Nutrition

5+ Foods to Sharpen A Dancer’s Focus and Retention

We’ve all heard of “brain food,” but what does it mean? Can certain foods boost mental clarity, sharpen focus, and even improve memory retention? For dancers, the idea of enhancing brain function is particularly enticing— retaining choreography is vital not only for solid performances but also for successful auditions. In this article, we’ll explore foods that can support mental clarity, focus, and retention, especially for dancers.

The Truth About Processed Foods

Processed foods range from minimally processed (e.g., cooked vegetables) to highly processed or ultra-processed (e.g., packaged protein bars, and frozen meals). Generally, the more processed a food is, the longer its shelf life. This often results from the addition of ingredients like sugar, sodium, and fat— three words demonized in our culture. This article unravels the confusion. If you’ve ever been told to “limit processed food” read this.

Diet for Dancers: Are Foods High in Fat Bad?

This article will break down the confusion surrounding dietary fat, shed light on its essential role in your health, and highlight why demonizing it has far more risks than rewards. We’ll also explore the limitations of nutrition research and why the focus on food as a cause of disease often neglects the bigger picture: the damage done by stressing over what we eat.

The Truth About Gluten and Dairy-Free Diets for Dancers

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.

Intermittent Fasting for Dancers

If you’ve ever considered intermittent fasting, it’s important to understand the facts before committing. In this article, we’ll explore whether intermittent fasting is a good choice for dancers and how it may impact your performance.

Is The Keto Diet Effective For Dancers?

The ketogenic diet, commonly known as keto, is a high-fat, low-carb eating plan where fat comprises over 75% of your daily calorie intake. The primary goal is to enter a metabolic state called ketosis, where your body burns fat for energy instead of carbohydrates. In this article, we’ll uncover whether the diet is suitable for dancers.

5+ Language Shifts To Improve Your Relationship with Food

Linguistics, or how we talk about food, profoundly impacts our feelings about eating it. The goal is to, eventually, build a neutral lens toward food. Redefining your approach to nourishment is one of the most powerful things you can do. The work begins with dismantling restrictive language. This article explores linguistic shifts and breaks down common food-related terms to create a more freeing and enjoyable mealtime experience.

How To Build New Years Resolutions That Last

Mental Health, Nutrition

The voice of diet culture is loud in January. The idea is that if we meet our “best body” or master the perfect extension, everything will fall into place. But here’s the reality check: This cycle of unrealistic, quick-fix resolutions is not sustainable. How do we set ourselves up for success this year? Let’s start by swapping out the pressure-filled resolutions for habits that work in real life.

Meal Prep for Dancers: A Practical Guide

Meal prep involves setting aside time to prepare meals and snacks for the upcoming week, ensuring that you have nourishing options ready to go. While many dancers understand the importance of meal planning for health and performance. In this article, discover practical meal prep strategies for dancers to heal their relationship with food. Learn how to save time, reduce stress, and nourish your body with balanced meals and snacks tailored to your busy lifestyle.

The Importance of Satisfaction with Food

Satisfaction is what I call the fourth macronutrient of a balanced plate. It’s that essential piece ensuring you fuel and nourish your body in a way that supports your relationship with food. For most, however, it’s often overlooked. This blog post dives into why satisfaction matters, how it plays a role in your performance, and how you can identify more satisfying options at meals.

Home For The Holidays: Strategies For Dancers

While going home for the holidays is normal for busy dancers, it often presents challenges. The key lies in creating routine while making room for flexibility— much of what we master in The Healthy Dancer®— without the stress of extremes or obsessing over food and movement. In this blog post, we’ll discuss strategies for dancers looking to maintain supportive eating and movement habits while at home for the Holidays.

Meal Planning for Dancers

Meal planning involves setting time aside to plan your day’s or week’s meals and snacks. In this guide, we’ll break down how to effectively meal plan for your schedule, focusing on the key nutrients dancers need, how to create balanced meals, and tips to maximize your meal plan efficiency.

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.

Dancers & Food Obsession

What is food obsession? There’s a fine line between promoting healthy habits and teetering with restrictive ones. This is especially true since diet culture masks disordered eating with “wellness.” Since food is both a necessity in life and a tool for optimizing a dancer’s performance, it can be easy for harmless habits to turn into obsessive behaviors.

The Truth About Food Addiction

Mental Health, Nutrition

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 unraveling food addiction.

Halloween Candy: A Guide for Dancers

Do you feel like you cannot trust yourself with Halloween candy? Perhaps you feel out of control this time of year. Halloween can be an opportunity to try intuitive eating and build a supportive relationship with candy (yep… that’s a thing!)

Portion Control: A Dancer’s Ultimate Guide

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.

A Dancer’s Guide to Healthy Snack Bars

With little time to build a balanced snack during performance season, convenience is crucial. A granola bar can be a quick and portable option to help fuel long rehearsals, auditions, or training days. If purchased ahead, they’re also readily available when hunger strikes unexpectedly. This article will dive into what dancers can consider when choosing a snack bar.

Is Clean Eating Healthy?

Clean eating suggests an idea of purity in food choices, often promoting the elimination of processed foods and a strict emphasis on whole, unrefined ingredients. While on the surface, this may seem like a good thing, especially for dancers who rely on proper nutrition to fuel their bodies, the truth is that the concept of clean eating can be harmful and even detrimental to a dancer’s performance, mental health, and long-term relationship with food.

Dancers, Food, and The Urge to Diet

Restricting the amount and types of food eaten can lead to energy deficiency— a direct marker of reduced stamina, strength, and focus. In this blog post, we’ll explore a handful of affirmations and reminders to help you move through instances when you feel the urge to restrict your food.