When you're called the First Lady of Natural Living or Nutritionist to the Stars, then much is expected from you, and Patricia Bragg has been delivering big time for decades. In the same week that Bragg Live Foods will be displaying product and books at the Natural Products Expo in Anaheim, the Santa Barbara News-Press did published a March 8 feature article on this bundle of energy. Patricia will be at the booth in Anaheim on Friday, but will have to miss the weekend because she will be attending the memorial service of her good friend, actress Jane Russell, on Saturday.

Marilyn McMahon, staff writer of the News-Press interviewed Patricia Bragg at the Santa Barbara corporate headquarters of one of the most celebrated brands in the world, Bragg Live Foods. The Bragg product line is extends out from the iconic Apple Cider Vinegar to include salad dressings, seasonings, olive oil, liquid aminos and a line of Apple Cider Vinegar drinks.

Here is the article from March 8 in Santa Barbara News Press

Bragging Rights: Local natural food guru crusades for healthy lifestyle



Dr. Patricia Bragg, Ph.D., chairman of Bragg Health Institute in Goleta, attributes her energy level, trim figure and radiant complexion to the natural food line produced by her company. Below, a sample of the health food products offered by the Bragg Health Food Institute.

Interviewing Dr. Patricia Bragg, Ph.D., is like interviewing the Energizer Bunny that keeps "going and going and going" in the television commercial for batteries.

Both are in constant motion, and if there were a contest between the two, the rabbit would surely be begging for mercy.

The first challenge in talking with Dr. Bragg is getting her to sit still long enough to discuss her work as chairwoman of the Bragg Health Institute, which has its headquarters on 120 acres in Goleta. The complex includes an organic farm and her home, a 115-year-old farmhouse surrounded by more than 600 rose bushes.

The home is aptly named "Patricia's Rose Cottage."

While doing pushups against the desk in the spacious office building where she talked to the News-Press, Dr. Bragg readily revealed that she is 4 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 102 pounds but was adamant about not disclosing her age.

"I don't believe in age. Age is not important. Some people are old in their 20s. Others are young in their 90s," said Dr. Bragg, who was willing to admit she is older than 80.

Her energy level, trim figure and radiant complexion are testimonials to the lifestyle regimen she follows and advocates for everyone else.

"You are what you eat and drink and this walks and talks tomorrow," she said, describing herself as an international health crusader, a role she was persuaded to try by her father, the late Paul C. Bragg, who pioneered a healthy way of life based on natural live foods in the early 1920s. According to his daughter, he originated, named and opened the first health food store in America. He also presented health lectures across the country, introduced juice therapy by importing the first hand-juicers, broadcast radio health programs from Hollywood in the 1920s, and created the first health foods and products. The Bragg brand now includes everything from liquid amino acids to seasonings.

Dr. Bragg, who was born and grew up in Piedmont, was planning to be a missionary in Africa after graduating from UC Berkeley with a bachelor's degree in biochemistry.

"Two weeks before I was going to leave for Africa, my father asked if I would give him one year to be a health crusader. I agreed, and that one year has turned into a lifetime," she said, finishing her pushups and beginning to pace back and forth. "I have been around the world 30 times — loving it, living it and preaching good health. Spreading health is my life crusade. It gives me a real purpose in life to be needed, to be a Bragg Health Crusader."

On her trips, Dr. Bragg lectures at schools, women's and church groups, prisons, corporate gatherings and numerous other organizations.

"At the end of April, I leave for Australia and New Zealand, and from there, I'll go on to England and Scotland," said Dr. Bragg, who has never married but is godmother to 12 children and considers herself mother to seven cats and three cockapoos — Adam and Eve and their puppy Angel. "My 40 employees in this complex are part of my family, too."

What exactly does Dr. Bragg preach?

• "Oxygen is the invisible staff of life. We are breathing machines. I teach super power breathing," she said, demonstrating how to "breathe in slowly, deeply and breathe out, out, out, out — get it all out."

• "Women should never wear bras, especially wire bras. They impede circulation. I have never worn a bra, and look how firm my breasts are," said Dr. Bragg, unbuttoning her bright blue wool jacket and white shirt to show off a floral bathing suit top supporting her well-endowed bust that has resisted the forces of gravity, common to women much younger than she. "I believe all women should wear loose chemises. I don't believe in silicone either."

• "Never use deodorant. You will have no body odor if you eat healthy natural foods, especially two essential Bragg health products — Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar and the Bragg Liquid Aminos, an all-purpose seasoning with 16 amino acids," she said.

• "Never sit with your legs crossed. There is a major artery in the back of the knees. Crossing your legs impedes circulation and leads to varicose veins. We are not meant to sit like pretzels," said Dr. Bragg. "I look out at audiences of 3,000 people when I give lectures, and I tell them to uncross their legs right now."

Dr. Bragg also doesn't believe in shaving her legs or wearing nail polish. Holding up her two hands, she said, "I call these my 10 virgin fingers. Natives don't shave their legs, and women in France don't either."

She was awarded a Ph.D. in health science in 1973 and doctor of naturopathy degree in 1974 from Bernadean University in Nevada. Schools of naturopathic medicine offered training but were not recognized by the medical profession when Dr. Bragg wanted to earn her degree, which is similar to chiropractic medicine. Even today, only a few schools in the U.S. are approved, and only a few states actually license naturopathic doctors, according to Dr. Bragg.

Asked what her typical day would be like, Dr. Bragg said she wakes up at 5 a.m. — "I sleep with all the windows open" — and as soon as her feet hit the floor, she exercises, demonstrating how she whirls her arms around like windmills and jogging in place, "which promotes circulation and gives my cells a free massage."

Showing the correct technique for power walking, she paces across the spacious office, swinging her arms, stretching her legs with toes pointed, and, as she looked at the rain falling outside the French doors, commented, "I love the rain and snow. I teach people to take snow baths followed by a hot shower — a hot and cold treatment. Your skin is the third kidney."

After her morning exercises, Dr. Bragg has 2 teaspoons of her apple cider vinegar in 8 ounces of water and then is ready to spend the morning spreading the word about good health on radio talk shows. Among them are "The Power Hour," "Coast to Coast Radio" and "Totally Fit Radio."

Lunch is whenever "my body notifies me that it is hungry" — usually between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.

"Today, I had my beautiful brown rice casserole that I make myself with lentils, carrots and other ingredients. It is so simple. It was Jack LaLanne's favorite recipe. He had it three times a day sometimes," said Dr. Bragg, adding that fitness expert Mr. LaLanne, then 15 years old, met her father after a lecture given by Paul Bragg in Oakland.

According to Dr. Bragg, Mr. LaLanne was forced to go to the talk by his mother because he was a sick shut-in, a school drop-out who was so thin and weak he had to wear a back brace.

After the lecture, Mr. LaLanne went to Mr. Bragg's dressing room and talked for an hour with him, according to Dr. Bragg. "This was the start of a strong, wonderful, lifelong friendship."

Seasonings for the brown rice casserole include Bragg Liquid Aminos and Bragg Sprinkle (24 herbs and spices). Other signature Bragg products include Organic Virgin Olive Oil and organic seasonings, marinades and dressings.

During the day, Dr. Bragg takes seven capsules, all vegetarian supplements, including her Braggzyme, a vegetarian systemic enzyme formula that is supposed to help with cardiovascular health and is a natural anti-inflammatory.

Afternoons are spent preparing or presenting talks to local schoolchildren or at UCSB's Global Medicine Class and for writing books, which she does in longhand and then types on an electric typewriter.

"I type 120 words a minute. I let my staff enter them into the computer," said Dr. Bragg, author of 10 books.

Among the titles are "The Miracle of Fasting," "Building Strong Healthy Feet,"

"Vegetarian Health Recipes" and "Super Power Breathing for Super Energy." All are available at amazon.com and bragg.com.

"I have been writing since I was 5 years old, and at the age of 7, I played piano concerts. I had so much energy my parents had to keep me busy," said Dr. Bragg, whose mother, Nettie Bragg, died in an auto accident at the age of 45. "My mother was a real nature girl. We always had organic food."

Dr. Bragg said her father, who was crippled by tuberculosis as a teenager, developed his own eating, breathing and exercise program to rebuild his body into an "ageless, tireless, pain-free citadel of glowing, super health. He excelled in running, swimming, biking, progressive weight training and mountain climbing. He made an early pledge to God, in return for his renewed health, to spend the rest of his life showing others the road to super health."

Paul Bragg contracted tuberculosis when he was 15 and was sent to a sanitarium. The nurse who was caring for him said he needed sunshine and fresh food, and he would get better. She put him in the sun and he started eating healthy and was cured. Seeing the results in his health from the sunshine and food made him a believer. From that day forward, he started to eat organically and exercise. He was inspired to pursue the health sciences as his profession and he contacted Bernarr Macfadden and was actually hired by Mr. Macfadden, bodybuilder and health advocate, becoming his right-hand man.

Because the Bragg company is private, annual sales are not available to the public.

Currently, the company sells 10 health food products and 10 health food books.

"Dr. Bragg is recognized as one of the leading natural food companies in the country, and many health food stores indicate that Bragg is the No. 1 product line sold in their stores," according to Barbara Gaughen-Muller, Bragg spokeswoman.

The products are sold in hundreds of health food and grocery stores in the U.S. and online at www.bragg.com.

Often referred to as "Nutritionist to the Stars," Dr. Bragg said she has worked with Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Tom Selleck, Cloris Leachman, Katy Perry and The Beach Boys.

"I've known Katy since she was 12 years old. I gave her her first guitar. Her parents, Mary and Keith Hudson, were my ministers in a church that is no longer here," said Dr. Bragg.

It was the late Jack Lord, star of the original hit television series "Hawaii Five-0," who is responsible for the broad-brimmed straw hats with a band of artificial flowers that she is never seen without.

"Jack told me that the hat made me look 6 feet tall, and ever since, I practically sleep in them," said the health guru. "I added the floral band because I live in Hawaii part time, and I love flowers."

Especially roses, which seem to arouse as much enthusiasm in Dr. Bragg as her health products.

"My whole life revolves around health and roses. I have 650 rose bushes here at the farm. My father taught me that roses are God's autograph of beauty, fragrance and love," said the member of the Santa Barbara Rose Society. "My favorite is Double Delight. The fragrance is heavenly."

e-mail: mmcmahon@newspress.com

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YOU SHOULD KNOW

Here are a few tips Dr. Patricia Bragg, Ph.D., offers for a healthier, happier and longer life:

• Eat organic fruits and veggies.

• Cut down on stress; exercise, walk, meditate, pray and listen to music.

• Exercise daily; do deep-breathing exercises and practice good posture.

• Don't skimp on sleep; take naps. l( • Burn your bra; wear a chemise.

• Have massages to improve circulation. • Resolve every morning to live a simple, serene and sincere life.

For media interviews with Patricia Bragg contact Promotion in Motion at 323-461-3921 or Barbara Gaughen (Gone) at: 805-968-8567