Over lunch one day, I was introduced to the diet by Ryron, who informed me that he and his family followed a certain set of guidelines when they ate. He spoke of it as if it were the key to his family’s health and success. As I looked into it, I began to think, “Of course! If you consume foods that shouldn’t be combined, you might not feel so good. It’s common sense.” With this in mind, I began adhering to the diet regulations 100%. As I had hoped, I felt the benefits of the diet immediately. Meals always seemed to sit better, and most importantly they never caused me stomach pains again.

Unfortunately, at times my friends and family questioned and heckled my dedication to this new lifestyle. Often I would hear, “live a little” or “everyone needs a cheat day.” They would comment that I was too difficult to go out to restaurants with, or cooking for me was too hard. I remained unswayed. In fact, the more people said these things, the stronger my resolve became; they were questioning something that I knew worked.

What I believe makes the diet successful is that it provides me with a system and a game plan to achieve good health and optimal performance. With each meal I realize the importance of synergizing my foods in order to achieve proper digestion, which then allows me to feel great throughout the day. The Gracie Diet makes food do what it’s supposed to do, energize and make you feel good. For that reason, making this lifestyle change has been the most important turning point for me yet.

-Chris H.

Since starting The Gracie Diet, I have noticed a huge change in the way I view the food I eat. I now keep track of what I eat and how often I am eating. I have also quit drinking alcohol. This has been one of my greatest accomplishments! Gracie Jiu-jitsu and The Gracie Diet go hand in hand. I have so much energy from the increased amounts of fruits and vegetables I am eating. I don’t feel weighed down or bloated when training GJJ. I am able to work more efficiently throughout the day and train in the evening. I don’t snack on junk food or drink soda between meals. This has helped me slim down and feel healthier than I have ever felt before! Thank you for introducing your family’s way of nourishment to me and my family.

-Art S.

When I first heard about the Gracie Diet I was definitely intrigued. For once it wasn’t about counting calories, carbohydrates, or any of that nonsense. All I had to do was mix things correctly. That shouldn’t be too hard. But, then I heard the final rule. I had to wait four and a half hours between meals! As I said, I was a snacker. I claimed to never get full, just bored with what I was eating. So, even if I didn’t want any more of what I was eating, I could always grab some new food and continue packing away even more. Thankfully, I was blessed with a slender build so I never really got to be terribly overweight, but I knew I was not in shape like I used to be. I was also constantly suffering from digestion issues. I felt like I would get gas after every meal. Sometimes it was so bad I contemplated talking with a doctor about it, but I was always too bashful to bring the issue up. This was probably lucky for me in hindsight, as he likely would have put me on some prescription drug and I would have spent the rest of my life paying outrageous sums to a pharmaceutical company to simply mask the problem. I was also running to the bathroom several times a day, usually after every large meal. So, even though I was used to munching on something all the time, I decided to follow the advice of a family of fit, healthy individuals and see if it could make a difference for me. I had everything to gain if it worked, and if it didn’t, I could always go back to Ritz Bitz for dinner.

At first I started by simply spacing my meals without changing what I ate. I figured I would start worrying about the combinations later, I just wanted to see if I could go four and a half hours without fainting. It turns out I could, and I felt great. Now instead of simply eating whatever I wanted any time, knowing that if I didn’t wind up full or simply wanted something else soon after I could just go for it, I found myself planning what I was going to eat. Meals became precious to me as I knew I’d only have three, or at most four, a day. And knowing that I didn’t get to eat again for four and a half hours was all the motivation I needed to make sure each meal really counted. The idea of eating a Cheetos when I could make a plate of pasta, meat, and veggies instead seemed preposterous. But, I also took heed to the idea that these meals were not just more widely spaced opportunities to stuff myself. There was something that seemed really smart about not eating to the point of discomfort every time I sat down just because I wouldn’t get to eat again for a little while. Within days the gas was gone. I found myself only using the bathroom once a day, and usually around the same time. That’s not to say I didn’t get hungry. I certainly did, but it only took me a few days to realize that drinking a glass of water when a hunger pang hit would usually hold me over until for the last hour until it was time to eat again. All of a sudden I was losing the excess weight I had put on, and I was certainly more energetic. It seems so obvious at this point that it’s hard for me to believe that two months ago I didn’t realize how exhausting digestion is. And when I was eating all the time and always trying to digest some new food, all my energy was being wasted tying to process the food I kept eating. What a bizarre Catch 22.

So, after making it through the holiday season with my meal spacing intact, I decided it was time to step it up and follow the combinations. This may have been the most fun part for me. I never would have believed that a person my size could get full on fruit, but at this point probably five to ten meals a week for me are just juiced fruits. As an aside, I don’t think it would be nearly as easy to stick to the diet without the juicer. But, I got lucky and found one on craigslist for $100 so that initial investment wasn’t quite as scary.

I still eat out fairly regularly, and after the initial adjustment period of altering all my regular orders at places all over town, I’ve found I can still eat out with other people without being a burden at the table, and I really don’t even find myself missing some of the things I thought I’d never be able to give up. To the nonbelievers, a six banana and six apple smoothie really are all the sweets you need in a day, I haven’t had desert in two months and it’s been one of the easiest things to do without.

I’ve stuck to the full diet for over a month now and am as happy and energetic as I can ever remember being as an adult. I already have two of my friends on board and they gush about how great they feel almost as often as I do. That’s not to say I am perfect. I did have a few beers with my friend on his birthday, but that’s one time since the beginning of December and I’m very proud of that. Obviously it still takes self control, this diet doesn’t make me never want to eat junk food, as I sure would like to get my hands on some jalapeno poppers from time to time. But, the way I’ve felt this last month has more than made up for whatever temporary satisfaction unhealthy foods give me. To sum up, I’d like to say thank you for sharing this wisdom with me, and just as importantly, thanks for taking such an interest in the health of your fellow man and making yourself available to all the people who have questions. I am extremely grateful.

Sincerely,
Zachary G.

My work schedule is hectic and very demanding. I am on the road a lot and cannot get into the gym to work out as much as I like. My family is very active and we travel to many cities for soccer.

The reason why I bring this up is because the Gracie Diet is the one thing keeps my energy level high and is easy to follow. I believe that is the reason why I have not put on any weight and am in good health.

It is the most important thing to me.

Jim L.

For someone who loves to lift, run, train jiu jitsu, and exercise as much as I do (which is a lot), the idea of eating every 5 hours was murderous to me. Sure I could see myself eliminating fast foods totally, I had fast food 1-2 times a month, but the rest was a true challenge for me. Mentally, I had a fear that my body would shrivel up or simply wouldn’t have enough gas to make it through the day! With the GM’s guidance, I began to write down what I eat daily. Then, together, we started pointing out the individual food combination mistakes and I began to phase them out slowly. First week, I made it a goal to have all good breakfasts. Then all good breakfasts and lunches. Finally, a month into it, I was having 3 meals a day, all within the guidelines of the diet food combinations.

Keeping in mind that the diet never limits the amount of food you eat, just what combinations, I realized I don’t have to starve! What is also interesting is my body felt more sluggish and bogged down if I ate a small meal that was incorrectly combined than when I ate a huge meal of stuff that was all good together. This, to me, was not intuitive. However, using this little ‘loophole’, I was able to slowly extend my meal times from every 2.5 hours to every 5, almost 6 hours with great ease. (Later, I learned that to earn the next stripe on my Gracie Diet white belt, I should learn to end each meal feeling 75% full, because the rest is just mental anyway). The trick is to do it slowly, one meal at a time, one week at a time. Chances are, you’ve had at least 20-25 years of bad eating habits and it’s going to take a few months to undo them all. Be patient with yourself and incorporate awards!

My favorite reward food is In ‘n’ Out burger, and believe it or not, this can fit in the Gracie Diet. I can’t tell you how many Friday nights (my reward dinner) has been to go for a double-double WITHOUT fries, or a protein-style (without bread) burger with the fries (the two starches of the bread and potatoes conflict). This was a shock to my girlfriend who had heard me talk so much about this ‘diet’. How can I eat In ‘n’ Out if I’m on a diet? Well this diet isn’t about losing weight. It’s about eating healthy and preserving your body. I’ve preached about this numerous friends and family members, encouraging they change one meal at a time. Everyone has seen improvements in their levels of energy, feeling healthier, and getting rid of that dreaded ‘food coma’ after a big meal.

A cleaner, healthier, leaner body is a side effect of what happens when you choose to care about what you put inside your body at the expense of fast-foods that may seem so convenient now, but will really make you pay as you age.

Best,

Ashkan S.