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It’s probably not what you think…

The way you relate to food might not cross your mind often. You eat. You (hopefully) enjoy. Sometimes you might go overboard. And pretty much 100% of us crave something at some point.

From a nutrition stand point, you might crave things that satisfy a nutrient need or deficiency. Craving chocolate when your body needs magnesium is a prime example of this.

What I see more often for dancer’s is cravings that stem from lack or seeing foods as “bad”. If you have told yourself that carbs are no good and you’re avoiding them at all cost, you’ll probably also find yourself craving those forbidden foods.

If you’ve sworn off cake and ice cream, same deal. You’re going to have a hard time thinking about anything else.

Another common thing is gravitating towards the “bad” foods so you have something else to focus on…

You don’t want to dwell on the feedback you’ve gotten about your body or technique so instead, you’ll eat the cake so you can blame that for your challenges. Food becomes the scapegoat. It’s the enemy. Something to be defeated, avoided and feared.

When your relationship with food goes down such a negative path, no matter how full you are you’ll feel empty.

Food cravings are caused by the regions of the brain that are responsible for memory, pleasure, and reward.

Do you remember a time when you weren’t at odds with your body? If you’ve been fighting to restrict, cut back or avoid certain foods or let’s be honest, most food your craving might just indicate that you’re yearning for a time when food wasn’t the enemy.

Do you remember a time when you could eat cake and fully enjoy it? For many of us we haven’t felt so carefree since childhood.

It won’t happen overnight but it is possible to get back to that happy place with food and your body. I’ve had the pleasure of guiding so many dancer’s in getting there.

Check out this related post :   Common Nutcracker traps!

Will cravings still happen? Sure. But you’ll allow yourself to indulge mindfully, enjoy the food and move on. No guilt trip included.

The Dancer’s Best Body Program was designed to help free you from your food fears and body hate and to support you in creating a positive and supportive mindset and strategy that will help you reach your body goals.

This exclusive program is enrolling NOW through Monday, September 16, 2019!! Click here for details and to enroll.

What Really Causes Cravings and How to Deal

Jess Spinner

Jess is a former professional ballet dancer turned Holistic Health, Nutrition, and Lifestyle Coach for high level dancers. She founded The Whole Dancer in 2015 after identifying a greater need for balance, wellness and support in the dance world. Since The Whole Dancer was founded, Jess has worked with 100's of dancers worldwide at top companies and schools. She has been featured in or written for Dance Magazine, Dance Teacher Magazine, Pointe Magazine, and Dance Spirit Magazine.

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