Being a voice talent for so many decades, I have friends asking me what are the food and drinks that are good, or bad, for the voice. I decided to share some here with you today.
THE GOOD
Water – Guess what? Mom is right. But what you may not know is you have to drink lots of water 3 to 6 hours before you use your voice, not when you need it. Due to the weather’s humidity in Malaysia, 16 tall glass of water is recommended daily.
Tomatoes – A great way to lubricate your throat, keeping the amount of phlegm in check.
Green Apples – Not so much to keep doctors away, green apples are great to keep your vocal chords well lubricated and ready to impress.
THE BAD
Soft drink – Gassiness aside, most soft drinks are also sweet, and sugar is bad for your voice.
Citrus – Makes you slightly nauseous, and combined with nervousness and stage fright, some people will open their mouth and have their voice betray them!
Dairy – One key factor that causes phlegm in your throat, many people are also mildly lactose intolerant, making it a no-no before a big speech or presentation.
THE UGLY
Chillies – Chilly seeds are notorious if got stuck in the throat, causing inflammation and extreme irritation.
Smoke – Causes your mouth to be dry, reducing the richness in your voice.
Chocolate – Worse than the common dairy products mentioned above, chocolates ‘tighten’ up your throat and can cause an excessive amount of phlegm too.
If you would like to learn more about harnessing your power voice, such as:
- Increase your volume and projection
- Enhance the clarity in your speech
- Reduce or even eliminate mumbling
- Get a good pitch and to not sound ‘nasally’
- Influence and communicate better
- and more!
Come join me in the upcoming Power Voice workshop where I’ll personally share techniques, strategies, and more tips (way more than those mentioned above), and some personal stories and advice too from celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Broery Marantika.
“Hi, I’m Richard La Faber.”
That familiar phrase has been heard by millions over the Malaysian airwaves for the past 20 years and can still be heard on the MAS Golden Era inflight programme. The golden voice behind that phrase has since moved on to helping others “Live The Dream”. Today, Richard is a highly sought-after motivational speaker, corporate trainer, vocal coach and communications specialist, and have even shared stages with the International Inspirational Sensation, the Man Who Would Not Be Defeated, W Mitchell.
Driven by his passion to inspire audiences and encourage them to live their dreams, combined with 30 over years working in the Radio, News, TV and Education industry, Richard is well known for his dynamic presentations that consistently earn him awesome reviews. His unique ability to adapt to participants from all walks of life allow him to reach out to a wide spectrum of audiences, from corporate leaders to cleaners, ministers to mothers, academics to students, teenagers to pensioners, celebrity to commoners!
