Mouth Hygiene

Dr Karl Kruszelniki (ABC Science) insists the best way to deal with bad breath is to brush the back of the tongue. I suspect that the bacteria on the back of the tongue, which result in bad breath are most likely linked to an overgrowth from lower in the GI system, probably the result of imbalance in the microbiome (gut organisms within small and large intestine). This is often caused by antibiotic use and/or inadequate fibre intake but can also be because of low HCl levels in the stomach (hydrochloric acid).

 Brushing the gums is also important to avoid gum disease but make sure you choose a toothbrush that suits you. If you are thin skinned, a soft brush is best.


 On the Dr Oz show the experts maintain we need to brush our teeth before breakfast rather than after. I suspect this is because of the plaque deposition that occurs over night and how it may react especially with sugary breakfast cereals. I would recommend  to also brush after breakfast to remove any food residue. Food residue from meals later in the day can be dealt with by rinsing unless you wish to be especially careful. The necessity for this could depend on what you have eaten, as chocolate and other sugary treats will always be best removed as soon as possible.

Many dentists are very keen on flossing to remove food residue between teeth. This is important if you have gaps between your teeth but can be difficult and /or cause bleeding if you do not. One way recommended for flossing is to use floss with a knot/double knot and pull it between the teeth. The tiny  floss brushes you can purchase are expensive and it is often difficult to find a size that suits your teeth.

Avoid toothpaste with flouride, it is a poison that seriously undermines the immune system. It can also damage tooth enamel especially in young children.

Frying Food

FRYING FOODS 

Fried foods can harm your health especially if consumed often.
This is because both the oils and food are damaged by high temperatures.

Oils for frying (in preference order)

·         Butter

·         Coconut

·          Palm oil (consider environmental destruction)

·         High oleic sunflower (not regular sunflower) often expensive and hard to find

·         High oleic safflower (not regular safflower)    often expensive and hard to find

·         Peanut oil (consider GM)

·         Sesame oil (expensive)

·         Canola (consider GM)

·         Olive oil (best for low temperature frying,  a healthy oil when unheated)

“Frying with oils once will not kill us, and so seems harmless. Our body copes with toxic substances. But over 10, 20 or 30 years our cells accumulate altered and toxic products for which we have not evolved efficient detoxifying mechanisms. The altered and toxic substances interfere with our body’s life chemistry, our ‘bio-chemistry’. Cells then degenerate, and these degeneration processes manifest as degenerative diseases.”  (Erasmus)

“Used in moderation, butter and tropical fats create fewer health problems than other oils but since they fail to supply EFAs (essential fatty acids), they are nutritionally deficient. They provide only fat calories our body must burn for energy or store as fat.” (Erasmus)

The claim that butter has no nutritional value is refuted by Sally Fallon. The best butter sourced from organic milk will have vitamins A, D and E, whilst organic coconut oil contains lauric acid which “has strong anti fungal and anti-microbial properties”(Fallon).

Cooking with oil requires care and attention. We cannot be away doing something else at the same time. The Chinese, who invented stir fry, put water in first and then oil, whilst European gourmet cooks place vegetables in the frying pan before oil is added to protect oil from overheating and oxidation. The food retains more of its flavour and nutrients and most important, supports health better.

All oils but especially polyunsaturated need to be stored away from light, air and extreme heat. Thus most supermarket oils are unfit for consumption (rancid).

References

Udo Erasmus “Fats that heal, Fats that Kill” and Sally Fallon “Nourishing Traditions”