Roman Reigns Discusses How His Diet Has Changed Following His Battle With Leukemia

No more Chipotle for Roman Reigns.

Being in shape comes with the territory when you’re a WWE superstar. And keeping healthy means more than just working out every day. It also means putting the right food in your body. Speaking to GQ as part of their Real-Life Diet series, Roman Reigns discussed his diet on the road.

“A lot of guys will still hit up Chipotle, because it’s so convenient. I don’t want to knock the company or anything, but I don’t know if the quality is quite what it was. You can definitely taste it. It’s a lot higher in sodium, I would say, over the past five years. But it’s still a lot better than a cheeseburger and french fries. It’s better than most options but probably not the best thing for you, you know? But when you’re working out twice a day, sometimes you can get away with a little bit of it here and there,” Reigns said. “When I’m at home, actually, meal planning is something I always do. We have good friends at this company, Nutrition Solutions, and they take good care of us. They’re located in Tampa, so it really works out conveniently for my meals when I’m home. It allows me to knock out my meals at home without worrying about going out and eating. It doesn’t take me away from the kids, so I get to spend as much time with my family is possible. I just unwrap it, put it in the microwave, and eat it. My diet is pretty bare bones. I don’t do a lot of different sauces or seasonings. If you saw it, it’s protein, carbs, and greens for digestion. It’s pretty simple, and I try to emulate that on the road.”

Reigns’ leukemia diagnosis changed how he ate as certain foods did not mix well with the medicine he has to take. Reigns stated that he had to cut down on protein and increase his water intake following his battle with leukemia.

“It’s a little different for me and those with blood cancers. We are very fortunate that we have medications referred to as oral chemotherapy. So what your grandmother was probably going through is far harsher on the system and your body. But there are similar effects when taking these medications. I’ve been on the road now for almost three weeks, and just yesterday I didn’t have an appetite. I was kind of nauseous for the majority of the day. There are some days that are struggles, and some days where it curbs your appetite and you don’t want to eat because you have that nauseous feeling,” said Reigns. “Before all this happened, I was maxing myself out and working as hard as I could. This has given me a new perspective. Sometimes you have to be smarter and pull yourself back, and that is what I’ve had to do with my diet and my training. Instead of pushing towards a goal relentlessly, I have to listen to my body, see how I’m feeling and what my energy levels are along the way.”

You can find more information about Reigns’ leukemia diagnosis and his treatment by clicking here.

Reigns is scheduled to team with The Undertaker to take on Shane McMahon and Drew McIntyre at WWE Extreme Rules.