We all know that a low calorie diet often has a structured eating plan that restricts your daily caloric intake. This diet is primarily for people looking for weight loss. By following a low calorie diet you may consume only 1,200 to 1,500 calories a day. But be careful. Continuing this for a while may create a calorie deficit that might lead to weight loss.
Your new low calorie diet may indeed be doing great things for your waistline. But it may not be a healthy choice for your teeth and gums. You need to be extra vigilant that your low calorie diet may cause problems for your oral health if you continue it for long.
A low-calorie diet might be a practical option, especially for people on a diet. But you may require a lot of discipline to work and stay safe. Ideally, try to seek help from your dietitian or doctor – so that you do not overly restrict your calories. Be careful because you may miss out on essential nutrients when you are on low calorie diets.
What Is A Low Calorie Diet?
A low-calorie diet typically means you take 1,000 to 1,500 calories in a day. People often use this method to promote weight loss.
But remember, you should follow such diet under the strict guidance of your doctor to meet your nutritional needs. Experts emphasize that such a low calorie diet is not appropriate for everyone, especially athletes and breastfeeding women.
Low Calorie Diets and Oral Health
Low Calorie Diets are Bad for Teeth and Gums
A low calorie diet is a diet that is low in fat and hence affects calcium levels. Low calcium levels will lead to a lack of vitamin D. As a result, your bones and teeth will not absorb the calcium they need. You can only get these nutrients when you eat a diet that contains carbohydrates and fats.
Get some sunshine and also add some healthy fats to your daily diet. If you do not get enough sunlight and calcium, your teeth and bones will break down. Hope you know that fat produces dopamine that improves your overall mood. On the other hand, if you are stressed or depressed, you could be prone to tooth grinding. Such conditions could be an issue, worsening your TMJ pain.
Fruit Diets and Fruit Detoxes Weaken Teeth and Gums
Do you know that munching on fruits throughout your waking hours might not do any wonders for the number on the weighing scale. Meaning your weight will not reduce. Neither are they good for your teeth. Note that limiting meals to fruits and veggies might lead to malnutrition.
Moreover, citrus fruits’ high sugar and acid levels might damage your enamel. It would leave you more susceptible to tooth decay and gum disease. Instead of fruit, you may try adding high proteins to your diet or become a vegetarian.
Keto Diet is Not Always Good For Your Breadth
Carbohydrate diets work, but they often make your breath smell like rotten food or acetone. It means you are in ketosis if your breath smells somewhat similar to nail polish remover. It means your body is using ketones to burn fat instead of carbs.
If such a scenario arises in your body, the best option is to drink plenty of water or chew on mint or parsley. You may add some healthy carbohydrates to your diet to overcome the situation. Moreover, overloading on ketones may cause blood acidity – it causes your body to burn muscle, not fat. This condition can cause over tiredness and may even damage your heart in the long run.
Low Calorie Dieting is Risky for Teeth and Gums
You should know that – cutting down on your daily calorie count might help you lose weight. But it would also deplete your body with essential minerals and vitamins.
If your body is not getting the prop nutrients, you will soon become malnourished. The process would slowly weaken your jawbone and the enamel on your teeth.
Finally, a lack of nutrition over a period will affect your dental health, making them soft and vulnerable to gingivitis and even more severe periodontal disease.
What Can You Eat as Part of a Low Calorie Diet?
There is indeed no one official low-calorie diet. But nutrition experts confirm that if you choose healthy, whole foods – they are naturally low in calories for a sustainable eating plan. You have the freedom to consume calories as it might work for you. In fact, you might find that it is easier to stick with a low-calorie plan when you increase your intake for a day.
However, you must be very careful of what you eat as it might interfere with your weight loss program. To count calories, you should know the quantity of food you eat at each meal.
Proponents of low calorie diets suggest that you should start with a measuring cup and kitchen scale to measure your daily servings. You should continue using a scale till the time you feel you can visually estimate your portions. Note that even your beverages may also contain calories, so you need to count and measure what you drink during the day.
Remember that you automatically increase your chances of success if you keep track of all you eat in a day. Keep your food diary using a calorie counter app or in a notebook. Calorie tracker apps or food trackers help maintain a daily log of your calories. They can also grade your diet for nutritional value.
Low Calorie Foods You Should Try
You can quickly find all kinds of low calorie diet foods on your grocery store shelves. You can quickly identify them by the bright shiny labels whether the product is low in calories, low-fat, sugar-free, and worth many points.
All these nutrition and calorie values info have been verified with the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Data Central database.
You may want to keep a watch on your weight and at the same time eat tasty foods. But remember, never sacrifice good nutrition while you are watching your waistline. These whole foods are generally versatile, nutritious, and super low in calories. In such cases, you do not have to depend on specific meals to control your diet.
1. Spinach
You can include spinach as the base for a salad or serve it as a healthy side dish. Spinach is rich in iron and several vitamins, including fiber. One cup of raw spinach leaves will have only 7 calories, and a cup of cooked spinach will have only about 65 calories.
2. Kale Leaves
Kale leaves are amazingly nutritious. They are high in most vitamins and minerals, but they include vitamin C and calcium. They are also an excellent source of fiber and contain beneficial antioxidants. It is no wonder that everyone includes kale in almost every list of superfoods. One raw kale cup has less than 7.8 calories, perfect for your salad.
3 Carrots
Carotene-rich carrots are just suitable for any healthy diet as they are versatile and have a mild taste. You can serve them as a side dish or raw as an appetizer or snack. Carrots are high in vitamins C and A. They also provide calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, vitamin E, K, and folate. One cup of carrots contains about 50 calories.
4 Broccoli
This nutrient-rich member of the cruciferous family, broccoli. Broccoli is exceptionally high in vitamin C, vitamin A, manganese, calcium, and potassium. It is also high in fiber and totally low in calories. One cup of chopped broccoli contains only 31 calories, so you can happily include it in your diet plan.
5 Arugula
Another green leafy vegetable, arugula, is high in several vitamins and minerals. It includes folate, beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin K, and magnesium. Surprisingly, only two cups of arugula will have 10 calories. So it makes a perfect base for your salad. Top up your salad with fresh fruits, nuts, and a light dressing.
6 Green Beans
Beans are green in color and also rich in nutrients you may need. They are also low in calories. You may enjoy one cup of cooked green beans with only 44 calories – perfect for your low calorie diet.
7 Chicken Breast
You can enjoy lean chicken breast meat without any skin, and it could be an excellent source of protein. It provides niacin, selenium, and vitamin B-12. One 3-ounce portion of chicken meat will only have about 100 calories before cooking. If you combine healthy ingredients, you can keep your chicken dish low in calories.
Is Low Calorie Diet Safe?
Many people often ask if a low calorie diet is actually beneficial. If you plan to go on such a diet, talk to your doctor about a healthy diet that would not affect your teeth and gums. As you might know, low calorie foods are not suitable for everyone. You must always discuss what food you should include in your diet plan with your dentist.
If your BMI exceeds 30, very low calorie diets could be a safe option, but only if used under proper medical supervision. For overweight but not obese people with a BMI ranging from 27 to 30, you should only take low calorie diets under strict medical supervision only.
Prior to starting a new diet plan, consult with your doctor, especially if you have any underlying health condition. Also, note that low calorie diets are never recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women.
It is true that cutting out calories will indeed help lose weight. However, reducing your nutritious food intake will drastically deplete your body with much-needed nutrients required for your healthy teeth and gums. Moreover, malnutrition could soften your enamel and cause problems for your gum tissue. If this scenario continues, you may lose your teeth.
Dieting and trying all types of low calorie diets may cause long-term problems for your teeth and gums. Hence, choose the proper diet that will shrink your waistline and at the same time keep your teeth and gums healthy.
If your body is not getting the prop nutrients, you will soon become malnourished. The process would slowly weaken your jawbone and the enamel on your teeth.