When Governor Haley Barbour throws a party, the man behind the beautiful and delicious food offerings is Chef Luis Bruno. Last week in Hattiesburg, the Mississippi Dietetic Association hosted its annual convention and Chef Bruno was the featured speaker for the awards luncheon on Friday. He wasn’t sharing any secret recipes, though.
What Chef Bruno shared with this group of dietitians was his inspiring story of success at dramatic weight loss.
      Born in New York City and educated in the culinary arts in Florida, Luis has always loved food. He weighed in at 200 pounds as a twelve year old. He and his wife Kathleen moved to Jackson in the mid-1990’s and he opened his restaurant called Bruno’s Eclectic Cuisine. In the evening after the restaurant closed, he told of sitting at the bar drinking six to ten beers, and then heading home to eat fried spam and cheese with a whole loaf of bread before bedtime. He developed diabetes and had to take six shots of insulin a day. His diabetes was out of control and affecting his vision. His right foot was numb and he became out of breath just walking from the house to his car. The scales eventually tipped 400 pounds.
      Finally his wife convinced him to go to the doctor. The physician told Bruno he would be dead or on dialysis for kidney failure in five years unless he took action. In February 2005, he started on a medically supervised liquid diet and began exercising regularly. It was a difficult task for someone in his profession and with his love for food, but he stuck with it and lost 160 pounds in five and a half months. He transitioned from the liquid diet to a low fat diet and continued his exercise.
      At 37, Chef Bruno has lost a total of 200 pounds and gone from a size 60-inch waist to a size 36. Bruno has reversed his diabetes and no longer needs insulin shots. He is now an avid runner and has competed in several races. One of his goals for 2007 is to complete a 26.2 mile marathon.  Chef Bruno has gone from being a man who could not bend to tie his shoes, to a man who laces them up to run road races.
     Even with all that daily temptation in the kitchen, the Chef rarely strays from his healthy eating pattern. His daily fare consists of fresh fruit and lots of veggies prepared with herbs and spices. When Bruno splurges, he eats an extra handful of almonds or an extra cup of bran cereal. He feels like a new man and he likes what he sees in the mirror. Chef Bruno looks forward to watching his seven year old daughter grow into adulthood.
     This story is certainly one of courage and determination. Changing habits is never easy, but it is possible and the potential health rewards are undeniable. Small steps really do add up. The Chef’s website is www.brunoseclectic.com .