Recently I started to get that bloated feeling emanating from my stomach and decided to make a change and go Gluten Free. I had heard that tennis ace Novak Djokovic had gone that route and had said that it had played a huge part in his success. The first thing to point out is that it is not easy just to change your diet habits and go gluten free. Going to the supermarket and trying to find products with no gluten is easy but paying a high price for the products can be a huge turn off. Nearly everything that is sold in shops has gluten in it. While some people follow a gluten-free diet because of a gluten allergy, others follow the diet to lose weight or reduce bloating. Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat, rye and barley. People following a gluten-free diet avoid a wide variety of foods, from breads and pastas to cakes, cookies, crackers and many processed foods. Although following a gluten-free diet should ultimately benefit your health, the first few days on the diet could be challenging. Check out the list below

PLACES TO CHECK FOR GLUTEN

soy sauce
imitation crab
licorice
seasoning packets
natural flavoring
BBQ sauces
salad dressings
hard candies
cornflakes and rice krispies
chocolate
ice cream
broth
chipotles in adobo sauce
yogurt and other dairy products such as sour cream
miso
some fermented kimchi
fish sauce
oyster sauce
mole
beverages such as sports drinks or iced tea mixes
malt vinegar
oats (you must not eat anything with oats unless made with certified gluten-free oats)

NON-FOOD ITEMS THAT COULD CONTAIN GLUTEN

makeup and shampoos
lipsticks
filler in medications

NATURALLY GLUTEN-FREE FOODS THAT MIGHT BE CROSS-CONTAMINATED IN A FRYER

tortilla chips
french fries
anything fried

WHAT IS USUALLY GLUTEN-FREE BUT WELL-MEANING FOLKS WILL TELL YOU TO AVOID

wine
vodka
white wine vinegar and all vinegars
caramel coloring
MSG
baking powder

Over time, following a gluten-free diet can lead to serious nutritional deficiencies if you’re not careful about your diet. Many wheat-filled products are fortified with vitamins, and eliminating them from your diet could leave you with nutritional deficiencies. Fortunately, a healthy gluten-free eating plan should prevent these deficiencies. Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans, dairy products and lean meats. Additional supplementation might be necessary if you’re still deficient on certain nutrients. Consult your physician for additional information on nutritional deficiencies. Regular blood tests can help determine whether nutrient supplementation is necessary.

Good Luck to feeling healthier!

JB

It can take a long time to understand how to perform in sport using the term ''Playing like it means nothing when it means everything'' attitude. For the decade that Roger Federer dominated the men's tennis world he had this mind skill and when Fernando Torres was playing football at Anfield he too had this gift but recently Fernando Torres has begun to look like a shadow of his former self. How can somebody with his talent and price tag of €50,000,000 just start to play badly.

Well it all comes down to that famous line ''Playing football like it means nothing when it means everything''. In other words Torres is not relaxed when he is playing football for Chelsea and even in the latter part of his Liverpool career he began to show signs of his form dipping. I bet that in practice Fernando probably wipes the floor in 6 aside training at Stamford Bridge and probably nets a few times in training but he cannot replicate his training form into a match in the Premier league or Champions League. The reason I believe is because he is nervous and has lost his confidence. It didnt happen overnight but started to happen at Liverpool. Only he can change this pattern and he will have to start doing it rather soon otherwise his career will come to an end quickly. He needs to relax and train his mind into thinking he is playing a training game and that it is not important. Otherwise the pressure will build and Mourinho will start getting nervous himself and then the relationship will break down.

So if you play Golf, GAA, Soccer, Table Tennis or any sport you can adopt this approach. I can honestly say that it worked for me. Try it and good luck!

JB