Personal Reflections on Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw

Personal Reflections by Michelle Pryor

Meeting Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw in 1991 was an honor that changed my life. For me, getting to know Durk and Sandy was about understanding who they truly were and what drove their remarkable work. Our 30-year friendship was built on shared moments — exchanging birthday and Christmas cards and learning from their vast scientific knowledge and expertise.

DYNAMIC DUO

Durk and Sandy were steadfast advocates for public access to health information. As leading anti-aging experts since 1968, their influential book, Freedom of Informed Choice: FDA Versus Nutrient Supplements, tackles the FDA’s restrictions on health claims. Jonathan Emord, a constitutional lawyer who Durk and Sandy enlisted in their fight for free speech and supplement advocacy, played a significant role in their legal journey that began in 1992 when they challenged FDA regulations limiting supplement health claims. In 1999 Durk and Sandy won a landmark First Amendment case with the U.S. Court of Appeals with Jonathan Emord’s help. This victory marked a major step toward public access to reliable health information. (Read more.) Meeting Jonathan Emord further strengthened our resolve to join the movement to make quality supplements available to everyone.

In 1992, they made a decision to move from California to Tonopah, Nevada, where they sought to establish a quieter, more private life. Greg and I made the journey to visit them in this new setting, a remote quaint town with an old west flare, a mining history, one stoplight and a few businesses. Durk drove us around his newly acquired properties and took us on a tour of its historic mining sites and ghost towns. We learned that Tonapah is also an area with lots of Star Gazing and close to “AREA 51”. Tonopah was the perfect place for them — peaceful, private, and reflective of their desire to live life on their own terms and a place for Durk to play cowboy!

Getting Started

Our introduction to Durk and Sandy occurred around the time Greg retired from the MLB. As a former professional baseball player and athlete with a 16-year career, he never wanted to grow old. He understood the need to include nutritional supplements to help slow the aging process, help his body heal faster, and boost his energy. We soon became believers in Durk and Sandy’s Designer Food® formulas, experiencing the benefits of them personally. The results we experienced when we included Durk and Sandy’s Designer Food™ formulas in our daily regimen birthed a passion within us to share this good news on a broader scale, resulting in us founding Life Priority Inc. Health & Nutrition in 1994.

Life Priority was created with the support and help of Durk and Sandy, whose Designer Food® formulas were the foundation for Life Priority supplements and have changed our lives and the lives of our loyal customers. We will continue to make these extraordinary supplements available and will remain true to the quality standards and formulations they established. Durk and Sandy used the products they developed and received the Designer Food® formulas from Life Priority just as our customers do today.

30-Years and Counting

Themes to carry forward

The people

A friendship built on curiosity and conviction

Durk and Sandy were known for their scientific knowledge, but the relationship also included cards, conversations, and decades of shared respect.

The mission

Informed choice became part of the brand DNA

Their work helped shape the belief that people deserve access to health information and thoughtful supplement education.

The standard

Legacy matters most when it changes daily decisions

The point of remembering Durk and Sandy is not nostalgia. It is maintaining a high bar for curiosity, transparency, and quality.

In October 2024 we celebrated our 30-year anniversary as Life Priority. Over the past three decades, we’ve had the privilege of collaborating with pioneers in the industry like Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw, as well as industry leaders like Bill Faloon of Life Extension, Will Block, Dale Fowekes, and Adam Dieter, all individuals who helped shape the health and wellness landscape as we know it today.

In remembering Durk and Sandy, I will always remember their signature they always used: Live Long and Prosper.

Thank you, my incredible friends and Life Priority Designer Food® formulators. I will truly miss our weekly talks on health and great conversations on world events! Thank you for the time you invested in researching my questions on behalf of a client’s health issues. The deposits you made in my life will live on. Durk, you were our “wizard of Oz”. You and Sandy were like salt and pepper (Sandy was the spicy one). You are now back together!

Michelle Pryor

Life Priority, established in 1994, offers supplements that are scientifically-formulated, results-oriented, and GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) and are manufactured at USDA and FDA inspected facilities.

Practical takeaways

Ways to apply it

Small actions, repeated

Remember

Friendship
Scientific curiosity
Informed choice
Advocacy

Practice

Ask better questions
Read labels
Stay curious
Share context

Carry forward

Quality
Education
Freedom
Consistency

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.The products and statements made about specific products on this web site have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. All information provided on this web site or any information contained on or in any product label or packaging is for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. You should not use the information on this web site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new vitamins, supplements, diet, or exercise program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.

This information is presented to help you understand the importance of proper nutrition and the benefits of quality supplements. Consult your health care provider to determine how you can live your best life starting today!

Life Priority products are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any medical condition. Information is provided for educational purposes only. Rev 6/12

Life Priority Inc. 11184 Antioch Rd. #417 Overland Park, KS 66210433
913.438.5433 800.787.5438 www.lifepriority.com

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