Novak Djokovic shares gluten-free diet secrets in new book

Novak Djokovic shares
gluten-free diet secrets in new book

Novak Djokovic Book: Serve to Win: The 14-Day Gluten-Free Plan for Physical and Mental Excellence

Novac Djokovic became the No. 1 tennis player in the world after switching to a gluten-free diet three years ago. Djokovic, 26, is revealing his diet and training secrets in his new book, "Serve to Win: The 14-Day Gluten-Free Plan for Physical and Mental Excellence."

In the book, Djokovic revealed that he follows a gluten-free, low-sugar diet and even abstained from chocolate for a year and a half.

In the tome, Djokovic expounds the virtues of the gluten-free, dairy-free and low sugar eating plan he adopted three years ago.
"My life changed because I had begun to eat the right foods for my body, in the way that my body demanded," he writes.
"Every morning I wake up, I drink a glass of water and do my stretching, maybe mixed with some yoga or tai chi, for 20 minutes.
"I eat a breakfast perfectly calibrated to my body for the day ahead — the same breakfast almost every day of my life."

His other nutrition secrets include the following (via the Wall Street Journal July 30):

• Drink plenty of warm water throughout the day;
• Avoid dairy, caffeine and alcohol during tournaments;
• Consume shakes made with pea-protein concentrate;
• Eat lots of avocados and cashew butter;
• Drastically cut back on sugar consumption;
• Eat manuka honey from New Zealand.

"The first thing I do out of bed is to drink a tall glass of room-temperature water," Novak wrote in "Serve to Win," which comes out Aug. 30. "The second thing I do might really surprise you: I eat two spoonfuls of honey every day."

The Serbian tennis phenom said warm water is better for digestion and muscle replenishment than cold drinks. But by far, the biggest change in Djokovic's diet has been eliminating gluten.

In 2010, Novak hired a nutritionist and was tested for food intolerances, which indicated he was allergic to wheat and dairy. Since then, Djokovic has followed a high-protein, gluten-free diet and has been dominating on the tennis court. He now avoids most starches, including pizza and pasta.

Djokovic credits his transformation to Dr. Igor Cetojevic, a "skinny, grayhaired, mustachioed" Serbian nutritionist living in Cyprus. Dr. Cetojevic persuaded the tennis star to give up gluten by administering a simple test: He told Djokovic to put his left hand on his stomach, hold out his right arm and resist as the doctor pulled down on his arm. Then Dr. Cetojevic gave Djokovic a slice of bread and told him to hold that against his stomach and repeated the test.

"This seemed like madness," Djokovic writes. "And yet, there was a noticeable difference."

When an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test showed Djokovic had a strong intolerance to wheat and dairy, he went without gluten for 14 days and felt great. Then the doctor asked him to eat a bagel. "I felt as though I'd woken up with a hangover," he writes. Djokovic swore off gluten for good and ended up losing 11 pounds. He says he feels faster, more flexible and better able to concentrate.

Since he started his new diet, he writes, "My allergies abated; my asthma disappeared; my fears and doubts were replaced by confidence."

He adds: "I have not had a serious cold or flu in nearly three years."

The 6-foot-2 Djokovic, who weighs around 176 pounds, initially lost weight after cutting gluten out of his diet (a result he was not trying to achieve), but insists it has only helped his game.

Since going gluten-free, Novak has experienced improved overall health. "My allergies abated; my asthma disappeared; my fears and doubts were replaced by confidence," he wrote.

Djokovic's other training secrets include:

• Doing yoga and tai chi;
• Meditating;
• Taking melatonin supplements;
• Sitting in a pressurized CVAC pod, which simulates high-altitude training;
• Getting seven to eights hours of sleep every night.

Djokovic also discusses his devotion to the teachings of Eastern medicine and philosophy. One of his favorite demonstrations, he says, involved a researcher and two glasses of water. The researcher shared positive energy with one glass ("love, joy, happiness"). He shared negative energy with the other and swore at it ("anger, fear, hostility"). After several days, the negative water was tinted green, and the positive water was still clear.

SEE YOUTUBE VIDEO : Water, Consciousness & Intent: Dr. Masaru Emoto

"Sounds crazy, right?" Djokovic writes. "But to me, that test is proof that every single thing in the world shares the same kind of energy—people, animals, the elements, everything."

While Djokovic admits some of his fitness secrets are unconventional, he said incorporating different ideas into his training has been a boon to him physically and psychologically. "What matters is not whether you believe in or follow these particular approaches," he wrote. "What matters is that you are open-minded."
  
SOURCES: examiner.com July 31, 2013 - The wall street journal