Wednesday 23 March 2011

Who wants a new body?

'The food you eat today is the body you wear tomorrow'

This was a quote I heard today from Jack LaLanne that I really liked as a way of emphasizing how important proper nutrition is.

This isn't just a catchy quote, it's also true - your body's cells are constantly being broken down and replaced - over 3 months you will fully replace a muscle and over a year you will replace all the cells in your body, so you really can rebuild your body, and if you choose to change your diet you can rebuild your body to be a healthier body that the one you have right now.

Jack, who lived to 97 from 1914 to January of this year, was a health expert before his time. A bodybuilder and fitness and nutrition expert from the US, Jack was a very early proponent for the importance of regular exercise and healthy eating, opening one of the earliest gyms in the US in 1936. He was also particularly vocal in the importance of regular exercise in the elderly to maintain strength and muscle mass.  Arnold Schwarzenegger called him an inspiration and appointed him to his Governor's Council on Physical Fitness.

What was so great about Jack was his sheer enthusiasm and belief that he could make America a better place by getting its citizens to take care of their bodies through proper nutrition and exercise.  

If you've got 3 minutes to spare watch this clip from The Jack LaLanne show which ran from 1951 to 1985 and which I think captures perfectly why eating well and exercising regularly is so important, regardless of whether or not you need to lose weight.



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