January 24, 2011
It's Monday morning and I've just gotten into the office. I was dealing with a virus over the weekend so I didn't actually watch any of the news reports. However, one of the first text messages that I received this morning contained the news that Jack LaLanne had passed on.
In my mind one of the last great naturalists, Jack Lalanne’s impact on health and fitness will live on far past his death. Through the wonder of television the Jack LaLanne Show touched the lives of millions of Americans. His message was a simple one involving exercise and proper nutrition. The "King of Fitness" showed us how we could live a healthier, happier and longer life through better living.
Although most people view Jack LaLanne's life's message more from an exercise and muscular fitness perspective, I see the underlying message as far more than that. Fitness, yes, but nutrition as well!
On the radio show section of the Ask Dr. Ron website there is a page dedicated to Jack LaLanne. I had the honor of interviewing him shortly after his 94th birthday, which for me was one of those life events that occur with distinct rarity.
Jack LaLanne was one of my boyhood heroes. Although I've struggled with my health from an early age, it never stopped me from putting my best into it and looking for the secrets to health and wellness. The exercise that Jack promoted was an obvious plus to a healthy life. Along with it though was also a tremendous amount of nutritional information. The nutrition that Jack talked about was something that he attributed to the man who inspired him, Dr. Paul Bragg.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Dr. Bragg he also was a proponent of exercise and good eating. Dr. Bragg is considered one of the first American naturalists and health enthusiasts and was part of the California health and nutrition movement of the early 1900s. Apparently the nutritional concepts that Paul Bragg and Jack recommended were radical for the time but have since started to move into the American mainstream.
Looking back, I am sure that many people simply ignored Jack's nutritional concepts but were very open to his exercise routines. Jack was one of the first people to talk about white sugar, raw foods, and the concept of vitality being the result of eating vital live foods. Indeed, one of the secrets to Jack's long and healthy life was raw, enzyme rich foods. Jack would say, "if God made - it eat it, if God didn't make it - leave it alone”!
Here is the link to the Jack LaLanne page on the Ask Dr. Ron website containing video clips as well as the interview that I did with Jack back in 2008. http://cherubhealth.com/jack_lalanne
In closing, my heartfelt sympathies go out to Jack's wife Elaine who has also been a tireless worker for the cause of health and fitness as well as a dynamic life partner to The King of Fitness, Mr. Jack LaLanne.
Jack LaLanne: 1914 – 2011
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