You know when you’re sitting around and all of the sudden you can’t stop thinking about delicious, crunchy, salty, savory snacks? Chips, pretzels, Chex Mix, cheese puffs, Doritos, those pretzel bites from Trader Joe’s that have the peanut butter inside… wait, what were we talking about? Oh yeah, sorry! Anyway, if you’re truly hungry and you need some nutrition in between meals, try having a handful of nuts or some delicious crunchy veggies. I love a small handful of sunflower seeds or pistachios! But if you know you’re not really hungry and just need to beat the salty munchies, I have a solution for you!
 
I discovered this trick by accident while I was giving some of my health and beauty products a green makeover. I wanted to swap out some things that were full of man-made chemicals and try to use toiletries that were more natural.
 
I read one article in particular that really stuck with me about harmful ingredients that might be lurking in your toothpaste. Things like artificial sweeteners and triclosan, an antibacterial agent that some people suspect can interfere with your hormone function. Yuck!  Anyway, I’m not trying to warn you or make you paranoid about brushing your teeth, there are plenty of brands that are pretty safe (like Tom’s of Maine I read a lot of good things about). But I had always heard that brushing your teeth with baking soda was effective, too. After some research, I discovered that brushing with baking soda is actually proven in studies to remove more plaque from your teeth than regular toothpaste! Sold!
 
So, I found my little box of baking soda buried in the back of my spice shelf and gave it a try. And I loved it! You just wet your toothbrush, dip it in the box, and brush away. My teeth and whole mouth felt sparkly and clean. And baking soda is super cheap.
 
Now, sometimes when I have cravings after dinner I’ll brush my teeth as a deterrent to eating something I know I’ll regret. Brushing your teeth at night kind of tells your brain that you’re done eating for the day. And that really minty taste usually makes anything you might eat after brushing taste kind of bad. But when I tried instead brushing with baking soda, I realized that the saltiness of the baking soda actually kind of satisfied my craving for salty snacks!
 
It’s weird, but when you’re not really hungry, the taste of that salty flavor in baking soda just does the trick. Now, whenever I’m really wanting some chips or cheese crackers, I give my teeth a brush with baking soda and move on with my day.
 
Am I the only weirdo that uses the baking soda trick? Give it a try for me and let me know if it works for you, too! Or if you have your own trick to beat unhealthy snacking, I’d love to hear it. But give baking soda a whirl. If nothing else, you’ll get more plaque off your teeth 😉