Not long after John and I moved to Los Angeles, we encountered Jack LaLanne at our favorite Greek restaurant, Le Petit Greek Estiatorio. No, he did not look like this when we saw him ... but here's what he looked like at the height of his career.
Star sightings are not unusual where we live, but what was unusual is he came over to our table to visit with us. I promise, we did not prompt him to come over.
John, being his ever so shy self, put his journalism cap on and asked Jack, "what was the best age of your life?" The evening of our visit with him, we estimated he was in his early 90's. He did not blink. The answer was easy. He replied, "Right now!"
Long before it was fashionable to be "healthy," Mr. LaLanne became famous through his fitness and nutritional TV shows thanks to the golden age of television. Many thought, back in the day, he was a charlatan and a nut. Doctors claimed what he was doing could give people heart attacks and make them lose their sex drives.
Motivated by his father's premature death at the age of 58 most likely due to poor nutrition, young Jack recognized the sugary junk food he had been living on up to that point contributed to his own terrible headaches, an awful complexion and a horrid temper. It all became clear when he witnessed a lecture from Paul Bragg, a pioneer in the wellness movement. Paul delivered a speech on the evil aspects of overdoing on meat and sugar. Following that light bulb moment, Jack has always credited Paul for saving his own life.
If you watched TV anytime between 1953 and 1985, you probably remember Jack LaLanne's persona well.
When he first started appeared on television, he actually had to buy a 15 minute block because no one could imagine viewers would want to watch exercise. A few years later the show was picked up on the ABC network evolving to a 30 minute daily program. I can honestly relay, that guy you saw on TV was exactly the same guy in person.
Here's the lessons I took away. Those who believe the best years are behind them, may be blinded to the joys of today. I also learned those who are ahead of their time are often ridiculed. Keep an open mind to new ideas and we can perhaps evolve. Of all the star sightings we've had, he was one of our favorites. A few years later, he passed away to his great chagrin.
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| Courtesy Wikipedia |
John, being his ever so shy self, put his journalism cap on and asked Jack, "what was the best age of your life?" The evening of our visit with him, we estimated he was in his early 90's. He did not blink. The answer was easy. He replied, "Right now!"
Long before it was fashionable to be "healthy," Mr. LaLanne became famous through his fitness and nutritional TV shows thanks to the golden age of television. Many thought, back in the day, he was a charlatan and a nut. Doctors claimed what he was doing could give people heart attacks and make them lose their sex drives.
Motivated by his father's premature death at the age of 58 most likely due to poor nutrition, young Jack recognized the sugary junk food he had been living on up to that point contributed to his own terrible headaches, an awful complexion and a horrid temper. It all became clear when he witnessed a lecture from Paul Bragg, a pioneer in the wellness movement. Paul delivered a speech on the evil aspects of overdoing on meat and sugar. Following that light bulb moment, Jack has always credited Paul for saving his own life.
If you watched TV anytime between 1953 and 1985, you probably remember Jack LaLanne's persona well.
When he first started appeared on television, he actually had to buy a 15 minute block because no one could imagine viewers would want to watch exercise. A few years later the show was picked up on the ABC network evolving to a 30 minute daily program. I can honestly relay, that guy you saw on TV was exactly the same guy in person.
Here's the lessons I took away. Those who believe the best years are behind them, may be blinded to the joys of today. I also learned those who are ahead of their time are often ridiculed. Keep an open mind to new ideas and we can perhaps evolve. Of all the star sightings we've had, he was one of our favorites. A few years later, he passed away to his great chagrin.
"I'd hate to die, it would ruin my image. "
Jack LaLanne September 26, 1914 - January 23, 2011
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