My Journey So Far on Whole30

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I eat way too much pasta, cheese and pizza. In fact, mac and cheese is one of my favorite foods, and it’s rare that HQ and I don’t end up eating some form of it every week. A lot of other attempts where we’ve attempted to change how we’ve eaten have failed within a few days. So earlier this month I decided to try something else: Whole30.

The program seems pretty simple: eat real food for 30 days. Avoid added sugar, alcohol, grains, dairy, legumes, carrageenan, MSG or sulfites — and do not try to recreate sweets or baked goods. I’ve eaten a lot of delicious salads, thai food, taco salad, and more.

It’s been seven days on the program. The toughest part has been added avoiding sugar and dairy. It’s been easier going the past few days, but I felt horrible the second day, probably because of  low blood sugar, because I hadn’t eaten any fruit the day before. Once I ate some strawberries and apples I felt much better.

The next 21 days aren’t going to be easy, but I’m hoping it will help us both eat better in the future!

What are your ways of incorporating more healthy food into your diet?

In Search of Cross Training Tips + DVDs

PilatesFor the time being, I’ve given up on serious running. Not saying I won’t still hop on the treadmill or the trail every once in awhile, but I’ve given up on the idea of running a half marathon or ten miler (there’s a huge one in Philadelphia–the Broad Street Run). My legs seem to take forever to recover from it.

So now I’m on the hunt for additional ways to cross-train. I plan on using the elliptical machine every once in awhile, but I’m mostly trying to find DVDs and videos that I can do early in the morning (so no longer that 35-40 minutes is preferable).

Currently, I have a copy of an old Pilates for dummies DVD I really enjoy (plus, it’s short at about 30 minutes), a copy of Ballet Beautiful, and some Barre3 DVDS (which I’ve pretty much never touched).

There’s a couple more Pilates DVDs I’ve thought about checking out on Amazon, but for now, I’m looking for recommendations before I purchase anything else I won’t actually end up doing.

What cross-training DVDs or YouTube videos are your favorite? I’ll do a follow up post with what I end up liking! 

 

photo by:

Video: Ballerinas By Night: Improving Low Arches

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If you haven’t already checked out the Ballerinas By Night Youtube Channel–do so now! They’ve got everything from how to improve low arches (video below) to practicing cambres and more.

Thanks Lisa for posting these in our Google+ group!

What’s your favorite ballet YouTube Channel?

Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas for Ballerinas and Runners

If you’re anything like me, you’re totally guilty of waiting until the last minute to buy gifts (in fact, I’m even in the process of working on some crafts as gifts right now.  Here’s some recommendations of my favorite things lately:

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FlipBelt

I love love my flipbelt. I mostly use it for running, but if I take a class outside of my normal studio (where I normally feel comfortable leave my belongings in my bag), I'd wear it to keep my phone, ID and cards on me. It's pretty awesome. Read my review of it here Use code Sweat10 for 10% off or email me at aballerinaproject at gmail dot com for a 30% code.

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Fleecys Keeping Dancers Warm

I just found out about these and bought myself a pair--but I'm already pretty sure HQ is buying me a second pair to wear to ballet class in the winter.

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Zensah Socks and sleves

I love my compression socks, sleeves (and leggings too!). Zensah sleeves are my favorite, and they are by far the most comfy.

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Adult Booties - Style Number: IM009

Although these are sold out a lot of the time, they're worth the wait. I have a large pair in red, and I'm waiting on a second (smaller) pair on backorder in purple.

Disclaimer: I’ve received a Flipbelt for free and have received Zensah socks for free in the past as well, but my opinions are my own.

Cross Training–Arm Strength

“Dancers often lack upper body strength. We spend so much of our time focusing on what the legs and feet are doing that we neglect the upper body,” says Nikol Klein, a former dancer and personal trainer.

I didn’t realize how true this was until I started doing arm workouts last summer. I now have a better understanding of how much arm strength can affect not only port de bras but also posture and overall movement quality.

Thanks to the internet, it’s easy and inexpensive to improve arm strength. Here are some workout videos I’ve found helpful:

Without Weights

Andrea Palen, 5 Minute Arm Workout

 

Ballet Beautiful, Swan Arms Workout

 

With Weights (Or water bottles)

Nikol Klein, Ballet Strength Arm Exercises for Port de Bras

 

Arm-Toning Moves from Ballet Body

 

Blogalites, Applause Arms Workout

 

Fitness Blender, Tank Top Arms Workout