Playing musical instruments is an athletic activity. You coordinate your brain and muscle to move together in rhythm as you aim to produce a beautiful harmony. The coordination work is quite intense and exhausting, hence eating before playing music is super important! Some musicians avoid eating before performing; however, it is imperative to consume nutritious food, get energized, and be the best on stage. We indeed have to be at the peak of our mental health before performing publicly, yet, being at the top of our musical game has to be accommodated - or stopped, by our physical health.
Optimizing your diet impacts your performance in a group, such as choirs, bands, or orchestras. When you are hungry, you will not be able to concentrate completely, and sometimes, that can hinder your energy level as a musical performer. However, this does not mean that you can eat all the high-carbs, refined sugar, and fried food you can find because those will push you into an uneasy, cranky, and sluggish state. It would be best if you had sustenance that contains lean protein, vitamin-packed, and high-fiber foods, and remember, enough water to wash it down and keep you hydrated.
So, what are the recommended foods before your music lessons? Let’s check it out, Ensiklomusika Music School’s future musicians!
The ocean goodness from all the fish and seafood
As one of the most neutral protein sources, fish and seafood are significantly better lean protein sources than other animal-based ones. It can straight away energize you without feeling too sluggish. It is even better when they are nitrate-free and organic! If you prefer meat, lean chicken and beef can energize you as well as fish does, but they do fill you up faster as well. Remember not to get too full, though!
I suggest avoiding fried food because they are heavy in saturated fat. Fried foods are also hard to digest, and they can cause unpleasant side effects, for instance, sluggishness and heartburn, which you want to avoid on stage. I highly suggest vocalists take fried food out of their diet before singing because, other than it is unhealthy, fried food can damage your throat and vocal cord.
Only the freshest fruits from the garden
Before going into the juicers, try going right to biting into the fruits. You need to bite and chew on your fruits, as your body will process the fibers, vitamins, and all the other goodness slower, and the process will be more natural than juices. Meanwhile, fruit juices’ goodness will send sugar and energy right into the bloodstream and wear you out quicker.
Additionally, whole fruits fill you up compared to fruit juices, which means first, you will not feel excessively full-on stage, and second, the ever-favorite weight control!
Go nuts for nuts!
Nuts are the ideal go-to snacks for musicians. When consumed in moderation, nuts fill you up just sufficiently and energize you because of their nutrition content. Nuts are packed with fiber, protein, healthy lipids, and various vitamins and minerals - great stuff to prepare you for an excellent result!
Remember to opt for the unsalted or lightly salted ones because the heavily salted ones will dry your throat out.
Do you know? Nuts are slowly moving to get the title of Superfood, as their nutrient content reduces metabolic syndrome in people. Metabolic syndrome covers health conditions, which enhance the risk of cardiovascular diseases, for instance, type 2 diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, obesity, and other illnesses related to fatty buildups on your artery walls.
Yay for nuts!
Last but not least, water!
You don’t have to be a musician to drink water and know its utmost importance in our diet! No functional human body can operate well without water, and as a musician, the priority is even more heightened.
It is important to remember that every musician should consume mainly room temperature water instead of cold ones. I also suggest vocalists drink lemon water before playing music to lubricate and calm your larynx down. Iced or hot water can harm your vocal cord; it leads to unnecessary stress on the muscles and loss of flexibility.
What to avoid?
I can easily list them down here:
Caffeine
Spicy food
Alcohol
Fried food
Soda
Too many carbs
Nothing at all!
They can make you feel sluggish, and unnecessarily stress your larynx or other muscles needed to play music. Maybe after your music class, performance, or playing music, those above can be lovely treats for you. Remember not to over consume though, because they still are not too healthy for you!
So, what’s your favorite food to eat before playing music? Let us know in the comment section below!
Any questions? We don’t bite, talk to me!