23 minute read
Is Mouth Breathing Harmful to Your Health?
Is Mouth Breathing
Harmful to Your Health?
By Dr. Josephine Perez, DMD
—Dr. Josephine Perez, DMD
Afunny thing happened the other day—my husband and I attended a band and orchestra performance at our teenager’s high school, and as I watched these beautiful teenagers march into formations as they played their instruments to inspiring music, I was so proud and these kids were clearly having fun. But one thing kept distracting me. Originally trained as a ballet dancer, I had learned long ago that posture is everything! As I panned out to the entire group, I noticed that “forward head” position everywhere I looked. As each section took their breather, I noticed the long faces and open mouths. Those kids were mouth breathers!
What’s so wrong with mouth breathing, though? A small amount of mouth breathing is normal if you have a cold or during strenuous exercise. But when we are at rest, there are several reasons mouth breathing is bad for us—most importantly, it is a symptom of lack of oxygen, also known as airway issues. It is a major sign the body is not getting enough oxygen.
Every Breath You Take
Anthropologists are telling us that the human skull is getting smaller and narrower, teeth are coming in more crooked than 30–40 years ago, asthma and allergies are at an all-time high, and teeth grinding is rampant—not to mention the high blood pressure, autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, concentration issues, and overall school performance issues that are related to our shrinking skulls and elongated faces causing airway issues and ultimately affecting our nutrition. You see, mouth breathing starves the brain and the heart. Breathing through your nose floods the lungs with precious nitric oxide, which among other things, relaxes your blood vessels. We are losing our ability to breathe properly and most people don’t even notice it. Honestly, most people don’t even think about it.
Studies show that 90% of the population has an inadequate airway. Why? Because the jaws are not growing adequately. Our faces are growing longer, our teeth and tongues don’t fit properly in our mouths, tonsils are huge, ear infections are on the rise, and so on. It’s a hard conversation to have when I see kids with underdeveloped jaws swallowing incorrectly and chewing incorrectly—all essentially because we are breathing incorrectly.
Time for a Rebuild
In the forward head posture, the jaws are not growing anteriorly and horizontally and the tongue is pushed backward. Oxygen therefore has a limited and constricted space to go thru on its way to the lungs; ergo, the head tips forward to bring the tongue forward so we can breathe. This also happens when the palates are vaulted and take up the space that was intended for the sinuses. Meanwhile, when the oxygen drops our brains shift into survival mode (sympathetic gear) and order our bodies to work hard at getting precious oxygen in. No wonder kids are exhausted today—sleep is meant to reboot and refresh everything but instead, their bodies are working overtime just to get the air they need.
The good news is we do have the genes to correct this, they just haven’t been expressed—or have been turned off, so to speak. Every cell in our bodies is in constant communication with the rest of the body, so just one small change in nutrition or mechanics can flip a switch in our DNA. We now know that it takes four generations to have a change in our DNA, and currently (and perhaps alarmingly) most of of us are on the third generation. Since the early 2000s, technology has helped us understand genes and DNA further so for most of us, through early interventions, small changes in nutrition, and learning to breathe through the nose—along with myofunctional exercises and maybe certain appliances—we can flip our good genes back on.
Your Dentist May Be Your Solution
Biological dentists are trained to see these symptoms and possibly help and/or guide with early intervention. Here’s the thing: once I see it, I cannot unsee it. The earlier you start, the better the outcome. We can prevent a number of adult malaises, including hypertension, sleep apneas, and autoimmune disorders that some physicians will just dismiss as the “you-are-getting-older” rule. The literature teaches us that there’s even a connection between snoring/mouth breathing and serious diseases such as heart disease, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. I simply will not dismiss these symptoms because we can correct mouth breathing habits today. For now, I will close my eyes and open my ears to Brahms, Sousa, Williams, and Stravinsky as these beautiful high schoolers transport me to my ballet days. • Dr. Josephine Perez, DMD, has been practicing dentistry for 29 years. She is a graduate of Tufts University School of Dentistry in Boston and interned at New Orleans Coast Guard/ Navy Base. Her holistic approach to dentistry encompasses each person’s unique and entire (or whole—holistic) state of physical and emotional well-being. The ability to maintain health through preventive measures and treatments of oral disease is her priority. Dr. Perez focuses on the underlying condition, rather than only treating the symptoms. She tests for biocompatibility to find pathways to reduce inflammation and apply biocompatible and biomimetic materials, supplements, essential oils to restore and strengthen the oral cavity and ultimately, the whole body. After decades of restoring and transforming smiles, Dr. Perez has integrated total wellness into her oral health enhancement practice—a revolutionary style of dentistry. Visit Pure Dental in Naples at 4444 Tamiami Trail N, Ste. 6–7, call 239.692.9623 or go to www.puredentalnaples.com. See ad on page 15 > Suzanne'snewDEXAScanshows 8.5%GAIN inbonedensity
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Plant based, gf, whole superfoods, local, and oh so good! A variety of plant based creations from local start up, Future Foods Group, LLC
Overwhelmed. This is how many of us can feel when it comes to making the “right” choices for the health of ourselves, loved ones, and family. We are inundated with information, products, marketing, fads, and health trends that seem to change and flip-flop every decade or so. As a father, husband, and entrepreneur, I often find myself in a dilemma that many of us are faced with—choosing between health, taste, time, and convenience. This is not even to mention considering deeper questions, such as:
• Is the market I’m buying my food from a local business? • What is the company’s carbon footprint? • Are the ingredients clean/sustainable? • Is it ethically produced? and many more questions like these. Documentaries, social media influencers, and the multi-billion-dollar mega-global industry that is our modern food system are going all out with agendas as well. What are we to do?
While this truly is a complex topic that we could deep dive into a multi-volume compendium over,
1 instead we will focus on answering some basic questions, such as: • What is plant-based? Is it different than veganism? Can animal-based foods be healthy? • What are whole foods, superfoods, and regenerative food systems? • How can I decide what type of foods are right for me? • What local resources are at my disposal?
Plant-Based Diet vs. Veganism
A form of eating that focuses primarily on obtaining all your nutrients through fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and other plant materials, a plant-based diet is different from veganism due to the ethical component of veganism. Plant-based diets may sometime allow for foods sourced from animals and is more about clean nutrition and ecologically sustainable food practices. Some pitfalls of the modern plant-based food industry are occasionally referred to as greenwashing, in which companies take advantage of the general idea that if a food is plant based it’s automatically healthier for you and the planet. This blanket statement is just not true, particularly in the many occasions where plant-based foods are made with industrially grown, highly processed, and artificial ingredients.
A philosophy stemming from ethical beliefs in the equal value of all life, veganism involves practitioners refrain from eating (and in many cases, also wearing or handling) any product that came from an animal. This includes seafood, milk, cheese, honey, leather, and more. A vegan philosophy boycotts the exploitation of animals in any format— food, entertainment, fashion, and so on. Those who follow a vegan diet suffer the same pitfalls as those following plant-based diets, in that just because the food you are eating isn’t made using animals, this doesn’t mean that it is inherently any healthier than its conventional counterpart—or even that it is healthy at all (Oreo cookies, fast-food French fries, and heavily processed and artificial “impossible” meat substitutes are also vegan).
1 Chef David Robbins, always on the hunt for what’s fresh + local; inspecting hydroponically grown lettuces from Colusa Farms, Naples , FL.
2 Nasturtiums, mizuna, speckled leaf lettuce, and heirloom tomatoes; fresh + local + organic + regeneratively grown produce.
Can a Plant-Based or Vegan Diet Be Healthy and Satisfying?
With the proper ingredients and knowledge, both plant-based and vegan diets can be incredibly versatile, creative, healthy, and satisfying. However, it is a personal choice that, like anything else you want to be successful at, also involves putting in effort. Research and consult with an expert about your personal nutritional/ health needs and make the effort to know your food sources and vendors and have a balance of amino acids, macronutrients, and micronutrients. And don’t forget—processed junk foods are processed junk foods, no matter whether they are made from animal products.
It is also important to note that animal-based foods can indeed be healthy, though again, an animal-based diet is a personal choice that takes effort to fulfill responsibly. Do the research, build the relationships, consult a dietician, and look for quality. If we source grass-fed, grass-finished animals that are regeneratively, ethically, and locally raised, there are studies that show the proteins, fats, enzymes, and minerals we receive from them can be particularly beneficial.
Whole foods are those foods that, when eaten, are closest in essence to their natural form, in which physical changes (e.g., chopping, roasting, baking, etc.) are acceptable and do not change the inherent properties of the food. Conversely, chemical changes in which the ingredients are modified on a molecular level (e.g., hydrogenated canola oil or ingredients infused with laboratory-made chemical preservatives/dyes) are not acceptable. In other words, the term “whole foods” simply refers to the opposite of what food evolved into over the last 50–70 years—industrially produced, processed, GMO foods. Superfoods are defined by a ratio of nutritional density to caloric intake. For example, a bottle of cola soda has a high number of calories but nearly zero nutritive value, whereas a bottle of beet and carrot juice would have a high ratio of nutritive value to calories. The natural world is loaded with superfoods, not limited only to exotic-sounding ingredients such as acai, maqui berry, camu-camu, and so on, from far-off rainforests—an apple is also considered a superfood!
Modern science has discovered that essentially, the methods of growing foods and raising animals performed until around the turn of the 20th century are truly the best practices we know, and in fact, those methods allow us to help restore our planet to a healthy and sustainable ecosystem. Through processes known as carbon sequestration and carbon draw-down, we have seen that farmers and ranchers who work in harmony with their local ecology—promoting native biodiversity; eliminating artificial and added fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides; rotating crops; allowing animals to live naturally outdoors and systematically rotating grazing pastures in a way that emulates natural migration systems; and creating healthy soil biomes— can actually reverse the effects of desertification, restore topsoil, and pull in atmospheric carbon to be stored safely in the soil, ultimately regenerating a healthy environment. These processes are known as regenerative food systems.
Critical thinking. Like so much in life, thinking critically helps you educate yourself about a topic and view it from more than one perspective before making a choice. Remember to: • ask questions and don’t always take things at face value • do research and make educated choices • remember that almost every documentary, article, food manufacturer, and influencer may have some sort of agenda—be aware and make your own choices • seek out local small businesses/farms/food producers/health practitioners • build relationships with farmers and other people in the space of healthy living
It may be cliché, but the adage “you are what you eat” carries a great deal of truth. I believe the future of food is found somewhere in the balance of what is healthy and sustainable both biologically for humans as well as what is healthy and sustainable for our planet’s ecosystem. Whether you follow a meat-based or plant-based diet, whether you’re an omnivore, pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan, or something else…make your own informed decisions. Instead of choosing “trendy” diets or fads, when choosing the words that describe your food choices—quality, clean, whole, super, sustainable, regenerative, balanced—you can’t go wrong.
To help make all this overwhelming information a little easier, the following is a list of resources local to the Naples area that will help you find those whole foods, superfoods, and products from regenerative foods systems and get those deepdive questions answered. “With the proper ingredients and knowledge, both plant-based and vegan diets can be incredibly versatile, creative, healthy, and satisfying. However, it is a personal choice that, like anything else you want to be successful at, also involves putting in effort.”
—Chef David Robbins
Feature Local Resources for Healthy Eating
Veggies + Fruits + Micros + Shrooms + Plant Foods + More
Future Foods | 100% All Natural, Whole Food, GF, Non-GMO, Organic Plant-Based + Sustainable Prepared Foods
239.247.2244 | @thenotaburger @futurefoodsgroup Saturdays: 3rd St. South Farmer’s Market | Made in Naples, FL E-Comm Store: www.futurefoodsmarket.co
Russell Holland | Care2Grow Gourmet + Medicinal Mushrooms
239.253.7076 | @caretwogrow Saturdays: 3rd St. South Farmer’s Market
Juicelation | Naples Based Fresh Pressed Juices + Smoothies + Bowls
239.529.2290 | juicelation@gmail.com Saturdays: 3rd St. South Farmer’s Market In store: 4947 Tamiami Trail N, Ste 104, Naples, FL
Sherry Spargo | Chakra Organic Microgreens + Kombucha
412.480.8718 | @sherryjspargo @microgreenschakra Saturdays: Shoppes at Vanderbilt Farmer’s Market | Sundays: Pine Ridge Farmer’s Market
EFC—East Fork Creek/Earth Friendly Community Farm | All Natural Aquaponic Lettuces + Food Forest + Local Raw Honey
239.887.0116 | @eastforkcreek | info@eastforkcreek.com Saturdays: Produce Market at East Fork Creek Farms | South Ft. Myers
Nick and Natalie Batty | Inyoni Organic Farm | Certifi ed Organic + Annual Veggies + Seasonal Tropical Fruits
239.980.3605 | @inyoniorganicfarm | www.inyoniorganicfarm.store Saturdays: 3rd St. South Farmer’s Market | Online Sales
Chris and Eva Worden PhD | Worden Farms | Certifi ed Organic + Regenerative Produce
941.234.4843 | @wordenfarm | www.wordenfarm.com Saturdays: Sarasota Farmer’s Market |Sundays: Punta Gorda, Worden Farm Stand | CSA programs available
Johnathan and Isabel Way | Colusa Farms | Microgreens | Edible Flowers
239.300.8416 | @colusafarms | www.colusafarms.com Local Delivery Service
Danny | 12 Seasons Farm | All natural seasonal produce + food forest
230.229.3579 | @12seasonsfarm | 12SeasonsFarm@gmail.com | www.12seasonsfarm.com Saturdays: Bonita Springs Farmer’s Market | Farm Pick-Up + Delivery
Danielle Flood (PR Director) | ECHO Farms, non-profi t research and educational center
239.560.0458 | @echofightshunger | www.echonet.org Saturdays: Limited on site farmer’s market | North Ft. Myers
Seafood + Meats + Breads + Beverages + More
Circle C Farms | Regeneratively Ranched All Natural Raised in Collier Country | Beef, Poultry, Pork
@circlecfarm | Farm Store available: 10441 Kentucky St., Bonita Springs, FL Collier County, FL | www.circlecefarmfl.com
Rosy Tomorrow Heritage Farm | Fresh Florida Raised Sustainable Salmon
@bluehousesalmon | www.bluehousesalmon.com | Miami, FL
Dilly’s Seafood | @dillys_fi sh_co | Fresh sustainable seafood from local waters
239.398.7731 | 2052 Danford St, Naples, FL Fridays fresh off the boat | Park next to @Mikesbaithouse (come early, bring cash)
Anna Erickson | Erickson and Jensen Seafood
Fresh, sustainable seafood from local waters 239.463.4050 | 1100 Shrimp Boat Ln, Ft. Myers Beach, FL
Bluehouse Salmon | Fresh Florida Raised Sustainable Salmon
@bluehousesalmon | www.bluehousesalmon.com | Miami, FL
Mote Marine Lab | Sustainable Siberian Sturgeon Caviar
941.388.4441 | @motemarinelab | www.mote.org | Sarasota, FL
Lake Meadow Naturals | Heritage Breed Poultry, Eggs, Beef, Pork | Regenerative | Free Range | All Natural | High Quality
321.206.6262 | www.lakemeadownaturals.com Ocoee, FL | Farm Pick-Up or Wholesale Distributions
Jurg and Leslie Landert | Landert European Breads + Pastries 239.961.6116 | @landertbread | www.landertbread.com | Naples, FL
Saturdays: Shoppes at Vanderbilt Farmer’s Market | Online Sales | Commercial Delivery
Flying Eagle Kombucha
239. 935.9212 | @flyingeaglekombucha Pick Up or Delivery from Millennial Brewery Ft. Myers, FL
Conagree and Penn | Heritage Rice
904.527.1945 | hello@conagreeandpenn.com | @conagreeandpenn | www.conagreeandpenn Florida Grown and Operated | Website Orders| Jacksonville, FL EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
Documentaries
Kiss the Ground Game Changers What the Health (Un) Well Fantastic Fungi
LOCAL HEALTH GURUS
Betsy Opyt RD, LD/N, CDE
Healthy Concepts Consulting 4 Elements Yoga 7935 Airport Rd, Naples FL Integrative Functional Nutrition Specialist • Health and Wellness Coach Yoga Instructor • Author • Speaker
www.healthyconceptsconsulting.com www.yoga4elements.com
Lenka Schulze
Wellness Energy Institute 5435 Park Central Ct., Naples FL RMT • Author • Speaker • Educator Medical Intuologist • EFT Practitioner • Vibrational Medicine Expert • Certified Advanced Holistic Health Coach from the International Institute of Holistic Medicine
www.lenka.org www.wellnessenergyinstitute.org
Suz Jefferys
CEO Wellness Naples, FL Tai Chi Instructor • Certified Nutrition Therapist + Speaker
www.suzjefferys.com
Chef David Robbins
Future Foods + Not A Burger Concierge Chef Services + Consulting Naples, FL Specialist: Functional Food, Superfood, Plant Food, Whole Food, Farm to Table, Slow Food, Sustainability Private Concierge Chef Services + Masterclass Sessions on Clean Eating
www.futurefoodsmarket.com www.chefdavidrobbins.com
1 Not a meatballs (glazed), a plant-based/gf/ non-gmo, clean, whole superfood, protein-and nutrient-rich alternative —no fi llers, artifi cial lab ingredients , or b.s. | served with gochujangfermented garlic honey.
2 Local, gulf-caught snapper with a plantforward presentation and injection of superfoods with a crispy nutty “crust” of red quinoa—a signature dish of David Robbins.
3 Superfoods toast —Landert Bread lye croissant triangle topped with all things local: strawberries, mulberries, and blueberries + organic honey + bee pollen.
2 3
Feature The Chef’s Table | Recipe
Veggie-Forward Beef + Beet Tartar organic | regenerative | a classic for the future
If the future of foods is in sustainability, carbon footprint, nutritional density, and food security, then it also needs to include another crucial factor—deliciousness! Inspired by my time at Blue Hill Stone Barn Farms, this recipe truly checks all the boxes. It’s light yet satisfying, rich yet clean, super nutritious, hits so many notes of texture and flavor, is a marriage of regenerative animal and plant farming, and bridges the gap between classical cuisine and future foods.
Ingredients
(serves 6–8)
Do Your Research | Grow Relationships | Find Regeneratively Grown Veggies and Meats | Shop Small + Local (when possible) 1 large red beet (approx. 6–8 oz) 1 large gold beet (approx. 6–8 oz) (or badger �lame beet from row7seeds.com) 10–12 oz raw, premium-quality regenerative grass fed/�inished beef—go with your favorite cut *2 oz beef tallow (rendered fat, available from your local butcher) (*optional) 1 medium shallot, �inely minced 2 oz capers, �inely minced 4–5 sprigs fresh thyme, picked and �inely chopped 1 small bunch fresh chives, �inely minced 1 small bunch fresh chervil, �inely minced 2 oz micro arugula (or other microgreens); reserve for garnish 2 oz Dijon mustard 1 oz pickled mustard seeds (optional for garnish) 4 oz extra virgin olive oil 2 med lemons, zested and juiced 2 oz parmigiana reggiano, �inely grated 1.5 tsp cacao nibs, toasted and �inely ground into powder (reserve 1/2 tsp for garnish) 6–8 quail or small duck eggs, yolks only (whites can be used later for an omelette or meringue) 6–8 pieces toasted ancient grain bread (optional for garnish) Flake sea salt + fresh cracked black pepper + esplette chili—all to taste
Method
Cook the Beets
• Scrub the beets well, removing any residual soil/sand, skin on through the whole process • Option 1 | Slow Oven-Roasted Beets • Simply place beets in a shallow roasting tray, fill with about 1 inch water, and cover with aluminum foil • Oven roast at 250ºF degrees for approx. 4–6 hours • Beets are done when a paring knife easily passes into the center and juices start to bubble out of skin and have a syrup-like thickness • Remove from oven and chill • Option 2 | Cooked Sous Vide in Beef Tallow (if you have access to a vacuum sealer + immersion circulator) • Simply place beets (separated by color) into a vacuum bag with 1/2 oz tallow, 1 sprig thyme, pinch of salt per bag • Seal + cook w/immersion circulator in water bath 180ºF overnight (8–12 hours) • Remove from bath and chill
Mise en Place (things in place) | Chopping + Measuring + Organizing
• Either in the bowl of a food processor or by hand, finely chop cooked/chilled beets into rough ¼-inch pieces, set aside refrigerated until ready to plate • Either in the bowl of a food processor or by hand, finely chop beef into rough ¼-inch pieces, set aside refrigerated until ready to plate • Freshly mince + zest + juice + measure remaining ingredients • Prep your dressing (mix fresh just before serving) • in a medium mixing bowl, place shallots, capers, thyme, chives, chervil, Dijon, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, parmigiana reggiano, cacao powder • gently stir together with a spoon until evenly mixed • taste, add sea salt, pepper, esplette / adjust / taste again before mixing into tartar
Plate + Serve
• Add minced beef and beets to large mixing bowl • With about half your dressing, mix gently and taste • If you prefer, add more dressing—adjust flavor to your preference (any leftover dressing can be used as a plate garnish or tossed on fresh greens for a salad) • Allow to rest for 5 mins at room temp and taste again before plating • Using a 4-inch ring mold or cookie cutter, fill with approx. 4 oz of dressed tartar mixture for a nice presentation • Garnish each individual tartar presentation with yolk, pickled mustard seeds, microgreens, flake salt and pepper • Serve with ancient grain toast on side • Dust plate with cacao powder to accentuate natural earthy flavors of the beets
Specialized Equipment Requirements
• Cuisinart or other high-quality food processor (need sharp blades!) • Vacuum sealer + immersion circulator for sous vide cooking (optional) • Microplane for zesting • Sharp chef’s knife for mincing
Pro Chef Tips
• Select a cut of beef with high intramuscular fat (i.e., marbling); tenderloin is an obvious choice because its soft and easy to chew, but don’t overlook cuts like short rib for this—the better the quality, the better the final flavor! • You’re serving raw beef—talk with your butcher and ensure top quality for food safety • This recipe has a significant amount of mincing/blade work—more injuries happen from dull blades than from
sharp, so make sure your knives and food processor blades are properly sharpened! • Always taste before serving.
This is a steadfast—but fun!—rule of being a chef.
Can’t decide if strictly plant based is right for you? Try a combination of sous vide local organic beets + regeneratively ranched beef tartar. Clean + whole + regenerative + sustainable are the keys words in helping you to choose your future foods.
Chef David Robbins, an award-winning veteran of the international culinary world, has worked with Michelin- and JBF-rated chefs, including Blue Hill’s chef Dan Barber. Robbins is devoted to biodynamic agriculture, slow foods, clean living, veggie-forward cuisine, and family businesses, and volunteers with local charities such as ECHO Farms and SWFL Children’s Hospital. “Growing up on a small family farm in Hawaii has given me a unique appreciation/perspective for the places and people that produce our food.” Robbins is also the founder of the SWFL startup “Not A Burger,” superfood plant-based protein patties (100% vegan/gf/non-GMO). Made with local organic whole-food ingredients (including beets, quinoa, heirloom lentils, etc.), he hopes to offer a nutritious, delicious, and sustainable option to a growing industry of sometimes questionable plant-based foods. Additionally, Chef David is available for private cooking classes, wine dinners, and personalized catering. Contact 239.247.2244 or email chefdavidrobbins@gmail.com.
