The story usually looks like this: You feel the pressure to get in shape before your upcoming intensive or an important performance. But you know that starting a diet will bring its fair share of critics. Then you see your favorite Instagram star tout the misguided benefits of a #glutenfree lifestyle and voilà! A self-diagnosed […]

As we spend more time at home and less in the studio, many aspects of our routine simply aren’t up to us. In the midst of COVID-19–related shutdowns, some dancers may be struggling with their relationship to food, whether they’re feeling guilty about stress eating or are developing dangerous disordered eating behaviors, such as restricting […]

Summer intensives can be incredible experiences, but they also bring challenges. As a former dancer and current nutritionist for dancers, I recall a common scenario: Mornings of classes and afternoons of rehearsals increase the demands on your energy, but with little time for breaks, food becomes less of a priority than new combinations and new […]

You wander through the grocery aisles, sizing up the newest trends on the shelves. Although you’re eager to try a new energy bar, you question a strange ingredient and decide to leave it behind. Your afternoons are consumed with research as you sort through endless stories about “detox” miracles. What started as an innocent attempt […]

When the cat food started smelling good, I knew I had a problem. I’d always considered eating disorders to be extreme. Someone who never eats. Someone who weighs less than 100 pounds. Someone who gets hospitalized. My behavior didn’t fit the mental health definition of an eating disorder. I ignored it because I didn’t know […]