Dance Article
"Fueling The Athletic Body"
Ms. Molly Serves Up Solid Nutrition InformationThe dance season is in full swing! (Along with a billion other things…) Dance classes, teachers, school, hair-do's, fashions, new t.v. shows to watch; whatever happens to be changing in your world, there's got to be a healthy way to stay on top of it all. Eat, EAT I tell you! This is so important for us athletes.
All too often people get caught up about what types of foods to eat - this much carbohydrates, and that amount of protein…blah, blah. The more important issue is to eat enough to provide the energy for your best performance. And while those calories should come from healthful, nutrient-dense foods, they don't have to be specially formulated-whether by product or even nutrient. Eating too few calories, however, leads to low energy levels and sometimes illnesses. I will be the first and last one to tell you that living a healthy life is such a beautiful and self-empowering quality.
Nutritional needs are relative to one's gender, height, metabolic rate, bone structure, and age. Our bodies are burning roughly 1200 calories a day just to keep itself going! We breathe, swallow, heat and cool, blink, cough, sneeze, and sleep, and food is what we need to fuel these daily functions.
Let's start with breakfast! About this time in the morning we've gone anywhere from 10-16 hours without eating, and whether or not you know it, YOU'RE HUNGRY! Will a doughnut do? Not really. It'll give you a sugar rush that'll last about 40 minutes until you crash during your first subject.
- Be inventive and concoct a smoothie with milk, honey, fruits, juice, and yogurt for example. With that have a couple pieces of whole grain toast.
- If you're a cereal person give it an extra boost by adding a bit of wheat germ, chopped nuts, raisins, dates, or other fruits.
- Leftover pizza, better than you'd think! Add some extra cheese.
- Make a parfait by layering yogurt, fruit, and granola.
Now it's time for lunch and if you don't have food in your little brown paper sack, or lunchbox, take into consideration the cafeteria food you ate and choose to have a healthy snack after school. If in fact you do bring your own food, good heaven's PLEASE don't throw it away! My brother used to do that and my parents could never figure out where the rotten fruit in the bottom of our big garbage can was coming from until my mom caught him in the act. Don't pull a "Sam!" Nutrients and vitamins from your fruits and veggies keep your body functioning properly. Try this…
- Make fruit cocktail with applesauce, mandarin orange slices, yogurt, even popcorn or Crackerjacks.
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Add chopped dates or nuts, raisins, applesauce, or crushed pineapple. (Ever try a peanut butter and pickle sandwich? Mmmm…good stuff).
After School Snacks were always my favorite until I reaped the consequences of Mickey Pies, Cheezy-Poofs and soda. Not only are the following suggestions tasty, but they totally add needed nutrients.
- Trail mix: nuts, coconut shavings, dates, sunflower seeds, pretzel sticks, banana chips, (carob or chocolate chips).
- Try dried fruit and spread them with some peanut butter, fruit butter, or cream cheese.
- Cheese, cheese, melted or in chunks and whole wheat crackers. Make a mini platter!
At last, dinner! Stated very simply, eat colorfully. Include grains, a lean protein, vegetables and some source of calcium.
- Serve yourselves! This way you can decide how much to put on your plates and can always take a second helping if you want.
- Dishes should always be tried once, you may not like it, but when you do it's an excellent way to expand your food horizons.
Before I turn myself in, there is the element of water that must also be discussed. Because we exert energy and lose water while we dance, we must give back to our bodies what was lost.
- Drink two glasses of water before you start exercising, and another two glasses after you've finished.
- Water is best; caffeinated beverages such as colas, iced tea and coffee can cause you to lose water and minerals out of your body through urine.
- If your workout is particularly long or strenuous, sports drinks can be useful.
- Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink!!
Ladies and gentlemen, this brings me to my conclusion. I don't expect that you'll try all of these cute suggestions, I don't even expect that some of you will even remember them. What I would like for you to remember is: having a diet that contains a variety of foods from breads and cereals; fruits; vegetables; meat and meat substitutes; and dairy foods is what's going to be the best grade of fuel for your athletic bodies. Eat foods that make you feel good about yourself. I will be the first to admit that I crave "junk food" worse than the next guy. But all good (and yummy) things in moderation. So go ahead and get that Baby Ruth you're craving, just decide on Fruit Snacks the next time around.
Originally published October, 2002, on the website of West Metro Dance & Theatre Arts. Reprinted with permission.
