Will wearing braces make you thinner? 5 dietary tips to avoid obesity

Will I lose weight if I wear braces? This is a question many people have. Doctors say that if teeth are not aligned properly, they need to be corrected when necessary, but the purpose is to correct the teeth, not to lose weight. If you insist on using correction to lose weight, then it is a bit of putting the cart before the horse. If you wear braces and eat the wrong foods, be careful that you will get fatter and fatter.

Liu Bowen, executive director of the Taiwan Obesity Prevention and Treatment Education Association and a weight loss specialist, pointed out that many people expect to lose weight and slim down their faces after wearing braces to correct their teeth. However, the weight loss consultation clinic found that wearing braces not only fails to slim down the face, but may even lead to more obesity due to bad eating habits and lack of exercise.

5 dietary taboos for wearing braces

Basically, there is no specific cure for weight loss, and it is nothing more than controlling diet and exercising. Patients who wear braces to correct their teeth are advised to consume more fresh vegetables, fruits and other high-fiber foods, although it may be a little inconvenient to eat. If they mainly eat high-calorie foods, it may not be effective in losing weight.

At the same time, we remind you that when you first wear braces, your teeth will feel sore when chewing and you will feel powerless when biting things. These are all normal phenomena. There are 5 major taboos in your diet that should be avoided to avoid damaging your teeth.

1. Avoid hard foods: such as bones, nuts, etc. (You can choose to remove the bones and shells before use).

2. Avoid foods with pits: such as plums, red dates, etc. These foods also need to have the pits removed before use.

3. Avoid biting: such as biting pears or apples. It is better to cut the fruit into small pieces and put them directly into your mouth.

4. Avoid spicy food: If you get oral ulcers due to wearing braces, you should avoid eating irritating foods, especially spicy foods.

5. Avoid drinking hot water: It is recommended to drink more warm water.

5 Tips for a Slimming Diet

In addition, Dr. Liu Bowen emphasized that if people who wear braces want to lose weight, they should first change their eating habits. The following 5 key points should be kept in mind:

1. Choose low-calorie foods: choose lean meat instead of fatty meat, eat more foods that are large in size, high in fiber, low in calories, and can increase satiety, such as fresh vegetables and fruits; choose fresh, natural foods and eat less processed foods.

2 Low-oil cooking techniques: Use less frying and switch to steaming, boiling, braising, stewing, cold mixing, roasting, and stewing to reduce fat intake.

3 Adjust the order of eating: drink a glass of boiled water before the meal. After the dishes are served, drink the clear soup first, then eat some cold dishes or blanched vegetables, and then eat other dishes. It will be more satisfying.

4 Chew slowly and eat attentively: first take the food you want to eat, find a comfortable place, enjoy it slowly, extend the meal time, chew slowly and savor every bite, so that you feel full.

5 Correct eating habits: eat a full breakfast, a moderate lunch, and rest and restore strength at dinner, but of course, do not increase the burden on your stomach and intestines. Try to eat moderately. As for midnight snacks, it is best not to eat them. If you are really hungry, just drink a glass of low-fat milk at most.

As for those who eat out, we recommend: try to eat lighter Japanese cold noodles or soup noodles without drinking the soup; do not eat Chinese fried noodles; when eating lettuce salad, choose yogurt or Italian salad dressing instead of mayonnaise or Thousand Island dressing; or use low-calorie ingredients such as konjac and vegetables to cook.

These methods can remove excess fat and make your meal filling and delicious. As for beverages, replace various sugary drinks with boiled water, green tea, oolong tea, scented tea, and barley tea, and replace fruit juice with fresh fruits.