Hawaiian Beauty Diaries: The Gracie Diet

If you live in Hawaii, there are several activities that you will be into. Those activities will include surfing, polynesian dancing, hiking, golfing, fishing, horseback riding, and Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is a huge sport in Hawaii and most guys (and wahines!) are either training in it or watching it in competitions.

I first learned about Gracie Jiu-Jitsu when I moved to Oahu from Kauai for college. My Kauaiian girlfriends and I had made friends with some Brazilian kanes (men) who lived and trained with Relson Gracie, the founder of the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. It was at Relson's home near Kahala that I learned about the special Gracie Diet that he and his students ate to be at their best.

Relson and our friends would make the most delicious and nutritious foods. I remember eating BBQ chicken from the grill and a pumpkin soup that gave us so much energy we swore the cooks had spiked it with something if you know what I mean! We never gave the diet much thought back then because we were young and full of energy anyway, but now I can see the full effects of this special diet having watched Relson and his students live long healthy and active lives throughout the years.

My friend Romolo Barros is a black belt instructor in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and helps Relson with his Academy. Romolo has been practicing jiu-jitsu and the Gracie diet his whole life and rarely ever comes down with an illness. He swears by the diet for optimal health.

I try to follow the diet as much as possible and when I do, I am able to tell the difference in my health. I digest food faster, have no bloating, and I have more energy throughout the day and night. It really does make a difference!

The Gracie Diet was created by Carlos Gracie, the patriarch of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and the Gracie Family. The Gracie Diet is all about proper food combinations; the objective is to prevent blood acidity and fermentation that could be caused by unhealthy chemical reactions of food within the body. The Gracie Diet enables your body to use less energy for digestion, freeing your body to have more energy.

The Basic Rules of the Gracie Diet:

no sugar or syrup
no vinegar
no pork
only day old whole flour bread served toasted or oven warmed

The Diet is divided into several different Food Groups:

Group A: Animal protein, fats & oils, and vegetables.
Group B: Cereals.
Group C: Sweet fruits
Group D: Acid food (in majority of fruits).

Food combining Guidelines:

Group A combines with each other and with one of Group B.
Group C combines with each other and with one of Group B.
Group B does not combine with each other.
Group D can only be consumed individually.
Banana & Milk are not included in any of the groups since they have chemical combinations of their own.