It is popular knowledge that the body needs fuel for better performance. It is also true with your voice.
Among several types of foods available in the market, what not to eat before singing? Which foods will boost your vocal performance?
Let’s dive in to get more information!
What Foods Are Bad For Singing?
Singing employs every muscle movement as well as contraction in the diaphragm, voice box, and mouth. It often even utilizes the extremity with extreme control.
Such movements indeed occur on much smaller scales in comparison with jogging or dancing. However, you still need to do maintenance of the voice and body to obtain the best singing performance.
There are not many foods out there that will improve all of the vocal cords. Almost all foods can harm them or just have no impact.
A few singers try to avoid these foods from each diet altogether. If you do not feel necessary, you can simply keep these things from your show on that day.
Here is the list of those foods you should not consume under three hours before your performance.
#1. Milk, yogurt, cheese, and many other dairy products
It is common knowledge that cheese is good for health. Yet, milk products are generally difficult for your body to digest. It is a disallowance before you start the show.
In some cases, dairy products can cause acid reflux that creeps up the esophagus and burns the vocal cord.
Another common symptom when consuming these types of foods is making the throat uncomfortable. Specifically, it is likely to stick to anything in the throat. This action will thicken the current mucus.
This super-mucus will inhibit your adaptability and make you want to clean your throat more frequently. Your voice is possibly not cute.
#2. Processed sugar
Sugar-processed foods do not bring about any benefit. You will want to abstain from candies, juicy drinks, jams, gummy snacks, and many other foods with a high content of sugar.
Like milk, sugar is likely to cling to the mouth as well as the throat, such as phlegm grossness.
In particular, you should stay away from sugary foods that do not have fiber or protein. The reason is that they can induce your health to wear out extremely fast when your body uses up all the sugar content. It will certainly make you feel exhausted straight out of your lovely voice.
#3. Caffeine
Caffeine is one of the most common diuretics. In other words, it can make you urinate more than usual. It can even dehydrate you.
Before your performance, your voice will need to be lubricated for the best productivity. However, caffeine will dry out the vocal fold which causes you to want to drink more water.
Caffeine will mess with your mucus mechanism and dry the body out. Aside from messing, it is also likely to press your muscles. Once your muscles become rigid in the throat, it will put unneeded, harmful stress on the vocal cord.
As a result, you will want to abstain from coffee and caffeinate-made products before any performance.
#4. Chocolate
Chocolate is three times as harmful as normal foods. It commonly has a considerable amount of caffeine. This substance dries the body out and constricts the muscles surrounding your vocal folds.
Chocolate is a culprit of acid reflux as well. The acidic substance can trigger heartburn. Chocolate is also an overly sugary food.
It will thicken the mucus in your throat and hinder your beautiful voice.
Put this food aside and wait until after the performance.
#5. Fried foods
You should avoid all kinds of food that have gone through deep frying or rich oil. It is because the oil has a tendency of gunking up your vocal folds with excessive fat.
Fried foods are another cause of heartburn too. It certainly causes indigestion in your stomach right before the performance!
#6. Butter
Similar to fried foods, butter generally has a large amount of oil. Then, it has a tendency of greasing up the throat.
Butter is also a milk product. As a consequence, it can thicken the current mucus in the throat. You will want to clear your throat more often.
#7. Ice water
In the popular imagination, the greatest way of enjoying a glass of water is after it has been half cold in the refrigerator. This glass becomes more attractive when you add one large curly straw together with a few sparkling ice cubes.
Yet, frozen or heated beverages tend to produce an adverse impact on your beautiful voice. They have a tendency to constrict the muscles around the throat. It will lead to the existence of unneeded stress and the loss of elasticity.
#8. Soda
Soda is one kind of food that contains a lot of sugar or sugar additives. It also has a significant amount of carbohydrates!
It can trigger burping at any time. Of course, you will not expect any belching in front of the microphone. It will be a shame.
#9. Alcohol
Most singers take an interest in having a drink before their show. It aims at calming their nerves and making them feel good and “lubricated”.
First of all, it is somehow a bad habit when you are preparing to sing a song. Secondly, there is no true “lubricating” that will possibly happen when drinking alcohol.
Similar to caffeine, alcohol can probably dry out the body as well as the throat.
Also, there are plenty of mixed beverages that are a combination of sugary juice and soda. This kind of drink is twice as threatening. It is best to put that drink aside after your session!
#10. Spicy foods
Spicy foods are a heartburn trigger. You may opt for enjoying spicy foods in your daily life. However, take care of your lovely voice. Wait until the end of your set and enjoy it later.
Nothing at all
You will not expect to starve yourself before you start your performance. Enjoy your meal.
You need to ensure that you are full enough, but not excessive. You should know that it will take a lot of energy to sing during your session.
Do not make the mistake that you skimp on that meal before your performance. It is essential to fuel enough energy to deal with the show and feel nice when you do it!
What Food Should You Eat To Sing Better?
Once you know what food is bad for singing, it’s time to comprehend what food will effectively refill your energy before a performance.
Generally speaking, you need to ensure that you have enough consumption to refill the loss of energy. However, it is enough but not excessive that can cause you to feel too full. As a consequence, you will suffer from being bloated or nauseated.
Offer yourself a balanced diet. It will include protein to keep your movements and simple carbohydrates to prompt your energy rush.
Fresh foods are always more beneficial for your vocal folds than processed foods. Whenever you can eat fresh fruits and vegetables over-processed foods, keep going on.
#1. Fresh fruits
Pick an orange or an apple rather than their juicy drinks. Whole fruit has a lot more essential nutritional substances than juicy drinks do.
You can chew fruits. Then, you will absorb more fiber, vitamins, and more nutritional value. All of these things will help to boost your energy level.
Juicy drinks are likely to be more sugary and watery than any other thing. Therefore, they will go right to the bloodstream and make you use up energy faster.
#2. Chicken
Protein is vital for any singer. It will fill them up. It will also give them the energy that all singers want to sing constantly for a longer time.
Chicken is a typical example of a food with protein. It can keep filling you up and burning longer. This type of meat also prevents your vocal folds from being excessive with fat and oil.
#3. Fish
Similar to chicken, fish is a great food of protein. You can bake or broil fish in the oven to avoid using too much fat or oils.
#4. Vitamin A
Foods with a large amount of vitamin A will help to maintain your mucus membranes in good conditions.
Vitamin A is often in yellow vegetables, such as sweet potato and squash. Yellow fruits are high in vitamin A like mango, melon, and peach.
You can also consider dark leafy green vegetables, broccoli, and kale, for example.
You can even absorb protein along with vitamin A from both the egg and meat.
#5. Mixed Nuts
Any kind of nut is a good snack with high accessibility for all singers at your performance. You should pick up nuts with little or no salt, if possible.
Also, remember to wash nuts down with swigs of normal temperature water. It will prevent salt substances from drying out your vocal cords.
#6. Room temperature water
Some of you may find it a little boring. Yet, it is exactly one of the best items to do your voice a favor.
For some people, they may want an acquired taste. Keeping the throat hydrated is very important for any singer.
Furthermore, unlike frozen water, normal temperature water will not constrict the muscles around the throat. Some gulps of freshwater before your session will be a good start.
Not only right before the show but also one day before that you have to begin drinking fresh water. Many vocal instructors and health care experts have proposed that you are not completely hydrated till your urine is colored off.
It can sound a bit extreme, but room temperature water will keep you going on.
#7. Peanut butter
Peanut butter is a good item for breakfast and lunch on a show day. You should opt for natural peanut butter or something with a lower level of sugar and salt than traditional types.
This great source of protein can make you feel full. Also, a small amount of sugar in jams and carbohydrates in pieces of bread will provide you with much energy to undergo a long show.
#8. Honey
A small spoon of honey in a glass of warm water or a cup of decaf tea is a great way of coating and soothing your throat.
It will show the best result when you drink in the morning on that show day. Or you can do it before going to bed after your show.
Honey has a very high content of sugar, so do not consume too much. After all, it is overwhelmingly excellent at avoiding and soothing vocal strains.
It even has antibacterial and antimicrobial characteristics, so it will wipe off any harmful and sore-throat bug.
#9. Decaf teas with licorice root
It may be one type of food that will exactly help take care of your voice. Its name is a demulcent.
Licorice root will form a layer covering the throat. The aim is to prevent irritation in the mucus membrane.
In terms of vocal performance, it will give you much flexibility and enhance productivity. You can heat it, then lower it to room temperature with some ice cubes before you drink it.
Final Words
It is essential to avoid certain types of foods that will dry out your throat or constrict your flexibility during your show.
However, it does not mean that you will not eat anything. Instead, refill your loss of energy with some foods that are high in protein, fiber, and vitamin A.
Hopefully, the article has provided you with helpful information.
Thank you for your interest in the article!
