The Gracies are widely thought of in the MMA world as the first family of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). They honed their skills on the mean streets of Brazil where they engaged in street fights on a regular basis.
Gracie Jiu Jitsu or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) was started by brothers Carlos as well as Helio Gracie in 1925. They incorporated grappling style techniques into their street fights, which were predominantly striking oriented.
Helio, also, is taken into consideration as one the most-gifted martial musicians worldwide. He became notorious for beating numerous fighters in no-holds-barred battles throughout Brazil, usually referred to as ‘Vale Tudo‘ fights.
Helio brought BJJ to the United States with his sons Royce, Rorion, as well as Rickson. These young Gracies ended up being prime grappling fights in MMA competitions all over the world.
Rorion Gracie helped form the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which is undoubtedly the World’s biggest MMA promotion. In particular, it is the premier MMA organisation in the USA.
The success of the Gracies in MMA is connected not only to their exhausting training but also as a result of their rigorous diet plan.
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The Gracie family’s need for a proper diet
The Gracies spent most of their lives, and upbringing, fighting. They never had the luxury of being sick on the day of a fight, as the fight would take place regardless of their condition.
This is why it was so important for them to be physically healthy at all times. Their immune system had to be bullet-proof.
Being physically well meat that they did not have to deal with the stress and anxiety of not being able to perform their best, if they were sick.
To quote a famous Greek philosopher Hippocrates “Let your food be your remedy”.
The Gracie family would study various diets and they would remove harmful substances from their lives.
The outcome of this study on food became known as “The Gracie diet”.
The Gracie Diet
The objective of this particular diet was to prevent blood acidity and fermentation that could be caused by unhealthy food combinations reacting with one another within the body.
This kind of reaction could hamper the digestion of food, which is the most energy intensive part of consuming food.
According to Carlos Gracie, the acidity, or alkalinity of the blood needs to be kept neutral for maximum digestion of the food.
He went on to state that some food combinations lead to a stomach that was too acidic, and others lead to a stomach that was too alkaline.
This PH imbalance is what may cause illness as it can harden arteries or lead to stiff joints. All of this would prevent a fighter from being able to compete at his highest level.
The diet regimen consists of several food tables split in the following food groups:
- Group A: Animal protein, fats and also oils, and also vegetables.
- Group B: Cereals.
- Group C: Sweet fruits.
- Group D: Acidic foods (mainly fruits).
Now, there are some general guidelines for following this particular diet plan.
General Guidelines for the Gracie diet
Foods from Group A combine well with each other. You may also combine them with one of group B
Foods in Group C combine well with each other and may be used with 1 of Group B
Foods from team B do not combine with each other at all.
Foods from team D can only be taken by themselves.
Banana and milk are not consisted of in any of the groups given that they have chemical mixes of their very own.
Things to observe:
Egg yolk, coffee, brewers yeast, coconut as well as several types of teas work with any kind of food, as they are neutral.
You should avoid the following; Sweets, cinnamon, canned items, pickled foods, mustard, black pepper, clove and vinegar.
You should never eat pork and by-products of pork.
In order to eat bread, it should be made out of pure or natural flour, in order to be less fermented. It must be eaten 24 hours after being baked. It will preferably be eaten warm or toasted.
Alcohol and smoking is completely prohibited.
You should also try to drink a glass of water when you wake up and before you go to sleep.
Finally, it is very important to avoid chemical conflict. Meals should be spaced out and should be at least 4 hours apart from one another. Do not eat any snacks between meals.
It’s not easy to notice the long-term effects of healthy eating in those in their twenties, thirties or fourties. Many food theories are made by young men and given credibility based on pure theory, rather than evidence.
Helio Gracie however, believes that he is living proof that the Gracie diet is a very effective diet, and possibly more effective than any other.
By following the strict plan in the Gracie diet, he still manages to enjoy superb physical and mental health that allows him to teach BJJ classes.
