When choosing your fuel, don't focus so much on what you are eating, think about what you are not.  Your body needs certain nutrients to run properly. While these are good guidlines, please consult a nutritionist before changing your diet. Please see Athena Fox's website for more information.

Believe it or not, beer is not always bad.  The number of calories in a beer is nearly equivalent to a full meal. If you are a little low on energy, a beer makes a great filler fuel.  Beer contains barley and yeast.  Unfortunately, protein + carbohydrate = bad news.  (read on to find out why)

Weight loss is in your mind as much as it is in your body.  If you are going through any serious emotional or physical changes, then it is probably a bad time to begin changing your lifestyle.  Losing or gaining weight takes a lot of mental commitment, but once it becomes habit, it is a piece of cake.  All you need to do is THINK BEFORE YOU EAT!!

The key is to think not necessarily about what you are putting into your body, but what you are NOT putting into your body.  Your body needs certain nutrients just to break down food properly. If you are not getting certain nutrients, that is where the problem begins.     If you have to snack on something sweet, make sure that it has something that your body needs. For example, ice cream contains milk - calcium - needed for healthy teeth and bones.

An apple a day keeps the Doctor away.  Raw fruits and vegetables contain the basic ingredients that your body needs to function.  Vitamins A, B, C, D, E are all found in the basic fruits and vegetables that you can buy in the produce section at your local market.  Try making 75% of your grocery list raw fruits and vegetables. Your body needs the nutrients from fruit and veggies only second to oxygen and water.  They contain most of the essential vitamins and minerals that your body needs the most. 

Diets high in these foods do not only result in a slim, healthy body,  lessen the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and many other ailments.  It has been discovered that the disease-preventing effects of these foods are partly due to antioxidants - specific vitamins, minerals and enzymes that help prevent cancer and other disorders by protecting cells against damage from oxidation.  Unfortunately, most fruits and veggies do not offer the body much energy and are digested very quickly.  Celery, for example, contains high doses Vitamin D which is the vitamin we lack when not exposed to sunlight.  This is why we get lethargic in the winter time.  But, celery contains so few calories that your body burns more just digesting it.  This makes celery the perfect diet food, but terrible for building bulk.  

Smoking and drinking alcohol helps deplete your body of the essential B Vitamins. B Vitamins help maintain the health of nerves, skin, eyes, hair, liver and mouth.  It also contributes to healthy muscle tome and proper brain function.  B Complexes are coenzymes involved in energy production, useful in relieving depression or anxiety.  All B Vitamins can be found in food.   

Proteins and carbohydrates counteract each other.

Protein is necessary for all growth and development and is essential in the production of hormones, antibodies, tissues and enzymes.  When consumed, the body breaks the protein down into it's most basic form called amino acids.  It is the combination of the amino acids that help the body break down fat and build muscle.  It takes a very long time for the body to digest and break down a protein.  However, the energy obtained by a protein lasts a very long time.  It is considered a slow release energy.  Therefore, a high protein diet is great for building extra muscle.

Carbohydrates supply the body with the energy it needs to function.  They are found only in plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, beans fiber, starches and peas.  Carbohydrates are a major source of blood sugar, which is a major fuel for all of the body's cells and the only source of energy for the brain and red blood cells.  The body digests carbs very quickly compared to proteins, possibly as quickly as some vegetables.

Depending on what your primary goal is will determine not only what types of exercises you do, but also what foods you should be eating. If you are not being active, but trying to lose weight, you do not need to eat foods high in energy.  Heavy meats, such as beef and take a very long time to digest, and even longer if you have slow metabolism.  If you are not exercising, a small amount of meat is enough to get through the entire day.  It might take up to 9 hrs to digest and then you need to use the energy.

Tools of the trade	Diet	Auditioning and dancing	Making money	Safety	Your finances	Dance lessons