Wie hopes for boost from gluten-free diets

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SINGAPORE: US golfing star Michelle Wie said yesterday she is feeling healthier after embarking on a gluten-free diet, inspired partly by the success story of tennis world number one Novak Djokovic.

“I heard that story that he turned gluten free and became number one in the world,” Wie told a press conference in Singapore ahead of the Us$1.4mil HSBC Women’s Champions tournament starting tomorrow.

“I think it’s really motivating me,” she said in response to a question.

Djokovic, who has battled allergies in his career, has credited a gluten-free diet as one of the key reasons behind his surge to the top of men’s tennis.

Like the Serbian, Wie is also allergy-prone and has tweeted this month that her hands are less swollen after omitting gluten from her diet.

“I am allergic to everything in this world, I don’t really digest food very well,” the 22year-old Hawaiian of Korean descent said.

“So I just thought maybe if I cut out gluten, I can feel better because I heard that it causes inflammation, everything... but it’s been week three and I feel a big difference.

“You know, my joints don’t feel sore as much, I digest food a lot better, my hands feel less swollen so I feel really good.”

The Singapore event is Wie’s second competition of the 2012 season and the former golf prodigy is hoping to improve on her performance last week at the Honda Thailand tournament where she struggled for consistency.

“Last week I was very rusty, it was my first tournament of the year,” said Wie.

“I ended the first round and I felt rusty but I felt like last week was very good for me, just getting the rust out and getting used to playing tournaments again, getting again used to knowing what to do.”