Wake Up Your Voice With Protein

Do you get those 4 p.m. dips in energy?  It might happen just as you have to go into the booth to track a story or to do your voiceover recording.

If there’s an Easter basket around this week, do you reach for the chocolate egg or a hard boiled egg to boost your energy?  Stupid question, right??  But there’s lots to learn about which choice to make.

I have long touted the positive effects of protein in terms of its control of blood sugar.  If eaten with carbohydrates, it slows down the sugar rush of carbs alone.  That rush ups your energy but then it causes energy to plummet.  Now the scientists at the University of Cambridge have found that protein also gives us more energy by increasing our wakefulness.

This has to do with something called orexin cells that are responsible for wakefulness (read more about this in the study report).  Sugar actually limits the release of these cells, which is why we’re groggy and sleepy after a big meal of, say, pasta, and it may be responsible for that sugar crash after eating too many chocolate eggs.

The study used egg whites to test their effect on energy, so why not do the same and reach for a hard boiled egg next time you’re in slump.  That or any protein will do.  Try some of these:

Tuna or salmon fresh or canned (preferably in water)

Slice or piece of turkey or chicken

Beef in any form you like it

Sardines canned in water (preferably low salt )

Natural peanut butter (limit this to 2 tablespoons)

If the scientists are right, you’ll get the energy you need to use your voice well.

My e-book, BROADCASTER’S SURVIVAL GUIDE, is available for only $4.99.  You’ll get great information in this e-book on how to eat well and keep your body healthy so you can sound your best!  And don’t be fooled by “broadcaster’s” in the title.  It’s great for voiceover artists, too.  Ck it out on the “Stress Guide” tab above.