Food tips for a healthy voice
Someone rightly said, “Our voice portrays our personality and emotions to the outside world.” Keeping our voice healthy isn’t just about avoiding cold and flu, you must have a healthy lifestyle and diet. When you feed your body the right nutrition and foods, your voice feels effortless. When you feed it the wrong foods, your voice dwindles.
Smoking raises the risk of throat cancer tremendously, and inhaling smoke (even secondhand smoke) can irritate the vocal cords.
Below is the list of tips to keep your voice in shape:-
- Keep hydrated
According to various vocal coaches, staying hydrated is the key to a healthy voice. Your vocal cords vibrate very fast, and having a proper water balance helps keep them lubricated. Foods rich in water content are — Cucumber, Watermelons, Apples, Grapes, etc.
2. Avoid dairy products
Milk and milk products, including yoghurt, cheese, ice cream, milk and butter, increase phlegm production in your throat. The mucous makes it difficult to produce a clear tone consistently, as most of your time you’ll be spending on clearing your throat or worrying that you will have to. While you don’t need to avoid all dairy products, consuming them right before a performance, or on a regular basis, isn’t recommended.
3. Foods rich in Vitamin A
To keep your soft tissue, mucous membranes and skin healthy, foods rich in Vitamin A are recommended. Mucous membranes found in our throat helps to keep our throat healthy. Vitamin A is found in high quantities in eggs, carrots, apricots, etc.
4. Avoid caffeinated drinks and alcohol
Since caffeine is a natural diuretic, it causes the throat to dehydrate leading to constriction. Tight muscles, over a long or regular period of time, can lead to damaged vocal cords, strain or even a loss in vocal ability.
Take several “vocal naps” every day, especially during periods of extended use.
