Cures for hiccups:

by Judy's blog readers

Think of a purple cow with pink polkadots.
- Memphis Cole

Think about when you will hiccup next and tell someone. Tell yourself if no-one is around. The hiccup won't happen.
- Carolyn Bikel

Eat a big spoonful of sugar...not the powdered kind...the granular kind.
- Rachael Robbins

Take a cup of water a drink it upside down and backward.
- Jordyn Mallory

 

Amazingly, proper nutrition is often overlooked by performers. The problem with this is that, for a singer, the instrument IS the physical body.

Here are some ways the voice is affected by nutrition levels:

Health

As I said, your vocal apparatus is physical. The vocal cords themselves, the larynx, pharynx, sinuses, and diaphragm, not to mention all the rest of the muscles groups involved with singing- these tissues require nutrition for movement, for recovery and repair, for their very cellular life!

Stamina

Proper use of the voice is always an athletic event. Truly great singing is like an Olympic athletic event! Only when the body is properly nourished and hydrated can you sing (or even talk) without experiencing vocal fatigue, possibly leading to vocal damage.

Co-ordination

Power, Path & Performance teaches you to send supported and controlled breath through an open, unstrained throat. There is a co-ordination of effort involved. Large muscle groups in the lower trunk and legs must be used for power. Without proper nutrition, these large muscles tire quickly, leaving the chore of support to the smaller muscles in the neck. The body assumes classic “tired” posture- slumping the shoulders and collapsing the ribcage. This causes the breath to be short, the vocal apparatus to be stretched incorrectly, and co-ordination of the whole instrument to go wrong. You sound thinner, more strained, more pitchy and limited. These harmful vocal habits can become chronic. Nutrition, combined with corrective vocal training, can reverse this process, but the sooner the better for the voice.

Spirit

When you feel better, you sing better! You learn in Power, Path & Performance^TM that without completing the final leg of the voice path, which is directed TO someone, the voice falls short. When you’re sick or tired, you don’t communicate very confidently. You need fuel to have the sharp mental focus necessary to deliver the message (and again, this is true whether speaking or singing). And ... of course, the brain requires nutrition to think straight and to control performance anxiety and nervousness!

For your best voice, there is no substitute for healthy food, pure water, a little outdoor sun and air, sleep and exercise. But it’s hard to get all the nutrition your body, mind and voice need no matter how much good food you eat. Here are some of the reasons I suggest taking nutritional supplements:

• Lack of time to prepare healthy meals
• Inadequate soil fertility where the food is grown
• Stress: including emotional issues, sleeplessness, overwork, worry
• Inability to fully digest the food eaten
• Toxins in the environment
• Low physical reserves sapped by chronic or frequent illnesses

It's of course important to have a personal doctor who is familiar with you and has your medical records. I also find it very helpful to also incorporate alternative medical practitioners in your team. If you are in the Nashville area, I recommend the following practitioners:

Lynne Lavers B. S. LMT CST (for highly specific health assessment and food/suppliment recommendations for your personal situation)

Dr. Dwaine Allison, chiropractor (who also has a great new treatment program for allergies)

Dr. Steve Roehm, MHt, hypnotherapist (successfully treats all kinds of issues including stop smoking, eating issues, stage fright, writer's block and ... golf!)

For general health, the following suppliment is something I take which is a very high quality product: