A dancer's diet is one of the most important to keep healthy and pirouetting through the day. To ensure your diet is helping you dance the best, we talked with our Central Florida Ballet Nutrition & Pilates Instructor, Lorraine Spack, on her Top 5 Nutrition Tips for a healthy dancer. Read below to discover the best food to eat to have energy during dance, without getting that too full feeling, and more of her expert tips!
1.
ALWAYS
EAT BREAKFAST
Breakfast jump starts your
metabolism and gives you energy for the day.
Even just a small breakfast of fruit and whole grain toast will energize
you and keep you mentally focused throughout your morning activities.
2.
ALWAYS
COMBINE A PROTEIN WITH A CARBOHYDRATE
Carbohydrates give you the energy needed to dance, while
protein provides your body with the essential amino acids needed to build
lean muscle. They work as a team when
eaten together by slowing the rate at which your blood sugar rises and falls.
This will prevent you from becoming hungry to quickly and will help keep your
energy level sustained for a longer period of time.
3.
EAT
FREQUENT SMALL MEALS THROUGH OUT THE DAY OF “REAL FOOD”
This is the best way to maintain a consistent high energy
level throughout the day, without getting that too full feeling while having to
dance. Avoid many snack foods that
are marketed as “healthy”. They often contain much added sugar and fat.
These do not provide the best nutrients for optimal performance energy and
building lean muscle. Real foods like
vegetable sticks and hummus, fruit and yogurt, low fat cheese and brown rice,
nuts, seeds and whole grain crackers are much better at fueling the body.
4.
ALWAYS
EAT WITHIN 45 MINS. AFTER DANCE OR EXERCISE
Research shows that a window
period of about 45 mins. exists after completion of exercise when the body is
at its peak for absorption of nutrients. Getting food into the body during this
time period allows for improving the recovery rate of muscles, replacing the
stored energy in muscles, preventing muscle soreness and encouraging the growth
of lean muscle tissue better.
5.
MAINTAIN
ADEQUATE HYDRATION
Proper hydration will help fight off fatigue, muscle
soreness and electrolyte imbalances. Do not wait to drink until you are
thirsty—this is to late. A good rule of thumb is 1 ounce of water for every
kilogram of body weight.(1 pound = 2.2 kilograms)
About Lorraine
Spack: Fitness Professional
Bachelor of Science in Nursing;
Registered Nurse CPR / First Aid / AED Certified
AFAA
Certified Personal Trainer & Group Exercise Instructor Specialty Fitness
Training & Certifications in Stott Pilates, Yoga, Spinning, Weight Training
and Sports Nutrition
Lorraine currently teaches Pilates and Nutrition at the Central Florida Ballet Academy
For more information on the Central Florida Ballet & Academy, please visit http://www.CentralFloridaBallet.com or call 407.849.9942. Fall classes have started! Call today and enroll now before classes fill up.
