107 years young and still going strong

Excerpted from East Valley Tribune, August 17, 2006 Hayley Ringle

I had the pleasure this week to see an old friend; a really old friend: 107 year-old Bernando LaPallo.

I met Bernando 3 years ago at age 104 and could not believe how great he looked. He looks like he is in his early sixties and is in great health. When I met him years ago I didn't have as much time as I would have liked to speak with him, but this time I made sure to make the time. I went to his house and we spoke for 2 hours. He also attended a talk I gave near his home in Mesa, Arizona. There were over 100 people at my lecture and no one could believe how great Bernardo looked. While talking, he told me he feels great and never gets sick.

Bernando tells everyone his secrets to his longevity, but he doubts many people will follow it. He credits his longevity on his diet, his faith in God and keeping active.

“If you take care of your body, it will take care of you,” he said. LaPallo eats only organic fruits and vegetables, fish and a homemade juice he makes fresh everyday for himself and his wife of 47 years, Georgette.


His secret ingredient is SuperFood, a 100 percent organic and wild harvested vitamin and mineral herbal concentrate. He’s been taking it since 1979.

“It has all the nutrients the body needs,” LaPallo said. “Everything good comes from the earth.”

LaPallo’s dark face has hardly any wrinkles and his black hair has just specks of gray.

He still drives, has his original teeth and doesn’t wear a hearing aid.

LaPallo rises at 5 a.m. daily to walk several times around a nearby park, taking off his shoes to walk in the grass.

“It’s unbelievable. God gave you this wonderful body,” he said. “This is your temple.” He doesn’t drink or smoke, and doesn’t believe in luck. “I think your life is planned for you before you’re born,” said LaPallo, who has four children, six grandchildren and three great grandchildren. “God said I’m not ready for you yet. But I told him, ‘Whenever you want me, I’m ready. I’ve lived a good life."

He was born in Brazil in 1901 and moved to the United States when he was 5 years old. He lived in New York for 90 years and moved to the Valley three years ago.

He’s been a chef, a podiatrist, a licensed massage and physical therapist, and an herbalist.

LaPallo also has longevity in his genes. His mother died at 105, his father at 97 and his grandmother lived to 107. Nobody in his family died younger than 89 years old, he said.