At 42 years old, Tom Brady’s career is still going strong, and he’s always been game about giving everyone an inside look at how he does it. The New England Patriots quarterback has previously detailed his diet in his 2017 book, The TB12 Method, and it was very strict, to say the least.
“The regimen I follow is a mix of Eastern and Western philosophies. 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,” Brady wrote in his book. “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.”
But in an exclusive interview with Men’s Health, Brady explained that his diet isn’t as strict as it seems.
So, what the heck does his diet actually consist of? A lot of fruit, a lot of recovery fluids, and just the right amount of pizza.
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 packs in blueberries, bananas, nuts, and seeds. Pretty normal.
During his 8 a.m. sweat session, 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.
However, Brady told Men’s Health 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 gamedays, his meals are simple—A smoothie and an 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.
“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, specifically UnReal Candy.
Source: Read Full Article