NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he cut out sugar, sex and alcohol, and instead consumed warm butter and laxatives, as part of an intensive 12-day cleanse.

Called a Panchakarma, the practice has its origins in Ayurveda, a traditional healing practice from India, and is meant to heal the body and mind.

The basic structure of the cleanse involves drinking warm clarified butter or ghee in the morning to “lubricate” the system, and having laxative tea at night to “detox”, according to the Ayurvedic Institute. Practitioners are also encouraged to eat only specific foods like rice and mung beans, and avoid cold food and drinks. In some cases, the process may involve “therapeutic vomiting”, enemas and bloodletting.

Aaron Rodgers has reportedly turned to ancient Indian medicinal theory to improve his performance. Photo: Getty Images/AFP

There are no evidence-based health benefits to the practice, according to experts writing in a 2009 study. Your body naturally completes any detoxification necessary through your liver and kidney, and supplements claiming to help cleanse often don’t work or, worse, do more harm than good, leading to dehydration or digestive issues.

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2. Venus Williams tried a raw vegan diet

Venus Williams has been vegan since 2011. Photo: @venuswilliams/Instagram
Multiple celebrities have tried to subsist only on uncooked plant-based foods with a raw vegan diet, including tennis star Venus Williams.

Williams went vegan in 2011 after being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder, and said a raw vegan diet helped her symptoms.

She told Insider in 2019 that she started eating potatoes, lentils and other cooked foods for more energy and nutrients.

“Sometimes you just need something more substantial,” she said.

You may be surprised to learn that Venus Williams suffers from an autoimmune disease, and has become vegan as a result. Photo: AP

Going vegan can have health benefits, including for athletes, such as more energy and better recovery. However, vegans can have difficulty getting enough of some nutrients. Plant foods tend to be low in calories, especially when raw, which can be a challenge for athletes trying to eat enough.

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3. Tom Brady doesn’t eat aubergines or tomatoes, but drinks of water daily to “prevent sunburn”

Quarterback Tom Brady’s personal diet plan is called the TB12 Method, and swears by it. Photo: @tb12sports/Instagram
American Football star Tom Brady even coined a name for his unique diet plan, the TB12 diet, and wrote a book about it called The TB12 Method: How to Achieve a Lifetime of Sustained Peak Performance. As part of his 12-step plan to staying in great shape, Brady said he doesn’t eat nightshades – a group of vegetables including aubergines and tomatoes – because they cause inflammation and raise his body’s pH.

But research shows eating or steering clear of certain foods can’t change the body’s pH enough to generate the results suggested by Brady. Plus, vegetables like aubergine and tomatoes are packed with fibre (aubergine) and vitamins A and C (tomatoes). Vitamins A and C are actually known to help reduce inflammation, contrary to what the TB12 diet suggests.

At 45, NFL star Tom Brady is still going strong, so is there something to his health claims, despite them not being backed by scientists? Photo: AP

Brady told Sports Illustrated he also drinks litres of water daily to protect himself against sunburn, but there is no scientific evidence water consumption prevents sunburn.

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4. Arnold Schwarzenegger treats himself to boozy protein shakes

Arnold Schwarzenegger says he likes to spice up his protein shakes with alcohol, although experts say this doesn’t have the health benefits he thinks it does. Photo: AFP
Seven-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a newsletter earlier this year that he eats a mostly plant-based diet, and is outspoken about the health benefits, including lower cholesterol and “feeling younger”.

But the iconic bodybuilder also treats himself with the occasional steak or Austrian Wiener schnitzel and, he revealed, a shot of alcohol in his protein shakes.

Schwarzenegger told Insider he started adding booze to protein shakes in hopes of helping the protein absorb more quickly, but now enjoys the extra flavour from tequila or schnapps.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was a bodybuilding champion before he started acting. Photo: Captured online

While alcohol won’t necessarily derail your fitness gains, too much drinking can actually make it harder to absorb protein to repair and build muscle, research suggests.

And of course we all know that being excessively inebriated, or having a hangover, can make it harder to work out, eat nutritiously, and keep up with other healthy habits over time.