Some of us at D2D are part of the New England ‘Patriot Nation.’ So, when the G.O.A.T (*Greatest of All Time) released his manual outlining how to achieve a lifetime of sustained peak performance, it was quickly pre-ordered. I mean, who doesn’t want to achieve greatness like Tom Brady? He has made some of the greatest comebacks in football history and has earned (to date) 5 Super Bowl rings. Now 40, he argues that he is playing better than he was at 30. Regardless of your opinion of the Patriots, you have to respect the fact that Tom Brady has far exceeded the average tenure in the NFL and shows no signs of slowing down!

What is Tom Brady’s roadmap to his incredible success on the field?

According to his book, the principals of the TB12 Method support established knowledge that long term health (and proper weight management) at any age is directly linked to eliminating or reducing bodily stressors like toxic congestion, inflammation, and imbalances. And while you eliminate these triggers, you ADD in good stuff, like nutrient-dense foods, exercise, stress reduction activities, and clean air and water.

The TB12 Diet isn’t for everyone

While his method to maintaining overall health seems like a balanced approach, we did a couple of double-takes over Brady’s shunning of conventionally grown and genetically modified food. Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and lean protein is most important to your health, whether you shop at your local grocery store or the local farm stand. Whether you choose to buy conventional or organic foods, regulations ensure the safety of the food that hits your plate.

“If Brady wants to know the facts about today’s agriculture, he should come to visit my farm and learn the facts.” A Maryland farmer who grows corn, soybeans, canning tomatoes, grapes, and fresh-market green beans writes to Tom Brady to discuss his misinformed ‘issues’ with conventional farming.

Brady’s very regimented diet is one that is designed specifically for his lifestyle and enables him to perform at the top of his game every day. He maintains that throwing the ball is easier than eating, so he tackles the quality, quantity, and timing of his meals with the same precision and focus as his passes to Gronk.

On the list of what he doesn’t eat are the usual suspects: sugar, caffeine, and alcohol. But he takes it a step further by adding nightshade vegetables to the list.

What are nightshades?

Nightshade vegetables are members of a large group of flowering plants in the Solanaceae family. Included in this large family are a few of the world’s most cultivated and consumed crops: potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers.

Tom’s chefs are likely not including these in recipes because (he may not like them!); yet there are some observational studies that claim patients who eliminate nightshade vegetables from their diets experience a feeling of improvement from varying forms of arthritis, allergies or autoimmune deficiencies.

Healthy people, on the other hand, should have no problem digesting nightshade vegetables. To date, there is no verified science behind these anecdotal observations, and the benefits of these nutrient-packed group of vegetables far outweigh any risk.

The inflammation conspiracy against nightshades

The inflammation theories point to the alkaloid compounds in the leaves, roots, and stems of nightshade plants. Alkaloids are natural toxins produced by the plants as a defense against animals, insects, and fungi that might feast on them. Alkaloids actually have medicinal properties, but to the taste are bitter, which makes the plant less palatable to insect predators.

The alkaloids found in nightshades are quite low and not a health concern. Furthermore, millions of these vegetables are eaten every day around the world without incident. We wouldn’t recommend that you start munching on the leaves, stems, and roots of these plants, but the ripened fruit is safe, healthy, and completely digestible. In fact, as fruits and vegetable mature and ripen, the concentration of beneficial antioxidants actually increases!

Every body is a unique body

Given that everybody is unique, there is no one solution to address inflammation. Existing food intolerances, autoimmune deficiencies, and allergies will affect inflammation but what affects you may not affect others. But in general, the eating nutrient-dense foods like dark leafy greens, legumes, bright colored fruits, and vegetables, and skipping the white bread, overly-processed “junk” food, and sugar will help your body fight inflammation.

Eggplant is full of fiber, potassium, magnesium Vitamin C and Vitamin B6. The anthocyanins in eggplant may protect heart and brain health.

Most of us can excuse the specific elimination of nightshades as we are not professional athletes or getting slammed by 250-pound linebackers in our daily lives! Overall, eliminating whole food groups from your diet isn’t necessary unless you suffer from specific food intolerances or allergens.

Nightshades are Nutrient Dense

Whether chopped, cooked or processed, tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, and peppers are nutrient-dense foods that can combat inflammation, decrease cancer and heart-disease risk, support good digestion, and can aid in bone, eye and brain health.

Bell peppers are low in calories and high in vitamin C, (one cup provides 157% of RDA of vitamin C) and supply good amounts of the B vitamins (B2, B3, folate, and pantothenic acid), vitamin E, potassium, phosphorous, vitamin K, manganese, and magnesium. Bell peppers are also rich in phytonutrients.

Tomatoes contain all four major carotenoids: alpha- and beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene. They are also high in vitamin C. And if you don’t like them raw, chop and cook them in a sauce — which enhances the bioavailability of their nutrients.

EAT YOUR FRUITS AND VEGETABLES!

Alpha and beta carotene, cryptoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, and lycopene are carotenoids responsible for the pigmented orange, yellow red color in fruits and vegetables. These have long been known as powerful antioxidants.