Nutritional Supplements for Belly Dancers

In a perfect world, we'd get all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that we need from our diets. However, for the vast majority of us that doesn't happen. We live in the age of processed, convenience foods, coupled with little time, and lots of stress. And even for those who do find the time to cook home-cooked meals of fresh produce and lean proteins, we may still not be getting all of the nutrients we need from our meals due to a wide variety of factors, including but not limited to, food that's lost its nutrient value from traveling long distances to reach us, absorption issues within our own bodies, and other pollutants and toxins in our environments.

I've always had a keen interest in food, nutrition, and health. In fact, it's an interest that lead me to becoming a certified nutritionist a number of years ago. I'd like to take today's post to share a few possible supplement suggestions for optimizing health as a dancer.

Please note that these are intended as suggestions and may not be the right choice for everyone, as everyone's body is different and unique. Please consult with your own trusted health practitioner before implementing any changes, especially ensuring that any supplements you add to your diet won't adversely interact with any medications you are taking. Also, if you having severe or ongoing symptoms of any nature, you should seek medical advice and testing to ensure that your symptoms are not indicative of a more serious symptom or disease that cannot be treated with supplements alone.

And of course, all the supplements in the world won't do you any good if your diet is filled with garbage! Be sure to eat an optimal diet that's filled with lots of fresh vegetables and fruit and lean proteins, while avoiding too much sugar, starches, grains, alcohol, trans fat, and other processed foods.

1. Collagen Hydrolysate - Collagen is a form of protein that breaks down into peptides that are responsible for repairing connective tissue in the body, including bone, skin, ligaments, hair, and nails. In addition to making the body stronger and better able to withstand injury (because 10 years from now, you hope to still be dancing, right?), recent studies have shown initial indicators that consuming supplemental collagen can improve skin elasticity, literally plumping the skin from the inside out. Additionally, for anyone with IBS, "leaky gut" or other irritable/inflammatory bowel conditions, collagen can aid in repairing intestinal wall linings and reducing permeability. Unfortunately, there is  not currently a product on the market (that I'm aware of) that is not animal protein based. But if you're not vegan or vegetarian and you're looking for a brand to try, I recommend Great Lakes Geltin. 
2. Rodiola - Had too many late nights and your energy is lagging? Feeling like you just don't have the stamina and vitality to get through your upcoming evening gig? Rather than turning to a sugar-laden coffee or caffeinated soda, consider giving rodiola a try. Rodiola is an adaptogenic herb that can help prevent fatigue and less the effects of stress on the body. Studies have also shown that it can give the immune system a general boost. Be sure to take it in the morning or early afternoon and not right before bedtime.
3. Probiotics - You've probably heard of this one before; probiotics are the helpful or "friendly" bacteria that inhabit your gut and help keep your digestive system in balance. But what you might not have known is that 70% to 80% of your immune system is located in your gut. Thus, if your digestive system is not functioning properly you could be setting yourself for further aggravated health issues down the road. I'm sure that down the road you'd rather be dancing than heading to the doctor, right? A daily probiotic supplement can help you take care of your tummy and in extension, your overall health. Look for brands containing Bacillus coagulans (BC-30) and Lactobacillus GG. 
4. B Complex - B Vitamins do wonders for our bodies. The Vitamin B family helps with carbohydrate metabolism, maintaining a calm and healthy nervous system, adrenal function, and other vital metabolic functions.  Additionally, B vitamins are largely responsible for glowing skin and strong, health hair. If you feel like all the layers of stage makeup and hours of hot styling tools on your hair are doing you no favors, taking a B vitamin supplement could help you rediscover some of your inner glow.  
5. Melatonin - Melatonin is a hormone made by the pineal gland that helps regulate your sleep cycles. As dancers, we are often traveling and working odd and late hours, which can disrupt our natural circadian cycles. If your zzz's are out of wack, taking a melatonin supplement at bedtime can be an all-natural way to treat jeg lag and insomnia. 
6. Digestive Enzymes - Nobody likes to feel bloated and gassy at any time during the day, but especially not when you're about to don a two piece outfit and perform abdominal isolations. This is where a digestive enzyme can come to your rescue. Your digestive system is full of enzymes that break down your food so that you body can absorb and utilize what you consume. However, due to factors such as aging, genetics, current or past medications, and many other factors, you may not have enough enzymes for your digestive system to function at an optimum level, with the result being a varying range of digestive ails, which can include pain, bloating, gas, cramping, heartburn, constipation, and diarrhea. Taking a supplemental digestive enzyme can help with these symptoms. My hands down favorite digestive enzyme is Dr. Brantley's Active Enzyme Plus.  

Here's to a happy, healthy, and vibrant you!

Photo Credit: Unknown

Refuse to Choose!

There’s been a topic on my mind lately that is dear to my heart, and intricately connected to what I’m currently attempting to write a book about.  That topic is how we use our time, and what activities we select to do, or don't do, with that time.  If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile now, you know that I’m a CPA by day, belly dancer by night. I also have a pretty big range of other interests that I actively and regularly engage in, including but not limited to foreign travel, writing this blog and the aforementioned book, running distance races, aerial classes, playing the violin, volunteering, serving as a board member for non-profit organizations, scrapbooking, and more.

At times I’ve been criticized, even by my close friends and family, that I have too many activities.  That my schedule is too packed and I need to scale back. And while I can understand their sentiment, I don’t agree with it.

There has been a long-running narrative in our culture that you need to choose a particular career path and one or two side-interests/hobbies to go with it. But I strongly believe that this discredits the way that myself and many other people experience the world around them. I am a curious and creative person and I look out into the world with awe. There are so many new things to try and experiences to be had.  How can I pick only a few? Why do I need to “master” a particular trade or hobby, focusing on it with singularity from the moment I enter college to the day I retire? When I look at this narrow approach to life that limits our choices and experiences, to me it seems to create undue pressure.  The message has been that each person needs to quickly figure out and commit to the one career path and/or interest that they are supposed to focus on for the entirely of their lives.  With this mentality, it’s no wonder many twenty-something’s have a quarter-life crisis after leaving college!

If you’re like me, and you have a wide range of interests, and you feel either subtle or overt pressure that you need to choose what your life's focus is, I say refuse to choose! Only you know if something isn’t working for your life or not.  Take a moment to ask yourself that question:  Are any of my activities or commitments causing an issue? Or is it only external pressures that make me feel I need to limit myself?

Rather, than picking just one profession or just one hobby, I think it’s more important to make sure that the jobs and activities that you spend your time on are in alignment with your core values.  For me, I have eight core values: passion, discovery, creativity, empowerment, love, holistic living, spirituality, and authenticity.  How to pick core values and what those words mean to me, is another blog post (or two) in and of itself.  But yes, these are the things I value and what I want my life and my work to reflect.  And these are the standards of measurement that I use when gauging whether or not an activity or interest is appropriate for me.  When I evaluate how I want to use my time, I frequently ask myself if the new activity I’m pondering honors one or more of my core values.  Using these as indicators, rather than taking a quantitative measurement of how many things I should be engaged in, is much more meaningful for me. 

So yes, pursue that creative passion! Dance, sing, write, explore! Start moonlighting. Book an exotic vacation. I encourage you to take a moment to reflect on what your core values are right now (and yes, they can change over time, and that’s perfectly okay), and see if you have either congruency or disconnect between those values and how you employ your time.  If you have dissonance, starting making some changes.  Expand your boundaries.  Let go of pressures to follow a traditional path through life.  Forge your own path! Whatever lights you up and makes you sparkle from the inside out is the right path for you. Don’t let anyone else pick for you.

A Flying Trapeze and a Leap of Faith

"Do one thing every day that scares" ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

I took these words to heart last weekend when I did my first ever flying trapeze class. Having bought a coupon off of Living Social, I'd decided it was time to go redeem it.

I'm not sure what I thought I was getting myself into when I signed up, but upon arriving at Emerald City Trapeze Arts, it dawned on that I would be jumping off of a platform 30-something feet up in the air while clutching a thin metal bar and swinging 20-something feet out over a yawning expanse of empty space. Oh, and guess who was nominated by the instructor to go first?

After about a 30 minute ground lesson explaining what to do (and not do) and getting rigged up in our safety harnesses, I made the mistake of standing closest to the ladder and before I knew it, the instructor says, alright you're first and snaps my harness into the safety line of the ladder.

As I began scaling the ladder, my adrenaline starting pumping. Honestly, it would probably be fairly difficult to actually hurt yourself, as you're strapped into a safety harness the entire time and there is a net at the bottom.  But there is a certain irrational and instinctive feat that takes over. It's the body's natural response to tell you that jumping from heights is not a good idea and you may very well plummet to your death or dismemberment, which my body was doing a good job of letting of me know this.

When I reach the platform at the top, I am greeted by a second instructor. I ask if it's normal to be nervous and he says yes, and that in fact, some people cry. Okay, good I think I'm not so scared that I'm going to cry, so check one for me. The instructor pulls the bar in and hands it to me. Grasping it with both hands, the steel feels more like an anchor than my flying companion. I leaned out over the edge of the platform as the instructor holds the back of the belt. Then the call comes, "Ready", I bend my knees, "Hup" and I jump.

And then I'm flying! I'm sailing through the air 30 feet up and this is one of the funnest things I've ever done. I'm so distracted by how utterly amazing and thrilling this feeling is that I momentarily forget to follow the instructors calls and don't quite execute the skill I'm supposed to be doing.

However, by my third turn, I've done my knee hang into a back flip well enough that I've graduated onto a catch. I'm once again nominated by the instructor to go first. Scared all over again that I'm going to be releasing from my bar to be catch mid-air by the other instructor, I climb the ladder. The instructor gives the call again, "Ready", "Hup" and I jump and swing forward. As I start to swing back I quickly get my knees up on the bar to be in the right position. As I start to swing forward again, I release with my hands and arch backward. I'm sailing in reverse, so I can't see the instructor on the other bar at all. The call comes, "Legs straight" and I release with my knees. blindly reaching out and.........

For a split-second I'm in mid-air and then instructor has caught me by the wrists!

Needless, to say I'm addicted and can't wait for my next class. In fact, I may even quit my job and join the circus. Watch out Cirque du Soleil!

So how about you? What have you done lately that scares you? Nothing in awhile? Then today might be the day to try something new.

Photo Credit: Emerald City Trapeze Arts

75 Random Facts About Me

I admit, this is a bit of a self-centered post, but really, what is a blog but writing about one's self in some fashion (thoughts, feelings, opinions, business, lifestyle, adventures) and hoping that others will be interested.  So just indulge me.

1. I am deathly afraid of slugs, not just afraid, it's really more of a phobia
2. Due to being raised in a strict, conservative religion, I did not celebrate my birthday until age 19, or have a birthday cake until age 22
3. I have a swimming record at my high school – 200 freestyle relay
4.  I rarely watch TV, but when I do it's usually America's Next Top Model, So You Think You Can Dance or Jeopardy
5. I'm addicted to my To Do list
6. The first professional belly dance costume I ever bought was purchased in the Khan Il Khalili market in Cairo
7. On more than one occasion I've had women ask me where I got my hair extensions done
8. Before fires in night clubs were a big no-no, I've seen Green Day twice end their show by lighting their entire drum set on fire
9. One of my favorite games as a kid was building forts out of furniture and pretending I was a spy just like James Bond
10. I have a massive sweet tooth and have never met a cupcake I didn't like
11. Collage/visual journaling is my new favorite art form (see above picture for latest)
12. I failed the written part of my driver's test twice
13. I passed all parts of the CPA exam on the first try
14. I love watermelon and could eat a whole one by myself
15. My bucket list includes living overseas for a minimum of six months
16. Getting a B+ in school was devastating – so close to that perfect, golden A
17. I've played the violin for 19 years
18. Gwen Stefani is my ultimate life and style icon
19. Love the look of a made bed, hate actually making it
20. My favorite old Hollywood actresses are Rita Hayworth, Bridget Bardot and Audrey Hepburn
21. Veuve Clicquot (champagne) is happiness in a glass if you ask me
22. I was fortunate to never have any student loans because I was awarded enough academic scholarships to cover all of my tuition
23. I recently won a push-up contest at my office
24. I'm an INTJ – the most independent and one of the rarest (and most misunderstood) of the personality types, we work best when given autonomy and tend to be analytical and creative
25. My all-time favorite movie is Labyrinth – a Jim Henson movie with David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly
26. I really dislike unpainted toenails
27. I represented UW at a business case competition in Hong Kong during my senior year
28. My favorite Seattle coffee spot is Café Vita
29. I've met Ashton Kutcher at a movie wrap party
30. I find cheerleaders offensive and think they are a set back to women's lib
31. Sitting still is very challenging for me and doing nothing is impossible
32. After years of pouring over the catalogue, the best gift I ever got as a kid was my American Girl doll, which I still have
33. I've surfed in Mexico and scuba dived in Egypt
34. My biggest pet peeves are flakiness and bad drivers
35. I take vitamins every day
36. My all-time favorite house feature is French doors that open onto a balcony
37. I missed the first class of the first belly dance series I ever signed up for (good thing I decided to take the rest of the series and not just cancel!)
38. I believe strongly in individual freedoms, including gay marriage and a woman's right to choose
39. I once accidentally tipped over an entire grocery cart full of groceries
40. I read my own Tarot cards
41. Every time I go to the fair I eat a minimum of three Fisher scones 
42. I have a nephew who is older than I am and I'm already a great aunt
43. I miss my cat who I had for 17 years
44. Journal writing is my outlet and the best form of free therapy ever
45. My older brother gave me his Nintendo when I was a pre-teen because I was walking over to his house too often to play it
46. I love surprises
47. I was previously engaged at the age of 18
48. Sometimes I really think I was born in the wrong country and should have been a European
49. I believe that the bigger the earrings the better
50. For as long as I can remember I've wanted to write and publish a book
51. I used to have eight body piercings
52. I'm bad at almost all team sports and get nervous when the ball comes my way
53. I didn't get chicken pox until I was 12 and it was miserable
54. I love anything pink and sparkly
55. My favorite holiday is Halloween
56. I would wear costumes everyday if it was socially acceptable
57. Before turning 21 I had a fake ID
58. I think afternoon tea parties are divine
59. I wrote a college term paper on vampires for a history of death class
60. I believe in living a life of passion and adventure
61. I felt guilty after killing a spider last week that was crawling on me, so I named him Ralphie
62. I can solve logic puzzles like nobody's business, or at least I like to think I can
63. Not having brothers or sisters close to my own age, I would play Monopoly and Clue by myself, which wasn't very effective
64. I graduated magna cum laude
65. I regret never having gotten the opportunity to see Nirvana play
66. I was co-captain of the gymnastics team in high school
67. I believe that dragons used to exist
68. I am a really vivid dreamer and have multiple times "woken up" from my dream only to be in a new dream
69. Despite having tons of hair on my head, wet hair in the bath tub makes me gag
70. I had my first legal drink in Bolivia
71. The only time I've ever cheated on a test, was in third grader when I was afraid of my teacher, so I didn't tell him I didn't understand fractions and instead copied off some else's paper
72. I have never understood why anyone purposely feeds pigeons - they are,  in my opinion, rats with wings
73. If I won the lottery I would buy a one-way ticket overseas and then later go back to school for something really impractical, like folklore or medieval studies
74. My family and I were once evacuated out of our house because our crazy neighbor was shooting at us
75. I can do the yoga pose Astavakrasana (see below)

Photo Credit: yoga.about.com

Mid-Year Goal Check-In, Part Two

Just like the rest of life, dreams and goals are constantly evolving and changing. So while I'm pretty on track with my "Celebrate and Sparkle" goals that I set back in January, since then I've accomplished some new ambitions, added some new aspirations, and also identified some elements that need eliminating from my life.

As I've progressed down my "Celebrate and Sparkle" path, there have been a couple of ambitions that came up that I've actually already been able to check off my list:

1. Take an aerial silks class.  I did this in May through Cabiri and it was amazing! The first class was a bit rough, as I felt like the body mechanics weren't clicking for me and my old shoulder injury was flaring up. Walking out of my class, that Negative Nellie in the back of mind was whispering demoralizing things like "Maybe you're just too old" and "Wow, you're really out of shape since your gymnastics days." After a short lived pity party, I'd had about enough of that, told negative Nellie to piss off, and was back at class the next week. And I was much improved! By week three I was having visions of performances and stunning feats of acrobatics.  I'm currently on hiatus due to scheduling conflicts, but you can certainly bet that I'll be back at it again this fall. Health bonus: taking the class actually ended up helping my shoulder, as I learned to engage properly through the rhomboids and stop hanging by my rotator cuff.
2. Become a subscriber at the 5th Avenue. The 5th Avenue Theater has a spectacular season coming up and I'm now officially a subscriber, which is head over heels cheaper than buying individual tickets. For the price of $33 per ticket, over the next year I'll be sitting in row 7 (yes, as in seven rows back from the stage) smack-dab in the middle while I eat my heart out watching Rent(!), Les Miserables(!!), Damn Yankees, Oklahoma!, and Cinderella.

Looking forward to summer and out through the rest of my year, my new aspirations now include:

1. Reading. Lots and lots of reading. Some of my happiest memories from childhood were the weekly summertime visit to the library to stock up on novels and then racing home to dive right into my new finds. Even now, walking into a library or bookstore gives me a great sense of peace. Each book a miniature door into possibility and imagination. The titles whispering to me to peer inside. Exotic worlds just waiting to be discovered. With those memories swimming around through the back of my head, I have a deep desire to spend a good majority of summer lazing about outside with a book in hand.
2.  Sleep more.  The health and beauty benefits of sleep are countless.  So instead of rushing out to spend big bucks on the latest beauty revolution, I've decided why not just sleep more. For free. Seems like a no-brainer. I'm pretty good about always getting a minimum of seven hours, but my body tells me that I'd really prefer to be getting at least an half hour to an hour more per night.  There will always be more dishes to dry and more status updates to read on Facebook, so instead of doing that one last thing before bed, I'm going to just skip it and go to bed. 

And some things I need to remove, smite, magically aspirate, or otherwise eliminate from my life:

1. Car problems! What is with my bad car luck?! Last year, I had my car broken into while on vacation, which was then subsequently damaged by the repair shop while they were repairing it. After having it back for a few weeks, I was then in an accident when another driver failed to yield. I thought my luck had changed this year, until I had to have it towed to the dealership for repairs in May. Which I again thought were fixed and behind me, until less than a month later, the problem started again and I had to have my insurance send out someone to give me a jump start and then drop the car off for more repairs. I am in desperate need of some kind of car karma cleansing! On a positive note, at least I'm getting my money's worth out of my roadside assistance policy.
2. Time stealers. I think we all have them - certain activities that suck the hours right out of your day. I don't really watch TV, so that's not one for me. But compulsively checking email sure is (iPhone, I love you, but this obsessive relationship needs to stop), as well as taking too long to get ready (either for work or for bed). Both can easily take me an hour or more. I don't know how. My bathroom's not even that big. I don't particularly enjoy spending time in there. Which leads me to the conclusion that there must be some time of peculiar time wrap isolated to that one room of my apartment.

How about you goddesses? How are your goals coming along for the year? What's working for you and what isn't?



Mid-Year Goal Check-In, Part One

We are already half-way through 2011! Can you believe it! My, my this year is whizzing by. At this mid-year point, it seems like the perfect time to do a goal check-in.

Back in January I wrote about my theme for the new year, "Celebrate and Sparkle", and what that theme meant to me in tangible terms. In fact, the picture above is a collage I put together of my theme; a visible reminder that I keep on my fridge as a daily mental nudge of what I want to manifest in my life. Drum roll please, let's see how this year is measuring up:

Goal #1: Wear more sequins.

Check! In addition to two new belly dance costume purchases, I've purchased some glittering garb appropriate for everyday attire. 

Goal #2: Buy more lingerie.

Check!! Actually, I really overindulged here and had to make some returns to Victoria Secret. Going for celebrate and sparkle, but not at the expense of credit card debt.

Goal #3: Dance with abandon.

In Progress. Definitely getting better. However, this is something that I probably will never check off as done, as developing one's expression with any creative or artistic endeavor is really a life-long process that's constantly evolving with changes in skill, age, circumstances, and experiences. I am however, currently working on my piece de resistance. Okay, maybe it's not that spectacular. But I will be debuting new choreography at this year's upcoming Med Fest. See my world premier at the Hiawatha Community Center on Saturday, July 16th at 3:30pm on the indoor stage!

Goal #4: Get a monthly facial and massage.

So far so good. And I've only paid full-price for one of my facials, thank you to Groupon, Living Social, and the other 20-something deal emails clogging my inbox daily.

Goal #5: Travel to England.

Check - with a twist. As my boyfriend and I missed booking tickets in time to use our miles for England, we are instead headed to Italy for two and a half weeks this fall. Itinerary is set to include Rome, Venice, Verona, Florence, Cinque Terra, Pisa, Siena, Assisi, Sorrento/Amalfi Coast, Naples, and Pompeii. Ciao bella! Sleeping may not fit into the itinerary until we return.  

Goal #6: Get feather extensions.

Check. Got these back in January and wore proudly for about two months until I snagged it with my hair brush.

Goal #7: Indulge in fresh flowers.

Mostly a check. I've been averaging two-ish bouquets of flowers per month. I usually just snag the cheap-o bouquets from Trader Joe's. However, lucky girl that I am, my boyfriend did surprise me with having this beautiful bouquet delivered to my work. The picture doesn't even do it justice. The whole thing was so dang big I couldn't get it all in the lens!

So yes, things are off to a good start. How about you sugarpop? How has 2011 been treating you?

P.S. Stay tuned for Part Two....