It’s Time to Save Your Teeth and Get Away from Sugar
Easy Ways to Break Your Sugar Addiction
With the start of a New Year, many of us feel excited and motivated to do new things many of us are thinking about all the changes we can make over the next year to make us healthier and happier. For many, a common New Year’s Resolution is to eat healthier, exercise more, and possibly break away from those sugary foods we all know and love. Cutting back on sugar is a great step toward better health, especially after all those holiday treats, but is also a great way to gain a healthier mouth.
Many people find it very hard to break away from sugar, so here are a few tips to help get your resolution started off on the right foot for both your overall health and the health of teeth and gums:
Read the Labels
Many of us pick up food and eat it without even knowing what is in it. It is an important practice to read the labels of the processed and packaged foods we buy in order to know what nutritional value, or lack thereof, our go-to foods have. All packaged foods are required to list the nutritional facts as well as the ingredients found in the foods. Opt for foods that have a low or no amount of sugar listed – additionally, remember ingredients are listed in order of content percentage, so if sugar is close to the top, put it back on the shelf.
Start Fresh with Clean Cabinets
If you are really ready to commit to less sugar in your diet, now is the perfect time to clean out all cupboards and cabinets of bad foods. Trash those uneaten holiday pies and cookies and take the time to really look at the nutritional facts on the other foods in the cabinets. If it doesn’t fit into your new lifestyle, and you feel okay throwing it away, do it! Foods that are still sealed can also be donated to local food banks or soup kitchens to insure the food you don’t want any more doesn’t go to waste.
Choose Healthier Snacks
We all snack and that is usually when the excess sugar in our diets sneaks in – like the two o’clock donut to help keep you going at work! Since we love to snack, make sure to give yourself healthy snacking option to replace the sugary ones. Some great options include fruits like apples, berries, oranges, veggies (such as carrot and celery sticks), and even some proteins to help keep you full like nuts and yogurt.
If you are starting the New Year with a healthier oral health program, a great place to start is by visiting your dentist. If you don’t already have coverage, consider using a New Hampshire discount dental plan like Wellness Dental. Our plan can save you as much as 20 percent off your total bill! For more information, please click here.
Photo Copyright: robstark / 123RF Stock Photo
