Dance educators are on the frontline: from cultivating an environment that supports the longevity of a dancer’s career to identifying challenges that occur inside the studio. Dance educators have the upper hand in helping to reduce rates of disordered eating, eating disorders, and body image challenges in the industry. This article will break down 5 specific strategies that dance educators can implement to cultivate a healthier environment in their studios.
Read More...Diet Culture in The Dance Industry
Diet culture is a system of beliefs that idolizes weight loss. In diet culture, it’s believed that thinness equates to health, and in this pursuit of thinness (or “health,”) certain foods are either demonized or glorified. Diet culture also imposes moral value upon our food choices and as a result, we’re “good” for eating “healthy” and we’re “bad” for eating “unhealthy.” Removing the weight diet culture can help dancers flourish in physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.
Read More...A Dancer’s Guide to Pre-Performance Fuel
I often stress the importance of making time in your schedule to sit back, relax, and enjoy the mindful experience of a meal. However, busy days are bound to fill our schedules, especially during the summer intensive season. It’s in these instances when meal planning becomes key to a dancer’s diet. Since intense dance schedules can leave hunger cues unnoticeable, planning meals and snacks is critical for preventing energy dips and appetite surges later in the day.
Read More...Starting A Journal- A Guide for Dancers
Do dancers benefit from journaling? When it comes to food, is it possible to keep a journal without turning to obsessive behaviors like calorie counting and macro tracking? In this article, we’ll discuss the benefits of journaling. We’ll also decipher between food journaling and meal tracking and how dancers can utilize a journal in a helpful (and even intuitive) way.
Read More...Hydration for Dancers: Fueling Strategies
While recommendations vary among dancers, most pre-professional and professional level dancers should aim for a planned approach to staying hydrated throughout their day. Dehydration is one of the leading factors negatively impacting our performance, whether it’s in the studio or in class. Keeping your body hydrated can even help with balance, flexibility, and muscle recovery.
Read More...The Truth About Processed Foods
I’m guilty. As a Registered Dietitian (a board-certified EXPERT of nutrition!), I’ve used the phrase “limit processed foods” time and time again. I’ve previously unraveled the harms of clean eating in an article that you’ll need to read and bookmark ASAP. I’ve even given you three reasons why the idea of “empty calories” is a total sham. But what about processed foods? Should we really be avoiding them?
Read More...Brain Health: 7 Foods to Sharpen Focus and Support Retention
First, let’s uncover the obvious: diet culture likes to use this idea of “brain food” to sell us an eating regimen that oftentimes moralizes some foods and demonizes others. Honestly, there’s no single food that can completely make or break your brain health and functioning. But we can utilize aspects of gentle nutrition to ensure that our body receives a variety of building blocks that support focus, retention, and overall mental clarity. Let’s dive into 7 foods that can help to provide the building blocks of brain health.
Read More...15+ Plant-Based Breakfast Recipes for Dancers
For dancers choosing a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, focusing on abundance and variety helps to ensure that that you’re eating enough to support your performance. But for some dancers, choosing a lifestyle that is 100% plant-based can risk vitamin and mineral deficiencies (if not well-planned) and even trigger disordered eating (if not implemented with the help of professional support). Here are our favorite vegan breakfast recipes!
Read More...Is Clean Eating Healthy?
What I didn’t know at the time, was that my pursuit to “eat clean” was actually a guise for disordered eating. But how could eating ample amounts of “whole” foods not be healthy? Colorful fruits and veggies, a variety of unsaturated fats, and antioxidant-rich dark chocolate… if “clean eating” isn’t actually healthy, then why does the research draw conclusions between these nourishing foods and a number of health outcomes?
Read More...Diet for Dancers: Are Foods High in Fat Bad?
The war against dietary fat (AKA the fat in our food) was declared nearly a century ago when the American Heart Association published findings of a suspected association between dietary fat and heart disease. But instead of promoting positive health behaviors, associations between food and disease have only led to a landscape of food guilt, stress, and anxiety. And we know that weight cycling (a product of yo-yo dieting) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Here’s another one for your evidence library.
Read More...Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
Nourish Your Body and Soul There’s only one remedy for overripe bananas: baking. Bananas add a well-known but subtle flavor to almost any recipe. Enjoy this banana bread straight from the oven, or store it for another day. The extra-moist center makes it especially delicious even when packed in your dance bag. Ingredients Directions Preheat […]
Read More...Diet for Dancers- The Truth About Gluten and Dairy
For over a decade, wellness culture has deemed gluten and dairy as the foes of “health.” When it comes to health, diet culture likes to point a finger at food as having a direct impact on various health and lifestyle outcomes. Interestingly, the obsession over gluten and dairy surfaced back in the early 2000s. But what can seem like an innocent “lifestyle change” can often be a slippery slope into disordered eating.
Read More...How Can Dancers Set Boundaries?
Setting boundaries is incredibly important for guarding ourselves against diet culture and for living a life of food freedom. When stuck in the trenches of diet culture, boundaries go out the window. Our needs and our opinions around food become dependent upon an unattainable goal (like a “perfect” diet or an “ideal” body type). We’re made to believe that our self-worth is defined by the foods we eat and by the size of our body.
Read More...Meet Christina
I am SUPER excited to introduce you to the newest member of the TTP team! Christina Chagaris graduated from Montclair State University with a BS in Nutrition and Food Science Dietetics concentration with a minor in Sports Nutrition.
Read More...20+ Healthy and Delicious Snack Recipes
What exactly is a healthy snack? Convenience, variety, flexibility, and balance. With busy schedules, snacking is a must for dancers. Here are our 20+ favorite snacks to prep and pack for your week!
Read More...Battle Bloat – FREE Download
I’ve previously discussed what dancers should consider when struggling with stomach discomfort and functional digestive disorders (you can read about them here). Today, I’m gifting you a FREE downloadable guide (click the image below) that dives deeper into one of the five steps provided: implementing gentle nutrition for alleviating discomfort. Here’s what we cover: The […]
Read More...Portion Control: What Is The Right Serving Size?
Learn how to dictate your portions using mindful eating techniques that help to increase your attunement to feeling fullness and satisfaction. Here are a few tips to consider.
Read More...20+ Healthy and Delicious Dinner Recipes
Dinner is a great time to pause, enjoy the family (or alone) time, and reflect on your day. Incorporating a balance of macronutrients sets you up for tomorrow’s success. In this article, we’re sharing over 20 favorite healthy, easy, and delicious recipes to try!
Read More...20+ Healthy and Delicious Lunch Recipes
While time is often limited during a busy day, building a balanced lunch is key to surviving long afternoons. Prioritizing quick and easy nutritious meals can help to maintain your energy levels to beat that midday hump. But without a doubt, busy schedules often get the most of us.
Read More...20+ Healthy and Delicious Breakfast Recipes
What does a healthy and easy breakfast look like? Building a nutritious breakfast starts the day with the tools your body needs for an energized and productive morning. The following recipes are a compilation of favorites to enjoy. Bookmark this page as we’re adding new recipes to the list monthly!
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