Tom Brady is the NFL’s greatest QB and is still leaving fans stunned – thanks to TB12 Method
Tom Brady knows a thing or two about longevity.
The NFL icon won a record seven Super Bowls over a career that spanned 23 seasons at the very highest level.
Few athletes in the history of professional sport can say they've dominated their chosen field for almost a quarter of a century.
However, Brady, who played for the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a storied career, most certainly can, with much of his success being attributed to what he did off the field as well as on it.
It's a big reason why he still looks the way he does at 46 and recently wowed followers on Instagram with his snorkelling day out on Thanksgiving with his kids.
The TB12 Method
The 46-year-old introduced the world to The Tom Brady Diet, also known as the TB12 Method, in his 2017 book.
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Brady attributes the methods outlined for his sustained high-performance, and maintains that following its guidance can help boost energy levels, minimise inflammation, and reduce the risk of injuries.
The TB12 Method details the former quarterback's holistic approach to health and fitness, focusing on 'a series of healthy daily habits across five pillars: pliability, nutrition, hydration, movement and mental fitness.'
“The regimen I follow is a mix of Eastern and Western philosophies,” Brady writes. “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.”
A crucial aspect of the TB12 method is indeed diet, which is predominantly plant-based and encourages the consumption of a variety of nutritious, anti-inflammatory foods.
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Brady isn't a vegan. "When people ask if I’m a vegan or a vegetarian, I tell them no, decidedly not," he says on his website. However, the balance is roughly 80-20 in favour of greens and when he does eat meat it’s grass-fed, local and organic.
TB12's diet is famously strict, though. Organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, organic meat, wild-caught fish and seafood are a big yes, but other foods, which can cause inflammation, such as refined carbohydrates and saturated fats, are a big no-no.
These include: alcohol, breakfast cereals, caffeine, condiments like ketchup and BBQ sauce, fruit juice, frozen meals, chips, crackers, sugary snacks, white pasta, white bread, butter, cheese, milk, frozen meals and processed meats like pepperoni.
However, despite the rigid dietary dos and don'ts, Brady has learned to enjoy cheat meals as he's gotten older without being too hard on himself.
"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 five-time Super Bowl MVP told Men's Health.
There are a number of other core principles Brady's method is built upon. These range from drinking 20 fluid ounces of water with electrolytes first thing in the morning, drinking at least one-half of your body weight in ounces of water every day, stopping eating when you’re 75 per cent full to 'enhance digestion', making dinner your smallest meal of the day, and avoiding large meals a few hours before bedtime.
Brady is also a big proponent of drinking plant-based protein powders, fuelling workouts with high-calorie, high-protein, high-fat smoothie or shakes, supplementing vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D, omegas and multi-vitamins, and getting plenty of sleep (he tries to get nine hours every night between 9pm-6am).
And if you think he has relaxed more in retirement, his Thanksgiving trip should tell you otherwise.
"I think I'm actually a little more disciplined now," he told Stephen A. Smith, explaining that there's a lot more plane food, hotel food that makes it easier to slip.
A typical Tom Brady day
According to the TB12 Method's website, a typical day for the 15x Pro Bowler looks like the following:
6am: Wake up, load up on electrolytes and nutrients with 20 ounces of water. After that, a high-calorie, high-fat, high-protein smoothie with bananas, blueberries, nuts, and seeds usually follows.
8am: Daily training session. At 20-minute intervals throughout his workout, he’ll drink more water with electrolytes.
11am: Training finishes and he refuels with one scoop of plant-based protein powder in almond milk.
12pm: Lunch, usually a piece of healthy protein like fish, with lots of vegetables, including whole grains, and dark leafy greens.
Afternoon snack: For the rest of the day, Brady will eat nuts and seeds as a snack, plus two to three more protein shakes.
Dinner: Something plant-packed along with a piece of organic meat.
Evening snack: A steaming cup of bone broth.
9pm: Bed
Like any diet, there are pros and cons to Brady's approach
Since breaking into the mainstream in 2017, the TB12 Method has had a ton of celebrity endorsements.
Brady's former Patriots teammate Rob Gronkowski follows the method, as does Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins.
According to Healthline, the TB12 method has a number of potential health benefits. Aside from helping people lose weight, research has reportedly shown the diet can help lower risk of stroke, heart attacks, and death from heart disease. It could also reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome and aid in the prevention of type 2 diabetes.
However, others have criticised the method, claiming it is not based on sound science, is unnecessarily expensive, relies too much on supplementation, and can be difficult for some, including athletes, to meet their protein needs.
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Either way, it appears to be working for Brady.
He's getting closer to 50 and the consensus 'Greatest Of All Time' is looking better than ever.