A Dance Diet
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Food=Fuel


A dance diet must be full of nutritious food to fuel all the hard work we put in. At the same time, there is a lot of pressure to have the 'perfect body' - the dance physique is almost unattainable if you are not blessed with a super high metabolism. Dancers need to be constantly aware of what they put into their bodies because their body is their instrument; without it, they can't dance!

Tips For Maintaining A Healthy Weight
  • Keep a log of what you eat (including candy, handfuls of sunflower seeds, etc) in the day. You probably are not conscious of the amount of food you intake in a day, and what it consists of.
  • Write down your goal and place it by the bathroom mirror, in your car, or on the refrigerator, anywhere that you will see and be reminded by often.
  • Some of the items you can cut out of your diet easily are:

salad dressing - butter and margarine - sauces - the roll or bread with dinner - dessert in the usual sense - cheese on top - sour cream - guacamole - mayonoisse, mustard, ketchup, sweet and sour sauce - anything fried - anything carbonated - iced coffee drinks (yow! a lot of calories!) - juice drinks - full fat ~ or even 2%- milk products - red meat - pre-packaged foods (and you'll save money, too!)
  • Drink a full glass of water before you eat anything
  • Before you eat, think to yourself, "Am I hungry, or just bored?" "Am I hungry, or just want the taste?"
  • If you wait out cravings, by engaging in an interesting activity,they eventually go away.
  • Drink water! A LOT OF IT! Most Americans are living in a constant state of dehydration, and also mistake thirst for hunger. Drinking water also curbs the appetite. You are supposed to drink 8 cups a day -try drinking a water bottle before lunch, after lunch, when you get home, etc. Establish it as a habit.
  • It takes you 20 minutes to know that you are full, so eat slowly, and don't eat while reading, watching tv, etc. This way you will notice when you are full.
 Calculators
Remember!

A healthy dancer begins with a healthy diet. Study the Food Pyramid... what do you need the most of? The least? How does that compare to your current food consumption habits? Exercise and a healthy diet creates a higher standard of life, as well as a longer one. It has been shown to reduce risk of heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes, and other diseases. 		A Dancer's Diet
Please
Society makes such a big issue about appearance, and weight-loss. Do not diet simply to 'lose weight'. The important thing is to be healthy. If you need to lose weight to be healthy, fine. Start an exercise plan, review your food choices, and affirm yourself as you make progress. Please DO NOT become obsessive about it, you will only harm your body, your mind, and your close friends. If you would like information about unrealistic body perspectives and eating disorders, please visit this site, it is one of many good resources. Something-Fishy.Org


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