Dear Dancers,
The holiday season is already upon us. The party mood will soon set in, and our palates will be ready for good home cooking.
As a dancer, however, and for some of us, the thought in the back of our minds will be ‘TO INDULGE OR NOT TO INDULGE!”
As a professional who has experienced the dilemma of absorbing the proper amount of food for ultimate performance, I agree that overindulgence is not the way to go. However, without restraining yourself too much, you may take pleasure in savoring your holiday meal by being a bit selective.
One of the way to be efficient as a performer is to prevent the onset of iron deficiency in one’s body.
To paraphrase Nicolette Aisen, an expert dietician in the dance field, as a dancer we should attempt to:
- Eat more iron rich foods such as lean red meat, skinless chicken, fish, eggs and legumes.
- Include Vitamin C rich foods or drinks at each meal.
- Eat more wholegrain breads and iron-fortified cereals.
- Drink tea and coffee between meals rather than with them.
If you are vegetarian or restricting certain food groups from your diet, obtain further dietary advice to suit individual requirements.
If you manage to eat satisfactorily by enriching your body with the right ingredients as per the above tips, congratulations… If not? Forgive yourself and try to get back on track as soon as you can after the holidays.
Meanwhile my best wishes for this Holiday season and a happy new dancing year.
Stanley McCalla, Dance Board member and examiner, National Champion and adjudicator
No comments:
Post a Comment