Teresa Cutter – This Chef Knows How to Protect Teeth!

When it comes to food and cooking, there are so many different paths to health and wellness. Regardless of what dietary path you choose, our interest is in making sure that you protect the health of your teeth and gums. This series will look at some of the world’s more popular chefs and how their particular focus on health supports our agenda of good oral care. We start off with one of Australia’s better-known chefs, Teresa Cutter, The Healthy Chef

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Different Dietary Approaches to Health

Depending on if your main consideration is losing weight or the management of some sort of chronic illness, you may find yourself leaning towards one approach more than another. For example, people concerned with excess fat and toxicity may find themselves gravitating to the vegan lifestyle. Others who are not vegetarian may feel more sustained by a paleo approach, that features fresh meats and full, unprocessed animal fats.

A Little Bit About Teresa Cutter 

Teresa Cutter’s recipes and products focus on natural, organic ingredients, simple preparations, and gluten-free and dairy free options. Interestingly, she has not put herself in any one dietary “camp,” per se. Instead, Teresa has chosen to cast a broad net with the goal of featuring natural and organic ingredients, with an eye on nutrition and fitness. A well-known cookbook author and TV chef, Teresa is also an avid exercise enthusiast. Her favorites are kickboxing, road cycling and wrestling. She has crafted a broad collection of recipes and products that offer many options for many different dietary styles, all while maintaining the central goal of health and nutrition.

Let’s have a look at some of her recipes that are particularly supportive of dental health…

Tooth Healthy Recipes, Teresa Cutter Style

Due to her focus on food sensitivities and her low-fat approach to nutrition, Teresa’s recipes have very little dairy in them. This means that we have to get a little more creative and think out of the box when it comes to finding sources of calcium, which is so important for strong teeth.

In this recipe, Warm Broccoli Salad with Kale, Lime and Roasted Tamari Almonds, she features the leafy green kale, an excellent non-dairy source of calcium. Broccoli, another nutritious vegetable that contains calcium, also offers anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer agents as well as a wide range of antioxidants, such as vitamin C and E. Almonds offer potassium and magnesium, good de-stressing minerals, as well as a good source of protein. Remember, as with any citrus fruits or juices, to make sure and rinse your mouth with water afterwards, to avoid their potentially damaging acidic effects on tooth enamel.

In this Detox Energy Salad, Teresa focuses on the benefits of foods that alkalinize the body, offsetting the over acidity in many of the foods we eat. As you remember, acidity can also be the enemy of teeth! Once again, the inclusion of leafy greens is a good source of calcium. The overall impact of this particular dish is to detox the body and substitute nutritious ingredients designed to nourish the body – including bones and teeth! This salad is also notable for the way it encourages a clean, unprocessed approach to eating, using only fresh and natural ingredients – a signature feature of Teresa Cutter’s approach to health.

As with any salad, this recipe can be boosted with calcium rich extras such as raisins or sesame seeds. Also remember the value of these other ingredients with anti-bacterial properties that will also support the health of your teeth: shiitake mushrooms, cashews and raw onion. Raw apples, carrots or celery are always a great salad addition, as they help to gently clean the surface of your teeth. And finally, if you are not avoiding dairy, you can always add some delicious cheese to your salad such as goat cheese or shaved parmesan.

One of the best things about looking at the work of popular chefs is how it can inspire you to experiment on your own. Teresa Cutter’s healthy approach to cooking and eating contains a fantastic foundation for supporting overall health, as well as the health of our teeth.