Celebrity Q&A — John Salley, NBA champ

After 14 years and winning his fourth NBA championship, John Salley retired in 2000 from professional basketball. John went on to become a wellness advocate and he began exploring opportunities in both television and film. Several of his credits include “Bad Boys” and “Bad Boys II,” as well as “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” and he co-hosted the Emmy-nominated “The Best Damn Sports Show Period” on Fox Sports Net.

John lives a raw vegan lifestyle, and he is actively involved with Operation Smile and the fight against diabetes. He also spoke in front of Congress about the Child Nutrition Act. John recently became the official spokesman for a clinically tested line of natural supplements called VirMax, which has products designed to address prostate and testosterone issues and assist with other health concerns. Visit JohnSalley.com and Virmaxinfo.com for more information on John and his work promoting healthy living.

What was the “ah-ha” moment that made you start taking your health seriously?
Mine came when I was 27 years old. I was getting a physical for my team to check my health before the season, and my cholesterol was over 200. I decided there that I was going to make changes to my life so at the end of my career it didn’t look like I ate my young.

Do you have a secret habit that is part of your healthy lifestyle?
Coconut oil. Every morning for the last two years, I have been drinking hot water with 2 teaspoons of coconut oil. I read in a medical journal that coconut oil cleans out the liver and gall bladder. It hydrates the body more efficiently. A while back, I also replaced butter with coconut oil. It gives me the sugar I need and the sweetness that I miss from butter. It’s also helpful as a moisturizer for skin.

If you could get a free pass forever with one bad habit, what would it be?
I wish I could eat after 8 p.m. without my conscious bothering me. I never eat late because I learned that the body goes into rest mode at night so it can recharge for the next day. Eating late gives the body another job, and it draws focus away from the recharge process.

What is your greatest health achievement or milestone?
Being educated about handling my body and having the knowledge about health to help my mom after her heart attack a few years ago is my greatest health achievement. After it happened, a few of my friends and I worked with her to change her diet and habits. My mom walks 2 miles every day now, and she has more energy than I do.

What is your biggest health hang-up in others?
A lot of people lack knowledge about food and the things they put in their bodies. I see people who don’t fully understand that what they consume is not good for them and that there are alternatives to their consumption routines.

Run, walk, ride or swim?
Walk only!

If you were a fruit or vegetable, what kind would you be?
I would be an apple. It is the most nourishing, and it keeps the doctors away.

If you could “superpower” one of your five senses, what would it be and why?
My ESP. I want to know who I am dealing with when I first meet them.

If you could break a world endurance record, what would it be?
I would break the record for running the longest and the fastest.

If you could tell one thing to your adolescent self, what would it be?
I would tell myself to become a raw foodist.

 

Tags: coconut oil, eating late, fitness, NBA, Q&A, VirMax

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