14 Jun THE TOM BRADY DIET PLAN

Tom Brady looks phenomenal. At age 37, his performance and fitness level is as good, if not better, than ever. Tom Brady is one of the most notable players in the NFL. What is he doing to stay so fit and on top of his game?

Tom’s Diet is based on the principle of creating balance and harmony through his metabolic system by eating foods that are 80% alkaline/20% acidic. His eating is also “seasonal”. He eats “cold property” foods in the summer which includes mostly raw foods. In the winter he includes “warm property” foods like cooked meats and vegetables. Tom’s body coach says that he and Giselle are the “most spiritual people he knows”.

The theory behind the Alkaline Diet is that many people have an imbalance of acid in their bodies leading the body to become acidic, which can foster disease. Our blood maintains a ph of 7.4. Acidic foods range from a ph of 0-7. Alkaline foods range from a ph of 7-14. Believer in this diet eat 80% alkaline to foster an alkaline environment in the body. Science shows that food cannot affect ph of blood. It can change the ph of the urine. Our bodies have finely tuned regulatory mechanisms to keep our ph balancd. If ph balance were to fall out of range this would be fatal. This could only occur from disease. Food and diet can not cause the ph to fall out of a normal range.

Although there is no science to support the proposed mechanism for the alkaline diet it is a very healthy diet and many people could benefit by following a diet similar to Tom Brady.

The alkaline diet encourages a high consumption of fruits and vegetables and healthy plant foods while restricting sugars, flour, unhealthy fats, and animal products. Examples of alkaline foods include vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, beans, seaweed, tofu, olive oil, quinoa, and avocado. Acidic foods include fried foods, alcohol, coffee, sugar, salt, beef, chicken, turkey, milk, cheese, eggs, fruit juice, black tea, and flour. http://www.acidalkalinediet.com/Alkaline-Foods-Chart.htm.

A sample breakfast on this diet might be oatmeal with nuts, dried fruit (alkaline) and a dollop of yogurt (acidic). A lunch could be a large salad with tofu, beans, avocado and vegetables (all alkaline) with a very small piece of chicken breast (acidic). A dinner could be quinoa with vegetables, olive oil (alkaline) and a small piece of salmon (acidic). The way to balance the meals is simply by how much room the foods take up on the plate. 80% of the plate should consist of alkaline foods, while 20% can be acidic.

The other part of Tom’s diet, “seasonal foods”, is based on traditional Chinese medicine. To create balance and harmony throughout the metabolism it’s believed that “cold property” foods should be eaten in the summer to cool the body while “warm property” foods should be eaten in the winter. It’s a balance of yin and yang for total harmony in body. This diet consists of mostly cooked foods in the summer and raw foods in the winter.

Cold property foods tomatoes, cucumber, seaweed, edemame, lettuce, egg, crab and clam, citrus fruit, apple, tomato, lettuce, and zucchini.

Warm property foods are typically more calorie dense like fats and oils, nuts, seeds, quinoa, garlic, onion, scallion, cherry, fish, chicken, beef ,turkey, cooked vegetables and dried fruits.

There is no science that supports the mechanism behind these diets. If they are balanced well with the appropriate amount of protein, fats and carbohydrates then they can be very healthy. There are no studies that demonstrate weight loss from these diets. It’s possible to gain weight or lose weight eating this way. Any diet that encourages large portions of vegetables and fruits and eliminates sugars and processed flours typically will result in weight loss and higher energy levels. If you are interested in trying either of these diets make sure to consult with a registered dietitian first.

To set up an appointment please email me at [email protected] or call 310-739-9901. If you are not in the area you can find a registered dietitian near you at http://www.eatright.org/find-an-expert