Food Cures (18 page)
Authors: Carol Svec
Use a straw
. Sipping through a straw will keep the soda further in the back of the mouth, instead of hitting every tooth.
Choose root beer
. People tend to think that cola drinks are the worst for teeth. Not true. Non-cola sodas and canned ice tea contain tartaric acid, malic acid, and other additives that erode teeth. Of all the drinks out there, root beer has the fewest additives, and therefore harms teeth the least.
Drink with meals
. If you drink sodas between meals, that sugar and acid combination prolongs the amount of time your enamel can be demineralized.
SUPPLEMENTS
If you want to do everything possible to improve tooth health, you may want to consider these supplements
in addition to
the food fixes:
- Multivitamin.
Tooth health depends on the health of the body. To be assured that you get the vitamins and minerals you need to keep your beautiful smile, consider taking a multivitamin that contains 100% DV for vitamins C and D.- Calcium plus vitamin D
3
.
Most people don’t get enough calcium in their diets. Vitamin D can be scarce, too. If you’re not getting your daily dose through food (that’s at least 1,000 milligrams calcium and 400 IU vitamin D), I recommend that women take a supplement that contains 500 to 600 milligrams of calcium
with
100 to 400 IU of vitamin D
3
(cholecalciferol, the most potent form) twice a day. This should be taken in addition to a multivitamin (which already provides 100% DV for vitamin D—that’s 400 IU), if you choose to take one. Men should never take a calcium supplement without first checking with their physician.
Follow this program if you want to maintain a gorgeous smile.
STEP 1…
START WITH THE BASICS
These are the first things you should do to keep your teeth healthy:
- See your dentist. If you haven’t been in more than a year, see your dentist immediately for a checkup and cleaning, and to prevent gum disease. Some people with extensive disease can have no symptoms at all, so let a professional check out your mouth.
- If you smoke or use other tobacco products, quit.
- Chew sugarless gum if you can’t brush after meals.
- Limit the number of sugary foods and unnecessary, nutrient-less carbohydrates in your diet.
STEP 2…
YOUR ULTIMATE GROCERY LIST
This list contains food with high levels of nutrients that contribute to tooth health (specifically foods rich in calcium and vitamins D and C), plus some foods used as ingredients in the meal plans and recipes. Although fruit and whole grain products are incredibly healthy, they are also carbohydrates and can increase the level of acid in the mouth. Therefore, make sure to brush after eating or at least drink plenty of water and/or unsweetened green tea. Also, consider chewing sugarless gum following meals and snacks.
FRUIT
Berries (blackberries, strawberries, raspberries)
Cantaloupe
Clementines
Grapefruit (pink, red)
Guava
Juice, calcium-fortified
Kiwi
Lemons (and juice)
Lychees
Mangos
Oranges
Oranges, mandarin (canned in light syrup)
Papaya
Persimmons
Pineapple
Tangerines
Watermelon
VEGETABLES
Beans, kidney
Bok choy
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage (including Chinese, red)
Cauliflower
Kale
Kohlrabi
Mushrooms (especially shiitake)
Mustard greens
Okra
Onions
Peas, sugar snap
Peppers (hot;
yellow/red/green)
Potatoes, white
Rutabagas
Shallots
Snow peas
Soybeans (edamame)
Squash, summer (all varieties)
Tomatoes (including green tomatoes, cherry tomatoes)
Turnip greens
SEAFOOD
Herring
Mackerel (not king)
Salmon (wild with bones)
Sardines (canned with bones)
LEAN MEATS/EGGS/SOY FOODS
Eggs
Tofu with calcium
NUTS AND SEEDS (PREFERABLY UNSALTED)
Almonds
WHOLE GRAINS
Cereal, fortified whole grain
English muffins, whole grain
Pita bread, whole grain
Pizza crust, whole grain
Waffles, calcium-fortified whole grain
DAIRY
Cheese (fat-free, reduced-fat)
Cheese (for meal plan): fat-free or reduced-fat Mozzarella, Parmesan, ricotta, Swiss
Ice cream (low-fat)
Margarine spread, vitamin D-fortified, soft tub, trans fat-free
Milk, fortified (fat-free, 1% reduced-fat)
Soy milk, enriched/fortified
Yogurt (fat-free, low-fat)
Yogurt, frozen (fat-free, low-fat)
MISCELLANEOUS
Flour
Ginger, fresh
Hot cocoa, diet (100 calories or less)
Maple syrup, reduced-calorie
Marinara sauce
Mayonnaise, reduced-fat
Mint, fresh
Mustard, Dijon
Nonstick cooking spray
Nutmeg
Oil, sesame
Paprika
Pepper, black
Salad dressing, reduced calorie
Salt
Sugar, granulated, or sugar substitute
Sugarless gum
Tea (green, black)
STEP 3…
GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND
If you want to do everything you can for tooth health, here are some additional things you might try:
- Consider taking a multivitamin for general nutrition, and women should consider taking a supplement of calcium plus vitamin D
3
for strong bones and teeth. Men should consider taking a vitamin D
3
supplement.- If you have heartburn from reflux disease, or if you’re bulimic (and self-induce vomiting), see your primary care physician to get treatment.
- Add crunchy fruits and vegetables into your daily diet.
HALITOSIS HELP
Worried about bad breath? Your first step should be to visit your dentist to make sure you don’t have gum disease. If your mouth is healthy, you might need to alter your diet. Nearly everyone knows that garlic can cause odor problems—it’s not called the “stinking rose” for nothing. But other common foods can also foul your breath. The worst offenders are coffee, cheese, and onions. If you brush your teeth or chew some sugarless gum, you’ll take care of most of the problem. But keep in mind that onions and garlic contain smelly compounds that are absorbed into the bloodstream and exhaled from your lungs for hours after you eat them. And note that extremely low-carb diets can cause “ketone breath” from the metabolism of large quantities of fat. I consider this another good reason to add some healthy high-quality carbs to your diet, so feel free to enjoy your share of vegetables, fresh fruit, and whole grains.
STEP 4…
MEAL PLANS
These sample menus include foods that have been shown to contribute to good tooth health.
Every day, choose
one
option for each of the three meals—breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Then, one or two times per day, choose from a variety of my suggested snacks. Approximate calories have been provided to help adjust for your personal weight management goals. If you find yourself hungry (and if weight is not an issue), feel free to increase the portion sizes for meals and snacks. Beverage calories are
not
included.
BREAKFAST OPTIONS
(Approximately 300 to 400 calories)
Broccoli-Cheese Soufflé
1 serving Broccoli-Cheese Soufflé.
Strawberry-Kiwi Smoothie with Cottage Cheese
1 serving (2 cups) Strawberry-Kiwi Smoothie with 1 cup fat-free or 1% reduced-fat cottage cheese.
Waffles with Maple Yogurt and Fresh Fruit
2 calcium-fortified, whole grain frozen waffles, toasted and topped with maple yogurt (2 tablespoons reduced-calorie maple syrup mixed with ½ cup plain, fat-free or low-fat yogurt). Enjoy with 1 orange or ½ grapefruit.
English Muffin with Eggs, Tomato, and Cheese
Toasted whole grain English muffin, each half topped with 1 thin slice tomato, 1 egg (scrambled or sunny side up), and 1 (¾-ounce) slice fat-free cheese.
Hard Boiled Egg with Cereal, Milk, and Berries
¾ to 1 cup fortified, whole grain cereal (120 calories or less) mixed with 1 cup fat-free milk and topped with ½ cup sliced strawberries (or raspberries or blackberries). Enjoy with one hard-boiled egg.
LUNCH OPTIONS
(Approximately 400 to 500 calories)
Edamame with Wild Salmon Dijonnaise
1 cup boiled edamame (soybeans in the pod), lightly salted. Enjoy with 5 ounces canned wild salmon with bones, drained, mashed, and mixed with 1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayonnaise, 1 to 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, minced onion, and black pepper. Serve the salmon on a large bed of lettuce drizzled with lemon juice and your choice of seasonings (or 1 to 2 tablespoons reduced-calorie dressing).
Broccoli-Cheese Soufflé with Cottage Cheese and Almonds
1 serving Broccoli-Cheese Soufflé. Serve with ½ cup fat-free or 1% reduced-fat cottage cheese topped with 1 tablespoon slivered almonds.
Tomato-Cheese Omelet with Tropical Mango-Citrus Smoothie
Beat 1 whole egg with 2 to 3 egg whites. Cook in small skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray. When bottom is cooked, gently flip and add 3 tablespoons chopped tomato and 1 ounce reduced-fat or fat-free cheese. Fold omelet in half and continue cooking until egg mixture firms and cheese melts. Enjoy with 1 serving (2 cups) Tropical Mango-Citrus Smoothie.
Mixed Vegetable Salad with Sardines
4 ounces (about 8) sardines with bones (canned in oil or tomato sauce) tossed with unlimited leafy greens, chopped tomatoes, carrots, sweet pepper, onion, and ½ cup white or navy beans. Drizzle with 2 to 4 tablespoons reduced-calorie salad dressing (or 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 to 2 tablespoons vinegar or fresh lemon juice). Season with a pinch of optional salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Tofu Salad with Snow Peas, Almonds, and Mandarin Oranges
4 ounces extra-firm tofu, cubed and chilled, tossed with 2 cups leafy greens or lettuce, 1 cup steamed and chilled snow peas, ½ chopped tomato, and ½ cup mandarin oranges (canned in light syrup). Drizzle with 1 to 2 teaspoons sesame oil and 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce and top with 1 to 2 tablespoon slivered almonds.