On a sunny spring afternoon, we spoke to Fábio Belo, a certified nutrition coach and blogger influencer from the beautiful Alentejo village of Alpalhão, located in the municipality of Nisa. Fábio, who is only 27, is already a reference in his field and has many followers who are looking to his work to find solutions to their goals.
DF: We've already realised that you're passionate about food, where does this passion come from?
FB: I've always been passionate about food. I like to eat, I love to cook and test/create recipes.
DF: From passion to nutrition. What steps did you take to get here?
FB: I have a degree in journalism and communications. I worked as a journalist and content coordinator for a regional newspaper and even had my own monthly magazine. In August 2018 I decided to leave journalism. I was sure I wanted to communicate, but not through journalism. In September 2018 I created my blog and I've never stopped communicating through the blog and my social networks. I share cookery content on a daily basis, with an emphasis on simple and healthy recipes.
DFWas there someone responsible who helped you or inspired you to enter this area?
FBNo. When I left journalism I was sure of what I wanted to do and how to do it.
DF: Your success is already a reality, was it difficult to get here?
FBI often say that success is hard work and doesn't happen overnight. If we are coherent, consistent and are ourselves, we will achieve our goals.
DF: Has the fact that we're in the interior of the Alentejo ever created any obstacles for you?
FBNo.
DF: You recently joined TVI Player, what can we expect from Fábio Belo in this new stage?
FBThere will be new cookery episodes every week, with healthy, less healthy and even traditional recipes. You can also find me on TVI's IOL portal with recipes.
DF: We had the opportunity to buy your book - Alpalhão Receitas com Tradição (Alpalhão Recipes with Tradition), which is now in its second edition. What inspired you to launch this book?
FB: Our gastronomy is very rich, tasty, traditional and diverse. As I said on the day of the launch, "this book was a real challenge". It was planned to be ready in three months and it took nine months to see the light of day. It's a realised project and one I'm very proud of.
DFIn an area like ours, rich in high-quality raw materials, is it difficult to "shut up"?
FB: Not for me. I'm not a fundamentalist and I think there's one day a week when we should eat everything we want, the other days I'm very disciplined.
DFHave you helped many people achieve their goals over the years?
FB: I've helped a few people....In coaching sessions I give people the tools they need to adopt a healthier lifestyle, and then it's up to them to have the right motivation to change.
DFWhat was the thank you from your followers that touched you the most during this journey?
FBThere were several. However, I'd like to highlight the launch of the book "Alpalhão, Receitas com Tradição" (Alpalhão, Recipes with Tradition), which was launched on a Saturday and was sold out by Monday. It's a sign that people like what I do and I see it as a greater form of gratitude.
DFAnd what can we expect for the future in professional terms, any secrets yet to be revealed?
FB: At the moment I'm focussed on the new projects I'm working on and... of course there are always secrets to be revealed.
Anyone interested in purchasing the book "Alpalhão, Receitas com Tradição" (Alpalhão, Recipes with Tradition) can do so via the book's website. Fábio Belo's Facebook.
