Nutrition

Dancers with ADHD- tackle the challenges of food and nutrition

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder— a form of neurodivergence characterized by a shift in how the brain thinks and processes information. People with ADHD often experience an ongoing pattern of inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity that interferes with their ability to function. Dancers with ADHD can experience a variety of challenges in the studio. […]

Help! My health & nutrition assignment is triggering

In school, classes and assignments centered on the topic of nutrition can offer valuable opportunities for learning about the role of food on energy, sports performance, and disease management, to name a few. But when these assignments involve practices like food tracking and calorie counting, they can be triggering to disordered eating and self-doubt. The bombardment of diet culture can be challenging if you’re simultaneously recovering your relationship with food. In this article, we’ll uncover how to move through these assignments with less stress and more ease.

Success for your new dance season

A new dance season is among us— new goals, higher expectations, and countless possibilities for growth. But with each new season comes a unique set of challenges. Whether you’re joining a new school, beginning a renewed company contract, or returning to your usual spot at the barre, a sense of overwhelm is likely. Regardless, we can look forward to this new season as one of opportunity. Evaluating your expectations and setting realistic goals is a major part of the process and this article will help you do just that.

A Dancer’s Back-To-School Checklist

Back-to-school is approaching and dancers are gearing up to dive back into their rigorous schedules— a balance of dance and academic coursework is the norm. For dancers returning home from summer intensives, fatigue, and injury might be the reality. As a dietitian for dancers, August is one of my busiest seasons. A spike in stress […]

Chia Seed Pudding

Chia seed pudding is a versatile, nutrient-dense snack to support a dancer’s rigorous training and recovery needs. It’s a fantastic addition to any dancer’s fuel plan. In this blog post, you’ll learn how to craft a basic chia seed pudding, along with delicious flavor combinations to get you started.

A Dancer’s Guide to Stress, Fatigue, & Overwhelm

Mental Health, Nutrition

It’s common for dancers to find themselves exhausted mentally, physically, and emotionally. Balancing a packed dance schedule with academic coursework is hard enough. Chronic fatigue can be detrimental to your health, well-being, and your ability to perform to your greatest potential. While a dancer’s schedule is notoriously difficult to manage, you owe it to your mind, body, and soul to find moments to breathe.

How to stop counting calories

Dancers have long been counting calories in attempts to gain a sense of comfort in micromanaging the amount they’re eating. But with popular diets recommending calorie targets that are much too low for even the inactive non-dancer, counting calories can be a gateway into more severe disordered eating. If you’re tired of the constant calorie calculations and want to break free from this restrictive habit, here are five steps to help.

Misleading marketing

Marketing is a powerful tool in shaping our purchasing decisions. But when it comes to food and nutrition, it is crucial to be aware of marketing phrases that are particularly deceptive. Those that might seem harmless, but in reality, mislead us into developing restrictive food rules, food guilt, and worse, disordered eating. In this blog post, we’ll explore the most common marketing phrases that dancers should recognize and steer clear of in their mealtime decisions.

What is staying power? How can it leverage our meals?

The staying power of a meal or snack refers to how long it keeps you satisfied and energized before feeling hungry again. Simply put, your meal’s staying power helps to support feelings of fullness— at least until your next opportunity to eat. In this article, we’ll uncover specific tips for leveraging your meal’s staying power to support energy and metabolic functioning.

What Is A Healthy Body Weight?

How do we measure a healthy body weight? Body weight, as a measured number, encompasses a spectrum of components of body composition.

A Dancer’s Complete Guide to Hormone Balance

For dancers, balanced hormones support strong bones. These ten foods will boost your hormone health. If you’re looking to support hormonal balance, start by adding these foods to your next grocery list.

Detox for Dancers- will a cleanse help?

Dancers are known for their discipline and dedication to their craft. Maintaining a strong, agile body is essential for their performance on stage. However, undeniable food and body ideals can lead dancers to explore drastic measures, such as cleanses and detoxes, in pursuit of rapid weight loss or supposed “detoxification” methods. In this blog post, we will explore why dancers should avoid cleanses and detoxes, and uncover how to embrace a more inclusive approach to nourishing their bodies, along with The Healthy Dancer® Diet Detox [FREE] 5-Day Challenge.

A Dancer’s Guide to Digestive Health

For dancers, bloating involves stomach discomfort that translates into difficult decisions around food. Interestingly, research shows that those who struggle with disordered eating and/or eating disorders might also be more prone to struggling with digestive disorders and the discomfort that goes along with them.

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before My Summer Dance Intensive

For an aspiring dancer, attending a summer intensive can be an exhilarating and transformative experience. Some of my favorite dance memories come from the various intensives I was fortunate to attend. But there are certain things that, in hindsight, I wish I had known before embarking on this exciting journey. I’ve previously discussed how dancers […]

The Controversy of Seed Oils- are they healthy?

Using oil as a cooking medium or ingredient isn’t an uncommon practice for dancers. Edible oils are vegetable oils—this includes seed oils. Common examples are olive, canola, grapeseed, avocado, coconut, soybean, palm, corn, flax, and safflower. In order to extract the oil from the seed. But recently, cooking oils have received a ton of criticism. In this article, we’ll uncover the claims and debunk the fears surrounding this nourishing mealtime addition.

Food Sensitivity Tests: Unraveling the Controversy

Food sensitivity tests have gained significant popularity as a means to identify potential triggers for various health concerns. These tests claim to pinpoint specific foods that may cause adverse reactions in individuals. Some believe that testing for food sensitivities provides the knowledge needed to guide treatment— oftentimes, elimination diets to remove the potentially triggering food. But there are major limitations to these protocols and as a registered dietitian, I don’t support their use.

Dining out without stress – is it possible for dancers?

Dining out can support all realms of a supportive relationship with food for The Healthy Dancer®. Dining out can be a wonderful experience, filled with the anticipation of creating fun memories, catching up with friends, and savoring delicious food. But for many dancers who are in the depths of disordered eating or even well into their journeys of building supportive mealtime habits, dining out can elicit feelings of overwhelm and stress.

Not Hungry? Here’s Why

The thought of feeling “not hungry” might seem far-fetched to those familiar with a larger appetite. But hunger varies substantially from person-to-person. Missing hunger cues can happen for a number of reasons, leaving those who are trying to fuel their body confused throughout the day. If you can relate, let’s discuss a few reasons why your hunger might be M.I.A. From there, we can pinpoint a cause and work on a solution.

Dancers, Hypermobility, and The Role of Nutrition

For many dancers, hypermobility can feel like a plus in the studio. Aesthetic ideals often depict lines that boast hyperextension. There are several different subtypes of hypermobility, with some being less problematic than others. According to the Ehlers-Danlos Society “…hypermobility that does not cause pain…[asymptomatic joint hypermobility] does not need to be treated.” But when hypermobility presents alongside joint instability, problems arise.

Restrictive thinking and how to overcome it

Food thoughts bear a heavy impact on our relationships with food. Feelings like “I shouldn’t be eating this” and “I’m so bad for wanting this!” often come alongside food guilt, paving the way for challenging eating experiences. If you’ve ever ridiculed yourself for eating “too much” and/or eating the “wrong” foods, then it’s possible that you’re struggling with restrictive food thoughts or restrictive thinking. Restrictive thinking is a type of food restriction that may or may not involve an actual caloric restriction or food avoidance.