This unit will present a strategy for obtaining energy needed for dance training

and the right balance of macronutrients, fluids and micronutrients.

It will also address healthy eating habits and eating disorders.

NUTRITION & EATING DISORDERS

What do we need as dancers

to fuel our body to perform at it’s best?

MacronutrientsProtein

Fat

Carbohydrates

Protein Our bodies need protein to grow and stay healthy

Function: Build and repair body tissues like bone, muscle and skin

Important: when recovering from an injury; when recovering from a stressful week of training, rehearsals, and performing

Needed: to make blood, hormones, and antibodies

Known as the building block of life

Sources: fish and poultry without the skin, lean red meats, eggs, low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, nuts, nut butters, tofu, mixtures of beans and rice

If we consume more protein than our body needs, the excess may get stored as fat and stress your body systems

Fat Our bodies need to consume fat to stay healthy

Function: Insulate and cushion organs and nerves, to make hormones, to store energy, to carry some vitamins to areas where they are used

Important: during long rehearsals where the body is continuously exercising for over 20 minutes at a time

Needed: as an energy source in the muscle for endurance activities

Sources: low-fat dairy products like yogurt and cheese, lean red meats, poultry

Now that fats are used generously, especially in processed foods and fast foods, we have to moderate our tendency to eat more than we actually need. Some fast food choices are healthier than others so try to choose the healthier options.

Carbohydrates Our bodies need complex carbohydrates to provide the sustained

energy dancers need to train, rehearse and perform at peak levels for long periods. Simple carbohydrates are considered nutrient poor or empty calories and tend to create an energy spike that can result in large swings in energy level

Function: provide the body with a source of energy and fuel

Important: carbohydrate snacks should be ingested before, during and after class, rehearsal or performance to provide the added boost needed for optimal performance

Needed: to supply energy in order for your body to function properly and prevent fatigue, poor mental function, and low endurance and stamina

Sources of complex carbohydrates: bread, pasta, rice, vegetables

Sources of simple carbohydrates: table sugar, honey, corn syrup, whole fruits (although considered nutrient dense and packed with essential vitamins and minerals)

Water Water is not normally considered a nutrient.

8 cups is a target amount to consume daily although this is not scientifically proven

Important: without it our performance is compromised and exhaustion can occur

Needed: regulates body temperature, is a natural lubricant for the joints, removes waste from the body, promotes healthy skin, moves nutrients around the body, and helps with digestion

Sources: Most fluids (milk, juice, broth in soups, sports drinks, and the liquid you add to smoothies) all count as part of your water intake except for alcohol and caffeine

MicronutrientsCalciumIronPotassiumZinc

Getting an adequate supply of these nutrients will normally result

in a reasonable balance of other vitamins and minerals.

Without them, critical body processes would be compromised, making our bodies function less

effectively in both the short run and the long run.

Sources of MicronutrientsLow-fat dairy products, lean red meats, beans, tofu, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, potatoes, oranges, tomatoes and bananas.

Most fresh fruits and vegetables are good sources of minerals, vitamins and fiber.

Vitamin and mineral supplements are also good sources but are not substitutes for eating the above nutrient-dense foods.

Write down at least one health fact you

have learned about each of the nutrition vocabulary word.

Nutrition Vocabulary Healthy Fact

Protein

Water

Fat

Carbohydrates

Body Composition Body composition is used to describe the percentages

of fat, bone and muscles in human bodies. Because muscular tissue takes up less space in our body than fat tissue, our body composition, as well as our weight, determines leanness. Two people at the same height and same body weight may look completely different from each other because they have a different body composition.

The goal in body composition is to have the right amount of fat for our own body

Percent body fat (%BF) is the percentage of fat your body contains

Ways to estimate body composition: scale weight as a rough estimate, underwater weighing, using calipers to measure skin thickness

New procedures to estimate body composition is using cross-sectional imaging methods like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT).

You can change your body composition by increasing or decreasing your percent of body fat you need to create the right balance between the calories in and calories out. Decrease daily calories and increase your exercise.

Staying Lean & Diets To stay lean, dancers need to burn as

many calories as they take in The best way to change body composition

is to reduce the calories you consume each day by a modest amount and add a tailored weekly exercise program

Strengthening and aerobic components help to change body composition

Most dance activity burns only about 200 calories per hour so most dancers need aerobic activity to burn extra calories

Link for video Diet for Dancers

Eat Well and Stay Healthy! We will chart our eating for a week

and fill in the MyPyramid Worksheet.

We will turn in our MyPyramid Worksheet as well as write a one paragraph summary on how you might eat more healthfully?

Eating to Perform Complex carbohydrates help you maintain

a continuous supply of energy while performing

Eat slightly less to avoid queasiness, heaviness and gastrointestinal distress

Avoid foods that take a long time to digest such as red meat

Eating sugar might have the opposite effect and can leave you crashing

Eat 2 to 3 hours before you perform if possible

After performance or rehearsals, replenish fluids and the rest of the food needed to meet your nutrient goals for the day

Eating Disorders Eating disorders are a group of conditions defined by

abnormal eating habits that involve either insufficient or excessive exercise food intake

The main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder.

Treatments for eating disorders usually involve psychotherapy, nutrition education, family counseling, medications and hospitalization.

Harmful effects: Damage to the heart, Excessive weight loss, Negatively affects the immune system, Death

Anorexia Nervosa Obsession with food and being thin, sometimes to the point of

deadly self-starvation.

Anorexia signs and symptoms may include:Refusing to eat and denying hunger

An intense fear of gaining weight Negative or distorted self-image

Excessively exercising Flat mood or lack of emotion

Preoccupation with food Social withdrawal Thin appearance

Dizziness or fainting Soft, downy hair present on the body

Menstrual irregularitiesConstipation

Abdominal pain Frequently being cold

Irregular heart rhythms Low blood pressure

Dehydration

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia is described as having episodes of bingeing and purging. During these episodes, you typically eat a large amount of food in a short duration and then try to rid yourself of the extra calories

by vomiting or excessive exercise.

Bulimia signs and symptoms may include:Eating until the point of discomfort or pain, often with high-fat or

sweet foods Self-induced vomiting

Laxative use Excessively exercising

Unhealthy focus on body shape and weight Having a distorted, excessively negative body image Going to the bathroom after eating or during meals Feeling that you can't control your eating behavior

Abnormal bowel functioning Damaged teeth and gums

Swollen salivary glands in the cheeks Sores in the throat and mouth

Dehydration Irregular heartbeat

Sores, scars or calluses on the knuckles or hands Menstrual irregularities or loss of menstruation

Constant dieting or fasting

Binge-eating Disorder

When you have binge-eating disorder, you regularly eat excessive amounts of food (binge). You may eat when you're not hungry and continue eating even long after you're uncomfortably full. After a binge, you may try to diet or eat normal meals, triggering a new

round of bingeing.

Symptoms of binge-eating disorder may include:Eating to the point of discomfort or pain

Eating much more food during a binge episode than during a normal meal or snack

Eating faster during binge episodes Feeling that your eating behavior is out of control

Frequently eating alone Feeling depressed, disgusted or upset over the amount eaten

When to see a doctor

Overcoming Eating DisordersEating disorders can be difficult to manage or overcome by yourself.

If you're experiencing any of these problems, or if you think you may have an eating disorder, seek medical help.

Red flags that family and friends may notice include:Skipping meals

Making excuses for not eating Eating only a few certain "safe" foods, usually those low in fat and calories

Adopting rigid meal or eating rituals, such as cutting food into tiny pieces or spitting food out after chewing

Cooking elaborate meals for others, but refusing to eat them themselves Withdrawing from normal social activities

Persistent worry or complaining about being fat A distorted body image, such as complaining about being fat despite being underweight

Not wanting to eat in public Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws

Wearing baggy or layered clothing Repeatedly eating large amounts of sweet or high-fat foods

Use of dietary supplements or herbal products for weight loss

Laxatives, Diuretics And Compulsive Exercising Laxatives - move food through the body more rapidly. Weight loss is

caused by loss of H2O and minerals and only temporary.

Diuretics - a.k.a. water pills-help get rid of excess water by increasing the amount of urine. They cause sudden weight loss, dehydration and an increased loss of minerals.

Signs of Compulsive Exercising –

you force yourself to exercise, even if you don't feel well? prefer to exercise rather than being with friends? become very upset if you miss a workout? base the amount you exercise on how much you eat? have trouble sitting still because you think you're not burning calories? worry that you'll gain weight if you skip exercising for a day?

Excessive exercise damages tendons, ligaments, bones, cartilage, and joints and may disrupt the balance of hormones in their bodies.

Conclusion Serving size is also not necessarily consistent with the typical portion size eaten by

most people. Portion sizes--the amount you are served at restaurants or serve yourself at home--have been increasing. If you are served larger portions, you tend to eat more.

There are many more fast food healthy eating options than there were in the past. Use these options and stay away from super-size options. There are also more descriptive packaging for products explaining the ingredients as well as snack size servings readily available.

In general, people are being more vocal about eating disorders. Celebrities, athletes and professional dancers are speaking out instead of pushing the topic under the rug as done years ago.

The historic perception of ballet dancers are typically undernourished. In classical ballet, there is popularly believed to be an ideal ''Balanchine'' body type for women, with the jobs going to tall, slender women with long necks, long legs and short torsos.

Ballet companies are addressing health concerns amongst their dancers and helping them to pursue healthy lifestyles.

Companies such as American Ballet Theatre are addressing dancer health by introducing their book, The Healthy Dancer: ABT Guidelines for Dancer Health

“American Ballet Theatre assembled a Medical Advisory Board to assist with writing health guidelines for the ABT National Training Curriculum. After receiving great feedback from teachers and dance advocates about the larger importance of this portion of the curriculum, it became apparent that wider distribution and publication was important for the health of young dancers across the United States and beyond.”

Finally, Peter Martins, director of City Ballet, best describes today's dancers as ''fundamentally very responsible about their own health.''