They can coexist.

When it comes to food, there’s always something buzzy or popular going around. Oftentimes, the food suggestions you’ll find are about eating less or dieting in some way. Intuitive eating is not about either of those things.

Instead, intuitive eating is about just what it sounds like: listening to your body and giving it what it needs and wants.

For dancers, intuitive eating is essential. You also have to consider making food choices that will enhance and support athletic performance. Coupling those two priorities is possible but requires some intentionality.

In case you’re not familiar with intuitive eating, 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

This is a beautiful and likely aspirational way to approach food for some of you. Dancers tend to have a lot of guilt and shame around food; you might even experience guilt when you’ve eaten a “normal” or “reasonable” amount of something. Embracing the tenants of intuitive eating (above) will likely help you release some of the guilt around food.

If you’re struggling to incorporate these principles into your approach to food, start small. Take some time to tune into your body. Calorie counting and dieting intrinsically lead to ignoring your body’s cues.

If you’re tracking your calories every day, make your step #1 to stop.

That one simple action combined with tuning back into your body can help with making peace with food, honoring your hunger, discovering the satisfaction factor, and respecting your body.

Since you’re using your body at such a high level, it’s essential that you pay attention to #10 and honor your health through gentle nutrition. In order to ensure that you’re not focusing on “healthy” food and ignoring all the other elements of intuitive eating, you have to make sure you’re creating health-focused meals you love.

When you eat something that you might consider “unhealthy,” let your goal be to have a neutral response to it. So often we think the foods we eat make us good or bad. It’s all just food, and when you can release any strong emotions around it, you’ll have a much easier time considering how it made you feel physically and then move on.

Make adjustments over time.

When you first start eating intuitively, you might go overboard. You might end up eating foods that were off limits for years, and at times, you might have a hard time stopping when you’re full or choosing the foods that make you feel your best.

Diving into intuitive eating requires that you give yourself lots of love, grace, and understanding.

The Whole Dancer approach to food and healthy eating for dancers encompasses so many Intuitive Eating Principles. At the same time, it acknowledges that you might have aesthetic- or performance-focused body goals, and those goals can in fact come from a healthy place.

You can bring Intuitive Eating into your life and still think about how the food you choose is impacting performance. Identify the foods you love eating that also give you sustained energy. When you find foods that support your strength and help you achieve and maintain your personal best body, following your body’s cues becomes so much easier.

Photo by Nate Johnston on Unsplash

The post For Dancers: Intuitive Eating + Eating for Performance 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.