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Models
Guide to
A Models Guide to
Healthy Eating
A Models Guide to
Healthy Eating
Components of nutrition
Nutrition refers to much more than
just how much you eat. Instead it
refers to the balance of minerals,
vitamins and other important nutrients
found in what you eat. Heres a brief
guide for a healthy balanced diet:
50% of your energy should come
from carbohydrates such as;
wholegrain bread, pastas, cereal
or rice. Not only do these fll you
up for longer, releasing energy
steadily throughout the day, but
they also contain more vitamins &
minerals and will provide you with
fbre, essential for health.
A balance of fresh fruit and
vegetables to provide digestive
fbre, vitamins and minerals. Have
your fve a day! It is a good idea
to improve your food intake with
an array of different produce rather
than take supplements.
An adequate supply of dietary
protein is essential for the body
to function. Aim to include a
reasonable sized portion twice a
day. Approximately 12-15% of your
daily energy should come from
protein. Good sources include lean
meat and poultry, white and oily
fsh, pulses (beans and lentils)
eggs or vegetarian protein found
in Quorn, tofu and soya mince.
Dairy products such as, cheese,
milk and yogurt are an excellent
source of protein, calcium and
vitamins. But eat full fat cheeses
such as cheddar in moderation.
If you are a vegetarian, make sure
you get a real variety of different
fruit and vegetables, pulses, grains
and nuts. If you eat dairy products,
choose low fat ones.
You should not avoid fat entirely,
but no more than 35% of your
daily energy should be from
fat. Our bodies contain a certain
amount of essential fat and
storage fat and we need a regular
intake of essential fatty acids to
stay healthy. Defciency in these
will lead to many health problems
including dull faky skin, poor
circulation, poor blood clotting,
hormone imbalances, and a
defciency in essential fat soluble
vitamins. The best sources of the
essential Omega-3 and Omega-6
fatty acids are oily fsh, pumpkin
seeds, walnuts, linseeds, rapeseed
oil, soybean oil and other
vegetable oils.
Fluids
To avoid the symptoms of dehydration,
which include headaches, loss of
concentration and tiredness not to
mention effects on your skin and
weight, both men and women should
consume 1.5 to 2 litres of water
daily. Follow dietician and nutritionist,
Jane Griffns practical points to help
achieve this:
Disclaimer:
Whilst the authors make every attempt to ensure the accuracy and reliability of contents of this leafet, this information is intended to provide general
guidance only should not be relied upon as a substitute for formal medical/professional advice.
Please note that Equity, Dance UK and the British Fashion Council cannot be held responsible for the contents of any referenced sources.
Acknowledgements:
Jasmine Challis is an Accredited Sports Dietician and Registered Nutritionist.
Jane Griffn is Dietician and Nutritionist specialising in weight management and hydration strategies.
Ava Barron is a Dance Scientist and former dancer and model.
Bibliography:
1. Vickers-Jones, Louise Cole & Giles. Professional Modelling: every models must have guide to the industry. London : New Holland Publishers, 2009.
2. Griffn, J. Fluids for dancers: Dance Uk Information sheet 15. London : Dance UK, 2005.
3. Challis, J. Nutrition for dancers: Dance UK Information sheet 12. London: Dance UK, 2003
Modeling and Eating Disorders. Modeling 101. [Online] 2007. [Cited: 17 July 2009.] http://www.newmodels.com/Disorders.html.
Bean, E & Bidner, J. Complete guide for models. New York : Lark Books, 2004.
Equity, prepared in association with the British Fashion Council and the London Development Agency in partnership with Dance UK
Dance UK 2009
Copyright Notice
The text and images contained belong to Dance UK or the appropriate author and are protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. You
cannot print or reproduce any part of these text and images other than for personal use and any copies must retain the copyright or other intellectual
property notices contained in the original material. Any other use could lead to action or breach of copyright.
No part of this sheet may be reproduced by any process without written permission from Dance UK.
Healthy Eating for Models Jasmine Challis. Edited by Ava Barron MSc
Food is fuel for your body; you need a balanced mix of nutrients in order
to function properly but also to provide you with a healthy body, great
skin, hair and nails. Good nutrition will keep you full of vitality and ready
to face your daily challenges.
A lack of adequate nutrition over time will affect your appearance,
emotional well-being and health. Although the signs may not be immediately
apparent, you might develop weak nails; bad complexion, depression,
dry, lanky hair, or your hair can fall out, all symptoms of malnutrition.
Alcohol
It is perhaps worth mentioning here that although
alcohol does supply energy, it is not an ideal energy
source. It lowers the blood sugar, stimulates appetite,
acts as a diuretic and tends to impair judgement.
It is extremely diffcult to avoid the risk of gaining
weight as fat, unless alcohol intake is well within health
guidelines currently a maximum of 14 units per week
for women, 21 units per week for men.
1 unit contains 8g of alcohol; for example, a single
pub measure of spirits, a standard glass of wine or a
pint of beer each contain 1 unit. Check out Equitys
information booklet Recreational Drugs, Alcohol, and
Cigarette Smoking for further advice.
Keep up regular fuid intake
throughout the day.
Vary what you drink during the day.
Calorie-free drinks include water
(tap or bottled), no-added-sugar
squashes, diet drinks, black coffee/
tea, herbal or fruit teas or infusions.
Drinks that contribute energy
include milk (alone or added to
coffee, tea or chocolate), regular
squashes, non-diet canned drinks,
sports drinks and fruit and
vegetable juices.
Regular tea, coffee and cola drinks
(and many other canned energy
drinks) contain caffeine. In large
amounts this can have a diuretic
effect (makes you pee more).
Drinking up to 5 cups of tea or
3 cups of coffee a day is fne.
Remember that white coffee is
more bone-friendly than black
coffee due to the calcium in the
milk or cream.
Thirst is not necessarily a good
indicator of how dehydrated
you are. Know your own
body; everybody has individual
fuid requirements.
Excessive quantities of 4 litres
of fuid or more a day can
be dangerous.
Weight(y) matters
Models are required to look healthy
and be in good shape. Failing to
maintain a healthy diet may take its
toll on your looks thus affecting your
success in gaining work. For example,
your face and hair will show fatigue
if you are not eating and drinking
adequately.
Most people want an exact answer
to the question how much should I
eat? Here are a few facts and fgures:
To maintain a healthy body weight,
women should consume around
2,000 calories per day and men
2,500. On a low calorie diet
quality becomes crucial. This
doesnt mean you can never eat
chocolate, crisps or ice-cream
but to ensure a balanced diet, these
should be kept to a minimum.
Being too thin has medical
disadvantages for both men and
women. Having too little body fat
reduces hormone levels, which is
bad news for bones. For women,
the reduction in correct hormone
levels can prevent menstruation.
Remember that if your energy
intake (food and drink) is matched
by your energy output (e.g. daily
routine or exercise) your weight
will be steady.
If you consistently eat too little
your body will try and prevent
weight loss by making you slow
down your body will tick over
more slowly.
It is vital to get sensible impartial
advice from a qualifed nutritionist
or your doctor if you are planning
any weight reduction. If you need
to change your weight whether to
gain or lose it will be a slow process..
To lose 0.5kg per week reduce intake
(or increase expenditure) by around
500kcal per day. Conversely gaining
this amount of weight requires you
to take in at least 500kcal extra per
day. Your weight can temporarily
change throughout the day due to
fuid fuctuations and glycogen stores.
Weigh yourself no more than once
or twice each week. If possible get
guidance from friendly colleagues
or family and friends you trust as to
whether you have a true perception
of your size.
Eating Plans
It is important to try and fnd the
A Models Guide to
Healthy Eating
A Models Guide to
Healthy Eating
time to sit down, relax and chew your
food thoroughly. There is a need for
food at regular intervals through the
day. This can be as three formal meals,
breakfast, lunch and evening meal,
or as regular meals and snacks.
Instead of unplanned continuous
grazing aim for planned purposeful
regular pit stops. Many snack foods
like crisps, sweets, chocolates and
fzzy drinks are high in fat and sugar
but low in vitamins and minerals.
They should be no more than a small
part of your eating plan.
Breakfast:
Eating breakfast helps
concentration during the morning,
reduces depression and anxiety,
and improves memory and verbal
skills(3). As well as boosting your
metabolism, breakfast will also
provide essential fuel for a long day
of castings. Any breakfast is better
than no breakfast but some
choices are better than others.
Try to eat something from the
following suggestions:
Cereal with low fat milk or yoghurt
Weetabix, Shreddies, Raisin
Wheats, Bran Flakes, muesli or
porridge are all great choices. Add
fruit or have fruit juice too. Dried
fruit and/or seeds such as pumpkin
seeds also boost the nutrient
content of a cereal breakfast.
Or you could choose toast or a
bagel with a small amount of
butter/spread and some jam/
honey/marmalade or an egg, some
ham or lower fat cheese for a
protein boost.
Depending on your appetite/
requirements fruit and yoghurt
are great for breakfast either alone
or with toast or a bagel.
If you have an early casting or
shoot simply eat on the run and
take a pocket breakfast with you:
for example, a bread roll, banana
and carton of orange juice. Or how
about, a cereal bar (look for those
lower in fat), fruit (fresh or dried),
a honey sandwich or a teacake/
scone once you arrive. You dont
Quick Tip:
You can tell if you are well hydrated by the pee test. If
you urinate frequently and its pale in colour (especially
by midday) you can be considered well-hydrated. Small
volumes of dark urine, passed infrequently or failure to
pass any for long periods are warning signs. You need
to get drinking fast and continue taking frequent drinks
until you are passing plenty of urine again.
have to eat breakfast as soon as
you wake up but aim for within
three hours of waking.
Lunch:
Sandwiches are a great choice
for an easy portable lunch: use
wholemeal or rye bread to boost
your vitamin and mineral intake.
Include a source of protein (meat,
fsh, dairy) and some
vegetables/salad or fruit. Salads
are a good alternative.
Make sure sandwiches and salads
are kept cool either in a fridge or
a cool bag.
If you want something hot, jacket
potatoes with a flling are a good
option. Soup can be a good choice,
although vegetable soup and a
bread roll will not provide much
protein, including lentils, beans or
chicken will solve this problem.
Or have a large portion of yoghurt
as well.
A piece of fruit or portions of dried
fruit are great choices with lunch,
and if you need more carbohydrate,
a scone, teacake, some malt loaf or
fruit cake should help you meet
the target.
Evening Meal:
This meal is essential to replenish
energy levels after the days
demands. Food eaten later in the
day is no more fattening than food
eaten at other times, despite the
number of myths that exist on
the subject (3). Plan to include
carbohydrate: potatoes, rice, pasta,
noodles or cous cous which each
contain a range of nutrients in
addition to just the carbohydrate.
Brown rice and wholemeal pasta
are sources of B vitamins for healthy
nerves & energy release, while
potatoes contain Vitamin C. Add
in some protein and vegetables/
salad for a healthy meal. Avoid
frying in large amounts of oil.
Grilling, poaching, stir-frying and
steaming are all good cooking
methods for a speedy meal. Try
and plan evening meals in advance;
not only are you likely to save
money and avoid picking
convenience foods or ready meals
but you can also start getting the
meal ready when you get in
rather than having to start thinking
about it when you are already
hungry and tired. A few standbys
with reasonable shelf lives frozen
vegetables, frozen fsh portions,
eggs, ham/gammon, cheeses,
potatoes, pasta, and jars of tomato
sauces mean you can always
put a healthy meal together.
Nutritious meals can be very simple
and there are a number of good
standbys such as jacket potatoes
that are quick to prepare.
Remember, after dinner snacks
are no substitute for your
breakfast the following day.
Eating Out
If your schedule is hectic and you have
to eat out, or you are on location,
ask for restaurant recommendations.
The concierge at any hotel is often
a good person to ask for advice.
Follow these top tips to help you
make healthy meal choices:
Get menu items made to order at
oriental restaurants and take-
aways. Choose boiled rice, chow
mein is usually fne. Dishes in green
pepper and black bean sauce or
oyster sauces are good choices.
With French, Italian, Spanish and
Indian cuisines lean meats such
as chicken are better choices than
high fat meats such as sausages.
Vegetable pizzas will be a healthier
alternative than the meat feast
and you can ask for half the cheese.
Tikka or tandori chicken (without
the creamy masala sauces)
with boiled rice or chapati and
a vegetable side dish would be
a good selection.
Should you fnd your only option
is fast food then opt for BBQ or
grilled chicken without the mayo
or salads without the dressing.
Remember you can always ask for
extra vegetables or to substitute
items on a menu. For example,
swap a portion of chips for a baked
potato or side salad.
Vegetarians should take particular
care to make sure they meet their
protein intake without just resorting
to cheese.
If you do decide on a dessert fruit
and yoghurt are ideal. Baked
apples/pears/bananas or stewed
fruit (fresh or dried) are alternatives
to fresh fruit.
Leftovers can be taken home and
stored in the fridge to serve as a
second meal the next day, providing
you reheat it thoroughly.
Use the same tips when ordering
room service. Do remember
however, it can be a pricey option.
Be cautious of trying local
delicacies, tempting as they may
be, the last thing you need is an
upset stomach. It is usually wise
to avoid tap water and ice, order
cold bottled water rather than
sugary or alcoholic beverages.
Food is an essential fuel and an
important, social aspect of our
lives. Take care of what you put
into your body to stay feeling and
looking your best.
A Models Guide to
Healthy Eating
A Models Guide to
Healthy Eating