Originally posted on TuneCore, an online music distribution service and the world's largest platform for artists to sell their music.
Our body is our temple. And for singers and performers, this is of the utmost importance; your bodies are quite literally your instruments. A life of performing and touring tests both physical and emotional limits – intense days require peak energy and form, while endless travel doesn't allow for proper rest and recuperation. So wellness is paramount! These ten top actions and eco friendly tools will help you to be proactive and achieve optimal health on-the-go.
And it is possible! I worked with über talented up-and-coming singer-songwriter, Rozzi Crane (pictured here with her band), to green her recent tour, where she opened for Maroon 5 and Kelly Clarkson... and another with Gavin DeGraw!
1. Hydrate
Grab a snazzy insulated canteen to keep your hot drinks toasty warm and the cold ones perfectly chilled, both on and offstage. With a quality reusable water bottle, you can say buh-bye to wasteful single use water bottles and styrofoam cups all together! This uber simple swap is good for you and the planet – and makes for a fun accessory that you can decorate to express yo'self!
Guru Pick: Klean Kanteen Insulated
2. Sanitize Close quarters, depleted immune systems, foreign places, local watering holes, and roadside motels… germs abound while on tour. A hand sanitizer can help you stay healthy, but most are loaded with toxins that do more harm than good. Go for a pure formulation with an organic alcohol base. Bonus? It smells like lemon (or lavender), rather than that noxious chemical odor.
Guru Pick: EO Products Hand Sanitizer
3. Steep Tea, tea, tea and more tea. Performing live is demanding, especially on vocal chords. So I say: drink as much tea as you want as often as you can between shows. Warming and delicious, herbal teasans also have ample health benefits and come in a plethora of exotic flavors.
Guru Pick: Numi Tea Herbal Teasan
4. Coat your throat Tingly, hoarse, swollen or soar throats are a nightmare for anyone, let alone a singer or performer. But what's a person to do when they feel it coming on? Spritz a fast-acting homeopathic elixir four (or more!) times. The fancy wand ensures the potent formula reaches the target area at the back of your throat with maximum efficacy. Bottom line: it works.
Guru pick: Gaia Herbs Throat Spray
5. Wear organic
Would you put pesticides all over your body? Probably not. Yet, conventional cotton is ubiquitous – especially for merch. Why sell shirts made from the second-most pesticide-ridden crop in the world? Why contribute to the contamination of land, air, and water, not to mention your own wardrobe? Get behind organic cotton apparel. Please.
Guru Pick: Livity Style Tee
6. BYO… cutlery
Eating well on the road can be a challenge, but sitting down for real food with a fork and knife must be a priority, even if that happens in the van. Your body and mind will thank you for taking that time to nourish, digest, refuel, and get the energy you need for a great show. Having your own reusable bamboo cutlery simplifies the whole process, while keeping plastic waste out of your hands, food, and landfill. Win-win!
Guru Pick: To-Go Ware Bamboo Utensils
7. Practice "Me" time can be a mighty good thing. Stopping to breathe, clear your mind, focus on something beyond the stresses of touring life is among the healthiest things you can do. It requires a dedication of time (even twenty minutes can do the trick!) and space. Toss a travel yoga mat in with your equipment – and unroll to create a personal sanctuary, a conscious respite, a small place of sanity.
Guru Pick: Prana Nomad Travel Yoga Mat
8. Pack in protein There's a new snack in town: hemp hearts. Bonus: it won’t take up any room in the van! Rich in protein and healthy fats that our bodies crave, the raw seeds aren't processed, preservative-ridden or loaded with fillers. Delicious packets are great on-the-go to sprinkle on a salad, toss into a smoothie, mix with cereal, or enjoy plain.
Guru Pick: Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts
9. Clean green Touring means spending a lot of time in your van. Wash your floor, wash your clothes, wash your face, wash your windows. That is indeed possible with just one product: magic castile soap! Free of toxic chemicals or harsh agents, the infinite uses of this age-old soapy goodness make it ideal for life on-the-go with limited space. Clean spaces, clean things, clean you, clean planet.
Guru Pick: Dr. Bronner's Castille Soap
TIP You can dilute this soap up to twenty times (just keep topping the bottle up with water), so it lasts throughout your entire tour!
10. Energize Life on the road is exhausting. Even with proper sleep (which has no substitute!), our bodies get tired. We need extra energy to get through the day, the performance, the rehearsal, the interview, the journey – but pumping yourself full of caffeine and sugar is definitely not the answer. Yerba maté packs a punch without the jitters or crash.
Guru Pick: Guayaki Yerba Mate Cans
TIP Need even more energy? Yerba maté organic energy shots are super potent. Try, if you so dare!
More questions? Ideas? Tips? Ask me on Twitter at @ErinSchrode.