Happy New Year!

One of my clients (no, not Ken Solomon, chairman and chief executive officer of The Tennis Channel) mentioned to me that top men’s tennis player, Novak Djokovic, attributes much of his success on the court to his Gluten-Free Diet. However, in response, when I asked for the details surrounding Djokovic’s statements, my client was unsure.

So, with all of the recent hoopla regarding Gluten-Free diets and being the skeptic that I am, I decided to research the effects to see if all of this hype was just “pie” in the sky. I wasn’t at all surprised with what I found. Will you be?

Surprise, surprise…Gluten-Free products are “designed” for a specific audience – those with simple Gluten Intolerance and people with Celiac Disease. While the latter is a more serious condition, each group lacks the ability to gain the nutrients found in gluten, a protein in wheat, rye and barley.

And, guess what? You got it! Djokovic reportedly discovered that, during off-season testing, he was indeed allergic to gluten and therefore began eating a diet “sin” gluten.

Now, indeed, if you are feeling a bit lethargic and are struggling to lose just a few pounds, it is quite possible that gluten may be playing a “role” in sabotaging your fitness goals. However, be careful, just because something is “Gluten-Free” doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy. Make sure you know how to read food labels and do so carefully. Also, instead of buying expensive gluten-free processed foods, try simply replacing foods with oats, barley or rye with gluten-free whole foods such as buckwheat, yams or quinoa.