Consuming too much sugar can damage your teeth, is generally not a healthy choice which then will cause halitosis and a whole lot of other mouth issues. Below we give a few tips on how to cut back on sugar without having to take drastic measures.
The enzymes in your mouth reduce sugar to an acid which starts to dissolve the enamel on your teeth. To put it in perspective, enamel is the hardest substance in your body, do you really want to be creating an acid strong enough to dissolve tooth enamel?
Inspect food labels
The saying goes “knowledge is Power” that same principle applies here. You have to read the food labels before you purchase something. There could be some added sugars hiding in the food and the label does not identify it as sugars. One example of this is salad dressings and condiments. You should be on the lookout for names such as high in fructose corn syrup and molasses.
Include more healthy fats and lean protein in your diet
Too many people eat sugary foods when hungry. The minute you feel those hunger pangs you reach for the quickest food to satisfy that hunger. Most of the time it is foods that contain high contents of sugar, which is not good at all for your teeth and gums. The worst thing here, is the fact that sugar does not make you full and very soon after you will start to feel hungry again.
To break this cycle, try eating foods high in protein like a turkey breast, and an avo, which is high in healthy fats. These kinds of foods will keep you fuller for longer, and will ultimately keep those hunger pangs at bay and sugary foods away from your mouth. If you really need to snack, try snacking on almonds.
Don’t rush things
Even though eating foods like turkey is very good for you and a great source of protein, it is never a good idea to just stop sugar intake. You need to ease into this way of eating and ease out of the sugar intake. For example if you are used to eating a whole donut try cutting it in half and eat half one day and the other half the next day. By doing it this way your body will adapt to eating less sugar, and then you can dial it back further.
H2o
The easiest way to consume sugars is by drinking sugary drinks. A 500ml coke contains 65grams of sugar. This is way over the daily recommended allowance. If this is a habit that you have become accustomed to, try to cut down as much as you can. Sugars have a strong negative affect on your oral health.
Try to replace the sugary drinks with water instead. Start carrying a water bottle with you wherever you go and keep it filled to squash those dehydration-induced cravings. Another good tip would be to cut out the sugary drinks when you are eating a meal, automatically, your sugar intake will be reduced by 3 glasses.