Should dancers eat like cavepeople?

Fiona Sutherland examines the suitability of the Paleo diet for dancers.

As you’ll undoubtedly be aware, there has been a recent massive movement called the “Paleo” style of eating, which essentially seeks to replicate the eating habits of our paleolithic ancestors. Given its current popularity, let’s take a closer look at this style of eating specifically for dancers to help you make informed decisions about the best way to fuel your body. 

What is “Paleo?”

It depends who you ask. Ask a Crossfit-type and you’ll get one answer, ask a mag-reading gym-goer and you’ll get something else, follow celebrity chef Pete Evans on Facebook and you’ll get something else again. Essentially, Paleo advocates eliminate all grains and processed foods and promote a diet high in vegetables (particularly the leafy kind), fats (both vegetable and animal) and plenty of meat. Some are more strict, eliminating dairy, with others more flexible, advocating “cheat days” where anything goes.

Is Paleo suitable for everyone?

In my opinion, no. There is definitely no one right diet for everyone. I would urge people to think carefully about any dietary modifications in case they backfire. The Paleo diet is unsuitable for three groups of people: children/teens, vegetarians and those who would struggle to meet energy requirements within a limited nutrient groups.

Eliminating valuable food and nutrient groups is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18, when growth and physical development are a priority. This is an age group which is particularly vulnerable to adopting restrictive eating styles to control body shape, and this style of eating could increase the risk of developing an eating disorder. (It is well accepted that eating disorders start with food restriction and “rules” – Paleo fits this category).

Certainly some people with specific medical conditions would benefit from this style of eating, but they would still need guidance from a qualified, experienced professional.

Vegetarians on this diet would find it exceedingly difficult to meet nutrient and energy requirements. And vegans? Sorry, totally unsuitable.

 

Let’s get down to it

The clear advantage to the Paleo diet is the lack of processed foods. Some people may really benefit from reducing or cutting out processed foods that are poor in nutritional quality, such as lollies, chocolate, chips, soft drinks. Not really Einstein stuff? However, not all processed foods are low in nutrition, such as natural yoghurt, oats or weetbix. In my opinion it’s not particularly healthy to take such an all-or-nothing approach to eating, to the point where you can’t enjoy social eating or your favourite foods from time to time.

The disadvantages are also pretty clear. My main difficulty with this style of eating are the very dichotomous (all-or-nothing, black-white) “rules”. For dancers, the elimination of all grains (including really nutritious foods such as brown rice, couscous, grainy bread, quinoa) could certainly be an issue. Grains are also a valuable source energy. Then there’s the practical side of things. You would have to prepare almost all of your own foods from scratch or look specifically for places which serve foods that fit into this style.

In short, the Paleo style of eating is not for everyone. The evidence of its benefits is pretty murky at best. There are many exponents of dietary methods jostling for position. Please seek specific, individualised guidance from an accredited sports dietitian: they are experts in different styles of eating.  You don’t have to go full-on cave-man style to be healthy (and in fact it might not be right for you) but getting the right advice is your best chance!