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Healthy Care of the Voice and Your Body

Eating and Drinking

I am a great believer that what a person eats and drinks creates a healthy person. Eating correctly generates a healthy body = a healthy mind = a healthy voice = a long life.

Eating Healthy

One of main difficulty in eating correctly is the world around us promotes processed and refined eating choices; whether a vegetarian or a carnivore.

White refined foods dominate our food supply. I choose to eat by separating my carbohydrates (grains, seeds,) with my proteins (beans, meat, nuts) and only eating whole grains; No Refined Carbohydrates (white bread, white rice, all foods made with white flour) because it makes me feel my best. Refined/White foods are converted into sugar faster and move into the blood stream faster, and why you are hungry an hour later.

Eating no refined carbohydrates is excellent for lowering blood sugar levels in diabetic and the overweight. I began this eating pattern in my early childhood, not because anyone or fad because it is healthy eating. The body can only digest either a protein or a carbohydrate at one time, if you eat both together, the body simply digests one and stores the other as fat. For fabulous info on eating healthy and eating whole grains, see www.drmirkin.com

Understandably, we are all different with different sensitivities, you will need to experiment with different foods and see what works best for you.

Some guiding principles:

When to eat:

Think of yourself as an athlete and eat this way: an athlete eats lightly before running the mile and thus so should you. A full stomach inhibits the movement of the diaphragm-you will have difficulty taking in full breaths and you will be prone to burping. Do not starve yourself, either singing is hard work, you need fuel. A normal meal an hour or two (two is better) before a singing session works best. If you need to eat between sets go for non-bulky, easy to digest food. Before a singing like eggs as they are high protein, low density.

Foods to indulge in:

• Fruits and Vegetables – eat as many as you can raw rather than cooked
• If you cook your vegetables and fruits use a little oil or butter (not margarine please) in the bottom of the pan, no water with lid. Cook on low heat and the moisture already in the food will cook it just fine. You will be surprised at the amount of liquid that comes out while cooking. This assures great tasting foods without loosing nutrients.
• Chocolate – high cocoa solids the better, even 90% which is my favourite. Pure Chocolate is good for the heart, lungs and general good health.

Before Singing foods generally to avoid:

• Foods that dry the throat: citrus fruits, alcohol, sugar
• Foods that add mucous: milk, ice cream, all dairy products
• Throat Irritants: spicy foods, coffee, sugar
• Lozenges or Cough Candy: may cause infections; colds, soar throat, as the sugar helps conduct germs especially when around other people.
• Carbonated drinks: puts air into your stomach
• Ice cold food/drinks: your throat will constrict.
• Food with corn syrup.