Should Dancers Be Taking Sports Supplements?

You probably wouldn’t follow the cross-training regimen of a football player, or do the same stretches as a soccer star. So are sports supplements aimed at other athletes even useful for high-level dancers? To find out which ones could boost your performance—and which could actually tank your hard work—we spoke with two dancers-turned-dietitians. Protein Powder […]

Should Dancers Try a Raw Food Diet?

The benefits of eating raw fruits and veggies are clear. The nutrients! The fiber! But can an all-raw diet be too much of a good thing? If you’re tempted to try the Instagram trend yourself, proceed with caution. “The evidence in favor of a raw diet is often anecdotal rather than researched,” says Chicago-based registered […]

3 Reasons Dancers Should Delete Calorie-Counting Apps

Seeking control over the uncontrollable is a common coping mechanism we all use when we’re stressed. For dancers, that can manifest as a tendency to overanalyze meals and obsessively monitor daily calorie burn: When weight and body-image anxieties lurk alongside the unfortunate encouragement of those behaviors within our culture, it’s easy to say, “Hey, let […]

Recovering From Injury? Avoid These 4 Diet Pitfalls

The bad news: “There’s so much about the healing process that dancers don’t have control over,” says registered dietitian nutritionist Tiffany Mendell. One notable exception? How dancers fuel and nourish their injured bodies. To help your body recover, avoid these four common nutritional mistakes. DON’T Eat Too Little In an effort to avoid gaining weight, many […]

Dietitian-Recommended Instagram Accounts For Dancers to Follow

Social media is brimming with nutrition advice. But not all of the information is useful—or even safe. Dancers hoping to pick up health-boosting tips on Instagram and other platforms need to make sure they’re listening to the right voices. To help you curate your feed, Dance Magazine asked three experts to shout out a few […]

Should Dancers Try Intuitive Eating?

It sounds easy: Eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. This is the straightforward philosophy behind intuitive eating. But when a multitrillion dollar wellness industry is paired with the stringent and often unrealistic demands of the dance industry, listening to your body can become fraught. We know that dieting can lead to feelings […]

What Should You Eat After Performing to Recover and Refuel?

After a curtain call ends, you might want nothing more than to crawl into bed. But first, there’s one crucial step to take: You need to eat something. Refueling after strenuous activity can help you wake up the next morning feeling energized. Not only does your body do a lot of replenishing work while you’re […]