Reducing and cutting out refined sugar and processed foods will dramatically enhance your health and boost your performance. Reducing foods that create inflammation is key. Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and now Klay Thompson, another professional athlete, has improved his athletic performance by refining his diet instead of eating them. Unlike Rob, who had Tom Brady’s help, Klay learned from his injuries. First, he suffered an ACL tear in his left knee in the 2019 NBA Finals and loss against the Toronto Raptors. Then, in November 2020, he tore his right Achilles tendon.

Klay said that he did not want to eat poorly while going through rehab, for example, eating a lot of sugar and refined foods. It is true. Rehab changes your habits, mentality, emotionally and physically, because you become less active. But Klay decided to take a different route that led to feeling good and better. Noticing how good he felt, he changed more aspects of his diet by ditching refined foods and sugars for healthier substitutions like choosing vegetables instead of French fries. He said the changes made him feel great and improved his play.

Not All Refined Foods Are Created Equal

Refine carbs are just like refined sugar- they are pro-inflammatory. Inflammatory foods cause diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, breathing disorders, and neurological issues. These foods, when eaten, cause problems in the body physically and energetically. And lead to diminishing performance. Also, a poor refined diet leads to muscle and joint inflammation and shallow breathing on a performance level. These factors lead to increased injury and longer recovery because inflammation interferes with recovery/repair mechanisms and energy.

Lettuce, not Bread!

Klay’s brilliant idea to wrap his burgers with lettuce does not sacrifice his nutritional content but enhances it! Lettuce is full of essential nutrients, such as fiber, potassium, manganese, magnesium, and vitamins A and C. So, if you are looking for a healthier crunchy substitution, try the burger lettuce wrap.

As professional athletes get older, as well as anyone in the general population, nutritional habits need to change. It is essential for sports performance, physical and healthy longevity.

Klay is doing it at the right time to start in his 30’s. It will probably help extend his NBA career. When you cut refined foods and junk out of your diet, it is incredible how different you feel, move, think and play—all the ingredients to enhance athleticism.

Read More: Rob Gronkowski says Tom Brady Helped Him Quit Processed Sugar