An Australian dentist and personal trainer has shared the secret to having pearly whites.
Most of us know that we need to eat a balanced diet to look after our overall health, but not many of us are aware we also need to do it to look after our teeth.
Dr Lewis Ehrlich has explained what foods we should be eating throughout the day for the best results.
‘Avoid eating things where you see an ad on TV or something that comes in a package because they’re generally the things that are bad for your teeth,’ he told FEMAIL.
‘And if they’re bad for your teeth, they’re bad for your health as well.’
Dr Ehrlich’s first tip is to avoid the main culprits of teeth staining, which is foods like tea, coffee and soy sauce.
For breakfast he recommends cooking up an omelette and making sure that there are plenty of fresh vegetables thrown in.
‘These ingredients are high in vitamin D and A, which is important for teeth strength and for tooth colour,’ he said.
‘The healthier and stronger your teeth are the better they’ll look overall.’
If you don’t like eggs, he suggested having yoghurt and berries forbreakfast instead.
‘Ideally it has to be natural and organic yoghurt because regular yoghurt tends to be packed with sugar,’ Dr Ehrlich explained.
‘Be aware of the fact that yoghurt is quite acidic so you don’t want to be eating too much of it.
‘Coconut yoghurt is a good option, it has nice healthy fats and is anti inflammatory and anti bacterial as well.’
When lunch time rolls around the dentist said that you would be best having a salad packed with protein.
‘The protein could be some organic chicken breast or grass-fed beef which is high in omega 3s which is good for your gum tissue.
‘This means your gums will be nice and pink and healthy because of the anti inflammatory effect of omega 3s.’
Dr Ehrlich recommended that you also load your salad up with vegetables, particularly avocado and flax seeds, which all have good omega 3s and fats.
You’re less likely to snack if you have good quality protein and if you limit bad fats when you eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.
He explained that snacking is often when our teeth are at a higher risk of decay.
‘You want to go for snacks that are natural and healthy and promote saliva production, so go for things like carrots and celery sticks and your favourite nuts,’ Dr Ehrlich said.
If you’re after that 3pm sugar hit he said you should avoid junk food and instead reach for fruits such as blueberries and strawberries.
When it’s time to prepare your final meal of the day you want to follow a similar idea as lunch, which is eating a meal with good quality protein like fish, chicken and beef, and load up on as many vegetables as possible.
‘Try and stack your plate full of all of the different colours that are available,’ Dr Ehrlich explained.
‘The more colour variety there is the better your meals are for your teeth. This helps keep them nice and white as well because vegetables are high in fibre which promotes saliva production.
‘Saliva creates a flushing effect in your mouth so it keeps your teeth nice and clean and also reduces your risk of decay and gum disease.’
