Flavoured Water Recipe

Summer Hydrating Flavoured Water

As an energetic dancer, dancing in the Australian Summer heat, it is important to keep up the H2O. But drinking boring water every hour doesn't have to be the only way to stay hydrated.... Mix it up with sweet, citrus or mint flavoured water!! 

Showtime Dancewear now stocks Capezio's latest Infused Water Bottle for the best summer refreshments. This new stylish water bottle reduces all the extra seeds & leaves in your flavoured water. 

http://www.showtimedancewear.com.au/new/capezio-h2o-infused-water.html

We would love to hear your favourite summer water refreshment and tell us some new fruit mixes you have come up with. Xx

Juices

Super Juices for Super Dancers!
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Green Envy
  - Spinach
  - Celery
  - Pear
  - Grapes
  - Lime

Purple Burst
-Beetroot            

- Pears               
- Blueberries      

- Apple               

Orange Juice

  - Carrot
  - Mango
  - Orange
  - Ginger
  - Lime

Health Kick

- Pear               

- Pineapple       

 - Kale                

- Spinach          

- Lime               

- Mint                

- Apple              

How to relax over Christmas

Relaxing over Christmas, without losing form.

Keeping up with your fitness over summer is very important but so is RELAXING! You've worked hard all year, busting your gut over eisteddfods and exams and concerts; you deserve a little break!
It can be very hard changing your mindset as we come into Christmas where chocolate, cake and biscuits seems to be the only food in the house. All year you've maintained a healthy balanced diet and now it

seems to be going to shreds, BUT this is okay. Christmas happens once a year, take the opportunity to reward yourself for all your hard work and know that one (or two) days of eating like Queens and Kings will NOT have any long term repercussions. Remember that Christmas cake is essentially dried fruit with a tiny bit of egg and flour to stick it together. A roast dinner is a good source of protein with a lot of vegetables available.

The flip side is exercise. Flexibility and strength work are important to keep up with over summer, but there is no need to be excessive. Do exercise to your hearts content, Do what makes you happy but Don't let it become the focus.
Pick up a summer hobby that is fitness but a lot of fun, maybe something you wouldn't normally have time to do in the rest of year due to dancing. Take some skating lessons, or ice skating lessons if your area offers it. On the Sunshine Coast, we have a trampoline facility (a very large room with floors and walls entirely covered with trampolines. Or maybe pick up a fun dance class over summer - if you've never done Hip hop, consider that class, etc. or even a gymnastics class, a silks acro class or a Pilates class. Keeping up your fitness is important, but not at the expense of enjoying your summer. Another idea is to do this fun exercise with friends/family who aren't from dancing, for a change.

It all comes down to your attitude, are you avoiding Christmas cookies because you genuinely don't like them? Are you hammering yourself everyday because the energy makes you feel alive? Or are you looking over the next few weeks with dread?

Snacks for Energy!

Snacks for Energy

As Dancers we spend countless hours in the studio learning, perfecting and enhancing our dancing ability. It is important for us to take care of our own bodies, considering it allows us to practice our passion as long as possible. I know it can be challenging to keep up with school, assignments and other activities on top of dance classes, and also maintaining healthy eating habits. Eating a balanced meal requires a lot of discipline and planning, but doing so is beneficial in many ways.

For some snack ideas that will keep you satisfied without making you feel bloated in rehearsals and keep your energy levels up, choose a few from this list of healthy snacks below:

• Fruits, like apples and bananas are good for dancers, especially since they are high in fiber, which means they will keep you full but won't weigh you down. Fruit also provides a boost of energy, allowing you to complete each step with confidence and strength.
  
  

• Like fruits, Vegetables are also high in fiber, so keep you full, increasing your stamina. In addition, they improve digestion, which is necessary for internal health. Vegetables such as celery, carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, and green beans can be served with a low fat dip.

• Nuts are very beneficial for dancers. They help manage inflammation, which can occur during an intense dance session or practice. Nuts are also a source of an amino acid called arginine, which boosts the immune system and promotes the healing of wounds. Even further, they help to build muscle, which helps to create strong legs, abs, and arms.

• Popcorn is a whole grain, and therefore is high in dietary fiber, low in fat, and rich in the good carbohydrates. This means that as the food is broken down by the body, energy is created. The most important thing is not to add fatty condiments such as butter, salt, which can dehydrate you. It is best to add spices such as pepper or herbs like curry.

• Make sure you keep hydrated through rehearsals by drinking water. 

Keep Safe and Happy Dancing!

Green Tea

It's time to talk tea...

So as you are probably aware there are many different types of teas and most of them benefit your body in some way or another. 

Did you know that Green tea was used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine to control bleeding and heal wounds, aid digestion, improve heart and mental health and regulate body temperature, pretty cool huh.

Peppermint Tea was a popular "folk medicine" simply because it was reported to work so quickly and effectively in relieving a variety of disorders like headaches, sinus problems, upset tummy and menstrual cramps. I always make sure I have a packet in the kitchen pantry.

When ever i have an exam or performance coming up I usually am pretty stressed and have trouble sleeping so out comes the Camomile Tea as it has a mild sedative effects, is treasured for its ability to relieve insomnia and encourage a good night's sleep, free of nightmares. If you've been having sleepless or restless nights, a hot cup of camomile tea before bedtime may be just what you need to sleep soundly through the night. Chamomile tea can help to ease anxiety and depression, too! 

Cough Cough... feeling a twitch and a tingle in your through Lemon and Ginger Tea please! as dancers we don't have time to get sick, so whenever I feel a little under the weather i just whip out the lemon and ginger (I usually add a teaspoon of honey too) and carry on with my grande jete's. 

Happy brewing!! ;)

Super Smoothies

photo sourced: <http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=4710&catId=2> 

Super Smoothies!

Dancer's have high energy needs! Many of you guys have just finished the Sunshine Coast Eisteddfods and might be feeling a little tired and worn out from all the practice that went into those amazing dances! Smoothies are so yummy and are a great and super easy way to eat (drink?) your food on the go. Smoothies are also so refreshing, especially in the summer time!

The basis of most smoothies is milk and yogurt and you can change these to to suit dietary requirements (lactose, almond, goat varieties). My personal favourite is a Mango and Banana smoothie with milk, yogurt,  mango flesh (frozen or thawed) and banana. I also love either fruits on their own. Other combinations include a concoction of berries, honey, lemongrass, oatmeal (for carbohydrates), ginger, orange, green tea, cherries, pineapple, and kiwi fruit. These are just a few of the many options and any combinations are possible. 

Making a Super Smoothie

Chose your fruit. Such as, berries, banana, kiwi fruit, mango, paw paw, passion fruit, figs or even lychees.

Add you liquid. As everyone has different dietary requirements there are different liquids to suite. There is almond milk, soy milk, rice milk, goats milk, dairy milk, coconut milk, coconut water and all types of juices.

The power food. for extra nutrience and all that good stuff add in some of these, Spirulina, chia seeds, flax seeds, oats, LSA mix (blended sunflower seeds, amond meal and linseed.) or quinoa 

Make it thicker. By adding natural yogurt, sorbet, ice cream, ice or frozen fruits can help to make you smoothie thicker.

Extra Flavour. Still a little bland.. try adding in some honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, peanut butter or ginger 

Just blend it all together and ta da! a Super Smoothie!

Let us know what flavours you have created!