How Tom Brady helped Rob Gronkowski quit processed sugar and desserts

Tom Brady's well known for his ability to cut bad food out of his diet. At 44 years old and outplaying quarterbacks half his age, Brady's no-sugar, TB12 diet is one of the main catalysts for his longevity on the violent NFL stage.

His long-time teammate Rob Gronkowski, a notorious party animal, has also made adjustments to his diet. Here's how he's cut back off the field to be more productive on the field.

Tom Brady's diet is now helping two NFL players thrive in advanced age

In an interview with Insider via Yahoo Sports, Tom Brady's example sprung Rob Gronkowski into action. Here's what he had to say about the biggest cut to his diet being processed sugars.

"I love desserts, but it has to all be naturally grown ingredients," Gronkowski told Insider. "I'll have sugar, but it has to be some organic cane sugar, or organic brown sugar, not some synthetic sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. Just all natural products, all natural food."

Gronkowski now closely looks at the nutritional labels of the desserts he eats. Put simply, to Brady's delight, there are no more Twinkies, Little Debbies, or other such cheap sugars for Gronkowski.

Gronkowski continued:

"I just learned that over time by watching [Brady] eat, obviously everything he's putting in his body from deserts to the meal that he's eating is all clean products, it's all clean foods," Gronkowski said in an interview to promote his cleats, made in partnership with the USAA, USO, and his own Gronk Nation Youth Foundation for this year's NFL My Cause My Cleats campaign.

The old saying "you are what you eat" is becoming clearer as time continues. Those who eat a lot of processed, fatty foods harm their health in the long-run.

Many see fast food and today's high-calorie diets as today's "cigarettes."

Of course, it is readily apparent how bad cigarettes are to one's life expectancy. Slowly, over time, cigarettes have largely been phased out, at least when compared to 40 years ago.

Many would say that yesterday's cigarettes have been replaced by today's processed fatty foods.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v Indianapolis Colts

While not the same caliber of player as he was earlier in his career, Gronkowski has done a better job staying healthy in his 30s than in his mid-20s. This season, as a 32-year old tight end, Gronkowski has 29 catches for 378 yards and four touchdowns.

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