Admit it. You spent much of the last few days secretly rummaging through your children’s remaining Halloween candy, searching for your favorite chocolate bars, caramels and lollipops. Some of you even stocked up on discounted candy after Halloween and ate an entire bag of mixed candy while watching TV.
Here’s something to ponder, American Heart Association recommends women eat no more than six teaspoons of sugar each day (25 grams) and men eat no more than nine teaspoons (36 grams).
Put down the peanut butter cups. Dr. Partha Mukherji, clinical assistant professor in comprehensive dentistry at Texas A&M University of Dentistry in Dallas, has a smile-saving game plan for cutting out – or at least cutting down – sugar from your diet after a binge. Your teeth and gums will thank you.
Sugar is in many things we eat every day, even food that doesn’t taste sweet. We are so used to eating sugar, that cutting it out entirely can cause withdrawal; those sugar-cravings are real.
“I like to eat unprocessed foods, such as nuts and whole grains, to help curb cravings,” Mukherji said. “My favorite teeth-friendly, go-to snacks are carrots and apples.”
Some breakfast cereals contain large amounts of sugar. If there’s a cartoon character on the front, assume it’s delicious for a sugar-filled reason and the flavor of fruit is not the same as fruit.
Try high-protein foods, such as eggs with vegetables and plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt with berries, he said. There are added sugars but not as many other options.
No more sodas, as drinking them encourages bad bacteria that produce acids that will erode tooth enamel and could cause tooth decay and cavities. One 12-ounce can of soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar, according to AHA.
“Water rinses away sugar and bacteria and encourages saliva production,” Mukherji said. “It’s not as effective as brushing and flossing, but it will help.”
Juices and alcohol are loaded with sugar, too. Skip orange juice and red wine.
Salmon may not be an obvious substitute for sugar, but the fatty fish has no carbohydrates, so it doesn’t raise blood sugar levels. It’s high in both protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
AHA recommends you should eat two servings of fish a week, particularly fatty fish.
If either your eating or sleep schedule gets out of whack, sugar cravings will hit.
“Consult your physician if you feel like having a continuous glucose monitor could help you stick to a schedule and quantitatively measure your daily blood glucose variations,” Mukherji said.
Make a dental appointment
Let a dental hygienist and a dentist help get your teeth and gums in healthy shape before all that candy causes tooth decay.