Well competition season is upon us but, wouldn't you know it, before our first competition comes March Break! Of course a change from the usual routine and, for some, a chance to get away, is always welcome. It is still funny that we get a holiday right before the most challenging time of year. We should embrace the holiday knowing that the rest will hopefully leave us in tip top shape once things start up again. We do have to be careful, however, that in resting we we still maintain our fitness and nutritional habits that we have kept since September.
Take care of your body and make sure that any physical activities you do do not come with too much risk of injury. Downhill skiing, for instance, is a wonderful sport but I always advise dancers not to do it right before any important performance simply because the chances of getting injured are fairly high. It is great to stay active by trying different things like swimming, running, or participating in a yoga or cross training class at a gym. Swimming in particular is considered great complimentary training for dancers because it works the entire body, has no impact on joints and does not leave a build up of toxins in the body the same way that higher impact activities will do. It is a fantastic way to ensure that your cardiovascular fitness is maintained.
If you are staying in the city, I would also encourage you to get into the kitchen and experiment with some healthy, fuel-providing recipes that you'll be able to throw in with your competition gear when the time comes. Days at competition can be very long and quite often the cafeteria food on hand is not a great option. To get you started, here are some of my favorite lunch/snack recipes. They have become go-to options for me and I encourage you to try them out. If you have special dietary requirements online sources like Pinterest will leave you with many fun options.
Sweet and Salty Granola-Nut Clusters (from Grazing A Healthier Approach to Snacks and finger Foods. By Julie Van Rosendaal)
Ingredients: 1. Preheat oven to 350
1 cup mixed nuts and seeds
1/2 sesame seeds 2. Spread nuts and seeds on a baking sheet and
1/4 cup ground flax seeds toast for 8-10 minutes until pale golden. Set aside.
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp water 3. In a medium saucepan, combine the honey,
1 tsp canola or flax oil water and oil. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
1 cup low-fat granola Stir in the nut mixture. Reduce heat to medium-
2 Tbsp sugar low and cook, stirring, for another 2 minutes. Stir
1 tsp coarse sea salt in the granola, sugar, and salt and cook for
another minute.
4. Spread the mixture in a thick layer on a baking
sheet and allow to cool. Once cooled, break into
clusters, or shape it into balls while it is still warm.
Store in a tightly sealed container.
Makes about a dozen clusters.
Crunchy Kale Salad (Posted on Pinterest and found on www.userealbutter.com)
(This salad takes a bit of extra work but is well worth it. If you are not a huge fan of kale, chop it in fine pieces to make it incorporate with the other ingredients a bit better)
Ingredients:
4 cups kale, washed, trimmed, and shredded
2 cups red cabbage, shredded
2 cups green cabbage, shredded
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 cup almonds (or walnuts)
1 cup dried black currants
Maple Orange Tahini Dressing:
1/2 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp maple syrup (I have used table syrup as well)
3 Tbsp tahini
pinch of salt
1/3 cup olive oil
lemon juice to taste
Make the Dressing: Place the orange juice, maple syrup, tahini and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together until blended. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the bowl in a steady stream while constantly whisking. Add lemon juice to taste.
In a large bowl, combine the kale, cabbage, apple, avocado, almonds and dried black currants. Pour the dressing over and toss to coat. Enjoy!
Of course I have several other recipes that I make week after week. In addition to Grazing - A Healthier Approach to Snacking, I would highly recommend 5 Easy Steps to Healthy Cooking - 500 Recipes for Lifelong Wellness by Camilla V. Saulsbury. I have likely tried 30 recipes from this book and have had success with every single one. None of the recipes are overly complicated. The author has a way of coming up with great ingredient combinations that are unique and delicious.
Good luck in the kitchen this month.
That's all for now,
Madame Jete
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