“Your body is your instrument… what you feed it will impact your dancing”
It was the phrase that sparked it all. I was a dance major in college, on track to earn my Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts. The phrase made sense— as a dancer, my body is my tool and the foods I put into it would have a direct result on my performance. After a few Google searches and a meeting with a so-called nutrition “expert,” I embarked on a lifestyle known as “clean” eating.
There was so much to learn and even more to detangle. Processed food quickly became off-limits. Shortly after, saturated fat, added sugar, and high fructose corn syrup became mealtime villains. I experimented with recipes and discovered “healthy” swaps to make all meals nutrient-dense, “whole,” and “clean.” To be honest, it felt good: I was in full control and this control felt comforting.
Clean Eating Realities
This comfort (and control) were short-lived as my “clean” eating goals became increasingly difficult to maintain. Dinners became overwhelming as I desperately searched for “allowed” menu items and nagged waiters for every substitution available. Trips to the supermarket became hour-long events as I nervously tried to detangle back-of-the-package labels.
I quickly grew anxious, obsessed, and burnt out. In an effort to “figure it out,” I shifted careers in pursuit to gain licensure as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.
What Is Clean Eating?
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 seem like a good thing, especially for dancers who rely on proper nutrition to fuel for performance, the concept of clean eating can become harmful and even detrimental.
At the height of my struggle, I didn’t initially connect my pursuit of “clean” eating with disordered eating. However, obsessing over ingredients and desires to eat “healthfully” laid the groundwork for it, particularly Orthorexia. For many dancers, this negatively impacts the longevity of their dancing.
Clean Eating Confusion
How could eating ample amounts of “whole” foods not be healthy? My days were filled with colorful fruits, fibrous veggies, a variety of unsaturated fats, and antioxidant-rich dark chocolate. In my mind (classic Type A perfectionist here!), understanding the evidence around the benefits of “whole” foods meant that to be “healthy,” I needed to ONLY eat those foods and subsequently eliminate anything deemed “unhealthy.”
Like many, I was wrong. These “clean” eating goals evolve from the moralization of food— labeling them as “good” or “bad” and risking an overly restrictive diet that eliminates entire food groups.
But Rachel, the research says…
When examining the research, some studies display that in large amounts, any of these ingredients (ie. added sugar, saturated fat, and high fructose corn syrup) might be associated with some adverse health outcomes, most notably diabetes, heart disease, and chronic inflammation. However, fellow dietitian Christy Harrison says it best: “the key phrases to focus on are some studies, in large amounts, and might be associated with.”
In other words, these conclusive statements need to be closely examined.
Nutrition research: what you need to consider
Nutrition research plays an integral role in understanding the impacts of various foods and behaviors on health. However, there are major limitations that should be considered before drawing conclusions.
Restrictive (or disordered) eating is a variable that often confounds (or impacts) the transferability of research results. Since the definition of “disordered eating” is so grey in a culture that normalizes food restrictions and praises over-exercising, it’s hard to define what’s “disordered” and what’s “normal.” This is why it’s nearly impossible to conclude that “eating foods high in X” causes “specific outcome Y.”
Let’s take sugar and Type 2 Diabetes as an example. Could the negative health outcome (Type 2 Diabetes) be caused by an excessive intake of added sugars? Questions to consider: what is defined as “excessive,” and, could this excessive intake be mostly happening during a binge? If yes, it’s safe to say that repairing one’s relationship with food might be a better takeaway than strictly avoiding added sugar!
Interestingly, disordered eating and weight cycling (a common result of restrictive dieting) have been associated with negative health outcomes, including Type 2 Diabetes. To learn more about how to understand nutrition research and why nutrition research gets messy read this article.
Okay, so then what even is “healthy?”
For starters, pointing the finger at food or weight, as the sole contributors to what defines “health,” doesn’t account for other determinants of disease risk. Diet and lifestyle make up only 10% of health outcomes with one’s access to clinical care and physical environment being much more impactful. Also, we cannot ignore the negative health outcomes of internalized weight stigma, one of which is heart disease.
In regards to weight, emerging research indicates that a weight-inclusive approach (in comparison to a weight-centric intervention) is “associated with statistically and clinically relevant improvements in physiological measures (e.g. blood pressure, blood lipids), health behaviors (e.g. physical activity, eating disorder pathology) and psychosocial outcomes (e.g, mood, self-esteem, body image).”
Does this mean I have to give up *healthy* swaps?
No! Well, not if you enjoy eating them! Instead of choosing a “clean” eating lifestyle, explore gentle nutrition. You can learn more about gentle nutrition here. In general, when it’s practical and economically feasible, incorporating a variety of foods is encouraged. This includes a variety of produce (like fruits and veggies), grains, proteins, and sources of fat. This also includes fun foods like dessert and even candy. Remember: our health and performance are products of our behaviors over time. Here are a few articles to learn more about these various components of a balanced and non-restrictive lifestyle:
So, is it time to drop the idea of “clean eating?”
Yep! Reassess the intent behind why you’re choosing this lifestyle. The “healthiest” diet for a dancer supports all realms of their being: physical, mental, and emotional. If you’re stressing over what the “healthiest” option is on the menu, you might be putting society’s (practically unattainable) view of “health” before your true needs, desires, and preferences.
What’s another reason to drop clean eating? Limited accessibility for most populations. Constraints like time, money, and even a lack of physical ability to obtain what society deems to be “healthy” induce a ton of guilt and shame around food. This is especially true since we know that weight discrimination leads to higher levels of stress and may even be associated with more unhealthy eating behaviors. For dancers, this is particularly concerning because it can limit the variety and flexibility needed to meet the high demands of training, rehearsals, and performance.
Clean Eating: Key Takeaways
While whole, unprocessed foods can certainly be part of a healthy diet, labeling foods as inherently “clean” or “unhealthy” overlooks the complexity of nutrition. For dancers, processed foods can be beneficial in providing a quick source of energy when needed. For example, a granola bar or sports drink may be more convenient and practical during a rehearsal break than trying to eat a full meal of unprocessed ingredients.
Regarding “healthy” eating, seek advice from a licensed and credentialed source (learn more about this here). Deciphering truth from trends will always be an important aspect of truly redefining what it means to be The Healthy Dancer®.
