Nourishing Dance: An Essential Guide on Nutrition, Body Image, and Eating Disorders

Nourishing Dance: An Essential Guide on Nutrition, Body Image, and Eating Disorders is written with an insider’s understanding of the unique needs and pressures of the dance world and the expertise of an eating disorder specialist, dietitian, clinician, and educator. This much-needed resource provides research-based, practical approaches to help dancers fuel optimally, nourish a peaceful relationship with food, and nurture more positive and resilient body image.

Under-fueling, body dissatisfaction, eating disorders, and disordered eating are far too common among dancers. Despite the prevalence of these issues in dancers across genres, and their negative impacts on dancers’ physical and mental health and performance, they have not been adequately addressed in the dance community. Improving dancers’ health and well-being is necessary for both dancers and the art form to thrive, and everyone involved in the training and care of dancers can play an important role in this mission.

Nourishing Dance provides essential information on nutrition, body image, and eating disorder prevention to help parents, teachers, staff, choreographers, leadership, athletic trainers, coaches, and healthcare professionals contribute to making the dance world a healthier and safer place for dancers.

Monika Saigal, MS, RD, CEDS, CDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Eating Disorders Specialist, and former professional dancer specializing in nutrition for dancers and the prevention and treatment of eating disorders/disordered eating. Monika has over 15 years of experience providing nutrition counseling to dancers and performing artists in her private practice and extensive experience working with dance organizations--from small studios to world-renowned schools, conservatories, and companies. Monika regularly delivers workshops for dancers as well as specialized trainings for dance educators, staff, parents, and healthcare professionals.