To arrived in great shape at the IBJJF World Championships, which ended in the second week of December, Tainan Dalpra, Mayssa Bastos and Matheus Gabriel were even more professional during their preparations by hiring Nathalia Chantre, a specialist in sports nutrition for Jiu-Jitsu athletes.

Tainan won gold at middleweight in his first year as a black belt, after beating Isaque Bahiense. Mayssa, for example, was champion for the second time at rooster. Matheus, who had won the Worlds at featherweight, closed ranks with with a teammate at lightweight.

What made the difference in the performance of these three elite athletes of the new generation of the sport? Well, Nathalia will explain below.

“The biggest differentiator about Tainan that I see is the tireless search for improvement and professionalism. With this in mind, the only missing piece was precisely nutrition. The first simple and efficient adjustment we made was hydration. Tainan, for example, used to train practically every day dehydrated, since his water intake was approximately 1.5L. Another very important adjustment was the quantity and quality of meals. The current middleweight world champion ate just two meals a day. It was just lunch and dinner with a carbohydrate source and a protein source. The amount of caloric intake was far below his energy demands, making it difficult to recover. In the first week, Tainan evolved a lot and we managed to increase the water intake from 1.5L to 4L. We also included an electrolyte replenisher after morning competition drills. From two meals, we went to five meals, even when cutting weight. This contributed a lot to his recovery after the training sessions. He improved immunity, started getting truly restful sleep and minimized the chances of injury! Consequently, he had a performance boost! Simply, that 1% that was needed to finish the year at the top”, emphasizes Nathalia.

A certified nutritionist by the International Sports Sciences Association, in the United States, Chantre also reveals the strategy she concocted for Mayssa to have the best “career weight cut”. The rooster champion had three matches, all of which ended with a choke from behind.

“Although I’ve been working with Mayssa Bastos for almost two years now, this was the first time we did the weight cut for rooster in the IBJJF. As she said, this was the best weight cut she made for this event. It was really clear on the mat that she had a lot of energy in the first fight after weigh-in through the final, the next day. The biggest difference for this cut was the beginning time of nutritional periodization, Mayssa’s dedication to follow 100% of what was proposed and understand that an athlete should not cut carbohydrates from their diet! She used some supplements with an ergogenic effect such as creatine, for example. We took care of immunity, which was a frequent complaint from Mayssa, and I paid some attention in the pre-competition phase. It is at this stage that the athlete can have a drop in performance due to the intensity of training. When Mayssa entered this pre-competitive phase, she was practically at weight—that is, I didn’t need to reduce the caloric intake, which is not common when athletes do it on their own. In addition, I added foods and supplements that enhance recovery, such as curcumin, concentrated grape juice and tart cherry”, reveals the nutritionist.

With Matheus Gabriel, an athlete with whom Nathalia has worked for two years, she tells what were the main strategies and changes in the champion’s eating plan.

“At the Worlds Matheus was very good at his weight. He trained with high muscle glycogen stores, which not only boosted his training performance, but also helped his recovery. One of the carbs we used in pre-workout meals was tapioca, which he likes a lot, and fruit. He had a diet planned for his training schedule and we also used an electrolyte replenisher, after intense training sessions, supplements with ergogenic effect such as creatine and beta alanine, both of which improve sports performance. To help Matheus have restful sleep, we use foods rich in tryptophan for dinner, chamomile tea before bed with drops of propolis and also CBD of the ATH brand, which does not have THC and magnesium”, says Nathalia.

Matheus Gabriel with Nathalia Chantre.

Nathalia and Livio Ribeiro. Photo: Personal Archive

The type of work done by Nathalia Chantre, 31, is a key part of the process of professionalization of BJJ as a sport. Playing a fundamental role in the performance of a number of elite athletes, this nutritionist is responsible for building a nutrition plan and enabling fighters to go into their matches healthy, living up to their full potential.

If in previous eras of the sport, it was possible to see athletes cutting weight in wrong ways and consuming fatty foods and sodas, nowadays this sort of behavior has to be kept to a minimum. The professionalization of BJJ has arrived in all spheres, from prize money to the care athletes have for their performance.

A nutritionist certified by the International Sports Sciences Association, Nathalia has monitored more than 300 athletes across more than five years in the field. In her opinion, a high-performance athlete who takes meticulous care of the details of their nutrition tends to come out on top.

“A time comes when the athlete’s key has to turn, so to speak, and they understand that in order to stay at a high level these days, it’s necessary to have more than good training; they need to be more than just talented,” said Nathalia, who’s also a BJJ student, in a recent interview. “It’s important to surround yourself with a multidisciplinary team that’s going to put you at your 100% to perform with excellence.”

She added: “One of the great differentials of my work with athletes consists of investing time with each of them. I treat athletes individually to understand their goals in a thorough way, their training, possible flaws, difficulties, and to not spare any efforts to develop a nutrition plan. I want the athlete to have adherence, for the plan to be compatible with their reality, making it easier to conquer the desired goal. That’s why I say that I don’t do consultations; I do nutritional monitoring with athletes and practitioners of BJJ. Our contact is very close; I make adjustments daily, if necessary, in the pre-competition phase.”

At this year’s IBJJF Pan, one of the biggest events of the calendar, Nathalia had multiple of her athletes come out victorious, not the least of which was Lívio Ribeiro, the roosterweight champion. The nutritionist went into some detail on her work with him.

“Lívio speaks openly of the crazy stuff he used to do to hit the weight before he had nutritional monitoring,” she said. “He, for example, used to cut water in the week that precedes a fight. Additionally, he would cut foods rich in carbs and use laxative drugs. It’s unbelievable how someone can train and fight in those conditions, completely dehydrated and without glycogen reserves. Certainly, he would sleep poorly, and his immunity was extremely low. When I became aware of this situation in March, the first thing was to get the house in order and adjust the basic: improve intestinal health, increase water intake and improve sleep quality.”

“He understood that he’s not supposed to starve to hit the weight, he doesn’t need to dehydrate, and he has no reason to cut foods with sources of carbs,” Nathalia continued. “So I included in his diet: rice, cuscuz, pasta, potatoes, various fruits, oatmeal, tapioca, beans and many other foods rich in micro- and macronutrients. I also used some supplements such as: beta alanine, probiotic, vitamin D3, magnesium, omega 3 and creatine. By the way, creatine does no harm when it comes to cutting weight. Quite the opposite: it’s an extremely safe supplement; it improves tolerance to straining, muscle recovery, on top of improving adaptive response to the training.”

In previous tournaments, Lívio had chosen not to eat before the first round, because his main opponent was the scale. This time, in 2021, everything has changed, and Lívio had the best performance to date in his early days as a black-belt.

“I followed Lívio’s training up-close, and his evolution was visible — especially in the final stage of the training, close to the competition, where usually he already felt extremely saturated, stressed and fatigued,” said the nutritionist. “I was very excited to see him in the competitions. It was going to be the first time he would eat on fight day! I was sure his performance was going to be special, and it was! He knew he was able to be explosive from the start until the end of the match; he knew he had energy reserves and was well trained, because he had the physical preparation provided by Itallo Vilardo and the training at Ares academy in Modesto, led by Prof. Samir Chantre.” She subjoined: “Those who think nutritional monitoring makes no difference certainly have never had the opportunity to be followed by a good nutritionist.”

Nathalia is a Health Coach with Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and is currently getting a postgraduate degree in nutrition, metabolism and physiology in sports.

Nathalia Chantre. Clau Steinert

In order to have more expressive results and good performance in your Jiu-Jitsu training, it is essential to have a good diet. This is exactly what Nathiely de Jesus, the current absolute world champion of the IBJJF, has been doing for 3 years. The champion has had a change in eating habits since she began being monitored by Nathalia Chantre, a nutritionist certified by the International Sports Sciences Association who specializes in Jiu-Jitsu athletes.

Nathalia, also a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, spoke of how nutrition can be an essential ally for the high-performance athlete.

“Some athletes have no idea what is behind nutrition,” she said. “They think that looking for a nutrition professional is related to weight loss or muscle mass gain, but it goes far beyond that. When an athlete has nutritional monitoring, in addition to improving eating habits, it also improves the functioning of the immune system, minimizes the risks of joint and muscle injuries, favors the adaptive response of training as well as the gain in sports performance. It also improves sleep and intestinal transit, improves muscle recovery between training sessions. All of these are factors that can take the athlete to the top of the podium or bring them the much desired victory.”

Nathiely, on February 26, 2021, made history by being the first woman to beat Gabi Garcia with and without the gi, a fact that seemed impossible for years. Nathiely’s victory began before she entered the arena at the Who’s Number One event in Austin, Texas, as Nathalia revealed.

“We knew that the F2W fight, for the title match against Gabi Garcia, was going to happen. And even before the contract was finalized, we started to improve body composition with nutritional adjustments. When the fight was scheduled for February 26, her body composition was already much better, which directly impacts the athlete’s performance. I always follow the training periodization, of both Jiu-Jitsu and physical training. In the second fight against Gabi, already in WNO, I counted on the help of the physical trainer Itallo Vilardo during Nathiely’s preparation.”

Nathalia added: “I knew that she would have volume and load of intense training, especially at the beginning of the training periodization. In the nutritional periodization, I prioritized foods that would help in the adaptive response of the training, as well as in the recovery between training sessions. Nathiely consumed a lot of cherry tart juice, grape juice, watermelon, green tea and berries. Creatine supplementation was also super important throughout training, as it improves exercise tolerance, muscle recovery and adaptive training response.”

Nathalia’s method includes making dietary plans in accordance with each athlete’s preferences. “A curious fact is that Nathi prefers to train fasting; she only consumes coffee,” said the doctor. “Thus the attention to the 24 hours before the morning training session doubles, because she needs to have energetic substrates to perform with excellence during the training. Therefore, the morning pre-workout meal will actually be her dinner from the night before, which will always be accompanied by good sources of carbohydrates. For Nathi’s dinner, I opted for rice, beans, potatoes and cassava, as they are foods with good carbohydrate sources. She also enjoys eating vegetables, feels very good eating these foods. She made a change in her eating habits. Before, for example, the champion was accustomed to consuming only foods rich in carbohydrate and protein in her main meals. This is a mistake made by many athletes. It was all possible because of her discipline, which made my job easier.”

The nutritionist went on to talk about the things to which she pays the most attention in the final stretch of the preparation of a BJJ athlete:

“I always keep an eye on hydration, which is one of the points that can compromise the athlete’s performance. So I always remind them that the minimum you should consume is: your weight x 35ml. We have to add all the water that was lost in the training, in addition to the mineral salts, and the isotonics come in post-workout as well. As my contact with the athlete is very close — we speak daily — the margin of error is almost nil. I’m always looking at the details and adjusting according to the athlete’s needs. I always say that supplementation is the icing on the cake; the basis has to be a well-structured eating plan. However, we are talking about a high-performance athlete, and sometimes supplementation is necessary. In the case of Nathiely, for the last fight, in addition to creatine and caffeine, we used beta alanine, krill oil, vitamin D3, COq10 and magnesium. She arrived in the pre-competitive phase without injuries, feeling strong and ready for the match. Everything went well, and the result you already know: a fight of the highest level, performing with excellence, and not only did she win the fight, but became the first athlete to beat Gabi Garcia with and without the gi.”

Nathalia, who has a postgraduate degree in nutrition, metabolism and physiology in sports, monitors renowned athletes such as Manuel Ribamar, Matheus Gabriel, Gabriel Sousa, Diego Ramalho, Thalison Soares, Paulo Miyao and João Miyao.

Mix of colorful fruits and vegetables.

Everybody knows that eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day is very important to your health. However, did you know that the more variety of colors you add to your diet more health benefits you will get?

Fruits and vegetables are very important to our health because they are whole foods, created by nature, that are rich in a large amount of nutrients. The processed foods that we so commonly eat, can never compare to the health benefits provided by strawberries or Broccoli, which have fiber, vitamins, and enzymes built right in. Eating plenty of healthy vegetables and fruits helps you prevent different types of diseases, such as heart disease and strokes, control your blood pressure, prevent some types of cancers, and guards against vision loss among many others health benefits.

By eating fruits and vegetables of a variety of different colors, you can get the best all-around health benefits. Each different color fruit and vegetables contains unique health components that are essential to your health.

Red: The phytochemicals present in these foods are red carotenoids and anthocyanins. One of the most abundant carotenoid is lycopene. Lycopene helps reduce free radical damage in your body and also prevents heart disease, cancer, prostate problems and reduces skin damage from the sun. These red foods help memory function, urinary tract health, and makes your heart healthy.

Green: These fruits and vegetables have phytochemicals sulforaphane and indoles, which both help to prevent cancer. They are also good for the circulatory system and have good vitamin B and minerals. Green vegetables also help with vision, and the maintenance of strong bones and teeth. Some yellowish green vegetables have carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which help prevent cataract, ocular disease and osteoporosis. Green fruits and vegetables also contain fiber, calcium, folate and vitamin C. These nutrients besides reducing cancer risks, it lowers blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels, normalize digestion time, support retinal health, fight harmful free-radicals, and boost immune system activity.

Purple: These foods have tons of antioxidants, which are called anthocyanins and phenolics. They help to improve circulation and prevent blood clots, so they are excellent for the heart and may help prevent heart disease. They are also known to help memorization and urinary tract health and reduce free radical damage.

Orange and Yellow: These fruits and vegetables Contain beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, flavonoids, lycopene, potassium, and vitamin C. These nutrients reduce age-related macula degeneration and the risk of prostate cancer, lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure, promote collagen formation and healthy joints, fight harmful free radicals, encourage alkaline balance, and work with magnesium and calcium to build healthy bones.

White: These fruits and vegetables contain nutrients such as beta-glucans, EGCG, SDG, and lignans that provide powerful immune boosting activity. These nutrients also activate natural killer B and T immune system cells, reduce the risk of colon, breast, and prostate cancers, and balance hormone levels, reducing the risk of hormone-related cancers.

By Adriana Gracie.

Before starting any diet consult a nutritionist.

Carlos Gracie Jr.

“Angela Gracie – Recipe Book Based on the Gracie Diet”

Angela Gracie, granddaughter of Carlos Gracie Sr. has now released an ebook version of her book “Angela Gracie – Recipe Book Based on the Gracie Diet”

As well as Angela’s own creations, the book contains many favorite meals of Angela’s legendary family such as Royce’s Tuna Melt, Renzo’s Corn Soup, Royler’s Salmon Pasta and the Valente brothers’ favorite recipes.

Angela commented “I wrote this book so people would have a practical knowledge on how to implement the rules of the diet, which can often be confusing at first sight. I want the whole world to have access to the wonderful health benefits of the diet and with the ebook I will be able to help spread my families knowledge anywhere in the world.”

To purchase the ebook, search in Apple iBooks for “Angela Gracie” or click here now.

To purchase the paperback book or special hardcover edition of the book go to www.angelagracie.com, where you can also send Angela any Gracie Diet questions you may have.

The paperback book will also be available for purchase at the GRACIEMAG booth at the 2015 IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championship this March 11-15 at Irvine, CA.

Squash Soup recipe by Angela Gracie

Keep your body hydrated for good health.

The “Mistura Viva” blog is constantly serving up posts on the principles of proper eating to keep the body ailment free. Here you find six tips for dieting, living healthier and having copious amounts of energy for dealing with your daily routine.

Click here for the full article in Portuguese. GRACIEMAG.com extracted the highlights and lists them below:

1. BREATHE BETTER AND FLUSH OUT TOXINS

Not a lot of Jiu-Jitsu practitioners pay due attention to their breathing. Make note of how oxygenizing your organism is directly linked to daily health and vigor.

“Lack of oxygen is significant in that it can cause cells to become cancerous. It surely affects the cell’s quality of life,” reads one snippet from the blog.

Deep breathing activates the lymphatic system. Practicing deep breathing and exercises like yoga eliminate 15 times more toxins from the body than does normal, hurried breathing, says the article.

2. EAT FOODS RICH IN WATER!

Remember: your quality of life is dependent on the quality of life of your cells. So straight to the nitty-gritty: fresh fruit, greens, legumes, sprouts and plenty of water.

“Your diet should include foods consisting of 70% water. The lower the level of water, the greater the likelihood of you contracting imbalances (illnesses),” says the article.

3. CHOOSE YOUR FOOD COMBINATIONS WISELY

“Take care of your stomach for your first 50 years, and it will take care of you for the next 50,” is Dr. Steven Smith’s take on how to stay healthy.

Eat meat and potatoes at the same time? What about bread and cheese, milk and cereal, fish and rice? What if you were told these combinations are totally destructive to your digestive system and sap your energy?

Eat just one condensed food per meal. What’s condensed food? Any ingestible that is not rich in water. For example, beef jerky is condensed, while watermelon is rich in water.

Make sure not to eat starch, carbohydrates and protein in the same meal.

4. EAT LITTLE, AND CAREFUL ABOUT LIQUIDS DURING MEAL TIMES

Are you dragging your feet when you get out of bed in the morning, even if you got your full eight hours’ worth of sleep? Know why? While you’re sleeping, your body is working overtime to digest the incompatible food combinations you put in your belly.

Eat light before going to bed, just enough to keep you from feeling hungry. If you feel like eating a lot of something, eat a lot of salad. And, just eat fruit after 9pm. Remember: after ingesting a properly combined meal, you should wait for at least three hours before eating anything else.

It’s important that you keep in mind that drinking during mealtime dilutes your digestive juices and slows down the digestive process; so don’t drink much water, especially not cold water.

5. EAT MORE FRUIT!

Fruit is the most perfect food on the planet, since it takes the least energy to digest and gives your body the maximum return. Least effort for maximum benefit—have you heard that here on GRACIEMAG.com before?

“The only food that makes your brain work is glucose. Fruit is packed with fructose, which is easily converted into glucose. Most of the time, it is 90-95% water, which means it cleanses you and feeds you at the same time.

Eat fruit upon getting up in the morning and on an empty stomach. Your heart and overall health will thank you for it.

6. EAT LESS PROTEIN!

The percentage of protein in a human mother’s milk doesn’t exceed 2.38. Did you know that? So where did this idea that we need loads of protein to be strong and healthy come from?

Dr. Mark Hegstead, a Professor of nutrition at Harvard Medical School, asserts that most human beings seem to adapt to whatever quantity of protein is available to them. In other words: if you eat a well-balanced vegetarian diet, you’ll get all the protein you need!

To be sure you have energy for training, all you need is glucose from fruits, vegetables and sprouts.

But how about the myth that protein is good for endurance? “Wrong. Too much protein overloads your system with nitrogen, which causes fatigue,” says the article. “And as for protein strengthening our bones? Wrong again. Excess protein has been linked to osteoporosis, degeneration and weakening of the bones. The strongest bones in the world belong to vegetarians.”

Milk and meat just clog up your body. For your supply of calcium, go with green vegetables, nuts, sesame seed, and turnips. And you can have small quantities of white cheese on salad.

How about it, gentle reader, learned something new? Now what boosts your energy levels in training? Share with us, using the comments field below.

Globe Artichoke

This low glycemic index recipe is packed with two famous superfoods: Spinach and artichoke.

Spinach is well-known for its antioxidants properties and high level of vitamins K (has potential role in bone health), A, B6, C and E, folate fiber, manganese, riboflavin, calcium, potassium and copper, and a good source of thiamine, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids.

Fresh artichoke is also rich in dietary fiber and anti-oxidants that boost the immune system and lower cholesterol. It is an excellent source of vitamin K, folic acid and potassium; good source of vitamin C (helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals), iron, niacin, riboflavin, lutein, and cynarin (that helps overall reduction in the total cholesterol levels in the blood).

Combine both powerhouse greens to revitalize your body with an invigorating energy bring me up and health aid.

Ingredients:

2 cups (16 ounces) fat-free cottage cheese

1 egg

4 1/2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, divided

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

1 package (10 ounces) frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and halved

Method:

Preheat oven to 375F. Coat 1 1/2-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Process cottage cheese, egg, 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, pepper and nutmeg in food processor until smooth.

Squeeze moisture from spinach. Combine spinach, cottage cheese mixture and green onions in a large bowl. Spread half of mixture in baking dish.

Pat artichoke halves dry with paper towels. Place in single layer over spinach mixture. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. Cover with remaining spinach mixture. Bake, covered, 25 minutes.

Recipe by Glycemic Index Cookbook

Spinach  Artichoke Gratin

Wild Salmon Sushi and Sashimi.

Wild salmon is considered one of the best sources of protein. Especially for athletes and people who enjoy intensive workout routines.

According to active.com, “salmon is one of the most nutrient dense proteins, full of essential Omega-3 fatty acids, as well as vitamins B12 and B6. Salmon can help reduce inflammation in our bodies through it’s high content of Omega-3’s, which is valuable for athletes.”

Tonia Reinhard, author of Superfoods – the healthiest foods on the planet, tell us that the omega-3 fatty acids have preventive and therapeutic effects because inhibit inflammation and cardiovascular diseases.

The website outsideonline.com posted: “Oily fish, like salmon, mackerel, and trout, are good sources of lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which help reduce inflammation that can hamper athletic performance and contribute to chronic conditions like heart disease.”

Learn how to make a Salmon Sushi Roll:

A study at the University of Washington showed that people consuming at least one 3-ounce (85-g) serving of fatty fish, such as Salmon, a week had a 70 percent reduction in the risk for cardiac arrest.

Another thing to consider is to make an option for the consumption of Wild Alaskan Salmon once concerns have been raised about the high presence of PCBs found in farmed salmon.

If you want to make the most out of Salmon in your diet, combine it with fresh green salad and or a portion of complex carbohydrates like quinoa, vegetables, brown rice or whole wheat pasta.

Leandro Lo in the cover of GRACIEMAG #202

Leandro Lo is making history in Jiu-Jitsu. Black Belt under Cicero Costha in Brazil, the young athlete, 25, has been training in the gentle art for more than ten years now alongside other high-level competitors, such as the Miyao Brothers. As an avid competitor, he has accumulated so far a distinctive amount of victories in his carrier as a fighter and today places second in the official IBJJF Adult Black Belt ranking.

Born in São Paulo and with a unique fighting style, Lo is a current three times Jiu-Jitsu World Champion who has also won multiple gold medals at other prestigious tournaments, including the WPJJC, Pan Jiu-Jitsu and Brazilian National Championships. Last November, he defeated Gilbert Burns at Copa Podio – event in which he holds an almost perfect record since 2011.

While the ace Leandro Lo is highly known by his fancy Jiu-Jitsu, It might be the champion’s simplistic way of looking at life that is giving him the advantages to succeed. Here at GRACIEMAG.com, he talks about his lifestyle, what motivates him to compete and how he blends diet and training.

How do you combine diet and training?

My first training session is at 11am. Usually, in the morning I don’t feel hungry so I just drink an açaí and orange juice smoothie. When I’m trying to gain weight to move up in category, I replace the smoothie with a protein shake. My training finishes around noon, and then right after I eat lunch. I always have rice and beans with chicken or meat, salad or pasta. After my afternoon training I usually eat a snack high in protein, often with chicken. As I’m trying to put up some weight right now, I’m taking creatine, protein and carbo supplements as well. I don’t have a strict diet though; I often eat anything.

What is your biggest motivation to train and compete?

My love for Jiu-Jitsu, which makes me always want to evolve and win.

How would you describe your Lifestyle?

So, I think I would describe it as “I live my life intensively”.

Leandro Lo and Gilbert Burns battled for over 20 minutes last November at the Copa Podio, in Rio de Janeiro.

See how Lo was able to win the thrilling match in Brazil:

Leandro Lo VS Gilbert Durinho (Luta Especial) from Copa Podio on Vimeo.

Black Belt World Champion Michelle Nicolini. Photo by Milena Fioravanti

IBJJF Hall of famer Michelle Nicolini has many reasons to celebrate the year of 2014. The black belt has accumulated so far her 8th World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, a promising career in MMA and several booked seminars around the globe.

Here on GRACIEMAG.com the fighter shares some of her lifestyle secrets to success in training, dieting and how to be a girl in a big men’s world.

How do you adjust your diet to your training routine?

Usually, I lift weights or do my cross fit session before BJJ class. So, I like to get up early to have breakfast; but it does not mean I like to train early in the morning (laughs!) No, I need some more time to start training; I usually get up around 7am thereby I have enough time to eat a good meal. I normally eat 1 “tapioca” with white eggs, half papaya with yogurt and muesli, and black coffee. I start my work out at 9am, which typically lasts for 1 hour, and then I have a snack, like 1 small fruit or half of a protein bar, and immediately after that I go train Jiu-Jitsu. For me, its essential to drink a recovery shake afterwards. This first BJJ class is our competition training so I need to rehydrate and recover to be ready for the next training session. Then, in about 40 min I eat lunch; I like to have salads, lots of veggies and one kind of fish or chicken. If I need to drink something I choose a hot or iced tea.

Do you take any supplements?

Yes, I do take some. I believe that because I train a lot, I need extra care and help from supplements. For example, before I go to bed at night I take 1 scoop of whey protein – Lean Body or ProV60- Labrada mixed with water. Also, I take multivitamins, Vitamin D, Glucosamin, Glutamin (Glutalen-Labrada), BCAA, Elastijoint (Labrada), Endurox R4, and not often but some times if I feel tired, I take one scoop of Super Charge (pre training-Labrada).

Do you think your eating habits affect your performance?

I believe the way I eat affects the way I train. If I eat too much sugar for example, I will get very tired during my workouts, with a very bad cardio. So, it’s extremely important to eat healthy. I avoid sweets and fried foods on a daily basis, and I do not miss it. If I’m not training for competition then I give myself the pleasure of having ice cream or açai!

The girls that like you also love training Jiu-Jitsu would like to know: what are your beauty secrets for before and after practice?

BJJ is in its majority a male sport. So, I like to show I’m a girl even when I’m on the mats. I like to have my gi and rash guards always clean; its basic but some people just are not used to do it. I like to braid my hair to prevent other people from pulling it; its good for me and for the people I’m training with. I like to do my nails every week, and I love pink nails polish (laughs!). Like a girl I do put make up on, but not too much though because I’m going to training and not to a party. However, I remove it before working out and every night before I go to bed. I take extra care of my face and skin: cleaning and hydrating and things like showering before and after training to prevent mycoses and bacteria. Having a fresh breath is important too. Besides that, I don’t like rolling with people when they have dirty feet and it touches my gi, face, and hands; it is disgusting when someone is stinking. I’m not telling you we need to be tremendously clean but there has to be a minimum of hygiene.

Tell us, what it takes to keep your gratefulness on the mat?

I’have found what I like to do in my life so far. It’s not a sacrifice to go train. If I have any problem outside the mat, as soon as I start training it all disappears. There is no stress on the mat…BJJ is a mind therapy. So I m happy like this and that’s the most important thing.

For more tips, info and seminars visit www.michellefights.com

Walnuts

As the great Jiu-Jitsu masters Carlos and Helio Gracie were never tired of teaching, “the evil can enter your body through the mouth.”

Therefore, the pioneers of MMA would insist that in addition to a minimum 30 minutes daily workout (essential for eliminating toxins from the body), it was necessary to eat wisely. Yes, this is the ideal way to prevent migraines and also several types of cancer.

According to Nutrologist Dr. Tamara Mazaracki, partner in the “Busca Saúde” blog, chronic headaches can be remedied with a smart diet.

She listed ten foods that can be great allies in the fight against migraines, as good sources of magnesium or because their beneficial effect on the arteries.

* Leafy vegetables

* Walnuts

* Oats

* Brown rice

* Whole Wheat Bread

* Fish

* Eggs

* Flaxseed

* Chamomile, Fennel and Mint teas

* Ginger

Change your menu, good rest and good training!