Written By: Nirmalya Dutta | Updated : July 16, 2014 3:22 PM IST
About a month ago, tennis ace Rafael Nadal blasted World Number 1 Djokovic's gluten-free diet. He claimed these diets were just passing fads and something new would turn up 3-4 years later. Djokovic had written in his book Serve to Win about the diet he adopted in 2011 which he claimed helped him last longer in matches. Considering he won six of the last 12 Grand Slams, a case can certainly be made for the Serbian's views. Here's his tale:
Djokovic's gluten-free tale Choker to Djoker
It wasn't so long ago that Djokovic was known as the choker. His game would collapse at the most vital moments, especially during gruelling, long matches. Some critics claimed it was a mental problem while others believed it was asthma. However, Dr Igor Cetojevic, a physician and acupuncturist while watching a match in January 2010 realised that it wasn't asthma but something else. Cetojevic believed that the breakdown was due to issues in the digestive system. He got in touch with Djokovic's trainers and suggested a series of tests which confirmed his suspicions. Djokovic was sensitive to gluten and it was preventing him from reaching his full potential. A series of dietary amendments later, the Djoker was a new man.
In 2011, he was almost untouchable winning three out of the four Slams that year and ended the year with a 70-6 win loss record. He beat everyone there was to beat, destroying the likes of Federer and Nadal. The latter, who lost to him in six finals that year, described it as 'probably the highest level of tennis that I ever saw.'
It appears that Djokovic belongs to that group of people who suffer from varying degrees of gluten-sensitivity. Here's what you ought to know about gluten:
What is gluten?
Gluten is a protein composite found in foods processed from wheat which holds the material together. It is found in bread, pasta, pizza, rotis and a lot of other food items. For people suffering from gluten intolerance or celiac disease (an auto-immune disorder of the small intestine), the only option is to switch to a completely gluten-free diet.
What happens to gluten intolerant people if they eat it?
If a person with celiac disease eats gluten, the lining of their small intestine is damaged which prevents the absorption of nutrients and leads to malnutrition and weight loss. Similar issues can occur with people suffering from gluten intolerance. It can be hard to track the disease because people suffering from these ailments are often misdiagnosed. It's often confused with irritable bowel syndrome. (Is the gluten-free diet just a fad?)
What food has gluten?
Anything made of barley, rye or wheat has gluten. This means rotis, bread, bagels, cakes, candies, some cereals, pasta, pizzas and even certain alcoholic drinks contain gluten.
Gluten-free food
There are many naturally-occurring gluten-free foods like seeds, nuts (unprocessed), beans, eggs, meat, veggies, dairy and corn that are naturally gluten-free. In fact, our Indian diet has many such items. Nutritionist Naini Setalvad told TOI, 'We have many substitutes like bajra, jowar,ragi, rajgira, singhadaatta, white poha, kurmura and sabudana'. Various alternative grains such as soya, quinoa and rice flours are also gluten-free.
So is the gluten-free diet for you?
Health.india.com verdict: Only try this diet if your dietician, doctor or nutritionist recommends it and not as a fad diet even if a sportsman of Djokovic's stature endorses it.
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