TB12 Diet [Tom Brady Diet]: A Comprehensive Guide

Everyone says that food is medicine.  But what about making it practical? This is what we are going to talk about here. The article details the latest trend known as the TB12 diet. It is a comprehensive diet that is formulated by Tom Brady, one of the most accomplished NFL players in the United States.

On going through the article, you will get an overall idea of what this diet is about and how it works. It also explains the pros and cons of the TB12 diet and whether it supports weight loss. So dive right into the article and learn for yourself what the TB12 diet is all about!

TB12 Diet: Overview

As the name suggests, the TB12 diet is the abbreviation for the Tom Brady diet. Tom Brady is a professional American football player who has developed this diet claiming it as the secret behind his longevity and performance. He formulated the diet along with the professional help of an alternative medicine practitioner known as Alex Guererro.

TB12 diet aims to incorporate a healthy daily meal habit that is mostly plant-based and organic. The primary aim of this diet plan is to reduce inflammation and improve recovery. According to the creators, the five ideologies that form the core of this plan are nutrition, pliability, movement, hydration, and mental fitness.

Tom Brady’s diet was first released to the public in 2017 as a method of eating like the famous football player. A revised edition was later installed in 2020. The core aim of the diet is to focus on eating whole, less processed foods that don’t cause inflammation. It is a comprehensive diet program that encloses a set of TB12-based meals, guidelines, recipes, shopping lists, proprietary supplements, and snacks.

Rules to follow the TB12 diet – How does it work?

The Tom Brady diet consists of certain rules regarding what kind of food you need to take and when you should take them. It is a blend of several other diets such as alkaline, anti-inflammatory, and Mediterranean.

The crux of the Tom Brady diet regime is to make up 80% of the diet with fruits and vegetables while the remaining 20% with lean meat or fish. Certain other rules form the basis of the TB12 diet method. Check out these below:

• Include minimally processed and organic foods as 80% of your diet. These can be fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
• For the protein needs of your body, make up the remaining 20% of your diet with chicken, seafood, and red meat.
• Drink a lot of water. Drink a glass of water with electrolytes when you wake up.
• Make your dinner the smallest meal of your day. 
• Do not consume food 3 hours before bed.
• Do not fill your stomach with food. Stop eating when you are 75% full. This can ease up your digestion.
• Drink a maximum of 2 cups of coffee a day and avoid drinking coffee in the afternoon.
• Avoid vegetables that belong to the nightshade category such as potatoes, peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, etc. 
• Limit the consumption of dairy.

Pros and cons of the TB12 diet

Tom Brady’s diet has several attributes which can be considered positive aspects. Even though there are pros, there are also certain cons to the TB12 diet. Check out the table below.

TB12 Diet For Weight Loss: Is It Possible?

There is no scientific evidence that the TB12 diet leads to weight loss. Still, based on certain guidelines mentioned by the diet, some of them are highly helpful to lose weight. One of the crucial aspects of the diet is that it restricts the intake of some food items such as highly processed items.

This validates a study published in the Cell Metabolism journal that ultra-processed diets can cause calorie intake and weight gain based on some randomized controlled trials. Based on the results of this study, it was found that limiting the usage of ultra-processed foods can help prevent obesity in individuals. Along with that, the TB12 diet focuses on eating at certain meal times. It also advocates for mindful eating where if you have filled 75% of your stomach, stop eating at once to initiate digestion performance.

A study published in the journal Obesity Reviews, it was elucidated that mindful eating can lower your body weight based on systematic review-based analysis. The TB12 diet also promotes the intake of fiber-rich foods and hydration which are key factors that help with weight loss.

What are some of the other benefits of the TB12 diet?

Apart from weight loss, there are many other benefits to the TB12 diet. As the methods of the TB12 diet resembles that of the Mediterranean diet, DASH diet, and Mayo Clinic diet the health benefits can be plenty. Some of them are provided below:

• Aids in heart health: TB12 diet consists of promoting the intake of vegetables and fruits. It also advocates for limiting unhealthy foods such as trans fat and added sugars. The TB diet limits the consumption of saturated fats such as butter, coconut oil, cheese, etc. A study published in the journal Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism elucidated that saturated fat consumption can increase the risk of coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke. As the TB diet includes a list of healthy food items, it is generally helpful for your heart health.

• Improve athletic performance and energy: TB12 diet promotes the intake of food items that are abundant with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that can improve your athletic performance and energy. Most of these nutrients are also known to reduce your inflammation and help you to recover faster. One crucial aspect of the TB12 diet is increasing the fluid intake which can also benefit your energy and overall performance.

• It can improve your overall immunity and help you protect from other diseases: One of the benefits of following a TB12 diet is that it can also improve your immunity and help you protect from other diseases. As the diet advocates for minimally processed foods and encourages the consumption of vegetables, fruits, and nuts, it can help you to fight against other diseases. 

Downsides of the TB12 diet

Even though the diet offers a myriad of benefits, it has some downsides as we mentioned above. Some of the main downsides are explained below:

• Not enough scientific basis: One of the crucial downsides to the TB12 diet is that there is not enough scientific basis for this diet. On examining one of the core guidelines of this diet, it can be seen that an overemphasis is given to the consumption of organic foods. But in fact, there is not much evidence regarding whether organic foods can improve your health more than conventionally grown foods. A study published in the Nutrients journal in 2019 elucidated this concept by reviewing organic food consumption versus conventional one. As per this study, no definitive statement on the health benefits of organic dietary intake was found. 

• The diet is expensive: Another drawback to the TB12 diet is that it is a bit expensive compared to other diets. As the diet promotes the intake of organic foods and grass-fed dairy products, it can be a bit costly. Compared to conventionally grown foods, organic foods are expensive and it is the same case with grass-fed dairy products. The TB12 also diet encourages the intake of certain supplements. All these factors make this diet expensive and not at all cost-friendly.

• It is highly calorie-restrictive:  One of the drawbacks of the TB12 diet is that it is highly restrictive of calories. Even though it can be beneficial for weight loss, extreme cases can lead to negative implications. Several studies suggest that restricting calories can often lead to a condition such as fatigue and nutrient deficiencies. It can also weaken your bones and might lower your immunity. 

✅ Foods you can eat

The Tom Brady diet promotes the consumption of certain types of foods. Most of these should be minimally processed foods. Some of the foods that you can eat as part of the TB12 diet are listed below:

• Whole vegetables and fruits which are organic, seasonal, and non-GMO
• Skinless organic and grass-fed meat of chicken, turkey, beef, and lamb.
• Wild-caught fish and seafood.
• Whole grains such as quinoa, steel-cut oats, etc.
• Legumes which include beans, lentils, peas, etc.
• Supplements and products such as electrolyte mixes, whey protein powder, granola, etc.

❎ Foods to avoid

• Avoid the consumption of caffeine and related items. Limit its usage to 200mg per day.
• Limit the usage of non-organic and dairy products such as cheese, milk, and yogurt.
• Eliminate refined carbohydrates like added sugars, highly processed snacks, and white flour-based foods.
• Do not eat factory-manufactured meat and seafood.
• Avoid using cooking oils such as canola, soy, corn oil, etc
• Limit the consumption of foods that are genetically modified(GMO).
• Do not use alcohol or other alcohol-based drinks when you are on the TB12 diet.

Sample shopping list

Making a shopping list will be ideal if you are planning to follow the TB12 diet. Here is a sample shopping list that you can use for this purpose.

Fruits and Vegetables	Leafy greens, root vegetables, cruciferous vegetables, stone fruits, berries, etc
Fish, meat, and poultry	Red meat, skinless chicken, tuna, shrimp, pasture-raised eggs, etc
Grains	Quinoa, oats, wheat (minimally processed)
Legumes	Kidney beans, lentils, black beans, etc
Oils and dairy products	extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, almond oil, etc, and grass-fed dairy.

Conclusion

On going through the article, one can find the various aspects of the TB12 diet. It is a comprehensive diet that is based on the regimen of the famous NFL player Tom Brady. The diet suggests the consumption of certain foods and avoidance of some other kinds. One of the major rules of the TB12 diet is to incorporate foods such as vegetables and fruits into one’s diet and reduce the consumption of highly-processed food items.

It also promotes increasing one’s water intake and limiting portion sizes. The TB12 diet encourages the consumption of organic foods and prohibits the intake of added sugar and dairy products. The diet provides many benefits including weight loss. Still, some drawbacks such as lack of scientific evidence and restricted calorie intake, etc are also found. In conclusion, one can say that the TB12 diet is ideal if followed with proper care and consistency.

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