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Ko cruises to 5-shot victory in LPGA Tour season finale

SOUTH Korean world number one Ko Jin-young used a string of late birdies to pull away from the chasing pack and claim a clinical five-shot victory at the Ladies Professional Golf Association’s (LPGA) season-ending Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida, on Sunday.

Ko, who began the day one shot back of defending champion and compatriot Kim Sei-young, carded a closing six-under-par 66 that brought her to 18 under on the week at Tiburon Golf Club for her first win of the pandemic-stained season.

“I still can’t believe it, that I’m here, and that I won this tournament,” said Ms. Ko, who only competed in four LPGA events in 2020 after choosing to remain in Korea when the LPGA Tour resumed play in July amid the pandemic.

“Before the tee off, I just (thought), OK, 18 holes left and I go home. So just relax and just enjoy, just keep it up.”

England’s Hannah Green (67) and Kim (72) finished in a share of second place, one shot clear of American Mina Harigae (68).

Ko birdied two of her first six holes and shook off a bogey at the ninth before making a move at the par-three 12th, where she rattled off the first of three consecutive birdies to pad her lead and then added two more over her final three holes.

The tournament capped an 18-event LPGA season that was shut down from mid-February through July because of COVID-19.

The 2021 LPGA season will have 34 official events, starting with the Jan. 21-24 Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. — Reuters

Palawan Queen’s Gambit team out to make waves at inaugural PCAP season

WHEN the inaugural season of the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines (PCAP) unfolds early next year, expect the Palawan Queen’s Gambit team as among the groups making waves.

An all-women team, Palawan Queen’s Gambit vowed to give its all in the competition, while also highlighting that women can excel in the sport.

The team is bannered by Women International Masters Marie Antoinette San Diego, Catherine Pereña-Secopito, and Shania Mae Mendoza.

Also part of the squad are Women National Masters Carmelites Abanes and Cecilia Cuizon, and homegrown Palaweñas Marife Dela Torre, Yanika Eli Seratubias, and Jesibel Maberit.

“Chess is not just for men. It’s time women play and show that all’s fair in the game,” said manager and coach Susan Neri in a release of the decision to form the all-women team, which has Jojo Mitra as owner.

Adding, “In choosing to field an all-female team, we will garner more interest from Filipinas to play chess.”

Ms. Neri said in the PCAP, the newly organized pro chess league in the country, they will be up against tough teams, but it is not stopping them and instead using it as further motivation.

“We know the Queen always has the last say. Just see. We’ll surprise everyone,” she said.

The PCAP was set up to provide another platform for players to showcase what they can do and give chess its due recognition as a sport that Filipinos can excel in.

The league had its drafting of players last Sunday. Apart from the team from Palawan, 19 other teams will be part of the tournament targeted to begin in January. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

PSC batting for ‘proper way’ in athletes’ return to training

WHILE recognizing the urgency for national athletes to resume their training for competitions amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) asserted that such should not be done at the expense of proper health and safety protocols.

In a recent media conference where it gave its yearend report, the PSC, through its chairman, William Ramirez, said that in pushing for the resumption of training, all concerned must not cut corners because so much is at stake, including lives.

In line with this, the PSC came up with a 10-point protocol designed to guide stakeholders in resuming training, particularly for the rescheduled Tokyo Olympic Games and Southeast Asia Games next year.

The PSC protocols became all the more significant as the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), the lead agency in the government’s coronavirus pandemic efforts, last week allowed national athletes to resume their training albeit under a “bubble” setting, where they have to be holed up in a controlled and safe area to guard against the spread of the coronavirus.

For Mr. Ramirez, regardless of whether training will be done in a bubble or not, the bottom line is health and safety protocols must be established and followed for any resumption to succeed.

“It does not matter if it’s a bubble or not, it’s the same. For me, we have to be extra careful in that. If we don’t have the proper protocols, it will be useless because, eventually, we will have to put a stop to it,” said the PSC chief.

Given that, Mr. Ramirez shared the set of protocols their agency crafted, guided by measures already established by the World Health Organization (WHO), Department of Health (DoH), and the IATF.

On top of the protocols is the formation of an expert group among stakeholders to aid in the interpretation and give advice on any unusual and expected results of tests.

The quality of the test must also be ensured and it should be in accordance with stipulations of local public health authorities.

The testing, the PSC said, is to aid preventive measures, which should be implemented at all times.

Completing the PSC protocols are:

• For close contacts of positive cases, quarantine and daily monitoring of temperature and symptoms is a must, and consider a test out of that quarantine every day.

• Before athletes gather, consider doing two swab tests six days before the event, regularly testing follows.

• For those asymptomatic, immediate retest and immediate repeat testing of the initial sample must be considered. Correlate the test result with the symptoms and pre-test probability as well as consider antibody testing.

• Interpret results of the pre-test probability. If the athlete has symptoms, the test should be positive. If symptoms are present and the test is negative, repeat the test within 24 to 48 hours. If negative, consider alternative diagnosis.

• For unusual test results, discuss with the expert group. Consider repeating the test as soon as possible within 24 to 48 hours.

• Post coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test be maintained as positive for months because repeat testing is not recommended within 90 days after infection. Consider antibody testing two to three weeks after the initial infection.

• And for positive cases in the sporting bubble, isolate the case as well as the close contacts and discuss with local public health officials. Consider the RT-PCR testing for asymptomatic contact. Consider testing all close contacts.

Mr. Ramirez reiterated that they made the protocols strict so as resumption efforts would not go to waste just as he enjoined all athletes, national sports associations, and other stakeholders to follow the guidelines.

The PSC is expecting national athletes to resume their training next month. — Michael Angelo S. Murillo

NFL: Seattle Seahawks clinch playoff spot with a 20-15 win against the Washington team

CARLOS Hyde scored on a 50-yard run and the Seattle Seahawks held off a late rally to clinch a playoff berth with a 20-15 victory against the host Washington Football Team on Sunday afternoon in Landover, Maryland.

Russell Wilson threw for a touchdown and rushed for 52 yards for the Seahawks (10-4), who reached the postseason for the ninth time in coach Pete Carroll’s 11 seasons.

National Football Conference (NFC) East-leading Washington (6-8) had its four-game winning streak snapped.

Washington’s third-ranked pass defense limited Wilson to 121 yards on 18-of-27 passing, but gave up a season-high 181 yards on the ground. Seattle’s Chris Carson rushed for a game-high 63 yards on 15 carries.

Washington’s Dwayne Haskins Jr., playing in place of the injured Alex Smith, was 38-of-55 passing for 295 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Logan Thomas made 13 catches for 101 yards.

Trailing 20-3, Washington scored twice in the fourth quarter. Peyton Barber capped a 96-yard drive with a 1-yard plunge and Haskins hit J.D. McKissic with a 6-yard touchdown pass with 7:16 remaining.

After forcing a three-and-out, Washington got the ball back on its own 14-yard line with 5:34 left.

Haskins drove Washington to the Seahawks’ 23 with 1:18 remaining, but back-to-back sacks by L.J. Collier and Carlos Dunlap forced Washington into a fourth-and-24 from the 37. Haskins’ desperation heave into the end zone with 51 seconds left fell incomplete.

Wilson threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jacob Hollister with 1:45 remaining in the first half to give the Seahawks a 13-0 lead. — Reuters

United hits Leeds for six, Leicester wins at Spurs

MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United crushed Leeds United (6-2), while Leicester City handed Tottenham Hotspur a second straight defeat in the Premier League on Sunday.

United’s win, with two goals each for midfielders Scott McTominay and Bruno Fernandes, sent Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side up to third on 26 points, above fourth-placed Everton on goal difference.

Jamie Vardy’s penalty and a Toby Alderweireld own goal gave Leicester victory in North London and left the Foxes in second place, five points behind leaders Liverpool who had won 7-0 at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Sam Allardyce’s debut in charge of struggling West Bromwich Albion ended in a 3-0 home defeat by West Midlands rivals Aston Villa with Anwar El Ghazi on target twice.

Bottom club Sheffield United ended their eight match losing streak, picking up just their second point of the campaign with a 1-1 draw at home to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Promoted Leeds have won admirers for their attacking approach under Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa, but the 30 goals they have conceded this season is the worst defensive record in the league and they have slipped to 14th in the table.

The Yorkshire club were 2-0 down inside three minutes after McTominay scored two early goals, the first a stunning strike from distance, before Fernandes made it 3-0 in the 20th minute.

Victor Lindelof added a fourth before a Liam Cooper header, four minutes before the interval, gave the visitors some encouragement for the second half.

But McTominay set up Dan James for United’s fifth before a Fernandes penalty made it 6-1.

Even then, with Bielsa yelling from the touchline, Leeds continued to push forward and Stuart Dallas gave them some reward for their efforts with a beautiful curling shot from distance.

While there were some outstanding individual displays in the United side, none more than from McTominay in midfield, Solskjaer also got his tactical approach spot on.

“Of course, we’ve shown them videos and analysed (Leeds) and they were wide-eyed, the boys, when they saw the clips we showed them. The spaces that can appear, or not appear if we don’t do the work. They did the work, spot on,” he said.

After their defeat by Liverpool on Wednesday, Jose Mourinho’s Spurs dropped out of the bottom two after the loss to Leicester.

The opening half produced little excitement until just before the break when the Foxes were awarded a penalty following a VAR check, which found Serge Aurier had fouled Wesley Fofana — Vardy blasted the spot kick down the middle.

The second goal came in the 59th minute when Vardy got on the end of Marc Albrighton’s cross from the right and his header at the far post cannoned off Alderweireld into the back of the net.

The experienced Allardyce replaced the sacked Crotian Slaven Bilic at West Brom in midweek, but after five minutes, Villa took the lead when El-Ghazi deftly steered home Traore’s cross to the far post.

West Brom had captain Jake Livermore sent off following a VAR review for a reckless tackle on Jack Grealish and Allardyce’s new charges barely threatened after that, managing a single shot in the whole game.

Traore added a second six minutes from time and El Ghazi slotted home a late penalty to secure a win that lifts Villa to ninth spot on 22 points after 12 games, while West Brom remain second from bottom with seven points from 14 games.

Ten-man Sheffield United were denied a first win of the season when Brighton’s Danny Welbeck struck late to cancel out Premier League debutant Jayden Bogle’s goal in a 1-1 draw at the Amex Arena.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men when John Lundstram was sent off for upending Joel Veltman in a reckless challenge in the first half, with the referee changing his decision from a yellow card to a red following a VAR review. — Reuters

Pro sports should learn from resilient women athletes following the pandemic

ELITE women’s sports are predicted to generate $1 billion in revenue in 2021.

With just a fraction of the investment dollars, comparatively paltry marketing, and promotional budgets compared to those allocated to men’s sports, this is conceivably a conservative estimate. As sport emerges from the challenges imposed by COVID-19, women’s sports are becoming a lucrative business opportunity.

Don’t believe us? You’re not alone.

Despite record-setting momentum, the sports industry has continued to ignore the economic viability of women’s sports.

Many decisions are still based on outdated assumptions. Marketing has largely positioned women’s sport as the “right thing to do” as opposed to an exciting investment opportunity, and fans are treated as monolithic. The resulting narrative has left the women’s sport market both under-served and undervalued.

Sports fans, however, are telling a different story.

A Nielsen study found that 84% of general sports enthusiasts of all genders are interested in women’s sport. If more women’s sports were available to watch, 46% of fans indicated they’d tune in.

What happens when you give sports fans what they want? The 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup drew 1.12 billion viewers. Viewership for the WNBA this season was up 68%; media coverage of their championship finals increased 15%.

National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) viewership swelled 493% for their 2020 Challenge Cup and 500% year over year, LPGA viewership increased 21% and this year’s US Open tennis final between Naomi Osaka and Victoria Azarenka averaged 2.1 million viewers on ESPN.

Keep in mind this was during a time when many sports were competing simultaneously and ratings for the NBA, MLB, NHL, and NFL all declined significantly. What’s more, women athletes have also been at the forefront of advocacy for social and political change.

The bottom line? Women are doing more with less.

They’re finding innovative solutions during these most challenging times. They’re seizing the moment and exceeding expectations. They’re putting on a master class in resilience — because for the past several decades, that’s how they’ve been conditioned to do business.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in unprecedented disruption. While the sports sector adapts to these new and uncertain conditions, resilience as a coping mechanism is serving women’s sports well.

Through this lens, the distinguishing qualities of persistence, adaptability, and agility are assets that women in sport have been fine-tuning for years. As the world of sport continues to mount its recovery efforts and the sports landscape evolves, we argue this innately gives women a leg up in the new normal.

And make no mistake. The sports landscape is in the midst of a revolution.

Gen Z has rapidly become the most influential generational cohort, commanding $3.2 trillion in purchasing power. This demographic has high expectations around diversity and inclusion and they are following sports in very different ways than their predecessors.

With a preference for highlights on Instagram, they’re more likely to follow an athlete than a team, and the role of sport in their social life has redefined their fandom.

Layered on top of this, we know that women now control a third of the world’s wealth, adding US$5 trillion to the wealth pool globally every year. While traditional sport properties are struggling, women’s sports have the flexibility to be nimble and adapt to the new, increasingly diverse sport environment.

We’re already seeing early evidence of this, with a 468% increase in tweet volume around representation and equality. Advertising featuring women in sport is perceived as 148% more empowering than similar ads with men.

Twitter has also found sports ads featuring women held viewers’ attention for an average of 6.5 seconds and drove 4.8 times higher ad recall than a control group. When women were featured in non-traditional gender roles, recall was 6.3 times higher.

If we consider merchandise as a proxy for demand, a whole new series of supporting metrics emerge. Nike’s 2019 US Women’s National Team home jersey became the No. 1 selling soccer jersey ever, men’s or women’s. The WNBA’s now-famed orange hoodie has nine million impressions on social media, 238,000 engagements and $250,000 in social media value. According to the online retailer Fanatics, the orange hoodie was the best-selling item across its website in August.

We’re currently witnessing a continuous series of disruptions exposing the widening gaps in society accelerated by the pandemic.

In sport, these disruptions have exposed the weaknesses of the traditional sports model. As we look towards the future of sport, COVID-19 may well be the catalyst for change that women’s sports have been waiting for.

Women in sport understand that success is not easy, convenient or comfortable because it never has been. They’re accustomed to coming up with constructive solutions that showcase persistence.

As the sports market reemerges in a post-pandemic world, women’s sports may be strategically positioned to not only better adapt to the rapid changes brought about by COVID-19 — they may be better prepared to lead the way forward in the development of a new model for sport. The future may be unwritten, but the time to invest in it is now. — Reuters

Tiger and son Charlie finish five shots back in Orlando

TIGER Woods has enjoyed a dominant golfing career, but added a new memory after he and 11-year-old son Charlie finished five shots back of world number three Justin Thomas and his father during an exhibition event in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday.

Team Woods, both wearing Tiger’s signature Sunday red and black, placed seventh among a 20-team field of major champions and winners of The Players alongside a family member for the two-day PNC Championship at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Club.

“I don’t think words can describe it,” 15-times major champion Woods said of competing alongside his son. “Just the fact that we were able to have this experience together, Charlie and I, it’s memories for a lifetime.”

Charlie, the youngest competitor in the tournament’s history and perhaps its most anticipated, showcased impressive form at the scramble event and on several occasions looked every part his father as he worked his way around the course.

During his team’s closing 10-under-par 62, Charlie rolled in a birdie at the par-four 10th and then unleashed a vintage low-uppercut Tiger fist pump that the golf world has seen countless times before.

Team Thomas began their day with seven consecutive birdies en route to a 15-under-par 57 that brought them 25 under, one shot clear of Vijay Singh and son Qass. — Reuters

Europe shuts door on Britain amid new COVID strain

LONDON — Britain’s European neighbors began closing their doors to travellers from the United Kingdom on Sunday amid alarm about a rapidly spreading strain of coronavirus that has caused cases to soar there.

France said it would bar all people coming from the United Kingdom for 48 hours from Sunday night, including freight carriers, whether by road, air, sea or rail.

Germany, Italy and the Netherlands ordered a suspension of flights from Britain, while Ireland said it would impose restrictions on flights and ferries from its neighbor.

Belgium said it would close its borders to flights and trains — including the popular Eurostar service — coming from the United Kingdom.

“The COVID variant recently discovered in London is worrying and will need to be investigated by our scientists,” Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza said.

“In the meantime we choose the path of maximum prudence.”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Saturday that the new strain had led to spiraling infection numbers. His government tightened its coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions for London and nearby areas, and also reversed plans to ease restrictions over the Christmas period.

The travel curbs also compound problems for the United Kingdom as it finally exits the European Union (EU) on Dec. 31 after a transition period this year. London and Brussels have so far failed to reach a post-Brext trade deal, raising the prospect of chaos in goods traffic.

The German government said all flights from the United Kingdom would be suspended from midnight.

“It (the virus mutation) has not yet been identified in Germany,” Health Minister Jens Spahn told public broadcaster ARD. “But of course we take the reports from Britain very seriously.”

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo said the ban on incoming travel from Britain covers Eurostar services via the Channel Tunnel and will take effect for at least 24 hours from midnight on Sunday, broadcaster VRT said.

The Italian order blocked any flights departing from Britain and prohibited anyone who had transited through it in the last 14 days from entering Italy.

The Netherlands banned flights carrying passengers from the United Kingdom from Sunday and the restrictions will remain in place until Jan. 1, the Dutch government said.

Austria is also planning to ban flights from Britain, the APA news agency said, citing the health ministry. Sweden said it was preparing a decision to ban entry from the United Kingdom.

Romania, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic also announced plans to bar flights from the United Kingdom.

The new variant in Britain has added a twist to a battle against the virus that many countries in Europe are waging.

The number of coronavirus cases in Britain surged by 35,928 on Sunday, the highest daily rise since the start of the pandemic, and it recorded 326 deaths, taking the official toll to more than 67,000.

In addition to the measures announced for England, the United Kingdom’s other nations, who control their own anti-coronavirus policies, tightened restrictions. Scotland has imposed a ban on travel to the rest of the United Kingdom. — Reuters

China says aircraft carrier group on way to South China Sea for drills

West Philippine Sea

BEIJING — An aircraft carrier group led by China’s newest carrier, the Shandong, has sailed through the Taiwan Strait on its way to routine drills in the South China Sea, China’s navy said on Monday, after Taiwan mobilized its forces to monitor the trip.

While it is not the first time China’s carriers have passed close to Taiwan, it comes at a time of heightened tension between Taipei and Beijing, which claims the democratically ruled island as its territory.

The Shandong carrier group sailed through the Taiwan Strait a day after a US warship transited the same waterway. China’s military said it tailed the ship.

China’s navy said the Shandong and its accompanying ships had “smoothly” transited the sensitive and narrow Taiwan Strait on Sunday, heading for exercises in the South China Sea, where China has extensive and disputed territorial gains.

The drills are part of “normal arrangements made in accordance with annual plans,” it said. “In the future, we will continue to organise similar operations based on training needs.”

Taiwan’s Defence Ministry said the Shandong was accompanied by four warships and had set out from the northern Chinese port of Dalian on Thursday. Taiwan said it sent six warships and eight air force aircraft to “stand guard” and monitor the Chinese ships’ movements.

The Shandong is China’s second carrier, and was formally commissioned almost exactly a year ago.

Since then, it has successfully completed tasks such as carrier-based aircraft take-off and landing and use of its weapons, the Chinese navy said.

“The combat capability of the formation system has been continuously improved in experimental training,” it added, referring to the group of warships which accompany the Shandong.

China has been working to hone its carrier operations, but has little experience compared to the United States, which has operated integrated carrier battle groups with multiple vessels for decades. — Reuters

Singapore hotel used for quarantine may have spread infection

Image via Mandarin Orchard Singapore website / meritushotels.com/mandarin-orchard-singapore

A SINGAPORE hotel suspected of spreading the virus among quarantined travelers has now found signs of past infection among three staffers, raising concern over pockets of undetected transmission in a country that’s largely managed to stamp out local cases.

The Mandarin Orchard, a hotel that welcomed recreational guests while also housing quarantined travelers on designated floors, is now scaling back operations as the Singapore government probes the situation.

Serological tests for 571 of the hotel’s staff have so far indicated the likelihood of past infection for three people, the Singapore Ministry of Health said in a statement on Sunday.

This followed its disclosure on Saturday that 13 cases of infection among travelers quarantining at the Mandarin Orchard had a “high genetic similarity” despite the patients arriving from 10 different countries, raising the suspicion that the hotel has become a site of transmission.

From “preliminary investigations, we cannot exclude that transmissions could have occurred at Mandarin Orchard Singapore,” said the statement.

Quarantine hotels and the management of foreign arrivals have been a vulnerability for many countries as governments try to balance the risk of overseas infection slipping into local communities while allowing some essential travel.

Lapses at a quarantine hotel led to an unprecedented outbreak in Australia’s Victoria state that was contained only through a brutal three-month lockdown, while lax management of air and shipping crew arrivals was blamed for overturning Hong Kong’s containment success earlier this year.

After containing a rampant outbreak among its army of migrant workers, Singapore has been able to keep new cases close to zero for weeks, and is set to ease curbs on movement and gatherings on Dec. 28. The government has also moved ambitiously to restart international travel, allowing quarantine-free visits from places with contained outbreaks, while planning a bubble to house business travelers near the airport.

The 13 infected travelers quarantined at the Mandarin Orchard stayed there between Oct. 22 and Nov. 11 and arrived from places including Bahrain, Canada, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Netherlands, the Philippines, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and the US, said the Ministry of Health.

Authorities are conducting analysis on more cases beyond Nov. 11. The hotel has stopped taking visitors for quarantine purposes since Dec. 13 and those currently serving their so-called stay-home notice will be sent to another facility, the government said.

The Mandarin Orchard is one of the hotels approved by authorities to offer staycation packages to Singapore residents eager for a break and unable to leave the country because of travel restrictions. While those in quarantine are housed on dedicated floors and segregated from other guests, fears are growing that infection could have slipped through. — Bloomberg

Pope snubs Vatican’s sci-fi Nativity scene, directs visitors to others

VATICAN CITY, Dec 20 (Reuters) – Pope Francis on Sunday appeared to add his own thumbs-down to widespread criticism of an unorthodox nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square, telling visitors to instead visit a nearby exhibition of traditional crèches.

At his last Sunday blessing and address before Christmas, Francis also said the holy day that marks the birth of Jesus had been “kidnapped” by consumerism.

Speaking from his window overlooking the square, Francis twice urged people to visit an outdoor exhibit under the square’s colonnade where 100 small traditional nativity scenes are on display.

They demonstrated “how people try to use art to show how Jesus was born (and)… are a great religious education of our faith,” he said.

He made no mention of the main nativity in the centre of the square, a larger-than-life ceramic assembly of statues that includes an astronaut and a character reminiscent of Darth Vader from Star Wars..

It has received scathing reviews in the media and from visitors, many of whom have expressed emotions ranging from puzzlement to contempt.

The Vatican displays a different donated nativity scene each year, chosen by its municipal government.

This year’s was made between 1965 and 1975 by students and teachers in Castelli, an Italian town famous for ceramics. The astronaut represents the lunar landings of the late 1960s and early 1970s, according to a description for visitors.

In his address, Francis also warned against “frenetic” consumerism during the Christmas season, urging people to remember those who have nothing.

“Consumerism has kidnapped Christmas, (taking it) away from us,” he said. “There is no consumerism in the manger in Bethlehem. What is there is reality, poverty and love.” — REUTERS

How to prepare and protect your gut health over Christmas and the silly season

It’s that time of year again, with Christmas parties, end-of-year get-togethers and holiday catch-ups on the horizon for many of us — all COVID-safe, of course. All that party food and takeaway, however, can have consequences for your gut health.

Gut health matters. Your gut is a crucial part of your immune system. In fact, 70% of your entire immune system sits around your gut, and an important part of that is what’s known as the gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT), which houses a host of immune cells in your gut.

Good gut health means looking after your gut microbiome — the bacteria, fungi, viruses and tiny organisms that live inside you and help break down your food — but also the cells and function of your gastrointestinal system.

We know gut health can affect mood, thanks to what’s known as the gut-brain axis. But there’s also a gut-lung axis and a gut-liver axis, meaning what happens in your gut can affect your respiratory system or liver, too.

Here’s what you can do to bolster your gut microbiome in the coming weeks and months.

You can change your gut microbiome within a couple of days by changing your diet. And over a longer period of time, such as the Christmas-New Year season, your diet pattern can change significantly, often without you really noticing.

That means we may be changing the organisms that make up our microbiome during this time. Whatever you put in will favour certain bacteria in your microbiome over others.

We know fatty, sugary foods promote bacteria that are not as beneficial for gut health. And if you indulge over days or weeks, you are pushing your microbiome towards an imbalance.

Yes! If your gut is healthy to begin with, it will take more to knock it out of whack. Prepare yourself now by making choices that feed the beneficial organisms in your gut microbiome and enhance gut health.

That means:

eating prebiotic foods such as jerusalem artichokes, garlic, onions and a variety of grains and inulin-enhanced yoghurts (inulin is a prebiotic carbohydrate shown to have broad benefits to gut health)

eating resistant starches, which are starches that pass undigested through the small intestine and feed the bacteria in the large intestine. That includes grainy wholemeal bread, legumes such as beans and lentils, firm bananas, starchy vegetables like potatoes and some pasta and rice. The trick to increasing resistant starches in potato, pasta and rice is to cook them but eat them cold. So consider serving a cold potato or pasta salad over Christmas

choosing fresh, unprocessed fruits and vegetables

steering clear of added sugar where possible. Excessive amounts of added sugar (or fruit sugar from high consumption of fruit) flows quickly to the large intestine, where it gets gobbled up by bacteria. That can cause higher gas production, diarrhoea and potentially upset the balance of the microbiome

remembering that if you increase the amount of fibre in your diet (or via a supplement), you’ll need to drink more water — or you can get constipated.

For inspiration on how to increase resistant starch in your diet for improved gut health, you might consider checking out a cookbook I coauthored (all proceeds fund research and I have no personal interest).

If Christmas and New Year means a higher intake of red meat or processed meat for you, remember some studies have shown that diets higher red meat can introduce DNA damage in the colon, which makes you more susceptible to colorectal cancer.

The good news is other research suggests if you include a certain amount of resistant starch in a higher red meat diet, you can reduce or even eliminate that damage. So consider a helping of cold potato salad along with a steak or sausage from the barbie.

Don’t forget to exercise over your Christmas break. Even going for a brisk walk can get things moving and keep your bowel movements regular, which helps improve your gut health.

Have a look at the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and remember what foods are in the “sometimes” category. Try to keep track of whether you really are only having these foods “sometimes” or if you have slipped into a habit of having them much more frequently.

The best and easiest way to check your gut health is to use the Bristol stool chart. If you’re hitting around a 4, you should be good.

Remember, there are no quick fixes. Your gut health is like a garden or an ecosystem. If you want the good plants to grow, you need to tend to them — otherwise, the weeds can take over.

I know you’re probably sick of hearing the basics — eat fruits and vegetables, exercise and don’t make the treats too frequent — but the fact is good gut health is hard won and easily lost. It’s worth putting in the effort.

A preventative mindset helps. If you do the right thing most of the time and indulge just now and then, your gut health will be OK in the end. — REUTERS

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