Fighting for Better Nutrition
3 Nutrition Hacks for Dancers
Written by Dawn Rhys, Certified Functional Nutritionist
Staying in performance shape as we age becomes a bigger and bigger challenge. Today I want to share with you three ways you can retain and increase muscle while still maintaining a long and lean dancer body.
- Increase protein – Our needs increase as we age because our bodies do not respond the same as it did in our 20’s. Most of us consume our highest amount of protein late in the day and this should be reversed. Start your day with your highest levels of protein to stimulate muscle building and recovery and taper off as the day goes on. Most of the protein consumed at night cannot be utilized and is a waste of calories.
- The Type and quality of your protein is important – Research shows that soy protein vs whey or beef protein is less effective in stimulating muscle building. Even though soy is a complete protein (has the same amino acid make up as meat) it seems as though it is processed differently in the body. Mainly, the protein in soy is digested slower resulting in less of an increase in amino acid levels in the blood and thus decreased stimulation of muscle protein synthesis. Very careful nutrition planning is necessary if you are an older dancer who adheres to a vegetarian or vegan diet.
- Collagen and Creatine Supplements – Before beginning your workouts, rehearsals and performances, try adding a combination of creatine and collagen powder to your protein, hydration formula or pre-workout drink. Muscles store phosphocreatine and it is a substrate that can quickly and easily be used to provide energy for activity lasting only 5-15 seconds. It is an anabolic stimulant, meaning the higher storage of creatine results in increased muscle protein synthesis and recovery. The theory is that the more creatine in the muscle, the harder you can train, thus getting a better workout while getting a larger response of muscle strength and recovery. Research shows that proper dietary strategies + weight training + creatine supplementation can result in additional muscle building, increased strength and also an increase in functional movement in older adults.
As we age, nutrition has an essential role to play in our health and wellbeing. Food can help fuel our bodies, keep our muscles strong, maintain our functionality, decrease our risk of chronic medical conditions, and overall help us age gracefully and continue doing the thing we love the most, DANCING!
For more information about how you can keep your body healthy as you age, speak with a certified Functional Nutritionist today.
Top 3 Skin Aging Foods to Avoid
You are what you eat. And your skin suffers along with your waistline when you give it these top three villains of the anti aging cause.
1. SUGAR – first on our list is sugar. That seemingly innocent and delightful sweetener we all love is actually damaging your collagen. Whaaat?! You say. How? You say. We all know how important collagen is to keeping our skin firm, lifted and tight. Well when you eat sugar, it binds to the collagen proteins in your skin. This binding creates molecules called advanced glycation endproducts, or, AGEs. These AGEs damage collagen.
2. PROCESSED MEATS – Bacon, cured meats, and pepperoni are loaded with sodium. And sodium leads to water retention which show up as under eye bags and carrying excess weight.
3. ALCOHOL – All alcohol is super dehydrating which means your skin will look less plump and fresh. It also generates free radicals which contributes to the aging of skin.
There you have it! My top three enemies of collagen and beautiful youthful skin!!! Avoiding these foods will make your skin look great, your waistline trim and your heart healthier.
Sore Muscle Shower Hack
After a long weekend of shows, rehearsals and technique classes, my muscles need some TLC. So my new favorite go to is a Sore Muscle Salt Scrub. Made super easy with just two products! One cup of Epsom Salts, I like Dr Teal’s Pure Epsom Salt Soaking Solution. And 1/2 cup of Carrier Oil, I like Majestic Pure Sore Muscle Massage oil. Mix them together and apply in the shower as you would any salt or sugar scrub. Epsom Salts have been used for centuries for a variety of aches and pains. How does it work? Well the theory is that when dissolved in water, the Epsom Salts break down into magnesium and sulfate and are absorbed through the skin easing inflammation and soreness. The massage oil not only softens your skin, but helps you to relax with Lavender and Chamomile oils. Arnica extract aids in muscle inflammation and soreness. There is also the added benefits of no chemicals, perfumes, and dyes to harm your skin like in those fancy bath salts and scrubs!
Sore Muscles Salt Scrub is a great addition to your live younger, do what you love longer, anti-aging routine! xoxo
10 Reasons You Should Join a Dance Team today
Have you been dreaming about performing for awhile now but keep putting it off? Have you told yourself you are too old or you don’t have the time or not good enough? Well I am going to tell you why you should stop sabotaging yourself and sign up today!
1. Bringing joy to others, especially seniors living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities battling loneliness and depression. Your beautiful smile, cheerful attitude, sparkly costume and fun music helps them more than you can know.
2. Make friends that will last forever. You will meet others who share your passion for dance and spending time with them regularly will offer you another support group and strong friendships that will last a lifetime!
3. Boost your self confidence. Performing in a team helps your self confidence which will spill over in to every aspect of your life. Your fellow dancers and instructor are all there to help and support you in your journey to becoming a better performer.
4. Joining a community will expand your social network and connections like never before
5. Become a better dancer. Dancing in a team motivates you to become better and you motivate others to be better. It is one of the most positive and uplifting experiences you can participate in.
6. Teamwork means it is not just about you anymore. What will matter most is the team and the success and satisfaction when the team performs well
7. Having fun! Seeing your dance friends, learning and rehearsing new choreographies, wearing many different costumes and bringing joy to isolated seniors will be something you look forward to and can’t wait for.
8. You will acquire skills that will help you throughout your life. Being on a dance team requires discipline, hard work and teamwork. And these skills will bring value to your life wherever you go.
9. The adrenaline rush you get performing in front of crowds is addicting and so much fun. Something you will crave that’s good for you and even better for your audiences.
10. Dancing and performing with a dance team will change your life. So wait no longer and we will see you on the dance floor!
Pilates Method Mat
Get your splits fast! Classical Pilates is the perfect option for anyone looking to get their splits or just improve flexibility and core strength. Joseph Pilates worked with ballet and modern dancers in NYC helping them find balance and strength. Preventing injuries and lengthening their careers. I discovered Pilates in 1996 and give it total credit for the longevity I have enjoyed as a professional belly dancer for the past twenty years. Because Pilates focuses on the abdominal muscles, strengthening the core while creating long lean muscles rather than bulking you up as many traditional exercise routines do, it is the perfect choice for dancers. Flexibility do bulked up muscles are not friends. So grab a mat, a little thicker than your typical yoga mat, and get ready to do the hardest core work of your life!
You’re welcome 😘
Got 7 minutes? Belly Dance inspired HIIT fitness
photography by R_and_J Photography
Research shows that if you are short on time but still want to get fit, HIIT workouts are the way to go. What are HIIT workouts, you ask? HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. Alternating low intensity movement with high intensity movement. And research shows that 7 minutes of HIIT workouts will produce the same results as 45 minutes of steady pace workouts. These workouts are great for targeting belly fat, reducing overall body fat, improving heart and lung health and improving immunity health. But why just do boring calisthenics everyday when you can add some fun sexy moves to the mix?
So here is my belly dance inspired HIIT 7 minute workout to target stubborn belly fat.
1 min (30 sec on each side) Turkish Kash step right 4, add figure eight arms 8, pivot repeat on left side
1 min (30 sec on each side) right hip drop kicks (3 sets of 8), first set no arms, second set add sunrise arms and sunset arms, repeat left hip drop kicks
1 min Egyptian folk step – small jump feet together know kick r and l pressing hands side
1 minute Hip bumps (2 sets of 8), Greek hip lifts (1 set of 8), hip extension 4x, switch sides and Repeat on the left side
1 min (30 sec on each side) right hip twist and turn it, repeat left
1 min Egyptian Shimmy, squeezing the glutes and pressing into the heels to make it as powerful as you can
1 min basic hip shimmy, add sunset arms, sunrise arms and snake arms
The best part of HIIT workouts, besides being short and effective, you can change what you do to target different areas or to drill and perfect new moves. Happy Shimmy’s
Belly Dance Inspired HIIT Routine
Research shows that if you are short on time but still want to get fit, HIIT workouts are the way to go. What are HIIT workouts, you ask? HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training. Alternating 2-3min of low intensity movement with 20-40sec of high intensity movement. And research shows that 9 minutes of HIIT workouts will produce the same results as 50 minutes of steady pace workouts. These workouts are great for targeting belly fat and reducing overall body fat. But why just do boring calisthenics everyday when you can add some fun sexy moves to the mix?
So here is my belly dance inspired HIIT 9 minute workout to target stubborn belly fat.
2 min – right hip drop kicks (3 sets of 8), hip bumps (2 sets of 8), Greek hip lifts (2 sets of 8), hip extension 4x, switch sides
Repeat on the left side
20 sec – kash step 8 left pivot and 8 right
2 min – grapevine 8 CT’s RLRL, Egyptian grapevine 8 CT’s RLRL,
Turkish grapevine 8 CT’s RLRL
Oriental basic 4x RLRL, repeat entire set
20 sec – Egyptian folk step
Repeat first 3 blocks again for a total of 9 minutes
The best part of HIIT workouts, besides being short and effective, you can change what you do to target different areas or to drill and perfect new moves. Happy Shimmy’s!