by Tom Brady is one of the most famous American football players. And he is the quarterback with the most Superbowl wins, claiming a total of 7 wins with the New England Patriots. Brady is also known for having a very long career for a professional athlete – well into his 40s – and believes he takes very good care of himself with a healthy diet and exercise.
In 2017 Brady released a book entitled The TB12 Method: How to Achieve Sustained Peak Performanceincluding his methodology for maintaining his peak athletic performance for many years.
The book covered Brady’s 12 performance principles, including his training principles and healthy living philosophy, including sleep and cognitive fitness, as well as diet including nutritional guidelines and recipes.
Read on to find out exactly how Tom Brady eats.
What do you eat on the TB12 diet?
The Tom Brady diet, known as TB12, is based on the mostly plant-based eating pattern that Brady has been following for years. It does not describe a vegan or vegetarian diet, but follows a plan that includes about 80 percent plant-based foods and 20 percent animal-based foods. As well as balanced meals with lots of vegetables, Tom incorporates some smoothies into his day made with pea-based protein from the TB12 brand.
But powder is not the only way the athlete meets his protein goals.
One ingredient mentioned repeatedly in the recipes on the TB12 website is almond butter. Almond butter is a delicious and nutrient dense ingredient, providing 5 to 7g of protein per 2 tablespoons. And the website notes that Tom “eats nuts and seeds as snacks.”
Eggs are also an excellent and budget-friendly source of protein. And sure enough, the TB12 diet includes eggs in its recommended recipes and list of foods to eat, not only for their protein content but also for their immune-supporting nutrients, like vitamin D. The website recommends eating them regularly. daily as scrambled eggs, snacks or to top a hash of Brussels sprouts and potatoes.
Although pizza seems like a forbidden food to Tom, if you make it with a cauliflower crust, it’s yours to enjoy on TB12. The website gives a recipe for a crust made with fresh cauliflower, Parmesan cheese and egg. He recommends chopping up vegetables like peppers, onion, spinach and broccoli, which sounds great to this nutritionist.
What can you not eat on the TB12 diet?
The TB12 website provides ways you can “fuel your body like Tom Brady.” This includes eating only real whole foods and avoiding processed foods, including white bread, chips and foods with added sugar that come in boxes or bags. Foods with any amount of trans fat, such as deep fried foods, are also omitted.
Dieters are also advised to choose sweet potatoes over white potatoes, red peppers over green ones, carrots and dried apricots over processed snacks, cashews and walnuts instead of almonds (although almond butter is used in many smoothies), and oranges and berries over apples. The reason for these specific recommendations is because of higher levels of immune supporting nutrients like beta-carotene and vitamin C.
Although alcohol and caffeinated drinks are not specifically singled out as items to be completely avoided, they are cited as dehydration culprits and a link is made between dehydration and inflammation.
Is TB12 anti-inflammatory?
TB12 emphasizes that by focusing on eating more plants and limiting animal-based foods to 20% of your diet, you’ll help ensure you’re reducing any unnecessary inflammation, which will give the energy for you to recover faster and perform better.”
The TB12 site also has articles that explain what chronic inflammation is and why it is linked to many health issues, including diabetes and heart disease. TB12 recommends regular exercise as a way to protect against inflammation.
Sample shopping list
The TB12 website does not include a sample diet plan, but does share a general nutrition guide, recipes (mostly smoothies) and a printable shopping list.
The list includes:
- Sheep
- Zucchini
- Sweet potatoes
- Brown rice
- Bell peppers
- Reputation
- Nuts
- Beans
- Salmon
- Avocados
Benefits of the TB12 diet
A big part of Tom’s nutrition plan is hydration. As soon as he gets up at 6 am, he starts drinking a mixture of 20 ounces of water with his branded electrolyte mix. Brady recommends hydrating during workouts and emphasizes the importance of electrolytes. He recommends drinking half your body weight in ounces of water each day.
I like that TB12 recommends getting plenty of fiber in your diet and eating balanced meals, as well as its emphasis on regular exercise.
Another selling point for TB12 is its emphasis on developing healthy lifestyle habits that you can practice daily, including meditation and foam rolling. And unlike many fad diets that promote rapid weight loss, the focus here is on health and performance, not on achieving the ideal body.
CONS of the TB12 diet
Your wallet will probably be much lighter after following this diet. The plant-based protein powder is $54 for 30 servings, and since the diet recommends drinking lots of smoothies, one canister might not last a full month.
There are also online quizzes to help you pinpoint the areas you may need help with, such as sleep, inflammation, immune health and focus. I took the quiz and was given a list of three supplements (protein powder, electrolytes and the Joint Recovery supplement) totaling $146, as well as a recommendation to purchase the Vibrational Liability Area for $119, a Nutrition Sampler Pack, which I couldn’t locate the site and shaker bottle ($30) to make smoothies.
The diet can be followed without buying the specific TB12 supplements and protein powder, but apart from the shopping list and recipes, there is no specific diet plan to follow and hardly any guidance is given, so it could be challenging to place. plan together for yourself without one.
Is the TB12 diet healthy?
With an emphasis on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, TB12 provides the foundation for a healthy eating plan. If you incorporate the recommended foods into your daily life, you’ll be following a high-fiber, high-protein diet that will also help you reduce the amount of saturated fat you eat, which can help your risk of long-term illnesses like to reduce heart. disease.
Why is TB12 controversial?
Critics of TB12 cite the cost of ingredients and supplements and its restrictions on nightshade plants such as eggs, tomatoes, peppers and potatoes. This contradicts the recommendation on the website to eat red peppers. Other concerns include the lack of scientific evidence to support health claims and the difficulty of following a diet that does not include any convenience foods.
The bottom line: The TB12 Diet may offer some health benefits, but it can be expensive and difficult to follow and doesn’t guarantee results.
