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Let me preface everything I am about to type by saying Tom Brady is the GOAT, there really is no discussion there. His stats, wins and his number of Super Bowl appearances and titles clearly separates him from the pack. So whatever it is he has been doing for the past couple of decades, it’s working.
That being said, dude is a bit odd. Actually more than a bit. Dude is 100% odd. From the stories his teammates and coaches have told about him right down to his bizarre sideline attire, dude is clearly one-of-a-kind.
And now, with the release of Brady’s new self-help book, The TB12 Method: How to Achieve a Lifetime of Sustained Peak Performance, we see even more what a very, uh, unique individual Touchdown Tommy really is.
Here are a few details from his book (via the Boston Globe)…
On an average day, Brady says he wakes up around 6 a.m. and “immediately” drinks 20 ounces of water with electrolytes. As he discusses at-length in the book, Brady stresses the importance of staying hydrated and says he drinks 12 to 25 glasses of water a day, always with his TB12 electrolyte concentrate added.
“I add electrolytes to virtually everything I drink,” Brady writes, including lemonade.
After his obligatory 20-ounce glass of water, Brady showers and goes downstairs to make some sort of smoothie.
“Typically, it contains blueberries, bananas, seeds, and nuts,” he says. “It’s nutrient dense, high in fat, high in protein, and high in calories.”
Once full of fruit and seeds, Brady says he works out roughly around 8 a.m., which is another thing about which he speaks at length — both in the book, as well as with any reporter who will listen (the key term to know is pliability; just ask Jon Gruden).
During his workout, Brady says he makes sure to drink more water, along with more electrolytes. Once finished, Brady says he has a protein shake made of one scoop of his self-branded protein powder, almond milk, and — of course — more electrolytes. And always within 20 minutes.
“Wait any longer and your body will begin seeking its own protein sources and start tearing down muscle you’ve just been building up,” he writes. Brady says he is committed to the “20-minute rule” and “rarely” does any intense workouts without a protein shake immediately after.
We have now only reached 10 a.m. Tom Brady time.
Around 11 a.m. Brady might have a snack before lunch, “I never go long without snacking.”
Then he has lunch…
Brady follows four general principles about combining food. The first is not to eat proteins with carbohydrates like potatoes or bread. The second is that mixing proteins or carbs with vegetables is “ideal” for digestion. Except for nightshades, of course.
“I make sure most of what I eat is alkalizing,” Brady writes.
In addition to his strict regime of mostly plant-based foods, Brady follows a so-called alkaline diet, which purports to minimize muscle inflammation. Long story short, he generally tries to limit “acidifying” foods — such as white rice and bread, but also cold cuts, pineapples, and yogurt, to name a few — to 20 percent of his diet. The other 80 percent he says should be made up of alkalizing foods, like Brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, and dandelion greens.
Then in the afternoon Brady will have some more snacks like a protein shake, protein bar, or fruit, but he NEVER COMBINES FRUITS with other food – it’s bad for digestion he says. He also claims that drinking water with your meals is also bad for your digestion.
Around 6 p.m. Brady settles in for dinner which he says is a ““nutrient-dense meal that includes a lot of vegetables.”
As for all those concussions his wife Gisele is worried about yet Brady poo-poos? He’s got it all covered with something he calls a “proactive approach” to them. Huh?
“I don’t worry about them, no. But I’m not oblivious to them,” says Brady. “I understand the risks that come with the contact sports and the physical nature of our game. I try to take these preventative approaches to limit whatever ramifications those may cause…I take this proactive approach to it, and I do feel like they’ve really worked.”
Ummm, okay. Not sure that’s an actual thing, Tommy, but you do you.
And that is what makes you a multi-time MVP and Super Bowl champion, folks.