Having a healthy voice should be part of your daily routine. Just by taking better care of your voice, you can greatly improve your vocal health. If you have vocal problems and regularly experience fatigue and hoarseness, consult a voice professional immediately. Early detection of problems is the key to fixing them quickly.
1. Moisture is a singer’s best friend. The ideal humidity level for singers is 60%. Boil a pot of water in a 600 sq. foot apartment will normally reach 60% in 1 hour. For frequent travelers, turn on the shower in your hotel room every morning and night for 20 minutes with the bathroom door open. You can also use a humidifier, but it must be on all the time (be sure to clean humidifiers every other day with water and vinegar as mold spores grow quickly). Get a humidity thermometer to read your levels.
2. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water a day to stay adequately hydrated (the equivalent of four 1-liter bottles).
3. Don’t talk over loud music and try not to “gloat” (hit your vocal cords). Don’t whisper as it strains your voice.
4. Do yoga (or stretching) and breathing exercises every day. Vocal problems stem from deep contractions in the muscles of the neck, tongue, jaw, back, and diaphragm. A loose and agile body helps to avoid injuries.
5. I recommend getting a massage 1-2 times a week for the next month: have the masseur focus on your stomach, ribs, abs, and neck/shoulders/upper back/jaw/throat as well as the entire body. With my students, I offer vocal massage sessions to relax the jaw, tongue, throat/vocal muscles, and neck and upper back and diaphragm, and teach singers self-massage to help keep them free from tension as much as possible.
6. Acupuncture for the voice reaps great results. Acupuncture acts on the central nervous system and energy centers of the body to allow natural healing energy to flow. Treatments once or twice a week are very helpful in restoring vocal health.
7. Do speech exercises to find the optimal placement of your voice. And be sure to warm up and cool down before and after performances each time to prevent vocal burnout.
8. Stay away from smoky environments and use Vocal Eze Throat Spray 3-4 times a day (backed by rock star shades). Spray 5-6 times at the back of your throat, tilt your head back and let sit for a few moments before swallowing.
9. Gargle with warm salt water every day; also use Neil Med saline rinse every day (available at most pharmacies); and drink Throat Coat tea (available at health food stores).
10. Steam 3 times a day: breathe hot water/steam for 10 minutes
11. Eat foods with high water content:
has. Fruits and vegetables: watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, papaya, strawberries/blueberries (all berries), romaine lettuce, celery, water chestnuts, bok-choy, carrot/celery juice, etc., b. Salads are your new BF. Salads should be your main meal twice a day. Fresh foods have live enzymes and high nutritional content. Excellent for staying healthy and avoiding acid reflux and digestive disorders. against Broth-based soups (without tomato or cream). d. Stop eating all fried foods (for at least a month), no citrus, mint, chocolate, or marinara sauce.
12. Take Whole Food Supplements Daily – Take:
has. A daily vitamin ~ the most important! b. Favorite Flora will help reverse acid reflux c. Perilla Sinus is the best supplement on the market for people with allergies.
13. Natural Medicine:
has. Homeopathy ~ Take sore throat/hoarseness (homeopathic name is Roxalia) – by Boiron. This remedy reduces inflammation in the vocal cords. Take 3 days with 5 days off until symptoms disappear. b. Herbs and Supplements v. Take the crystalline, non-acidic vitamin C powder every day. Take one heaped teaspoon in 1/2 glass of juice daily. d. Stay healthy with Thieves lozenges and mouthwash, and use Oscillicoccinum and Coldcalm at the first sign of infection.
14. Get 8-9 hours of sleep every night. Sleep is your body and mind’s way of recharging and rejuvenating. Without sleep, a singer’s voice is always tired, which is certain for vocal problems. If he has trouble sleeping, I don’t recommend a pharmaceutical solution. He tries melatonin just before bed. Usually he does the trick. For a gentler approach, try a cup of chamomile tea or 10-15 drops of valerian root (herbal tincture) in water. A bath before bed and/or breathing exercises for 10 minutes will also help you fall asleep more easily.
15. Stay away from:
has. Sugar
b. all fried foods
against Citrus
d. Caffeine
me. Carbonated beverages ~ all soft drinks and sparkling water
F. Ibuprofen
gram. Mint
H. Cooked tomato sauce (marinara)
i. White flour (including white rice and pasta, pastries, etc.)
d. Alcohol
k. Smoke
A note on pharmaceutical medicine.:
I personally do NOT take pharmaceutical medications of any kind unless it is an emergency. For those of you who need medication, I don’t recommend going off immediately. However, I recommend getting into health by reading books and educating yourself. Supplement your daily nutrition with whole food supplements and use chemical-free products to bring your body back into balance. Natural medicines like homeopathy and herbs are extremely effective in conjunction with a more natural diet. It may take longer than taking a pill, but it won’t create the toxicity/chemical overload you get from pharmaceutical drugs. This does not suggest that you stop taking the medications prescribed for you. Discuss alternative treatments with your doctor first and see a qualified nutritionist or naturopath for long-term medication weaning.