The Black Swan Diet

By Tara Curran

With the recent release of the blockbuster movie Black Swan, there has been much hype around Natalie Portman’s body in the film. Gone was the gaunt figure of the average Hollywood star. Instead she leaped onto the screen as a svelte ballerina. If we didn’t know better, we would think she had been dancing her whole life. Dancers have some of the most enviable bodies in the world. This is partly due to their frequent gruelling workouts.

However, exercise alone will not create that perfect physique; diet also plays a leading role. Poise and control are words that come to mind when we think of a ballet dancer. Their controlled attitude takes centre stage in the kitchen too. Their restraint is possibly due to the fact that a ballet dancer has to appear on stage, in front of hundreds of people, in a leotard. For most people, the prospect of that amount of public exposure is enough to induce nightmares. But for a ballerina, it’s an everyday occurrence, so their body must be in tip top condition.

As any professional dancer knows, in order to perform those exhausting routines, they need to nourish their bodies. This means that crash diets are completely off the table. Instead a well balanced, low fat, healthy eating plan is essential. In order to achieve this, their diet should consist of 55% complex carbohydrates, 20% lean protein and 25% fat. Ballet dancers, like everyone should avoid the lure of a low carbohydrate diet as this can cause muscles to be broken down for energy.

A ballerina’s diet is essentially a healthy eating plan, however it is a little stricter than most. Ballet dancers need to perform certain routines in order to pirouette their way to that perfect figure...

Stamp out the salt: Too much salt in the diet can lead to fluid retention and bloating, which is a big NO for ballerinas. To avoid a salt overload they need to limit their amount of processed foods and salty snacks.

Shimmy away from sugar: A diet full of sugar can give rise to sudden peaks and dips in energy levels. Ballerinas like most people, can perform better if they consume foods that provide a slow release of energy so they need to avoid those sugar filled snacks.

Waltz towards water: Water is essential to keep every budding ballerina hydrated. Not drinking enough water can leave you feeling tired and dehydrated. Often people can confuse thirst with hunger, so make sure you drink about 2 litres of water each day to stay hydrated.

Leap into low fat: Low fat foods are a must to control calorie intake. Choosing low fat dairy is a simple way to keep your calories down whilst not missing out on an important source of calcium.

Line up the lean protein: Lean protein is vital for building a long lean body. Always choose lean cuts of chicken, turkey and beef. Remove the skin and trim off any excess fat.

Can Can into complex carbohydrates: Carbohydrates supply our body with the energy needed to perform. Ballerinas avoid white bread and pasta in favour of whole grain varieties which keep them fuller for longer.

The average ballerina’s diet would consist of 3 meals and 3 snacks. Based on a 2000 calorie diet, the following plan will give you an idea of a day in the life of a ballerina.

It may be difficult to obtain that beautiful ballerina body without the intense exercise routine, but a healthy diet can go a long way to help. Eating well nourishes your body from the inside out, so a balanced diet will provide you with the energy needed to kick start your regime; whether you’re performing on stage, running a marathon or just increasing your activity level.