Uggh... I ate too much falafel!

Ever have one of those nights when you ate way too much and then needed to dance but didn't want to throw up? No fun. Here are some ideas to prevent it from happening, my thoughts on a post originally started on Bhuz by Darbla.

There are many traditional ways to increase your digestion and prevent the side effects of over-eating like gas, bloating, and flatulence (let's face it girls, nobody wants a farty bellydancer at their gig!). The first, and most simple, is... don't forget to eat! What? Isn't this post about eating less? No. It's not about eating less, but eating more regularly so you don't feel the need to gorge at any one meal. A good daily strategy is to eat 5 small meals every day, with additional snacks in-between if you get hungry. Start with something protein-laden early in the day (like chicken, leftover salmon, eggs, turkey sausages, beans, hummus, nuts and seeds in your oatmeal, or a protein shake for those on-the-go), and make sure every meal and snack is heavy on the vegetables (especially leafy green ones) and whole fruits. Many people have problems with grains and dairy, so try different items like yogurt with live cultures and quinoa instead of wheat if these two categories generally cause you discomfort.

A few tricks come in handy for indigestion issues. The first is to eat things that are bitter. The flavor of bitter triggers an increased secretion of saliva and other digestive juices (hydrochloric acid, pancreatic enzymes, bile) to increase your ability to digest foods.  Bitter evolutionarily often meant a chemical in a plant that was moderately or severely toxic, so it was in the body's best interest to try to digest the plant as thoroughly as possible. Bitter foods include the leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, swiss chard, dandelion greens, beet greens, etc.), the cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, brussels sprouts, mustard greens, cabbage), and many herbs (like Chamomille, Calendula, Mint, Dandelion greens, Goldenseal, Yarrow, and Horehound). These herbs are great in teas or a few drops of a tincture 10-30 minutes before meals.

Apple cider vinegar is another time-honored way to kick start the digestion. The taste of sour (vinegar) also stimulates flow of saliva and digestive juices. Generally, people only need to take a tablespoonful about 10-30 minutes before each meal to ramp up digestion.

In addition, if you buy "unpasteurized" apple cider vinegar (I like Spectrum Organics brand) you get live probiotic bacteria in the vinegar, which further increase the health of your gastro-intestinal system, and help decrease inflammation in the body. Probiotics have been heavily researched recently for their benefits to the body and ability to decrease inflammation and aid the gut. Another great way to get in your beneficial bacteria is live-culture kimchi, sauerkraut, or yogurt, but make sure it says "live cultures" on the label because pasteurizing kills these little friends! If you are shopping for a probiotic in pill form, the best ones are kept refrigerated and have a mix of lactobacillus and bifidobacteria.

And lastly... don't eat a big meal right after that 10pm gig. I know, we've all done it, we're sooooooo hungry after dancing our little butts off! Try to have something protein-dense that will tide you over until tomorrow, and skip the sugary baklava. Sugar too late at night can cause wakefulness from sugar spikes (as if wakefulness wasn't already an issue after an exciting performance!) and eating late causes indigestion because our bodies don't digest when we're asleep.

Remember: happy bellies mean happy bellydancers!!!

In Peace and Health,
Anwar Asad

But I Thought Bellydance was Good for You?

Yes!

In many ways, that is true. Bellydance is a wonderful form of exercise and can build muscles you didn't even know you had. Doing hours and hours of shimmies will build thigh muscles, dancing on the toes builds the calves and muscles of the "core", manipulations of the abdomen and ribcage train the diaphragm and abdominal muscles, and there's plenty of work for the arms and head to do, too!

So why am I starting this blog?

There are many concerns that are specific to bellydancers, which come up the longer you engage in the art form. Repetitive stress injuries from doing the same movement in a choreography 1000 times, sensitivities to metals that are in jewelry like "kuchi" (which is made from who knows what!!), acne and skin disorders from wearing loads of makeup and skin bronzers, energy issues from being up too late dancing 3 gigs back-to-back and having to work the next morning, to name a few. These are just a small sample of the issues that come up, and as any seasoned dancer knows, there are loads more!

On another note, health is not just the physical body. Bellydancers often run up against emotional crises, mental worries and concerns about performing, feeling burned out and uninspired, and having crises of faith, all of which contribute to less-than-optimal health.

The mission of this blog is to explore the myriad of concerns of the bellydancer, from fresh-faced newbie to seasoned pro, and to create a community of discussion of how we can re-create this beautiful dance form in the spirit of health and well-being!

Dance on, lovely sisters (and brothers)!

In Peace and Health,
Anwar Asad

Testing 1, 2, 3...

Hey all bellydance fans! Just testing this to see how it all works out!

In Peace and Health,
Anwar Asad