They say twenty-nine is your peak and your health begins to decline after that. I have always been pretty lucky to have had really good health my whole life. But I think that statement is indeed a little true, as depressing as that is. Being in my mid-thirties currently, I’ve noticed a few things start to slide when it comes to my health. My most recent annoyance has been my teeth. I have mixed genes when it comes to teeth with some excellent teeth health from my dad’s side and unfortunately, some poor health on my mom’s. I found early on that as long as I brushed religiously, my teeth stayed in good health. Over the last few years I started flossing and using mouthwash daily too, and for the most part, my teeth have stayed in excellent health. Just in the last year, I’ve started to notice a real decline, and a lot of tartar and plaque buildup even after only a month of having had a visit to the dentist for my six month teeth-cleaning. I blame sugar. Sugar has also been the cause of some of my other health problems I’ve had going on this last year, and I’ve been a sugar fiend my entire life, so it seems now my body has just now decided to make me start paying for it.
They also say sugar is as addictive as cocaine. I absolutely believe that to be true too. I eat sugar when I’m happy, I eat it when I’m sad and feeling down. I eat it when I’m bored, and I eat it when I’m having an amazing day too! I always want it. I CRAVE it after every meal. After losing a bunch of weight in my mid-twenties, I realized sugar was my weight problem too, so I began limiting my intake of it to only one serving, once a day. I also try to keep a ton of sugary foods out of my house at all times, as well as junk food, and processed food too. Even then, losing weight was a lot of work, and limiting myself on sugar was and is still one of the hardest things for me to do. Even recently I’ve started putting on some more weight and have been watching my sugar intake extra closely once again too, as I’ve noticed I’ve started slipping with all the yummy holiday treats that have been delivered to my door. It’s just too hard to say no.
I don’t have to preach about how frustrating saying no to yummy sugary foods can be. They are everywhere, (especially this time of year!) slapping you in the face, “Eat me! Eat me now and feel better!” I learned long ago after trying to cut it out completely that I was just setting myself up for a super huge sugar heaven binge, and that’s exactly what happened. I ate sugar and only sugar for days until I realized what price I was beginning to pay for it.
There are better ways to fight the cravings for sugar, I’ve found over the years. The best I’ve found so far is replacing the sugary foods you crave with sugar substitute foods. There has been a scare over the years as aspartame has been linked to cancer, but thankfully better products have come on the market since, to better replace it. What I was surprised to find out only recently, is that one of these awesome, sweet tasting sugar-substitutes, is actually good for your teeth and health too! Xylitol is not only a great sugar substitute but studies have shown that the consumption of it actually strengthens teeth and makes them healthier and stronger! Consuming products rich in Xylitol may reduce the occurrence of tooth decay and improve oral health all together! Xylitol along with daily brushing has been found to offer the added benefits of inhibiting the creation of acid in the mouth, which in turn, creates healthier teeth and gums. Eating products with Xylitol may minimize the damage done to teeth, while also allowing teeth to reminieralize at a faster rate for maximum benefit to your teeth!
I was absolutely thrilled to come across a range of products all containing Xylitol from FocusNutrition.com. This site carries yummy sugar-free candies and treats, as well as some of my favorite foods that usually contain sugar, like strawberry jam- which also has teeth-strengthening xylitol instead of sugar in it, yet tastes every bit as yummy as those super sugary jams you find in the grocery store! I also love chewing the Xyloburst mints and gum, or using the Xyloburst mouth rinse (which doesn’t contain alcohol, but xylitol instead) after each meal to help give my teeth a good cleaning after eating when I can’t get to a sink to brush my teeth or floss. Doing lots of baking this holiday season? Focus Nutrition also has Xylitlol sweetener you can use in place of sugar in cooking and baking, and your morning coffee as well!
Interested in picking some up for yourself? Shop all the fab Xylitol products today at FocusNutrition.com