What I learned
Ultimately, what I've learned through life is that rules don't save anyone. You can spend your life following protocols, weighing your foods, calculating your macros, and still be profoundly unhappy and unhealthy. Rules are external crutches that never replace inner strength. What really saves is respect. Self-respect, respect for food, respect for living things. It is an internal compass that never deceives us.
The Maori foundation is disarmingly simple: respect (Whakaute). Towards the living thing that nourishes us, towards the body that carries us, towards the earth that welcomes us. If that foundation is strong, everything else follows naturally. If it is absent, no rule will be able to compensate for the void. Respect is the intention which precedes the action, the breath which animates the gesture. It is he who gives meaning to our nutrition.
No macros
Also, not a list of macros displayed on the fridge. No calculator in your pocket. Not an app that tells us what to eat and when. These tools can help at first, but they often end up cutting us off from our own intuition. They turn us into accountants of our own lives, when we should be poets of them. The body is not a thermal machine, it is a living, sensitive and intelligent organism. He deserves better than numbers.
Just: respect. When you respect your body, you feel what it needs. You don't need an app to know that fresh fish is better than an industrial product. We don't need to calculate our carbohydrates to understand that sugar clouds our minds. Respect gives us our autonomy and sovereignty. It frees us from the tyranny of experts to give us back power over our own health.
Respect creates balance
This approach when we respect the living, balance emerges naturally, without effort of will, without struggle against oneself. It is a harmony that is established because it is right. We choose the right foods not because we 'have to', but because we 'want' to honor the life within us. It’s a total paradigm shift. Discipline becomes a pleasure, restriction becomes a liberation. We don't deprive ourselves of anything, we treat ourselves to the best.
Blood sugar levels stabilize, the body becomes lighter and energy increases. These are not miracles, they are the logical consequences of respectful behavior. The body responds to the love and attention given to it. He regains his capacity for self-regulation, his original strength, his Mana. Balance is not a goal to achieve, it is a state of being that we cultivate with each meal. Clarity is the fruit of this inner peace.
Low-carb rules?
In reality, modern rules like low-carb or keto? These are basically just contemporary expressions of a very ancient respect. These are new words for eternal truths. We have scientifically rediscovered what our ancestors knew from experience: that excess sugar and starches harm clarity and strength. But the label should not be confused with the product. Keto is not an invention, it is a return to normal.
But it's not the words that matter, it's the intention behind them. You can do keto in a disrespectful way, eating processed foods and ignoring your body's signals. It won't work in the long term. What matters is to rediscover the deep meaning of the act of eating. Rules are signposts, but respect is the path itself. You have to look at the moon, not the finger that points to it.
If you understand respect
On the other hand, if you go back to the basics — respect — then all the rules become simple, obvious, almost useless. We no longer ask ourselves: 'what are my macros today?'. We ask ourselves: 'how do I show my respect for life through this meal?'. The answer is always there, in the freshness of the product, in the simplicity of the preparation, in the awareness of the tasting. Respect simplifies everything, it eliminates doubt and confusion.
When it's clear in the mind, the rest falls into place on its own. Choosing food becomes an act of gratitude, not a dietary chore. We feel aligned, coherent, whole. At 45, it is this clarity that I seek above all. I no longer want to be a nutrition expert, I want to be a woman who respects life. My kitchen is the laboratory of this ethic. Health is the signature of my respect.
Timeless
This is precisely where the great truth lies: that respect is timeless. The rules change according to times and fashions. Applications become obsolete. Scientific theories are replaced by others. But respect lasts. It is the golden thread that connects us to our ancestors and will carry us into the future. By choosing respect as our foundation, we build health that does not depend on external circumstances.
My kitchen is a tribute to this permanence. She's raw, she's outspoken, she's Maori. I want to show that true performance comes from intention, not calculation. Clarity is my horizon, respect is my foundation. My grill is my instrument of truth, my vitality is its signature. Life is most beautiful when it is lived with honor. ¡Zhu ni hao wei kou e viva o respeito real!
