One of the questions I get asked a lot, is what is the best product to be brushing your teeth with.
Over the years I have experimented with making my own tooth paste, all which came about once I learnt what the additives being added to toothpaste were and the consequences they have on your health.
Most of the additives do not truly need to be there, and a lot of them can have a negative impact on your health, such as sodium laurel sulphate (a foaming agent), Glycerin (a substance that can stop your teeth re-hardening) and the worst of all artificial sweeteners such as aspartame (cited as a possibly causing brain damage)
A key point to remember is, just like your gut flora, the mouth has its own micro biome. This micro biome serves to keep the mouth in a nice hygienic state and wards off the dangerous bacteria. The major problem with most of the toothpastes and mouth washes out there are that they are anti-microbial, which means anti micro-biome.
We do not want to be killing these valuable mouth protectors, so we need a plan that can clean the mouth while at the same time work in synergy with these little guys.
Now we all know that we need calcium for strong teeth, but what you probably didn't know is that your body requires more phosphorus daily than calcium, don't worry, you can obtain your phosphorus through eating a diet rich in whole grains, nuts, seeds and animal products.
For the body to utilise calcium you need adequate levels of vitamin D. The problem is that the amount that healthy people obtain can be well over ten times what we are being told we need.
Please read my blog on the vitamin D dilemma.
It is very easy to make your own toothpastes and my favourite mix is a three step process,
For this I'd Suggest getting three jars
In the first jar, half fill it with Organic bicarb soda
In the second jar, half fill it with organic apple cider vinegar
And in the third jar, pour in some coconut oil with a few drops of an essential oil like lemon, peppermint, or evergreens.
The plan
This takes about 5 minutes but will clean your mouth better than anything you have every used before, and that clean fresh feeling will last most of the day.
Say goodbye to wine and coffee stains, it is also cheaper than those treatments which may cost hundreds of dollars.
- Dip you dry toothbrush in the bicarb soda, use a very gentle motion working your way from your gum line to your teeth. I dip my brush in once for the bottom right, once for the bottom left and again for the top right and top left. (A total of 4 times) Work your way around your mouth gently and mindfully to achieve a nice clean
- Now keeping the bicarb in your mouth place a few teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in your mouth. You will find the vinegar reacts with the bicarb soda and it is literally like a cleaning bomb going off in your mouth. You may find that when these two mix it even helps to lift tartar, that has become lodged on teeth. I can not emphasise how well this works and children love the fizzy part of this, so it appears fun.
- Rinse, the mouth well with fresh water and spit out.
- Lightly brush using the coconut oil mix, this will seal the teeth and the coconut oil is antimicrobial. This works well to get into all nooks and crannies. The essential oil drops work as a breath freshener.
The good news is that these ingredients can all be ingested as food, they are healthy and poison free, which is especially vital for the little ones with delicate little immune systems.
Do me one favour, go read the fine print on your toothpaste
Poisonous if swallowed, possibly fatal to children.
What are we doing putting something in our mouth that if we don't spit it out could poison us??
My name is Blair Harvey and I have had the pleasure of working at one of Australia's best Health Retreat's for the past fourteen wonderful years. Over those years I have had the delight of working with a spectacular kitchen team, we all have an immense passion for cooking good healthy food that is unique and tantalizing to your taste buds. Together we have not only developed our skills in cooking wholesome, nourishing and out right delicious foods, but we have been committed to broadening our knowledge of healing with whole foods and exploring the beauty of healthy living. Because of our enthusiasm in the benefits of foods and there healing properties I developed a blog to help us SHARE what we have learnt with the rest of the world.
You will find tasty gems of wisdom on health, food and healing, helping to expand your mind and revitalize your knowledge of healthy eating.