build resilience with nutrition: performance season prep

Our ability to jump, turn, stretch, and repeat day after day demands a unique kind of resilience—one that isn’t achieved solely through rest and recovery (aka sleeping). Nutrition is your superpower here. By ensuring your diet is balanced, nutrient-dense, and timed appropriately, you can maintain energy, strength, mental clarity, and more as your performance season progresses.

I’ve previously shared how to create a blueprint for your season. But what about your food and nutrition? That’s our focus today: how to determine if your current eating habits are truly meeting the energy demands of your busy dance schedule.

assess your nutrition: a starting point

I understand how tricky—and even a bit silly—it can feel to self-evaluate your food and nutrition habits. Sometimes, we think we’re “doing okay” because we haven’t been injured recently, or we’re keeping up with our daily schedule. But just because things seem fine on the surface doesn’t mean your nutrition is optimized.

Here are a few ways to assess your nutritional starting point, with a focus on maintaining a positive relationship with food:

📸 Photo Food Journal - Snap a quick photo of your meals before and after you eat—no need to make it picture-perfect. This visual approach can be a simple yet effective way to track your eating habits. I recommend this method to my 1:1 clients. Do this for at least three days (two weekdays and one weekend day, or whichever combination best reflects your routine).

Afterward, review the photos and look for trends:

• Do you observe a variety of colors throughout the day? This reflects the micronutrient density of your diet.

• Are you balancing macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats) in your meals and snacks?

• Are you consistently eating throughout the day to sustain your energy levels?

🖱️ Use Cronometer - If you have a neutral, peaceful relationship with food, consider using a tool like Cronometer to log your meals. This app helps us track macronutrient ratios, micronutrient intake, and more. However, I only recommend this option if you can view these numbers without triggering negative thoughts or falling into disordered eating patterns. It’s taken me years to reach this point of neutrality, so if this isn’t for you, that’s completely okay.

If you do choose this route, use the data to identify any nutritional gaps and consider what foods you could add to fill them. Need more personalized guidance? Consider joining the eMpower Corps, where you receive a customized Nutrition Protocol and six months of nutrition coaching.

✍️ The Old School Route - Prefer to keep things simple? Write down everything you eat over three days. There’s no need to be exact, just jot it down. After 3-days, add notes in the margins about the colors, macronutrients, and timing you observe. Then look for trends and see the questions I’ve listed above! This method can provide valuable insights into your eating patterns and help you plan your next steps.

eMpower your diet today

In my work with dancers, I’ve noticed specific areas in their food journals that can benefit from additional support—particularly when it comes to managing inflammation and boosting brain function.

Supporting Inflammation Management

Inflammation, while often seen as a nuisance, is actually a protective mechanism of the body. It’s an immune response to injury, illness, and other stressors. Acute (short-term) inflammation is beneficial, as it means your body has the tools to minimize the negative impacts of injury and return to homeostasis quickly. However, chronic (long-term) inflammation can hinder your performance and recovery, making it important to manage effectively.

Nutritionally Support Inflammation Management:

• 💧 Stay Hydrated: Proper hydration helps flush out toxins and supports the body’s natural healing processes.

• 💤 Prioritize Sleep Quantity and Quality: Adequate sleep is crucial for reducing inflammation and allowing the body to recover.

• 🌈 Balance Your Macronutrients and Eat the Rainbow: A diverse, colorful diet ensures you’re getting a wide range of vitamins and minerals that support inflammation management.

  • Specifically: Balance your intake of saturated and unsaturated fats, aiming for 1.5-3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids daily. Pay attention to your Vitamin D and Selenium levels, and incorporate fermented/cultured foods like kefir and yogurt into your diet.

For more in-depth information on inflammation and how to manage it, check out this blog post.

Incorporating Brain-Boosting Nutrients

It’s funny how we often don’t realize the need for brain-boosting nutrients until we experience the benefits. Once you start incorporating these nutrients into your diet, you might notice improvements in mental clarity, focus, sleep quality, your ability to pick up choreography, and even how well you remember corrections. Interestingly, many of these nutrients overlap with those that support inflammation management.

Key Brain-Boosting Nutrients:

• 🐠 Omega-3 Fatty Acids: These are essential for brain health, supporting cognitive function and reducing mental fatigue.

• 🫑 B-Vitamins: While B-vitamins are found in many foods, dancers particularly benefit from ensuring they get enough B12 and B6. These vitamins are abundant in leafy greens, vegetables, beef, and dairy. If you’re vegetarian, don’t worry—there are plant-based sources of B12 and B6 that we can incorporate into your diet.

• 🍊 Antioxidants: Found in green tea, citrus fruits, berries, and more, antioxidants help protect your brain cells from oxidative stress, keeping your mind sharp and focused.

Building resilience during performance season isn’t just about showing up and pushing through—it’s about fueling your body with nutrients that sustain your energy, support recovery, and sharpen your mind. By assessing your current eating habits and making targeted adjustments, you can ensure that your diet is working for you, not against you. Remember, resilience isn’t just physical; it’s mental too. The right nutrition can empower both your body and mind, helping you navigate the demands of the season with strength and clarity.

Ready to take your nutrition to the next level? Explore my online programs, my blog, and consider joining the eMpower Corps for personalized support tailored to your unique needs. Let’s make this performance season your best one yet!