Liane Simmel, MD, runs an institute for dance medicine, Fit for Dance. The former dancer is now a doctor of dance medicine and was the president of the German Dance Medicine Association for many years.

Eva-Maria Kraft is a certified nutritional expert with the specialization in dance, but also a dance teacher and freelance dancer. She gives nutritional courses and seminars in professional training centres for dance, acting, and musical performance.

Getting started

1 The basics - an overview

Dancing needs energy

Providing energy - oxygen is key

Digestion - from food to energy

Carbohydrates as energy providers

Regulating blood sugar

Energy reserves for dance

Fats as energy providers

Not all fats are alike

Proteins - Building blocks for the body

Quality lies in the combination

Vitamins, Minerals, & key micronutrients

Vitamins and phytonutrients

Minerals: macro-minerals and trace elements

2. Drinking - Fluids are crucial

Water and its significance for the dancer

Perspiration - an intelligent cooling system

The dangers of lacking fluids

The right drink

Selection criteria

Handle with care!

3. What? The agony of choice

Daily requirements - recommendations for planning your diet

Breakfast - getting off to a good start

Cold breakfasts

Warm breakfasts

Main meals - the basis of fitness

The "plate of thirds" - healthy nutrition at a glance

Snacks - energy on the go

Practice makes perfect - some general information

Other senses enjoy the meal, too.

Warm or cold?

Sugar - a How-To?

Comfort Foods

Food in balance - a planning aid

Dietary Supplements - healthy or unhealthy?

If things don't run smoothly - digestive problems and food allergies

Digestion is work

Food intolerance

4. When? Timing is everything

Eating around a dancer's schedule

Before dancing: stock up on energy

While dancing: maintain your energy

After dancing: accelerate regeneration

A daily meal plan

Reality can be a different story

No time, no space

Working evenings

5. How? Healthy nutrition as a daily routine

Preparation is key - shop with a plan

Writing a grocery list

Navigating the offers

Reading labels

Seasonal and regional

Organic- yes or no?

"Free of" and "diet" products - the power of advertising

Cooking tips for everyday life

The right amount of water

Oil - a How-To?

Healthy toppings - sprouts, seeds, and co.

Homemade or ready meals?

Eating out

6. Fit and slim - a challenge for dancers

How many calories does a dancer need?

Your basic energy needs

Your total energy needs - movement is key

Figure and body composition

BMI - the Body Mass Index

Body fat - an unloved necessity

Maintaining body fat

Much ado about weighing

Dancing influences one's weight

Dancing influences one's diet

A new living situation alters one's diet

Putting dieting to the test

Dropping weight too quickly - the body's emergency plan

How to lose weight the healthy way

Eating disorders - awareness is key

Causes, risk factors, triggers

Is this still normal? - warning signs of an eating disorder

Avoiding eating disorders - tips for the dance world

7. Synoptic of foods and nutrients

Appendix

Literature

Recommended web links

Contact addresses for eating disorders

Register

Index