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, see a professional voice doctor immediately. Catching problems early 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. apartment foot usually reaches 60% in 1 hour. For frequent travelers, run the shower in your hotel room every morning and evening for 20 minutes with the bathroom door open. You can also use a humidifier, but it should be on all the time (be sure to clean humidifiers every other day with water and vinegar, as mold spores develop quickly). Get a humidity thermometer to read your levels.

2. Drink 8-10 glasses of water a day to stay adequately hydrated (the equivalent of four 1-liter bottles).

3. Don’t speak to loud music and try not to “glutton” (hit the vocal cords). Don’t whisper as your voice strains.

4. Do yoga (or stretching) and breathing exercises daily. Vocal problems come from deep contractions in the muscles of the neck, tongue, jaw, back, and diaphragm. A loose and agile body helps prevent injury.

5. I recommend going for a massage 1-2 times a week for the next month – have the masseuse focus on your stomach, ribs, abs and neck / shoulders / upper back / jaw / throat, as well as whole body. With my students, I provide vocal massage sessions to release the jaw, tongue, throat / vocal muscles and neck, upper back, and diaphragm, and I teach singers to self-massage to help them stay free of tension as much as possible.

6. Acupuncture for the voice produces great results. Acupuncture works on the body’s central nervous system and energy centers to flow its natural healing energy. Treatments once or twice a week are very helpful in restoring vocal health.

7. Do speaking exercises to find the optimal location for your voice. And be sure to warm up and cool down before and after performances every time to avoid vocal burnout.

8. Stay away from smoky environments and use Vocal Eze Throat Spray 3-4x per day (backed by tons of rock stars). Spray 5-6 times on the back of the throat, tilt the head back and let it 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 in health food stores).

10. Steam 3 times a day – breathe in hot water / steam for 10 minutes

11. Consume foods with high water content:

For. Fruits and vegetables: watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, papaya, strawberries / blueberries (all berries), romaine lettuce, celery, water chestnuts, bok-choy, carrot / celery juice, etc., b. Salads are your new boyfriend. Salads should be your main meal twice a day. Fresh foods have live enzymes and are high in nutritional content. Excellent for staying healthy and avoiding acid reflux and digestive disorders. vs. Broth-based soups (without tomato or cream). D. Stop eating all fried foods (for at least a month), without citrus, without mint, chocolate or marinara sauce.

12. Take whole food supplements daily – Take:

For. A daily vitamin ~ the most important thing! 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:

For. Homeopathy ~ Take the sore throat / hoarseness (homeopathic name is Roxalia) – by Boiron. This remedy reduces inflammation of the vocal cords. Take 3 days with 5 days off until symptoms disappear. B. Herbs and supplements c. Take crystalline, non-acidic vitamin C powder every day. Take a heaping teaspoon in 1/2 glass of juice a day. D. Stay healthy with Thieves lozenges and mouthwash and Oscillicoccinum and Coldcalm at the first sign of infection.

14. Get 8 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Sleep is the way your body and mind recharge and rejuvenate. Without sleep, a singer’s voice is always tired, which is sure for vocal problems. If you have trouble sleeping, I don’t recommend a pharmaceutical solution. Try melatonin right before bed. Usually 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:

For. Sugar
B. All fried foods
vs. Citrus
D. Caffeine
me. Carbonated drinks ~ all sodas and sparkling water
F. Ibuprofen
gram. Mint
h. Cooked tomato sauce (marinara)
I. White flour (including white rice and pasta, pastries, etc.)
j. 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 do not recommend stopping them immediately. However, I recommend improving your health by reading books and educating yourself. Supplement your daily nutrition with whole food supplements and use chemical-free products to restore balance to your body. Natural medicines like homeopathy and herbs are extremely effective along with a more natural diet. It may take longer than taking a pill, but it won’t create the toxicity / chemical overload that you get from pharmaceutical drugs. This does not suggest that you stop taking your prescribed medications. Discuss alternative treatments with your doctor first and visit a qualified nutritionist or naturopath to stop taking medications long-term.