This quiz is taken from Dr. Nancy Appleton's "Lick the Sugar Habit".  

Choose if these statements are TRUE or FALSE for you...answer as truthfully as you can.

1. I don't eat refined sugar every day.

2. I can go more than a day without eating some kind of sugar-containing food.

3. I never have cravings for sugar, coffee, or chocolate.

4. I've never hidden sweets around the house so I can eat them later.

5. I can stop after eating one bite of pastry or one piece of candy.

6. There are times when I have no sugar around the house.

7. I can have sweets in the house without eating them.

8. I can go at least 3 hours without eating without shakes, fatigue or bad moods.

9. I do not eat something sweet after every meal.

10. I rarely drink coffee or eat donuts or sweet rolls for breakfast.

11. I can go more than an hour after waking without eating.

12. I don't drink sweetened soft drinks every day.

RESULTS:  For the record, if you answered four of these questions FALSE, then stop lying to yourself and seek help for your sugar addiction via a doctor or nutritionist.  If you answered between 1 and 3 questions FALSE, then you may develop an addiction later, unless you lied.  Zero FALSE answers mean you don't have a problem, unless you lied.  So fess up!

What is the big deal anyway?  Why is sugar so bad?

1. Sugar can suppress the immune system.

2. Sugar can cause hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.

3. Sugar contributes to the reduction in defense against bacterial infections (infectious diseases).

4. Sugar causes a loss of tissue elasticity and function, the more sugar you eat the more elasticity and function you loose.

5. Sugar can lead to cancer of the ovaries.

6. Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.

7. Sugar can produce an acidic digestive tract.

8. Sugar can cause premature aging.

9. Sugar can cause tooth decay.

10. Sugar contributes to obesity.

11. High sugar intake increases the risk of Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis.

12. Sugar can cause arthritis.

13. Sugar can cause asthma.

14. Sugar greatly assists the uncontrolled growth of Candida Albicans (yeast infections).

15. Sugar can exacerbate PMS.

16. Sugar can cause constipation.

17. Sugar causes food allergies.

18. Sugar plays a role in pancreatic cancer in women.

19. Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.

20. Sugar can cause depression.

21. Sugar can cause brain-decay in pre-diabetic and diabetic women.

22. Sugar can cause cancer of the rectum.

23. Sugar can cause endometrial cancer.

24. Sugar can contribute to Alzheimer's Disease.

25. Sugar is an addictive substance.  

So what is a dancer to do?  During training, rehearsals, and performance seasons, it is so easy to just grab a sugar-y snack to get quick energy.  

Set yourself up for success.  Do what is RIGHT...not what is EASY!

Here is a list of alternative meal/snack ideas for active dancers, moms, and teachers - taken from "The Care and Feeding of a Dancer", by Toni Branner, M.A. and Jenna Lee Branner.

1. Whole grain cereal (with fruit and soy, rice, or almond milk)

2. Sandwich on whole grain bread with hummus, spreadable fruit and peanut or almond butter, veggies or organic turkey.

3. Brown or wild rice with veggies or beans.

4. Whole grean tortilla wrap with veggies, beans, and avocado.

5. Pita pocket with veggies, tuna, or hummus.

6. Fruit of any kind (fresh pineapple has an enzyme that repairs muscle)

7. Baked or sweet potato

8. Oatmeal

9. Raw almonds, pecans, walnuts mixed with dried fruit

10. Parfait with fruit and granola

11. Celery with peanut or almond butter

12. Raw veggies with hummus or low-fat dip

13. Baked tortilla chips with salsa

14. Mini rice cakes with peanut or almond butter

15 Graham crackers or ginger snaps dipped in applesauce

16. Healthy sports bars/granola bars are preferable to fast food or vending machines (try Kashi brand or a bar with low sugar, high fiber, and plant-based protein source.)

17. Homemade banana bread or muffins

18. Great fruit smoothie recipe using Juice Plus

To get more fantastic dancer-specific snack, food, and health information and ideas, go to The Care and Feeding of a Dancer.

Keep dancin' pretty!

JAM cosmetics

Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Modern, Broadway, Ballroom, Teacher, Enthusiast, Parent, Retailer, Studio, Competitions & Conventions, Performance, Summer Study, beauty, health, nutrition (all tags)