It is a bitter truth, but it is difficult for any dancer to maintain his/her diet. You are always on the move and due to that many a time you may not have the time to carry your own nutritious meals. Most of us end up eating anything that
comes our way — from sandwiches to the juices at a thelawala or even a burger from Mc Donalds or KFC. But that’s not enough for a dancer to remain in shape and a good diet and good eating habits need to be cultivated early on in your professional life.
Most of the times I have seen dancers having bad eating habits and these habits become a daily routine for a dancer. These wrong habits make a dancer unfit in a long run physically and even mentally.
Dance as a profession is very physically demanding and bad eating habits can make it very difficult. Fad diets have never given anyone lasting weight loss and never will. So now that the rains are setting in and the heat has reduced, for dancers this shravan month is a new beginning.
So let us change our own lives from now, I would like to suggest you identify and rectify your wrong food habits. Here’s a check list of bad food habits that most of the dancers tend to build up over the years through their dancing career. If you find yourself nodding yes to any, it is time to make the change.
You are a speedy eater Do you get through your meal in less than 10 minutes? That’s not good. When you gulp down food, you take in excess air, leading to bloating. Plus, you end up eating in excess. Speed eating doesn’t give the brain time to catch up with the stomach. Your brain needs at least 20 minutes to get the message that your stomach is full.
You fall in love with others’ whims You love veggies but your teacher or choreographer digs into meat and potatoes. So you order the same as you admire and look up to your guru. If this is how it pans out for you most of the time, it’s time to start taking food decisions independently.
You are a serious snacker A healthy snack or two between meals is fine to keep your blood sugar steady, but when you snack all the time, you lose track of how much you’re eating. Allow yourself only two snacks a day. Always keep in mind that the snack is of 100 to 200 calories each and not more.
You feed your moods A dancer goes through many emotions be it achievements or rejections. But feeding your fears and frustrations instead of confronting them can lead to a cycle of more bad moods – and steady weight gain. Make sure you steer clear of this damaging cycle.
You don’t eat enough fruit Fruit is packed not only with nutrients but also with a lot of fibre, which is a satiety booster. If you do nothing more than just double your current intake of fruit and vegetables, you will be on your way to a good weight control plan.
You rely too heavily on processed foods If most of your meals come from cans, bags or boxes you are feeding yourself a diet loaded with unhealthy fats, sugar, salt and excess unnecessary calories. Take a crash course in reading labels and say no to processed food.
You demonise foods There is no harm in enjoying a sweet treat occasionally if you watch the portion size. If you have a sweet tooth, plan for a small sweet snack daily, like just a piece of chocolate. This will help you satisfy your sweet desire, but remember don’t over indulge in it.
You believe starving works When you don’t eat for a long duration, the body kicks into its defence mode and begins to store food as fat. And instead of losing weight you might just end up gaining some. So best for a dancer is to eat small meals and not 2 or 3 big heavy meals.
You don’t drink enough water Our metabolism needs water to burn fat. Moreover when we think we are hungry, we could in fact be thirsty. So not drinking enough water may lead to overeating. Normally you should drink six to eight glasses of water a day, even during the colder months but for a dancer who is regularly into dance rehearsals 10 to 12 glasses of water is best. Another important aspect is to sip water through out the day and not drink it lots of it at one go.
If a dancer follows a diet as consciously as they follow their desire and passion to dance, then I am sure soon a dancer will be healthy mentally and physically to take on the pressures of the world of dance.