Jeff Green has come quite a way since being picked 5th overall by Oklahoma City in the 2007 draft. For his 13th season in the league, the veteran is suiting up for the Brooklyn Netswhich is, with a healthy Kevin Durant and a newly-arrived James Harden, suddenly one of the best and most-fun teams in the NBA.
GQ recently caught up with the Maryland native and father of two to get the ins and outs of his diet and how he's fueled for the long game. Hes big on hydration, light on red meat, and going to need your New York pizza slice recommendations ASAP.
For Real-Life Diet, GQ talks to athletes, celebrities, and everyone in between about their diet, exercise routines, and pursuit of wellness. Keep in mind that what works for them might not necessarily be healthy for you.
GQ: What time are you up in the morning and whats the first thing you eat?
Jeff Green: Normally during the season Im up by 7:30, not by choice. I have two kids, so when they are up, I am up and so is my wife. Thats when the day starts. Im at the gym by 9:00 or 9:15, and obviously now there are a lot of COVID testing and precautions we have to take. Ill get upstairs and get a good breakfast, which is usually some eggs, and Im also a pancake lover so those are always in the mix too.
Do you take any supplements?
You know what? No. Its kind of like how I feel about coffee. I love the smell, but Ive never been the kind of guy to have any issues with my energy, so Ive never been someone to drink it. With supplements, I dont like to rely on things. Id rather be drinking a lot of water and just putting the right stuff in my body so that I dont need any.
Is it then straight to practice?
Well, I always try to get in a good 30-minute lift before practice. Im also big on doing corrective work for my hips using resistance bands. Thats a routine for me, at least three to five times per week. Then, with about 25 minutes left before practice, Ill do some on-court work, like shooting, ball handling, making sure Im in a good rhythm for practice. Then, practice lasts about an hour and a half. Afterward, Ill do some more on-court work like shooting, and then its time to slow down a bit.
Whats for lunch?
Lunch is a good amount of protein to recuperate from the lifting, running, and drills. Also a lot of carbs. Its a mixture of both. Im big on vegetables. I used to eat a lot of red meat when I was younger. But my wifes a super healthy eater and you know: happy wife, happy life. So, Ill have red meat maybe once a week, but otherwise Im more on salmon and chickenthat stuff.
After lunch, is there more work?
Usually its treatment and recovery stuff, and then back home where the kids await my arrivalI run around with them and release whatever energy I have left. When they go to bed at 8:00, thats when my wife and I have some time to unwind and relax, get or cook dinner, and then watch a show and unwind. Dinners the same kind of thing as lunch, protein and carbohydrates with a focus on vegetables.
Are you a big water guy?
Oh yeah. I drink at least a gallon a day, and to be honest thats usually down by noon at the latest. Since Im an early bird, I get up early, get my workouts in, drink a lot of water. After the waters done, sometimes Ill have a couple Gatorades.
Have you always been this good at hydrating?
Ive never been bad at it, butt when I was younger I didnt think about this much. Now, I understand what it can do and how it can helpI notice when I dont hydrate.
Do you snack?
I usually have a protein shake after practice with chocolate protein, banana, peanut butter, and almond milk. Other than that, other snacks would be mainly fruits. I like blueberries, I freeze them. Watermelon, depending on the time of the year, is a must-have in my house. Grapes, strawberries, banana, blackberries, all of that. Eating these sweet fruits takes the craving away for other kinds of snacks that arent as good for you.
So, you like sweet?
I do. I have a sweet tooth. Like todaywe had the kids out and we went to Magnolia Bakery.
You got the banana pudding, right?
Ohthen you know. That banana pudding is amazing. The girls wanted cookies after the museums, and while Im not a big chocolate lover, that banana puddingit just makes me think of my childhood.
Any other indulgences?
I get pizza here and there, and now that were in New York theres so many options. I gotta find the best wood fired pizza spot, but right now with COVID, its been tough.
The OG biohacker combines a formidable supplement lineup with vegetables and meat from his own farm.
See more here:
Jeff Green Tries to Drink a Gallon of Water Before Noon - GQ
