Fasting and special coffee keeps Mickelson in top shape

Phil Mickelson looked remarkably trim in his recent appearance at the Saudi International – a far cry from his former self.

The 50-year-old cut a rather portly figure in the mid-2000s  as he has personally acknowledged – but has cleaned up his diet with remarkable results.

After piling on a few too many pounds, the American has put considerable effort into streamlining his physique in recent years.

A diagnosis for psoriatic arthritis in 2010 is partly credited with alerting Mickelson of his need to change.

And he is now fully invested in a six-day fasting routine, during which he subsists on only water and a special coffee blend.

The mixture features Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee, almond milk, cinnamon and coconut MCT oil.

Mickelson has become a huge advocate for ‘Coffee For Wellness’, which he talks up regularly on social media, after teaming up with performance consultant Dave Phillips.

Despite being at the top of his game in the mid-2000s, the golfer began to feel his body and his performances decline.

He previously stated: “I wasn’t playing well and I wasn’t feeling good about myself.

“I wasn’t recovering as fast as I wanted to after the rounds and I was feeling tired and not focused towards the end of the round.

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“I felt that the first step in getting that back was getting in better shape — getting lighter, and what I’ve noticed is that I’ve recovered faster.”

He remarked in 2019: “I didn’t fast to lose weight. I fasted to heal.”

Mickelson is looking as good as he ever has out on course and he has acknowledged that such a change was vital if he was ever going to recover his best form.