At 38 years old, Tom Brady says he has no desire of retiring any time soon – thanks to his outlook on health and food.
Some would say Tom Brady is a bit of a nut. He’s certainly one of the older active NFL players and of late has started being more vocal on what helps him stay at the top of his game. Recently he attacked the food industry for promoting sugar filled junk foods through NFL idols, like himself, point- ing out that no sensible player eats what they endorse. Taking a deeper dive into his life, and considering the average age of a retired NFL player is approximately 30 years old, Brady’s approach to health & diet is certainly worth mirroring.
Tom Brady On Diet
What does your diet consist of:
“80 percent of what we eat is vegetables. I the freshest vegetables. If it’s not organic, I don’t use it. And whole grains: quinoa, millet, beans. The other 20 percent is lean meats: grass-fed organic steak, duck every now and then, and chicken. As for fish, I mostly cook wild salmon.”
What is not included in your diet:
“No white sugar. No white flour. No MSG. I’ll use raw olive oil, but I never cook with olive oil. I only cook with coconut oil. Fats like canola oil turn into trans fats. … I use Himalayan pink salt as the sodium. I never use iodized salt.
I also do not eat nightshades, because they’re not anti-inflammatory. So no tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, or egg- plants. Tomatoes trickle in every now and then, but just maybe once a month. I’m very cautious about tomatoes. They cause inflammation. Oh… What else? No coffee. No caffeine. No fungus. No dairy.”
Ok, so what does a cheat meal look like (surely you have):
“I’ve just did had this quinoa dish with wilted greens. I use kale or Swiss chard or beet greens. I add garlic, toasted in coconut oil. And then some toasted almonds, or this cashew sauce with lime curry, lemongrass, and a little bit of ginger.”
Take it from me, this is a guy who knows how to do it right. Perhaps its time to take your health and diet to the next level. One thing I learned personally is to mirror those who have what you want. So if you want to be vibrant and active when others around you are retiring or turning in the towel on life – I can say with confidence that Tom Brady is someone’s diet to mirror.
Further proof Brady isn’t making any of this up, recently he was interviewed by Massachusetts radio station WEEI where he stated Coca-Cola and Frosted Flakes are poison! This might sound nominal, but consider that Coca-Cola has been one of the top NFL sponsors since 1983!
On Healthcare
Brady’s health opinions don’t stop with just what you eat, but also how you care for your body. I absolutely love his comment on health care:
”Our approach to medicine is, let’s wait until you get sick. Wait until you get hurt, and then we’ll treat you. Well, how about trying to find ways to prevent that from even happening? I think it’s a much better approach to medicine… Now you guys may think I’m full of crap, but I’m the proof, what you see on the field.”
Food for thought: What do you think it would be like if 50% of Americans adopted Brady’s “Real Food Diet:”
- 80% of total food intake as fresh, organic vegetables
- 20% of total food intake as wild caught fish & grass fed beef
- 0% inflammatory foods (sugar, dairy, wheat, MSG, canola oil, table salt
And also, a health care system which focused on prevention of disease and injury. Sounds a lot like what Maximized Living teaches. Why? Because it works! It’s no coincidence that at 38, his body is outperforming even some of the youngest in the league.
At some point you will have to make the decision – are you worth the investment in a lifestyle change that promises amazing results? How many more of your friends and family have to get diagnosed while living the same lifestyle you are? I always struggle with the idea that most of us require a crisis in our health before we decide to do something about it!
On a final note:
“A lot of times I find that people who are blessed with the most talent don’t ever develop that attitude, and the ones that aren’t blessed in that way are the most competitive and have the biggest heart.” -Tom Brady