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Hi everybody!
My name is Justin Stoney and I'm the founder of
New York Vocal Coaching here in New York City.
Welcome to episode 53 of Voice Lessons To The World.
The show where we want to help you guys as singers
by answering your questions from all over.
And I'll give you a chance to ask questions later
but our question for this week comes from
Maria C. in Shreveport Louisiana.
And Maria writes, "Dear Justin, are there foods that
I should avoid as a singer?
And are there foods that can help me?"
Now that's an awesome question, Maria.
And so today we're going to be talking about
the singer's diet and really looking at foods
that can help and foods that might be harmful.
We get this question all the time
so I'm so thrilled to be able to answer this for you today.
But before we look at what could be good
and what could be bad,
I want this kind of singer's diet
to be a fear-free and a guilt-free kind of diet.
Too many singers are concerned
that if they eat this or that food
it's going to destroy their voice,
they're never going to have a singing career,
there's too much fear attached to the voice in general.
And so we don't want our diet to just be
another thing that's causing us stress, fear, and anxiety
about the glory of singing.
We just want to be wise about what foods
were taking into our body.
There's no food that is inherently destructive
and there's no food that's just going to be a magical cure.
Great vocal technique is always the king.
And we want to just be wise though about what foods were eating.
Now, some of these things will really affect people
and other people are different and it won't affect them so much.
There are singers that are more sensitive dietarily than others.
So really listen to your body and find out
which of these things applies to you.
And know that everybody is different.
That being said, we've got the good news and the bad news
so why don't we start first with the bad news, okay.
So here are some foods that we want to be mindful of
that could be harmful, okay.
First is foods that could cause acid reflux.
Acid reflux is one of the number one killers of the voice.
It can cause damage to the voice, it really can,
and it can certainly cause swelling and fatigue.
Now this is different than the acid reflux that you feel
if you have heartburn, that can contribute.
But that's gastrointestinal reflux.
We're talking about esophageal reflux.
This is a kind of reflux that is harder to know about.
You kind of maybe feel fatigued,
you feel a little scratchy,
you feel like you always have to clear your throat,
maybe like there's something that you have to cough.
These are symptoms of acid reflux.
Now there are many foods that could be causing you acid reflux.
And if you have acid reflux you may want to see a doctor
to help you control some of the acid.
But some foods that can cause acid would be
spicy foods, citrus, foods that have excessive sugar,
excessive fats, fried foods, often caffeine and alcohol,
and even dairy products can be contributors to
too much acid in your diet
which can cause acid reflux.
So that's the number one thing to be watching out for
is which of these foods is causing potential
acid reflux issue in the voice.
Now another issue that can be existing is hydration issues.
Too much caffeine, too much alcohol.
Or an excessive salty diet.
All of these things can dry out the body.
The vocal cords rely on their
slippery moist surfaces so if the body is dry
the surfaces of the cords may be dry
and this can cause some problems.
So we want to make sure that we don't
have foods that dehydrate.
Then finally, this is less of a big deal
although people think of it as a bigger deal,
foods that cause mucus.
Like, say dairy and sugary products
can often cause mucus for the voice
and that isn't quite as negative as the hydration
and the acid problems, but on the other hand
if you have a mucus issue you don't want to just be
drinking a big milk and then going out on stage
and you're going to have all that gunk
that you don't want to deal with.
So it's more of an annoyance than a problem,
but be cautious if you have foods
that are causing you mucus.
Be careful with that before you have a lesson
or before you go out on stage.
Now the good news!
Here are some foods that I would highly recommend
for your overall vocal health and growth.
First of all, the grand champion water, right.
We know that having a great amount of water
throughout the day is very helpful.
And, we don't need to overdo this.
Some people actually drink too much water.
But water first thing in the morning,
water before you sing, during, or while you're practicing
or having a lesson is very important.
And just staying hydrated all the time
is very very healthy for you and definitely for your voice.
Now also anti-inflammatory foods are another thing
that can help reduce swelling
and keep your overall immune system
and your vocal health at its peak.
Anti-inflammatory foods are often things like
fruits and vegetables.
A lot of singers swear by apples as something that can
reduce swelling and inflammation.
So check that out.
You can look for lists of anti-inflammatory foods
they're very healthy for you overall
but they're definitely healthy for your voice as well.
Now there's also foods that are soothing, right?
Things like warm tea with lemon and honey.
A lot of singers swear by this.
This is true, this does give you a soothing effect
on the musculature of the instrument.
And honey and lemon also have some anti-inflammatory
and healing properties as well.
So honey, tea, and lemon can definitely soothe the voice.
Then finally, I highly recommend having
a great balance of protein in your diet.
Now we don't think of the voice as muscular but it is.
We're trying to work out the thyroarytenoid.
Whoa!
The cricothyroid.
Whoa!
The lateral cricoarytenoid.
Whoa!
We're trying to get these muscles buff and live and functional.
They're muscles just like any other muscle in the body.
So we need to have protein in order to keep them
strong and functioning at their best.
So I highly recommend protein in your diet overall,
but definitely after you've practiced or had a great lesson
or sung a performance.
It's nice to replenish the system with some
protein that you're going to need.
So these are some suggestions that I have
for a great singer's diet.
Again no fear about any of these things.
Just observe your body, find out what works best
for you and for your singing voice.
And Maria and all, I hope that's been helpful
for you guys today as singers
If there's questions that you'd like to see us
answer on the show, you can send an email to
Questions@VoiceLessonsToTheWorld.com.
So we just encourage you don't lose that joy,
don't lose that passion, eat a great diet
that you've designed for you, a great singer's diet. [♪]
Get with a great voice teacher in your area. [♪]
If you guys are in the New York City area [♪]
or you want to Skype with our staff you can visit us at [♪]
www.NewYorkVocalCoaching.com [♪]
And I also encourage you to download our free app, [♪]
it's for iPhone, iPad, hopefully more in the future. [♪]
A lot of great resources, tips, articles, videos there to [♪]
help you guys grow as singers. [♪]
Or you can check out www.VoiceLessonsToTheWorld.com. [♪]
I'm Justin Stoney. [♪]
We'll see you next time. [♪]
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