Would you like some immune boosting vitamin C? Or how about some extra potassium to help avoid muscle cramps? There is no need to take extra supplements to get the extra boost you need for your dance day. It can be as simple as squeezing a lemon on your salad, or having celery sticks as your rehearsal snack (instead of that packet of chips). A lot of ordinary fruits and vegetables are secret superfoods! A bonus? They are flexible, portable, and with your creativity can add a little ‘zing’ to your typical meal.
Dancers need to be aware of their nutritional balance, which tends to get lost in the daily shuffle of your schedule. For instance a lot of dancers are low in vitamin D (which is fat soluble), and low in calcium (which can lead to higher risk of bone fractures). It’s easy to add mineral and vitamin rich foods to your diet. It is recommended to have five servings of both fruits and vegetables per day.
Below is a list of fruits and vegetables that can make a big difference in ensuring you are consuming enough of your daily essential nutrients.
LEMONS: CITRUS BOOST!
Vitamin C helps the body in producing collagen, which aids in creating new bone mass, blood vessels, ligaments, and tendons. Most dancers don’t realize the importance of vitamin C in your diet, vitamin C is a huge booster in muscle recovery as well. A single lemon can contain more than 50 milligrams, over half the daily requirement for females. Simply adding lemon juice to your salad, tea, or water, will add some extra flavor and help you get that extra daily punch.
CELERY: OLD SCHOOL; BUT CLASSIC
Dancers need to replace electrolytes quickly, and celery can help majorly during those long rehearsals. Celery is very high in fiber, vitamin K, folic acid, magnesium, sodium (also an electrolyte), and essential amino acids. How much more of a superfood do you need? Celery leaves also contain vitamin A, which helps to keep your skin vibrant and healthy. You can dip sticks in peanut butter, or humus for added protein, or chop them up to add in soups and salads.
POTATO: VITAMIN RICH RESOURCE
Those lumpy brown tubers get an unfortunate reputation from those no-carb losers, and often get overlooked for their nutritional value. Now it is time to reconsider those spuds in your diet! Made of complex carbohydrates, they are very filling, transportable, and low on the glycemic index. (And eating that skin, will give you an extra boost!) potatoes contain vitamin C, D, folate, potassium, magnesium, and iron. One roast potato will deliver the intake of 21% the daily requirement for vitamin B6, (which helps with your nervous system), and the skins are full of antioxidant flavonoids.
Chace Dance Company 