What Diet would I Recommend?

I believe a healthy balanced diet is the key- the more processed a food, the less the nutrients in it.

Don’t diet.

I am not a fan of dieting and I don’t think it works. I believe it leads to binge eating, because most of the time it is sheer will power that you are relying on and that doesn’t last for ever.

The best thing is to develop a healthy diet that you enjoy; don’t starve yourself of anything you love- but have it as a treat. Over time your taste buds change- we are miraculous creatures. If I eat burger and chips most of the time- what do I crave? If I eat salad, eventually I start to look forward to it and crave it. There are some of you out there saying “No way! I wouldn’t crave salad”, but eventually if you eat it enough, you will- your taste buds literally change.

Eating for energy is great, have fun with your food- make fresh juices and smoothies and eat stacks of salad and veggies. My rule is fill your plate 2/3rds with salad, then have whatever you want on the other 1/3rd. And when I eat out- I usually reward myself for being good- most of the time- and choose whatever I really fancy from the menu. I don’t eat out that often, so if you do you need to balance the healthy and not so healthy choices a little more.

Ok, I am a bit of a health nut and my diet (even if I do say so) is pretty healthy; some would say very healthy, but it is by no means perfect. It didn’t always used to be like that and I still enjoy all the things that you do; maybe things wouldn’t expect to find your dentist eating, but the ‘key’ is moderation. I believe your environment is everything- stock your fridge and shelves with healthy foods that are easily accessible and when you get hungry, that’s what you’ll grab. If I sit at my desk with a packet of candy and a bottle of coke, that’s what I will reach for. If I have a bottle of water and some nuts then naturally the same goes.

How often do I hear my friends say, “Don’t leave that! – Here… I’ll eat it,” if there is a spare cake left over from dessert. That is because they know the impact of their environment and what it leads to. Our ability to say’ no’ and have self control is generally pretty weak, (we are all guilty there) so we must try where possible to remove the temptation.

Prepare- you are much more likely to eat the bad stuff when you are hungry and unprepared. It’s all about the environment and you are much more likely to turn to a quick sugar hit, unless maybe, you made a bit extra of that delicious healthy food, that you had for dinner last night and saved it to snack on. Make sense? It is for this exact reason, that you should never do a big food shop at the supermarket when you are hungry. Your brain simply doesn’t function in the same way and in your survival mode, your trolley magically gets filled with a greater proportion of those less nutritious, easy access foods- you know what I I’m talking about!

So what are Healthy Snacks for your Teeth?

• Fresh fruit

• Yoghurt

• Raw vegetables

• Cerials (not all! A lot are coated in sugar so beware)

• Breadsticks

• Plain popcorn

• Bread and spread

• Cheese cubes

• Sandwiches

• Crispbreads

• Pitta bread

• Mashed banana

• Tuna

• Chicken salad

• Low fat unsweetend yogurt

• Skimmed and semi-skimmed milk

What are the Worst Foods for Teeth?

The worst foods for teeth are those containing the refined sugars (NME’s) such as:

• Chocolate

• Biscuits

• Cakes

• Pastries

• Soft drink

• Fizzy drinks

• Sugar