Diet Quotes

Use xylitol gum or mints after every meal, snack, and drink to alkalize your mouth and support the development of healthy biofilm. If your gums bleed as you brush them, this is a signal to brush the area more thoroughly, not less, since the improved circulation you will create by brushing will help the swelling go away before any permanent damage happens to your gums. If you have previously noticed bleeding gums but they stopped bleeding, this may not be a good sign. This could signal that gingivitis progressed and became the next stage, which is a painless, nonbleeding, more serious gum problem called periodontal disease. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

Xylitol stabilizes blood glucose levels, is helpful to diabetics, provides fiber and butyrate for digestive health, and can also positively influence nasal, sinus, pharyngeal, and potentially bone health. You can eat it as candy, chew it as gum, or use it as a breath mint or spray. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

I reintroduce small amounts of high-grade butter (for example, melted with cooked vegetables), even for people who believe they need to eliminate dairy. Once we have introduced butter successfully, we then try 2- to 3-ounce portions of organic, unsweetened yogurt, mixed and sweetened with a teaspoon of maple syrup or xylitol or 1 ounce of fresh pineapple or papaya to aid digestion and counter acid reflux problems. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

Lemon juice and apple cider vinegar can cause dramatic problems for your teeth, yet they can be great for health and boosting your immune system. So, the dilemma is how to benefit from these things while avoiding any damage in your mouth. The ideal solution is to consume foods and drinks as components of mealtimes and to not worry about their pH or acidity, providing the final food in your mouth is something that is alkaline, such as a piece of cheese, celery, or xylitol. This pattern of eating allows you freedom to eat any food safely, but you always end the meal with a tooth-protective food. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

FOOD PAIRING: By adding eggs to salad, we can increase our absorption of nutrients from the egg and the salad greens, compared with eating these foods individually. When bananas are eaten alongside whole milk, custard, or yogurt, this combination increases the body’s uptake of calcium from the dairy. Steaming can reduce the oxalates in spinach and preserve the water-soluble minerals that would be lost in boiling water. To increase the absorption of fat-soluble minerals from spinach or other green vegetables, consider adding a small serving of butter to these foods. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

Protective foods can be eaten alongside damaging acidic drinks or sugary snacks to help protect your teeth. For example, nibbling cheese will alkalize your mouth and help mineralize teeth between sips of acidic wine. After drinking acidic or sugary juices or snacks, consider having some xylitol in the form of a mint or piece of gum, some cheese or a drink of whole milk or alkaline water. The best endings for meals are tooth-protective foods, including salty nuts, cheese, yogurt, alkaline vegetables like celery, avocado, nut butters, and protein foods, like chicken or turkey and, of course, one of the most convenient, xylitol. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

Cranberries are a food that can damage teeth, and their juice has been studied and shown to reduce plaque. Cranberry juice is extremely acidic, and it is often mixed with other fruit juices as a cocktail. If you were to swish cranberry cocktail or even plain cranberry juice, it could easily ruin your teeth by eroding enamel and causing demineralization. It’s possible you have heard similar studies about grape seed extract, green tea, cider vinegar, and other foods that can reduce dental plaque, but I suggest these are completely inappropriate products for oral care. In the same way, sugary candies and mints, vitamin C lozenges, and cough syrup can be dental hazards. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

Apples are widely believed to be food for oral health, and they do contain an antioxidant called quercetin, which has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. Apples also contain polyphenols, which offer specific protection against gum damage by periodontal bacteria. Eating apples can benefit teeth, but always remember that apple juice is damaging. The difference is that juice loses its fiber component, and it is the fiber that protects teeth from the malic acid that apples contain. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

My recommendation is not to run for a toothbrush after eating but to dilute and balance mouth acidity as soon as possible, using xylitol or another cariostatic product that can help neutralize acidity and stimulate a flow of saliva to remineralize your teeth (dark chocolate, whole milk, or whole-milk cheese). Here’s an added tip: If your tooth is knocked out in an accident, and you are unable to take it to a dentist for implantation, carry it in a container of saliva, saline solution, cream, or milk to keep it viable for implantation. The quicker this is done, the better! [2018] - Ellie Phillips

Fermented foods can be a fabulous addition to your diet if you are looking for improved digestive health. I encourage you to take steps and expand your horizons with fermented foods as you incorporate small amounts of the ones you like into your menu regularly. Here is a list of frequently used fermented foods in the United States: brine pickles (kosher dill), kimchi, sauerkraut, miso/tempeh/natto, yogurt/kefir/ryazhenka, raw-milk cheese, salami (and other fermented, dry charcuterie), kvass and kombucha. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

I recommend oral probiotics only as a last resort for someone who is unable to maintain mouth care or target his or her underlying problems. Look for oral probiotics sweetened with xylitol—included because xylitol feeds healthy, probiotic mouth bacteria. Oral probiotics may offer some help in dire circumstances or if you have an unstable mouth ecosystem because all the grooves in your teeth have been obliterated by dental crowns, fillings, or sealants. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

A good diet may simply be to eat real food in moderation with a goal of at least 80 percent of your food plate being a variety of plant foods and vegetables. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

The journey to oral health begins by consuming a tiny amount of xylitol (a one gram piece of gum or a couple of pure xylitol mints) after every meal, snack, or drink. Xylitol works in a number of ways to improve oral health as it can help control mouth acidity, but it also provides fiber to support healthy digestive bacteria, and it breaks down to form butyrate in the colon, which can improve the health of this part of the digestive tract. Xylitol is hygroscopic, which means that it pulls liquids to itself. This means that when you eat a xylitol mint or piece of pure xylitol gum it will stimulate a flow of natural saliva into your mouth.  [2018] - Ellie Phillips

The secret for protecting teeth from excessive demineralization is to control snacking and sipping, especially in the afternoon hours when saliva is most healing, and use food pairing to minimize demineralization when you choose to sip or nibble. Pure xylitol gum or mints can also help us limit demineralization damage when they are used at the end of every meal, snack, or drink. The flow of alkaline saliva stimulated by eating xylitol will help wash away acids and provide minerals to help heal demineralized enamel. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

Xylitol does not dissolve in cold water, but it dissolves easily at room temperature, and once dissolved, it will stay dissolved, even when chilled. Adding xylitol to water may be helpful when higher doses of xylitol are used, as they are in Europe for women with osteoporosis. Doctors who believe in xylitol for bone benefits often suggest an amount of up to 20 grams of xylitol daily. Teeth benefit most from tiny, multiple exposures to xylitol each day—ideally 1–2 grams at each exposure to total between 6.5 and 10 total grams per day. I suggest you strive for a 1-gram serving of xylitol (ideally as two 0.5-gram mints or a 1-gram piece of gum) five times each day after meals, snacks, and drinks. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

When you consume xylitol as mints or gum, they pull some saliva into your mouth from small salivary glands in the roof of your mouth. In most mouths, this saliva is mineral-rich and alkaline, which is conducive to tooth health and repair. Drinking xylitol water can be useful, but it cannot contribute to remineralization and the reversal of cavities in the same way as is achieved by regularly eating some mints or gum. Xylitol mints or gum will also help people with dry mouth by creating a flow of saliva, and studies have shown that using xylitol mints daily can reduce the amount of root decay in high-risk patients by 40%. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

Erythritol is derived from corn, and because the body does not recognize this product, it will be touted as calorie-free. Like all zero-calorie products, this may not be a healthy attribute, and I do not promote erythritol or suggest you mix it with xylitol or allow yourself to be swayed by research that asks you to believe that erythritol is superior to xylitol. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

Stop drinking—even water—for at least a few hours in the afternoon. If you need to drink between meals, try water sweetened with some xylitol. To make this, add 1 teaspoon of granular xylitol to 3 cups of room-temperature water. Do not overclean your tongue or mouth. [2018] - Ellie Phillips

Newer science tells us that the quality of the fat is far more important than the quantity of fat that we consume. Today, scientists and health care professionals encourage wholesome foods with unsaturated fat such as avocados, nuts, salmon, and liquid oils and discourage foods rich in unhealthful saturated and trans fats. [2018] - Joy Bauer

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee concluded that evidence exists that a dietary pattern higher in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains and lower in red and processed meats, high-fat dairy products, refined grains, sweets, and sugar-sweetened beverages reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. [2018] - Joy Bauer