Peanut butter sandwich

“Pff .that peanut butter sandwich is coming out of my nose, I really should have eaten it sooner”. I heard that in a class a few weeks ago. What would your reaction be as a dance teacher to this? And what example do you give yourself when it comes to nutrition? What is for sale in your studio or the studio where you teach; is there a vending machine with soft drinks and energy bars or are things sold that provide the body with the right energy?

I assume that you want the very best for your students and therefore also in terms of their health. You are not a dietitian and not a doctor, but you can make sure that in your lessons or at your school you make sure that talking about nutrition is something that is normal. 

There is no good or bad food

It is important to create awareness. You can show your students that there is no 'good' or 'bad' food. It's so important to get them to make the mind shift to: Food is great because it gives you the energy you need to achieve what you want so badly; be a great dancer. 

I think it is essential to let your students think for themselves. On social media, they see and hear things that they blindly accept as the truth. Then this diet is good again, then that again. The information they receive is also very contradictory and often confusing; what should they do or not do? 

Also get them to think about who these diets and methods are actually good for; They often find out for themselves that the company behind the diet benefits most from as many people as possible following this diet. They should know that one size fits all is really impossible. You can water a palm tree just as much as an oak; they continue to look different. Why would you let a panther eat the same as a mole, impossible, they both need something different that is good for them. Everyone is completely different and has different needs and that's totally fine, take the judgment away from it. Teach them that you're not bad if you eat chocolate or the occasional bag of chips, it really won't help their careers. It also has nothing to do with willpower.

Pause

Dancers are generally very hard workers and run from one class to the next. Hard work is not a problem but it is also so important to teach them to take a rest now and then, take a break so that they can think and listen to their body, they can reflect; what feels good, what doesn't feel right. In this way they can make new choices and learn step by step which food works well for their body and which food gives them the most energy.

What can you do:

Which is of course the most important thing; Set a good example yourself. Talk about your own experiences. Talk to colleagues about how they deal with this and approach health with their students. Always stay neutral. You don't know how food is handled at home and that's not what it's about. The most important thing is awareness and normalization.

Three things you can easily implement:

• Start the conversation when you hear students talking about nutrition

• Ask them questions to make them think
• Make your students curious 
• Teach them to listen to their own body and not just look at someone else's.

They look up to you, keep that in mind, you are their example.

You've probably eaten too late before starting a class and you know exactly how that felt for you. Share that with your students and open the conversation. It really is a matter of always planting seeds, making them think so that they can make the best choices for themselves in the long term and not just blindly rely on what they are presented with on social media.

Workshop

Do you find it difficult to talk about nutrition, do you personally still run into problems or do you want to normalize talking about nutrition but don't know where to start? 

I give workshops where students become acquainted in an interactive way with the challenges dancers face in the field of body image and nutrition.

I am approached daily by ballet studios and dance schools, which does me a lot of good. It is clear that it is an important topic. Do you also want to be known as a school that values the health of the students, just contact me or follow me on Instagram , facebook and my website to stay informed about what I have for you and your students can mean. Feel free to call or email if you want more information.