Detoxify Your Kitchen For 2018

Posted on Monday, January 1, 2018
Detoxify Your Kitchen For 2018
By Katia Mashni, MPH, RDN 

We often start out our new year with some kind of a resolution that will improve our health. It may be cutting down on sugar, working out more, eating out less, preparing healthier dishes; etc. The problem is we often find ourselves struggling with maintaining our change long term! Why? There are several reasons but “your environment” is on top of that list. Unfortunately, we cannot control a lot of things around us but we can definitely control what is in our home, specifically our kitchen!

To avoid setbacks you need to clean up your kitchen!
Stack Your PANTRY with these items:
  • Extra virgin olive oil 
  • Balsamic Vinegar 
  • Raw nuts like walnuts, almonds, pistachios 
  • Soy or nut butter, tahini (sesame seed paste) 
  • Organic Honey 
  • Dried fruits – dates, raisins 
  • Beans (low salt) or Dry 
  • Tuna/ Sardines 
  • Quinoa, brown rice 
  • Chia seeds, flax seeds 
  • Rolled Oats 
  • Low-sodium broth 
  • Rice cakes 
  • Popcorn 
  • Spices 
  • Herbal Teas
AND Your FRIDGE with these:
  • Your favorite fruits & vegetables
  • Greens – washed and ready to use like kale, spring mix, spinach, arugula, etc.
  • Lemon – (Tip: squeeze lemon ahead of time and put it in a small container to use it on salads for dressing or in green smoothies) 
  • Low-fat greek yogurt 
  • Fat-free or 1% milk OR unsweetened soy milk
  • Goat cheese
  • Eggs
  • Tofu
  • Chicken or turkey breast/ Extra lean beef
  • Guacamole
  • Hummus 
  • Mustard
  • Whole wheat tortilla wraps or Pita bread
By having most of these ingredients you can always make a health meal, a delicious snack, and a healthy sweet treat! Here are some ideas:

- Breakfast: oatmeal, omelet or sandwich (choice of bread or wrap with guacamole or hummus, spring mix, tofu, boiled egg)
- Lunch: Salad (greens, tuna, walnuts, chia seeds, beans, choice of vegetables) with Salad dressing (Lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, olive oil & spices)
- Dinner: tacos, whole wheat pasta with tomato sauce and chicken, vegetable soup, quinoa salad
- Snack: Greek yogurt with a teaspoon of honey and choice of fruit, popcorn, hummus with vegetables or pita chips, pistachios
- Sweet treat: peanut butter on a rice cake with some honey, date with an almond or walnut, Tahini with honey (2 teaspoons tahini with 1 teaspoon of honey)
- Drinks: tea (cold or hot), hot chocolate (milk, unsweetened cocoa powder, with a teaspoon of honey or stevia)

So, start by:
  1. Cleaning up your kitchen - Out of sight- out of mind 
  2. Making a list of your healthy staples you like 
  3. Making sure they are always available
         HAPPY NEW YEAR..
 WE WISH YOU A HEALTHY ONE! 


5 Awesome Reasons to use a Mouthguard During Sports

Posted on Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Imagine what it would be like if you or your child lost or broke one or two front teeth.  Smiling, talking, eating would all be affected.  May has been an interesting month weather wise and as the sun shines outside more of us and our kids are heading outside to play sports and exercise.  Living an active lifestyle and having children that are involved in sports is great for your mind and body.  It can also come with risks if precautions are not taken.  One of the saddest things we see as dentists coming into our office is trauma to front teeth.  For us this is sad at any age but especially sad when it happens to a child or young adult.  Good thing there is a simple way to avoid sports related injuries in many circumstances.  THE MOUTHGUARD! Check out these 5 really awesome reasons to use a mouthguard!

  1. The American Dental Association estimates that about one third of all dental injuries are sports-related.  
  2. There is NOTHING better than your own teeth! Mouth guards protect against the following types of injuries: Chipping or breaking of teeth, having a tooth knocked out of your mouth, nerve damage to the tooth, damage to dental work, injuries to lips or cheeks, and fracturing of your jaw.  
  3. Using a mouthguard is proven to reduce the risk of sports-related dental injuries; it is estimated wearing a mouth guards prevents over 200,000 injuries a year.  
  4. Most contact sports require a mouthguard to be worn
  5. It is VERY inexpensive compared to having dental work done on your front teeth!

There are three main types of mouthguard available:
1.  Stock mouth guard:  These tend to be the least expensive mouthguard.  The main complaint with these is that there is little you can do to adjust them.  They tend to be bulky than the other two types.  
2. Boil and bite mouth guards: These are a little more expensive than a stock mouth guard but will fit better. They soften under water and can form to your mouth so the fit will be more accurate. 
3.  Custom mouth guard: This is the most expensive option.  It is also the option that will have the best fit and the most protection.  This type of mouthguard is only available from a dentist.  An impression is taken of your teeth and a custom mouthguard is fabricated.  


Not every mouthguard is made equal.  Some offer better protection than others.  Whichever type of mouthguard you choose remember that if you buy it at a store to make sure it has the ADA seal of approval on it!  If you have any additional questions about a mouthguard or if you would like one made we are always available to answer any questions.  


Mashni Dentistry

Dental Risk Factors

Posted on Wednesday, April 20, 2016
In today’s world there is a risk in everything we do- from flying or driving or certain foods we eat or habits we partake in. Dental health is no different.  Risks are abundant- but understanding and awareness of those risks is vital to our dental and overall health.
Our December 2015 blog discussed a healthy mouth baseline that we all need to be aware of.  This blog simply includes a list of risks that we face; in future blogs we will talk about how to lower our risks. 
These risks include:
·             Inability or unwillingness to remove 90-100% of bacteria around and in-between your teeth.
·             Acidic food and drinks that we consume.
·             Bleeding gums
·             Medications and their side effects.
·             Poor quality or quantity of saliva
·             Uncleansable areas of teeth
·             Systemic conditions (Disease of our body)
·             Smoking and other habits that can change the mouth environment.
·             Missing and/or crowded teeth.
·             Cracked, chipped or unsealed teeth due to failing fillings and stress on teeth.
·             A bite or teeth that are not stable.
·             Para functional habits that we do at night such as grinding or clenching
·             A partner or a family member with periodontal disease.
·              Financial and occupational situations.


At Mashni Dentistry- We believe dental disease is preventable- and We believe that a healthly mouth lead to a better life. We would love to help reduce your risks of the above factors. 
We know with your help we can get you to a healthier life!


These risks are similar for children and adults- at Mashni Dentistry we are a family dentist that serves all ages here in the East Lansing and surrounding areas.  Feel free to call us to set up your comprehensive evaluation or to meet or talk with one of our doctors. 

Sip All Day- Get Decay!

Posted on Wednesday, February 24, 2016

At Mashni Dentistry we care deeply for your health.  In our world today we are inundated with sugary acidic drink choices that have been affecting the health of our whole society. 
            Many long term studies have shown that pop (or soda for the non-Midwesterners) increases risks for high blood pressure, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, fatty liver disease, liver failure, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.  Even more interesting is that these risks are increased no matter if it is a regular or a diet soda!
            With stats from 2012 already showing that 14.3% of the population has diabetes (38% pre-diabetic) one easy way we can start to improve our nations health is to reduce the intake of these drinks.
             Those are the systemic effects (effects on your whole body) but we as dentists see the effects of acidic and sugary drinks on all ages of our population in the effects of their teeth along with their overall health.  We understand this habit is difficult to kick- here are some facts and first steps to reducing your risk of some of the side effects.
·             Do not sip on your soda, juice, or coffee! Start to only drink acidic sugary drinks at meal time and finish within a 10-15 minute period.
·             Juice, Milk, Coffee, and Sports Drinks still have sugar and acid that can still cause problems if a daily habit
·             Gatorade or sports drinks only are beneficial if doing cardiovascular work for close to 2 hours.  If you are drinking these it is only increasing your risk for problems.
·             Kids should only have water in Sippy cups.  If giving juice you can dilute and have them drink with a meal.
·             To protect your teeth from the acid from these drink you can chew xylitol gum (see previous post ab out xylitol) or rinse your mouth with water.
·             Not all acids and sugars are made the same! Certain acids take more toll on your teeth and health.  We have seen cases of teenagers and young adults loosing multiple or all teeth due to an energy drink habit.


·             Make sure you get enough water! When thirsty we are most likely to grab a sugary drink, make sure you start your day with a full glass of water.
·             Take this drinks out of your house- our children will be less likely to get into a sugary drink habit.

               The effects on our teeth are only another reason to change our drinking habits.  Most people with a consistent soda habit are considered high risk for tooth decay- 70%  of those with a high risk are found to get new at least one new cavity every year!
With increasing levels of adult and childhood obesity and diabetes it is clear that this is a large part of the problem.

If you sip all day you will decay your body and your teeth. 


Dr. Jason Mashni

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