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Category: Health & Fitness

Alternative Methods of Managing Chronic Pain

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

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If you are suffering from chronic pain and you haven’t been able to find much relief from medication, or if the medication has helped, but you don’t like the side effects, why not try out some alternative pain management techniques?

They don’t work for everyone, and you might have to try a few different methods before you see any results, but there is nothing to lose by at least trying some of the following alternative treatments for back pain, so what are you waiting for?

Acupuncture

Opinion is still divided on acupuncture’s ability to manage chronic pain, but many people who suffered from conditions like chronic back pain, fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis swear by the ancient Chinese practice of having needles inserted under the skin, and if something works, you don’t really question the how’s and the whys, you just get on with it. So, give it a try and see how you feel.

Exercise

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I understand completely that exercising is often the last thing that you want to do when you’re suffering from intense pain, but there is good evidence to suggest that physical activity can have a positive impact on chronic pain levels. This is thought to be because to the endorphins that are released when we exercise, but it could also, in some cases, be that exercising the affected area (carefully) can help to minimize pain.

Chiropractic Treatment

Many people with chronic pain swear by their chiropractors and see them regularly, despite the fact that some quarters have expressed skepticism over chiropractic manipulation. People suffering from lower back pain, in particular, have found great relief from the simple adjustments made by their chiropractors. So, if you’re suffering from back pain, it has to be worth a try.

Supplements

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Numerous studies have found evidence that adding fish oil to the diet can reduce the pain that is caused by swelling and many more have found that capsaicin – an ingredient found in hot chilies – when applied to the chronic pain caused by back issues, arthritis and other chronic pains can reduce symptoms. However, you should never take a supplement without first okaying it with your doctor.

Therapy

Most people think that therapy is only useful for mental illnesses and emotional problems, but there is some evidence to suggest that it can be beneficial to people who are living with chronic pain. You see, it’s natural for people who have chronic pain to develop depression and depression can reduce one’s tolerance for pain, so by dealing with the depression, you can also reduce pain symptoms, at least a little.

Yoga

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There is an increasing amount of evidence to suggest, that when practiced correctly and in a suitable way for your particular illness, yoga can and does help to reduce chronic pain. The gentles stretching of the body and the relaxation of the mind is a boon to people who are in pain, and it can be practiced any time anywhere with a little instruction from an expert.

Do you suffer from chronic pain? Have you found any unusual ways of managing your symptoms?

Eat Yourself Fit: Meal Tips That Will Help You Lose That Excess Weight

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Most of us feel like we need to lose a little of that excess weight. But actually making it happen is never as easy as we would like it to be. Taking a sustainable approach to eating is the best way to go. This is not about following fad diets or pushing yourself too far at the gym. Instead, it’s about putting the right things in your body and losing weight safely and properly. You can learn more below.

Create a Solid Meal Plan

The very first thing you should do when you’re trying to eat yourself fit is create a solid meal plan for yourself. When you have this kind of a plan in place, you can be 100% sure that you know where you’re heading and what you need to eat. If you take a more relaxed approach, you will be more likely to give into the temptations that could be less healthy. There are no reasons why you should let that happen, though. It’s very easy and straightforward to come up with a few recipes that you can make a plan out of. These meal plans will help with weight loss, so start using them. You can tweak and change them as you want.

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Eat a Healthy Breakfast, But Don’t Skip It

It’s a big mistake to skip breakfast. All those people that tell you over and over again that breakfast is the most important meal of the day are correct. Eating a healthy breakfast is the perfect way to start the day, and it’s something that you really need to focus on if you want to do well and lose that excess weight. You can get your day off to the right start, and you shouldn’t fall into the trap of skipping it. This is what lots of people do, and it can actually make it harder for you to lose weight.

Cut Down Starchy Carbohydrates 

Carbohydrates can be pretty damaging for your health if you eat them too much. Those starchy carbs are full of all the things that your body doesn’t really need. Of course, you can’t cut out carbs altogether because they are an important part of any diet. But that doesn’t mean that you should rely on them too heavily. Far too many people see carbs as the biggest part of their diet. It doesn’t have to be that way, though. Find other healthy foods that are less starchy to form your diet 

Swap Meat for Fish More Often

Meat can be a good part of your diet. But too much red meat in your diet can be damaging in the long-term. One of the smartest things you can do is replace some of that meat with fish. Fish is very healthy, it’s great for your body and mind, and you can do lots of great things with fish-based recipes. If you don’t have much fish in your diet right now, this is something that you should try to change. It could be the best dietary change you make.

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Getting Yourself Healthy In Time For July

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

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If you are anything like us, then you have been saying you’ll get healthy in time for summer since Boxing Day. Yet here you are, at the dawn of summer and you still haven’t done a quarter of what you had intended (read: haven’t done anything whatsoever). Don’t worry, it’s hard, we know that. Time flies like a jet plane and healthy habits are hard to get into. We know this as much as the next couch potato. It’s not too late, though.

It’s only the start of June and that means you have about a month to get super-duper healthy, which is totally doable. All you need to do is follow these simple strategies. It’s not one-size fits all, so pick and choose the ones that will suit your life and go from there.

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Ba-Bye Junk Food

Junk food is the antichrist of a healthy body because it is the polar opposite of healthy food. So if you have junk food in your diet, toss it out. Get rid of that and you’ll get rid of your belly fat. Anything that is fatty, sugary, salty or greasy needs to be gone. Set yourself a challenge of one month whereby you have no junk food in your home – or at work – whatsoever.

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Find Yourself A Diet

What you want is a diet that will use the body’s natural processes of burning and storing fat; something like the HCG diet will get you ready for summer. The reason for getting into a diet plan is that it will give you something tangible to follow and that will act as motivation alongside the ticking clock of summer.

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Cook In Bulk

The best way to stick to a healthy eating plan is to cook in bulk. Get ahead of the game by cooking in big beautiful batches of healthy meals and then store it in the freezer. Not only will this mean you have something healthy to take to work or have at your fingertips, it will also mean less time in the kitchen and more time on the treadmill. That’s two birds with one stone.

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Change Up Your Snacking

When we think snacks we think about crisps, chocolate and that sort of thing (thank you very much, food industry). However, a quick mentality alteration and your snacking can become that much healthier. Things like fruit, raw nuts, and chopped vegetables are a way healthier alternative and will see you summer ready in no time.

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No More Naughty Drinks

Just take a moment to think about what you drink on a normal day. Sugary drinks and coffee with sugar in it (or even coffee without sugar in it!). These are empty calories that are so detrimental to a healthy body. So get into the habit of drinking water or some gorgeously healthy tea, like green tea or jasmine tea or any kind of fruit tea really. Healthy body and mind here we come.

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Bring On A Partner

The hardest thing about getting healthy, as you’ll probably agree, is motivating yourself. At first, it isn’t too bad, but then you miss one gym session and it spirals out of control. That’s where having a partner on board can be so helpful. Your spouse or a friend or someone you work with, anyone that will stop you making up excuses like you just have to watch the next episode of Big Little Lies and then you’re good to go. Having someone with you makes it more fun too, and in one month’s time, you can thank them for the way you look at feel.

Get Your Heart Racing: Exercises To Improve Health And Lifestyle

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

We are all very much aware that exercising is good for us, but do we do as much exercise as we should be? The truth is, exercise should be part of our daily lives, where on average you do something that increases your heart rate or stretches your muscles or mind at least for 30 minutes each day. This, however, may sound like a tall task to ask of you. After all, we can all be living hectic lives as it is. Work commitments, social lives, they all take up our precious waking hours, so where can the exercise fit in? However, some exercises are very enjoyable, and they can fit seamlessly into your day by making a few simple changes to your routine. I thought I would share with you some of the most common exercises that can have a huge impact on your health and lifestyle.

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Going for a run

One of most common forms of exercise is simply going for a run. A lot of people tend to fit this in after work, as it’s a great way to calm your mind and transition from work mode into an evening of relaxation or family time. Running, of course, is a cardio workout, so it definitely enables you to increase your heart rate. You don’t need much other than some active wear and a decent pair of jogging trainers, and you can simply just head out of your front door and run. It is a great form of therapy psychologically, and many people would agree that it is the easiest ways to exercise frequently, and it can be rather enjoyable once you get into it. Many people even then sign up to do distance runs such as 10ks and even marathons.

Biking your commute to work

We can all agree that daily exercise can be a huge task to fit in, so why not turn something you would normally do into exercise? Instead of relying on your car or public transport, why not bike your way into work instead? Many employers actually encourage this and have facilities in which to park your bike for the day, and for you to change into your work attire. Of course, you may need to invest in a decent bike and some cycle insurance to ensure that you are covered. But it’s a great way to incorporate your daily exercise.

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Practicing yoga in an evening or morning

While yoga may not be seen as a cardio workout, when combined with regular exercise it’s a great way to vary the type of exercise you do. Yoga concentrates on stretches and muscles while encouraging you to focus on your mind and breathing techniques. This is a great way to destress from an especially busy and stressful day, while still getting some important exercise. Some people also combine yoga with meditation practice as a way to prioritise their thoughts or simply as a relaxation technique. There are plenty of tutorials online to help you master some of the most common yoga poses.

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Attending a gym for an aerobic class

Sometimes you need to be accountable for the exercise that you take, so joining a gem may be your best option. Although it can be pricey, they offer various classes and facilities, making it much easier to attend and do a workout. An aerobic class is a great way to incorporate a block amount of time of cardio workout. Plus being with other people can be an excellent motivator.

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Swimming

 

Swimming is seen as a full body workout, and a great way to not only increase your heart rate but work on muscles all over your body from one form of exercise. Swimming doesn’t require any fancy equipment, just a costume and yourself. You don’t have to be a member of a gym, as there are plenty of local pools you can enjoy the facilities of. It;s also a refreshing exercise and can actually be relaxing if you love being in the water.

Seeking out the expertise of a personal trainer

Finally, if you have some money to invest into your exercise, then you may want to gain the expertise and knowledge of a personal trainer. These people tend to tailor exercises to your needs, abilities and your end goals. They will know what exercises and equipment you should be using, and the workout can be tailored to the amount of time you have. It can also help to have someone there to spur you on, especially if you begin to flag towards the end. They can be a worthy investment, but may not be a long-term option.

I hope this has inspired you to incorporate more exercise into your daily routine.

 

Eating Enough Fruit And Veg Made Easy

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

We all know how important it is to get enough fruit and vegetables in our diet, yet the large majority of us fail to do this. It may not always feel like it, but eating the recommended amount of fruit and veg doesn’t need to be a challenge. Here, we’ll list some of the easiest things you can do to make sure you’re getting enough fruit and vegetables in.

Image: Wikimedia

Keep Them in the Open

Simply making the fruit and veg in your house more visible can be a great first step towards encouraging everyone in your household, you included, to get their fill. Don’t hide them away at the back of your cupboards. Instead, get a fruit bowl for the kitchen, keep it well-stocked, and have snackable things like carrot sticks available at the front of the fridge. Even taking the time to slice up apples, kiwis and so on can give you a little extra motivation to take a bite in passing.

Drink Them (Up to a Point)

Juice and smoothies are excellent ways to get your fill of fruit and veg, and make it feel easier. You can even start following a whole juice diet if you’re looking to lose weight. The next time you’re shopping for fruit, look for labels that say “100% fruit juice”, as a glass of these are guaranteed to give you a serving. Just be wary of the portion size, and make sure you know how much a serving is. It’s completely possible to wind up consuming more calories through juice and smoothies, even though they’re not exactly filling!

Think Frozen

Buying bulk amounts of peas and vegetables, and keeping them in your freezer, is an excellent way to make sure there’s always vegetables in the house. Frozen veg is remarkably easy to prepare, and can be kept for a long time, making them much more economical compared to buying fresh veg here and there throughout the week. Frozen raspberries and blueberries are also great to scatter over a bland cereal in the morning. Despite what you may have heard, it’s a complete myth that frozen fruits and vegetables are less nutritious than fresh ones, although the flavour can be a little dampened depending on where you source them from.

Get Started Early

Like a lot of things, the sooner you get started with eating your recommended amount of fruit and veg, the easier you’ll find it to polish it off. Start getting into the habit of making fruits or vegetables part of your breakfast. Adding sliced bananas or berries to your cereal is a classic, but you can also add vegetables to an omelette, berries to your yoghurt, or simply have a piece of fruit on the side. Soon enough, this will start to feel like part of the routine, rather than a chore you really ought to do. From there, you’ll have that much less to worry about through the rest of the day.

Start applying these tips, and you’ll find it so much easier to get your fill of fruit and veg.

Wacky Ways to Lose Belly Fat!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

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If there is one thing we all want in life it’s to lose a little weight. Sometimes, we just enjoy food too much and let go of our inhibitions. Although it’s delicious, it’s also unhealthy, especially if you’re carrying a little more timber than necessary.

Of course, you’re reading this thinking ‘this isn’t my first rodeo, pal,’ and you’re right. Lots of people try to lose weight on a daily basis, so what makes this post any different? Well, aside from the fact that these tips work, they are also weird and wonderful. When you spend a lifetime following the rules, sometimes it’s good to cut loose.

With that in mind, here are four wacky ways to lose weight that you won’t find on a conventional dieting blog.

The Sniff Test

 According to a study by the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, sniffing food works. In fact, their research shows that people lost nearly two stones. The method behind the madness is that the aroma of the food tricks the brain into thinking you’re eating. As a result, the brain tells the stomach you’re full, and the hunger pains cease. Sure, you’ll feel like an idiot the first time, but persist and you’ll look like a skinny idiot!

Testosterone Replacement

As you know, testosterone is a hormone found in the human body. What you might not know is that it is prominent in both males and females, and it’s responsible for burning fat. In fact, experts believe it’s the main hormone in charge and advocate supplements like Elite Testosterone Replacement. The stats do add up too. For starters, low testosterone can affect energy levels, which in turn make you less likely to exercise. Plus, low hormone levels also make you more tired. Fatigue is a killer when it comes to health because it lowers the body’s overall efficiency.

Bigger Breakfast

Because we don’t feel like eating in the morning, breakfast is usually quick and easy. Although it’s a good way to start the day, it isn’t the best way to lose weight. Simply put, eating more calories in the morning gives you more time to burn them off. Plus, it should provide you with more energy to workout. Shifting the balance so that your lunch and dinner have fewer calories can help you lose a ton. Okay, it won’t be a ton, but it’ll be a lot! In fact, try and avoid eating at night altogether because the body doesn’t have the time to digest the intake.

Packaged Snacks

The fact is that you will still snack even if you are on a health kick. It’s just an occupational hazard of being a human being. The good news is that you can curb it by sticking to wrapped products. Studies show that people that have to unwrap junk food cut their intake by up to thirty percent. It seems that the hassle of fiddling with packaging makes snacking less desirable. What a result!

See, you don’t have to stick to the tried and tested methods to reach your goals.

New Way to a Sweet Life with Sviten! A product review powered by FBCI

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

In todays time, when health is becoming a big concern, replacement of sugar is need of the hour. Unknowingly just in our regular tea and coffee drinking habits we end up consuming a lot of sugar, and then we have to compromise on enjoying sweets and desserts, but thankfully with products like Sviten, which are natural sweeteners but without having any side effects, any calories and gluten are a blessing.

Somehow I have been off sugar for quite sometime as far as milk and coffee is concerned, but I never really tried making a cake or dessert without sugar. But recently I thought of giving it a try and did my experiment with a simple recipe of making a custard. Having custard after dinner is almost customary in my house, and hence I chose to use Sviten instead of sugar in my custard this time. Also because I was making jelly, which is too sweet, I thought of balancing the custard by making it free of sugar. Trust me it urned out to be as sweet, natural tasting with Sviten as it does with regular sugar.

Must say that I am very impressed with this product and also relived that I can now enjoy desserts guilt free. Now add Sviten not only in regular tea and coffee but also its use in desserts, or making cakes or sweets is as simple, easy and tasty as using the normal sugar. Sviten is a natural sweetener made of Stevia, the best tasting part of the stevia leaf. Its been in use since 200 years and 300 times more sweeter than sugar, but only without calories and completely natural.

So what are you waiting for, make your life sweet but guilt free with Sviten, order from Amazon today!

Unique Ways To Drop Those Extra Pounds

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Pic Via Flickr

If you’re struggling to lose weight, perhaps while you’re trying to get beach body ready, you’re probably just not making the workout interesting enough. It’s hard to encourage yourself to get fit when it simply involves doing sit ups and press ups. Or, perhaps heading to the gym to run for an hour on a treadmill, going nowhere. It takes a special kind of person to get invested in these types of monotonous activities. Although, the payoff might ultimately make it worth it.

One possibility you could try is simply wild running. Rather than heading to the gym, you can drive to a forest or country track and go for a run there. You’ll be amazed by the effect the fresh air has on your performance, and the scenery will ensure it is a more fulfilling experience. Here are a few other ways to get fit that are a tad more unique than the typical gym workout session.

Wild Swimming

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Since we mentioned wild running, we might as well talk about wild swimming. Wild swimming is all about going for a dip in outdoor areas like rivers, streams, or even lakes. If you’re going to do this, you need to be aware of the dangers. First, you must make sure that the water is warm enough or that you wear a wetsuit. If the outdoor temperature is anything less than around nineteen degrees, it’s probably not.

Also, you have to watch out for fast underwater currents. These can drag you down, particularly if you are not a strong swimmer and make this activity very dangerous indeed.

That said, wild swimming can still be great fun and a fantastic workout. You can find tips online about where to swim in your local area.

Coaching A Team

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Perhaps you might want to volunteer coaching a sports team. Particularly, if your kid is a member. You might think that coaching is mainly an inactive sport but that’s not true. You’ll have to show them how to hit the ball, tackle, or complete plays. All this can be very active. Of course, you will need to take on other responsibilities such as arranging rewards if the team wins. Luckily, you can find football, rugby, basketball, and cricket trophies by Premier Trophies online. And if in doubt, you can always just take the players for ice cream after the match. Though, this does somewhat defeat the original intention behind the activity.

Shocking, Isn’t It

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Finally, if you are just can’t muster the energy to work out, you might want to try shock muscle therapy. Doing this, you send low electric pulses through your muscles, and this stimulates them in the same way as exercise. After a few months or even just weeks, you might find you’ve dropped the pounds while your body can even look more toned. It’s definitely a unique idea, and it does depend on the tech you use as to whether or not you see results.

You see, there’s lots of unique ways to workout before you rush off to the gym.

Picture Via Flickr

Turn from a Couch Potato into a Spring Chicken

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

You only have to look on your social media pages or pop your head into a gym to find people who are hugely enthusiastic about keeping fit. Just about everyone has a friend who talks about it all the time. Not everyone is so upbeat about exercise, though, and many haven’t done any real exercise for a long time. Or maybe even ever. Pretty much everyone has to move every day, from walking to the store to climbing the stairs. But many people don’t really make an effort to do much more than that. If you’re more of a couch potato, you might be thinking that it’s time to start getting fitter.

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Find Something You Enjoy

Before you get into your new fitness kick, it’s worth deciding how you want to get fit. While it’s tough to push yourself physically, that doesn’t mean it has to feel like complete torture or be really boring. If you’ve never enjoyed running, don’t decide to force yourself out on a run three times a week. You don’t have to enjoy every moment, but your workout should leave you feeling better mentally, even if you ache all over physically. There are so many ways to get active, from team sports to solo pursuits. Find something that works for you.

Choose Your Goals

Staying motivated when you’re trying to get fit is tough. Setting some goals to aim for helps to make it easier to motivate yourself and have a direction to head in. Everyone has different goals when they want to get fit, and they could be both big and small. It’s best to have concrete goals to aim for, instead of a vague “get fit.” For example, maybe you want to be able to run a marathon in a year’s time. Perhaps you want to lose a certain amount of weight, or you just want to climb the stairs at work without huffing and puffing.

Marybettiniblank on Pixabay

Create a Plan

Once you’ve decided on your goals, you should work out a plan to reach them. You should look for advice on the best ways to achieve what you want to do. Take a look at a building muscle for dummies guide if you’re hoping to get strong and buff. Read about how to alter your diet if you want to lose weight. Think about your plan in both the short-term and long-term. Remember that your plan doesn’t have to be set in stone. You can make changes to it.

Start Slowly

If you haven’t exercised in a while, don’t rush into it. You should start off slowly and try to only make one change at a time. If you attempt to turn your whole lifestyle upside down from one day to the next, you’ll have very little chance of sticking to your new routine. Start with just one thing, like going to a new fitness class, and build up to doing more.

Getting fit if you’re not much for exercise can feel like a huge challenge. Create a solid plan, and you’ll have a better chance of success.

Are Your Teeth In Tip Top Condition?

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

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Being human comes with a lot of responsibility. Our bodies are incredibly powerful machines that are super strong and can take us all the way from infancy to old age. To make sure that they can do that, we have a lot of health concerns to take care of. From healthy skin to organs that function properly, our lifestyle choices can make or break the way our bodies handle things. This couldn’t be any truer when it comes to out teeth. Not only are they an important part of our beauty regime, but they also are a huge part of our health. So, you need to be able to ensure that you keep them in tip top condition.

Clean

First things first, we all need to make sure that our teeth are clean. Although you make sure that your brush your teeth for two minutes, twice a day, that might not be enough. You have to get serious about flossing and start to focus on your gums too. If your teeth aren’t properly clean, even if you think they are, your gums will suffer and could even get infected. So, it could be in your interest to book in with a full-scale cleaning service with the hygienist at your dentist’s office. That way, they can be sure to clean off all of the junk and keep your teeth super clean.

White

Perhaps more of a beauty concern than a health one, but it’s always beneficial to your overall oral health to ensure that your teeth are super white. You might want to consider professional whitening options, but they can often be quite costly. If you don’t want to put a lot of money upfront to get whiter teeth, there are alternatives to consider. Along with at-home whitening kits, there’s also the super exciting idea of using charcoal toothpaste to create a longer lasting, shinier whitening effect.

Fresh

Getting back on to the health side of teeth, let’s talk about how to freshen up. Even if you don’t suffer from a strong case of halitosis, nobody likes to think that they have bad breath. So, you might want to take a few precautions to make sure that yours stays extra fresh. If you’re keeping everything clean, then you’re probably doing a good job already, but you’ll also find that mouthwash will help you out with this too. You can even get super strong brands that aim to kick bad breath. And just to be extra sure, it’s always a good idea to keep breath mints to hand.

Straight

And finally, up there with keeping your teeth white for beauty reasons, you might want to think about making them straight. Now, you may have had braces when you were a teen, but that doesn’t always mean that your teeth stay straight. The best part is that you don’t even have to wear the same kind of braces anymore. There are so many different ways to straighten crooked teeth; you can have a teeth straightening treatment and not even notice.

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