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VOCAL HEALTH 10 Tips For Staying Healthy And Sounding Great This Summer July 15, 2016  By Ann UtterbackVoice Specialist and Author, Broadcast Voice Handbook Heat exhaustion is no friend to your voice - and neither are summer colds and allergies. If you want to stay healthy and sound great this summer, try these 10 tips. 1. Keep your vocal tract moist by drinking half your body weight in ounces of nonalcoholic fluid a day. During the heat, carry a thermos instead of just a water bottle so that you can drink cold water. You can also freeze water bottles and drink them as they melt in the heat. 2. Eat foods that help keep you hydrated. For example, a slice of watermelon contains 10 ounces of water. A peach or a cup of strawberries has 5 ounces. Other foods high in water are cucumbers, tomatoes, corn, and raw squash. Soups, tea, and coffee are also good for hydration. 3. If you have allergies or get a summer cold, limit throat clearing and coughing. And limit your use of antihistamines because they are diuretics. 4. To help avoid heat exhaustion or heat stroke, check out cooling bandanas that really help you stay cool without getting your clothes damp. 5. Keep up an exercise program, but ... if you’re exercising outside and it’s hot, do it early in the morning or late in the evening. Why exercise? It helps develop good breathing and much more. 6. Use SPF 30 or higher sun block every day and reapply it every few hours! And if you’re outside much of the day, you can purchase clothes that are SPF treated, or you can actually make your clothes sun proof with Rit Sun Guard. It’s a washing powder that stays in through 20 washes and blocks more than 96% of harmful rays. You can also find SPF umbrellas to use. 7. Ramp up your protein intake for better overall health and great vocal energy. 8. Get at least seven hours of sleep each night for better health and vocal energy. That’s the minimum that doctors recommend. Go for more when you can. And remember that computers and tablets emit blue light that mimics sunlight and can keep you awake. Dim them down at least an hour before bedtime. 9. Spend some time relaxing this summer even if you can’t take a vacation. To quote the author, Anne Lamott, "Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, even you.”10. And finally, have some fun this summer! Fun goes a long way toward decreasing your job stress. --------------------------------------------  ABOUT ANNAnn
S. Utterback, Ph.D., is a voice specialist with more than 40 years
experience and has helped hundreds of people make the most of their
voices, working with broadcasters, voice over artists and podcasters
around the world. An author of eight books and over 50 articles on
voice, her Broadcast Voice Handbook is a classic textbook offering more advice on
how to improve your voice over performance.
Web: http://OnlineVoiceCoaching.comClick for: Broadcast Voice Handbook |
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Your comments made me feel great! I'm so glad my tips are being put to work.
Doug, I can't believe that schedule! Hope you got through it like the pro you are!
I'll be posting a new article next week.
Thanks for your kind words.
Ann U.