Smile, Baby!
Always a smile on her lips: our friend and multi-talent Nadia Damaso collecting veggies in our Biogarden at LA FINCA for her new cookbook.
Everyone talks about Health, but what about Tooth-Health!?
You will have heard the fact that you need
around 300 muscles to smile; 17 alone are activated in your face!
Smiling is healthy and a night of laughter at our holiday finca can even end up in sore abs.
And what do you usually show when you wear a broad smile on your lips?! Yes, your teeth. Everyone loves a smile with perfectly white teeth.
However, teeth are not often so white, because we drink and eat things that can colour our little friends. Though colour is not important, is it?
What you really need to have the perfect smile are healthy teeth.
So tooth-health is a thing? Yes it is! Today we tell you the what, how and why!
Healthy nutrition but Unhealthy teeth!?
You all know sugar is a bad boy for our teeth and therefore we all have reduced it or found better alternatives.
But did you know that many veggies and fruits that give us super powers such as: salad, spinach, apples, bananas, dates and oranges are really bad for our teeth!!!
Why? Because they contain acid on the one hand and sugar on the other.
And now we are all having the ultimate dilemma: how should I nurture my body in a healthy way without eating potatoes all day long!?!?!
Staying at LA FINCA means fresh as many veggies and fruits as you want!
Did you know? We also have a beautiful seasonal inspired cookbook.
You will find recipes for each month according to the natural growth of vegetables throughout the seasons.
Strengthen your tooth enamel
First of all: Yes, fresh veggies and fruits have good nutrients not only for our body but also our teeth. They contain valuable vitamins and minerals that strengthen our tooth enamel.
What then to eat?
Evergreen raw veggies:
Raw veggies such as carrots, kohlrabi, peppers and celery protect the teeth in two ways.
First the necessary thorough chewing of raw vegetables promotes the production of saliva, making it easier to neutralise the bacteria Streptococcus mutans, which causes tooth decay. Second raw vegetables massage the gums, stimulate blood circulation and mechanically clean the spaces between the teeth. Great right!?
Strong wholegrain products:
The more processed forms of carbohydrates increase the risk of tooth decay. They are more likely to be broken down into sugar in the mouth by the enzyme amylase contained in saliva. In contrast, starch from wholemeal products can protect against gum disease. This is why they should be part of a healthy dental diet. So on to wholegrain toast and cereals!
Mineral Booster Cheese:
Cheese is the perfect food for a dentally healthy diet because of its high calcium and phosphate content and low carbohydrate level. Any cheese helps to maintain or neutralise the pH value in the mouth and stimulates the formation of new tooth enamel and saliva. It therefore makes sense to eat a piece of cheese after a meal instead of a dessert. So bring on the cheese plate.
Superpower Green & Black Tea:
When it comes to oral health, green tea in particular is a magician of all trades. But also black tea, although more colouring, is music for our teeth. Since the tea leaves are not oxidised during manufacture, they have higher levels of polyphenols that prevent dental cavities. The so-called catechins make sure that the germs that cause plaque are eliminated. Additionally, microorganisms that cause foul breath are neutralised by the active plant components.
Allrounder Water:
Water is always the best, so check out the drinkability of your tap water. The greatest strategy to keep the gums wet and encourage saliva production is to drink lots of water. Food debris is also removed by water. After eating, make sure to completely rinse your mouth if you don't have time to wash your teeth. Anyway, you should drink around 2 litres a day!
Sweets? Only Sugar-free ones:
Since they decompose into non-tooth-damaging acids, sugar substitutes like aspartame, isomalt, or cyclamate in sweets cannot lead to tooth decay. Sweets that are good for your teeth may be identified by the "tooth man" emblem, which has a shield around it.
Our Biogarden at LA FINCA follows the seasonal growth of veggies.
What about the bad goodies!?
Acids found in citrus fruits, juices, vinegar, sports drinks, wine, and sparkling wine damage tooth enamel and dentin and remove protective minerals if ingested often. Teeth may become pain-sensitive as a result of this type of erosion. Vigorous teeth cleaning aggravates the issue. To maintain a healthy diet, you do not, however, need to totally eliminate these foods. It's crucial to wait at least half an hour before cleaning your teeth after consuming acidic foods.
Wait at least 30 minutes before cleaning your teeth and add yoghurt to your acids!
Sticky foods: bananas and certain candies, dates or figs, biscuits, cakes, and pretzel sticks are examples that clings to teeth. Bacteria that damage teeth are more likely to proliferate the longer they are present in the oral cavity. For this reason, after eating, you should at the very least completely rinse your mouth and wash your teeth. Also here the recommendation is: 30 min waiting before brushing.
Water is important to rinse out sticky foods!
Although aggressive for your teeth, oranges contain a lot of Vitamin C for your immune system
Nadia can be seen here in our beautiful biogarden in Mallorca