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...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...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!
Read More...Should I Attend A Summer Dance Intensive?
According to a recent poll I shared on Instagram, 70% of dancers who are considering a summer intensive are most anxious over how to fuel while away. This is especially concerning since summer intensives are a common site where disordered eating habits emerge.
Read More...Meal Planning for Dancers
Dancers can benefit from meal planning. Meal planning involves setting time aside to plan your day’s or week’s meals and snacks. Since dancers are at risk for disordered eating habits, those with a history of restrictive eating may benefit from meal planning as a way to provide external structure when interoceptive awareness (AKA innate hunger/fullness cues) is diminished.
Read More...How Do I Choose Satisfying Foods?
Amongst the chatter in the health and wellness world, we often prioritize nutrition before taste. Though it doesn’t provide the “energy,” “muscle-building,” or “immune-boosting” physical benefits of the other macros, taste is responsible for creating a personal connection between you and food. If we make food an enjoyable experience without guilt or punishment, then we’re more inclined to eat any and all foods mindfully. This non-restrictive approach does wonders for your mental and emotional health.
Read More...Food Journaling for Dancers
A large part of learning how to eat intuitively involves raising body self-awareness. Learning how to eat intuitively also teaches us about the importance of compassionate self-care.
Read More...The Truth About Food Addiction
Do you feel like you’re always thinking about your next meal? Do thoughts about what you “should” and “shouldn’t” eat play on repeat in your mind? Or, perhaps, it’s your fear of “once I start I’ll never stop!” In this article, we’re not just debunking the MYTH, yes, MYTH of food addiction, but we’re also diving into what it actually means to be obsessed with food, why food obsession happens, and how to FINALLY stop these obsessive thoughts.
Read More...What Is Taste Hunger?
Taste hunger occurs when you’re not feeling biologically hungry, but you have a desire to eat. Taste hunger provides us with an opportunity to learn. When honoring taste hunger, do you find yourself consistently eating past a comfortable level of fullness? Bottom line: if your baseline is under-fueled, then you may be experiencing biological hunger and confusing it with taste hunger. Not surprisingly, this is common.
Read More...3 Reasons Why You Need To Stop Avoiding “Empty Calories”
I’ve come to learn that food does much more than fuel our physical performance. And while nutrient-dense foods are essential for an active dancer’s meal plan, it’s equally as important for dancers to make room for ALL foods, even those “less-nourishing” ones. Here’s why:
Read More...Meal Prep for Dancers
It’s an economical option that enables me to boost my family’s intake of veggies, lean proteins, and fibrous whole grains. Now it’s time for you to tackle this trend. Here’s my step-by-step approach to guide you towards your own #mealprep-worthy snapshot.
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