Being Superbowl Sunday I thought it fitting to write about Tom Brady, the man who is always on a diet. I believe we should always be on a diet. But just like Brady, I'm not afraid to cheat if I have an occasional craving. I'm talking about once a week, not every day. Brady might be the only Pro-athlete that doesn't conform to the team's strict dietary regiment.
At 43 years old, Tom Brady's career is still going strong.
And what's interesting about his continued dominance in the NFL is that, unlike other elite athletes, Brady is transparent about how he maintains his level of high performance.
It’s almost as if by divulging his secrets to health, fitness, and diet, he’s daring his opponents to try to match his level.
The former New England Patriots, now Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback has previously detailed his diet in his 2017 book, The TB12 Method. His approach to eating is what some (okay, most) people would call strict. Here’s how he explained his diet, in a broad summary, within that book.
“The regimen I follow is a mix of Eastern and Western philosophies,” Brady wrote. “Some of these principles have been around for thousands of years. My nutritional regimen may seem restrictive to some people, but to me, it feels unnatural to eat any other way.”
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“Many people have conditioned their bodies to a nutritional regiment made up of lots of white or pale-looking foods—french fries, potato chips, white bread, chicken nuggets—that don’t exist in nature.”
Except that Brady, in an exclusive interview with Men's Health, explained that his diet isn't as strict as it seems. “Unfamiliar” to some maybe, but definitely not restrictive to the point where he can’t have anything.
So, what the heck does Tom Brady’s diet actually consist of?
A lot of fruit, a lot of recovery fluids, and just the right amount of pizza.
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Tom Brady consumes an astounding amount of liquid.
After he hops out of bed at 6 a.m., the first thing Brady reaches for is a 20-ounce glass of water infused with electrolytes. Then he sips a smoothie, which typically contains blueberries, bananas, nuts, and seeds. Pretty normal.
During his 8 a.m. workout, he drinks more electrolyte-infused water, followed by a post-workout protein shake.
Brady stresses the importance of hydration and drinks anywhere between 12 to 25 glasses of water a day—which is probably enough to fill the fish tank you always wanted as a kid.
However, Brady trains a lot harder than the average human being, so the 25 glasses of water make sense.
Tom Brady used to be really strict about the foods he eats.
In his 2017 book, Brady explained that he was focused on eating “alkalizing” foods, or foods meant to decrease inflammation in your body. For lunch, Brady would eat fish and vegetables, and his personal chef revealed that 80 percent of what the Brady household eats is vegetables.
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However, Brady says that he now gives himself some breathing room when it comes to his diet. "I have a friend who freaks out if it’s not the most organic this or that, and I’m like, 'That stress is going to harm you way more than eating that chip is,'" he explained.
That said, Brady does favor routine: berry-and-banana smoothies pre-workout; avocado and eggs for breakfast; salads with nuts and fish for lunch; hummus, guacamole, or mixed nuts for snacks; and roasted vegetables and chicken for dinner.
And in his gym and fridge tour, Brady revealed a fridge full of fruits like grapes, blueberries, apples, pears, bananas, and veggies like cucumbers, kale, and spinach. He likes to add TB12 electrolytes to his water, and he's a fan of recovery fluids.
On game days, his meals are simple: a smoothie and almond butter and jelly sandwich.
Tom Brady isn't afraid of cheat meals.
Brady doesn't mind treating himself, but if he does, it has to be worth it.
PAUL TAYLOR
"If I’m craving bacon, I have a piece. Same with pizza. You should never restrict what you really want. We’re humans, here for one life," the quarterback told Men's Health. "What’s changed as I’ve gotten older is now if I want pizza, I want the best pizza. I don’t eat a slice that tastes like shit and then wonder, 'Why am I eating shit pizza?'"
Want to know Brady's specific cheat food? Chocolate, of course.
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