It’s easy eating green! Diet plays a huge part in the health of your teeth and gums as well as your overall physical condition. Making healthy diet choices – and maintaining them over time – is a huge part of holistic health, so the more heathy, natural foods that appear on your plate, the better!

Holistic health is heart heart

Heart disease is New Zealand’s single biggest killer, so consuming foods rich in heart-healthy elements is important. 

Start with lots of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veges are filling, high in fibre and generally have low energy density, meaning they help manage body weight.

According to the New Zealand Heart Foundation, about 40% of your trolley should be filled with vegetables and fruit when you’re grocery shopping. 

So let’s say it again: you can’t go wrong eating plenty of minimally processed plant foods. There is now plenty of scientific research proving that a diet rich in minimally processed plants and vegetables minimises risk of heart disease and has a host other positive benefits to boot.  

Some examples of healthy plant-based foods include:

  • Fruit
  • Green veges
  • Legumes
  • Whole grains
  • Nuts
  • Seeds

What are some good fruits to eat for holistic health?

All of them, essentially. Some of our favourites include apples, oranges, pears, kiwifruit, pineapples, watermelon (and the other melons, too), strawberries, and berries of all kinds. 

Tip: Chewing crunchy foods like apples is like a natural ‘toothbrushing’, dislodging food particles and scrubbing teeth clean. It’s no wonder that apples are sometimes described as ‘nature’s toothbrush’. 

Beans and Legumes

These fabaceae are high in protein and fibre and fantastic for your gut health. 

Popular choices include lentils, chickpeas, split peas, mung beans, soy beans, pinto beans, red kidney beans and cannellini beans.

What are some good grains?

Think brown rice, oats, barley, pasta, couscous, quinoa, buckwheat, and millet. For best results, select whole grain options.

What are the best starchy vegetables? 

Potatoes, kumara, corn, parsnips, yams, taro, cassava are all good choices.

Which seeds and nuts are best?

Seeds and nuts contain fibre, protein and heart-healthy fats. Healthy fats are still calorically dense of course, so the key is to not go overboard. 3-4 small handfuls a week is a good amount.

Good seed and nut choices include pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds. 

Green and black teas

Drink yourself healthy with this delicious and refreshing antioxidant. Teas have been shown to fight inflammation, boost immune systems and help ward off heart disease. 

Water is also a very good choice. Rinse your mouth with water after eating to wash away leftover particles of food that can become trapped between teeth and cause cavities. This is especially helpful when youl;ve been eating carbohydrate-rich foods (which can lead to plaque and cavities). 

What to cut?

Most western diets are high in salt, saturated and trans fats (often found in processed foods), and sugar. Cutting back on these can have a huge impact on overall health. 

It’s not just what you eat that’s important… 

…it’s also what you do. Engaging in regular exercise can have a huge impact on health and if you smoke, stop. 

Maximising overall health is the name of the game

Overall health comes when a healthy balance is achieved. That means maintaining good dental hygiene (brushing twice a day, flossing daily), a varied diet full of healthful foods including plenty of fruits and vegetables, adequate sleep and exercise. 

Regular check ups from a health professional focused on holistic health – including your dentist or dental hygienist – is important too. Regular check ups will help you catch burgeoning issues before they become full-blown problems. 

Simply Dental are the holistic health specialists

Taking a long term approach to your dental health, holistic dentists such as Simply Dental will get to know you, what your goals are, and what kind of at-home maintenance plan will suit you best. 

From there, a schedule can be established, with prevention and maintenance care services including:

  • Dietary support and advice
  • Personal oral hygiene advice and instruction
  • Cleaning and removal of plaque build-up
  • Stain removal
  • Coatings to protect vulnerable and/or sensitive surfaces
  • Fluoride treatments
  • Ready to get started? Click here to book an appointment online. 

Schedule an appointment

To make a dental appointment in Wellington, contact Simply Dental.