Introduction

This podcast has been prompted by a recent stressful situation that I had. For many, the situation would have been a walk in the park, but for some reason it really got to me.  Earlier this year, I had purchased a course on how to put up lead ads on Facebook and I followed all the instructions to the tee, but it didn’t work out. I spent 5 hours on it and I was so disappointed in myself that I really stressed myself out. The next day, I tried again and once again failed.

The following day, as I woke up, so did a massive gum boil. It was a definite reaction to my stress. This is not new to me, as soon as I get majorly stressed about something, my mouth and teeth cop it.

In 2020 I got major toothache and after going to the dentist, he told me it was just stress. That was wonderful to have a dentist confirm this.

Do you know your stress point in your body – where does your body react to stress? Someone told me recently that their hips ache when they are stressed, and another person gets lower back pain.  

It’s really worth having a look into where your stress may be impacting your health. I would love to hear your stories. Please feel free to email me at info@veets.com.au

Even. Even though the gum boil and my dental issues are caused by stress, it doesn’t mean I can just put it down to that and do nothing about it. 

I have to be super diligent in feeding my body foods that support my gums and teeth to be healthy. In the days I was stressing I had stopped doing all those things.

I also have to be transparent here and let you know that I do have some gum issues, I do have periodontitis and it is not sure why I have this. My guess is stress but the periodontist I went to see said it is hereditary but no one else in my family has it. It's possible that I wasn't cleaning my teeth properly in the past, which could be true since I've only recently acquired an electric toothbrush, or it could be because my mouth microbiome was disrupted by periodontal work done some years ago. Whatever it is, I am working on clearing it up and eating well for my gum health.

So this is what I do. 

Mouth Microbiome

For my mouth microbiome I eat prebiotics

Chickpeas 

Onions 

Garlic 

Yacon 

Asparagus (when in season) 

Dandelion tea every day

Then I eat sauerkraut daily, (when I do get a gum boil I can tell you I have gone slack on eating sauerkraut).  If you want to learn how to make sauerkraut I have a class running every month and it only costs $40 so email me and I will get you details. 

I eat tempeh or miso every second day.

Oil Pulling 

I oil pull most days, I stop when I am stressed, so this is something I need to work on.

I use black sesame oil and swill the oil in my mouth for 5 to 10 minutes. I know people do it for longer but that is a tall call. However, as I am talking, I realise I can try doing it twice in a day.

Once you have swilled it around your mouth, spit it into the compost and then rinse your mouth out with water.

Oil pulling is a very old technique used in India, and recent studies have shown very successful results on reducing harmful bacteria and also reducing swelling. Sesame oil is the most common oil to use and coconut oil is also used. 

Foods to help with mouth health

Peppermint tea – drink this daily as it is a anti bacterial and the reason it is used in toothpaste.

For those of us in Australia, Lemon Myrtle is also an antibacterial, so super good to drink daily too. 

Coca nibs without any sugar can kill cavity-causing bacteria. 

Grapefruits, oranges and broccoli due to their high vitamin C content, which slows down inflammation in gum disease. 

Broccoli also contains vitamin A, which builds strong enamel. 

Red capsicum and blueberries also, for their high vitamin C content. 

Leafy greens for their prebiotic properties. 

Nuts and seeds for inflammation of the gums. 

Shitake mushrooms contain lentinan, which regulates the immune system and breaks down plaque. 

There are some wonderfully lovely fruits and vegetables in that lot.

There are also some foods and activities to avoid 

Sugar

Non-organic food 

Alcohol 

Processed foods 

Smoking 

I do have the occasional vegan marshmallow, but maybe that just has to cease. 

Here is a recipe making use of all of those ingredients 

Recipe 

Tofu, broccoli and shitake soup 

200g tofu, cubed and marinated in 1 tbsp tamari and 1 tbsp oil and oven baked for 20 to 30 minutes 

200g fresh shitake, sliced 

1 head broccoli, cut in long florets

1 red capsicum, sliced thinly 

1 handful leafy greens, washed and shredded 

6 prunes, cut small 

1 chilli (optional)

1 stalk celery, cut chunky 

1 carrot, cut chunky 

3 star anise 

2 tbsp tamari 

6 makrut leaves (used to be called kaffir lime leaves) 

1 stalk lemon grass

1 onion, diced finely 

2 garlic cloves 

You can serve this with noodles if you like.

1. Place the onion, garlic, prunes, chilli, celery, carrot, star anise, tamari and makrut leaves in a saucepan and add 1 litre water.  Bring to the boil and let simmer for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile bake the tofu.

3. After 20 minutes, taste the broth and add salt if needed.

4. Add the shitake, broccoli, capsicum and leafy greens and cook for 5 minutes or until veg is cooked to your liking.

FCT 

This is not a cooking tip but a tip for the oil pulling.  

Do this first thing in the morning, and while you are doing it, start preparing vegetables for your dinner.

Have a fabulously delicious week wonderful listener and please tell a friend about my podcast.

With gratitude Veet