Expert: Cheri Purpur - 8/1/2004

Question
I'm 22...here's a more detailed question:
I've been having a problem for a while and I'm not sure what's going on. It seems that my voice is contingent on how much I eat, or whether I don't eat such as if I skip a meal once in a while, but eat at other times during the day. My voice contingent meaning that my voice gets very weak and hard to talk, it's like I don't have enough breath to talk normal. When my voice gets like that and I eat a lot of protein, sometimes my voice comes right back. I would say this has been going on for maybe 8 months. I did have a problem with my ability to digest fats and it was resolved last February. My diet is very limited in sugars. I have eaten grains in the past with no problems. I just recently stopped eating grains and restricted sugar even more for a diet to build healthy flora. I have just recently done a parasite cleanse. I have juiced organic vegetables in the past off and on, but haven't been totally regular with that. I also work as a cashier and do a lot of heavy lifting and am usually constantly busy during my shift. That might be a factor. I notice that when I haven't worked in a while and eat normal my voice is pretty regular, but when I work 2 days in a row I notice my voice getting weaker like the day after the 2nd day. Do you know what could be the cause? Thanks, Tim


Followup To
Question -
Hello, have you ever come across any situation where a person's voice is contingent on how much food they're getting; whether they skip a meal, but eat later in the day (such as skip breakfast, but eat lunch and dinner)  or how much they eat or how much nutrition they're getting.  Voice is contingent meaning you feel like you don't have enough breath to talk normal and your voice is very weak.  Thanks, Tim
Answer -
Hello Tim- I need to know how old you are before I can answer this question and do you have any signs of body hair. Cheri.

Answer
Hello Tim. Thanks for the extra info- it helps a lot. No, I am not aware of any connection between the strength of the voice and the foods eaten. Yours sounds mostly like a stress issue- it could be emotional stress or physical stress. It could also be an allergy issue. You need to start keeping a food/voice journal. Record EVERY bit of food you eat and the time of day along with ALL voice variations and when they occur. I suspect you will begin to see a pattern. Also keep track of hours worked, stress issues at work, stress issues at home and with family. It is amazing what is revealed to us when we take the time to record what is happening in our life. I hope that is of some help to you. If you decide to seek medical help, the journal will be invaluable to the dr or whatever practitioner you choose. I would suggest a consultation with a naturopath at some point when you have some data collected. All the best- Cheri.