“Ballerinas eat quite a lot.” Nutrition diary of the leading soloist of the Bolshoi Theater

leading soloist of the Bolshoi Theater

My menu depends on how busy I am at work – the more rehearsals I have, the fuller the menu.

Menu for the day

I usually start my day with proteins – I’ve noticed that they give me a stronger satiety. This can be scrambled eggs, tomatoes, cheese, spinach or celery.

At lunch, I eat carbs and fiber, such as buckwheat and salad or rice and beets. For dinner, I prefer to do without carbs: fish, chicken, less often – meat and a lot of green salad!

Protein days instead of diets

I don’t stick to any diet, I consider it harmful. But when I need to dry up my body, I do protein days: I use 150 g of carbohydrates, 100 g of protein and 50 g of fats. In a week you can dry up your body and lose a couple of kilos.

Secrets of a beautiful body 70 by 30

70% of a beautiful body depends on nutrition. I always stick to the rule of getting up from the table with a slight feeling of hunger, do not overeat. Also refuse to snack and do not eat four hours before bedtime. Not even to drink kefir, which is often advised!

The remaining 30% is physical activity. If you want to lose weight – eat 400 kcal less than you spend energy for the day. For example, you burned 2000 kcal, so you should eat 1600 kcal.

Ballerinas eat a lot!

Actually, ballerinas eat quite a lot. Just for a performance we spend over 2500 kcal, plus daytime rehearsals and excitement. Sometimes there’s really no time to eat. That’s how they lose weight – with the help of work and proper nutrition.

Recipe for a light dinner from a ballerina

Now we have a very diverse diet, and even the usual salad of cucumbers and tomatoes can be diluted with avocado, celery and broccoli. There are not many calories, but more satiety and enjoyment. I love to cook and always experiment a lot.

Here is an example of a very quick dinner in the form of a hearty but non-caloric salad.

Ingredients:

• mini potatoes – (5-6 pcs.), I buy them usually already boiled;
• cherry tomato – 5-6 pcs;
• egg – 2 pcs;
• lettuce;
• tuna in olive oil;
• mustard (Dijon mustard is better).

Preparation:

1. Put to boil hard-boiled eggs.
2. Cut potatoes in half and fry them on a dry pan.
3. Cut the cherry tomatoes and lettuce in half.
4. Place the tuna in a bowl, mash it with a fork, add all the other ingredients, mix with a spoonful of mustard.

Voila! In 10 minutes you have prepared a healthy and hearty dinner. Enjoy your appetite, and love yourself! Remember: we are what we eat.

Doctor’s opinion

Candidate of Medical Sciences, doctor of integrative, preventive and conventional medicine, nutriciologist

It is a very true observation that any restrictive diets significantly affect the body. It’s not just emotional stress, but also nutrient deficiencies. And given that ballerinas have a really high energy intake, the amount of food (both proteins, carbohydrates and fats) should be sufficient.

The theory of calorie counting is quite specific in terms of the fact that each person is different, and it is not always possible to understand how much energy is spent. In this case, understanding one’s own desires and body helps: not to overeat, to be able to limit the consumption of unhealthy foods (sugars, fructose, salt, flour).

Christina’s diet for the day is made correctly, the morning is really better to start with the protein part, add fats (egg yolk, vegetable oils, nuts). Lunch and dinner – fiber, protein, complex carbohydrates. And as for protein days instead of diets, here it is important to consider your level of physical activity.