Nutrition for Dancers

Liane Simmel, MD, runs an institute for dance medicine, Fit for Dance. The former dancer is now a doctor of dance medicine and was the president of the German Dance Medicine Association for many years. Eva-Maria Kraft is a certified nutritional expert with the specialization in dance, but also a dance teacher and freelance dancer. She gives nutritional courses and seminars in professional training centres for dance, acting, and musical performance.

Getting started

1 The basics – an overview

Dancing needs energy

Providing energy – oxygen is key

Digestion – from food to energy

Carbohydrates as energy providers

Regulating blood sugar

Energy reserves for dance

Fats as energy providers

Not all fats are alike

Proteins - Building blocks for the body

Quality lies in the combination

Vitamins, Minerals, & key micronutrients

Vitamins and phytonutrients

Minerals: macro-minerals and trace elements

2. Drinking – Fluids are crucial

Water and its significance for the dancer

Perspiration – an intelligent cooling system

The dangers of lacking fluids

The right drink

Selection criteria

Handle with care!

3. What? The agony of choice

Daily requirements – recommendations for planning your diet

Breakfast – getting off to a good start

Cold breakfasts

Warm breakfasts

Main meals - the basis of fitness

The "plate of thirds" – healthy nutrition at a glance

Snacks – energy on the go

Practice makes perfect – some general information

Other senses enjoy the meal, too.

Warm or cold?

Sugar – a How-To?

Comfort Foods

Food in balance – a planning aid

Dietary Supplements – healthy or unhealthy?

If things don’t run smoothly – digestive problems and food allergies

Digestion is work

Food intolerance

4. When? Timing is everything

Eating around a dancer’s schedule

Before dancing: stock up on energy

While dancing: maintain your energy

After dancing: accelerate regeneration

A daily meal plan

Reality can be a different story

No time, no space

Working evenings

5. How? Healthy nutrition as a daily routine

Preparation is key – shop with a plan

Writing a grocery list

Navigating the offers

Reading labels

Seasonal and regional

Organic– yes or no?

"Free of" and "diet" products – the power of advertising

Cooking tips for everyday life

The right amount of water

Oil – a How-To?

Healthy toppings – sprouts, seeds, and co.

Homemade or ready meals?

Eating out

6. Fit and slim – a challenge for dancers

How many calories does a dancer need?

Your basic energy needs

Your total energy needs – movement is key

Figure and body composition

BMI – the Body Mass Index

Body fat – an unloved necessity

Maintaining body fat

Much ado about weighing

Dancing influences one’s weight

Dancing influences one’s diet

A new living situation alters one’s diet

Putting dieting to the test

Dropping weight too quickly – the body’s emergency plan

How to lose weight the healthy way

Eating disorders – awareness is key

Causes, risk factors, triggers

Is this still normal? – warning signs of an eating disorder

Avoiding eating disorders – tips for the dance world

7. Synoptic of foods and nutrients

Appendix

Literature

Recommended web links

Contact addresses for eating disorders

Register

Index