Low Calorie Dessert For Young Nutcracker Ballet Kids

I'm planning this gluten free low calorie dessert for an upcoming holiday dinner and thought I'd share for the seasonal young Nutcracker ballet kids.

Most young dancers aren't worrying about weight gain - but for those who are, or for their teachers or dance parents, here is a tasty treat.

Any lower calorie fruit could do but you know what they say about apples!

Choose organic so you can keep the skin on - for all those vitamins! Slice and bake or boil a 2-5 lb bag of apples, depending on the size of your dinner party and family.

Serve with whipped organic heavy whipping cream.

Don't underestimate how yummy this is! It's basically Apple Pie without the grainy crust. Gluten free!

This can be served hot or cold, and drizzled with maple syrup, or a pinch of dark brown sugar.

Zero calorie organic Sweet Leaf liquid stevia can be used too -- it comes in plain, Vanilla Cream, English Butterscotch and other flavors.

For Dancers - White Chocolate Made With Stevia

Yes, I was just searching on line for a recipe for white chocolate made with Stevia.

And that would be the organic stevia -- because the non-organic is made with solvents and we don't really want to eat those chemicals.

One of my best friends has asked me to bring this to Thanksgiving dinner. (US).

White chocolate, to avoid the high oxalate content of dark chocolate.

Stevia sweetened, to avoid the carbs and stay in Ketosis, or fat burning mode.

So here's the skinny (all dancers want to be skinny right?).

You need coco butter. Don't worry, it is a mid chain fat and won't store on your body.

You need sugar or stevia.

You need powdered milk, not a lot.

And vanilla extract. The real thing. Why? Because artificial 'vanillin' is made from petroleum. Euew!

This may be the only dessert on the table! But the guests may consider it a desert. You know, dry and empty! (Of calories).

So I will try to make it good! As in yummy, super Vanilla and zero calorie sweet!

If you're a dancer, I know you're with me on this!

Here is a good recipe page.

Here is a sugar to Stevia conversion chart. For whatever you may want to make.

Here is a video to help -- and be forewarned, this cook is a real character!

The Best Ballet Wear in Ballet Shoes and Pointe Shoes

The tradition of traditional, sleek ballet attire is the best ballet wear seen in professional dance studios. It has a purpose.

Traditional ballet teachers can seem fussy about the dress code in their studios. There is a reason for this.

When a teacher is looking over a class in motion, visual clutter needs to be at a minimum. Dark leotards, white T shirts and pink, black or gray tights are a good uniform landscape for the teacher.

The black/dark of the leotard emphasizes the line of the posture, the upper back and neck suppleness/tension, the hip/leg break and alignment correctness, and makes it easiest to respond to what is seen with ongoing and detailed corrections.

Ballet Class Corrections

For instance, it is easy to see, even across a large studio, if the back of the thigh is not pulled up as needed, if the dancer is wearing pink or gray tights. It is also easy to see bulky tension in thigh muscles that should be more elongated.

Distractions such as multi-colored clothing, and sloppy leg warmers prevent the teacher from being at their top efficiency,

The artistry of ballet depends on the ultra-perfectionist and over-idealized form being sought, and then being surrendered to an allowing energy flow, that releases expression and drama.

I wish I could say that better, but all I'm really talking about is that the norm for strict ballet wear that any ballet store provides, ultimately supports the best results,as it allows the teacher to see what's going on in a large dance class full of diverse talent.

Get the best ballet wear and look like a pro in dance class.

The video below shows some younger boys in ballet who now wear the gray tights in class instead of the traditional black.

Keto Diet Freezer Meals

Are you a busy dancer, mom of a dancing daughter/son - or just crazy busy?

Here's a Kindle book with recipes you can make ahead of time and freeze.

What a handy book! This is not the only Kindle edition of handy meals to grab from the freezer but it is written by a registered and licensed dietician, Skye Howard.

There are incredible advantages to making ketogenic meals this way:

• avoid unhealthy fats from frozen processed foods

• avoid artificial flavors and colors in frozen meals

• avoid the lack of nutrition in frozen packaged meals and snacks

If you still have reservations about eating fats, check out my Kindle book Facts About Saturated Fats.

Don't be hungry!

Lose weight safely! Enjoy your own choices of:

• healthy foods 

• flavors and seasonings

• grass fed beef

• organically fed chicken and pork

• wild caught cold water fish providing omega 3 oils

• grass fed dairy products, possibly raw

• organic vegetables

Grass fed products, organic products and wild caught fish contribute greatly to your hormone balance and how that affects weight gain. You can read more about that in my post  about teen weight gain and hormone imbalance. 

And here is your book about keto diet freezer meals! 

Keto Diet Meals

A  keto diet is a diet where the goal is to get into a fat-burning mode.

A  keto diet is not a deprivation or low calorie diet.

A  keto or ketogenic meal plan is like a low-carb high fat diet. Like the Dr. Atkins diet.

Although some people may find it difficult or sometimes anti-social it is a diet on which you will not go hungry.

So what is a keto diet meal? A meal excluding:

• bread

• crackers

• sugar

• grains (all)

• potatoes

• pastas (grains)

So a keto diet breakfast may be:

1 or 2 boiled, poached, scrambled eggs/omelet

with sour cream, butter, cooked in coconut oil

with bacon or sausage and cheese

Buying bacon smoked with no sugar is a challenge. Sour cream from grass fed cows or cows not fed the Rbgh (recombinant beef growth hormone) is recommended. Sausage from small farm raised pork is preferred too. Why?

All those GMO fed meat foods and hormone fed animals aren't good for you. And you will gain weight if you eat them, most of you.

A keto diet lunch could be:

• a lettuce wrap with meat, cheese or peanut butter

• a piece of chicken, turkey, beef (no cold cuts)

• chopped veggies with a sour cream/avocado/cheese dip (home made)

• lettuce wrapped peanut/almond butter "sandwiches", a few

• a drive-through burger/cheese burger/'fishwich' wrapped in lettuce -

• a tub of egg or tuna or salmon salad

A keto diet dinner could be:

• meat/chicken/fish/eggs

• as many green veggies as you like with butter, olive oil or sour cream

• salad - greens including avocado

You won't be hungry with these meals.

Keto snacks can include walnuts, peanuts, and chopped veggies with tahini or nut butters.

Learn more about keto diet meals.

Here are some tips for low carb breakfasts:

D. Buxton is a writing partner with Vone Deporter, of The Sedona Series, about a surfer girl in pointe shoes.

Follow us on Pinterest! 

Ketosis Diet Plan - Women

This page contains amazon affiliate marketing links. We may get paid a commission on the sale of a product or service recommended here. This does not change your price, you pay what Amazon advertises.

Is a ketosis diet plan good for women - or anyone?

Ketosis, or keto diets remain popular right now and a few supplements are on the market.

Very expensive, these mostly MLM marketed formulas are not necessary to maintain ketosis and lose weight.

Yes, the state of fat-burning, or ketosis is attainable by a specific diet plan. And this plan has been around for decades.

The medical doctors Eades and Eades published The Protein Power Life Plan in 2001.

Dr. Atkins' Diet Revolution: The High Calorie Way to Stay Thin Forever was published in 1972.

Now the buzz word is ketosis, a weight loss diet plan. 

It is also good for reducing inflammation and has been noted to reduced the progress of cancer. Could that be? Cancer is a condition brought on by inflammation so that makes sense to me.

A low carb high fat menu plan which includes plenty of green foods both raw and cooked, is an anti-inflammatory diet (for most, if you don't have vegetable allergies or a high response to lectins).

Carbohydrates from foods made with grains, or starchy vegetables promote inflammation, leading to pain. ...Sore joints, aching muscles - either mild, or for some, crippling.

A keto diet for weight loss meal plan simply excludes the starchy foods like bread, buns, crackers, grains, including pastas, and potatoes. Other root vegetables like carrots, beets,  and parsnips are  sugary too, and can be kept to a minimum.

For best results, fruit too, is excluded.

Keto Diet For Weight Loss Beginners

If you're curious about ketosis and how it can keep you thin and healthy, I suggest that you gain information with this book, Keto Clarity by by Eric Westman MD and Jimmy Moore. It is the leading best seller book on amazon on the subject, as I write today.

There are other books to choose from as well. The customer reviews on Keto Clarity reflect its usefulness and...clarity.

I first wrote about fat-burning ketosis on the topic of Intermittent Fasting in Effortless Healing by Dr. Joseph Mercola.

(Kaiser Permanente, an HMO insurance company, is now promoting Intermittent Fasting as a healthy eating plan.)

How Long Do You Need To Do Keto To Lose Weight?

This varies from person to person, and here is why.

When you eat carbohydrates in their many forms, they are changed to sugar in your gut and pass into your blood to be burned off as energy.

What you don't burn off is stored in your liver and muscles as glycogen.

When you begin to consume between 20-50 mg. of carbs a day (a Keto diet) you won't get into ketosis until all that glycogen is used up. 

Therefore, folks who have been eating any form of sugars and storing glycogen, will take longer to get into the state of fat burning ketosis.

Another factor is people who have drifted into metabolic syndrome over the years(difficulty in burning fuels, also referred to as slow metabolism) will take longer.

Metabolic syndrome is a pre-diabetic state. There are multiple benefits to back-peddling out of this:

• Weight loss
• Decrease inflammation in joints, muscles, gut, brain and all soft tissues
• In turn, decrease joint pain, IBS pain and muscle pain
• Gradually speeding up your metabolism
• Generate more energy making daily life and exercising more enjoyable
• In turn, building muscle mass, strength and mobility

See my article Are Ballet Workouts More Effective? for more about strength and mobility.

Are Keto Diet Weight Loss Results Healthy?

The keto diet does not restrict fats.

Fats support your brain, skin, joints and muscles. Fats are anti-inflammatory.

That's only if you choose the right fats to eat:

• Grass fed meats like pasture fed beef
• Butter from grass fed cows
• Healthy seed oils like flax seed oil, avocado seed oil, true olive oil, walnut oil - seeds

Depending on your age and overall health, you have a better chance of maintaining skin quality (avoiding wrinkles), mental clarity, and exercise enjoyment (less pain) if you forego the low fat diet.

There is much more about this topic in the guide book Facts About Saturated Fats.

Keto Diet For Weight Loss Recipes 

I write more about this in my article Keto Diet Meals.

For the busy person get meals made for you   - see Keto Diet Freezer Meals, to help you with your weight loss goals.

I want to be clear that I may get a small advertising fee from purchases you make on Amazon, if you link from any of the links this article. (usually around 2-3%). This helps with the costs of publishing on line. It does not affect your price.

Have you tried a keto diet for weight loss? Or for your health in general? Please do share how you liked it and how it made you feel better. We can all learn from each other.

Best Barre Workout DVD

Best Barre Workout DVD

"Barre Nouvelle's owner and creator, Deborah Thompson is a former National Ballet of Canada dancer and veteran fitness instructor. Deborah is also an international trainer of the original Lotte Berk Technique trained under Lotte Berk's daughter, Esther Fairfax."

(Above from the website Barre Nouvelle.) I haven't experienced it myself but I'm quite sure it's something I need. 

It is owned and has been created by Deborah Thompson, whom I knew as Debbie Todd back in her National Ballet School of Canada/Company days. The studio is located in Etobicoke, Ontario.

When I went on Face Book a few days ago I was very happy to see a message from her with a link to what she is now teaching. 

I found a great youtube ballet barre workout to recommend after finding the following:

And I think I could do this! And that means almost any retired ballet dancer can! 

I'll never recover the strength I used to have in my hamstrings, gluts and Quadratus Lumborum back muscles. But I do what I can. 

Being retired from ballet isn't the easiest lifestyle. Coordinating work time and workout time can be difficult. 

If you can't visit Barre Nouvelle here's a complete set of Lotte Burk DVD's to learn your workouts with. 

There are single Lotte Burk DVD's to choose from as well.

World Ballet Day Live!

Company class at The National Ballet of Canada taught by Rex Harrington just finished. On to interviews!

This live event will go on all day!

Soon we'll see a full dress rehearsal for Christopher Wheeldon's The Winter's Tale.

You can see a schedule of the companies and programs here.

Right now Heather Ogden is interviewing Evan McKee - so I'm off to listen!

This live presentation is broadcast from the Place Des Arts in Montreal.

Get Better Hormone Balance With Water

 Can doing laundry with plain water help with hormonal balance?

I have written about hormone balance and how crucial it is to avoid weight gain.

Today I heard a lengthy explanation about using a magnetic laundry system instead of petroleum based detergents.

I have heard about this for a long time - but this is not the laundry balls I thought it was. It is a magnet system. I'm tempted to try it.

• no estrogen mimickers in the laundry (rubs off into skin)

• no chemicals

• prolongs fabric life

• saves water (don't need rinse cycle)

The prime interest for me is the non-toxic factor. Petroleum products are estrogen mimickers. They are the base for detergents. Detergents also contain formaldehyde which stinks.

So heavy perfumes are used to cover that up. Called phthalates. Click here if you'd like to read details about that.

Hormone health is crucial to healthy weight and happiness too. Hormonal imbalance leads to anxiety, depression, medications (that often in turn increase weight) and general misery.

The MLS Magnetic Laundry System may be a component of the various things a person/household can do to be healthier. I look forward to using it!

See the amazon reviews MLS magnetic laundry system.

Hip Stretching Exercises - Flexibility!

Hip stretching exercises are important for flexibility and strength.

The reason these muscles, which connect the thighs to the pelvis and spine, need to be exercised and conditioned with lengthening is that your general posture is balanced and stabilized by them.

The Hip Flexors can shorten and lose elasticity if you sit on a chair for several hours a day, or spend many hours driving.

The Gluteus and Piriformis muscles (your butt muscles) can retain chronic tension if not worked out and stretched.

Tight hip muscles lead to loss of balance, tense low back and low back pain, and sore hips that further decrease your desire to stay moving.

The Essentrics Flexibility Workout For Athletes conditions the whole body. This is important because --everything is connected to everything else.The workout emphasizes the lower body yet includes upper exercises.

If you are a beginner I recommend Classical Stretch workouts. The one pictured below shows Miranda Esmonde White stretching the Hip Flexor muscle. 

This deep lunge type of stretch can be done after walking, jogging, or any routine workout. Always be well warmed up before you do stretches! You can do stretches halfway through a walk or run, which for some makes the exercise more comfortable.

Here is a detailed description of an exercise that stretches hip flexors.

Scroll down to the last quarter of the blog post - you'll see it!

More Classical Stretch workouts are reviewed at Muscle Stretching Exercises.

I hope these recommendations help with your hip stretching exercises/flexibility!

Facts About Saturated Fats - My First Kindle Book!

Facts About Saturated Fats 

This Kindle book is 4-F-r-e-e until midnight August 26! it is a short guide for ballet dancers --and anyone, so you all can make sure you're eating the right healthy fats!

I hope you'll let me know what you think of it (you can do so at amazon). It will be updated and improved over time.

It is important to know how to buy high quality fats and oils that will give you energy and not make you fat like junk foods do. It's vital to get the good stuff and avoid the chemicals that are in many commercial brands.

So get the free download! (It will be $2.99 after the promo period is over.)

Facts About Saturated Fats.

 

Over 40 Over 50 Easy Weight Loss

On June 13 I wrote “I Didn't Mean ToLose 4 Pounds!”

That is just over six weeks ago and I have now lost 10 pounds!

I got into fat burning mode!

I stopped eating carbs - breads, crackers, grains, pastas, desserts - years ago.

But I didn't lose weight!

And in the past year, I began to gain. This is horrible on the morale of a retired dancer. I increased my exercise and bought a pedometer to ensure I walked enough every day. 

If you have a desk job, this is something worth keeping track of.

The fact that I write after my normal job hours doesn't help. I can exercise while reading or watching a movie - but not while typing.

What I have kept up for 6 weeks is intermittent fasting which I learned about in a book called “Effortless Healing”  by Dr. Joseph Mercola.

This is simply confining one's meals into an 8 hour a day time span.

And it's flexible. What a person needs to do is fast for 14-16 hours. This kicks the body into fat burning mode.

I stayed thin for twenty years after I stopped dancing. But then the inevitable changes occurred and I slowly gave up snacks, desserts - and finally all “white foods”, the carb laden foods.

I felt hopeless and helpless, increasing clothing sizes while I exercised and dieted. Ugh!

If this sounds like you, if you're over 40 or over 50 and need an easy weight loss method, get yourself a copy of “Effortless Healing” and see what you think.

Charlotte Web CBD Oil Sale - Antiinflammatory

Buy Charlotte Web CBD Oil

Why am I writing about Charlotte Web Oil Sale?

Because:

• it is a hemp oil product with no THC (the stuff that gets you high)

• it is legal - no prescription needed

• it is anti-inflammatory

• reports say it helps you get better sleep

• it is a powerful anti-oxidant

I can't help but think that a lot of dancers - especially retired dancers with osteoarthritis, joint pains, muscle pains, post-surgery pains - might like this oil which you can get on Amazon!

Particularly if you want or need to avoid drugs - this looks like a good product.

There is a whole interesting story about Charlotte Web oil - it is about a little girl - just look!

Charlotte Web oil for epilepsy is what is discussed there.

I think that's fantastic! But - for dancers - how might it help?

Oh my gosh - stressing -  sleeping - muscle pain - inflammation - competition anxiety - need I say more?

I am an explorer - I haven't bought any yet. But hey I'm about to!

I do know a lot about healthy oils. Not like a biochemist, but I read the best biochemists!

So that's what I'm thinking about right now. And a Charlotte Wed CBD Oil sale is right there on Amazon.

I am definitely going to follow the response to this product!

 This hemp oil extract gel pen has 50 applications. It is rubbed on the skin.

More information is in the book CBD-Rich Hemp Oil: Cannabis Medicine Is Back by Tina Rappaport, BFA and Steven Leonard Johnson RN, PhD.

Update: this product is no longer on amazon, but I have seen it on ebay. Just search! Or go to the original site HERE.

 

Pointe Magazine - Soy For A Snack And Estrogen Dominance

I really enjoyed my latest copy of Pointe magazine - except for the recommendation for soy as a healthy snack.

Typically, soy may be a healthy food if it is fermented and organic.

All soy crops in the US that are not grown without pesticides are GMO - in other words, soaked with, and genetically spliced with pesticide.

Pesticides in and of themselves are estrogen mimickers. Combine that with unfermented soy foods and you have a double whammy of estrogen.

Estrogen - out of balance with other hormones - can cause:

• weight gain

• cancers

• heavy periods and pain

• uterine fibroids

• endometriosis

• thryoid deficiencies (leading to weight gain)

It really is not a fun scenario.

Fermented organic soy products are healthy.

For instance San-J Tamari - soy sauce without wheat - has a good vitamin B12 content. It is very flavorful, more than soy sauce.   It is also Gluten free, organic and comes in a reduced sodium version too.

Miso paste - organic and in the Red version - is also good for vitamin B12.

Here is a page full of information about estrogen dominance, if you want more. I am not familiar with the supplements ts shows, but the info is excellent.

Here is a short video about estrogen rich foods and how harmful they can be.

Nina Dobrev and Conan O'Brien Do The Splits

I got the Lisa Howell newsletter today about the "over" splits leading to possible injuries. I am so glad she's written about this.

Honestly, for years I've viewed the 'beyond' split position and I don't find it that aesthetic.

In Classical Ballet the straight 180 degree splits line in a grand jete or penche is a beautiful line.

Just my opinion, but in Swan Lake or Giselle, and many other classics, the 180 isn't needed - but can look fantastic.

Anything beyond that starts to look like a circus.

Having sat in on many auditions in a professional ballet school, I've seen the heart break on the face of very expressive young dancers who don't make the grade when the assistants get up and stretch them for the onlooking panel.

But I get it - if they can't do a split or a deep back bend - why lead a hopeful on?

On the other hand, if you have a child who is  almost like a contortionist - how easy will it be for them to conquer classical ballet technique? Without injury?

I've worked with chiropractors for many years, including a couple of kinesiologists.

Many patients have come in with injuries due to lax ligaments.  They are just born that way. And they have supplements recommended for them - specifically to tighten up lax ligaments.

In dance, "tighten up" is a bad phrase. But let's keep things in perspective.

If you can do the splits, I say - hooray. Now you can concentrate on other technical weaknesses you may have (everybody has some) and become better than good.

When I see the you tube videos of young dancers demonstrating their "waaaaay" over-split, legs bowing up onto chairs while their pelvis sits on the floor, I feel slightly nauseated.

Am I old-fashioned? I know I was deemed fairly picky as a ballet teacher - and I can't get used to this circus-like flexibility that is spun as a wanted quality for dance.

I understand that a high degree of flexibility is needed to train.

But the dancer who succeeds - is the dancer you can't help watching. And it's not about the splits.

Beyond splits - is more for the circus.

And for the dancer who can do that, it'a about a lot of extra exercises so she/he doesn't get injured.

I am glad Lisa Howell asks the questions: why; and how to prevent injury.

O.K., this was a bit of a rant so I'll lighten up with this funny video of Nina Dobrev and Conan O'Brien doing the splits.

Only relevant for a few seconds between :24 - 28.

But the 180 is enough, I know right?

Could Pointe Shoes Have Sensors Like Soccer Players Do?

I was just reading an article about how soccer players can wear headbands with high tech!

These head bands relay, in real time, the impact of hits the players receive, on their heads during a game.

There is a point at which a player could be pulled from the game if a hit impact is hard enough to give them a concussion.

I wondered - could a sensor be made for ballet dancers in pointe shoes? It could measure how they come up and down off point.

It could also measure how they take off and land from jumps - which means men in ballet could use them too.

These toe shoes sensors could keep track of:

• are the dancers' weight distributed evenly over the “tripod” of big toes, little toes and heels

• do they pronate (roll inwards at the ankle joint(s)) when they push off

• do they lift their heels before they push off

• do they push from their plie then fail to push with their forefoot or feet

• do they land controlling their sole of foot muscles or let their heels impact the floor

These are important moments in pointe work or allegro.

For example, if the ankle(s) roll in on take off or landing, it's setting the dancer up for both sprained ankles or a knee injury.

If there is no strength in the forefeet, an Achilles Tendon injury can be easily forecast.

If the heel pops on take off and the forefeet do all the work, an Achilles Tendon injury may be imminent.Not to mention foot sprains.

Well, just my thoughts today...Quick and fluid ballet footwork is lovely to watch, but tense plies (heels up) and usually more so in pointe shoes, are the obvious weaknesses. 

There are many nit-picky issues that a good teacher will nag you about. 

I wonder if you know all the ballet tips in this book! Get the best technique you can!

https://amzn.to/36YTBNr

Positive Self Talk Handouts

Ballet and success can go hand in hand - and riches are relative.

 Positive self talk handouts - in video. Search "brad yates eft youtube".

I was just watching a video (one of a large series) about success and riches.

He demonstrates and puts up a lot of videos about the Emotional Freedom Technique.

(link goes to video explaining EFT).

So who the heck gets rich in ballet, among the successful?

Riches are relative of course. A successful Wall Street broker would snort at the ballerina's pay.

It is all relative.

Yet, your world counts. You, the aspiring child, teen or adult ballet beginner.

You have a muse who invites you to dance. That muse is You!

And maybe you're a recreational dancer. Or a hopeful for dance competitions. Or a ballet student in a professional program.

Believe me, I know even the latter is not bereft of overwhelming anxiety and self doubts!

And I don't know where the science stands on EFT - it is related to acupuncture.

But you certainly can pick up many positive self talk quotes!

Yet, having viewed videos about the emotional freedom technique tapping points I don't think this is useless.

Have a look and see if this might be of some use to help you or another eliminate self talk.

See what you think. 

" In partnership with Dr. David Feinstein, Dr. Church has been able to confirm that tapping on specific meridian points has a positive effect on cortisol levels. Cortisol, known as the "stress hormone," is integral to our body's "fight or flight" response." Huffington Post an article by Nick Ortner, posted: 03/17/2012.

http://www.eftfree.net/latest-scientific-research/  - more about

emotional freedom technique tapping points.

Sound Machines For Sleeping

So you've got a good nutritional diet plan!

There is one way you can sabotage it and wonder why it's not working as well as "hers".

Lack of good sound sleep will affect a good diet every time.

Even if you're not on a weight loss diet - if you start to gain weight or feel a big appetite increase, reflect on how you've been sleeping lately.

Lack of sleep creates a hormone imbalance that results in hunger, and lack of satisfaction with the meals we're used to.

It also creates other havoc - exhaustion will increase our stress hormone cortisol - which then in turn decreases the quality of our sleep even more.

There is so much for a teen dancer to keep track of!

• school work

• extra stretching

• extra foot exercises

• sewing pointe shoes

• clean ballet wear ready

• social time (what is that again? lol)

And you may lie at wake worrying about all these things, the competition, family arguments and much more!

I totally love sound machines for sleeping! 

Without sound sleep that diet plan will not work so well.

Here's one that comes with a sound card pre-loadedwith soothing sleep sounds - and you can stream your own favorites from a Bluetooth enabled device.

There is a variety of these white noise type of machines for sleep.

Get a good night's sleep every night - and get the most out of your good nutritional diet plan.

Easy Tips - Lose Weight

Symptoms - Hormone Deficiency

One of the symptoms of hormone deficiency is bad sleep.

And also hormone deficiencies cause bad sleep.

That is why the word "balance" is key!

One of the best easy tips for losing weight is sleeping well.

Recently Dr. Mercola author of "Effortless Healing" wrote an article "How To Stay Thin For Life". Yeah right that's so easy!

Many of us know it's not.

And his article was about sleep. Good sleep = good body weight!

I believe this and I'll tell you why - recently I started Intermittent Fasting -which I talked about here.

I lost four pounds suddenly but then slept quite badly one night - and the next morning had gained three.

But 2 mornings later after 2 good night's sleep - I had lost six pounds since the start of the Intermittent Fasting.

Dancers often suffer from aching muscles - and that's a deep ache!

About 300 to 400 mg magnesium will help relax muscles. Yet it's good to add some potassium and B6 since these vitamins act in concert - yup they have their own choreography in those muscles!

In extreme cases of insomnia ask your doctor about melatonin and do your own search. Some medical doctors shy away from it because it's a hormone. But if you're not sleeping...well it's a late night brain released hormone that cleanses your brain.And helps you sleep, deeply.

Melatonin can be deficient for different reasons. Lack of sunlight. Or simply a personal deficiency.

I wear Amber tinted glasses when I'm on the computer in the evening. That eliminates the blue-light brightness that stimulates the brain. The UV spectrum.

In fact I'm yawning now - so I'll say - g'night and sleep well! Time to go take my melatonin and keep losing weight!

Click here to get "Effortless Healing"  with some more easy tips to sleep well and lose weight:

Teen Diet Plans Research Overload

I decided to start a second Kindle book (first one done but not published yet) called Teen Diet Plans - tentative working title.

Talk about overload! I couldn't avoid the issue of grass fed meats, dairy and wild caught fish. And organic vegetables.

Because the conventional GMO or pesticide/herbicide laden foods mess with our hormones.

As I've written here  I grew up with a progesterone deficiency which plagued me all my life.

I struggled with staying thin having no clue about stress hormones or estrogen dominance (which can lead to cancers).

And now that I'm looking at the latest research on what's in our foods - it's a horror story!

As an example - a few years ago it became illegal in the US to feed cows cow products. This was to prevent the spread of Mad Cow Disease. But chickens don't get that so they get fed cow “products” - usually blood, bone meal and unmarketable parts that don't go into hot dogs.

But it is legal to feed cattle “chicken litter” which is chicken poop, feathers and other unmarketable bits and pieces. So it is still possible for cows to eat recycled cow products with a chance that Mad Cow disease could be passed on.

We eat cows fed chicken poop.

But the good thing is:

You can vote with your dollars! Even if you're not a voter.

Because of the persistence of consumers buying organic and grass fed foods, the prices have dropped. Availability has spread.

Yet the yuk factor of what I now feel obliged to put in this short guide book on healthy teen meals (mostly “fast food” Nutri Bullet drinks made at home) has increased.

BPA's, flame retardents, household cleansers, antibiotics...and more! All estrogen mimickers or endocrine disruptors.

Which disrupt what would have been a teen's normal weight, given the growth/hormone spurts and lulls.

But we can still beat this thing!

"The Meatrix" - the first 3 minutes address the situation.

I really don't want to get political. I just want to provide info about healthy fat burning meal plans. 

Simply spending your dollars on the healthy foods is all one has to do.

I Didn't Mean To Lose Four Pounds!

Honestly I didn't - a few days ago I started reading up on hormonal balance and wrote  "My Own Teen Weight Gain Story".

I picked up a Kindle version of Dr. Joseph Mercola's "Effortless Healing". I bought it a couple of months ago and had read it and put it down a few times.

He recommends the usual sensible eating habits as well as "intermittent fasting" to re-train one's body for fat burning instead of sugar burning, for energy.

I had read a couple of his newsletter articles about this but had never thought I could do it.

I have the symptoms of insulin and leptin resistance. My body has forgotten how to burn fat even though I have rarely eaten grains for five years. This means:

• no sugar

• no breads

• no crackers

• no cookies

• no rice

As grim as that sounds I eat well and am pretty healthy.

I also gave up chips of all kinds, and popcorn.

Exceptions would be at other people's dinners. I would enjoy some mashed potatoes or baked, or some chips on occasion.

I still did not lose weight no matter what.

So last Sunday evening I decided I would try the Intermittent Fasting. It looked easier once I did the math. Which is:

Fast for 16 hours a day.

I decided to eat breakfast at 10:30am, lunch whenever I next got hungry, and dinner before 6:30 pm. So my meals are within an 8 hour period. After dinner I drank water or herbal tea.

This was almost what I was doing anyway! 

Plus, I cheat a bit because I make coffee as soon as I get up and I put cream in it. I know from experience slow change works best.

By Wednesday I had lost 1 pound. Cool! I wasn't expecting more than that.

On Friday I was wearing heavier shoes and when I got on the scale I expected to see an additional pound because of the shoes.

And I was 4 pounds down from the previous week! Huh?

I am going to keep at this and will be happy with a pound a week loss.

The factor of hormone balance is related to fat (and not sugar) burning as well as slowing down the aging process.

I have to recommend this for any retired athlete especially if you have a desk job. Ihave no medical problems so I just went ahead and did it. But if you have any health issues take stock of them and maybe consult a health practitioner.

This isn't a diet however. It's simply grouping your meals differently. And its success is related to overall healthy habits, like anything else. Everything is connected.

The "Effortless Healing" book is a great reference for all kinds of health issues.

And really good if you're a teen with a weight gain story!

My Own Teen Weight Gain Story - Hormone Imbalance

Teen Weight Gain is agony

I rarely talk about personal stuff but since you all have stuck with me for a few years now, I feel comfortable to share.

Teen weight gain is agony - and if you're a ballet dancer, cheerleader - or "any" girl - it is horrible. And this is way before social media or every day bullying at school.

I wrote a slightly clinical post about hormone imbalance on my other toe shoes blog today. But this is my own story.

When I was young I was so skinny my mother called me "the skull". But for ballet that's good right? I ate anything that I wanted to and was thin.

When I went to the summer ballet course in Hockley Valley, Ontario Canada, the ballet teachers were all from the National Ballet of Canada and the National Ballet School teacher course. I was in good hands.

We had 3-4 ballet classes a day and we gobbled up our boxed lunches - 2 sandwiches, some raw vegetable snack and a cupcake.

Our ballet teachers were horrified. They picked the sandwich contents out of the bread with a fork and threw away everything else.

And that summer I auditioned for the National Ballet School of Canada and was accepted. All was well for about a year and a half.

Then the teen weight gain began. Nightmare! I was eating what I had always eaten. There were a few other girls who gained weight too. We were lepers, let me assure you.

What I didn't know was hormone imbalance was involved. Nowadays a parent and a family doctor would suspect. But not then.


Here is a video that discusses stress and progesterone deficiency:

If a girl has heavy and had painful periods, that's a sign. Weight gain (while exercising and eating the same) is a sign.

Worry, anxiety, fatigue and social withdrawal are all signs of hormonal imbalance.

No one realized we needed a hormone balance test.

I was impressed by an interview I read with Suzanne Somers today and her new book "Tox-Sick Suzanne Somers".

It covers many causes of ill health. The interview covers the hormone imbalance issues.

All I can say to another dancer, or another woman (including you teen dancers!) be forewarned!

Find out all you can about hormone imbalance and lead a very healthy and happy life.

I Would Still Be Teaching Ballet If I Could

Yes, I would be still be teaching ballet if I could.

So why aren't I?

A bunch of reasons -  I emigrated and had no idea how long it would take to re-credential.

And that I was in the wrong place to do that.

And I had a (wonderful) child. Any mother knows what that does to one's other plans!

But many years later and after some financial catastrophes, I had not yet re-credentialed.

Things change. Years ago (when I was in Canada) I was offered a 3 year contract and a Green Card to teach in the Dance Department at UCLA.

Yet not too many years after that, UCLA dissolved its dance department. What a shame.

In the early 21st Century I discovered blogging. So here I am and here we are.

Recently I started reading a book "The Thinker's Way" by John Chaffee, Ph.D.

It was very disturbing. Firstly, it is probably wonderful for younger adults. It gives practical advice on plotting one's life.

What was most disturbing, is that no matter what I can still plan as a senior, for my life, that my favorite thing would be to be teaching ballet again.

I am still happy and optimistic about my future. And I'm so amazed that I have a ballet blog with so many followers - yes you!

I wanted to share this and mention how much I've enjoyed writing all the technical posts on this blog.

I am determined to keep writing - for instance, recently Stephen Woodjetts (once my room mate in Toronto) posted a link to a wonderful production of Swan Lake on Facebook. I couldn't find a picture of Steve that is copyright free - darn.

He remarked that this Swan Lake was exceptionally musical. And it is! Way back when Steve and Liz (a flautist) and I shared a dumpy apartment, Steve used to play Swan Lake on his piano.

Liz and I would sit in the dark on a very hot and humid summer night. I was transported by the music and Steve's special talent.

And every time I see Swan Lake I think of that.

Steve had a score (Russian) given to him by Babs MacKay who was concert pianist for The National Ballet of Canada, and later The National Ballet School. I am sure Steve can think back to the sound of her playing for class as well as I can.

Here is that wonderful Swan Lake with musicality :

Thanks Steve!

The Dance I Never Danced

Well...not quite. I'd had the amazing opportunity to have some classes in Flamenco with Susana. Yes, The Susana.

I was teaching at The National Ballet School of Canada then and only did one summer intensive - 4 weeks - of classes.

Fast forward many years later to when I had moved to LA. I had not danced for about 5 years then.

I had a child and a job. One day, while walking from the bus stop to our house, I passed a home and from inside the garage I heard someone practicing Flamenco. 

On the third day, I left a note stuck to the front door, asking where this person was studying. And she called me!

Unfortunately, a few days later I got served divorce papers at 10 PM on a week night. Phooey!

Quite a few dreams circled the drain at that point, including me taking Flamenco classes. I still had the shoes...the skirt...oh well. And I still have them! Talk about a die hard!

Not About Dance Today

 A fellow writer and artist, Vone Deporter and I have started a Gofundme campaign for another artist - John Cox, 77 years old, disabled and homeless.

I first saw John's art and fine jewelry at an art gallery show organized by the late Canadian ballerina Angela Leigh.

I met John in other creative communities in Toronto - he was friends with some founding members of Toronto Dance Theatre and worked with alternative health practitioners doing massage and bodywork. 

(She too became a visual artist after leaving the stage). 

 "100 people give $10 a month - or 200 people give $5 a month - sounds easy.....http://www.gofundme.com/m1uz1o" 

is the nutshell of our campaign.

If any of you followers would go the link and simply share it from the Share buttons - we'd be so grateful!

btw Vone Deporter is the painter of the beautiful ballerina on this blog header.