Food glorious food

In this post we sit down with our fellow dentist Ciara @dr_deehanjackson, who works as a dentist in Somerset, as well as running her beauty clinic (www.riversideaesthetics.org) in the heart of Bristol. We want to know more about how foods can affect your teeth and other aspects of your health - find out more below.

Irresitible..

Take a stroll down the aisle of your local supermarket and you'll notice the sheer amount of choice we have as consumers. Foods ranging from free range eggs, to veg, houmous, frozen peas and of course, pancakes. What foods are good for us? What foods damage our teeth?

Hopefully as you stroll through the toothpaste section you'll remember you can shun the typical plastic option for our fantastic Eco Friendly Toothbrushes and Cruelty Free Toothpaste!

As a general rule, things high in acids or sugars are damaging to your teeth. This includes (but not limited to) fizzy drinks, chocolates, sweets and biscuits. But what a lot of people don't know is that even fruits and other 'healthy' snacks can cause damage if eaten too frequently. This is why Public Health England suggest no more than 4 eating events per day!

Consuming the right sort of food and drink can also benefit your beauty - see below for more info.

"It is often said that our eyes are the windows to our soul; in the same way, our skin is a reflection of our lifestyle, diet and habits.

Over indulgence of processed foods with low nutritional value such as refined carbohydrates (sweets, cakes, pizzas, sugary syrups) can lead to blemishes, breakouts of spots and even contribute to lingering adult acne. This is due to increased oil production, decreased healthy gut bacteria that clears away acne causing organisms, and reduced levels of collagen proteins that normally rebuild and smooth out skin.

In addition, processed meats, fast foods and alcohol can all contribute to puffy, red and dehydrated skin that can give the appearance of older dull skin.

'Skin friendly' foods such as fish, organic meats, and good old fruit and veg can do the opposite; healthy fats and oils in foods such as salmon and avocado can help regenerate and boost supple and moisturised skin. Seeds and nuts such as walnuts provide vitamins and antioxidants to reduce redness, and tomatoes have been found to provide sun protection and prevent wrinkling.

That being said, everything is best enjoyed in moderation, our mental health and satisfaction is just as important as physical health - so have the vegetables for clear skin, and a burger for your sanity! "

See more of Ciara at:

www.riversideaesthetics.org

www.instagram.com/dr_deehanjackson