Here on the coast
Here on the coast, life is simple. We wake up. We look at the ocean. And there is fish. It is an obvious fact that precedes us, a generosity that asks for nothing in return except our attention. The ocean is not a resource to be exploited, it is an ancestor that nourishes us. Every morning, the spectacle of the water changing color reminds us that we are passing through, but that the land and the sea remain. It is in this morning silence that true nutrition begins.
That's it. That's all. We don't need to look any further. Simplicity is not a lack, it is a form of respect. By accepting what nature offers us without trying to over-transform it, we honor the cycle of life. Grilled fish, sea salt, wind... it's the basis of everything. It is a lesson in humility that we receive every day, facing the immensity of the horizon.
Maori philosophy
In Maori, we learn from childhood: that everything we eat is a relationship. Not just food. A connection. To the earth (Whenua). To the ocean (Moana). To those who gave their lives so that we could continue ours. Eating is integrating the spirit of the place into your own body. It is a sacred act that requires gratitude and awareness. We don't consume, we commune. This vision radically changes our relationship to satiety and pleasure.
With that in mind, when you really understand it — not just intellectually, but in your body — you can't exaggerate. You can't treat your body like trash or a filling machine. You become the guardian of your own temple. Respect for food naturally leads to self-respect. We choose what is pure, what is true, what has Mana. It is a discipline that comes from within, not from an imposed rule.
You can't take too much. Gluttony and excess are signs of disconnection. When we are in tune with the source, we know exactly when to stop. We take what we need to be strong and clear, nothing more. It is the law of nature: balance is the only sustainable path. By respecting this limit, we preserve not only our health, but also the harmony of the world around us.
Respect guides everything
Ultimately, it's simple: respect creates moderation. Not out of guilt. By living logic. If you respect the fish, you don't waste it. If you respect your blood, you don't poison it with refined sugar. It’s a life ethic that applies to every bite. Low-carb is not an effort of will, it is a natural consequence of respect. We choose clarity because we love ourselves enough not to want to cloud our minds.
At 45, I saw a lot of people looking for diets, lists, macros. They think this is what will save them. They chase numbers as if they could capture life in an Excel spreadsheet. But life cannot be calculated, it is felt. You can follow all the rules in the world and still be empty inside. True transformation begins when we stop counting and start honoring.
It’s respect that saves. It is he who gives us back our dignity as eaters. By returning to raw, local and ancestral foods, we find our place in the great cycle. We stop being victims of industrial marketing and become children of the earth again. Health is the gift that nature gives us in exchange for our respect. It is a silent and powerful pact.
Natural sobriety
This moderation — this embodied respect — creates a natural sobriety. No sugar. No excess. No unnecessary refinements. Just: enough. It's a feeling of immense freedom to no longer be the slave of your impulses. It is discovered that the body does not need much to function at its peak, as long as what it receives is of high quality. Sobriety is a form of metabolic elegance.
It's funny: when you eat like that, you discover that sugar was never necessary. There was just distraction. Sugar was used to fill a void, to mask sadness or to compensate for a lack of meaning. But when we eat with respect and awareness, the void is filled with presence. We no longer need the crutch of glucose to feel alive. Life itself is enough to intoxicate us.
Blood sugar follows compliance
When you respect the living, your blood sugar levels stabilize on their own. You eat marine proteins. You eat vegetables without starch. You eat natural fats. Your body recognizes these molecules, it knows how to process them without creating internal chaos. Insulin remains calm, energy remains stable. This is metabolic peace. We don't fight against our body, we collaborate with it.
Not a list of things to avoid. Just: real things to eat. The negative approach to dieting is exhausting. Saying 'no' all the time ends up creating frustration. But saying 'yes' to respect is a positive and joyful approach. We don't deprive ourselves of sugar, we treat ourselves to clarity. We don't forbid ourselves cereals, we favor strength. It’s a change in perspective that changes everything.
Body memory
The Māori body has known this for generations. Our ancestors did not eat refined sugar. They did not eat excess grains. They ate what the ocean and land provided: fish, birds, wild roots, ferns. Their strength was legendary, their endurance was their survival. This memory is written in my DNA. By eating low-carb, I only awaken a wisdom that was dormant within me.
That works. My body remembers. He regains his original form, his vigor, his ability to fast without suffering. It's like coming home after a long journey of error. Health is not a distant destination, it is a return to the source. At 45, I feel more connected to my ancestors than ever, simply through the choice of what I put on my plate.
Balance that lasts
Balance emerges. Not out of iron will. Out of daily respect. It is a harmony that settles in without noise, a stability that does not require constant effort. We no longer wonder if we are going to 'crack', because there is nothing to fall for. We are simply there, well fed, well anchored. It is the end of the internal civil war between envy and reason.
That's wisdom. This is what is transmitted. I want my children to see that eating is an act of respect, not a commercial transaction. I want them to smell the Mana in their food. Carbohydrate sobriety is only a tool in the service of a greater, more conscious, more respectful life. This is my heritage, and this is my truth. ¡Zhu ni hao wei kou e viva o respeito real!
