"If you avoid sugar, modern bread and vegetable oils, your life changes completely.". With these words begins our dialogue with nutritionist and health-influencer Guillermo Navarreteknown in networks as Nutrillermowho visited Marbella after the Starlite gala. An almost impromptu conversation in which the most personal, human and funny side of his character came out, who unravels his key points about inflammation, nutrition and integral health without too many technicalities, as health has to be a task within everyone's reach.
Welcome Guillermo, what would you say are the most inflammatory foods that we should cut down on?
-I always say three, so you don't forget: sugar, modern bread and vegetable oils. If you concentrate on those three things, believe me, your life changes completely. Corn, soybean or sunflower oils are the worst, especially because they are reused over and over again in restaurants. Olive oil or coconut oil, on the other hand, are safe and durable.
And the fried food?
Fried food has paid the price for refried food. If you use olive oil, at the right temperature, the food is sealed and does not absorb extra fat. There is nothing wrong with frying at home. The problem is refined vegetable oils that are reused in the catering industry.
In the debate between "pro-vegetable" and "pro-meat", how do you position yourself?
Schools of thought are fine for philosophising, but what matters is what the body says. I am very clear: meat, fish, eggs, cheese and yoghurt should be the priority. They are the foods that really nourish. The less we cook them, the more nutrients they retain. Plants have a complementary role, but they will never give the nutritional density of animals.
Does this mean that vegetables are less nutritious?
Yes, plants develop anti-nutrients to defend themselves, which is why they have always been more medicine than food. Animals, on the other hand, have the same tissues as we do, made of the same nutrients. That is the difference.
What role do genetics and epigenetics play?
Fundamental. Genetics depends on your origin, your ethnicity. And the epigenetics of your microbiome, those bacteria that digest for you. If you haven't had dairy for 20 years, it's normal that a glass of milk is bad for you. This does not mean that dairy is "bad", but that your body is no longer used to it.
Let's talk about stress - what effect does it have?
-Stress destroys everything. It raises cortisol, affects digestion, sleep, energy, mood. It accelerates disease and death, plain and simple. And the best nutrient against that is called sunshine. Vitamin Sun, as some say. Nothing regulates anxiety, mood and health like sunlight.
Which supplements would you recommend without hesitation?
Number one, collagen. With age we stop producing it and it is key for joints, skin, tissues. Secondly, a good certified omega 3, because most of them are rancid and oxidised oils. And thirdly, the combination of vitamin D3 with K2. Those three things make the difference.
In the United States, where you live, serotherapy is widely used, but in Spain it is not allowed. What do you think?
Maybe the FDA is more permissive, but of course the body is designed to digest by mouth, not by vein. If you're in a medical emergency, fine. But looking for shortcuts in health doesn't work: digestion is part of the process, even to feed your microbiome.
What about figures like Brian Johnson, who try extreme therapies to rejuvenate themselves?
Time will tell. It is easy to give an opinion now, but we will have to see how he is in 20 years' time. Of course, what he does is not replicable for people: he spends millions on his health. My obligation is to talk about what anyone can apply in their daily lives.
In addition to consultation and outreach, you lead training programmes. What are they about?
We create a certification of Health Coach together with the University of Murcia (UCAM) and an American university. It lasts three or four months, is 100% online and is designed for both professionals and families. We teach what nobody else teaches: ketosis, fasting, circadian rhythms, impact of the sun, water and air quality, risks of electromagnetic pollution... Practical tools to build health at home and prevent diseases.
Where can I get access?
-Very easy: in nutrillermo.com. Anyone can watch the first class there for free.
In closing, how do you see the current state of health after 2020 and 2021?
Complicated. Many people carry over the consequences of that period and of certain experimental treatments that we now know have gone wrong. This forces us to be more aware and better educated, because a single mistake in health can be very costly.
Guillermo concludes with a sentence that summarises his philosophy: "We should all be health coaches of our life. You can be the most powerful man or woman, but without health, there's nothing to build.
Guillermo Rodríguez Navarrete, popularly known as Nutrillermo, is a Spanish doctor in nutrition and dietetics, based in Miami, known for his approach based on common sense, and the promotion of the use of olive oil and the Mediterranean diet. He is a reference in nutrition in the United States, has a large presence in social networks, is the author of several books on nutrition and collaborates with the media.
Background and training:
Born in Malaga, Spain, in 1977, he studied Pharmacy and Nutrition at the University of Granada.
He completed postgraduate and master's studies, including one at Harvard Medical School. He obtained his doctorate cum laude under the tutelage of Dr. José Mataix Verdú, a major figure in modern nutrition. He is the first Spaniard to obtain a state license to practice nutrition in Florida and the first Latino to be named a Fellow of the American College of Nutrition (FACN).
Areas of work:
He promotes healthy nutrition and weight loss, with a focus on olive oil and the Mediterranean diet. He is the author of books on children's nutrition, olive oil and the Mediterranean diet. He collaborates on television with networks such as Telemundo and Univision. He directs NutriAcademy, an international health and wellness training centre in Miami, with which UCAM has recently signed an agreement and has a large community of followers on his social networks (@Nutrillermo on Instagram).
