Hello!!! My name is Bruno da Gama and I was born and raised in a beautiful small island in the south coast of Brazil called Florianópolis (or just Floripa). Being surrounded by nature and good food my whole life gave me a different perspective of what healthy living means, especially, when I moved to huge cities such as São Paulo and New York City.

It is a different kind of pace and mainly, a different kind of ENVIRONMENT. I truly believe that good health is not determined by one sole aspect but by an overall lifestyle that we implement in our lives on a daily basis. One should not separate the system but recognize that everything is all related. Not A causes B, but A, B and C are all related to each other. It is cyclical, not linear. Nutrition, Exercise, Stress Management, Sleep, Mind­Set, Play Time are all part of a lifestyle that will determine our overall health status.

I often hear people claiming that many of our chronic diseases are caused by “bad” genes, however, I do not accept this point of view. Diabetes, Cancer, Heart Diseases and Obesity are all modern diseases which were very rare a century ago. Our body has not changed much but, again, the ENVIRONMENT is not the

same anymore. Our genes don’t know or care whether the environmental signals promote or compromise our health, they simply react to each stimulus in an effort to promote our immediate survival. Genes are not self­determining; they do not turn on or off but do so only in response to signals they receive from their immediate ENVIRONMENT. Instead of falling victim to our genetic vulnerabilities, we can control how our genes express themselves in constantly rebuilding, repairing and renewing your cells through proper lifestyle choices. If we are convinced that genes control our life and we know that we had no say in which genes we were saddled with at conception, we have a good excuse to consider ourselves a victim of heredity. Let’s take action and control over our destiny because single gene disorders affect less than two percent of the population, the vast majority of people come into this world with genes that should enable them to live a happy and healthy life.

The word health is extremely powerful and it should treated as first priority. The United States is the nation that spends the least with food and the most with doctors. We can choose who we want to pay, the doc or the farmer. It is worth to mention that millions of people are dying from starvation but one should never forget that there are 30% more obese people than undernourished people worldwide. The paradigm has changed and it is time for action.

A good starting point is to get rid of limiting beliefs and understand that modern obesity epidemic does not arise from overeating or lack of exercise. Gluttony and sloth have always been with us, but obesity has not. In 1880 and 90s every circus had a fat man because they were so rare. As Gary Taubes points out on his book Why We Get Fat, “So long as we believe that people get fat because they overeat, we are putting the ultimate blame on a mental state, a weakness of character and we are leaving human biology out of the equation entirely.” The

problems has pretty much nothing to with calorie math or exercising more, but it is much more related to a different kind of hormonal response due to dietary and lifestyle changes during the last decades. People do not get fat because they overeat, but they overeat because they are getting fat.

If you wish to read no more, here is a list of 10 things from Mark Sisson’s book The Primal Blueprint that is very comparable to My Lifestyle:

­ Eat lots of plants and animals

­ Avoid poisonous things

­ Move frequently at a slow pace

­ Lift heavy things

­ Sprint once in awhile

­ Get adequate sleep

­ Play

­ Get adequate sunlight

­ Avoid stupid mistakes

­ Use your brain.

NUTRITION

I still get surprised by how many people do not recognize the important role of proper food in our lives. I like to say that good health starts with good nutrition. Most of the results that an individual will achieve are highly related to the QUALITY of the fuel that one puts into his/her body. Furthermore, I want you to focus on the quality over the quantity because health is created through Biology, not Math (counting calories).

Another important point in Nutrition is to debunk this myth that high carb­low fat is the only diet to be followed. Most people will benefit from an inverse kind of macronutrient diet such as high fat/low carb diet. The assumption that fat makes people fat and causes heart disease makes sense, but that does not make it true!!! To say that eating fat makes you fat is like saying that eating green vegetables makes you green. Our body does not work this way. In fact, when we eat more fat, we are also “training” our body to burn more fat.

USDA’s recommendation of about 45 to 65 percent of calories coming from carbohydrates is not working for the majority of people, especially when this energy is coming from sugary beverages and wheat products. The “heart healthy” called whole wheat increases blood sugar as much or more than a table of sugar. In fact, wheat products elevate blood sugar levels more than virtually

any other carb. The surge and drop creates a two hour roller coaster ride of satiety and hunger that repeats itself throughout the day. Not to mention the Gluten and other anti­nutrients that goes beyond this post.

A lean person has a reservoir of 15 kilograms of fat (135,000 calories) but glycogen (sugar) stores are only 70 to 100 grams in the liver and 300 to 500 grams in skeletal muscle. About 2000 calories that should be used just for high intensity exertion and management of glucose levels. It is not intended to be used for ordinary energy consumption. The key to good health is connected to burning fat (not sugar) as the main fuel for our body and brain.

So you ask me, what should we be eating? My first answer is: eat as much as Rich Food you can that there is no space for Poor Food. Listen to your body and eat when hungry and stop when not anymore. Let’s see which ones are Rich and Poor foods:

Protein: Rich Protein: Organ meat (Liver,Heart,Kidney), Beef, Lamb, Turkey, Pork, Chicken, Egg (with Yolk), Oysters, Rabbit, Salmon, Sardines, Tuna, Scallop, Lobster, Sausage (ORGANIC). P.S. I strongly recommend going for the best quality meat (Organic, Wild Fish, Grass Fed).However, if you cannot get the best quality (Conventional Meat/Fish) go for the lean cut. Go for the chicken breast, and for the leanest cut of the beef. You should avoid the fat from these kinds of animals because that is where the “bad stuff” goes to. But don’t forget: If the animal is Wild/Organic/Grass Fed… Eat the whole piece INCLUDING the fat.

Poor Protein: Processed meat, lunch meat, hot dogs, shark, swordfish (they are too high in mercury.) AVOID THEM AT ALL COST!

Fat: Rich Fat: Avocado, Bacon, Coconut, Grass Fed Butter (IMPERATIVE to be organic), Coconut Milk (unsweetened) , Coconut Oil (extra virgin and cold pressed), Olive Oil (extra virgin and cold pressed), Coconut Butter, Olives, Avocado Oil (cold pressed), Flax Oil (cold pressed), Almond Milk (unsweetened), Duck Fat, Lard, Ghee, Tallow.

Poor Fat: All Vegetables Oils in General, Canola Oil, Cottonseed Oil, Hydrogenated Oil, Soybean Oil, Fake Butter, Margarine. AVOID THEM AT ALL COST!

Carbohydrates: Rich Carbs: Vegetables: Artichoke, Asparagus, Beet Greens, Arugula, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Cilantro, Collards, Cucumber, Eggplant, Endive, Green Onions, Parsley, Peppers, Radish, Rutabaga, Sea Vegetables, Spinach, Swish Chard, Tomatoes, Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Onions, KALE, Mushrooms, Lettuce, Beets. Fruits: Berries (Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Strawberries), Cherries, Oranges, Kiwis, Green Apple, Lemon, Lime, Pears, Grapefruit, Guava.

Middle Class Carbs: Pumpkin, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Yams, Winter Squash,

Rice (preferable wild or white), Quinoa, Oats, Buckwheat, Lentils, Beans, Chickpeas, Corn (make sure to be non­gmo). Fruits: Apricot, Cantaloupe, Melon, Grapes, Banana, Honeydew, Mango, Peach, Passion Fruit, Pineapple, Apples, Papaya, Figs,

P.S. The middle class carbs should be eaten in small quantity, especially if your goal is weight loss. If you are an athlete or very active person than you should make sure you have a little more of those food. Take it easy on the days that you are not very active. Consume those foods especially after working out and during the evening (Not for Breakfast).

Poor Carbs: Canned Fruits, Dried Fruits, Wheat Products, Bread, Pasta, Noodles, Cakes, Pies, Cupcakes, Breakfast Cereals, Pancakes, Waffles, Pita, Couscous, Rye, Bulgur, Triticale, Kamut, Barley, Gluten Free Foods made from other Starches, Candies, Ice Cream (processed), Donuts, Bagels, Croissant, Pizza. AVOID THEM AT ALL COST!!!

P.S. Some people who are not under serious health problems may occasionally have a “Cheat Day” (once a week or after a 2 hours soccer game for instance). It is worth to notice that if you are trying to overcome obesity or have gut problems, you should probably eliminate those ingredients for good. And remember: there is no essential nutrient that you will be missing if you decide to never have a piece of bread again, so it is all good!!!

Nuts and Seeds:

Rich Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, Brazil Nuts (my favorite), Cashew, Chestnuts, Flax Seeds, Hazelnuts, Macadamia (the best choice), Pecans, Pine Nuts, Pistachio, Pumping Seed, Sunflower Seed, Sesame Seed, Hemp Seed, Chia Seed, Walnuts, Almond and Cashew Butter.

P.S. All nuts should be raw and consumed in small quantities (2 to 3 full fist). Peanut is a legume and may be ok for those who are not sensitive and are not trying to lose weight.

Poor Nuts and Seeds: Anyone of the above that is roasted, salted, sugar­coated, chocolate­coated. Obviously, If you are allergic you should not eat them at all.

Dairy: Rich Dairy: Raw Butter, Raw Cheese, Raw Cultured Dairy Product (Kefir and Yogurt), Raw milk, Greek Yogurt, Cottage Cheese, Ricotta Cheese, Raw Whey, Sour Cream, (organic) Heavy Cream, (organic). Middle Class Dairy: All the above that is organic and that has been pasteurized. Poor Dairy: All the above that is not organic and that has been pasteurized. P.S. When consuming dairy, you should learn to listen to your body and find out what kind of dairy product you can tolerate. People react differently to dairy, and some may find out that they have a problem with the protein part while others may not deal well with the lactose (carbs). Experimentation is my best advice.

Beverage: Rich Beverage: Filtered Water, Organic Coffee (check with your Health Practitioner first), Organic Herbal Tea, Kombucha, Yerba Mate, Coconut Water (in moderation), Freshly Squeezed Juice (in moderation and mostly vegetables), and Probiotics Drinks. Poor Beverage: All the above if you add sugar, Sodas, Juices, Gatorade, Vitamin Water, etc.

P.S. If you feel like drinking the Rich Beverage choice without sugar is too bitter, I recommend you to use Stevia, Monkey Fruit, Yacon syrup, Xylitol or Raw Honey (in moderation).

Spices and Special Foods:

Garlic, Sea Salt, Ground Pepper, Dill, Oregano, Bay Leaf, Rosemary, Cayenne, Cinnamon, Turmeric, Curcumin, Apple Cider Vinegar, Balsamic Vinegar, Unsweetened Cocoa or Cacao, Protein Bar ( Brand: Quest, Paleo, Epic), Protein Powder ( by Now Foods or TruNutrition Science) Cod Liver Oil (Carlson Brand), Vitamin D supplement (You should be getting at least 15 minutes of sunlight a day anyway), Green Powder (if you have problems eating veggies or hate them),

Salsa, Horseradish, Red Wine (in moderation), BONE BROTH ( one of the best things you can start to drink!!!), Bulletproof Coffee (coffee with 1 spoon of grass fed butter and 2 spoons of coconut oil).

EXERCISE

I love to exercise. One of the best parts of my day is when I am outside or at the gym doing what I like to do. However, life gets very busy sometimes and we cannot spend hours every day devoted to exercise. That is when I learned how to utilize the best of my time to perform the best exercises which will give us the best results. This kind of exercise’s philosophy can be simplified in one phrase: Move frequently at a slow pace, lift heavy things, sprint once in awhile. In my case: walk, strength training, play soccer.

Nowadays, there are so many people who are under chronic pain, stress, too much sitting, HDR( hip rotation deficit), poorly exercise position, too little stretching and poor recovery are just some of the examples. Most of these problems can be solved with proper movement and exercise.

I do not consider walking an exercise, however, I am not saying that it is not important. In fact, being active is one of the best things you can do to yourself. Walking is an excellent form of burning fat not to mention it is free and we can do anywhere (maybe not during NYC’s winter time).

Lifting heavy things/strength training is where I build muscle, release stress and

create the biggest hormonal response within my body. Here is where tempo,tempo,tempo (intensity) makes all the difference. Anaerobic training works the EPOC (excess post exercise oxygen consumption) due to the hormones that are triggered lasting up to 48 hours after the workout. My approach to lifting is short duration, high intensity without excessive regimentation. Building muscle at the gym and losing fat at the kitchen!

If I do not play soccer once or twice a week, I am sprinting. The training is based on a technique called RBT( rest based training) in which I go as hard as I can and rest as much as I need. I love doing sprints because it takes me 12­20 minutes to perform and it can be done nearly anywhere. Additionally, sprint triggers gene expression within fast twitch muscle, release testosterone and HGH (human growth hormone). In general, one set of sprint should last between 8 and 60 seconds and running sprints should be shorter than bicycle.

The RBT training is not just way shorter but gives better results. Researchers have compared 4 minutes interval training vs. 1 hour steady running: the first gain 14% in aerobic capacity and 28% strength, the second only 10% aerobic capacity and no strength. It is a win­win situation that we should embrace.

SLEEP

I often like to reinforce my opinion of how important proper sleep and good recovery are to achieve good health. Everyone is different; therefore, the amount of sleep will be different. Knowing our body and focusing on quality of sleep over quantity is a good start.

The problem with sleep deprivation is that it messes up with proper hormone function. Especially Grelin and Leptin which are hormones that control hungriness and satiety respectively. The magic number seems to be 7­8 hour, but there is some variability. According to Stephan Guyenet, who conducts research on obesity and the regulation of body fat by the brain at the University of Washington:

Short sleep duration is one of the most significant risk factors for obesity, and several potential mechanisms have been identified, including increased hunger, increased interest in calorie­dense highly palatable food, reduced drive to exercise, and alterations in hormones that influence appetite and body fatness.

Here are 5 tips for better sleeping:

1­Make your room as black as possible. No lights of any source allowed at all.

2­ Go to bed and wake up around the same time. Keep a schedule.

3­ No coffee and exercise in the evening for people who are sensitive to caffeine and cortisol.

4­ Start winding down at least two hours before bed. Take this time to relax, to reflect and to enjoy your family and friends. Less light and no TV may help.

5­ Supplement with Melatonin which is a natural hormone. However, I do not recommend the use of this supplement on a daily basis but more as an aid to jet lagged situations.

Honestly, I know that sleeping and recovering may not sound very sexy, but it is a huge part of the puzzle when trying to get healthy.

MINDSET

It may sound weird, but in my opinion, mindset is the most important part of getting healthy. Very often, people want to know what kind of food to eat, which supplement should be taken, and what is the best exercise out there. However, you can have the best knowledge in the world, but without focus and action, nothing will happen. I believe that to make any shift happen we have to first change the way we think so we can change the way we look. Being healthy is about getting our mind right!

It is only by getting our mind right that we can beat a crazy statistic: 95% of people who lose weight on a “diet” end up gaining it all back­and then some more. If we do not have a BIG reason and a BIG why, it is very likely that we will become part of that 95%. Short­term goals such as getting fit to my friend’s wedding, having six­pack abs are not good enough reasons to achieve long­term health. Life will get complicated and superficially goals will not be enough to hold us towards BIG accomplishments. “Your WHY has to be bigger than you. It should move you mentally, spiritually, and physically. It may even move you to tears.”

I like to say that we do not lose weight to be healthy but that we get healthy to lose weight. It is important to remember not to aim at success. The more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. Superb health is about attitude. Waking up every day mindful of everything we can be. We have

options; we have free will to create our own reality. As Gandhi says: “Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your world becomes your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your values, and your values become your destiny.”

Here is a good starting point that I like to follow: Write down your life aims. Step one, have a clear vision of your outcome. Step two, create a positive pressure to keep you inspired. Step three, never set a goal without attaching a timeline to it. Step four, buy a journal to fill your dream book with pictures of the things you desire. Step five, have fun while you are advancing along the path of your goals and purpose.

Finally, do not forget to have fun while on this journey towards health. Making small changes daily and learning from our mistakes is better than stressing too much over a radical change. Following an 80/20 rule will work for most people. If you are facing a very challengeable health issue you may want to be closer to 100% until you solve the problem. And remember that, It is not just about you. It is about the example and what you leave for family, friends and society. Let’s make shift happen!!!

Bruno da Gama Fat Loss Coach www.brazilianhealthnut.com