Do Your Teeth Care What You Eat?

As with most other lifestyle decisions, what you habitually put in your mouth adds up. And the resulting impact on your well-being is either positive or negative. How so? Good nutrition contributes greatly to healthy teeth, gums, nervous system, and bones. By contrast, poor nutrition leads to poor dental health, lack of energy, poor self-esteem, and that relationship killer, bad breath.

First, face the sad facts. Snack-happy Americans are notorious for eating all the wrong things at the wrong times, loading the mouth with a constant supply of sugars and starches. This stimulates production of sticky tooth-attacking bacterial plaque for up to 20 minutes even after the food is gone. Such foods not only contribute to dental damage, but they erode your nutritional status as well. And what about soft drinks? Enemies of good health, soft drinks have replaced good nutrition for many. They're loaded with as much as 11 teaspoons of sugar per serving, enamel-eroding acids, and calcium-leeching caffeine; thus sabotaging your oral health and stealing the raw materials needed for healthy teeth, jawbone, and other body structures as well.

So what's the antidote? Go against the flow. Eat nutritious foods, and eat mostly at mealtimes, brushing immediately afterwards. If you must snack, choose raw, low-sugar fruits, raw veggies, nuts, cheese, plain yogurts, boiled eggs, herbal teas and flavored waters. Drink up to 10 glasses of clean water per day. With consistency, evidence shows that you'll not only please your teeth, but you'll revitalize your entire metabolism, improving body weight, physical endurance, mental alertness, and well-being.

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