Healthy Lifestyle Weekend Draws Dozens

June 30 was the final day of the weekend-long “Bragg Healthy Lifestyle Weekend” event, which featured various guest speakers throughout the city and drew dozens interested in learning more about healthy living. Patricia Bragg, a businesswoman and health consultant known for her involvement with Bragg Live Food Products, was one of the highlighted speakers. The Bragg name began its attachment to nutrition through health lectures given by Paul Bragg from the 1920s through 1950s. Jack LaLanne, a famous health and fitness expert, credits seeing a lecture by Paul Bragg as the motivator for his movement into fitness. Since then, the Bragg family's penchant for health has found its way into the lives of celebrities; their products claim such names as actor George Clooney and coach Phil Jackson as alleged users. Urmilia More, an attendee at Sunday’s event, stated she believes in the healing properties of Bragg’s most famous product, Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar. “It cured my arthritis,” she said. “My leg would swell up. I started using it every day, and slowly, it went away.” Another attendee, Duchess Sylvia Valentina, who traveled to the event with Patricia Bragg, made the claim that after a car accident left her with a broken neck, Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar brought her back to working order. While research on this specific type of vinegar is sparse, the research that has been done is optimistic. Studies show that taking the vinegar everyday can help with diabetes, high cholesterol and weight loss. One patient did report negative effects, though: an Austrian man who had taken the product every day for six years experienced lowered potassium and reduced bone density, side-effects theorized to be caused by vinegar intake. Patricia Bragg showed up to her own event early and immediately took charge. The event was originally supposed to take place in the parking lot of Clark’s, with a stage and PA system already prepared for Bragg, but when Patricia showed up and noted the heat, she immediately asked that everyone grab a chair and head inside. Her attitude of taking control (while constantly moving) was the centerpiece of her speech. Once inside, attendees quickly set up the chairs around the frozen food section. When everyone was seated, Patricia began comparing the style of the meeting to a Christian revival speech, and while she meant that in a practical sense, spirituality became an important part of the event. She referred to various body parts as miracles, and told attendees of their duty to take care of such miracles. The talk focused heavily on Patricia’s early life with Paul, whom she addressed as Dad, or Father. Patricia married into the Bragg family, marrying Paul’s son in 1952 before the couple divorced five years later. It was then that Patricia built a working relationship with Paul. The event ended with a proclamation from Loma Linda Mayor Dr. Rhodes Rigsby, and two songs from Bragg user Duchess Sylvia Valentina. Afterwards, many lined up to speak to Patricia and purchase available books on health. Patricia says that she wants to bring health and hope to those who she talks to, and last weekend the reaction from the crowd showed they believed she is doing just that.