Whether you’re trying to achieve peak performance on the gridiron, or simply lead a more fulfilling and productive lifestyle, the importance of one’s diet can not be underestimated. With many believing that there are not just physical but also spiritual consequences to what we eat, it’s safe to say that there’s more than enough reasons to choose the right foods.
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On the latest installment of his Funky Friday Podcast, the Carolina Panthers legend, Cam Newton, sat down to discuss those ramifications with the renowned Nuri Muhammad. An author, activist, and entrepreneur, Muhammad is also deemed to be a Student Minister of the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan.
In noting that there is “a diet for everything,” Muhammad first informed Newton about the health risks involved with eating pork.
“…Inside of pigs, there’s microscopic maggots called trichina worms, millions of them. I’m saying in a skittle, the size of a skittle piece of pork, has over 100,000 worms in it. These worms eat your digestive fluid, they climb up your spine, mess with your vertebrate. They get into your brain, they start eating brain cells, sounding mental power.”
To be clear, trichina worms only infect humans if the pork consumed was undercooked or raw.
Having derived this knowledge from the late Elijah Muhammad’s How to Eat to Live, Mohammad believes that the diet contained in the book, which was first published in 1967, has the power to reverse age and prevent diseases. The renowned activist also revealed the secret, more spiritual side of eating as well.
In detailing the diets of various biblical figures, Mohammad cited the consumption of meat and fast food, more so than anything else, as being the main causes for a dwindling life span in humans.
“At that time, they were eating one time, fasting three days, eating again, and they did not eat any meat. Every herb bearing seed was considered to them as food. So they ate twice a week and made it almost to 1,000… Then of course, look at us now, barely making it to 70, because we’ve got Sick-fil-a, Taco Hell, McDevil’s, Honda Murder King, and Long John Killers.”
The American population is known to consume more processed foods than any other demographic on the planet. Thankfully, his words didn’t fall on deaf ears while in the presence of Newton, who made headlines in 2019 by becoming vegan.
Cam Newton’s viral diet change
Towards the end of his 11-year NFL career, the harm that Newton had done to his body by playing in the NFL had become readily apparent. In an effort to improve his recovery, the former quarterback switched over to a vegan diet.
In a 2019 interview with PETA, Newton admitted to being stunned by the results.
“I’ve seen such a remarkable change in the way my body responds to the food that I eat… Some of the strongest species on this earth are vegetarian. When you look at gorillas, when you look at elephants, they find their source of protein in plants and I do the same thing. I’m loving how I’m feeling.”
While Newton did temporarily switch to a pescatarian lifestyle, he now remains committed to the change. Given that he’s seemingly in good health and as happy as ever throughout each of his scheduled podcast appearances, it’s clear that the change in diet has worked for him.
Nevertheless, a healthier lifestyle is an incredibly hard thing to sell in the United States, so here’s to hoping that his discussion with Mohammad will incite a bit of change within the football community.
