Re-fueling

I've been feeling alot better lately now that I've changed up my diet a little. I have much more energy in dance class, despite the sore tailbone I'll be nursin for the next month or so... I really think this surge of energy comes from the foods I'm eating, and, even more so, the absence of certain foods I've cut out.

The refined carbs I was stuffing myself with on a daily basis via pizza, dough knots, pretzels, white rice and hoagie rolls, was giving me spikes of energy right away, and then leaving me with a burnt out fuse for the rest of the night. Not good for dance class. I barely made it through half of a zumba class after work last week.

I've given up cheese. I've given up dairy in general, actually. It really wasn't something I would eat very often, but it's made its way back into my diet lately, and I've been noticing negative effects in my dance classes and my workouts. I've been feeling much better since I've stopped eating cheese and other dairy products, having much more energy and a general lack of achy insides. Last night, I had a small cone of ice cream in an attempt to finish the last of the dairy products in the house, and what do you know? I went to bed with a tummy ache. Go figure.
The question is: Will I eat wedding cake? We'll see...

For dancers, avid gym-junkies, and athletes, I really do recommend dropping the white refined carbs and really limiting dairy products. These things spike you up and weigh you down, respectively, and you just might see a good difference in your performance, especially if you avoid these foods on days that you work out, dance or play.

What are the foods I HAVE been eating? Here is a list of foods that both my taste buds AND my body seem to love:

-Brown or brown and wild rice
-Fiber gourmet or whole wheat pastas
-Amy's frozen meals (Yum!)
-LUNA BARS
-Fruits
-Fresh veggies (It's no secret, I love carrots!)
-Sweet potatoes (with just cinnamon on top, baked...so good and low cal!)
-Stuffed peppers with brown rice, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach and boca burger. Yummy :)

What are the foods that fuel you? Maybe you can add a few more ideas to my list of pre-dance favorites!