You know that to keep your body healthy, you have to eat healthy food and work out. But what about your voice?

To keep your voice in tip top shape, you should treat it the same way you treat your body. And no that doesn’t mean you should start lifting weights with your vocal cords.

There are certain foods you want to avoid eating prior to a session:

• Milk, yogurt, cheese, and other dairy.  
• Processed sugar.
• Caffeine. … 
• Chocolate. … 
• Fried foods.
• Butter.  
• Ice water.
• Soda.

Aside from the ice water and caffeine, do you see a theme with a regular “diet”? The same foods that aren’t that great for your body aren’t good for your voice either!

Keep your neck warm.

You’re going to want to avoid having your neck uncovered if it’s cold. I know, that’s just common sense. But your vocal cords are very sensitive and wonderful little machines and they need to be kept warm!

Take “vocal naps” every day. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? “Honey, can you call my mom please?” You can have a sign saying ” Sorry, taking a vocal nap.” Win win.

Humidify your home and work areas. Remember, moist is good for the voice. Dry: Bad. Moist: good.

Sing a song you love. Now let’s be clear: No Chester Bennington songs here. You don’t want to sing too loud or you’ll overwork your voice.

Warm up in the shower. The steam will lubricate your vocal cords. And who doesn’t love to sing in the shower? (Your neighbors, maybe. But that’s the price of living next to a voice actor!)

Go for a run/ brisk walk in the morning. It will warm up your entire body, including your vocal cords!

SLEEP. You’re probably going to want to avoid pulling an all-nighter the night before a recording session.

Extra Helpful tips:

To avoid mouth noises, drink apple juice or bite an apple right before you record.

Why apples, you may ask?

An apple’s acidity makes you salivate, which improves vocal performance. Dry vocal folds stick together, which can cause cell damage, and won’t vibrate as well for speaking.

Another way to avoid mouth noises is brushing your teeth right before recording. Plus, everyone loves having a fresh breath!

What are your tips and tricks? Let us know in the comments!

Have a great recording session!