# Chocolates, ice cream, cold drinks, etc...



## osnapitzdaniel (Mar 6, 2012)

I was just wondering how can sweets and cold beverages affect/damage your voice? Do they really have an effect on your singing?


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

From experience, I know it's not a good thing to have cold drinks when you're going to sing soon thereafter. I find it more difficult to hit high highs and the lower register isn't as rich. I have no idea what happens medically or scientifically but for singing it ain't too great. And it kinda makes sense that something warm would be and is a lot better to drink.

Long term? Hopefully someone more informed can tell us that.


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

I was an accompanist for a singer a long time ago who carried a little flask of wine with her, and took several sips before a performance. It seemed to get all the phlegm out and she said it relaxed the nerves somewhat too. Later in years, I have heard of other vocalists doing the same. 

I have a feeling that eating sweets or dairy products would leave a 'coating' in the throat area which would hamper the best sonority of the singing voice. As for cold drinks, I think those would contract the vocal chords somewhat, whereas a warm drink (tea perhaps) would be better. 

I've not had any formal training as a singer, but relating only what I've learned from being an accompanist for many years.


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## andre (Aug 18, 2012)

*Cold drinks!*

Hello Singers,

I am a singer for a long time!
I drink cold drinks all my life, and have never had a problem with my voice.
Milk is bad, and sweet, gives much mucus.

Greetings André.


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## AlainB (Nov 20, 2011)

andre said:


> Milk is bad, and sweet, gives much mucus.


Would that also include products that aren't entirely made out of milk? Because I absolutely love my ViFit yoghurt drink with red fruits (strawberry/raspberry/cherry) taste. It would be a shame to have to completely abandon it.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Dairy - milk, cheese, yoghurt; and eggs, and rice are all catalysts for the body to make mucus (in the rice it is the Gluten).

Yoghurts and the like, though the yoghurt is another culture, still leave a coating on the throat, vocal chords and esophagus.
If you want to test this, cut out all the milk, cheese, yoghurt, eggs, rice from your diet for a week and see how much less mucus is in your sinuses (masque), and how much less 'coated' or furry are the throat, vocal chords and esophagus.

Sugar may not only leave a sticky coating, but often has us reacting by producing more sputum, and you don't want to have to fight drinking excess saliva while trying to sing.

The alcohol - is just a rationale for those inclined to alcohol. There are sugars there, too.

To relax the throat and keep the vocal chords (which are muscles) warm, a bit of warm / hot tea (tannic acid and caffeine) - with a bit of lemon juice doing no harm, or a chamomile tea if one needs to take the edge off the adrenaline nerves so many of us experience before performing.

You don't have to 'abandon' the foods or the food group entirely, but I would not at all recommend consuming any dairy, at the least, on a day you are going to perform.


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## PetrB (Feb 28, 2012)

Dairy - milk, cheese, yoghurt; and eggs, and rice are all catalysts for the body to make mucus (in the rice it is the Gluten).

Yoghurts and the like, though the yoghurt is another culture, still leave a coating on the throat, vocal chords and esophagus.
If you want to test this, cut out all the milk, cheese, yoghurt, eggs, rice from your diet for a week and see how much less mucus is in your sinuses (masque), and how much less 'coated' or furry are the throat, vocal chords and esophagus.

Sugar may not only leave a sticky coating, but often has us reacting by producing more sputum, and you don't want to have to fight drinking excess saliva while trying to sing.

The alcohol - is just a rationale for those inclined to alcohol. There are sugars there, too.

To relax the throat and keep the vocal chords (which are muscles) warm, a bit of warm / hot tea (tannic acid and caffeine) - with a bit of lemon juice doing no harm, or a chamomile tea if one needs to take the edge off the adrenaline nerves so many of us experience before performing.

You don't have to 'abandon' the foods or the food group entirely, but I would not at all recommend consuming any dairy, at the least, on a day you are going to perform.

P.s. With a cultural dietary habit as huge as the Nederlandish one centered around diary products, -- milk, cheese, etc. it might be rather difficult to 're-train' yourself to another habit of foods consumption. Elsewhere, even high school choral directors routinely advise their singers to avoid these foods the night before / day of a performance.


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## Moira (Apr 1, 2012)

The best singer I know avoids all sugars, dairy and chilled drinks always, not only before concerts. She drinks room temperature water or herbal teas. She also avoids refined carbs. She is reed thin.


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## kv466 (May 18, 2011)

You also wanna keep things in perspective, here...something tells me this guy (and I ain't saying he's exactly the best singer but he kinda knows what's up) didn't avoid gelato, cannoli, cheeses, prosciutto and salamis and all sorts of pasta!....maybe no cold before a concert but otherwise,...come on, now.


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## appoggiatura (Feb 6, 2012)

I had to participate in a concert. The morning of the concert I drank a glass of very cold milk (I usually don't do that). Then before the concert I took a sandwich with cheese...

I will not do that again!! Although it was not a disaster, my voice was a little cracky etc.. 
Leave the diary, especially right before singing. On other days, I just eat cheese. But I eat it _after_ my time of practice now and never before a concert!


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