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Wednesday 16 March 2016

Jenson Button's Low Carb Diet

It's that time of year again when racing enthusiasts and the world's elite descend upon Melbourne for the Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix. Household names like Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Sergio Perez are all geared up to compete at Albert Park, as well as one of the sport's most senior and experienced competitors, Jenson Button.

Last year, the 36-year-old driver was accompanied in the paddock by his model wife Jessica Michibata​, 31, but following their split after just one year of marriage in December, the handsome blond will this year be joined by Playboy model, Brittny Ward, 25, who is rumoured to be his girlfriend.

As someone who works in 21 countries a year with the McLaren-Honda team, which recently partnered with Australian sparking wine Chandon, Button explained to Fairfax Media that friends and family are a "positive influence" and help him maintain a sense of normalcy while he's away.

"You don't simply get on a plane and forget about your home life for the duration of the race weekend," Button said. "I prefer to bring a lot of that with me, so I'll regularly travel with my friends from when I was growing up, or with my trainer, or my manager."

Button and Ward went public with their new relationship last week and have been spending plenty of time together since, even happily posing at Melbourne Airport on Sunday as they jetted Down Under ahead of the busy race week.

"The people around me are a positive influence, either professionally or personally, and I think it's important to blend that into your working life," he continued. "You need a bit of dependability in your life sometimes, especially with all that travel."

He likes his coffee black ... mixed with butter

The sportsman needs to meet the demanding fitness levels required to control an F1 car that can reach speeds of more than 200 miles per hour, so he's strict when it comes to nutrition, diet and exercise. So much so, he puts an unusual concoction in his coffee.

"I'm very disciplined about what I eat and drink so that I can maintain efficiency, regulate weight loss and maximise strength," Button started out. "For instance, I actively try to avoid carbohydrates and have a very lean diet. As one of the taller drivers [he's 6 foot], I need to keep my weight down, so, it's usual for me to start my day with a cup of black coffee mixed with butter and coconut oil. And, for the protein, a steak."

In the gym, the fitness fanatic does a lot of core body work to help with g-force [gravitational force] strain that can reach up to 6-g during a race (similar to the feeling during a quick spike on a rollercoaster ride, but for longer and inside a tiny machine, while also making quick thinking decisions). But he's happiest when he's out and about in the fresh air – running, swimming and riding his bike – as he finds "gym work really monotonous".


Graham

7 comments:

DeniseinVA said...

Fascinating article.

Anonymous said...

Very interesting article. I know many have butter in their coffee but mine with cream.
Not long til the cars will be racing again.

Ben

Debbie said...

A great article!! I have never heard of butter in coffee but it kinda' makes sense. And doesn't butter make everything better?!

Margaret D said...

Never heard of butter in coffee - wouldn't do that myself though. I mainly drink water.

Linda said...

I tried butter in coffee after reading Bulletproof Diet, but it gave me heartburn.

Kezzie said...

Butter in coffee??????? Oh wow!

chris c said...

If you can't handle the butter try coconut oil.

So many athletes in so many fields are now finding the benefits of low carb/ketogenic diets, they are no longer the province of ill/obese folks.