Gum.
Gum.
Should I chew peppermint leaves instead? Mints? Drops?
Have you ever heard of tetracycline stains on teeth? A certain age range of you out there will know what I am talking about. I had them. I obsessed over and hated my teeth for decades. I was finally able to fix them at great expense (it's considered cosmetic so no insurance would help.) ALL of my teeth are coated, topped, capped, crowned or veneered in porcelain. I love them. I smile big for camera. The downside of a lot of dental work is that no matter how much I brush or use some kind of mouthwash (I do not use mouthwash anymore; chemicals and/or plastic bottles) or use my Water Pik (MIRACLE machine), I frequently have a super-nasty taste in my mouth. Baking soda and water works nicely but it's not something I carry in my purse. Mints, I am tempted to chew them and that is bad for my dental work and besides it takes of lot of them to conquer what one piece of gum does. Sprays? Drops? Nah. I just don't know anything that helps like poppin' a piece of gum.
So, back to the place where I got chastised. I was going to be speaking on stage, so I needed to rid myself of my gum. It was one of those events where they put out bins for everything, and you disposed of whatever accordingly. Facing all these bins, I realized my little gum could only go in the one marked "Landfill". It was a sinking feeling. Someone standing nearby definitely felt it necessary to make sure I felt the proper amount of shame for my little piece of gum. (I'll not criticize them for the supposed "Compostable" bin where people were putting plates that had CHEESE on them that is probably not great in there... but that's deflecting. I digress.)
I try to buy gum that comes in the least amount of packaging and plastic. I split sticks in half so it lasts twice as long. I do what I can. But I have not been able to give up the gum. I don't chew it obnoxiously, I don't crack it, I don't pop it, I just let it make my mouth taste better and my breath not offend.
I swear I'll try something else that would be more eco-friendly. I just haven't fully investigated it. So, in the meantime...
Gum.
In the middle east, they chew Frankincense resin. Most middle eastern groceries sell it at reasonable prices. Not sure what the taste is like though.
ReplyDeleteI have some not so green habits myself. I am a caffeine addict and drink a lot of caffeinated soda. Not good for me. Not good for the environment but try as I might, I can't give up my Dr. Pepper. I do make sure not to buy it in plastic bottles though. One day, I'll suffer through the withdrawal and rid myself of it. Wonder if there is a 12 step program for Dr. Pepper addiction as no other brand or caffeine source quells the urge.
However, it is all a balancing act so if gum is your vice than try to counteract it with something else. So you chew gum. There is a lot of things you do that is green and you shouldn't be yourself up over one vice.
I used to be a total gum addict. But I got such bad jaw aches that I quit, cold turkey, two years ago. I now chew carminative seeds to freshen my breath. On the plus side, they also aid digestion! I prefer a mixture of fennel and caraway seeds - in fact, I was so happy with them that I started selling them at my store and people who've tried them love them! It really works. I'd also recommend sucking on cardamom pods.
ReplyDeleteI will totally try that, thanks! I know there is a natural help out there for me, the Mother Earth provides!!! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteCatMan has a 2-3 pack a day habit... and it's a nasty one if I do say so myself. He leaves gum debris everywhere and I just think it tastes nasty. I used to chew it, but somehow I became sensitive to the taste of the artificial sweeteners, and now I find it utterly revolting.
ReplyDeleteBut, nobody is a green saint, especially not in this society. I have a thing for using those paper baking cups to make muffins. I KNOW it's terrible... I should just butter and flour the tins, or make zucchini bread instead of muffins... but the paper cups are just so darned convenient.
I've also TOTALLY fallen off the go-to-bed-at-a-reasonable-hour bandwagon. It's not only terrible for the environment, but terrible for me... but the lure of the late night is just sooooo hard to resist. I can watch as much crap on Netflix as I want, or futz in the kitchen, or do whatever and there are NO interruptions and there's nobody to bother me or anything... it's pure ME time. But alas, after a week of transgressions I now feel like total shit again. @$%#&@#&!!! Guess I'll just have to get back on that horse...