Eating enough food is crucial. 

First and foremost: you can’t put your attention on the importance of nutrition for dancers until you have an easygoing relationship with food.

Adding more health-promoting, nutrient-dense foods to your meal plan won’t be productive unless you’re in a good place to do it. If you’re being restrictive or you struggle to allow indulgences, it’s not time to focus on nutrition.

For you, the first step would be to stop labeling food as “good” or “bad” and to loosen any rules you’ve created around food. Before you can focus on performance-enhancing nutrition for dancers, you need to start making choices that truly honor and serve your body.

Once you’ve achieved a balanced mindset with food, it’s time to cover your nutritional bases and pay special attention to some nutrients a bit more than others.

As a highly active individual, you’ll need more calories than the average person. When you increase your calories and incorporate a varied meal plan, you should be able to easily cover your nutritional needs. Paying close attention to water and iron intake may prove beneficial.

Women, in general, struggle to get adequate iron. As an athlete, you don’t require increased iron, but adequate levels are essential. Iron is used by your body to make hemoglobin and myoglobin, proteins that carry oxygen to the body and muscles. It’s also needed for growth and development and the production of some hormones.

“Symptoms of iron deficiency, anemia, include GI upset, weakness, tiredness, lack of energy, and problems with concentration and memory.”¹

Food sources rich in iron include beans, lentils, tofu, potatoes, cashews, dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, eggs, chicken, liver, and seafood. When you eat vitamin C rich foods in the same meal, iron absorption will be increased.

Maintaining hydration while dancing is connected to improved physical performance. There are a variety of recommendations around how many ounces to actually consume. A great way to know if you’re hydrating adequately is to check the toilet! If your pee is nearly clear, you’re doing great. If not, increase that water intake.

Nutrient timing may be beneficial but doesn’t have to be overcomplicated.

Consuming high quality protein before and after dancing may benefit your overall body composition, performance, and tone. You don’t have to go crazy with this consideration. Simply include some high protein foods you enjoy around when you’re most active. The research overwhelmingly shows that it’s overall macronutrient intake throughout the day that’s most important.

Eating enough remains the main consideration for most dancers.

Dancers and most female athletes for that matter tend to under-fuel. A potential consequence to be aware of is the female athlete triad. “Low energy (with or without an eating disorder) in combination with a menstrual disorder and altered mineral bone density is known as the female athlete triad.”²

If you struggle with any or all of the factors that distinguish the female athlete triad, make an appointment to get screened by your doctor. Early detection is essential to preserve bone mineral density.

Beyond your food, it’s important to consider “primary food” in order to nourish The Whole Dancer.

In integrative nutrition health coaching, the food you actually eat is your “secondary” food and your “primary” food consists of career, physical activity, spirituality, and relationships. Dancers often put tons of focus on food, nutrition, and dance. The other primary foods often take a back seat.

To be a more complete person and to show up more fully as a dancer, place some attention on your primary food. You might create new daily practices that connect you to spirituality. Reach out to friends and reconnect with family members who you haven’t spoken to in a while. Incorporate gentle movement for the sake of self-nourishment instead of physical punishment. And finally, if dance is your career, make sure you’re in an environment that’s supportive and positive.

If you’re struggling to make adjustments to your food choices and nutrient intake, seek support. 

It’s not always easy to see what might be lacking in your eating plan. Food is so habitual: we get into a rut and struggle to bring new variety into eating choices. When you talk to someone well versed in nutrition, they’ll easily recognize if you’re not eating enough or possibly favoring one macro over another.

A lot of behavior change often has to happen to shift the way you approach food. A Holistic Health and Lifestyle Coach can encourage you to incorporate some new, beneficial foods into your meal plan. Through health coaching, you’ll learn about specific macronutrient benefits to enhance your dancing. Beyond that, you’ll start to take massive action towards a more balanced and sustainable lifestyle.

It is possible to reach your personal best dancer’s body in a healthy and sustainable way.

Nutrition for dancers is a complex and evolving topic and the importance of nutrition for dancers is undeniable. Here are some more nutrition focused posts on thewholedancer.com to check out:

• Why health fat won’t make you fat.
• Nutrition for Dancers: What you really need to know.
• Diet for Dancers
• Analyzing the nutrition label
• Dancer’s Guide to Snacking

…and many, many more.

1. US Department of Health and Human Services Iron Fact Sheet for Customers
2. NIH National Library of Medicine Female Athlete Triad

The post The Importance of Nutrition for Dancers appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

Stop Dieting. Do this instead.

One of the challenges you might face is the desire to reach a body goal by a deadline. Sometimes there’s an impending audition or performance that you’d like to be thinner (or more toned, or “have longer lines”) for. So you try a diet – maybe you calorie count or count macros, or try WW, Atkins, Whole30, Cabbage soup, the list honestly goes on and on and on and on.

You’ll possibly see a change if you stick to one of these plans for a couple weeks or a month. And that progress can be a great motivator, but what comes next? Usually, there’s some sort of backslide. This can come in the form of a single binge or weeks of eating off the handle. Even if you don’t go to an opposite extreme, if the “diet” you were following was somewhat restrictive, when you start eating normally again, you’ll likely regain the weight you lost (or more).

This is the whole idea of “yo-yo” dieting which sounds a lot cuter than it actually is. It’s not healthy for your weight to be constantly fluctuating up and down. It’s not great for you physically, and possibly even more importantly, it’s not great for you emotionally. Dealing with those body changes and inconsistencies is exhausting – trust me, I was stuck in the “yo-yo” (definitely not cute) for over a decade.

So instead of dieting, what’s the solution?

First, look at where you are as a dancer. Are you bringing your best energy and attitude to class? Do you show up ready to perform and receive notes and feedback openly at rehearsals? What’s your level of happiness, satisfaction, and fulfillment in dance AND life?

If any of those things are out of whack – that’s your starting point. If you don’t address those things and instead put the focus on your body, food, and weight, you’re ignoring the areas that really need attention.

Food is a great distraction and so are diets. They’re something for us to sink our emotions into so that we don’t have to face what we’re actually feeling. Maybe your passion for dance has been waning, or you’re not feeling supported in your current dance environment. What can you do to address those things now?

Prioritize your happiness.

It needs to be the #1 focus. How’s your level of happiness? Think about how you feel in your day-to-day life. Are you enjoying your dancing? School? Meals? Time with friends?

If you’re feeling genuinely happy, and you’re approaching dance, life, and your body with a positive mindset, then yes, it might be an ok time to start working on some food shifts. If the life basics and level of happiness are lacking – start there. Trying to make body progress or achieve body goals becomes 1000x more challenging if you’re not attacking those things from a positive place.

Cultivate confidence in your body now.

The body you’re in might actually be your best body. Sometimes when I start working with a dancer, it becomes quite clear that the body they’re in is actually a wonderful vehicle for a dance career. Nothing needs to change physically. They’ve just convinced themselves for years that losing weight was the answer.

Maybe they’ve gotten those messages from teachers or artistic staff. It’s also possible they came to those conclusions based on what they observed in dance. However they arrived at that end, the mental piece is what needs support.

It takes some mental retraining to accept your body exactly where it is. Dance teaches you to see what’s wrong, what needs to change, or improve. Whenever the negative body thoughts come up, I want you to switch them to positives. In addition to that, each morning write down 3 things you’re grateful for, specifically concerning your body.

But still – no diets. Seriously, it’s time to stop dieting.

Here’s a better approach: work one-on-one with someone or go through a program that will guide you in figuring out the food that really works for your body. You’ll focus on adding more food that supports your dancing and finding balance with indulgences.

As boring as it sounds, making incremental changes to deeply ingrained habits is going to have a lot more benefit for the long term than anything else. It’s tough to tell yourself, “I’ve got to take this slow” when you look in the mirror and aren’t thrilled with what you see. Still, do your best to take it slow. Dieting is exhausting, draining, and dangerous. Stop dieting.

If you’re dancing professionally, and your job is being threatened because of where you are physically, I’d urge you to ask yourself how you feel about your body before jumping to extremes. If you feel good, maybe the answer is looking for other jobs. Easy solution? No. Healthy solution? Yes.

The post Stop Dieting. Do this instead. appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

with Carolyn Lippert

Carolyn Lippert was born in Boston, Massachusetts and trained at Severance Ballet Conservatory with her mother, Carla Stallings-Lippert, and at the American Ballet Theatre Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School.  

Lippert joined the ABT Studio Company in September 2011 and performed with American Ballet Theatre at the Metropolitan Opera House in 2013.  She went on to dance with The Washington Ballet for their 2013-2014 season and San Francisco Ballet for their 2014-2015 season. 

She joined American Ballet Theatre as a member of the corps de ballet in December 2015. 

Here’s how Carolyn is staying Healthy at Home:

Of course there are some things we’re all collectively experiencing but what have been the most major life changes for you?

I’d say one of the biggest life changes for me right now has been the lack of physically seeing people. I know that’s something everyone is collectively experiencing, but I feel like not seeing anyone (besides my boyfriend) in person deeply effects me. I miss connecting with people. 

How are you staying positive and motivated dancing at home?

It’s honestly really hard for me. I’ve been stuck in a 450 square foot apartment the entire quarantine, and doing class in my tiny kitchen is far from inspiring.

I’ve been trying to stay motivated and positive, but there are some days that not taking class is better for my mentality than struggling through yet another class with my kitchen table as a barre and constantly kicking walls. 

Have you made any adjustments to your meal plan? Any favorite quarantine meals or snacks?

I haven’t made many changes to my eating, I’ve always just eaten when I’m hungry. I naturally eat pretty healthy, but if I crave something I go for it!

I’ve started cooking more during quarantine and have pushed myself out of my comfort box as a chef (it didn’t take much!).

I’ve also rekindled my love for hummus after overeating it a few years back, so I’ve been dipping whatever I have (veggies, pretzels, etc) in hummus for a snack. And of course all the amazing summer fruit! 

Are you coping with any anxiety or more challenging emotions? What are you doing to work through them?

I have days every now and then that are difficult emotionally, but I’ve found keeping moving and busy helps. On my harder days I’ve found that long walks with my dog help. Just letting myself breathe and enjoy the world around me, like the nature in the park, can help me reset and remember that things will be ok. 

Are you worried about staying in shape? What would you say to dancers who are concerned about losing technique or “getting out of shape”?

I am, and at the same time I’m not. It’s so easy to let the fear of getting out of shape cause unneeded anxiety. I think dancers right now need to realize that it’s ok to relax, it’s ok to not always be doing something to “stay in shape”.

There’s a lot going on in the world, and putting extra stress on ourselves (something dancers, or at least myself, are very good at doing) is the last thing anyone needs right now. There will be time to get back into shape. Do what you can/want every day, but only do what you mentally and physically should. 

How are you filling your extra time?

I’m one of those people who would rather be too busy than not, so I’ve really tried to fill my time. In the beginning of the quarantine I took really long walks with Chloe (my pup), did workouts, “company class” every day via Zoom, and read a lot.

I think I went through something like five books in the first month of quarantine! Once the summer term began on June 1 I’ve had college classes (I’m a student at CUNY). They are definitely filling my time! 

What does your transition plan look like? Have you gotten word as to when you’ll be getting back into the studio? How do you think the structure you’ve created at home will translate back to company life?

Technically, my company is scheduled to start back in September and prepare for our fall season. However, I’m not sure if that will realistically happen. I really hope so!

I plan to go home to California at some point before we start back. While there, my mom will whip me back into shape. (Fun fact: she trained me and was a soloist at ABT and principle dancer at Boston Ballet!)

The post ABT Dancer Carolyn Lippert “Healthy at Home” appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

PLANTS

PLANNING

PREP

PLATING

Watch the video for more:

Or Read:

Plants

Most people don’t get enough vegetables. You know you should be eating lot’s of veggies but unless eating them is built into your lifestyle, you might benefit from adding more. It’s nice, this is about adding more food! Rather than thinking about what you should take away, add more vegetables for added energy and support in reaching your personal best dancer’s body.

As a rule of thumb, make vegetables half your plate. Amp up your green vegetable consumption with that visual. Half the plate is green then a rainbow of other veggies, carbs, protein and healthy fats.

Consuming a mix of raw and cooked vegetables ensures that you’re getting maximum nutritional benefits from vegetables. Even potatoes can be included! The only concern with a white potato is that it might cause a faster rise and fall in blood sugar (has to do with glycemic load). With the level of activity you’re taking on, your body can likely handle it. Especially if the potatoes are part of a well rounded meal.

Other starchy (higher carb=energy) vegetables you might incorporate: beets, carrots, yams, taro, plantain, pumpkin, squash, corn, parsnips.

In addition to the obvious plants (vegetables + fruit) make sure you’re also including grains, nuts, beans, seeds and avocados. When you make plant food the base of your diet it becomes so much easier to eat healthfully consistently and to maintain a healthy weight.

Planning

Dancer’s have packed schedules, without planning you’ll end up eating convenience foods. A protein bar here and there is just fine but if it becomes a daily (or more) part of your eating plan it might be too much.

When you don’t have a plan it’s easy for too much time to pass between meals or snacks. Dancer’s benefit from following the “5-Hour Food Rule”. Try not to let more than 5 hours pass between snacks or meals.

If you end up going 5+ hours without eating, odds are you’ll end up eating mindlessly or feeling out of control with food.

Make a plan! Figure out when you can fit in meals and snacks. Look at your schedule. Ideally finding times when you can sit and take a break to enjoy your meals

Prep

Pick a day or a couple of days and set aside some time to…

• • Pre cut vegetables
  • Make overnight oats
  • Cook grains
  • Prep proteins

Keep easy options on hand as back up…

• • • Canned soups, beans, lentils, etc.
    • Frozen, organic vegetables
    • Frozen fruit for smoothies/oatmeal add-ins

Entertain yourself while you meal prep so it doesn’t feel like such a chore. Watch Netflix on an Ipad, listen to the radio or chat with a roommate!

Plating

When you can, take some time to plate your food beautifully and take it all in. Always eat sitting down, avoid the kitchen stand against a counter meal time.

With plating your food, eat slowly. Savor each bite. Enjoy the meal you’ve prepared (or just heated)!

Practice mindful and healthier eating. This encompasses truly paying attention with all of your senses. Take in the sight, smells and tastes. Every meal doesn’t have to be instagram worthy but make sure it appeals to you.

Now, share! Which of the 4 P’s of healthier eating could use your attention?

Photo credit: ella.o on VisualHunt / CC BY

The post 4 “P’s” of Healthier Eating appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

You’re conditioned to be that way and even taught that it’s necessary for success in this art. If you want to be the best you’ve got to give it all, all the time…blood, sweat and tears.

It’s very easy for that mindset to transfer over to how you tackle food and eating.

This stems, once again, from messages you’ve likely received from teachers and artistic staff. As I’ve worked with dancer’s over the years, it somehow always surprises me to hear the messages they receive from teachers.

Whether you’ve heard extreme messages about food or you’ve come to an extreme place on your own, it can be hard to shake that mindset. Avoiding extremes in the first place is helpful, but what if you’re already in an extreme place with food?

Being too Restrictive

This is one of the most common extremes dancer’s fall into. In ballet, it feels that smaller is better. Therefore, when it comes to food wouldn’t less be more?

Less food should help you reach the goal of being “smaller”, right?

The truth is being too restrictive with food is extremely unhealthy. It can impact the health of your body, bones AND mind for the long term.

When dance teachers say things like, “stick to lettuce and water.” Ignore them. If they’re being serious, they’re extremely misguided and putting you in danger. If they’re joking, well, it’s still harmful from a mental health perspective.

When  you get into the habit of restricting your food intake, even just on some days, it often leads to overeating.

Dancer’s who struggle with weight fluctuations (that was me all the way) are typically in and out of cycles of restricting and binge eating. You see, it’s hard to under eat for a long time because your body is not meant to function that way.

You will get hungry. It will be necessary to replenish the nourishment that’s been missing. You’ll likely be craving less healthy foods because your body is starved for the joy and pleasure of tasty food.

If you’re in patterns of restriction and/or bing eating, seek help. Find an eating disorder psychologist who knows the dancer mindset.

Let’s talk about “Clean” Eating

Clean eating involves a few key principles that align with basic principles of healthy eating:

• Eat more real foods.
• Eat for nourishment.
• More plant-based foods.
• Clean up your act.

This is one of those phrases that people use in a weird way. It’s not clearly defined so it can be exploited by marketers. Companies will say 100% “clean” ingredients. Without any real parameters behind that phrase, it really means nothing.

People use it on a personal level as well. “I’m into clean eating.” Ok…does that mean you’re only eating plant foods? Grass fed animal foods?

If you are a “clean” eater, does that mean you can never enjoy a piece of cake? Sometimes when you start to follow something like the clean eating movement it feels like you can never have food that’s purely about indulging.

A balanced eating plan and yes, even a healthy eating plan, allows for indulgences. If “eating clean” makes you feel deprived, move on.

What about Orthorexia

Getting overly obsessive with healthy eating can lead to negative consequences.

“Although not formally recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, awareness about orthorexia is on the rise. The term ‘orthorexia’ was coined in 1998 and means an obsession with proper or ‘healthful’ eating.

…being aware of and concerned with the nutritional quality of the food you eat isn’t a problem in and of itself, people with orthorexia become so fixated on so-called ‘healthy eating’ that they actually damage their own well-being.”

Aim to enjoy healthy foods. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables but don’t connect being “good” or “bad” to your food choices. If you want to eat healthfully for the long term  you have to allow indulgences and less healthy foods to be eaten AND enjoyed!

Let’s talk about Intuitive Eating…

One of the most sustainable and arguably healthy ways to look at food is through the lens of Intuitive Eating. I’d say eating this way is not extreme but rather quite balanced. You can practice Intuitive Eating while also sticking to a meal plan that resonates with you.

Here are the 10 Principles of Intuitive Eating:

1. Reject the Diet Mentality
2. Honor your Hunger
3. Make Peace with Food
4. Challenge the Food Police
5. Discover the Satisfaction Factor
6. Feel Your Fullness
7. Cope with Your Emotions with Kindness
8. Respect Your Body
9. Movement – Feel the Difference
10. Honor Your Health – Gentle Nutrition

I want to highlight that last one. The Whole Dancer approach to food and healthy eating for dancer’s encompasses so many Intuitive Eating Principles. Since you’re performing at such a highly athletic, competitive level there’s a lot of focus on “Honoring Your Health”. You can’t perform at your highest level without that attention to health but consider this:

“Make food choices that honor your health and taste buds while making you feel good. Remember that you don’t have to eat perfectly to be healthy. You will not suddenly get a nutrient deficiency or become unhealthy, from one snack, one meal, or one day of eating. It’s what you eat consistently over time that matters. Progress, not perfection, is what counts.”

My Advice: Avoid Labels

Eat foods you enjoy.

Prioritize plant foods.

You don’t have to define your eating style or food choices for anyone.

Make sure you’re eating enough! Pre-professional and professional dancer’s are much more likely to fall into the camp of under eating vs. over eating.

If you’re looking for support in finding balance, crafting a meal plan that fits your personal needs and reaching your body goals healthfully check out The Dancer’s Best Body Program – enrolling now thru 1.19.20 only.

Figuring out what foods and eating styles work best for you seems like it should be simple but we tend to overthink it. You can avoid the extremes and reach your goals.

resources:

Intuitive Eating

Clean Eating – Mayo Clinic

NEDA Website

Photo by Daria Rom on Unsplash

The post Avoiding Extremes in Healthy Eating appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

At the Whole Dancer, we love working towards goals that create a mentally and physically healthier version of yourself as a dancer.

Some research suggests, it takes 30 days to establish a good habit. It also takes 30 days to rid yourself of a bad habit. Though studies show new habits can take longer than 30 days to form, I feel that you have to give any new lifestyle change at least a 30 day trial.

Meal prepping, or as some call it: rediscovering leftovers, is a fantastic habit that will help you make healthy food choices, save money, and save time. It can seem daunting at first, but once you get into the swing of it, it will seem so easy.

Meal prepping is mostly about planning. Think about your week ahead. Look at your schedule and plan what day you’ll go grocery shopping, what nights you have more time to cook, and what night’s you will just want to be able to pull something out of the fridge to reheat.

It helps if you have a consistent schedule where you know you can always go grocery shopping on a certain day of the week. If that’s not possible, schedule a time to go grocery shopping every 5-7 days.

When creating your grocery list, think about how many days of food you have to plan for. You don’t want to buy so much food that it spoils before you eat it, but at the same time you don’t want to run out of staple items before your next trip.

Always create a grocery list before you go shopping. Grocery shopping with no aim, especially when hungry, can often lead to overspending and buying items that might not create cohesive meals.

Look up recipes you want to make in the coming week before you go grocery shopping so you can add all of the ingredients to your list. It’s the absolute worst when you’re mid-cooking and realize that you’re missing a key ingredient.

Have a list of staple ingredients that you buy each week without fail. Often these are items that included in your favorite recipes, go-to rehearsal snacks, or versatile food items that can go into a variety of recipes.

Examples of items that can be on your list of staples are:

• a type of leafy greens
• a variety of veggies of different colors such as peppers, broccoli, carrots, eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, and squash
• fruit that is easy to throw into your dance bag
• berries (if they are in season)
• a protein heavy grain such as quinoa or brown rice
• a nut butter that is good to add to fruits or veggies for a rehearsal snack

Obviously there is going to be some fluctuation in produce depending on what is in season.  And, don’t be afraid to deviate from your list if something at the grocery store inspires a meal.

The next step is looking at your calendar and finding a time you can dedicate to meal prepping. I usually spend an hour to an hour and a half on meal prep. For me, I often meal prep the same day I go grocery shopping, or a night when I get home a little earlier and I know that I have time and energy to meal prep.

That night, I will make enough dinner to have at least one serving in addition to that evening’s meal. After dinner, I make lunches for the next few days. I usually make about three days worth of lunches or meals at a time. You don’t want to get so far ahead of yourself that the food goes bad.

Salads are one of the easiest meals to meal prep. There are infinite options, so you can always get creative while making lunches. It’s also a great way to repurpose extra ingredients (such as chopped veggies) from dinner that night. Check out The Whole Dancer blog post on “How to Build a Better Salad” that gives you tips on creating a well-rounded salad.

In addition to meal prepping, you can pre-portion your snacks. Divide that huge bag of baby carrots or granola into 3-5 smaller bags, and take strawberries or blueberries out of the big plastic containers from the store and put them into smaller containers.

Reusable containers are your best friend for meal prepping. For the obvious reason, you will need a fair amount of reusable containers for the meals you are creating. Use containers that are perfect meal size so you can just grab and go, and not have to worry about re-portioning the food. Before you start cooking line up your containers so you can put portion the food into the containers as soon as you’re done cooking.

Not sure what to meal prep? You can find recipe ideas in so many places! The Whole Dancer Blog shares recipes from dancers, as well as ideas for rehearsals snacks, and how to fuel yourself for auditions and performances.

Pinterest is a great place to find recipe ideas. Find a cookbook you resonate with to find new ideas for meal (I’m personally a huge fan of Thug Kitchen, which I did a review of on The Whole Dancer blog: https://www.thewholedancer.com/thug-kitchen-101-cookbook/). If you’re still stumped, ask a friend or family member. Everyone has a favorite recipe that they would love to share.

Meal prepping might feel daunting and time consuming at first, but you will thank yourself when you’re running out the door in the morning and can just grab your lunch, or when you come home from a long day of rehearsals and dinner is already made.

The post How to Meal Prep for Healthy Eating Success appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

The following recipe is a great snack for between training for instant energy or just as a healthy snack alternative to chips, chocolate and so on…

You can add also other dried fruits such as cranberries since they’re made of dried fruits. The quantity of each ingredient depends on your taste, if you add more nuts, it will become crunchier, if you add more dates more juicy but also more sticky.

Ingredients:

dates; fresh or dried

Figs

almonds or cashews

coconut flakes (optional)

Instructions:

If the dates are very dry, soak them first in water, hot water works faster If you use sh dates though, you can skip this step!

Cut the figs in smaller pieces pint the dates and fill everything into your food processor. Mix it until it becomes a sticky mass. Now you take it out and form it to balls with your hands, make them small so you have more… Now you can roll them in coconut flakes, but this step is optional. If you put them into the refrigerator they get a little crunchier which is very tasty as well!

About Tamara:

I was born in Zurich, Switzerland. I started ballet at a very young age and at the age of 16 I went to St. Petersburg, Russia to graduate from Vaganova academy. After graduation I worked for 4 years at the Lithuanian national opera and ballet theatre, after that one year in Moscow at the classical ballet theatre of Natalia Kasatkina and Vladimir Vasiliov and for 6.5 years I’m at the Bucharest national opera. Since about 5 years I’m holding a summer course in Zurich for professional and non professional dancers. Since 1.5 year I’m also teaching here in Bucharest ballet and ballet inspired workouts.

Find Tamara on Social Media

Instagram: @tamaraaniko or Tamara Grimmer

Facebook: Tamara Grimmer

The post An easy, energy-packed snack for Audition Season appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

Health Bars, Protein Bars, Snack Bars are easy snacks to throw into your dance bag to give you fast easy fuel to dance. Dancers are constantly on the go and don’t always have time to home-make rehearsal snacks. But the long list of ingredients sometimes makes you wonder: is this actually healthy for me? Is this helping my body, giving me enough energy for my day? Or is it hurting?

We asked our dancers in The Whole Dancer Facebook Group (click here to join our Facebook Community) what bars they throw into their dance bags. From there, we made a list and researched the most popular bars. For each brand we picked two or three bars that are a fair example of the brand. For each bar we list the first four to six ingredients. The first few ingredients can be very telling about how healthy a bar really is.

In this post you’ll see The Whole Dancer Intern Jessie’s thoughts/questions about these different bars AND a nutrition take/assessment from The Whole dancer founder, Jess.

Clif Bar

Jessie’s Take:

Chocolate Chip

First Four ingredients: Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Rolled Oats, Soy Protein Isolate, Organic Cane Syrup

The rest of the ingredients include different syrups or have soy somewhere in the title.

Blueberry Almond Butter– part of the new Nut Butter collection

First Four Ingredients: Nut Butter Blend (almond butter, cashew butter), rolled oats, oat flour, pea protein

The first four ingredients are healthier than the chocolate chip bar, but after the first four ingredients there are two oils and three syrups. All of the ingredients are organic.

Strawberry Banana– part of the new smoothie filled collection

First Four ingredients: oat flour, nut and seed butter blend (cashew butter, sunflower seed butter), rolled oats, brown rice syrup

The ingredients for the smoothie part are not until later on the list which consists of banana powder, strawberry powder, dried cranberries, strawberries, and raspberries. It does use date paste as a sweetener, which is better than other sugars.

Jess’s Nutrition Insight:

Definitely not the best choice. Clif bars have a lot of sugar ingredients. It’s a clear example of the fact that just because something is “organic” it doesn’t make it healthy. Always consider the quality of the ingredients in something and ignore front of package marketing.

Luna Bar

Jessie’s Take:

Luna Bar– the cousin of Clif Bar. It’s created by the same company as Clif bar. All of their bars are gluten free and non-GMO.

Lemon Zest

First Four Ingredients: Protein Grain Blend (organic rolled oats, soy protein isolate, organic rice flour, organic roasted soybeans, organic soy flour), organic brown rice syrup, organic can sugar, chicory fiber syrup

What’s crazy is the lemon concentrate doesn’t appear until the bottom of the list and that’s the flavor of the bar! Yes everything is organic but everything in this bar is a sugar or a syrup.

Nuts Over Chocolate

First Four Ingredients: Protein Grain Blend (organic rolled oats, soy protein isolate, organic rice flour, organic roasted soybeans, organic soy flour), organic brown rice syrup, organic cane sugar, organic peanut butter.

Reading all of the nutrition labels of these bars makes we wonder if having the word organic in front of an ingredient actually makes the item healthy.

One of their other bars is called Chocolate Cupcake. How can a bar be healthy if it’s the flavor of a chocolate cupcake? If you want to eat a cupcake, just eat a cupcake as a fun treat and eat something more nutritious for a rehearsal snack.  

Jess’s Nutrition Insight:

Just like Clif Bars, these are mostly sugar. It’s important to be wary of protein powders contained within bars because in many cases you should assume that the company is using the cheapest form of protein they can find. Soy protein isolate is an ingredient you should be mindful of as it comes with the risk of metal contamination and pesticides.

LARABAR

Jessie’s Take:

On all of their bars they advertise how many ingredients are in the bar, which ranges from two to six ingredients. It’s nice how simple and easy to understand their ingredients lists are.  

Peanut Butter & Jelly

All Ingredients: dates, peanuts, unsweetened cherries, sea salt

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip

All Ingredients: almonds, dates, semi-sweet chocolate chips, apples, cocoa powder, sea salt

Strawberry Spinach Cashew – Part of their fruits and green collection

All Ingredients: strawberries, spinach, cashews, apricot, unsweetened apple

Jess’s Nutrition Take:

I’m a fan of the Lara bar. They have minimal ingredients and are based in whole foods. The sugars from dates can provide good, quick energy that’s also slowed by the fat/protein content of these bars. I’d avoid the ones with chocolate chips except for an occasional treat!

RX Bar

Jessie’s Take:

They list the first four ingredients on the front of their bars. All of their bars have no added sugar, no gluten, no dairy, and no soy.

Blueberry

First Five Ingredients: Egg whites, almonds, cashews, dates, blueberries

Apple Cinnamon

First Six Ingredients: Egg Whites, almonds, cashews, dates, apples, cinnamon

Mint Chocolate

First Seven Ingredients: egg whites, almonds, cashews, dates, chocolate, cocoa, mint

All of the bars include natural flavors, which are never completely explained which raises some questions. It is good that the bar is sweetened with dates and fruit not unnatural sweeteners.

Jess’s Nutrition Take:

RX bars are very popular and I totally understand why dancers see them as a good option. You’re getting the protein that you might desire from a Larabar and it’s coming from a whole foods sources ingredient in egg whites. My concern with RX bars is the quality of the eggs used. Since RX doesn’t say anything about sourcing their eggs from pasture raised egg farms, you have to assume that the egg whites are coming from factory farmed, overproduced, antibiotic injected chickens. If ethically sourced animal products are something you prioritize, then this isn’t the best bar.

Kind Bars

Jessie’s Take:

Dark Cherry Chocolate Cashew & Almond

First Four Ingredients: cashews, cherries, chicory root fiber, sugar

You can recognize every ingredient in this bar, but it isn’t good that sugar is the fourth ingredient.

Crunch Peanut Butter- Protein Bar Collection

First Four Ingredients: peanuts, chicory root fiber, soy protein isolate, honey

The rest of the ingredient list is oils and syrups. This bar has literally zero nutritional value.

Almond Butter Protein- Breakfast Bar Collection

First Four Ingredients: oats, cane sugar, canola oil, soy protein isolate

Later on in the ingredients there are more recognizable ingredients such a quinoa, buckwheat, and cinnamon. But it can’t be good that the first four ingredients have very little nutritional value.

Maple Pumpkin Seeds with Sea Salt – Healthy Grains Collection

First Four Ingredients: oats, tapioca syrup, canola oil, cane sugar

The rest of the ingredients are random oats and different syrups and oils. The only remotely healthy item on the ingredient list is the pumpkin seeds.

Jess’s Nutrition Take:

Kind bars are delicious – I’m not going to deny that! However, with a lot of soy and sugar ingredients they’re not the best choice. In a pinch – ok…I’d suggest going with the traditional kind bars in a flavor that isn’t drizzled with chocolate or caramel.

Perfect Bar

Jessie’s Take:

The original refrigerated protein bar.

Peanut Butter

First Four Ingredients: Organic Peanut Butter, Organic Honey, Organic Nonfat Dry Milk, Organic Dried Whole Egg Powder

What is dried whole egg powder? Is that a dried out egg that can be put into bars to add protein/nutritional value?

Mocha Chip

First Four Ingredients: Organic Peanut Butter, Organic Almond Butter, Organic Honey, Organic Nonfat Dry Milk, Organic Dark Chocolate

Everything in these bars is organic, but they are mostly made of powders of real food. It makes me wonder if it’s a powder of the original food or if it just tastes like the original food.

Jess’s Nutrition Take:

With perfect bars, there are 2 – non dairy flavors : Almond Coconut and Chocolate Walnut Brownie. These flavors don’t include things like milk powder and egg powder and instead use healthy plant proteins (Pea and Hemp). I’d suggest going with one of those. Perfect bars, while delicious, do need to be refrigerated so they’re not always  the most convenient option!

Evo Hemp

Jessie’s Take:

Cashew Cocoa

Ingredients: Organic Dates, Organic Cashews, Organic Apricots, Organic Hemp Protein Powder, Organic Hemp Seeds, Organic Cacao Powder, Organic Coconut Nectar, Organic Blueberries

It took me a minute to track down the nutrition label for these bars. I like how everything is clear ingredients that you can pronounce, with no extra added sugars, syrups, and oils. Also, hemp is a nutrient dense food that will help fuel you through a long rehearsal day.

Cookie Dough

First Six Ingredients: Cashew Butter, Hemp Protein, Monk Fruit Blend, Chocolate Chips, Insulin Fiber, Pea Crisp Blend (Lentil, Chickpea, and Pea Flour and Pea Fiber)

What the heck in insulin fiber or this pea crisp blend? Are they a good thing or a bad thing?

Jess’s Nutrition Take:

To respond to Jessie’s questions – inulin fiber is a natural, soluble dietary fiber derived from chicory root and the pea crisp blend is just like puffed rice but instead crisps are made from lentil, chickpea and pea flour and fiber.

Evo hemp bars are a good option. I’d stick to the Apple Pecan, Mango Macadamia, Cherry Walnut, or Cashew Cacao flavors as they’re the ones with the fewest and cleanest ingredients.

Nakd bar

Jessie’s Take:

These bars are gluten, wheat, and dairy free.

Berry Delight

Ingredients: Dates (49%), Cashews (31%), Raisins (17%), Raspberries (3%), a hint of natural flavoring

The ingredient list is good, but I wonder what goes into the natural flavoring that their website purposely does not list.

Cocoa Orange

Ingredients: Dates (40%), Cashews (40%), Raisins (14%), Cocoa (5%), a hint of natural flavoring

The motto for this website is giving into your sweet tooth while still being healthy. All of the flavors are cake or dessert names. With that in mind, I’m not sure this would be good rehearsal fuel, but it’s fine for an occasional treat.

Jess’s Nutrition Take:

These look like a great rehearsal option – all the ingredients are recognizable and they have a good mix of natural sugar, healthy fat and protein. For all the activity you’re doing in a day a little extra energy intake from natural sugar (dates, raisins) is good.

Epic Performance Bar

Jessie’s Take:

Gluten Free, Paleo, Grass Fed Protein bars

Peanut Butter

Ingredients: dates, peanuts, cage free egg whites, peanut oil, sea salt

Lemon

Ingredients: dates, almonds, cage free egg whites, sea salt, lemon oil

These bars are definitely not vegan (especially their meat bars, a completely different thing from their performance bars), but still a good performance fuel. You can see and understand all of the ingredients.

Jess’s Nutrition Take:

I appreciate that they designate their egg whites as “cage free” (not as good as pasture raised, but a step in the right direction). It’s always important to question oils contained in bars. Peanut oil is high in pro – inflammatory Omega 6 oils so it’s best to be avoided.

NuttZo Bold Bites Bar

Jessie’s Take:

Peanut Butter + Collagen

First Four Ingredients: Peanut Butter, NuttZo ProBased Butter (Cashews, Almonds, Flaxseeds, Brazil nuts, Hazelnuts, Sunflower Seeds, Celtic Seasalt), Honey, Egg White Protein

Should/Can you eat collagen? I thought that was something they put in face creams that are constantly advertised on TV. This bar also has pea protein crisps in it. Is that good for you?

Jess’s Nutrition Take:

I always take issue (in case you haven’t noticed) with the random egg whites/egg white protein. I love NuttZo nut butter but the bars might have too much going on. Regarding Jessie’s question on collagen – the jury’s out. Some people are big advocates/supporters of collagen. The scientific research on collagen is in the early stages but some does show that it’s beneficial to improving the appearance of skin.

Summing up with Jess:

There are so many bar options! During crazy times of performance – Nutcracker or otherwise, they can be life savers. Bars can make your life easier and can indeed provide some good energy for you and your dancing. Always be sure to buffer bar consumption with lots of nutrient dense vegetables and well rounded meals.

When choosing a bar, the most important factor to consider are the ingredients. Read the ingredients and question them! Research the weird things and try to figure out if they’re going to support your dancing or not. Do you have a bar or bar recipe that you enjoy and would like to share with us?! Please comment below.

The post Protein + Health Bar Review appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

This program IS NOT for everyone! And, it’s so important to me that only the right people sign up so I’m going to share some of the questions I get most frequently.

#1 – I don’t want to lose weight but I’d like to take better care of myself. Is this program for me?

This program is about tackling your body goals. They may or may not include weight loss. If you’re coming back from an injury or want to prevent injuries in the future or you simply want to make sure you’re dancing at your peak level, then yes – this program is for you.

#2 – I have food allergies or sensitivities will this program be ok for me?

Yes! The concept of bio – individuality (more on that in the program) and finding that eating plan that fits your unique body is of the utmost importance. It’s not about getting you all to conform to the same way of eating but rather helping you uncover the unique food plan that works to get you to your personal best body!

#3 – I’ve got auditions starting this month and I want to be skinnier now! Can you help me lose weight fast?

No. This program is not about a quick fix and it is absolutely not a crash diet. It’s about transformative, long – lasting changes. The goal is to help you attain your personal best body so that you feel your most confident in the studio and on stage. For. Your. Lifetime.

This is not about fad diets or calorie restriction. It’s about functioning at the same level as a high performance athlete because as a dedicated dancer, that’s what you should be striving for.

#4 – Is there an age requirement to participate?

No! The program is best suited for ages 17 + but if the subject matter appeals to a younger dancer, they can certainly take part – however, they may require additional guidance (either from a parent or through the Elite coaching package). Anyone under age 18 will need a parents permission when they sign up.

#5 – Between classes, rehearsals, upcoming auditions and/or school, I’m very busy. How much of a time commitment is the program?

The program is very flexible. It can be accessed on an iPad, tablet or even a smart phone! You can take the program anywhere! Average weekly commitment is about 1 – 2 hours but when you consider the possible achievements and impact on your dance career, that’s not much at all!

You also have lifetime access. So for as long as the course is in existence, you can come back to it and catch up or dive even deeper!

For full program details and to save your spot GO HERE and enroll before it’s too late! 

The post Is this why you’re not ready for your best body? appeared first on The Whole Dancer.

Be your own inspiration, and watch yourself grow in ways you didn’t even realize you were capable of doing.

The post Christina shares her Eating Disorder Recovery story. appeared first on The Whole Dancer.