Healthy Eating

How Orthodontic Health Shapes Your Nutrition

Sharon Corey

orthodontic checkupOrthodontic health plays a critical role in how effectively your body processes food. Properly aligned teeth allow for efficient chewing, which is the first step in digestion. When your teeth are misaligned, it can complicate this process, affecting not just your eating habits but also your overall nutrition. Poor chewing can limit food choices, reduce nutrient absorption, and even impact long-term health. Understanding this connection highlights the importance of addressing dental alignment early, especially for children, to foster lifelong healthy eating habits.

Chewing is more than just breaking down food; it’s the gateway to proper digestion. Misaligned teeth or bite issues, such as overbites or crowding, can make chewing difficult, leading to discomfort or pain. For kids, this can mean avoiding nutrient-rich foods like raw vegetables, nuts, or lean meats because they’re hard to chew. Practices like Bekmezian Orthodontics offer solutions through braces or aligners, correcting these issues to make eating easier and more enjoyable. When chewing becomes effortless, kids and adults alike are more likely to choose a varied, balanced diet, ensuring they get essential nutrients.

The Link Between Chewing and Nutrient Absorption

Why does chewing matter so much? It’s simple: the better you chew, the more your body can extract nutrients from food. Chewing breaks food into smaller particles, increasing the surface area for digestive enzymes to work. If teeth are misaligned, chewing becomes less effective, and large food chunks may pass through the digestive system without being fully broken down. This can reduce the absorption of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Over time, poor nutrient absorption may lead to deficiencies, affecting energy levels, immune function, and overall health.

For children, the stakes are even higher. Growing bodies need a steady supply of nutrients to support development. Misaligned teeth can discourage kids from eating foods like apples, carrots, or whole grains, which are packed with fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Instead, they might gravitate toward softer, processed foods that are often high in sugar and low in nutritional value. This dietary shift can contribute to obesity, dental decay, and other health issues. Orthodontic treatment can help by aligning teeth to make chewing these healthier foods easier, encouraging better eating habits from a young age.

Orthodontic Challenges and Eating Habits

Bite issues don’t just affect chewing efficiency; they can also shape food preferences. For example, someone with an underbite might struggle to bite into a sandwich or an apple, leading them to avoid these foods altogether. This limitation can create a cycle where individuals rely on less nutritious options, like smoothies or soft snacks, which may not provide a balanced diet. Over time, this can lead to weight gain or nutritional imbalances, particularly in kids who are still developing their eating habits.

Moreover, dental discomfort can make eating a chore rather than a pleasure. Pain from misaligned teeth or jaw strain can cause people to eat less or skip meals, further reducing nutrient intake. Orthodontic interventions, such as braces or clear aligners, can correct these issues, restoring comfort and confidence in eating. Once alignment is improved, individuals often find it easier to incorporate a wider variety of foods into their diets, from crunchy vegetables to protein-rich meats, supporting better overall health.

RELATED: The Impact Of Nutrition On Dental Health

Long-Term Benefits of Orthodontic Care

Orthodontic treatment offers more than just a straighter smile; it sets the foundation for lifelong nutritional health. Properly aligned teeth make it easier to maintain a diverse diet, which is crucial for preventing chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis. For kids, early intervention can shape positive eating habits that carry into adulthood. Correcting bite issues early also reduces the risk of dental problems, like cavities or gum disease, which can further complicate eating and digestion.

Interestingly, the benefits extend beyond nutrition. A confident smile can boost self-esteem, encouraging social interactions around food, like family dinners or social gatherings. When eating is no longer a struggle, people are more likely to enjoy meals and make healthier food choices. Orthodontic care, therefore, is an investment in both physical and emotional well-being, with effects that ripple through every aspect of life.

Moving Toward Healthier Eating

Addressing orthodontic issues is a proactive step toward better nutrition and overall health. By improving chewing efficiency, orthodontic care ensures your body gets the nutrients it needs to thrive. For parents, prioritizing dental alignment for kids can set them up for a lifetime of healthy eating habits. Whether it’s braces for a teenager or aligners for an adult, the right treatment can transform not just smiles but also dietary choices. Ultimately, a healthy mouth leads to a healthier body, proving that orthodontic care is a key piece of the wellness puzzle.

Fiber’s Health Advantages

Owen Martel

Many people are aware that eating more fiber can help relieve constipation or diarrhea. However, a high-fiber diet is beneficial to everyone. Dietary fiber refers to two types of fiber found in plant-based foods.

Fiber Classification

All plant-based foods contain dietary fiber, including grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. Although it is classified as a carbohydrate, dietary fiber differs from other carbohydrates in that it is not broken down into sugar molecules.

Fiber that is soluble in water

Water can dissolve soluble fiber. Oats, beans, nuts, peas, lentils and barley contain this type of fiber, fruits such as apples, blueberries, grapes, and citrus.
As soluble fiber passes the digestive tract, it absorbs water and transforms into a gel-like substance. It relieves diarrhea by absorbing excess water, firming up the consistency of the stool, and slowing the rate at which food moves inside the digestive tract.
Soluble fiber is also important in the digestion of sugars and starches by the body. It produces short-chain fatty acids that signal the liver to stop producing glucose.

Fiber that is insoluble

Insoluble fiber is fiber that will not dissolve in water. Insoluble fiber adds weight to the stool as it passes through the digestive tract. Even though it is not a laxative, insoluble fiber produces digestive tract motility, which can relieve constipation and encourage the timely elimination of wastes in the colon.
Insoluble fiber can be found in wheat, rye, brown rice, and nuts, as well as plant cell walls. Green vegetables, as well as the skins and peels of most fruits and vegetables, are high in insoluble fiber, which is found in plant walls.

Dietary fiber also aids in weight loss and obesity prevention. Because foods high in dietary fiber make you feel more satisfied and full, you may eat less, resulting in weight loss over time.

How to Increase Your Fiber Consumption

Increase your consumption of plant-based foods to increase your daily fiber intake. Keep in mind that gradually increasing fiber intake may be preferable to avoiding cramping, bloating, or gas, which can occur when too much fiber is added too quickly.

1. Season soups and salads with kidney, pinto, or black beans.
2. Stir wheat bran or oats into yogurt or smoothies, as well as muffins, cakes, or cookies.
3. Aim for five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, preferring fresh or frozen over canned (canned fruits are lower in fiber).
4. Select a breakfast cereal that lists whole grains as the first ingredient.
5. Snack on dried fruits and nuts or granola bars with added fiber.
6. Substitute whole-grain products and brown rice for white rice, bread, and pasta.

Healthy Eating Tips for Diabetic People

Owen Martel

Your overall risk can be affected by things like your age, race, and family history. We also know that the most important risk factor is being overweight. If you are overweight, one way to avoid type 2 diabetes is to lose weight. Losing any amount of weight can help. There are many ways to lose weight, so you need to find the one that works best for you.

We know that not everyone at risk for or living with type 2 diabetes is also overweight. But it’s still important to choose healthier foods, even if you don’t need to lose weight. According to research, there are even some foods that may lower the risk of getting type 2 diabetes. Here are ways to eat healthier and lower your risk of type 2 diabetes.

Choose drinks that don’t have sugar added. 

We know that drinking full-sugar sodas and energy drinks makes you more likely to get type 2 diabetes. Cutting back on these can both help lower your risk and help you stay at a healthy weight. There is also evidence that drinking tea and coffee without sugar is linked to a lower risk. If it’s hard for you to lose weight, look for diet or low-calorie versions of soft drinks and make sure they don’t have extra sugar. Don’t try to replace sugary drinks with fruit juices or smoothies because they still have a lot of sugar. Instead, try plain water, plain milk, tea, or coffee with no sugar added.

Select carbs that are higher in fiber.

Eating refined carbs like white bread, white rice, and sugary breakfast cereals can make you more likely to get type 2 diabetes. But brown rice, wholewheat pasta, wholemeal flour, wholegrain bread, and oats are linked to a lower risk, so choose these instead. 

Consume less processed food and red meat.

They may also cause heart problems and some kinds of cancer.

Try to get your protein from foods that are better for you, like:

pulses like beans and lentils, eggs, fish, chicken, and turkey, and nuts that haven’t been salted. Learning about food labels, which are on all food packages, was a huge help because we were able to spot foods that were highly processed and had a lot of sugar, fat, and salt. This helped us choose much healthier foods.

Choose yogurt and cheese with no added sugar. 

You may be wondering whether to choose full fat or low fat. The amount of fat in dairy products is not as important when it comes to the risk of type 2 diabetes. What’s more important is that you choose options that aren’t sweetened, like natural or Greek yoghurt that isn’t sweetened and plain milk.

Don’t drink too much. 

Type 2 diabetes is more likely to happen if you drink too much alcohol. Because it has a lot of calories, drinking a lot of it can make it hard to lose weight. Current guidelines say that you shouldn’t drink more than 14 units of alcohol per week on a regular basis and that these units should be spread out over 3–4 days. Try to go a few days a week without drinking any alcohol.

Consume more beneficial fats.

Healthy fat is important in our diets because it gives us energy. How healthy we are can depend on the kind of fat we eat. Some saturated fats can make your blood have more cholesterol, which can make you more likely to have heart problems.

Proper Nutrition – It’s Not Just about Eating Healthy Food Products

Felix Bobbie

Consumption of healthy food products can help people, especially women, burn fat naturally; but only if consumed in moderation and with the aid of exercises.

The problem however, is that most people do not make conscious efforts to limit their food consumption. So much so that overeating leads to imbalances in hormonal production that can slow down the body’s metabolism. As a result, not all nutrients and calories taken in are properly distributed throughout the body, as some will simply be stored in cells.

Moreover, as overeaters have developed a greater appetite for consuming large amounts of food, they end up with more body mass that makes them overweight and at worst, obese. As it is, excessive consumption even of healthy food can gradually increase body mass that results in constant weight gain.

Consider Meal Plans Prepared by Food Nutrition Experts

Food nutrition experts come up with different diets designed to help increase the rate of metabolism, as well as control the intake of fat. Some oils or fat content take longer to metabolize, which if not converted into energy, gets stored as fat cells. The following are popular healthy food items that nutritionists include in planned diets because they help the body burn fat naturally:

Fatty fish like herring, mackerel, salmon, sardines and other fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids that increase metabolism and help in the natural fat burning processes. Moreover, fatty fish can also provide protein that gives a feeling of fullness even with just a few bites.

Coffee, which remains as one of the most popular beverages, can also help burn fat; albeit must be taken in moderation. Depending on the amount of coffee consumed, research studies show caffeine can increase metabolic rates by up to 3 to 13%.

Food Products with Coconut Oil or Palm Oil – These oil types are classified as medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) that help in the process of metabolism, to increase the rate by which food nutrients are broken down and distributed. Moreover MCT oils are easily converted into energy that the body can use as fuel.

Eggs even if their yolks contain high levels of cholesterol, they are also great sources of high-grade protein that have been proven to increase metabolic rates by up to 20 to 35%.

Green Tea is an excellent choice for those who have low tolerance for coffee, as it contains moderate amount of caffeine. The greater importance of green tea is that it also contains what food experts call epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), which creates a thermogenic effect to speed up the body’s fat burning processes

These are only examples of healthy food that promotes proper metabolism leading to proper conversion of fat into energy, prevention of fat absorption, and storage in cells. However, not all women have the luxury of time buy and prepare healthy food as planned diets. Some women are also into veganism, which readily eliminates some of the food items listed as healthy fat burning products.

Consider High-Quality Fat Burners as Weight Loss Supplements  

Fortunately, all the known benefits of these healthy, natural fat burners have been packed by supplement manufacturers into products known as women’s best fat burning pills.

Still, it’s important to read up reviews as not all fat burning supplements contain the ingredients that have proper blends of healthy fat burning substances. Women vegans are also in luck, because the leading fat burning pills today is LeanBean, a brand that uses only plant-based nutrients.