Getting the Treatment in Baltimore and Special Occasion Foods

Photo from our 1984 Game Day Program, click to enlarge. Notice I am rocking thick waves in my hair gained from lots of brushing, thick hair oil, and sleeping with a doorag. Those waves and my hair went out to sea when I turned 27. My Dad once told me he started losing his at 18! I figured my students at Marist College would get a kick out of seeing Dr. O back in the day.

For lunch on our spring break Syracuse lacrosse team trips in Hunt Valley, Maryland, Coach Roy Simmons Jr. would sometime give us per diem food money. Across the street from the hotel there was and is a mall with a food court with a ton of food options. We would wonder through the mall in search of the best tasting deals all wearing matching sweats and side line jackets with Syracuse Lacrosse plastered on them. Unlike 1980s Westchester County, where I am from, the folks in Baltimore County followed the game of lacrosse closely. This was and still is a hotbed region for lacrosse and Baltimore kids in the suburban mall spotted us right away. They treated us like professional athletes. What a contrast from my high school and junior college days when the teams I played for looked more like wondering gypsies with different colored and styles of athletic gear some even committing the carnal sin of wearing shorts over sweats. When I am trying to eat healthy as a student athlete in a mall in the early 80s, I sought out baked potatoes, pasta with red gravy/sauce, and the biggest salad I could purchase which I ate with a light non-dairy dressing. I started the gradual phasing out of fast foods (with the exception of whole wheat pizza now); dishes cooked with lots of fat, salt, red meat, artificial coloring and additives, white rice, white flour products, and highly processed sweeteners like corn syrup. As a person with a bachelor's degree in physical education, I call these—empty calories. They taste great but provide little to no nutritional value. In my junior year I began seeking out foods that tasted great and were loaded with nutritional benefits that would improve my performance on the fields. I found over time that I felt much better during practice when I drink water and 100% juices, ate baked goods made with whole grains, and increased my consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables high in fiber. Fried foods I ate in moderation and on special occasions like a road trip to Baltimore instead of everyday. That’s my mantra today, the rich foods that are not adding to your health on special occasions only.