Use Food to Improve Concentration and Reduce Anxiety during Public Speaking 

Did you know the foods you eat can contribute to your success, or failure, when speaking in public?

Public speaking is a necessary requirement for most professions. Therefore, knowing how to effectively communicate in public has become a basic requirement for those seeking promotions, new jobs, excellence in sales, or even to maintain their current employment. Delivering an effective presentation is a technique that can be taught, but even then, many professionals panic just thinking about speaking before an audience — causing butterflies in the stomach, shaking, a trembling voice, and excess sweat. The solution is preparation. You should not only prepare your words, gestures, posture, and materials, but also your diet!

Eating the right foods before a speech can make a noticeable difference in the overall quality of a presentation. Pronunciation, energy level, concentration, and mental clarity should all be considered! This article will give you a little direction in this decision-making process so that you might have yet another tool to make your public presentation the best it can be.

How to boost your mood and concentration, and reduce speech anxiety with food

First, get some good rest the night before your presentation. If you have trouble falling asleep, eat a banana, drink some warm milk, eat something with whole grains or drink a cup of chamomile tea to help you relax

The day of your speech may bring anxiety, which can partially shut down your digestive system. However, if you don’t eat anything before giving a speech, you may become lightheaded and forgetful. Some changes in your diet can keep you focused and improve your memory.

Avoid foods containing stimulants that can negatively affect your concentration, such as:

• • Alcohol
  • Coffee – Drink less coffee than usual a few hours before your presentation and no coffee at all right before your speech.
  • Sugary Foods & Beverages (like Sodas) –  your body increases insulin production to help remove all the sugar from your blood, causing a sharp drop in the amount of sugar in the blood that we need for energy, which results in fatigue.

What should you eat to improve your mood, concentration, and reduce anxiety?

• • Whole Grains, complex carbohydrates, break down slowly due to high fiber content, and help increase sensations of calm, provide energy, and contain complex B vitamins, essential for brain function.
  • Fish, foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and tuna, sharpen memory, encourage a stable mood, and improve coordination and concentration.
  • Eggs are a good source of choline, which produces acetylcholine, a key neurotransmitter for memory and learning.
  • Berries exert beneficial effects on learning and memory. This is due to their ability to protect neurons and reverse memory deficits.
  • Cacao contains several natural stimulants that help increase concentration and stimulate the production of endorphins, promoting a good mood.
  • Beans like chickpeas, contain magnesium and potassium, which accelerates the transmission of messages between brain cells and relaxes your mind. It helps increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain. Spinach is also rich in potassium.
  • Pumpkin seeds, a good source for zinc, which helps to increase concentration.
  • Tomatoes, foods high in antioxidants have lycopene which prevents free radicals from damaging brain cells.
  • Herbs, such as sage or turmeric, increases the power of concentration within three hours!
  • Beets, Cabbage, & Spinach are high in nitrates and increase the irrigation of blood in the brain.
  • Herbal Teas, such as peppermint, ginger, and chamomile all have a non-drowsy calming effect.

Most importantly, eat lightly, or not at all, one hour before speaking. A full stomach can lower your energy level because your blood flow is focused on digesting food, so your brain may not function as well.

How to Avoid Intestinal Discomfort

Butterflies and knots in the stomach are a common symptom before a big presentation, even causing hiccups and “the hunger noise” from your belly.

What can you do to avoid intestinal discomfort?

• • Limit your caffeine intake and no carbonated beverages.
  • Avoid beans the day before and the day of your presentation.
  • Don’t experiment with hot spices or new cuisines just before your speech.
  • Eat slowly. Rushing through a meal can cause you to swallow air, increasing the potential for hiccups. Gulping beverages or drinking through a straw can have a similar effect.

What should you eat to aid in intestinal comfort?

• • Herbal teas, such as peppermint, ginger, and chamomile aid digestion.
  • Eat light before a speech.
  • Drink a lot of water during the day to stay hydrated.

How to Eat the Right Foods for a Better Voice

Besides mood, concentration, anxiety, and intestinal discomfort, you also have to make sure your voice is sharp, your mouth is hydrated, and your throat is clear. A thirsty mouth can cause you to repeatedly clear your throat, which can be distracting to both you and your audience, and negatively affect your speech and pronunciation.

Avoid these foods up to 3 hours before your speech:

• • Dairy
  • Caffeine
  • Hot Spices
  • Soft Drinks
  • Refined Sugars
  • Chocolate
  • Iced Drinks
  • Alcohol

Choose these foods for a better voice:

• • Apples help promote a clear voice. It has an astringent substance called pectin for our throat and it helps promote fluidity in our saliva, improving our diction. Apples are also a major source of fisetin, a compound that promotes the maturation of nerve cells and stimulates the brain mechanisms.
  • Water – Hydrate! Drink plenty of water the day before and the day of your presentation.  It helps to keep a bottle of water close by while you speak, so you can sip as needed.
  • Vegetables like carrots and celery sticks are small and easy to eat even when you have a dry mouth and knots in your stomach. Juicy vegetables such as bell peppers and cherry tomatoes provide hydrating water to help you function at your sharpest.

Balance is a key factor in choosing what to consume before public speaking. Large, heavy, unhealthy meals that cause bloating, drowsiness, and stomach discomfort do nothing for one’s confidence and focus, neither does an empty stomach. A balanced, freshly prepared meal rich in nutrients is the optimal choice before public speaking.