Carlos Ríos, Realfooding: "People get a little scared when they see me. I've seen people drop what they had in their hand as soon as they saw me..."

• Opinion: Have Carlos Rios sign a celery for you. Or a leek.

On Tuesday, Esquire presented its Man of the Year award to Antonio Banderas, who was joined by other well-known faces. Among them, Los Javis, David Bisbal, the protagonist of Un cuento perfecto Álvaro Mel, the singer Guitarricadelafuente, the Pop Magician and the influencer Carlos Ríos (32). The nutritionist and dietitian, who began to become famous in 2019 thanks to the Realfooding trend. A movement that focuses on the consumption of healthy foods, avoiding ultra-processed foods at all costs.

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"I'm very happy to be here. The truth is that today they don't give me any awards. But it's a luxury to be able to visit the Casino de Madrid and meet so many interesting people, who I didn't know. When I get these kinds of invitations, of course I say yes. I'm always grateful that they think of me. Although I hope they don't think I'm here to keep an eye on how celebrities eat! Today I'm going to try not to worry about those things. Today, celebrities can sin that 10% I always refer to. Look, as long as the remaining 90% of us all eat healthy, that's fine. You also have to have fun," he tells LOC.

Four years ago he was anonymous and now, thanks to social media, he rubs shoulders with Antonio Banderas, how has his life changed? Four years ago I was a kid who was at home with my cell phone. But now everything has changed. Imagine! They invite me to these kinds of places, they hug me in the street... And I already have a pretty large community. I think it's already more than four million people. And I love it! I'm just trying to get people to eat healthier and I think they appreciate that. It's true that in 2019 I didn't think I could reach so many people. But now we have followers everywhere. Mostly, young people who have proven that eating healthy is not a pain either. Can I ask you if people chase you in supermarkets to help you with your shopping? Backwards. People get a little scared when they see me. I've seen people drop what they had in their hands as soon as they saw me... And without me forcing them to do anything! But, in general, I meet very good and very healthy people. On the other hand, supermarket employees also tend to recognize me. Sure, they're afraid you'll give them a hard time. Yes... But I can also congratulate them on the things they're doing well. Or not! [Laughs] But the truth is that I can't move around so easily in the supermarket anymore, because everyone knows me. Here today there are celebrities who strive to stay in shape, such as Álvaro de Luna or Bisbal himself. Have any actors or singers asked you for advice? Well... I can't tell you names. But I know that there are people in this world who follow me. Above all, there are people who follow me from the world of sports, because in the end realfooding is very much associated with the issue of health, with high performance. Does a footballer have to eat healthy? Would you say that your diet is impeccably healthy or is there some food that calls you to sin? I would say that I practice what I disseminate and what I disseminate is that in your day to day you eat healthy and, from time to time, treat yourself without any problem. Look, ice cream, in summer, is my downfall. And one a week falls for sure. But one! All good, as long as those whims are the exception, not the rule... So today I'll eat whatever I want! But tomorrow we'll get back to the routine and back to eating healthy. Earlier, he said that he doesn't want celebrities to think that he is watching them at these types of parties... And you, are you being watched? When you go out for dinner, for example. Yes. A lot of people are kind of curious to see what I'm eating and you see them looking and all this. But I'm telling you that what I'm disclosing is something that should be normal. And in your private life, how has it affected that everyone now knows you? I'm happy to be able to reach so many people, because that's my purpose. But on the other hand, sometimes I wish I was more anonymous. But you can't get everything, can you? If I want to reach more people, I have to get used to being recognized more and more. Some nutritionists say that some of their brand's products could be classified as ultra-processed. I take criticism well. I understand that there are people who don't like what I do. I also understand conflicts... And I think it's because I give a lot of effort and I also receive it. I do not know. It's part of the job. Do you currently live solely from your company and networks? Exactly. But it's not just my company, because there are already a lot of people involved... And soon we're going to take the brand to another level. We want to open a supermarket, where everything is healthy. We would start here in Madrid, next year and, subsequently, we will try to open another one in Barcelona.