Healthy eating pattern

Do you have any tips for a healthy diet for a dancer? This was a question I got during the Dansersbrain podcast. Because this is a question that comes up regularly, I want to pay a little more attention to it.

Busy, busy, busy

It won't sound strange to anyone if I say that nutrition is extremely important. You have lessons all day, you may also teach in your spare time yourself or be in shows that you have to rehearse for in addition to your education until late in the evening and weekends. A busy and physically intensive schedule. You need energy to do all this. It is not rocket science to know that you have to eat enough to take in this energy. In general, dancers eat too little. This may be due to your busy schedule. You're so busy that you just forget to eat and don't think 'now I have to eat something' until it's very late. You don't eat or snack. It could also be because you want to become/stay thin.

Bioindividuality

That means as much as that you are unique and that the food your neighbor eats may not feel right to you at all. During my Health coach training, the following statement often came back: One person's food is another person's poison. You can follow general guidelines as shown on the sports nutrition pyramid (in my book SPITZ) and then listen very carefully to your body to see what works best for you. In addition to the food itself, when you eat is also important.

Timing

Because you are working intensively all day long, your energy can run out. It is important that you replenish this. Ideally, you want to take your time before each meal and eat mindfully, but the reality is that you often have to go from one lesson to another, to rehearsals and teaching. So little time. That is why it is very important that you make a good planning so that you do not run out of energy. 

When I was training for the marathon I regularly encountered 'the man with the hammer'. You run out of energy and it feels like someone has hit you on the head, you can't do anything anymore, you're completely empty. So you have to think ahead. Can't go home in the evening between rehearsals and a performance. Do you have to go straight to teaching after a long day at school? Then you have to take your food with you so that you are not completely empty in the afternoon. The order of your meals is not that important. What is important is that you get a good balance between the total energy you take in and the energy you expend. 

So as a rule, stick to three meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and at least 2 snacks per day. Protein and carbohydrates are important for your breakfast. For Lunch and Dinner, you can look at the bottom tier of the food pyramid. Maintaining energy balance is very important for dancers. If you are very busy, planning is essential.

Plan

Here are some tips that you can try to arrive at the best eating pattern for you:

1. Planning really is the magic word. It takes a while to get into your system, but once it does, you will enjoy it so much. Look at your schedule on Sunday and start planning. Plan on 3 meals and 2 snacks per day. If you skip something, it will have an effect on your performance and concentration and it will lead to binge eating.
2. Allow plenty of digestive time for meals before dancing. A medium-sized meal requires 3-4 hours of digestive time.
3. Eat a minimum of 2 to 3 carbohydrate (muscle energy) choices per meal, for example ½ cup of rice, 1 cup of fresh berries and 1 cup of skim milk. Carbohydrate foods include fruits, vegetables, bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, milk, and yogurt.

I would experiment with the above. What always works very well for me is writing down all your experiences. What do you eat, but more importantly; how do you feel after you eat. In this way you gradually come to the eating pattern that best suits your body. Do you need extra guidance in this area? Schedule a conversation so that we can see what we can do together with regard to your eating pattern.