The Healthy Performer (2) (Healthy eating)

Today's lesson was spent discussing what makes a healthy diet, but more specifically a healthy diet for performers. Performers use up a lot of energy and have very long days, so need to eat foods that are going to fuel them for their long and busy days. Men should consume approximately 2500 calories a day, whilst women need about 2000 calories a day.

What to do:

• Eat food containing slow-release carbohydrates (anything wholemeal), as they release energy over a longer period of time compared to normal carbohydrates (white bread, white rice, white pasta).
• Stay hydrated! Drink plenty of water throughout the day to make up for the water you lose through sweat and to keep your organs hydrated and working properly. 
• Consume a lot of protein (found in meats, especially chicken)! Protein helps your body repair cells and make new ones.
• Graze! As performers, we should eat small portions but more often to spread the release of carbohydrates and nutrients. This would also ensure we wouldn't be performing on a full stomach (which could lead to indigestion and feeling heavy) but still have enough energy to get through the performance.

What to avoid:

• Saturated fats. Your body takes longer to break this type of fat down.
• Too much salt. We need to have some salt in our diets (to control our fluid balance), but not too much as this can increase your blood pressure, which increases your risk of heart disease. 
• Sugar. We obviously need a bit of sugar to have a balanced diet but not too much. Sugars are found in sweets and chocolate, but also found in fruits. However, sugar is converted into energy, but too much sugar could result in high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.  

Minerals:
--- Calcium -- needed for healthy bones and teeth - milk / yoghurt / soybeans
--- Chloride -- needed to produce stomach acid - lettuce / celery / tomatoes
--- Iron -- needed to form red blood cells - nuts / spinach / dark chocolate
--- Magnesium -- needed to make protein - dried fruits / seeds / fish
--- Potassium -- needed for muscle contraction - mushrooms / potatoes / bananas
--- Sodium -- needed for balancing bodily fluids - tables salt / cheese / cereals

Vitamins:
--- Vitamin A -- helps form and maintain healthy skin and teeth - dried apricots / liver / fish
--- Vitamin B1 -- helps convert food (carbohydrates) into fuel (glucose) - beans / peas
--- Vitamin B2 -- helps with vision - mushrooms / cereals / fish
--- Vitamin B6 -- controls levels of amino homocysteine acid in the blood - eggs / poultry
--- Vitamin B12 -- part of enzyme needed for making new cells - poultry / seafood

--- Vitamin C -- aids in iron absorption and good for immune system - fruits / vegetables