This past Spring, the pollen in Florida has been utterly impossible to bear. Our winter was short which is causing this gigantic bloom of all types of pollen to produce and spread over the Sunshine State. On top of that, every morning I seem to have a sneeze marathon that goes on forever. My eyes are itchy, too! I know the way I have been eating has not been helping either.
Then, I wondered what would happen if I got called to sing for something right now and I was having these allergy attacks? My voice is something I have always looked after, but lately I have relaxed a bit. I could take medication. However, antihistamines dry out my throat and they are like truth serum to me. Whatever I am thinking, nice or not so nice, comes flinging out of my mouth. This behavior is not me.
This is when I need to go back to the basics of singing and health. Singing itself is a healthy art form and it does the body good. However, just like every athlete needs to exercise and eat healthy for his or her sport, singing is no different. Not only do you need to keep your body in good shape to sing a sweet tune, you also need to eat the right foods.
With that I set out to conquer my seasonal allergies and prove that food does play a big part in my symptoms. The foods we eat can cause allergies to worsen or get better. Food is medicine or it can be poison. Aristotle said, “The difference between medicine and poison is dosage.” So what are the foods to avoid?
Any food that is a mucus builder such as dairy products (milk and cheese), processed foods, refined sugar, fried foods, red meat, and high-fat foods can contribute to increased inflammation and can worsen allergy symptoms.
On the other hand, foods that may help with allergies are fruits and vegetables (like citrus, berries, and leafy greens), foods with omega-3 fatty acids (fatty fish), ginger, and honey can have anti-inflammatory properties.
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