Disturbed’s David Draiman Reveals Acid Reflux + Road Food Habits

Disturbed frontman David Draiman looks like a man who is meticulous about his body and as it turns out, he is incredibly careful about what he puts into it.

The self-professed "carnivore," who enjoys consuming things such as sweet breads, which are calf organs like the pancreas, spoke to the Heavy Metal Food blog this summer at the Heavy MTL festival, which took place in Montreal, Quebec in Canada. The interview is finally making the rounds and Draiman shared his secrets to staying healthy, ensuring that he looks good on the outside and feels good on the inside. It's not as easy as he makes it look, either.

"I have a strict diet to begin with since I have severe acid reflux," Draiman revealed. He's not kidding about strict. The singer carefully schedules what he eats and when. He admitted, "I don't drink anything on the road. I don't smoke anything on the road. I have to make sure I don't eat four hours prior to the set. I don't eat two hours prior to going to bed so there isn't food in the stomach. From a caloric standpoint, it's not good to have food sitting in your stomach overnight since it doesn't get burnt. I stay away from fatty stuff, fried foods. I try to stay away from things that are too oily, that aggravate the acid reflux or put the pounds on." So much for sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, huh?

In addition to careful consumption, Draiman revealed that he and his bandmates hit the local gyms while on tour, for at least two hours. That, combined with the rigorous workout that is performing hard rock music on stage later that night, ensures that the band members stay lean.

Draiman said that drummer Mike Wengren once wore a heart monitor while on stage just to keep track of how many calories he blows through in a single performance. The tally? 1000 calories. Sometimes he burns through more. "He is an animal," Draiman said succinctly.

Some other Draiman food tips? He prefers sweet potatoes to regular ones and avoids processed carbs. He also always gravitates towards French or Japanese cuisine.

Sounds like a man with a discerning palette!

Watch David Draiman Interviewed by Heavy Metal Food Blog