Most individuals assume cravings are about willpower. However what in the event that they’re actually about lacking minerals? I’ll hyperlink my favourite minerals as nicely, on the backside…
On this publication, I’ll stroll you thru why saliva is extra than simply spit, why electrolytes are the unsung heroes of oral well being, and the way protein and minerals can assist quiet cravings by giving your physique precisely what it’s lacking.
Each infrequently, I’m going on a weight loss plan. I undoubtedly don’t do something excessive. However I do begin paying nearer consideration—to how I really feel, how I sleep, and whether or not my favourite denims are nonetheless snug after dinner.
And once I try this, I all the time come again to 2 issues:
protein and minerals.
Easy, proper?
However these two issues do extra than simply help weight reduction. They assist me sleep higher. Suppose extra clearly. And most of all, they preserve my saliva wholesome.
Sure—saliva.
I didn’t all the time assume this manner. Like most dentists, I used to be skilled to consider saliva as a background character. A passive fluid that helped rinse your mouth and possibly neutralize acids.
However through the years, I’ve come to see it as some of the underrated instruments now we have for oral well being—and for whole-body well being, too.
Your enamel are breaking down proper now. Saliva is how they restore.
After each meal, your enamel demineralize. That features “wholesome” meals—particularly in the event that they embody carbs like bread, crackers, or perhaps a few spoonfuls of rice.
Acid-producing micro organism break these meals down in your mouth and instantly begin releasing acid. That acid leaches minerals out of your enamel. You don’t really feel it. Nevertheless it’s taking place every single day.
The one means your enamel recuperate from that assault is thru remineralization.
And remineralization depends upon your saliva.
Saliva accommodates the identical minerals your enamel are made from—calcium, phosphate, magnesium, and extra.
Why? As a result of it’s created from blood plasma. It’s filtered out of your bloodstream, and that’s why I typically say: saliva is principally blood—simply with out the purple blood cells.
The minerals in your saliva float in answer, prepared to leap into motion. That capability is named ionic energy. When your saliva has the fitting stability of ions, it may launch minerals like hydroxyapatite—the very substance your enamel is made from—proper the place the tooth wants it. Like a patch job after an acid assault.
That’s why stability issues. Too thick? The minerals can’t transfer. Too skinny? They’re too diluted to work. Your saliva solely works if the mineral content material is correct.
And that depends upon your electrolyte ranges.
Electrolytes aren’t only for athletes
Most individuals consider electrolytes as one thing you add after a exercise or whenever you’re sick. And sure, they’re nice for rehydrating.
However the reality is, electrolytes—sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphate—are important for everybody. They’re how your nerves hearth. How your muscle tissues contract. And within the case of saliva, how minerals keep in stability so your enamel can truly remineralize.
You don’t have to be operating marathons. You may be chasing youngsters, working lengthy shifts, consuming an excessive amount of espresso, or simply waking up mildly dehydrated. And all of that impacts your saliva.
In the event you’re low on electrolytes—or just a bit dehydrated—your saliva adjustments. It will get sticky. Or watery. Both means, it loses its ionic integrity. And when that occurs, your mouth can’t do what it’s constructed to do.
My three must-haves within the morning once I need to lose a couple of kilos:
I’ve refined my routine through the years, and nowadays, it’s easy:
- I begin with a protein smoothie—round 60g of protein, half collagen and half grass-fed whey. I mix it with wild blueberries, almond butter, and sea salt.
- I pair it with a full serving of electrolytes. There are a whole lot of strong formulation on the market, however I’ve not too long ago switched to this one. It’s clear, tastes nice, and accommodates a well-rounded mineral profile that helps saliva: potassium, sodium from Himalayan salt, calcium, citrate, and spirulina which provides it a startling blue coloration. It’s sweetened with monkfruit which, as , is my favourite sweetener—that’s why it’s one of many elements in our Fygg toothpaste. We even measured the pH of those electrolytes—no acidity considerations right here.
- And I drink Pellegrino all through the day (no affiliation except for my Italian heritage). I’ve been consuming it for years as a result of it’s mineral-rich, alkalizing, and it truly makes me really feel higher.
For years, I beneficial hint mineral drops. And so they’re nonetheless useful for muscle cramps or normal wellness. However in terms of saliva? You want extra. You want the total suite—sodium, calcium, potassium, phosphate—in the fitting ratios. And it has to style good and have a impartial pH, or folks received’t keep it up.
If I get these two issues—protein and minerals—early within the day, the whole lot else appears to fall into place. Much less snacking, fewer cravings, extra vitality, and, after all, stronger saliva.
What in case your cravings aren’t about sugar in any respect?
That is only a concept of mine, however one I preserve coming again to.
Typically, whenever you really feel the urge to achieve for a snack—particularly processed carbs—it’s not that your physique desires sugar.
It may be asking for minerals.
I’ve observed that once I’m in line with electrolytes and mineral-rich water, I don’t crave junk. Not even after an extended day or a demanding morning. It’s like my physique isn’t trying to fill a niche anymore. As a result of the hole is already crammed.
I’ve additionally observed that once I’m consuming sufficient protein, my cravings drop. Protein helps regulate ghrelin and GLP-1—two hormones that inform your mind whenever you’re full, or not. Pair that with minerals, and your physique lastly stops asking for one thing it’s lacking.
And the reality is, our diets are extra mineral-deficient than most individuals notice. Even for those who eat nicely, our soil isn’t what it was. The minerals simply aren’t there. Our ancestors used to swallow and inhale them simply by taking part in outdoors, consuming from springs, consuming actual meals. That world’s gone.
This one wants a bit of assist.
In the event you’re searching for a spot to begin—whether or not it’s to lose a couple of kilos, really feel higher in your physique, or help your enamel long-term—I’d preserve it easy:
- Prioritize protein. Particularly early within the day.
- Hydrate in a means that truly makes a distinction. For me, which means mineral-rich water and a clear electrolyte powder that helps your saliva—each single day.
Your saliva is your mouth’s first line of protection. And considered one of your strongest instruments for therapeutic. Give it what it wants—and your complete physique advantages.
Till subsequent week,
Mark
P.S. Since I get a whole lot of replies asking for this, my each day stack is this magnesium, this toothpaste, this mouthwash different, this tongue scraper, this electrical flosser, this inexperienced tea, this throat spray, these enzymes with meals, this Vitamin D3/K2, this CoQ10, and—as you simply heard—these electrolytes.
