Tom Brady said Thanksgiving is the only day a year he says 'screw it' to his strict diet

• Tom Brady usually follows a strict diet, which excludes foods like dairy, some fruits, and some meats.
• But the 45-year-old NFL quarterback says he reserves one day per year to say "screw it" to his diet.

Tom Brady says Thanksgiving is the one day per year where he cheats on his strict diet.

The 45-year-old NFL quarterback said that he enjoys the holiday by saying "screw it" to his diet, during an episode of his podcast "Let's Go! With Tom Brady, Larry Fitzgerald, and Jim Gray."

During the podcast, Oprah Winfrey, who appeared as a guest, asked Brady what kind of food he can eat at the Thanksgiving table.

"Just like everyone else," Brady responded. "That's the one meal where I'm like, screw it, let's go for it. And we all get to enjoy it."

Brady's regular diet rules out most holiday treats

Brady has earmarked several major food groups as completely off-limits, including dairy, sugar, gluten, refined carbs, caffeine, processed meats, and some fruits and vegetables like strawberries, eggplant, and tomatoes, according to his 2017 book "The TB12 Method," which he spun off into a health and wellness brand alongside his long-time body coach Mark Guerrero.

Brady's regular approach to food involves eating "alkalizing" foods — which have naturally low pH levels to help decrease inflammation.

Brady said he is looking forward to loosening up his lifestyle more

Brady has said his strict lifestyle and the TB12 Method have helped him to play at an elite level well into his 40s.

Last year, Brady said he was looking forward to having "some of those more normal holidays" — indulging and spending time with family — once he retires. He said that, on Thanksgiving and Christmas, he only gets four hours to enjoy food with relatives.

"Practice usually ends about 1 or 2 PM, you eat about 3:30, and then you're getting ready for the next day of practice," Brady said during his podcast.