By Penelope A. Domogo, MD
I am sharing here my talk during the 5-in-1 culminating program of Mountain Province General Comprehensive High School, Bontoc, Mountain Province on July 28, 2016.
Congratulations to the newly-inducted PTA and student government officers!
I love sports. I am not an athlete but I have tried pingpong, softball and archery. At present, the best I can do is walking. Walking is also a sport.
Students and us, office workers should all be into sports because we are cooped up in our classrooms and offices the whole day. And yet a natural life is a life of movements. Why do you think our Creator gave us a lot of joints? Imagine if we had no joints. And the rule of nature is that if you don’t use them, you lose them. Men lati. They rust. That’s what happens in arthritis. So I challenge Principal Atkinson Tudlong and the faculty to make class more active and creative. Students, request your teacher to take you outside the classroom every now and then. Nature is so full of things to learn. MPGCHS is blessed with your wide oval. During recess, you should be out in the open and playing. Not rushing to the canteen and sitting again and eating. Ma-overweight kayo diyan and then you won’t be able to run as fast or jump as high.
A lot of studies show that sports improve self-esteem, boosts the immune system, prevents disease, reduces stress and depression, at any age, whether you are a teenager or senior citizen. So I am happy that MPGCHS and all other high schools have intramurals every year. Congratulations to all athletes! Your joining the games is already victory as you will be pushed to discipline yourself and lead a healthy lifestyle. We thank also the cheerers as they will inspire the athletes to give their best. Walang thrill ang game kung walang nanonood.
I hope, though, that you don’t train only just before intrams, or before Provincial Meet or CARAA. As your invitation says, “success is not given. It is earned- on the track, on the field, in the gym. True, true, and here I add, success also is earned in the kitchen and on the dining table. As your theme says “GOOD NUTRITION; GOOD SPORTS PERFORMANCE.”
What you cook and what you eat are big factors in your success, not only in sports but also in academics and in the arts. You cannot be an athlete if you are weak, if you are sickly, if you have high blood. You cannot think well or perform well if you are so busog. Do you know that fasting produces more profound thoughts? Try.
If your blood is sticky, then you won’t have endurance. Mapapagod ka agad kasi mahirap dumaloy ang dugo mo. Kung sa marathon, maabutan ka na ng iba. What makes your blood sticky? Same as what makes jelly sticky – sugar. Fat also makes the blood sticky.
Sugar has expansive energy so it puts you out of focus. If you want to perform well, you need to focus. Sugar also will give you headaches and other pains. Dengue and other germs grow well in sweet blood. Isipin mo na lang pagkumakain ka ng matamis e pinapakain mo din ang dengue germs. Sugar is present in junk foods, hot dogs, soft drinks, sugared drinks, white bread, cookies and milk and chocolates, candies. Almost anything processed has sugar. So stay away from those. Before you buy anything, read the ingredients. Refrain from buying those processed foods and that includes bread, unless it is wholegrain bread.
Let us learn from your lolo and lola, how they were able to carry big stones to make the ato, hunt the wild deer, make the rice terraces and deliver babies at home by themselves. What did they eat? Rice, beans, camote, camote leaves. Rice, beans and camote and the like keep you focused and centered. Beans is good for the lungs and you need strong lungs for sports. Camote and other root crops are good for the kidneys and you need strong kidneys for endurance and courage. Camote leaves and all other leafy vegetables are good for the heart and you want your heart to be healthy to carry you through all the rigors of training and actual games, don’t you?
Eating rice (and best if unpolished) plus a variety of vegetables and fruits in season will give you enough carbohydrates, protein and vitamins and minerals, even for athletes. Haan nga masapol ti supplements. Poor food choices cannot be compensated by taking supplements. Supplements are expensive and in high doses can be very harmful. Excess protein can cause osteoporosis and can damage your kidneys. We have a lot of patients undergoing dialysis because of too much meat and sugar in their diet. Hamburger or hotdog or spaghetti are not good snacks – they have too much fat and protein.
Masapol met nga ti athlete ket well hydrated, so drink water often. For physical activities that last up to one hour, water is enough for hydration. I suggest you also try sabeng especially if you have sweated a lot. This has been tested by the Bontoks. I tried it. It is a very good thirst quencher, like an energy drink. I don’t recommend processed sports drinks as they contain a lot of refined sugar.
Timing of eating and exercising is important for performance. Eat 2-3 hours before exercise or training and this meal should include a lot of starchy foods like camote and rice to ensure you have enough fuel. Add vegetables. You can have a small snack 30-60 minutes like one banana before the game or physical activity. During the activity, it is not necessary to eat unless for long distance running or games that last more an hour. During the 100k Ultra Marathon of North Face in Baguio City, camote ken danum ti adda along the trails and the runners brought their own baon. A good snack just after exercise or a game is unsalted peanuts and water. Your meal after the game should have plenty of starchy foods like rice plus some protein like bukel or lean meat. Add other vegetables. These are basic guidelines for good nutrition based on the provisions of our Creator and tried and tested by our forefathers. It is up to you to see what is best for you. Listen to your own body.
In summary, eating well for physical activity and sport has many benefits including:
Good performance in your chosen sport or activity;
Reducing the risk of injury and illness;
Ensuring the best recovery after exercise or a training programme.
So to all of you, athletes, faculty, PTA and student officers, non-athletes, eat well, be happy and be champions!
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“For while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8
