Dwight Howard wants to improve the Rockets by keeping candy away

Obviously the improvement in Dwight Howard’s game from the beginning of last season to now has a lot to do with the improved health of his back, but also has to do with the way he has changed his diet, according to a Q&A he had with Ken Berger of CBS Sports.

"Q: So how did you get into this diet and how has it worked for you?A: Last season when I started the diet, I cleaned out my pantry and also my refrigerator. I got rid of all the things that had a lot of sugar in them. I was big on drinking Gatorades all the time. I didn’t drink a lot of water. I would eat candy and just drink Gatorade. That’s a lot of sugar to be putting in your body. I just got rid of all that stuff. I started putting things in my refrigerator like pecans, almonds, stuff like that. And I really just stopped all the junk food."

Now, Howard is forcing his teammates to join him.

"Q: So you’ve had an influence on what kind of food is available on the plane and in the locker room and hotel?A: Oh, yeah. Absolutely.Q:How so? How did you get that done?A: I just talked to the trainers and also talked to the GM about it, making sure that guys eat healthy. They might not feel it now during the season, but when the playoffs come and they’re eating healthy, the more they eat the stronger their bodies will get. And that’s when they’re going to feel the difference. When other teams are tired, we’ll be able to go that extra mile because we have that extra energy that’s been stored by eating the right food."

It’s going to be tough to keep candy and gatorade away from some players, but if Howard, famous for his sweet tooth, can do it, anyone can.