Health: What You Eat Is How You Sound – Tips For A Healthy Voice Over Diet, by Elley-Ray Hennessy

Anything ingested can have an
effect on the vocal cords. Yes, that’s right, so be aware of what you put into
your mouth and system. 

EARLY EXPERIENCE …

Imagine me flying into LA to
do a spiritual retreat many years ago and finding out mid-flight that I had to
do a big recording at Woodholly Studios in the morning.

I arrived late and hungry at my hotel, had a hamburger, fries and glass of wine, followed by a lovely piece
of cheesecake and espresso. 

I then went up to my room where I saw my bed
turned down and a delicious chocolate mint left waiting – yummy! I called for a
wake up, read a bit and turned out the lights. 

CROAK, CROAK …

The next morning early I received
my wake up call and as I answered the phone, guess what?

Croak, croak, my cords
were swollen and I tried to clear the burning at the back of my throat only to
realize I was hoarse.

Without thinking, I
had dehydrated my cords and created an acidic system in my stomach, allowing acid reflux and aggravating my vocal cords on an already dried-out
system due to flying and exhaustion. 

Yes, I had to learn the hard way.

MINIMIZE ACID PRODUCTION

To maintain vocal health, you
must minimize foods that create acid production in the stomach.

The
greatest offender for upsetting the acid balance is caffeine. It is a voicer’s
worst enemy, increasing acid production and loosening the muscles that separate
the stomach from the esophagus. Yikes! 

Caffeine is a diuretic, which induces
urination and dehydration. As an irritant to the vocal folds, it induces mucous
production and stiffness. 

DON’T DRINK THAT SODA 

Carbonated drinks can contain caffeine and cause
burping due to the carbonation, so beware gulping too much pop before a record. 

Another huge offender is found in just about all foods we love to gobble: fat.
Food with high fat content increases acid in our stomachs because it takes longer to digest – producing more acid and worsening acid reflux symptoms.

 

Similar to caffeine, alcohol wrecks havoc
with its acidity and restricts flow in the blood vessels. 

Other irritants to watch out
for are certain medications, such as ibuprofen and aspirin, which can increase
the risk of hemorrhage on the vocal folds. 

ACID REFLUX & VOICE LOSS

Acid reflux is a common
symptom of an overactive acid production in the body and can literally burn
your vocal cords, causing a voice actor’s worst fear: voice loss.

The acid from
the stomach, once off balance, seeps up the esophagus and swells the tissue of
the vocal cords, which then become inflamed and weaken our ability to express. 

Sleep with the head of your bed raised or several pillows to help detract from the
acid production moving up your esophagus.

Try to eat smaller,
controlled portions, which keeps your stomach from getting too full. A full
stomach can also cause acid over-production and force the stomach to work harder. 

BLACKLISTED FOR VOICE ACTORS

Below is a list of what to steer clear of before you have a big audition or voice job:

• Any meat with
  high fat content, including ground beef, marbled steak (increases acid). 
• Processed chicken
  products (increases acid).
• Fats, oils, sweets, including chocolate, potato/corn chips, high-fat baked goods, creamy/oily salad dressings
  (increases acid). 
• Coffee (dries out the
  vocal folds). 
• Alcohol (dehydrates the
  system). 
• High-acidic fruits and
  vegetables and acidic juices, such as orange, grapefruit, cranberry, tomato, lemon, and lime juices (irritates and causes acid). 
• Mashed potatoes,
  French fries, potato salad. 
• Raw onion, garlic
  (irritates and increases acid).
• Grains like macaroni and
  cheese. Pasta with marinara or heavy cream sauce.
• Regular-fat content
  dairy products like sour cream, milkshakes, ice cream, cottage cheese, high-fat
  cheeses (causes excessive mucous). 
• Bananas (causes mucous).
• Mint (acidic). 
• Nuts (can cause
  excessive mucous and allergic reactions). 
• Spicy foods, fried
  foods, acidic foods (increase acid). 
• MSG (increases acid). 
• Hormones (increases acid). 
• Allergens and pollutants such as dust and
  mold. 
• Fatigue – sleep is good
  for your cords. 
• Antihistamines and
  diuretics (very drying).  

FUEL FOR YOUR VOICE

The sound of your voice is made by small
internal muscle movements. Muscles need the energy furnished by well-metabolized food in order to function.

They also need to be hydrated to achieve
peak energy, flexibility and elasticity. 

Drinking room-temperature water as
your principal beverage is best for hydration. If a beverage is too cold or too
hot, it will affect the muscles of your larynx and focal folds, which are
behind and adjacent to the esophagus where you swallow. 

Vocal cords are fragile.
Vocal hygiene involves drinking lots of water daily.

The recommended eight
glasses a day are not adequate for a vocalist. Water is swallowed into the
stomach, not the larynx. Water must be carried through the bloodstream to the
vocal cords, so drink tons of H2O. 

AVOID BIG MEALS, TOO

“Supporting a tone” or
“placement” can work against the esophageal sphincter, causing the stomach
contents to be pushed upwards towards the diaphragm, which in turn, can affect
your breath support.

So remember not to eat a big meal before a gig. Do not eat
late at night, either, as this leads to acid reflux overnight and into the next
morning. 

WHAT YOU SHOULD EAT

What to eat, you ask?

Fish, plain chicken, yellow veggies, rice, apples, eggs, almonds, fruits and
whole grains are good options. And lots of water. 

Rules: 

• Do not drink coffee or
  caffeinated beverages within two to three hours of voicing. 
• Do drink lots of room
  temperature water. 
• Do not drink iced beverages
  within two to three hours prior to voicing.
• Do not drink hot
  beverages prior to or during records. 
• Do eat high-water-content fruits for hydration and energy. 
• Do eat high water
  content vegetables for hydration and minerals. 
• Do stay fed, but don’t overeat or stuff yourself.

Maintain a fabulous working
environment for your voice. And be aware of what and how much of anything that you
put into your system. 

Everything affects this amazing apparatus we use to voice, and if you want to damage it then eat high-fat, high-caffeine, high-alcohol,
sugar or dairy foods late at night before a gig and get no rest and
drink no water. A pure recipe for disaster. 

It can be a hard pill to swallow,
but you are what you eat, so if you are a professional voicer, get on the VO diet.

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ABOUT ELLEY-RAY
Based in Toronto, and with over 30
years experience in voice overs, TV, film and theater, Elley-Ray Hennessy is a leading
voice talent and coach, specializing in animation, commercial announcing and
multi-voice. She’s won
multiple awards, having voiced thousands of TV and radio commercials and
countless animation series and films. 

Email: elleyray@hotmail.com
Web: www.elleyray.com