When healthy eating goes to an extreme.
"Physically, this can lead to nutritional deficiencies, compromised bone mass, extreme weight loss, and malnourishment. It takes a mental toll, too. Quatromoni has seen students who can’t sleep because they lie awake, ruminating about what they ate that day. Others struggle through their classes, unable to focus and too preoccupied with thoughts of food to study.
Why is shunning peppers and tomatoes considered “clean eating” according to Tom Brady?
^I’m a fan of Tom’s, but he’s got some nutty ideas.
@Nrdsb4 Tom Brady is a celebratory and a highly successful athlete. That is one of the points of the article. People glom on to the latest fad promoted by a celebrity.
I also take exception to referring to Tom Brady as “arguably the best quarterback in the history of professional football”. The author must be an Eagles fan. 
I know one such person… let’s say kale salad with nuts and sardines can clear out the lunch room fast, 
and every conversation with the person turns into discussion of healthy eating.
The peppers and tomatoes thing is supposed to be because they are members of the nightshade family. Don’t eat the foliage, and you’ll be all right.
Goodness. I have one major category of food I don’t eat ('cause I can’t stand it), and several other things I don’t particularly care for, and beyond that – whatever! I have known people who are obsessed with their food, and they are boring.
ETA: I also don’t eat veal. I’ve seen the cages they put those animals in, and once I did, I was done with veal.
Wow - just one more thing for college kids to be stressed about: am I eating clean enough? I also think clean eating is another dividing line between families facing financial challenges. Food in general is expensive. But clean food (organic, gluten free, plant based, ethically sourced, etc…) is simply out of reach for many families.
Yes, the term “clean eating” is a very vague term, as every “expert” has a different definition of it.
Now slinks off to go look up “nightshade family.”
How many people actually have a problem with this? Most diets (and this seems the hardest) are very hard to maintain and don’t last that long.
Nightshades include: tomatoes (all varities) potatoes (all except sweet potatoes) , peppers (bell and chili peppers), and eggplant. Some believe that these foods are inflammatory and folks with rheumatoid arthritis, joint issues, and gut issues should avoid them because these conditions are aggravated when eating nightshades.
Brady seems to be doing something right—he is still playing football at an age where he is much, much older than most of his teammates! Also, he is passionate about continuing to play—which may make it easier to follow the diet that he does. I imagine he doesn’t prepare his own meals either!
I doubt too many college kids will develop such a disorder while in college…
Speaking of Brady, it is (a) genetics and (b) with his food budget, he can be picky.
And winning! Much to the aggravation of the 44 states that are not in New England.
I have seen videos of Brady cooking.
I imagine that an expertly prepared, plant-based, low-carb diet would be extremely healthful no matter which family of plants you might exclude. If it were no Cucurbitae (squashes/melons/cucumbers) or no Rosaceae (apples/plums/almonds), you’d still end up with a near-ideal diet.
But none of these would make us look like Tom Brady!
I know tons of people like this. Adults, HS students, and college students. Often seems to go hand in hand with excessive exercising.
The point is not whether or not anyone is successful on any particular diet. The problem is the mental and physical toll just attempting a rigid “clean” eating diet can create. Eating disorders are rampant on college campuses and this is just one of many. Its really a societal problem.
Let’s not turn this into a Tom Brady discussion.
Not advocating for this but considering how much our country is overweight due to choice or being uneducated about economical but healthy food choices, I think some people struggle to fall more in the middle. Eating well, not spending a fortune, but not falling for the rigidity of a condition like orthorexia.
@PetraMC , you seriously know “tons of people like this”???
I wish our health system would promote regular preventative “well care” appointments starting in childhood (w/parent) through adulthood with a nutritionist. Just like poverty, poor or extreme eating habits can be a family cycle.
I think it would be so great to meet with a nutritionist once a year or so.
I still say portion control and eating like your grandmother did (no processed foods) is the way to go.
I recently heard of a case in which a couple were vegans and put their child on a vegan diet as soon as he finished breast feeding at age 1. He developed rickets.
It all depends on who you know. I have friends in the west who tend in this direction. Lots of complaints about restaurants-can’t find anything vegan to eat in this town while traveling…etc. In my city of residence, there may be some of this, but folks in my social circle are not restrictive, if healthy and low on the food chain. It becomes a virtue, defining oneself by what is not eaten.
However, I will say that the folks who are very careful in this manner have won the battle with the waistline that I certain fight on a daily basis Where it veers into pathology, is a slippery slope.