The Gracie Diet

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The Gracie Diet Book Chapter Samples

Chapter 1: Your Diet IS Your Life

Your Diet Determines the Quality of Your Life

Simply put, your diet determines the quality of your life. It determines not just how you feel from day to day, but also how long you will live, how well you will live, and possibly how you will eventually die. It’s common knowledge that unhealthy eating habits contribute to chronic illnesses or, at the very least, can result in obesity, malnutrition, or other imbalances that threaten your health. A poor diet can also seriously affect your mental and emotional health. The inability to participate in recreational activities can lead to isolation from friends and family, depression, and, of course, only accelerates the harmful effects of poor eating habits. I recall hearing an obese father lament, “My son wanted to throw the football but I couldn’t get up off the couch.” This situation is not only tough for the parent, but also affects the child.

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Chapter 2: The Key to Good Health – Proper Food Combinations

You Have Nothing to Lose and Everything to Gain

Carlos believed that proper food combinations were the key to good health. He based this conclusion on hundreds of observations, although the aforementioned were two of the most dramatic. He also observed that improper food combinations were potentially harmful. You need not accept the full body of Carlos’ work, but if you approach the Gracie Diet with an open mind, you’ll find it much easier to follow in the early stages. After just two weeks, the results will speak for themselves and you’ll need no more convincing. One of the first things you’ll notice when eating the Gracie way is an increase in your energy level. You’ll also find a decrease in the frequency of headaches, irregular bowel movements, heartburn, and stomachaches that can indicate a chronic health problem with unpredictable consequences. As your body becomes accustomed to healthy eating habits, you will be able to sense when something isn’t right and will eventually be able to identify the cause of the problem.

I can’t prove that the Gracie Diet is the best way to eat. I’ve been challenged on various aspects of the Diet over the years. The critics usually cite a lack of scientific evidence to support our claims or studies on nutrition and health that refute either the general concept of food combining, or more often, our observations on specific food combinations. Some have stated that the Gracie family’s remarkable health is attributable to good genes more than good eating habits. Notably, no one has condemned the Diet in its entirety, and most acknowledged that, at worst, it will not harm you. I will say nothing to refute the naysayers other than to cite my own experiences and those of my very large family. The Gracie Diet has certainly withstood the test of time. For almost a century, the food combination concept has been the cornerstone of our lifestyle, providing abundant energy and outstanding health for a family that has become a symbol of efficiency in physical combat.

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Chapter 3: Where Are You Now

What is most difficult for you in managing your weight?

For many people, two erroneous beliefs are at the heart of their inability to
manage body weight. The first fallacy is that you can’t control your weight…that you just can’t win because it’s all too complex, powerful, and overwhelming. This is something we also see in beginning jiu-jitsu students. If faced with an opponent who’s bigger and stronger, they’re convinced they’re going to get beat up even before anything happens. They don’t understand that the whole point of jiu-jitsu is to empower the weak against the strong, based on information, efficiency, and confidence. So the initial principle a student needs to grasp is trust in the system. Trust that it really is possible to defend against a seemingly formidable adversary. And remember: That adversary is not chocolate or fried chicken or mashed potatoes. The real opponent is the enemy within – your belief that you can’t change and you can’t achieve your goals. So, you’ve got to defend yourself from yourself by developing confidence in the Diet.

The second misconception is that you’re more tired than you actually are. This mindset holds people back at the very moment when real progress is just becoming possible. It sets in when you hit the inevitable plateau where the novelty of a new behavior is gone and fruits of the labor have yet to appear.

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