Play Sport: For Health

Sport
has a major impact on communities, and can be the key difference in creating a
healthy and sustainable community life, as pointed out in the 2002 Ministerial
Task Team on Sport (A High Performance Sports System for SA).

In
this month’s focus on the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, Morne’ du Plessis
reminds us of the words of Nelson Mandela, "Sport
has the power to change the world, it has the power to inspire, it has the
power to unite people in a way that little else does."

There is significant evidence that
putting women and girls first in issues of sport and physical activity reaps
benefits for those individuals, their communities and society as a whole.

In this first
of a three-part series focussed on the benefits of sport for South African
women, the gsport Features Desk considers the question of
Health, with an emphasis on nutrition, and its assistance in maintaining
appropriate body weight, one benefit of regular participation in sport and
physical activity.

Not forgetting that with appropriate
opportunity afforded to all women in South Africa, participation in
regular sport and physical activity hold promise of many benefits, including:

·        
Increased self-esteem;

·        
Enhanced psychological well-being;

·        
Increased physical competence, and

·        
The replacement of idle time with
positive leisure experiences.

In search of a better understanding of food and the part it
plays in our physical development and capacity, gsport spoke to Nicki de
Villiers, the resident nutritionist at Pretoria’s
High Performance Centre about nutrition and the role it plays in the lives of
sportswomen, and women in general.

As a nutritionist
treating sportswomen, how do you see your role?

To help every sportswoman achieve her best performance,
regardless of level of competitiveness. I try to give practical advice to women
to support not only their training programme, but also to maintain health.
Practical application is the key element – Women often know a lot about food,
but struggle to make it work in a busy schedule. I try to make guidelines
applicable to family life.

What is good
nutrition?

Supplying enough energy by including a variety of wholesome
food with frequent intervals throughout the day. We often neglect the intake of
fruit and vegetables. These guidelines must be incorporated in an individual
meal plan taking into consideration the individual’s daily activities, likes
and dislikes. We have to realize that we do not always have to be perfect – It
is about the better choices we make MOST OF THE TIME not necessarily ALL THE
TIME!

Long term, what are
the dangers of not following a healthy diet?

The occurrence of lifestyle diseases with overweight often
being the centre. It is difficult to change habits, especially as their roots
grow deeper throughout the years, so NOW IS AS GOOD A TIME AS ANY! The
prevalence of diabetes is growing, as well as hypertension and cardiovascular
disease. The investment we make now will pay dividends in a few years time – PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE! We need to
concentrate on healthy eating to maintain a healthy weight to prevent lifestyle
diseases. Also, if we change habits now, drastic intervention later would be
unnecessary.

Fat is often seen as
bad for someone trying to eat a healthy diet. How can someone distinguish
between good and bad fats?

We first have to clarify what good and bad fat means. If we
are discussion overweight – Excessive fat intake is bad – Does not matter if
you get them from nuts or Mutton Chops. For health as a whole – Plant sources
are generally better than animal sources, so eat nuts in stead of biltong
sometimes. Liquid fat is often also better than solid fats – Use oil in stead
of butter. Heated fat in general are bad – These are the oily chips, samoosas
and pies!

Including a moderate amount of fat through plant sources is
advisable – A little bit of avocado and olives with a salad, a few nuts as a
snack or sunflower seeds in your muesli.

Fat from fish is generally a good source of fat – This is
the natural fat IN fish not the ones we add to fish when we fry! We need to try
and include fatty fish sources three times a week – Have sardines on toast, eat
salmon with a salad and use a succulent recipe to transform pilchards into a
fish cake!

Many people are still
struggling to shake off that extra weight picked up during winter, what’s the
best way to get back to a healthy lifestyle?

Do it NOW! Get back into a regular pattern of eating with
fruits and/or vegetables as snacks. With summer weather, the intake of water
should automatically increase in stead of the warmer drinks. Get back into a
routine of exercise and try to not necessarily take of from where you left it
before the winter.

The appearance of a lovely variety of summer fruits and
fresh salads should put you back on track. It is al about a decision that only
you can take – We start NOW and we work hard on it until we achieve our goal –
Eating healthy is something we cannot "practice" for a month and then start
taking it seriously. It often works best if you plan well and then start with a
BANG.

How do you feel about
the use of protein shakes?

My motto – FOOD FIRST! We often eat far in excess of our
protein needs. The body does not need excessive amounts – So in general, not
recommended. It is expensive and unnecessary. On the other hand if you are
following a vegetarian diet with inadequate protein intake or if you are fussy
and do not like protein food, I shall consider, but often my choice would fall
on a meal replacement rather than a protein shake.

What is the best way
to detox?

I do not really believe in "excluding" foods to "detox" the
body. My opinion is one of an increased amount of fruit and vegetables, try to
limit excessive "bad" fats, increase your water intake and start with your
training program. This way is often not that drastic, easier to follow and
maintain and will not leave you lethargic for the month to come!

When it comes to
taking in liquids during exercise, do you suggest sports drinks or water?

Depends on a few factors:

• The
  duration of your training session – When you are going to push the clock
  past 60 minutes – Sports drinks may be necessary, but everything that last
  less than an hour – Water should be adequate!
• Did
  you eat anything in the last 3 hours before your training session – If yes
  and you are training for less than an hour – Grab the water. If you did
  not have time to eat something, a sports drink will maybe contribute to
  higher quality training!
• Negative
  symptoms during training – Look out for dizziness and excessive tiredness.
  If you feel dizzy towards the end of your training session, you probably
  should have had a sip or two of sport drink during the session, so try it
  out in the next training session!

How much emphasis is
being given to the importance of sports nutrition in South African sport?

We are getting there! Often the nutrition part is addressed
by a conditioning coach or even the team coach! Most athletes do understand
that they need to eat healthy, but what healthy eating for athletes mean is
often misinterpreted, especially because of aggressive marketing of supplements
or misleading advice from somebody that does not understand the science behind
food. We are working hard to get the message through to the athlete, but also
the coach and fitness trainers! We need athletes to see the importance of
nutrition and healthy eating not only during competition phases, but especially
EATING WELL TO TRAIN WELL. Good training sessions will improve performance.
Healthy eating will improve quality of training. We are fighting a very active
marketing and advertising opponent, but we are definitely still in the race and
competing strongly!

What do you enjoy most
about your job?

I love it when I get the report back that I am feeling so
well during my training, or I enjoy eating like this! I love to sit with an
individual sportswoman and discuss a tailor-made meal plan with her – One that
she can feel comfortable with. I love seeing the athletes become more
interested in food and healthy eating and gaining confidence with meal planning
and preparation. I love addressing misconceptions in a group. I love to make an
individual THINK and empower them through skill and knowledge to make their own
decision and be confident to speak their own mind. I do have a STUNNING job!

Coming up in gsport’s November
and December issues:

Part Two (November): It’s a question of Lifestyle and Fairness

Part Three (December): It’s a question of Law, Economics and Sustainability