans, and a bone marrow biopsy, a very nice and highly respected oncologist, Marin Feldman Xavier, told me that I had Acute Myeloid Leukemia.
One of the websites on different forms of leukemia that I looked at had- “AML is also the most critical because it progresses rapidly.” Dr. Xavier made it clear that in my age group (I was 69 then), it was incurable and that I likely had two months to a year but that maybe if I was extremely lucky, I might last two years. I spent 29 days in the hospital, which was an experience I would not wish to repeat. My wife brought me my dinner every night, so I didn’t have to eat the hospital food and a thermos of my raw grass-fed double-fat whole milk. For breakfast, I ordered a large omelet with added spinach, bacon, peppers, onions, and mushroom to hold me till she brought my dinner and my 35 or so supplements.
When I was released, I had a friend come over to my home so that I could do the muscle testing I mentioned previously to see what additional immune-enhancing supplements I needed to add to my regimen, and that upped it from about 35 to 70 pills per day. I gained strength and stamina far more rapidly than the physical therapist or nurse had ever seen before, and when they did the 2nd bone marrow biopsy, the leukemia results had reduced by over 90%, which my oncologist had never seen before, simply proving that what I do works when I do it on myself just as well as when I do it on those who come to me for my help. I needed a method to inform my friends, family, and patients of how I was doing, so I had my webmaster put a “David’s Health Updates” on my home page.
Every time I felt better enough that I wanted to tell people, I recorded an MP3 and had him add it to that area. Anyone who wants to follow what happened to me can listen to all of these recordings, in date order, as they are still there. I was also interviewed for the Finding Genius podcast, and that is there as well. For the first four-plus months, I went in every few weeks for a five-day anti-leukemia infusion of Decitabine and took 3 Vanclexta pills after dinner. As I got better and better, the infusions were spread much further apart til I told Dr. Xavier soon after Valentine's day 2022 that I felt 100% normal and was stopping both drugs.
As I write this in May of 2022, I have been off all drugs for over two months, and I feel fantastic. I’m playing pickleball for two hours every Sunday without ever being out of breath, and life is good. I have reopened my practice, and it’s great to once again be helping others. I am convinced, with how well I eat and the supplements I take, that I must simply have not been doing as much detoxification as my body required, and so my immune system dropped low enough to get leukemia.
Leukemia (and lymphoma) seem to be the most related to toxic overload, although the body's burden of toxic chemicals is part of the cause of all cancers. I continue to take many more immune-boosting supplements than before the leukemia, and I will continue to do more detoxing so as not ever to get this or any other form of cancer again. My goal is to foul up my oncologists mortality statistics as my health continues to remain excellent so I can reach my goal of at least a healthy 100+.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I would have to say that it is remaining booked up without advertising for 30 years.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
For me, since every time I tried hiring someone to help me, they made things worse. My hardest thing is that I do EVERYTHING myself.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
You might consider not doing it.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://naturopath4you.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DavidGetoffTheDetoxProfessor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DetoxProfessor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-getoff-a4656833/
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