Do you want to eat like Tom Brady? That’s the promise of the TB12 diet. According to its practitioners, this diet can improve your workouts, your health, and your life. It won’t guarantee you can perform like Tom Brady, but it can help you reach your own peak. As a nutritionist, diets like this can provide a fun twist when it comes to keeping my clients engaged in their weight loss journeys. But is it effective?
So, how does the TB12 diet work? What is it, how do you follow it, and what do you have to avoid on this diet? We’ll answer all of these questions and more, so let’s get started!
What is the TB12 diet?
The TB12 diet is named after Tom Brady and his uniform number (12) because it’s the diet Tom Brady follows. The basic structure of the diet is an 80/20 split: “roughly 80 percent plant-based foods and 20 percent animal-based foods,” according to the diet’s official website. It can be more like 90 or 95% plant-based foods and 5-10% animal-based, but he goes up to 20% animal-based foods in the winter.
The diet excludes dairy, gluten, and nightshades — a class of vegetables related to poisonous flowers, which includes potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers. It also involves drinking lots of water. Protein powders and supplements are recommended, especially before a workout, but not required.
How do you follow the TB12 diet?
Start with the 80% plant-based foods. It can be complex to figure out plant-based protein, but you’ll probably want to work out one or two entirely plant-focused meals per day. Meal planning can be really useful when aiming for a plant-based diet, even if you’re not entirely vegan.
When you’re done figuring out the plant part of your meals, you can add in animal products. There is no dairy in the TB12 diet, but meat, fish, and eggs can help you fill out that 20%. You should choose lean proteins, like chicken breast, rather than a rich steak.
Drinking lots of water is also key to this diet. There’s an equation for how much water you should drink — take your body weight in pounds, divide it in half, and drink that many ounces. For example, a 200-pound man should try to drink 100 ounces of water or 12.5 8-ounce glasses. This will result in a much higher water intake than the typical 8-glass recommendation, but that number wasn’t really based on anything anyway.
Are any foods restricted on the TB12 diet?
Several foods are restricted or eliminated on the TB12 diet. The one that gets the most focus is nightshades, a category of vegetables. They’re related to the poisonous flower kind of nightshade, and although they’re not poisonous, they can have inflammatory effects. This category of vegetables includes tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and peppers. Brady recommends that you cut these vegetables out entirely, along with dairy and gluten.
The diet also suggests that you don’t drink more than two cups of coffee and never any caffeine after noon. This is mostly to maintain your sleep health. It’s always challenging to get a good night’s sleep when you’re drinking high amounts of caffeine, so this recommendation could really help you.
What are the benefits of following the TB12 diet?
The TB12 diet is good for your health and your physical performance. Eating largely or entirely plant food reduces the risk of heart disease. Plus, the TB12 diet focuses on whole foods rather than ultra-processed foods, which also helps keep you from taking in unhealthy fats and high amounts of salt and sugar.
The emphasis on lean protein, lots of water, electrolytes and protein supplements, and sleep health is designed for athletic performance. If you’re trying to boost your workouts and get those gains, the TB12 diet can help you, too.
Should anyone avoid this eating method?
There aren’t a lot of risks to the TB12 diet. However, it can be complicated, especially when it comes to making sure you have enough protein. If you need a high protein intake and don’t have a lot of time to juggle with plant proteins, the TB12 diet might not be for you.
Some scientists have also criticized the diet plan for its lack of scientific evidence and for the fact that Tom Brady is selling supplements designed for the diet. Although they’re not required, a lot of the information he provides about the diet does advertise his branded supplements.
Frequently asked questions
Why won’t Tom Brady eat tomatoes?
Tom Brady avoids tomatoes because they are nightshades, a family of vegetables linked to inflammation. On the other hand, tomatoes have health benefits as well. If you’re not specifically worried about inflammation, it’s probably fine to eat tomatoes.
What fruit does Tom Brady not eat?
Tom Brady never eats strawberries, but this has nothing to do with nutrition. He just doesn’t like them. If you’re following the TB12 diet, you don’t have to worry about avoiding strawberries and can enjoy the majority of fruits.
Is the TB12 method good for weight loss?
The TB12 diet can help you lose weight. It recommends that you only eat until you feel 75% full, giving the food time to digest and finish filling you to prevent impulsive overeating. This more mindful type of eating can definitely help you lose weight due to portion control.
