Tom O’Keefe displaying his tower garden in his backyard
11:06am | In 1994, Tom O’Keefe proved that he was a good friend to many and had the reputation of being an exceptional speaker. But more importantly than that, he proved that his purpose in life had been altered, and it was dead serious. Athletic accomplishments were no longer at the top of his agenda. In just one year Tom was asked to bury and provide eulogies for five of his friends who passed away from fatal chronic diseases. Those five deaths, and with more friends passing away in years to follow, was enough to motivate Tom to take preventative measures. Tom is now a crusader for lifestyle change to positively impact a person’s health and save lives in the process.
A resident of Long Beach since 1947, Tom takes tremendous pride in his city. His daughter, the then Erin O’Keefe had held the mile record at Long Beach Poly for 14 years with a time of 5:09. He has evoked compassion within the community by taking his education to the streets, directing a program for 2 years on the East Side of Long Beach for disadvantaged youth. “My objective was to inspire 5-13 year olds to achieve things greater than their current circumstances.” Classes were $2 a week.
When I asked Tom what he believes he is known for- he gave me a simple reply in the form of six words. “Never quitting and doing my homework.” I’d have to agree. It has been from Tom that I have heard some of the most philosophical ideas on health that has helped shape my own perception on wellness and how I choose to go about my day as a gym owner.
“If you’re not eating right you have no business exercising.” Those words, as Tom schooled me, came not from him, but from a well-recognized Stanford University Biochemist, Dr. Mitra Ray. What? I thought exercise was great for the body no matter what. But Tom has to side with voluminous amounts of research that shows that lack of fruits and vegetables in the diet can cause exercise to do more harm than good. It is now a scientific fact that oxidative stress in the body increases four fold during vigorous exercise. And Tom suggest “this is the reason many athletes may fall victim to accelerated forms of cancer if not supplemented with the right diet.”
To further illustrate, Tom made an example of himself. At one time, Tom told me he was 213 lbs. with 6% body fat, had the ability to run a five minute mile for six miles, and lifted weights religiously. True, Tom was fueling his workouts with 5,000-7,000 calories a day but he was convinced he was “killing” himself. “At a time when I considered being in the best shape of my life I had total cholesterol count of 284 and blood pressure that was 148/94.” This was a classic case of adequate calories with a deficiency in nutrients, and the damage this does to one’s body, even though you may not feel it at the time.
Learning from past experiences, he has taken time to correlate more closely the relationship between exercise and nutrition and disease, not from solely aesthetics but long term health. So much so, that his passion for nutrition has turned into a lucrative career. Tom takes tremendous pride in his position as National Marketing Director for a company known as Juice Plus. He has been taking the product himself for 13 years and has spent 10 years as a Representative. I asked Tom if there was one thing he wanted people to know about Juice Plus, what would it be? He replied, “Jack, it is simply raw fruits and vegetables in capsule form, and it is the MOST thoroughly researched nutritional product in history, showing benefits in humans, published in peer- reviewed independent reputable medical journals around the world.”
It’s safe to say that years later Tom thoroughly understands the nutritional game and is convinced that a large percentage of the food we eat should come from fruits and vegetables. But Tom is interesting. He is not a man filled with mere theory- he has always been a man of practice. In fact, I conducted the interview at his home, and he was kind enough to show me his acquired prototype tower garden that he will be distributing to the masses in 2012.
Imagine a vertical column, with a circular base of only two feet in diameter and having the ability to stretch upward as high as the user desires. The column is plugged into an outlet and that has the ability to grow through its own self-monitored technology. Tom’s tower grows 20 different fruits and vegetables in half the time (4 weeks) that it takes to grow produce in traditional soil. The best news is that no growing experience in necessary. You plug in, walk away, pick, and eat organic produce from your own backyard.
There’s no lecture hall but I recognize a master educator when I see one and Tom is the real deal. Over time I have met those folks who accumulate knowledge over time to proclaim an expertise. Even fewer of these proclaimed experts have the generosity to share what they know to those who ask. But Tom is rarity. This man has not only entrenched himself in current research and shares what he knows, but he comes full circle to offer a solution to save lives. Long Beach owes Tom a listening ear.