Dancers Don't Diet

19/10/2025

Supporting Dancers’ Nutrition During Show Season ✨ -

As performance season approaches, excitement levels rise — but so do rehearsal hours, nerves, and fatigue. Amid the chaos of costume changes and stage calls, dancers’ nutrition often slips down the priority list. Yet this is when their bodies and minds need steady fuel the most.

08/08/2025

Recovery looks different for everyone. For some, there's a lot of support. For others, not as much. If you're doing recovery mostly on your own, then this post is for you.

We refer to self-supported recovery as recovering with limited support from people, communities, or environments.
This bring challenges such as imposter syndrome; feeling alone; feeling unheard; not having as much access to external motivation in hard times. BUT recovery is still possible.

By building structure and optimising the support you DO have, you can create a recovery-supportive bubble.

26/07/2025

Being healthy is a good thing, isn't it? Well, for some (actually, for many), the pursuit to 'eat healthy' can turn into an obsession that then ironically eats away your health - physically, mentally, and socially.
This is called Orthorexia.

This FREED session will explore and discuss:
🔹What is orthorexia?
🔹Orthorexia and being neurodivergent: it's a complicated relationship
🔹Spotting orthorexia disguised under wellness and diet trends
🔹Liberating from orthorexia: tools, readiness, and steps

There will also be time for questions and answers, as well as the space for youto connect with others in recovery.

All profits from our FREED Recovery Support Group sessions are donated to a charity every quarter and/or used for our Reduced Fee Scholarship pool to help support folks access treatment.

See you there!

26/07/2025

Too often, eating disorder recovery is presented as one-size-fits-all based on the Western 'norms' and food models. But what if you come from a different culture? What if food means something deeper — connection, celebration, spirituality?

This post is a reminder that recovery shouldn’t erase culture — it should honour it. Whether it’s chopsticks, feasting rituals, or family meals on the floor — your traditions matter. And they can have a place in healing.

💬 Let’s talk about it — Have you ever felt like your culture clashed with recovery advice?

21/07/2025

"Participating in supervision is every dietitian's responsibility."
⬆️ this quote sums it all up!

Safe practice comes from engaging in regular professional supervision that is inclusive, non-judgemental, and non-shaming.

Thank you to Tara, Laura, Deanne and Claire for publishing this important research.

08/07/2025

[ID in alt text] Happy NAIDOC week!
We take this week to recognise, respect, and stand with solidarity with, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders for the fight they have been fighting. But it's not just this week. It's not "done" with one week. It's this week, and always.
🖤💛❤️

02/07/2025

[ID in alt text] Part 2 of our ADHD and ED series.
ADHD and eating disorders / disordered eating often interact in complex ways.
Understanding your unique experience can guide effective and compassioante treatment.

01/07/2025

[ID in alt text] ADHD and ED, how do they interact?
This is a long post so it's divided into two series.
ADHD impacts attention, executive function, emotional regulation, and sensory processing.
Yep, these are factors that the eating disorder can take advantage of.
By knowing how your neurospicy brain works can be helpful in navigating your recovery.

27/06/2025

[ID in alt text] Join us for our webinar, Eating Disorders in Dancers Facts and Myths, with on Friday 11th July 10am AEST!
This is the final of our three-part webinar series for 2025.

Webinar outline:
🔹What is an Eating Disorder?
🔹Eating disorders facts, and myth busting
🔹Dance culture, risk factors, and protective factors
🔹Communicating with dancers about eating disorders, disordered eating, and dieting
🔹Eating disorders prevention in the studio
🔹How to support dancers during their eating disorders recovery
🔹Self care for teachers

Upon completion of the webinar, you will:
☑️have a greater understanding of the types of eating disorders
☑️understand the risk factors and protective factors of eating disorders in dancers
☑️understand the cultures that impact body image and eating behaviours in dancers
☑️be able to recognise the signs and symptoms of eating disorders
☑️know the difference between RED-S, eating disorders, and dieting, and
☑️be equipped with strategies to support dancers receiving eating disorders treatment.

For RAD teachers, this will also give you 1-hour time valued CPD.

For more information and registration, head to our link in bio.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

17/06/2025

[ID in alt text] Dancers are a great bunch of humans and we need and want to protect their whole wellbeing. For that, we need a cultural shift from normalising to weight and size related criticisms (and unrealistic body standards that give birth to those criticisms) to welcoming and acknowleding body diversity.

03/06/2025

[ID in alt text] Our next FREED Recovery Support Group session is coming up on Saturday 21st June at 9:30am (online). We'll be exploring the experience of recovery in the performing arts industry, specifically, dance/ballet.

FREED sessions are offered to our DDD Centre for Recovery clients. We aim to provide a safe and contained space for individuals to attend and share their thoughts, experiences, and questions.

Register via our website (link in bio) or ask your dietitian!

28/05/2025

[ID in alt text] It's not about "healthy eating". It's about eating enough. Fuelling adequately. That's what supports performance and recovery.