TIPS FOR A HEALTHY VOICE

Dairy products tend to be mucus-producing which can be a big problem for singers. Many singers won’t touch dairy products. They say that it “muddies up” their tone. I suspect quite a few singers may be mildly allergic to dairy products, but may not suffer badly enough to realize they should avoid them. Could this be you?

The offending culprit in dairy products is known as casein. Casein is used as a binding agent in a number of processed foods and is sold in various protein powder forms used by fitness enthusiasts.

This protein is found in dairy products and contributes to the creation and formation of mucus that can find its way to a singer’s vocal cords.

Avoiding mucus build-up from the consumption of casein is extremely difficult because it accounts for approximately 80% of the proteins in cow milk, which is then used in the creation of several other dairy-based products.

Casein is found in higher quantities in dairy products with greater amounts of fat. Both ice cream and sour cream are high in fat. Singers should stay away from pizza because it typically has heavy, fatty cheese in addition to toppings that are usually high in salt.

Casein is less prevalent in yogurt and low-fat milk because both products have low fat contents, however, the protein is still present in those products. There are alternatives to consider, including both soy and almond-based milks, which have no casein and no lactose. The next time you drink a glass of milk or have a cup of yogurt, pay attention to how you feel and sound. Experiment when it doesn’t matter so that you are prepared when it does.

Both caffeine and sugar are energy boosters, but the risk is that both those energy sources may translate into a bad case of jitters and a dry throat on performance days. Caffeine and sugar give us a short-term productivity spurt that declines as the rush wears off.

If you love coffee, a cup early in the day probably won’t affect your voice, but 3 cups of coffee right before a big show will dry out your voice and give you the jitters.

Caffeine doesn’t always mean coffee. It comes in many devious forms; so on performance days also avoid chocolate, ice tea, soft drinks, and diet pills. Singers who drink 2-3 energy drinks or 2-3 cups of coffee will not only dehydrate, be their vocal folds may feel dry and scratchy. Your vocal cords are very fragile and need to be kept moist, especially right before and during a singing performance.

Also, if you sense you have a drop of energy after consuming caffeine or sugar, plan accordingly. A chocolate bar should be your last choice when the pressure is on and you need to count on your voice. Water, room temperature, with some lemon (if you want some flavor) is the best thing you can ingest for your throat and body.

One last word about energy drinks. They have been added to the growing list of things we get addicted to. If you read the bottom line it states “addiction to energy drinks can be dangerous to your health and it can be financially burdening.” So if you do consume energy drinks treat them the same as you would alcohol.

A food additive is any substance added during the production, processing, or storage of food. A manufactured product or even a product derived from nature, it may be salted to preserve or sugar used to sweeten.

Some people experience an adverse reaction to monosodium glutamate (MSG) and other food additives. Also, be wary of products that contain artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrups, trans fat, yeast, whey, soy and enzymes.

Food allergies are sneaky; they can turn up anywhere there is food preparation. They are certainly hiding in the meals you eat in restaurants. Learn to decipher the labels on food products and seek out a good allergist to find out exactly what affects you personally. Sounds like cheeseburgers are not going to make the recommended food list.

While I don’t expect you to give up all these yummy things, I do hope you will modify what you eat and drink especially when performing. And, keep these tips in the back of your mind for your everyday eating habits. Perhaps, they will even help you to become a more healthy you.