Should You Brush Your Teeth Before Or After Breakfast?

 

Toothbrushes in a glass - one orange and one blue - reflected in a hotel mirror. Click image to license. 

© Evan's Studio, 2019

Which one is better: brushing your teeth before or after breakfast?

Studies have been mixed and there is no significant winner. In this blog post we will look at the case for brushing your teeth before breakfast and the one for brushing your teeth after breakfast.

Brushing Before Breakfast

The case for brushing your teeth before breakfast is that bacterial levels in your mouth are at their highest right when you wake up. Brushing your teeth before breakfast can help eliminate this bacteria before it has a chance to feed on the remnants of your morning feast. 

Brushing before breakfast can also kick-start the production of saliva. Saliva is a protective force inside of your mouth and helps neutralize acidity that can break down tooth enamel.

Brushing After Breakfast

Brushing after you eat breakfast eliminates any remaining food and leaves the fluoride intact for the remainder of the day. Some argue that the fluoride from brushing may be displaced by eating and chewing afterwards.

Some experts say that brushing your teeth too soon after breakfast can actually damage your enamel, especially if you are eating acidic foods. Others counter that the damage is not significant. Many dentists recommend waiting 30 minutes after you eat before brushing and drinking or gargling water in the downtime. 

The Best Of Both Worlds

If the experts are stumped, why not brush before and after breakfast? 

What are your thoughts? Do you brush before or after breakfast? Or both? Leave a comment below.

The Importance Of Shredding Documents

 

A close-up of shredded paper filling the entire frame. The paper is white and has various shades of light and shadow. The image can be used for many different purposes such as promoting shredding businesses, topics related to privacy, and illustrating security concepts. Click image to license. © Evan's Studio, 2023

 

Shredding paper has many benefits - some more obvious than others. Local governments like Santa Monica, CA often offer free shredding events where they shred the paper and recycle it. Recycling can help reduce the emission of destructive greenhouse gases.

Why You Would Benefit From Shredding Paper

1. Protects your identity: identity theft is big business for criminals costing Americans billions of dollars per year. Documents that aren't shredded can be used to steal sensitive information. 
2. Reduces clutter: paper that isn't shredded can build up resulting in a disorganized workspace. 
3. Legal compliance: certain professionals may be required by law to shred paper. Shredding helps protect the sensitive information of clients.
4. Reduces fire risks: having less combustible material in your home or office can reduce the risks of fire.

Click image to license. © Evan's Studio, 2023

Knife Sharpening Frequency: A Guide to Staying Sharp

 

 

Rustic weathered knife on wooden cutting board with blood surrounding it at a fish market. Click image to license. © Evan's Studio

How Often Should You sharpen Your Knives?

Keeping your knives sharp is important for the optimal cooking experience. But how do you know when to sharpen them? The frequency of sharpening can depend on how often you use the knives. The ones that you use most frequently may need to be sharpened every two weeks. On the other hand, knives that you use less frequently may only need to be sharpened a few times a year. In general, knives should be sharpened at least a few times a year. The answer can also depend on what type of knives you are using. For instance, a serrated blade needs to be sharpened less frequently than a straight one.

The Difference Between Sharpening and Honing

Honing is the process of realigning (or smoothing) the edge of the knife using a steel rod. The edge can become bent and misaligned after frequent usage. However, honing does not remove any material from the knife like sharpening does. Honing is recommended before every knife use. 

Sharpening removes material from the blade using a whetstone, a diamond stone, an electric sharpener or a manual one.

Signs That Your Knives Need Sharpening

• The knife requires more force to cut through the food. 
• The blade feels dull.
• It squishes or slips off of food. 
• It isn't sharp enough to cut paper.

How To Properly Hone Your Knives

Check out this video tutorial to watch how to properly hone your knives.

Spathodea Campanulata: The Invasive African Tulip Tree

 

 

A low angle view of a bright orange African tulip-tree flower (Spathodea campanulata) from below. The flower is framed by wires and illuminated by the sunlight with a clear blue sky as the background. Click image to license. © Evan's Studio, 2018.

What is Spathodea campanulata?

Spathodea campanulata is a flowering tree also known as the African tulip tree. The tree has vibrant orange-red flowers and is monotypic - meaning that is the only species in the genus Spathodea. Spathodea campanulata is native to tropical African forests. The tree is often grown in non-native locations like the one pictured above, which was photographed in Jalisco, Mexico. Spathodea campanulata is part of the Bignoniaceae family, which includes several other ornamental trees. 

How high does Spathodea campanulata grow?

 The African tulip tree can grow close to 80 feet in height.

Why is Spathodea campanulata considered harmful?

Since the African tulip tree is considered an invasive non-native species, it can crowd out native plants. Although beautiful, the plant's nectar can be toxic to bees.

What is another name for Spathodea campanulata?

Besides the African tulip tree, Spathodea campanulata is also known as the flame of the forest.

Rain drops cover the window creating a blurry and distorted effect when paired with the street lamps and headlights outside. Click image to license. © Evan's Studio

 Cognitive distortions are unhelpful ways of thinking that can make us feel bad about ourselves and others. Identifying these destructive thought patterns is the first step in addressing them. After you have identified your thought as a cognitive distortion, you can work on replacing it with a more rational explanation. Writing down your automatic thoughts, cognitive distortions, and rational responses under three different columns is known as the triple column technique advocated by Dr. David D. Burns.

Five More Common Cognitive Distortions

6. Should Statements: You tell yourself "I should be doing this or that" for motivation. These types of thoughts can make you feel pressured, guilty and shameful. When directed at others eg. "he should get his act together" these statements can make you feel frustrated and angry.
   

7. Emotional Reasoning: You conflate your feelings with the truth. For example, you feel a certain way so you believe that it must be the truth.
   

8. Magnification: You magnify the importance of negatives. For example, you tell yourself that you will never be able to become a doctor after getting a C on a chemistry exam.
   

9. Labeling: Labeling is an extreme type of overgeneralizing and oversimplifying. For instance, you tell yourself "I'm a complete loser" after missing the game winning shot at the basketball game instead of "I missed the shot".
   

10. Personalization: You blame yourself for a negative event which you were not responsible for. This can lead to feelings of guilt. For example, after you weren't able to sell a house, you tell yourself "I must be a terrible real estate agent. It is my fault that they didn't decide to buy the house." 

    To see the first five cognitive distortions click here to read my previous blog post.