Cleary, in particular, has had a tortured year with a string of injuries including two hamstring tears and an unstable shoulder after subluxing it against the Storm last month. He will carry the injury into the decider at Accor Stadium.
Converting to a carnivore diet was seen as a way to help him get his season back on track, and he’s the favourite to win a remarkable third Clive Churchill Medal.
The Carnivore Kings
A typical menu for a Panthers player on the carnivore diet:
- Breakfast: five scrambled eggs, meat patty, half an avocado
- Lunch: 350g steak, five lamb cutlets, half an avocado
- Dinner: chicken breast or salmon, small serving sweet potato and pumpkin
“He saw a few of the boys do it and thought he would look into it himself,” Tago said. “I know he did a lot of research and had some chats with doctors. Then he decided to jump on it, too.
“You definitely know the difference. It’s been about a year for me. I started at the back end of last year after the grand final. There were a few things that were coming up on my YouTube and one of my mates was doing it. He sent me a few things and I liked the sound of it.
“For me, I noticed I had more clarity. When I wasn’t on it, I could sense brain fog. I have the odd cheat meal, which is a bad one, but you can see it’s made a difference to a few of the boys this year.”
Advocates of the eating plan have spruiked its ability to trigger weight loss, help with gut and joint pain as well as improve mental health.
But doctors have warned eliminating food groups such as fruits, vegetables and nuts can increase the risk of heart disease and lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Alamoti battled through the second half of the season with a broken arm, but insisted the radical way of eating has helped him produce career best form, including a bruising performance against the Sharks in the grand final qualifier last week.
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“I did it for a couple of weeks in pre-season and it was actually pretty crazy,” Alamoti said.
“Every day I was waking up feeling fresh, my mental space was a lot clearer. I had a lot of energy during the day. There were no downswings during the day. I was able to fall asleep pretty easily. I was pretty [sceptical] about it [initially], but once I tried it, it hasn’t done me any harm.”
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