Woodbury Dance Center Nutrition Blog
By Laura C. C. Greenwell
Dancers, need some ideas for healthy snacking on those long
competition days? Remember, your food is your fuel and reflects the outcome of
your performance, so let’s treat it well!
1. BREAKFAST
First and foremost, start with a solid,
well rounded breakfast, ideally before you leave your house so it can digest on
the way. Well rounded means whole grain carbs, protein, fresh fruit, nuts,
dairy. Think of foods that come from the Earth, foods closest to their natural
state.
2. WATER ALL DAY
Start hydrating as soon as you wake up on
competition days. Just losing 2% of your body weight in fluids during exercise
can decrease performance by up to 25%! Whoa, that is a big statistic. Constant
hydration will decrease odds of injury. Pack a big water bottle and refill at
drinking fountains as needed. An athlete
can lose up to a gallon of fluid per hour of vigorous sustained exercise.
3. IN YOUR DANCE BAG
Here’s a list of some great snacks to pack
and their benefits to your dance performance:
·
Bananas
– High in potassium to reduce muscle cramps and Charlie horses.
·
Dried
apricots, peaches, prunes, raisins – High in potassium to reduce muscle
cramps and Charlie horses.
·
Almonds,
macadamia nuts – Excellent source of protein, vitamins, minerals,
monounsaturated fat. Monounsaturated fat is good fat that will fuel your
dancing! Not all fats are equal. Monounsaturated fat improves athletic
performance aiding in endurance and offering protection for your internal
organs and joints.
·
Berries –
They are super foods, high in vitamin C and antioxidants! Plus they’re
delicious and easy to nibble on between dances for some quick natural sugar.
·
Edamame –
Yes, the popular Japanese soy bean is great for you as a vegetable source of
protein and calcium. The isoflavones in edamame help maintain bone density too…
let’s prevent stress fractures on those important ankles and feet.
·
String
cheese – Calcium source to take care of our bones.
·
Carrot
sticks and hummus – A nice snack to tide you over. Carrots have good carbs,
hummus has fiber. You’ll feel more satisfied to get you through another dance
or two before it’s time to go home and have a sit down meal.
Remember, your body is your instrument! Just as we warm up
when we start dancing for the day, we need stay well fueled and prepped to take
care of this precious instrument.
Resources for this article include Livestrong (www.livestrong.com) and statistics from research from the St.
Catherine University Holistic Health program.
