Day 7

Wednesday, September 13, 2016

I’m still eating soft foods but I love things like oatmeal, quinoa, black bean burgers, sweet potato burgers, spaghetti squash with meat sauce and ice cream! My teeth are less sensitive so there is an equilibrium I am reaching with my teeth and my diet. One thing that has changed a lot is snacking. Honestly, at work, in our stressful jobs, we often eat our way through the stress of the day. Monthly, our team members rotate responsibility to shop for necessities…cleaning products, paper towel, Kleenex and the like. Within the budget is an allowance for ‘snacks’. Each person gets to choose treats for the team to stock the pantry cupboard with on-the-go eats that are quick to consume. Skinny Pop popcorn, M&M’s (yes, we love our chocolate and no, as sugar goes, it’s not too bad for your teeth in small amounts), chips/salsa, chips/ hummus, almonds, string cheese and pretzels. Everything listed in italics is on the forbidden food list for people wearing braces but more importantly, any food I eat sticks to the braces. 

The concept of a snack-on-the-go is being redefined by my experience. There is no ‘on-the-go’ when you wear braces. It’s more like this: if you snack, you must immediately brush so no one has to look at the remnants of your snack hanging from your brackets. It’s just easier not to snack if I don’t have time to brush too. I’m hoping I will lose a few pound in the process but if you remember my reference to FDP on Day 2, I think I will make up for the lost calories from a reduction in snacking!