The Gracies have spent almost the entire 20th century fighting. They have never been able to afford, on the day of a fight, to be sick or not prepared. Fortunately, Carlos Gracie, the patriarch of the family and the man behind the clan's philosophy, found a solution to this problem. Carlos developed a diet based on three concepts: not poisoning the body, taking care of it and respecting, in one meal, the adequate chemical combination of different types of food.

During his youth, Carlos Gracie ate about everything, and his sensitive organism quickly reacted to such abuse. It didn't take long for him to develop serious health problems. Everything changed, though, when he read an excerpt form the great philosopher Hippocrates "Let your food be your remedy", and began to dedicate himself to studying various eating methods, taking harmful foods away from his organism and his menu.
He also noticed, just like a farmer who controls the soil's PH before planting the seeds, that the blood's PH is a key element during the digestive process and that it must be kept neutral, which helps the transformation of the food. He observed, then, that a certain combination of foods kept the blood neutral, as opposed to some mixtures that made it acid or alkaline. He brought all his study together and created the eating method known as the Gracie Diet, which went through a careful research and was developed throughout the years, consuming most of the last 50 years of his life.

Carlos Gracie died at age 93 in 1994, because of a heart disorder he had been carrying since he was born. But all the other organs were functioning perfectly well. It was the ultimate proof of the success of his method, which is followed everyday by his younger brother Grand Master Helio Gracie who is 95 years old and still teaches the art of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.

Today, Dr. Pedro Valente Sr. continues to apply Carlos Gracie's teachings not only with his patients, but also with athletes.  Recently, Dr. Valente introduced the principle of the diet to one of the world's most recognized footbal (soccer) teams, Vasco Da Gama.  Today many teams have adapted several of Dr. Valente's innovative methods to the training and nutrition of their athletes. 

The diet is composed of several food tables divided in the following groups:

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

General guide lines of the diet:

• Foods from group A combine with each other and with one of group B.
• Foods from group C combine with each other and with one of group B.
• Foods from group B do not combine with each other.
• Foods from group D can only be consumed individually.
• Banana and milk are not included in any of the groups since they have chemical combinations of their own.  

Observations:

• Egg yolk (raw or cooked), coconut, pure coffee, brewers yeast, and many varieties of teas are compatible with any food, for they are considered neutral.
• Avoid: Soft drinks, sweets, refined sugar, canned goods, black pepper, salt, clove, cinnamon, mustard, pickled foods, coffee, and vinegar.
• Never eat: Pork and derivatives.
• Bread: to be less fermentable, shall be made out of pure or natural flour and eaten 24 hours after baked. Also, it should be eaten as toast or oven warmed.
• No alcoholic beverages.
• No smoking.
• Drinking a glass of water when you get up and before you go to sleep.
• Important: In order to avoid a chemical conflict, it is essential that meals are at least 4 ½ hours apart. Do not eat anything between meals.

Questions regarding the Gracie Diet call us at 305 354 2060 or info@graciemiami.com