Singer's Wellness: Sleep!

There is no question it can be challenging to get enough sleep in today's world. Our schedules as performers may keep us from getting to bed at a decent hour (hello, late rehearsal after working at multiple jobs all day to make ends meet). Sometimes we have things like sleep apnea that keep sleep from being high quality and many, many, many of us suffer from insomnia.

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

However, the importance of sleep can not be underestimated. Adequate sleep helps to regulate our endocrine system (hormones), boosts immune system function, keeps fat accumulation at bay, staves off depression and keeps our hearts healthy. We have fewer accidents and work-related injuries when we are well rested. In terms of our voices, cellular repair happens while we sleep. When you've exercised your voice, it needs time to repair itself and time to renew the layer of mucous that covers the top of the vocal cords (this layer serves, in part, as protection to the cords). Sleep is a big part of what helps that to happen.

A survey conducted by Keith Saxon and Pamela Harvey (reported in Vocal Health and Pedagogy: Advanced Assessment and Treatment, Vol. II) looked at a small sampling of singers and found that the most frequently reported problem by singers in nonperformance times is staying asleep (44% indicated this was a problem). During performance time 96% indicated they didn't get enough sleep and the most frequently experienced problem was falling asleep. This same group listed the following as the results of poor sleep:

• trouble with breath support, 
• reduced vocal endurance, 
• huskiness/roughness of the voice
• needed more time to warm up

Do those sound familiar to you? Are you skating by on 6 hours a night when you know that isn't enough sleep, but you have trouble staying asleep and when you're in performance mode, trouble falling asleep?

Yoga can help! I have dealt with my fair share of trouble sleeping both in terms of staying asleep and in terms of falling asleep after a late rehearsal or performance. Here are some tips from yoga that have helped me immensely:

Yoga journal lists these poses as having a theraputic focus of dealing with insomnia. In general, forward bends will help relax you because they encourage a longer exhale and a longer exhale triggers the relaxation response (in other words it turns off the adrenaline that got you through the concert!). I would add the restorative pose of legs up the wall as one that settles the body and mind. Simply sitting or lying down and breathing consciously to extend your exhale will help too, if yoga poses aren't your thing.

The practice of Yoga Nidra, which means yogic sleep, has been enormously helpful to me. I have a recording on my ipod and iphone and if I am awake in the night, I pop in my ear buds, lie on my back in bed and turn it on. I'll be honest, if I'm really stressed out, sometimes it takes listening to it two times to get me to go back to sleep, but it is hugely helpful. There are lots of yoga nidra options out there, but the one I use is from the CD Relax into Greatness by Rod Stryker. I've been fortunate to do a few weekend intensives with him as part of my teacher training and his genius is not to be missed!

Singer's Wellness: Nutrition: Small Changes with Big Benefits

We are thrilled to welcome Devorah Ungerleider-Moore from Progressive Nectar as our guest blogger this week.  Devorah is sharing with us seven areas where you can make small changes in your food intake that bring about big rewards to your health!

Staying healthy is at the forefront of every professional or amateur singer's career. When your body is your instrument—and you only get one amazing body—it’s important to take care of it. Nothing is more uncomfortable than having to perform when you are not feeling well. With the changing seasons, holiday stress and performances around the corner, there are seven areas where small changes can help you be in optimal health. 

1) Understand your Grocery Store:

·       Grocery Stores are built to market and sell food—that is their job—to sell.

·       99% of ingredients needed for healthy living are found in the outer perimeter;

o   produce,

o   eggs,

o   dairy/non-dairy milks,

o   meat & fish counters

·       Walk down aisles only for oils, nuts, the occasional baking supply and kitchen necessities (soap, parchment paper, etc.).

·       Plan your meals and snacks in advance and shop with a list.

2) Eat Whole Foods

·       Stick to consuming unprocessed, whole foods. A whole food is when nothing has been stripped away from the food.  

·       Shop at your local natural foods market, farmer’s markets or farms when buying “whole foods” or “complete foods”.

·       Steer away from low-fat, non-fat, reduced sugar labels.

3) Choose Organic, Grass-Fed & Hormone Free Meats:

·       If you eat meat, make sure to purchase organic hormone-free meats & poultry.

·       You’ll notice a difference in flavor and nutrient quality.

·       Grass-fed meats have lower fat ratios and the fat in the meat is beneficial for your body.

·       Note: Kosher Organic chickens have wonderful flavor and the birds are slaughtered humanely.

4) Eat Greens Every Day:

·       Greens represent a convenient, essentially caloric-free, nutrient-dense source of hard to obtain minerals, like magnesium, calcium, potassium, and manganese.

·       These minerals are what allow our bodies to make energy, regulate blood pressure, and absorb other nutrients from food we eat.

·       Greens include kale, chard, lettuce, mustard greens, collard greens, beet greens, arugula, and endive.

·       Make sure your greens are organic (or chemical free).

·       Buying local may save you money and support your local economy too.

5) Stay Hydrated:

·       If drinking enough water is hard for you, start by adding 1 glass of water a day every week to your fluid intake until you achieve your minimum quota.

·       See this earlier post covering the importance of hydration.

·        If you are used to coffee breaks, drink green tea in its place (no cream or sugar).

·       Stick to drinking water all day and give yourself one 12oz beverage of anything you’d like (apple cider, tea, other juice or coffee). Just choose water the rest of the day.

·       Add a squeeze of lemon to each glass of water supporting your body to detoxify.

·       Note For Kids: Often children like juices, chocolate milk and sodas; in other words, sugar, sugar, sugar. Make it a house rule kids choose one beverage for the day (a 4-6 oz. juice, milk etc.), after that water is the only beverage of choice during the day. Always serve juice as a 1:1 ratio mixed with water. If your child likes soda, try mixing sparkling water and juice for a bit of fizz and get rid of the soda all together. Purple Cows are always a favorite (grape juice / sparkling water).

6) Minimize Sugar

·       White refined sugar leads to illness and obesity.

·       Stay away from processed foods and any added sugar.

·       Minimize dairy and processed grains as your body converts both to sugar extremely fast.

·       Craving something sweet? Reach for a piece of fruit, (that’s your whole food for sweetness).

·       Reduce sugar in your diet and you’ll gain energy and feel your best.

7) Exercise for Happiness:

·       Here at Progressive Nectar we believe total health is 70% nutrition, 20% exercise, 10% inner peace (quiet time).

·       Move your body every day for healthy mood, healthy heart and a happy self.

·       For general purposes, 30 minutes of movement three days a week is a great way to support healthy living. For some that might mean walking, yoga, playing tennis, swimming, Cross Fit, running, group exercise classes, cycling or a combination of activities.

·       Simply engage in what works for your life—something you’ll enjoy.

Making small changes in these seven areas of health of takes a bit of planning and cooking from home. However, if you prep your meals once a week, living healthier gets a whole lot easier in our hectic lives. Pack an apple, a handful of nuts and water for your next on-the-go snack bypassing the local coffee shop on the way to rehearsal. If you implement one or all seven changes in your life, you’ll feel better and be healthier. Your energy level will be up, sustained and your voice clear. For healthy recipes, make sure to visit Progressive Nectar at progressivenectar.com, like us on facebook and share recipes socially. Be the change—inspire others to live for health.    

BIO:

 Devorah Ungerleider-Moore is Culinary Editorial Director and nutritional thought leader for special diet and gluten-free living at Progressive Nectar Publishing. With a previous background in health & fitness, she recovered from a spinal tumor through holistic nutrition has been helping others do the same ever since. To contact her directly email info@progressivenectar.com.

Singer's Wellness: Fluid Facts

Our bodies function best when they are well fed and well hydrated. We'll talk more about nutrition in coming posts, but let's address water here.

Our bodies are about 60% water.

photo by: José Manuel Suárez

Our vocal cords are covered with a layer of mucous that is water based.

This mucous does several things:
1. Helps with vocal cord flexibility (i.e. makes singing easier).
2. Protects them from friction while we talk and sing.

Without it our cords are stiffer, swell more easily when we sing and have a harder time recovering from a long singing session. When we are dehydrated the layer of mucous is either less or non-existent.

When you are mildly dehydrated you might notice:
1. Dry mouth
2. Headache
3. Dark colored urine
4. Dry lips
5. Low level fatigue

Hydration is systemic, meaning water has to get into your body before it can hydrate you - drinking water while singing or doing yoga will do a bit to help relieve a dry mouth and cool you off, but it won't really help your voice in that moment.

How do you know how much water you need to drink? The old way of looking at it was everyone needed 64 ounces of water a day. Turns out it is more individual. Our diets often consist of about 20% water - almost every substance we consume has water in it (especially if you are eating lots of fruits and vegetables).

The remaining, 80% water you take in comes in liquid form - and hopefully a lot of that liquid is water, though tea, coffee, soda, fruit juice all have water. One study showed that caffeinated beverages don't contribute significantly to dehydration in healthy adult males, but caffeine in high levels causes its own issues. Soda and fruit juice are also not 'real' foods, but food products, some laden with chemicals so I advise avoiding them in general. If you exercise and sweat heavily you will need more water to keep you hydrated. In the winter I also recommend sleeping with a humidifier to keep your airway moist (waking up with a sore throat in the morning because you are so dried out is one sign that you would benefit from a humidified *NB a morning sore throat can also be a sign of reflux).

In the singing world we say 'pee pale'. After your first morning void, aim to have light colored urine. (Totally clear urine can signify over hydration, something that isn't particularly healthy either).

The next time you find your energy flagging at 3pm, try drinking some water to give yourself a boost. Carrying a BPA free water bottle is also a great way to be sure you are drinking regularly and staying hydrated!