The Singer's Diet

You’ve probably heard of "singing from the belly" but the relationship between digestion and your voice goes far beyond the technique of breathing. What you swallow can and often does affect your voice. Time to have a look at what’s in your shopping cart!

The "no-go" zone

Firstly, let’s be very clear, there is no typical meal recommended for singers to eat before a performance and even less of a specific miracle food that helps to sing better. So an exact list of foods to eliminate and may affect your voice, is still a bit empty.

In any case, the big enemy when it comes to singing is gastroesophageal reflux, also known as GERD. It’s a pretty serious sounding name for the acid that comes from the stomach and is quite incompatible with the practice of singing. Some foods favor it and thus make you more prone to having it:

• Avoid spicy dishes (farewell chorizo, adios hot sauces!).
• Dairy products are difficult to digest for some and it should be noted that for most singers they can produce extra phlegm.
• In general, dishes that are heavy (instead, keep your legendary homemade lasagne for the day after your performance).
• Water should be consumed in abundance as soft drinks and alcohol tend to promote gastric acidity. It goes without saying that alcohol can have major effects on the voice and the brain and it is thus recommended to avoid these completely.

Enemy #2: dry mouth

• Sweet foods can be a cause,
• Very salty products like crackers and chips may be an issue too.
• Coffee is considered a systemic desiccant (fancy talk for something that dehydrates) and causes negative effects on voice quality.
• Tea then? Choose wisely as many teas contain high amounts of caffeine and do have a diuretic effect.

Foods that are your friend

What’s left to drink and eat to avoid these inconvenient issues?
We've said it before and we will say it again, for drinking, nothing is more simple: water, water, water (ideally at room temperature), nothing is better nor more effective for proper hydration. It's not just about drinking during your performance between sets, stay hydrated by drinking several hours before a performance.

As far as foods that should cross your lips, the key is to adopt a balanced diet, simple as that! Here are some foods that lend themselves to this purpose:

• Grains and cereals,
• Slow sugars,
• Vegetables (sweet potatoes, squash, spinach, kale),
• Lean meats,
• Fish,
• Fruits (except acidic ones - oranges, apples, mangoes, melons),
• Green tea.

Published on: June 7, 2018