Squeezing the Zest out of Life: 5 Things I Learned from Gary Null
Let me introduce you to a man who has his Ph.D. in human nutrition and public health science. He has authored over 90 books on the subjects of health, aging and beauty, nutrition and politics. He has directed over 20 award-winning documentaries. He has hosted his own talk show for the past 33 years and he owns a line of health-boosting products. Oh yes, did I mention he sleeps only 4 hours a night!? I’m sure you must have figured that a man that busy didn’t get much sleep. Who is this man? His name is Gary Null and for 35 years he has been one of the foremost voices in the health movement. Not only has he spent his life passing on his knowledge to us, but he also passed it on to his daughter, Shelly Null. Shelly has written multiple cookbooks herself, including one for children. Gary has instilled in her a focus and appreciation for health that has found its way into every facet of their lives.
Gary Null not only has his health under control, but his life as well. Gary shares so much inspiration with us, from how we should choose our food, to how we should live our lives. He has so much to teach and here are just a few of his pieces of sage advice that can help you truly live a happy, healthy and well-rounded life:
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Our Health is Key
Gary has dedicated his entire life to being healthy and helping others to do the same. This quest for health has completely taken over his life. He has talked about it, written about it and made movies about it. He must think this is truly important to be focusing so much of his attention on it. If we learn anything from Gary Null, it should be that health is something we should steadfastly focus on. Of course you or I don’t need to focus our life’s efforts on it, but it is a lifetime focus. What does that mean? It means that while we don’t need to let the world revolve around our health efforts, staying healthy is something that we should spend our entire lives trying to maintain. Is there really anything more important than your health? You can lose your job, you can lose your house, you can lose your lover, but it won’t be until you lose your health that you truly find yourself in risk of losing something that you may not be able to be put back together.
Gary understands this. The man is nearing 70 years old and showing no signs of slowing down. Because he has such a handle on all things in health, he wants to share that with others. He wants us to take our health into our own hands so that he can see us live long and healthy lives. Who would complain about a request like that?
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Keep it Natural
Being very well acquainted with all things health, Gary knows that there is more to well-being than fruits and vegetables. Making good food choices goes beyond counting calories and knowing the fat content of your meal. We need to know where our food comes from. Gary is a huge activist for natural foods. If you were to stumble upon his Facebook page you would see that this is no secret. His page shares photos that show us which fruits and vegetables have the most and the least pesticides in them, and warns us of the harming effects of corn starch, GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) and other additives. You can’t leave his page without wanting to run to your cupboards and throw everything in the trash. This is what Gary Null wants. Not only does he want us to be healthy, but he wants us to do it the right way. We can guzzle down diet sodas and frozen dinners that boast low calorie content all day long, we may even find ourselves looking better in the process, but health is not all about how you look. Eating natural and organic foods will lead to true health inside and out.
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We Must Take Our Inner Health and Apply It To Our Lives
Gary is a huge believer in living a healthful life. That doesn’t just include eating foods that are good for you and going on a regular jog. He wants us to live a mentally healthy life too. By avoiding a life of secrets and deception, we take a load off of our conscious and can live freer. “I realized that every time someone lied or avoided being honest, they had to create a maze. And they kept going down a different path and down a different path in this maze…Whereas, if you told the truth, everything is open, nothing is confined…You’re not coming from guilt or shame, conditioning or fear, or insecurity, or uncertainty. You’re simply coming from the truth as you know it.” Gary thinks that if we place our attention on higher values then we can improve ourselves, manifest our full potential and benefit the lives of others. So being selfish is actually good for everyone. When we make ourselves the best we can be, we make the world a better place and can help others do the same. Gary is a walking, talking example of this. By focusing on his health and passions he has been able to pass them down to us and help improve our lives as well.
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A Successful Life Does Not Mean a Selfish One
If you couldn’t tell from his worldview, Gary is not a selfish man. He has dedicated his life to helping others and making sure that they too find an inspiring life path. Shelly has shared that she has always remembered her father giving out free nutritional counselling. He has also been known to give out underwear to homeless people on the streets. Giving back is obviously important to Gary. He has focused his entire life on the quest to help others.
Despite all of his knowledge and his impressive career in helping others, Gary refuses to be called a guru. He feels that that gives him too much power. The power is in our hands, not his. “I believe in not attaching to the outcome anything that I share with the people. So I put the information there, and it’s for the person to decide whether there is value in it or not.” Talk about humble. After a lifetime of researching, helping people and living his teachings, he still doesn’t see himself as a voice that everyone should listen to. He knows that he can help others but the decision, motivation and accomplishments all rest on them.
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Don’t Be Afraid To Stick Up For What You Believe In
Gary is largely known as an activist. He has never been one to stifle his opinions because they make someone uncomfortable. A lot of this may have to do with the fact that he sees these opinions as being able to enrich and even save people’s lives. Gary has spoken out against additives in food, modern medicine, political leaders and even entertainers. While his opinions can come off as radical, such as his opinions on HIV and cancer, it becomes evident that Gary isn’t trying to be outlandish, he’s just trying to help us. As he said before, he puts his information out there and it is up to us to decide if there is value in it or not. We cannot fault him for showing us different perspectives. So what is one way that Gary Null wants us to achieve this healthy lifestyle? Juicing! Gary and Shelly have written a book together called The Joy of Juicing: 150 imaginative, healthful juice recipes for drinks, soups, salads, sauces, entrees and desserts. The book is on its third edition and includes juices that will cure anything from PMS to fatigue. Besides offering common remedies, juicing can benefit you in so many ways:
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It can help you lose weight
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Juices can give you energy
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It’s a great way to get in those fruit and vegetable servings
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It can improve skin and hair
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Juices can provide a great source of vitamins.
And it’s not just juice! Gary and Shelly give your recipes for almost everything under the sun, even desserts! That’s right, dessert! My favourite seven letter word! You won’t be starving yourself, you’ll be feeding yourself with nutritious and delicious meals.
One of the best things about The Joys of Juicing is that it’s not a book about some crash diet featuring water, cayenne pepper and lemon juice. Could Gary and Shelly really boast a healthy lifestyle if they told us we should shun solids until we reach a size zero? No. That’s why they truly do focus on health. Juicing doesn’t have to mean living on liquids. Juicing is getting the delicious taste and nutrients from fruits and vegetables in order to create great drinks, snacks, entrées and, here’s my favourite word again; desserts!
Gary and Shelly’s book is a must-grab if you value living a healthy life. We could all learn a thing or two from the book and Gary’s worldview. I know I have! It’s up to you to assign value to it, but in my opinion Gary is sitting on gold here!
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Taylor Brown
Taylor Brown is an Associate Editor at Goddess Connections for the Women Who Run It E-Mag. She graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications Studies. She is a resident of Toronto and she has a passion for exploring topics on health and fitness, and enjoys writing stories about women’s issues. She also enjoys writing about business and how to build a career. When she is not working for Women Who Run It you can find her exploring Toronto, going for jogs, or simply enjoying life as a strong, empowered woman who runs it. Her goal is to share stories that help women of all walks of life take control of their lives and create balance with ease.