Healthy Eating for the Dancer

One of the wonderful things about dance that makes it so unique is that dancers are both artists and athletes. For this reason, eating healthy and taking care of our bodies is especially important, and I would like to share with you some basic advice that has been helpful to me in my dancing and personal life. Some of us get caught up in fad diets that are very restricted and others get too busy and either do not eat enough or eat a lot of junk food. I tell my clients all the time that “going on a diet” for a fixed amount of time is not going to work – the goal should be healthy eating for a lifetime, and if you are going to stick with it, you have to be able to enjoy it! I recommend the following basic rules of thumb for eating healthier without driving yourself crazy.

First, it’s perfectly healthy to have treats, just in moderation, and eating a variety of foods will help you avoid having too much or too little of anything. Secondly, eat foods with simple ingredients. This means avoiding processed foods with lots of added sugars and junk. Read the ingredients. Many times, products that claim to be “low-fat” have added sugars and other unnecessary ingredients, so “low-fat” doesn’t always mean healthy. Another idea that is important is to think of calories as dollars and make sure that when you spend them, you are getting your money’s worth. This means that if you eat something, your body should be getting lots of good nutrients from it – this is what is meant by nutrient-dense foods. A good example of an empty-calorie food is soda: lots of calories, no nutrition. Eating more fresh produce is always a sure way to improve your diet because these foods pack in a lot of nutrients for less calories – why not throw some more veggies on that slice of pizza or have some salad with it? Lastly, dancers are athletes and need to get enough energy and hydration when doing a lot of training. Some basic principles of sports nutrition apply, such as hydrating before, during, and after long bouts of dancing. When participating in prolonged vigorous activity, keep in mind that carbohydrates are your instant source of fuel, so consuming healthy carbohydrates before and during training will give you the energy you need, and during rest periods, while your muscles are repairing themselves, make sure to get enough protein.

My philosophy is to keep it simple: eat plenty of nutrient-dense foods with simple ingredients, and make sure to get plenty of variety; you will not only be getting much-needed nutrients and satisfying your appetite, but you will enjoy it much more than being on a restrictive diet. To get more information on choosing healthier foods, I recommend exploring the Food Pyramid web site: www.mypyramid.gov, as it has lots of good information and interactive tools.

Johnna Paulsen has a BA in Dance from Smith College and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine. She has been dancing for twenty seven years, performed here in the Valley and in New York City with local companies such as the Sorvino Project, and choreographed for local theater productions. Johnna has taught dance at Stoneleigh-Burnham School and Holmes Studio of Dance, Music, and Wellness. Currently, she is a Personal Trainer at Universal Health and Fitness in Northampton. You can contact her at 413-563-7796 or johnnadancer@gmail.com for information on personal training.

(Part of our Studio of the Month series - May 2011)