Winter Vocal Health Tips

An article by Cari Cole    No Comments

We all know that this time of year it’s hard to dodge colds and flus. If you travel a lot or are around lots of people, it becomes a daily mission to stay healthy. Why do some people get sick more often than others? Mostly because their immune system is down and they are more susceptible to germs. Other habits like rubbing your eyes and nose and not washing hands also lead to getting sick more often. Here are the winter advisory tips to stay healthier and free of germs.

1. Take a multivitamin every day. I take Rainbow Light Women’s One Multivitamin or Solaray Spectro Woman Multi-Vitamin. Both companies also have great multi-vitamins for Men. These vitamins are gentle on the stomach and 100% natural. I always take them after or during eating breakfast ~ usually with a morning smoothie!
2. Eat fresh living foods! Fresh vegetables and fruits have immune fighting properties and raise your immune system. I have fruit every morning first thing (love smoothies) and a big salad full of fresh veggies for lunch and a smaller one before dinner. For snacks, instead of reaching for chips, I have an apple (love green apples) and snack on carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, edamame etc. Dip them in a little dressing like Annie’s Goddess dressing and you have a snack that tastes good and is good for you!
3. Take 1,000 milligrams of powered non-ascorbic Vitamin C every day. I use the Soloray brand available at Whole Foods.
4. Out in the cold weather, always wear a scarf to protect your throat and over dress! I never take chances of getting caught out in the cold under-dressed! I’m a singer!
5. Thieves lozenges – Those of you who train with me know about these wonderful little lozenges! They are made with essential oils so they are totally natural and good for you and at the same time they kill all airborne bacteria. Great for airplane travel or sharing a mic on a public stage. They also make Thieves wipes for a quick mic swipe! They sell for around $22.00 for a tin of 30 lozenges.

A note about “Airborne” & Emer-gen-C:
While Airborne is a good product and really works, it is not good for vocalists because it contains acidic Vitamin C which causes acid reflux. The popular Emer-gen-C packets has the same problem as they contain acid producing Vitamin C. Better to carry around a bag of powdered non-acidic Vitamin C (by Soloray) and add a teaspoon to a glass of juice!