FitSugar

Tips For Beating Bad Breath

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 02:30:00 PDT

Nothing is worse than having bad breath. Unless you're talking to someone who has bad breath, because that can be pretty bad too! Unfortunately you can not really do anything about someone else's bad breath, but you can do something about your own. MSNBC gives us these five food ideas to help combat bad breath:

Chew on this. Move over parsley, there are some new halitosis-fighting herbs in town. “Coriander, spearmint, tarragon, eucalyptus, rosemary and cardamom are all good for fighting bad breath,” says Dr. Christine Gerbstadt, who has lectured on oral health. You can chew on fresh herbs or make tonics by steeping them in hot water (as a tea). These herbs make an excellent digestive as well-doubling the benefits of ending a meal this way.

There's four more ideas, so

Get some active culture. No, not a Broadway play, but yogurt. A recent study found that a serving of yogurt each day reduces the level of odor-causing hydrogen sulfide in the mouth. Apparently it also cuts back on bacteria in the mouth-plaque and gum disease were reduced in the study’s yogurt eaters as well. Plus, the American Dietetic Association (ADA) recommends getting enough vitamin D from yogurt, cheese and milk if you’re worried about halitosis because this vitamin creates an inhospitable environment for bacteria growth. Be sure to get the kind of yogurt with active cultures-not overly processed or sugar-added varieties.
Crunchy types. Apples, carrots, celery-basically any fiber-rich fruit or vegetable is your friend when it comes to fighting halitosis. “Inside your mouth, plaque build-up causes odors,” explains Cynthia Sass, ADA spokeswoman and registered dietician. “Eating foods that increase saliva production keep the mouth moist-and rinsed out. Also, many carbs and proteins can get stuck in your teeth-even healthy foods like whole grain cereal or chicken breast.” So follow a meal with a Granny Smith (feel the saliva kick in at the mention of it?) to cleanse the mouth.
Masking techniques. Sugarless gum shouldn’t replace brushing your teeth after a meal, but in a pinch it can freshen breath (masking odors) and is another way to increase saliva production to rinse away plaque and bacteria. Mints can mask as well, but only briefly-and go for sugarless. Sugar creates plaque, and no one wants a mint that makes breath worse.
High C’s. Eating berries, citrus fruits, melons and other vitamin C-rich foods create an inhospitable environment for bacteria growth. A diet rich in vitamin C is also is important for preventing gum disease and gingivitis-both major causes of halitosis. Get your C in foods, not supplements, which can cause gastrointestinal upset in some, according to Sass, and exacerbate bad breath.

Source

Mommy Dearest: My Nanny's Breath Stinks!

LilSugar — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:18:33 PST

Mommy Dearest -

We love our nanny - she takes amazing care of my son every day. But all of a sudden, her breath is so bad, that I honestly can't be around her and I actually think it's really gross that my son is around it all day. How do I address this with her?

Any money she makes, she sends to her kids back home, so I doubt that she wants to pay for a dentist, but it's so gross that I am at the point where I have to position myself away from her and I feel really badly for my son.

If I make her a dentist appointment, then do I need to pay for it?

- Sweet-Talking Mama

Keep reading to see Mommy Dearest's response.

Sneezy, Stuffy, Runny: Natural Cold Remedies to Do Before Bed

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:27:03 PDT

If if you eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, and wash your hands a bazillion times a day, you can still find yourself reaching for the tissues and cough drops. Luckily cold symptoms don't last too long, but here are some ways to get relief from your ails without popping pills or swallowing gross liquid.

Heat and Water
Before slipping into bed, take a hot shower. Make sure the bathroom door is closed and the fan switched off so you can breathe in as much steam as possible. Take a washcloth, run it under the hot water, place it on your face and gently massage your sinuses to loosen up mucus. If you have a neti pot, use that in the shower to drain your nasal passages. If you're weirded out by flushing warm salt water through your nose, use an over-the-counter saline spray.

Keep reading to learn three other natural ways to get cold relief before hitting the hay.

How Yoga Classes Can Make You Sick

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 11:30:01 PDT

Sweating it out in yoga class could result in a case of the sniffles, and not because you're sweating out toxins. You get sick because you're coming in contact with germs and your immune system is losing. Here are four ways to effectively battle germs during yoga class.

Borrowing a studio mat: I don't know what's more gross: how many people have sweat on those mats, or when was the last time these communal mats were cleaned. Either way, eww. It's time to invest in your very own yoga mat to keep germs at bay.
The teacher assists you: Of course the instructor is only trying to correct your alignment and help you get a deeper stretch, but she also helped Ellen, and Bobby, and Sue, and who knows who else and what germs they have. During cold and flu season I politely opt out of assists, and I've noticed a huge decrease in how often I come down with a cold.

Keep reading to learn more strategies for staying well while getting your asana on.

Reader Recipe: Pumpkin-Peanut Butter Dog Treats

Pet Community — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 03:54:08 PDT

Community member girlA loves making vegan treats, but she doesn't limit her baking skills to human food. Check out this tasty treat for pooches she shared over in the YumSugar Community!

These are similar to the other dog treats I made, but this time I added pureed pumpkin. I meant to add some fresh parsley and mint, but completely forgot-next time, I guess. We’ll just have to continue to deal with Moe’s stinky breath until it’s time to make more treats. Since commercial treats are full of artificial ingredients, preservatives and animal products, we prefer to make his own treats. It’s especially convenient since Moe has been working on his Canine Good Citizen training so that he can be a therapy dog. Lots of training means lots of treats, so I feel better about loading him up with these and not the gross store-bought ones. I also froze the remaining pumpkin puree to use the next time I make treats. Get the recipe at my vegan blog, Epicurean Vegan!

Made any homemade pet treats yourself recently? Tell us all about them in the PetSugar Community!

5 Summer Run Annoyances and How to Deal With Them

Jenny Sugar — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 01:32:25 PDT

I'm not complaining. I love Summer weather. The sunshine, warm breezes, birds chirping, and flowers blooming inspire me to head outside for my runs, plus I'm so loving just slipping on shorts and a tank top instead of tons of layers. There are just a couple things that I hate about Summer runs, so if these are bothering you too, here are some ways to deal with them.

Bugs flying in my eyes: Why do bugs love eyes so much? It's so gross. I make sure to always wear sunglasses on my Summer runs, and if I'm trail running or mountain biking, I spritz some bug spray on my clothes to help keep them away.
Sweat dripping down my chest: I thought I was alone on this one, so it's not something I normally would share, but a fellow fit friend said she too hates it when sweat drips down her cleavage. My remedy? I stuff a bunch of tissues down there (no one can tell), and it absorbs the sweat so I don't feel tickled or itchy.

I'm not through venting so keep reading.

9 Things You Shouldn't Do in the Loo

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:17:00 PDT

There are plenty of healthy things you can do in the bathroom like stretch in the shower, lube up on sunscreen while naked to protect every inch of your skin, and floss to prevent gingivitis. There are also plenty of things you shouldn't do in the ladies room:

Drink water from the shower head: Not only have studies found that shower heads are breeding grounds for disease-causing bacteria, but the hot water itself is also not safe to drink.The hot water heater is also a place where bacteria thrives.
Keep the shower curtain closed: Mildew and mold love dark, wet surfaces, and breathing them in can trigger allergy and asthma symptoms. Aside from letting the curtain air out, you can prevent mold and mildew by running a fan or opening a window, allowing air to circulate.
Flush with the lid up: Germs and other particles can become airborne when you flush, so limit the amount misting into the air by lowering the lid before flushing.
Store your toothbrush on the counter: Although toothbrush holders look neat and tidy next to the sink, it's healthier to put your toothbrushes away in the medicine cabinet or vanity drawer. Why? Every time you flush the toilet, your toothbrush gets sprayed with bacteria. Even if you put the lid down as suggested above, microorganisms can still be ejected into the air and land on your toothbrush. So gross. Keep your mouth protected by drying off the bristles after each use and putting your toothbrush away.
Use Q-tips inside your ears: The label clearly states, "Do not insert swab into ear canal. Entering the ear canal could cause injury." Along with potentially rupturing the membrane, the swab is likely to push wax deeper into the ear canal, where it will need to be professionally removed. Using cotton swabs isn't even necessary since earwax naturally moves toward the opening of the ear canal and is sloughed off during daily routines and showers.

Keep on reading to find out what other unhealthy habits you should avoid in the bathroom.

Dried Fruits: Sulfured vs. Unsulfured?

FitSugar — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 05:50:56 PDT

I've been on a dried fruit kick lately, with dried mangoes being my absolute favorite. I have always bought the unsulfured variety since the sulfured ones almost always contain sugar, which I think is absurd. Isn't fruit sweet enough already? But the other day I was shopping at a new store and had a craving for dried apricots. I found a bag that were sulfured (the ingredient was sulfur dioxide), but contained no added sugar, so I bought them. Then later I thought, is it unhealthy for me?

If you've wondered the same thing, then

Sulfur dioxide is used as a preservative in dried fruit to prevent it from spoiling, and also to preserve the fruit's gorgeous and appetizingly bright color. That's why unsulfured fruits tend to look brownish or black. It sounds gross, but sulfur dioxide is a gas that's created by burning coal or oil, which both contain sulfur. This gas smells similar to rotten eggs and though used as a food preservative, it's also used in products as disinfectant or bleaching agents.

You may have heard that breathing in sulfur dioxide gas is toxic, and too much exposure can cause serious illness or possibly even death. It may make you feel better to know that when used as a preservative, only trace amounts are found in foods such as dried fruits, so the FDA considers it safe to consume.

For some people who are sensitive to the preservative, being exposed to sulfur dioxide can lead to breathing problems such as asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and respiratory disease. When eating foods treated with this gas, some may experience skin rashes, an upset stomach, or an asthma attack. If you've had a reaction, definitely go for the unsulfured dried fruits.

I try to buy only unsulfured dried fruits because most treated dried fruits tend to contain added sugars. I feel better knowing that sulfur dioxide is deemed as safe in small amounts, so I'll finish those dried apricots I just bought, but won't go out of my way to buy them again. If you have a difficult time finding unsulfured versions at your grocery store, I've had good luck at health food stores, or you could always order online.

Bacteria Spewing From Your Shower Head?

FitSugar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:15:26 PDT

A nice refreshing shower after a workout is one of life's little pleasures. Well it used to be. New research shows that disease-causing bacteria is living in your shower head. So when you hop in the shower, the bacteria comes out in water droplets that spray on your face, in your mouth, and all over your body. Um, gross.

When 45 shower heads were tested in homes, 20 percent of them housed significant levels of Mycobacterium avium, bacteria linked to pulmonary disease that most often infects people with weakened immune systems. The pathogens are not only in the water, but they can become suspended in the air so as you breathe, they get drawn deep into your lungs.

Forgoing the showering is obviously not the answer, so what you can do is regularly remove your shower head and thoroughly disinfect it. Also, if your shower head is plastic, switch it out for a metal one since microbes attach more easily to plastic.

I'm definitely going to pass this info onto my gym, since I doubt they ever clean their shower heads. On second thought, I think I'll shower at home from now on. What about you?