Foods Can Improve Your Voice Quality !!

FOODS THAT CAN IMPROVE OUR VOICE QUALITY

Speech is the medium of human communication. It conveys information from speaker to listener. So it is an  essential to have a good voice quality for expressing our views. It is also important for public communication and various cultural activities like debates, recitation, acting and singing. Keeping our voice healthy does not need only to avoid cold foods but it requires a healthy lifestyle and a proper balanced diet. Some foods are harmful to our vocal chords and causes throat infection.

Suggestions:

• Prefer a food which hydrates our body and lubricates our mouth. Drink plenty of water and other non-caffeinated fluids, homemade fruit juices, coconut water, soups throughout the day.
• Include whole grains, lots of fresh fruits and vegetables such as tomato, cucumber, melons, apples, grapes, peaches, and pears, cantaloupes, leafy green vegetables, spinach, broccoli- as these are friendly choices to clear voice by keeping away mucus from throat and also improve hydration of the body.
• Foods rich in Vit-A, C and E-

Vit-A keeps our mucous membrane healthy which leads to better throat health. Sources are eggs, meats particularly liver, yellow and orange fruits, orange, apricots, carrots and dark leafy green vegetables like spinach and kale.

Vit-C helps to prevent from a sore throat and common cold and also improves immune system

Vit-E is a good antioxidant which gives protection to cell membranes. Sources are almonds, peanuts, vegetable oils like sunflower, safflower, corn oil etc.

• Honey gives relaxation from a sore throat and keeps away bacteria to thrive into the throat
• Use cinnamon – a herb which clears our throat and improves our voice.
• Fresh salads with olive oil dressing for proper lubrication
• Hot vegetable soups without tomato as it causes reflux, chicken soups and broths are helpful for the soothing effect.
• Gargle with salt water is very helpful against a sore throat and checks bacterial infection.

Avoid:

• Avoid the food which irritates our vocal chords like spicy, salted and packaged foods.
• Avoid caffeinated beverages like tea, coffee sodas and alcohol which dehydrates our throat and causes muscle contraction resulting to tight muscles. If continued for a prolonged period, it damages our vocal chord.
• Avoid dairy and its product like yoghurt, cheese, milk and butter as it enhances phlegm production and excess mucus makes it difficult to produce clear voice.
• Avoid cold foods and ice creams which choke the voice and deteriorate our voice quality.
• Avoid cold and smoke as it triggers irritation and diseases of vocal chords
• Avoid smoking and drinking which lead to a throat infection and inferior sound.
• Avoid shouting as it strains our voice and reduces its quality.

We should take freshly prepared homely-made foods instead of junk foods available in the market and take lots of water. We should also take proper sleep to get rid of fatigue which produces a dull sound.

The inclusion of lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains in the diet along with plenty of water helps in maintaining proper throat function which induces our voice quality.