What should a singer eat?
Long ago, when I was singing my way around the world, I had a blog called the Globetrotting Soprano. My most popular post of all time was about nutrition: The Diva Diet. What should an opera singer eat? I took a poll of singers around me to see how they were eating.
Of course, a lot of singers want to lose weight. But… is thinness even a good goal for an opera singer? Many dramatic sopranos, like myself, are just as plump as I am! And why is that? Do we have slower metabolisms? Genetic differences? Do we just eat too much chocolate and cheese at the cast party?
For most opera stars, the goal of fitness is not to look sexy in a swimsuit. (I mean, how many water operas have you even seen? Although, I suppose it would be fun to sing Rusalka in a lake…). Casting directors have their own tastes, to be sure, but most of us just want to be healthy.
Fitness, however, is essential for a singer. Singing is a sport! That’s why my studio is called the Voice Gym, because we are singing athletes here. Singing a full-length opera requires us to be in peak cardio-vascular condition. And sometimes our directors require us to dance around raked stages or gyrate as we sing.
Here’s a post from 2010 when I was talking about Diva Fitness when you’re on the road. That summer, I needed to train for a triathlon in California, so I was literally jogging around castles in Spain.
Well, fast-forward sixteen years, and I am no longer circumnavigating the globe with my music. I get to stay home with my family most of the time. But even though I cook my own food and live close to my gym, it has become even harder to keep the weight off.
Let’s be real: it’s tough for women over 40. (Not that it was ever easy for me. I started my first diet at the age of 7.) I’m not the type to obsess about my body: I will never be skinny, and that’s ok. But seriously, I’m buying my evening gowns in bigger and bigger sizes, and that’s just not good!!
So for the new year, I’m rebooting my favorite eating plan from years past: the Daniel Plan Detox. Who’s with me? Say hello!
the Voice Gym 