This is a response I made to a woman who wished to lose weight quickly for a bellydance gig. I think many of us have the mentality of "I just need to lose 5 lbs for that special event", but real health and lasting weight loss means changing the way you view your relationship to food and exercise. Enjoy!
--------------------
As a healthcare professional, I agree on many of the points being made here. The "paleo" diet is one of the most helpful diets for maintaining healthy body muscle-to-fat ratio. Whole fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, lean meats (go organic, grass-fed and wild-caught whenever possible for the best ratio of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fats!), and good fats like avocado, flax, coconut, sesame, and olive will give you the most satiety and help you through sugar cravings. For optimal health and weight loss, don't skip meals or use coffee or cigarettes to suppress the appetite. The trick is to give the body enough fiber and good fats so that it feels full, and eat 5 small meals a day so that your blood glucose (sugar) is balanced and you don't get overly hungry.
Check out the glycemic index for an idea of which fruits and vegetables are less sugar-balancing. A general rule of thumb is that if it's starchy or low in fiber, it converts quickly into sugar in the body. Starchy no-nos would be things like most root vegetables and starchy fruits (potato, sweet potato, yams, pumpkin, cassava, plantain, banana, dates, mango, papaya, and any dried fruit). Check out Glycemic Index for more information.
Remember that keeping weight off is about lifestyle. Cultivate a lifestyle that encourages healthy eating, and the weight will stay off for good. I know you can do it!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Friday, October 21, 2011
The HCG Craze: What does it mean for those who want to lose weight?
This post is a response to a discussion started on BHUZ about a dancer who was curious about the HCG diet for weight loss.
I am a naturopathic doctor (ND), and this is a very "hot" topic in alternative healthcare right now. I can't advise anyone yea or nay, but I can give those who are curious some insight into my thoughts on the subject. First of all, the one thing that all diets that work have in common is calorie restriction. When you restrict the amount of food you eat, you lose weight. A drawback of that strategy, however, is the "yo-yo" phenomenon: while you are restricting calories your body goes into "save whatever I get" mode. Then, once you begin to eat normally again, you are still saving everything you eat, which makes you gain all the weight back.
The HCG diet comes with this drawback. Many re-gain the weight after stopping pills or shots. Another side-effect is anxiety, which has been mentioned. There are other side effects which I won't take time to mention here, but the biggest is cost! Plus, this hormone is only supposed to be in the body during PREGNANCY, and I'm sure there are undesired long-term effects that have not been adequately researched.
That said, what are some time-honored ways to lose weight? Weight lifting. Muscle burns fat. There was a big cardio craze in the '90's to "burn fat", but research has shown that building muscle bulk will burn more fat than cardio, every time. And when you weight lift, switch it up. "Muscle confusion" training is the best way to ensure that your body doesn't adjust to your fitness routine, and the less you can adjust, the more fat you will burn. Check out Mark Lauren's website "You are your own gym" for a great discussion on bodyweight exercises and muscle confusion:
Welcome to You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises by Mark Lauren
Another great fitness regimen based on these principles is CrossFit.
Welcome to CrossFit: Forging Elite Fitness
What else? Diet, of course. Whole foods. What is a whole food? Anything that grew out of the ground, dropped from a tree or bush, or was slaughtered. No processing. Think: nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, meats, fish in as close to their original format as possible. The less starchy, the better for weight loss (so go easy on potatoes, bananas, yams). Check out the World's Healthiest Foods website:
The World's Healthiest Foods
What else? Mental approach to how we perceive weight, food, eating, and our body image. For this, I prefer using EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), which addresses our conscious and subconscious attitudes surrounding the choices we make. For those skeptics and name-droppers, it's been highly endorsed as a psycho-emotional therapy by the likes of Deepak Chopra and Dr. Mercola. Check out:
EFTUniverse.com
The good news? All of the suggestions I've mentioned above are FREE. Bodyweight exercises can be done at home, with few props. Many EFT resources are free. And buying whole foods is often less expensive than purchasing their processed cousins. HCG is a band-aid, a short-cut, not a viable long-term solution to the weight issue or to achieving optimal health.
I am a naturopathic doctor (ND), and this is a very "hot" topic in alternative healthcare right now. I can't advise anyone yea or nay, but I can give those who are curious some insight into my thoughts on the subject. First of all, the one thing that all diets that work have in common is calorie restriction. When you restrict the amount of food you eat, you lose weight. A drawback of that strategy, however, is the "yo-yo" phenomenon: while you are restricting calories your body goes into "save whatever I get" mode. Then, once you begin to eat normally again, you are still saving everything you eat, which makes you gain all the weight back.
The HCG diet comes with this drawback. Many re-gain the weight after stopping pills or shots. Another side-effect is anxiety, which has been mentioned. There are other side effects which I won't take time to mention here, but the biggest is cost! Plus, this hormone is only supposed to be in the body during PREGNANCY, and I'm sure there are undesired long-term effects that have not been adequately researched.
That said, what are some time-honored ways to lose weight? Weight lifting. Muscle burns fat. There was a big cardio craze in the '90's to "burn fat", but research has shown that building muscle bulk will burn more fat than cardio, every time. And when you weight lift, switch it up. "Muscle confusion" training is the best way to ensure that your body doesn't adjust to your fitness routine, and the less you can adjust, the more fat you will burn. Check out Mark Lauren's website "You are your own gym" for a great discussion on bodyweight exercises and muscle confusion:
Welcome to You Are Your Own Gym: The Bible of Bodyweight Exercises by Mark Lauren
Another great fitness regimen based on these principles is CrossFit.
Welcome to CrossFit: Forging Elite Fitness
What else? Diet, of course. Whole foods. What is a whole food? Anything that grew out of the ground, dropped from a tree or bush, or was slaughtered. No processing. Think: nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, meats, fish in as close to their original format as possible. The less starchy, the better for weight loss (so go easy on potatoes, bananas, yams). Check out the World's Healthiest Foods website:
The World's Healthiest Foods
What else? Mental approach to how we perceive weight, food, eating, and our body image. For this, I prefer using EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), which addresses our conscious and subconscious attitudes surrounding the choices we make. For those skeptics and name-droppers, it's been highly endorsed as a psycho-emotional therapy by the likes of Deepak Chopra and Dr. Mercola. Check out:
EFTUniverse.com
The good news? All of the suggestions I've mentioned above are FREE. Bodyweight exercises can be done at home, with few props. Many EFT resources are free. And buying whole foods is often less expensive than purchasing their processed cousins. HCG is a band-aid, a short-cut, not a viable long-term solution to the weight issue or to achieving optimal health.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Take Care of Your Wrists
Our world is moving quickly into a digital age. Many of us use the computer over 6 hours a day, and some of us up to 10 hours a day! 10 hours a day... typing, using a mouse, maneuvering a track pad, texting. All of these activities put some serious stresses on the wrist joints, often locking them in to one position for hours at a time, which can cause wrist pain, tension, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
As belly dancers, we rely on our hands and wrists as a means of expression in the dance, and if they are stiff or in pain, our dance becomes less communicative. So what can we do about it? Lots!
The first piece of taking care of your wrists is mobilization. Take 2 minutes each day to roll the wrists in both directions, until the motion feels fluid and most of the cracks and pops are gone.
The second piece is stretching. Take another 3 minutes daily to do the following stretches (or stretch once every hour you are on the computer!):
1. Prayer hands: put your hands together in "prayer" position and push them together, rolling through three positions: 1. fingers towards ceiling 2. fingers forward 3. fingers towards toes (or as close as you can get), and then reverse
2. Backs of hands together: gently pushing the backs of the hands together, roll through 1. fingers towards you 2. fingers towards floor 3. fingers away from you, then reverse
3. Thumb stretch: with open hands, put the tips of your thumbs together, then push the hands towards each other, stretching both thumb bases simultaneously
4. Splayed finger stretch: similar to the thumb stretch, but touch your 4 fingertips together with the other 4 and push the fingers together
5. Gentle wrist decompression: Grab the base of one hand near the wrist with the other hand, and GENTLY pull the arms away from each other for 5 seconds. Finish with wrist rolls in both directions.
6. Lace the fingers of both hands and invert as you push away from you, then push your inverted hands up to the ceiling and hold for 10 seconds. Finish with wrist rolls in both directions.
Nutrition: wrists are very affected by foods that create inflammatory conditions in the body, because the narrow diameter means slower blood flow and inflammatory chemicals can deposit here. Avoiding or decreasing some of the classic inflammatory foods can generally decrease wrist pain, like alcohol, sugar, dairy, wheat/gluten, the nightshade family (potatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes), corn, and soy. Increasing omega-3 fats (like salmon, and sardines) will further decrease any inflammation in the wrists.
Hydrotherapy:Alternating hot and cold baths for your hands opens up the circulation, and has many health benefits, as it moves stagnant lymph and toxins from the wrist tissue, and it feels great!!
Procedure:
1. Get 2 pots/bowls of water big enough to immerse both your hands over the wrists. Fill one with cold tap water, and the other with hot tap water (enough to feel hot, but NOT burn you!)
2. Put both hands/wrists in the hot for 3 minutes
3. Put both hands/wrists in the cold for 30 seconds
4. Repeat hot - 3 minutes
5. Repeat cold - 30 seconds
6. Repeat hot - 3 minutes
7. Repeat cold - 30 seconds - you are done!! Towel off and enjoy the rejuvenating sensation!
And lastly, be sure to stretch your wrists and hands AFTER you dance for at least 5 minutes. Stretching when you are cold can damage tendons and ligaments. Do wrist circles before dancing to warm up, stretching afterwards to cool down.
Enjoy dancing with your beautiful arms!
As belly dancers, we rely on our hands and wrists as a means of expression in the dance, and if they are stiff or in pain, our dance becomes less communicative. So what can we do about it? Lots!
The first piece of taking care of your wrists is mobilization. Take 2 minutes each day to roll the wrists in both directions, until the motion feels fluid and most of the cracks and pops are gone.
The second piece is stretching. Take another 3 minutes daily to do the following stretches (or stretch once every hour you are on the computer!):
1. Prayer hands: put your hands together in "prayer" position and push them together, rolling through three positions: 1. fingers towards ceiling 2. fingers forward 3. fingers towards toes (or as close as you can get), and then reverse
2. Backs of hands together: gently pushing the backs of the hands together, roll through 1. fingers towards you 2. fingers towards floor 3. fingers away from you, then reverse
3. Thumb stretch: with open hands, put the tips of your thumbs together, then push the hands towards each other, stretching both thumb bases simultaneously
4. Splayed finger stretch: similar to the thumb stretch, but touch your 4 fingertips together with the other 4 and push the fingers together
5. Gentle wrist decompression: Grab the base of one hand near the wrist with the other hand, and GENTLY pull the arms away from each other for 5 seconds. Finish with wrist rolls in both directions.
6. Lace the fingers of both hands and invert as you push away from you, then push your inverted hands up to the ceiling and hold for 10 seconds. Finish with wrist rolls in both directions.
Nutrition: wrists are very affected by foods that create inflammatory conditions in the body, because the narrow diameter means slower blood flow and inflammatory chemicals can deposit here. Avoiding or decreasing some of the classic inflammatory foods can generally decrease wrist pain, like alcohol, sugar, dairy, wheat/gluten, the nightshade family (potatoes, peppers, eggplant, tomatoes), corn, and soy. Increasing omega-3 fats (like salmon, and sardines) will further decrease any inflammation in the wrists.
Hydrotherapy:Alternating hot and cold baths for your hands opens up the circulation, and has many health benefits, as it moves stagnant lymph and toxins from the wrist tissue, and it feels great!!
Procedure:
1. Get 2 pots/bowls of water big enough to immerse both your hands over the wrists. Fill one with cold tap water, and the other with hot tap water (enough to feel hot, but NOT burn you!)
2. Put both hands/wrists in the hot for 3 minutes
3. Put both hands/wrists in the cold for 30 seconds
4. Repeat hot - 3 minutes
5. Repeat cold - 30 seconds
6. Repeat hot - 3 minutes
7. Repeat cold - 30 seconds - you are done!! Towel off and enjoy the rejuvenating sensation!
And lastly, be sure to stretch your wrists and hands AFTER you dance for at least 5 minutes. Stretching when you are cold can damage tendons and ligaments. Do wrist circles before dancing to warm up, stretching afterwards to cool down.
Enjoy dancing with your beautiful arms!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Shameless Plug
Ok, so this post is really just a shameless plug for my other websites out there - other ways you can follow what I'm up to!!!! I'll have some new posts as soon as I'm a bit less busy!
Anwar Asad website:
http://www.anwarasad.com/index.html
Etsy Store:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/jeanlowe
Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anwar-Asad/170013649682769
Anwar Asad website:
http://www.anwarasad.com/index.html
Etsy Store:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/jeanlowe
Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Anwar-Asad/170013649682769
Sunday, May 1, 2011
What's in your favorite dance cosmetic?
Ok, you're in the market for a new eyeliner (or other beauty product for dancing) so you go to Sephora, browse around the shop, think to yourself, "Now what did that fellow Bhuzzer recommend?", pick something with a shiny package and a smiling model, then go home any pray like hell that it will work and not cause any heinous outbreaks or rashes. You may have looked at the package and wondered, "How do I know if this stuff is any good for me?" and then been reassured by the calming green and cream colors on the label and the words "all natural".
Ladies, there is a better way.
My recent trials finishing up school to become a Naturopathic Doctor have opened my eyes to the very real problem that what we put on our skin dictates a large part of our overall toxic burden, and that your overall toxic burden is a central factor in determining your overall health. Gone are the days when women would buy any snake-oil from a traveling salesperson with promises of beauty. In today's world of toxic accumulations and overloads (can anyone say PCBs, BHT, and DDT?) we have to be more careful, as if our lives depend on it. They really do.
Trouble is, there are so many things out there that we don't know what's good for us, and what's downright nasty. Most of the really scary toxins (like the carcinogens, neurotoxins, and endocrine disruptors) are fat-soluble, which means they get absorbed easily through the skin and stored in your fat deposits around the body, many of which are right below your skin layer. Since most of us maintain a fairly constant amount of fat in our bodies, these chemicals can be stored for decades and even passed mother-to-child through placenta and breast milk! This means that the cells of your body are exposed to and damaged by them for a long time. They can cause premature aging, increased risk of cancers (like skin, breast and ovarian), and increased risk of hormone problems, none of which are helpful for us bellydancers! And few of these toxic substances are regulated in cosmetics in the USA.
Thankfully, many women these days are demanding "natural" products with ingredients like essential oils, non-heavy-metal minerals, and oils from fruits (like coconut, avocado, etc) as the mainstays of their beauty products, but there are still some nasty ingredients floating around that seem to escape the general public awareness. Even if that Revlon product says "all-natural", there are really no government restrictions that define what "all-natural" means!
Your best bet: look it up. The non-profit organization Environmental Working Group has established a website called "Skin Deep" that is an extensive database of beauty products and cosmetics, and it's searchable by name or by ingredient. It analyzes research on toxicities, cancer risk, neurotoxin risk, allergy risk, endocrine risk, and many other categories, and also has information on whether the substance has been banned anywhere in the world.
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/
Another tip: check for the "certified organic" icon on the packaging. If it's got this, it means that 70% of the ingredients have to be grown and processed free of toxins, pesticides, and herbicides. Even better if it says "100% organic", because then 100% of the ingredients have to be handled this way!!
So next time you need a new foundation, do a little research first. Or if you find a product you like, just give it a check to see if it's healthy for you. Believe me, your skin and your whole body will thank you in the long run! Can you say, "I'm gonna be a sexy mama until I'm 100?"
Ladies, there is a better way.
My recent trials finishing up school to become a Naturopathic Doctor have opened my eyes to the very real problem that what we put on our skin dictates a large part of our overall toxic burden, and that your overall toxic burden is a central factor in determining your overall health. Gone are the days when women would buy any snake-oil from a traveling salesperson with promises of beauty. In today's world of toxic accumulations and overloads (can anyone say PCBs, BHT, and DDT?) we have to be more careful, as if our lives depend on it. They really do.
Trouble is, there are so many things out there that we don't know what's good for us, and what's downright nasty. Most of the really scary toxins (like the carcinogens, neurotoxins, and endocrine disruptors) are fat-soluble, which means they get absorbed easily through the skin and stored in your fat deposits around the body, many of which are right below your skin layer. Since most of us maintain a fairly constant amount of fat in our bodies, these chemicals can be stored for decades and even passed mother-to-child through placenta and breast milk! This means that the cells of your body are exposed to and damaged by them for a long time. They can cause premature aging, increased risk of cancers (like skin, breast and ovarian), and increased risk of hormone problems, none of which are helpful for us bellydancers! And few of these toxic substances are regulated in cosmetics in the USA.
Thankfully, many women these days are demanding "natural" products with ingredients like essential oils, non-heavy-metal minerals, and oils from fruits (like coconut, avocado, etc) as the mainstays of their beauty products, but there are still some nasty ingredients floating around that seem to escape the general public awareness. Even if that Revlon product says "all-natural", there are really no government restrictions that define what "all-natural" means!
Your best bet: look it up. The non-profit organization Environmental Working Group has established a website called "Skin Deep" that is an extensive database of beauty products and cosmetics, and it's searchable by name or by ingredient. It analyzes research on toxicities, cancer risk, neurotoxin risk, allergy risk, endocrine risk, and many other categories, and also has information on whether the substance has been banned anywhere in the world.
http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/
Another tip: check for the "certified organic" icon on the packaging. If it's got this, it means that 70% of the ingredients have to be grown and processed free of toxins, pesticides, and herbicides. Even better if it says "100% organic", because then 100% of the ingredients have to be handled this way!!
So next time you need a new foundation, do a little research first. Or if you find a product you like, just give it a check to see if it's healthy for you. Believe me, your skin and your whole body will thank you in the long run! Can you say, "I'm gonna be a sexy mama until I'm 100?"
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
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
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
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
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