You don\u2019t need me to tell you there\u2019s an overwhelming amount of bad fitness and nutrition information. But you would probably prefer a simpler way to reduce the confusion, and know what to believe and what\u2019s not worth your time.<\/p>\n
That’s what’s delivered\u00a0for free<\/em>\u00a0through The Born Fitness Insider<\/a>, a weekly digital newsletter where experts help you make sense of the nonsense .<\/p>\n This is just a sample of what’s typically sent, where Born Fitness takes an inside look at Tom Brady and Giselle B\u00fc<\/em>ndchen’s diet, based on this\u00a0article from The Boston Globe<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n Framing all carbohydrates \u2013 essentially everything from lentils, apples, and broccoli to muffins, Swedish Fish, and soda \u2013 as unhealthy is nutritionally inaccurate.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n We all know that Tom Brady is an incredible quarterback and Giselle is beautiful, but that doesn\u2019t mean you should follow their nutrition plan. Despite their star power, are their chef\u2019s recommendations worth your time?<\/p>\n To answer that question, I reviewed his advice with nutritionist Andy Bellatti<\/a>, MS, RD.<\/p>\n So just what are Tom and Giselle doing right and wrong? Read on to find out how Bellatti translates the dietary suggestions into advice you can use and mistakes you can avoid.<\/p>\n New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady made nutrition headlines<\/a> in 2015 over his harsh criticism of Frosted Flakes and Coca-Cola. But Tom is obviously not a nutritionist, so his opinions come from somewhere. The main source: his personal chef, Allen Campbell. The Boston Globe<\/em> interviewed<\/a> Allen Campbell about the power couple’s dietary habits.<\/p>\n As a dietitian, these sorts of articles are often a mixed bag. On the one hand, the celebrity packaging takes the message of healthful eating to a wide audience that can otherwise be difficult to reach. Conversely, there is always a high risk of spotting nutritional inaccuracies and myths that only further confuse the general public.<\/p>\n Campbell has a plant-based, whole-food perspective, and roughly 80 percent of the food he prepares for Tom and Gisele is plant-based. That\u2019s terrific.<\/p>\n Current health statistics \u2014 heart disease is the leading<\/a> cause of death in the U.S., 1 in 3 American adults has high blood pressure, and 50 percent<\/a> of Americans have Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes \u2014 point to a nation in the grips of a nutritional deficit disorder.<\/p>\n Eating more whole, plant-based foods and fewer highly processed foods (aka \u201cjunk food\u201d) are two of the best things the average American can do to improve his or her health. Campbell frequently prepares nutrient-rich brown rice, quinoa, millet, and beans for the superstar couple. Can\u2019t argue with any of those recommendations.<\/p>\n Campbell also mentions an effort to procure sustainable and local food as much as possible, which is commendable. Unfortunately, this is where the good stops and the bad begins.<\/p>\n \u201cIf it\u2019s not organic, I don\u2019t use it.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n Organic agriculture has many environmental benefits (i.e.: reduction of agricultural pollutants and the preservation of on-farm biodiversity<\/a>), but from a nutritional standpoint, a conventional avocado offers the same heart-healthy fats found in an organic avocado, and both conventional and organic oranges are excellent sources of vitamin C<\/em>.<\/p>\n Or put more clearly: both of those conventional produce choices will always trump an organic cookie.<\/p>\n [prompted-search initial-state=”open” \/]<\/p>\n \u201cIf you just eat sugar and carbs\u2014which a lot of people do\u2014your body is so acidic, and that causes disease.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Framing all carbohydrates \u2013 essentially everything from lentils, apples, and broccoli to muffins, Swedish Fish, and soda \u2013 as unhealthy is nutritionally inaccurate. And it\u2019s enough to confuse you into not knowing what\u2019s OK to eat.<\/p>\n This statement also supports the acid-alkaline myth, a thoroughly debunked theory, which suggests that certain foods (i.e.: refined starches, coffee, and white sugar), are \u201cacid-forming\u201d, while others (i.e.: almonds, spinach, and grapefruit) are \u201calkaline-forming\u201d.<\/p>\n The theory works like this: the more alkaline-forming foods you eat, the more alkaline your blood, and the more alkaline your blood, the lower your risk of developing a host of chronic diseases.<\/p>\n This is simply not true and here\u2019s why. Your blood pH is tightly regulated so it stays between 7.35 and 7.45, which is slightly alkaline (1 is acidic, 7 is neutral, and 14 is alkaline).<\/p>\n No food can lower or raise blood pH. (Let that sink in as the first sign that any acid\/alkaline diet suggestions are simply scare tactics based on bad science.)<\/p>\n Furthermore, a blood pH below 7.35 is known as metabolic acidosis, while alkalosis refers to a blood pH above 7.45. Either case is cause for serious concern and requires medical attention.<\/p>\n Copious amounts of added sugars and refined starches are problematic not because they are \u201cacid-forming,\u201d but because they are minimally nutritious, raise biomarkers for heart disease, and can wreak havoc on our blood sugar levels.<\/p>\n Americans\u2019 current intake of added sugars \u2014 that is, sugar added to foods during processing and preparation \u2014 is cause for concern. An ever-growing body of research has linked<\/a> higher amounts of added sugar to increased risks of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.<\/p>\n According to the latest figures<\/a> from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average adult man in the United States consumes 21 teaspoons a day; the average woman: 15 teaspoons.<\/p>\n These figures far exceed the American Heart Association’s recommendation<\/a> of no more than 36 grams (9 teaspoons) for men, and 24 grams (6 teaspoons) for women per day, and the World Health Organization’s recommendation<\/a> to cap added sugar intake at 10 percent of calories for adults (for a 2,000-calorie diet, that equates to 12 teaspoons per day). It’s worth noting, too, that WHO states a further reduction to five percent of total calories is suggested for additional health benefits.<\/p>\n Do you probably need to eat less sugar? Sure. But does white sugar need to be demonized as the source of all health problems? Not at all.<\/p>\n Sugar is sugar is sugar. Two tablespoons of agave nectar, maple syrup, or coconut nectar are no healthier than two tablespoons of white sugar. All forms of added sugar should be equally limited, and no form of added sugar should ever be framed as ‘healthier’ because your body will process it the same way no matter what healthy spin you try to create.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll use raw olive oil, but I never cook with olive oil. I only cook with coconut oil. I use Himalayan pink salt as the sodium. I never use iodized salt.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n This is a perfect example of someone taking a food most people believe is healthy\u2014olive oil\u2014and creating unnecessary confusion and fear.<\/p>\n Olive oil is actually quite heat stable due to its high monounsaturated fat content. Extra virgin olive oil has been shown to retain<\/a> its nutritional properties up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and its smoke point is anywhere between 374 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit (when cooking oil surpasses its smoke point, free radicals are formed).<\/p>\n Oils high in omega-3 fatty acids, such as flax, walnut, and hempseed oil are best used in salad dressings or raw dips, as the fats are fragile and have significantly lower smoke points.<\/p>\n As far as salt goes, while Himalayan pink salt gets its hue from its mineral content, you would need multiple heaping tablespoons \u2013 surpassing daily sodium recommendations by tenfold \u2013 to add a substantial amount of minerals to your diet. From a culinary standpoint, different salts can provide different properties, but nutritionally all are equal.<\/p>\n \u201c[Tom] doesn\u2019t eat nightshades, because they\u2019re not anti-inflammatory. So no tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, or eggplants. Tomatoes trickle in every now and then, but just maybe once a month. I\u2019m very cautious about tomatoes. They cause inflammation.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n It is a shame that nightshade vegetables are still relegated by some to the \u201cdo not eat\u201d pile based on inaccurate information. Nightshade vegetables \u2013 which include tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and potatoes; mushrooms are not nightshades \u2013 offer a plethora of vitamins, minerals, and anti-inflammatory compounds.<\/p>\n There is no scientific evidence that tomatoes cause inflammation, and, barring issues with heartburn, no real reason to avoid them. In fact, men should consume tomatoes \u2013 especially cooked ones \u2013 frequently, as they are an excellent source of lycopene, an antioxidant that may help protect against the development of prostate cancer (you also find lycopene in watermelon and red peppers, but it is abundant in cooked tomatoes).<\/p>\n Some eschew nightshades due to the presence of compounds known as saponins, which are also found in beans, legumes, garlic, asparagus, matcha tea, and oats. Although some dietary circles blame saponins for some health issues — especially “leaky gut”, which is not yet a recognized diagnosis due to an absence of scientific evidence — animal studies have found anti-inflammatory properties as well as an ability to bind cholesterol.<\/p>\n The good takeaways from this piece? Eat more plants, eat more real food, and get a<\/span> be your own personal chef.<\/p>\n Do Carbs Actually Make You Fat?\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Breakfast is Not the Most Important Meal of the Day<\/a><\/p>\nThe Tom Brady Diet: An Inside Look<\/h2>\n
The Good: Finding the Magic Ratio<\/h2>\n
Red Flag #1: Organic is Not <\/em>the Only Way<\/h2>\n
Red Flag #2: The Acid\/Alkaline Myth<\/h2>\n
Red Flag #3: \u201cNo white sugar.\u201d<\/h2>\n
Red Flag #4: Cooking Oils and Salt<\/h2>\n
Red Flag #5: Are Nightshades Dangerous?<\/h2>\n
READ MORE<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n