By Emily C. Harrison MS, RD, LD
www.dancernutrition.com

Dance Informa is celebrating heart health this Valentine’s Day by highlighting five red foods that are good for the one muscle in your body that never gets a rest. These foods are also great for recovering from a tough rehearsal, for keeping a healthy body weight and for preventing cancer and heart disease – but most importantly, they taste good!

In the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women¹.  One out of every four deaths is from heart disease in the US¹. Being physically active, maintaining a healthy body weight, and eating more colorful fruits and veggies can reduce your risk.

Strawberries

At only 43 calories per cup, berries contain vitamin C, folate and potassium, in addition to cancer-fighting flavonoids, such as anthocyanins. Flavonoids are antioxidants that combat oxidative stress on the body and protect against free radicals that cause cell damage. This is good news for dancers who push their bodies to the extreme and is especially helpful in urban areas where city pollution can be a source of oxidative stress. The Nurse’s Health Study II reported that people who ate berries more frequently (more than once a month) were 32 percent less likely to have a heart attack than people who ate berries infrequently. Berries also protect the heart with their anti-inflammatory properties. Be sure to choose organic berries as often as possible. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) lists these on their “Dirty Dozen” list of fruits and vegetables that are typically high in pesticides².

Peppers

Sweet or hot, raw or cooked, there is no doubt that these are super healthy foods. Sweet red peppers contain vitamins C and A, but they are also a good source of vitamin B6, which aids in protein metabolism. Because red peppers have been left on the plant to mature longer than green ones, they are better sources of antioxidants. They are great sliced and dipped in hummus or chopped in a chili or stew. These are also on EWG’s Dirty Dozen list so it’s worth the money to buy organic.

Tomatoes

These are a great source of vitamins C and K. They also contain vitamin A and the carotenoids lutein, and lycopene. These are antioxidants, powerful cancer fighters and are very heart protective. Research has shown that cooked tomatoes, like in sauces and stews, can have additional benefits. So enjoy them raw and cooked. Eat the skins as well, as the skins contain many health-promoting phytonutrients. This is another food on EWG’s Dirty Dozen list, so once again we recommend that you buy organic. Try tomatoes in a winter chili with the next heart healthy food on our list – red beans.

Red Beans

A fantastic source of plant based protein and fiber, red or ‘kidney’ beans also contain folate, iron, manganese, copper, potassium and several other minerals. Current recommendations from a variety of health organizations tell us to get protein from more plant-based sources in general. Beans are a cheap source of organic protein, which with the fiber will help you feel fuller longer and can keep blood sugar more stable. I would strongly recommend avoiding canned beans because canned products are lined with a plastic coating that contains BPA, which is a known neuroendocrine disruptor. It’s so easy to throw some beans in a slow cooker in the morning and they are ready when you get home. During cooking, don’t add salt or something acidic like tomatoes. Wait until the beans are softened to add these. If you soak beans overnight and then give them a good rinse before cooking or eating you can reduce the substance that gives them their reputation for being gas-producing.

Beets

These bright red root veggies are hot in the sports nutrition field right now because they are a great source of naturally occurring nitrates. Naturally occurring nitrates in foods like beets, arugula, spinach and rhubarb have been shown to significantly improve athletic performance with better power output, more endurance and speed. Dancers might see benefits by eating more of these veggies or drinking beetroot juice. Nitrate supplementation from pills has not shown the same benefits as consuming the actual vegetable. It’s important to note that cured or processed meats contain nitrates too, but interestingly these have a completely different effect on the body and cause cell damage instead. Cook beets in water until soft and then add them to salads.

There are plenty of other great red foods out there so don’t forget to also include these in your daily food choices – cherries, watermelon, red cabbage, raspberries, cranberries, ruby red grapefruit, pomegranate, apples and many others. Enjoy!

Emily Harrison
Emily Cook Harrison MS, RD, LD
Emily is a registered dietitian and holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nutrition from Georgia State University. Her master’s thesis research was on elite level ballet dancers and nutrition and she has experience providing nutrition services for weight management, sports nutrition, disordered eating, disease prevention, and food allergies. Emily was a professional dancer for eleven years with the Atlanta Ballet and several other companies. She is a dance educator and the mother of two young children. She now runs the Centre for Dance Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles. She can be reached at emily@dancernutrition.com www.dancernutrition.com

Sources:
1. Centers for Disease Control: www.CDC.gov
2. Environmental Working Group: www.ewg.org

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By Emily C. Harrison MS, RD, LD
www.dancernutrition.com

It’s no accident that all five of these top foods are fruits and vegetables. The more colorful your dietary choices the better you will look, feel, and dance.   Fruits and veggies are a storehouse of vitamins, minerals and compounds called phytonutrients that all work synergistically to promote health and aid in sports recovery.  You can’t get the same effect from a pill.  As a dietitian who works with elite level dancers, I could simplify my recommendations with two statements: Don’t ever skip breakfast and eat more fruits and vegetables.  Below I have highlighted five super foods that all dancers need to try.

Kale

Kale has earned its name as a super food because it beats out other vegetables with its high amount of lutein, beta-carotene, vitamin K, calcium, iron, folate and vitamin C.  It’s packed with cancer fighting phytonutrients.  Enjoy this versatile green in salads and soups, or simply sautéed with veggie broth and garlic. Impress your friends by baking it in the oven for tasty kale chips that everyone will love.  Take washed kale, strip off the stems and combine with peaches, olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper. Massage the dressing into the kale and peaches for an amazing salad that looks and tastes beautiful (it’s great with dried cranberries too).

Apples

Everyone knows this delicious and portable fruit is perfect for fall breakfasts like oatmeal and oatcakes, but it also makes an easy snack especially with nut butter.  Apples are low in calories (about 60-80) but high in fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants that can help prevent cancer and protect against heart disease.  The dark red skins of apples and grapes contain polyphenols that have been shown to have a protective effect against oxidative stress.  Dancers and other athletes who push their bodies hard for hours at a time create more oxidative stress on the body. This can affect recovery, which can affect performance the next day. The more anti-oxidants you eat from colorful fruits and veggies, the better you will recover during a long week of shows or rehearsals.

Broccoli

This veggie favorite is easy to lightly steam on weeknights when you don’t have much time to make dinner. Or throw some in a wrap for a big lunch time nutrient boost. Broccoli is considered a super food because of its high levels of vitamins, minerals, and sulfur-containing phytonutrients. Did you know that the stems are rich in calcium, and some research suggests that if you chop broccoli and let it sit for a few minutes before cooking, you can enhance an enzyme that converts the healthy compounds to their more active form?

Carrots

All orange and yellow veggies and fruits are packed with beta-carotene, a type of vitamin A.  They’re good for your skin and eyes.  People who get plenty of vitamin A have been shown to have fewer infections and stronger immune systems.  Dancers can’t afford a sick day, so eating foods rich in vitamin A and C can help keep illness at bay.  Taking high supplemental doses of either of those vitamins can be detrimental. But nature provides just the right amount in real foods.   Carrots are the perfect addition to lunches because this root veggie can stay fresh longer.

Blueberries

Blueberries are packed with cancer fighting, immune boosting anthocyanins (a type of flavonoid). That’s just a fancy word for what gives them their rich dark color. The more colorful your plate the better!  Having trouble remembering that ballet you learned last year?  Flavonoid-rich foods like blueberries have been shown to enhance spatial memory. Another study linked blueberries to faster rates of learning. Fresh or frozen, they taste great in a smoothie or over oatmeal.

Dancers should aim for at least 4 servings of vegetables a day and 2-3 servings of fruit.  Try to eat a rainbow of fruits and veggies each day, and don’t be afraid to bring something new home from the store that you have never tried before.

Emily Harrison
Emily Cook Harrison MS, RD, LD
Emily is a registered dietitian and holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nutrition from Georgia State University. Her master’s thesis research was on elite level ballet dancers and nutrition and she has experience providing nutrition services for weight management, sports nutrition, disordered eating, disease prevention, and food allergies. Emily was a professional dancer for eleven years with the Atlanta Ballet and several other companies. She is a dance educator and the mother of two young children. She now runs the Centre for Dance Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles. She can be reached at emily@dancernutrition.com www.dancernutrition.com

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By Emily C. Harrison MS, RD, LD

I don’t know any dancers who have money to throw away.  Here are a few tips to help stretch those hard earned dollars.

Get your protein from more plant based sources

Protein from beans, peas, nuts, whole grains, seeds and soy is so much cheaper than animal based protein. Think about how much more a steak costs verses some beans and rice. If you buy the dried beans from bulk bins you will save even more.  Black eyed peas and most beans are sources of protein, iron, potassium, folate and fiber. In general, plant based meals are lower in fat and calories but high in nutrients.

You can make totally organic (and delicious) homemade chili and rice and even add kale for about $2.00 per serving.  It’s easy to throw everything in a slow cooker or make something ahead of time for an easy meal after a long day of rehearsals.  Quinoa is a wonderful high protein grain that you can get for less than $0.50 per serving, and it cooks faster than rice for a quick week night meal.

Soy is a versatile and cheap source of protein. Add some tofu or edamames to a veggie stir fry.  Eat more plants in place of meat and dairy – you’ll be fighting off cancer and reducing your impact on the environment while saving money!

Think critically about your grocery store

Food companies are businesses, and their ads are designed to get you to buy food and more of it. The system is designed for higher and higher profits, but that’s not always what’s best for our waist line, wallets, or our health. The word “natural” is now used on everything from chips to cookies and ice cream.  “Natural” has no legal definition in the U.S. so it gets overused.  It can lure people into believing that chips are somehow good for you just because the word natural is on the package.

Health claims are also a big part of the advertising market. Some companies will put random vitamins and “functional” ingredients into all kinds of foods and beverages touting health claims that might be flimsy at best or even dangerous. One example is mega doses of vitamins in beverages. No one needs 1000mg of vitamin B or C in a juice. The body wasn’t meant to absorb nutrients in this way and it can cause problems.  Our bodies absorb nutrients best through real food.  Stick to the outside aisles of a grocery store where you will find fewer boxes and bags and more fresh ingredients.  We all like convenience, but we pay for it.  Candy bars are right at eye level at the checkout counter and high fat foods are placed at high traffic areas for a reason.  Bargains aren’t bargains if they are full of sugar, fat, or refined flour.

Is it really a bargain?

Buying in bulk might not always be a good thing. No one really needs a gallon container of cheese puffs.  Big box retailers of wholesale food items might be selling you much bigger portions of unhealthy packaged foods. Is a 20 pack of croissants really a deal when each one packs up to 400 calories?  Use care and read food labels if you shop at the big wholesale stores.

Some terms on packages are legally defined and can help when deciding what to buy. The term “organic” has strict guidelines in the US and while the system isn’t perfect, it is better to buy organic. But keep in mind that organic cookies are still cookies – enjoy them in moderation.  It’s better to buy organic fruits and veggies, even though they usually cost more.

“Low fat” means that the food item must have 3 grams or less of fat per 100 grams, or no more than 30% of calories from fat.  This can be helpful when looking at food labels. But one trick to be aware of is that “low-fat” baked goods often have way more sugar content than regular to make them taste better.  So those low-fat treats might still have close to the same number of calories.

Prepare food at home and avoid packaged foods

Less packaging = Less cost. Planning ahead can save you lots of money. Having fruit and veggies ready to go at home make it easy to grab them while you are racing out the door to class. You are much more likely to eat well on a budget if you don’t have to pick something up from a convenience store or restaurant.  Have grapes washed and ready to eat in your fridge, peel and cut carrots yourself and put them into your own reusable containers. Keep a box of 140 calorie granola bars in your car. When snacks are easy to grab, you are less likely to eat junk food which will cost you more money and many more calories.

Eat in season and reduce portions

Off season tomatoes shipped from miles away not only taste terrible, but are much more expensive. Shop local, support your farmers markets, and buy in season. You will get better quality food, with higher nutrients and your hard earned food dollars will stay in your local economy.

One of the main reasons for weight struggles are out of control portions.  Make smaller portions and serve food on smaller plates.  Restaurants are notorious for gigantic portions. A certain well known pizza chain’s “personal” pizzas can have upwards of 1000 calories for an individual serving. When eating out, split an entree with a friend. You’ll save money, and won’t overload calories. Ask if you can order a child’s portion. Chances are that it is actually a more reasonable portion size.

You CAN eat well on a tight budget: plan ahead, make your own food, shop local, and eat more plants.
Emily Harrison
Emily Cook Harrison MS, RD, LD
Emily is a registered dietitian and holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nutrition from Georgia State University. Her master’s thesis research was on elite level ballet dancers and nutrition and she has experience providing nutrition services for weight management, sports nutrition, disordered eating, disease prevention, and food allergies. Emily was a professional dancer for eleven years with the Atlanta Ballet and several other companies. She is a dance educator and the mother of two young children. She now runs the Centre for Dance Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles. She can be reached at emily@dancernutrition.com www.dancernutrition.com

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By Emily C. Harrison MS, RD, LD

Even mild dehydration can affect performance.  Staying hydrated is extremely important to a dancer’s performance because the first signs of dehydration are fatigue and poor balance.  Thirst actually only kicks in after the body has lost 1-2 liters of water. If you are thirsty then you are already dehydrated.

The science:

Water makes up approximately 60% of body weight and is the largest component of the human body.  The muscles we work so hard to develop as dancers (skeletal muscles) are about 73% water, your blood is about 93% water and even bones and teeth contain some water. Water is critical for maintaining homeostasis within the body and important in the thousands of biochemical and physiological functions our bodies go through every day. Water aids in digestion and is important in the transport and elimination systems of the body.

Overheating and performance:

It’s important for dancers to know that being properly hydrated helps keep the body from overheating. Helping the body promote heat loss when dancing full out will improve athletic performance and aid in recovery. This is especially important for dancers wearing hot costumes and performing under stage lights. Sweat losses during performance can be significantly more than during rehearsal of the same piece. This is why drinking regularly (even small, regular sips) is an important habit during a show.

How much is really needed? Can a dancer get fluids from other things besides water?

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that athletes (we all know that dancers are athletes) start their exercise already hydrated with about 17 ounces of beverage taken before you begin. Then drink 5-10 ounces every 20 minutes or so. This means that your reusable water bottle should be your constant companion in the studio or backstage.  Every dancer is a little different but pre-professional and professional level dancers should aim for about 2800-3500ml (94-117 oz) of fluids every day.  That’s about 12 – 15 cups.  About 20-25% will come from foods like fruits and veggies, but about 80% comes from what you drink.  Aim to get most of your fluids through water, but juices, sports beverages, and even tea and coffee can be counted toward that goal. Some dancers find that mixing 50% sports beverage with 50% water in their reusable bottles helps them get through long rehearsals or classes. This is because sports beverages contain a source of readily available energy (calories) and electrolytes that are lost in sweat.

But I want something besides just water…..

Prevent dehydration by eating lots of fruits and veggies.  Consider melon, squash, oranges, apples, pears, grapes, leafy greens and salads in addition to beverages like tea, whole fruit popsicles, sports beverages, smoothies, soy milk, almond milk, and yogurts.

What about caffeine?

Caffeine makes us more awake and is known to enhance athletic performance. But there can be too much of a “good” thing.  Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, not a source of energy.  Yes, caffeine can also promote water loss and dancers should limit caffeine, but those beverages can still count toward your daily intake. I always recommend limiting or avoiding sodas. They are empty calorie bombs and can make bones weaker.  One cup of coffee is fine, but being overly jittery doesn’t help your dancing.

So be good to your body and good to the earth by taking your reusable water bottle with you everywhere and refilling it often.
Emily Harrison
Emily Cook Harrison MS, RD, LD
Emily is a registered dietitian and holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nutrition from Georgia State University. Her master’s thesis research was on elite level ballet dancers and nutrition and she has experience providing nutrition services for weight management, sports nutrition, disordered eating, disease prevention, and food allergies. Emily was a professional dancer for eleven years with the Atlanta Ballet and several other companies. She is a dance educator and the mother of two young children. She now runs the Centre for Dance Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles. She can be reached at emily@dancernutrition.com www.dancernutrition.com

By Emily Cook Harrison MS, RD, LD.

The Glycemic Index is a tool that gives a numerical value to a specific amount of food based on how it affects your body’s blood sugar and insulin over a specific time period.  Foods with lower numbers don’t spike blood sugar as much as ones with higher numbers and provide more sustained energy.

Why does this matter to dancers?
Dancers who eat foods low on the GI tend to have more sustained energy overtime and more endurance. Not only can low GI foods improve performance, but when eaten before exercise they can help you feel more satisfied and may even help you burn more fat.  Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, and peas are all considered good choices.

How to keep a low GI diet
Consider the importance of lowering the GI of your entire diet as a whole instead of picking out foods individually. Basically that means eat more whole foods. When low GI foods are consumed as part of an overall diet, there is a lower insulin response and better glucose control. A low GI diet as a whole helps you feel more satisfied after eating and leads to less overeating.  It is also important to eat smaller more frequent meals for good blood sugar control, to feel great, and to dance stronger.

GI facts

• The GI is a numerical index used to describe how a carbohydrate is metabolized/ absorbed and its effect on blood glucose and insulin levels.
• Consuming low GI carbs before endurance exercise results in increased fat oxidation during exercise in trained men and women.
• Participants in a J. Nutr study reported feeling full following lunch in a low GI trial.
• Consuming a low GI breakfast increases fat oxidation during exercise and improves satiety during recovery.  (J. Nutr. 139: 890–897, 2009).

Low GI food choices (better choices)

Whole grain/ high fiber breads
Brown rice, basmati rice
Oatmeal
Quinoa
Bran/ high fiber, WG cereals
Pasta (especially whole grain)
Most fruits
Most vegetables
Beans/ legumes
Nuts, seeds
Milk, dairy, soy

High GI foods  (not the best choices)

White rice
White bread
Sugar, honey, candy
Cornflakes, Cheerios, Rice Krispies, Coco Puffs
Waffles, Pop-tarts
Baked potato, mashed potatoes
Pretzels
Baked goods, cakes, pies, muffins
Sugary drinks, sodas

Emily Harrison
Emily Cook Harrison MS, RD, LD
Emily is a registered dietitian and holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nutrition from Georgia State University. Her master’s thesis research was on elite level ballet dancers and nutrition and she has experience providing nutrition services for weight management, sports nutrition, disordered eating, disease prevention, and food allergies. Emily was a professional dancer for eleven years with the Atlanta Ballet and several other companies. She is a dance educator and the mother of two young children. She now runs the Centre for Dance Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles. She can be reached at emily@dancernutrition.com www.dancernutrition.com

Resources:
www.glycemicindex.com
www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Glycemic_index_and_glycemic_load_for_100_foods.htm
http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/foods/grains/gigl.html

Published by Dance Informa digital dance magazine – dance news, dance auditions & dance events.

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