Hello and welcome to the intermittent fasting gems with Jen podcast.

I'm your host Jen, a middle aged Michigan mama, wife and teacher who

in 2021 stumbled upon this crazy cool thing called intermittent fasting.

And before I knew it, I'd lost 46 pounds in four months and

gained an incredible lifestyle filled with complete food freedom.

If you're hungry for unique, no nonsense fasting tips that actually

work, you're in the right place.

So let's start fasting our way to freedom together.

Hey, hey, hey, fasting friends today.

I'm going to dive right into a topic.

That's not mentioned all that much when it comes to intermittent fasting.

And although it's not talked about much, it is indeed a very real thing.

And that is nasty, intermittent fasting, bad breath.

sometimes referred to as keto breath.

Now, as much as I love intermittent fasting, there are unfortunately a few

not so awesome things that can occur when fasting and stinky breath is one

of those possible negative side effects.

That can unfortunately rear its ugly head.

But no need to worry because I've got you covered.

In this bonus episode today, I'm going to give you 7 super easy

ways to prevent, knock out, or altogether avoid intermittent fasting.

bad breath.

So in 2021, I was several weeks into my intermittent fasting, weight loss journey.

When I went to a sports event for my son who was in high school at

the time, my parents had also come to the event and my dad climbed up

and sat next to me in the bleachers.

And so we were chatting, we'd been chatting for about five or 10 minutes,

and then he totally blurted out, wow, you're getting pretty skinny,

but your breath smells like poop.

Now, my dad is in his mid 70s and I love him with everything that I have, but he

basically lost his filter about 2030.

I don't know if he's ever really had a filter, but it's gotten really

bad in the last, um, 20 years or so.

But at first I was pretty hurt.

And more than a little ticked off at him.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that he was probably right.

Um, I had been noticing a really bad metallic like taste in my mouth since I

had started fasting and eating lower carb.

Um, you know, in the, in the weeks prior.

So I did some research.

I started trying some different things and I figured out several

ways to banish that awful bad breath.

So intermittent fasting can cause bad breath for a few different reasons.

First, fasting can lead to a decrease in saliva production.

Saliva helps clean the mouth by washing away bacteria, and with less

saliva, bacteria can thrive, which can cause death breath, as my dad said.

Next, long periods of fasting and going food or water during fasting can

result in dry mouth conditions, and a dry mouth provides an environment where

odor causing bacteria can multiply, again, contributing to bad breath.

Then there's ketone production.

And this is a big one.

When the body is in a fasting state, it may start burning fat

for energy, which produces ketones.

And ketones can have a very distinct and unpleasant smell

contributing to temporary bad breath.

And People who practice like extreme low carb or a strict ketogenic diet

may experience a really distinct bad taste, almost a metallic

like taste in their mouth in addition to having the bad breath.

Finally, fasting may lead to the release of toxins from the body and

as these toxins are processed and eliminated, they can contribute to a

temporary unpleasant odor or smell.

affecting breath during fasting periods.

So let's jump right in.

Here are seven things you can do to say goodbye for good to

intermittent fasting bad breath.

Number one, stay hydrated.

Drinking plenty of plain water or sparkling mineral water during your

fasting period is so, so, so, important.

Drinking enough water during fasting keeps your mouth moist and it

washes away that growth of bacteria that can cause the bad breath.

Staying hydrated also helps dilute ketones and it encourages their excretion through

urine rather than through your breath.

Number two, and this is my favorite strategy or tip for fighting

fasting bad breath, drink green tea.

Oh my goodness, it really, really works.

Drinking green tea can be especially helpful during intermittent

fasting when it comes to fighting bad breath because green tea

contains natural compounds called polyphenols that possess polyphenols.

antibacterial properties, and these are awesome at helping to inhibit the growth

of odor causing bacteria in the mouth.

Plus, the act of drinking green tea stimulates saliva production, which

is, again, it's crucial for maintaining a moist environment in the mouth.

This increased flow of saliva then helps rinse away the bacteria

and the particles, um, that can contribute to the bad breath smell.

And don't worry because green tea is one of the four best intermittent fasting

drinks that are clean, which means you can drink it whether you are fasting or

not, and it will not break your fast.

Number three on the list.

Practice good oral hygiene.

Now, obviously regularly flossing and brushing your teeth as well as

your tongue is super important as it helps to prevent bacterial growth,

plaque buildup, and bad breath.

However, there are a few specific tips that you may find very helpful.

I know that they have worked really well for me.

First, um, you can try using a tongue scraper and clean your tongue regularly,

like a couple times a week to remove bad bacteria, food particles, and dead

cells that contribute to bad breath.

I got a really nice two pack off Amazon for like eight bucks.

Uh, the brand is Basic Concepts and it even came with a travel case.

So you can take it with you when you go on vacation.

Next, brushing immediately after eating can make a huge difference when it

comes to removing food particles and bacteria, as opposed to letting it

sit around in your mouth for hours.

If you're waiting to brush your teeth until right before you go to bed.

Um, and then finally use mouthwash, but be sure to choose it wisely.

Using mouthwash is a great way to maintain a healthy mouth.

However, it's a good idea to opt for sugar free and alcohol free mouthwash

to avoid drying out your mouth.

Um, I'd also consider using a mouthwash that contains zinc because studies

have shown that zinc has the potential to help neutralize ketone odors.

And freshen your breath.

I have one that I really like.

It's Oxyfresh Pro Formula, the mint flavor.

It's alcohol free, contains zinc, and you can easily get it off Amazon.

I'll leave the link to this mouthwash and the tongue

scraper in the show notes below.

Moving on to number four, balance your protein and carb intake.

Let's talk about carbs first.

If you are eating a super strict low carb or keto diet, you may need to

slightly increase your carb intake.

Sometimes just a small increase in carbohydrates may reduce ketone

production without fully exiting ketosis.

Protein, on the other hand, can also become an issue, um, with your breath.

And that is because excessive protein can lead to ammonia production.

So you may need to play around with it a little bit and see where

your body is most comfortable with both carbs and protein intake.

Number five, add more natural breath fresheners to your diet.

Fresh herbs and specifically parsley, mint and cilantro are all

fantastic for freshening your breath.

Lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and cinnamon are awesome too, because

they naturally help neutralize odors.

On the flip side, maybe try and avoid or at least cut back on strong smelling

foods like garlic and onions during your eating window as much as you can

since these foods can linger in your mouth for a very long time and of course

contribute to really nasty bad breath.

Number six, you might want to try oil pulling with coconut oil.

Swishing coconut oil around in your mouth may help reduce bacteria

that contributes to bad breath.

Oil pulling has been practiced for thousands of years actually, and it

basically involves swishing about a tablespoon or so of the oil in

your mouth for a certain length of time, sometimes like 15 minutes.

The coconut oil is swished and pulled through the teeth

and moved around the mouth.

People swear by this process.

Um, I'll be honest, I've only tried it a few times, but proponents say

it can improve oral health, whiten teeth, freshen breath, and even have

systemic health benefits as it pulls out toxins and bacteria from the mouth.

Finally, number seven, chew sugar free gum or mints, but

only during your eating window.

So chewing sugar free gum or mints during your eating window can help

increase saliva production and again, neutralize unpleasant mouth odors.

Just make sure the chewing takes place during your eating window or

your non fasting hours, since chewing gum is one of the shocking things

that could totally disrupt your clean fast and unintentionally break it.

like we talked about a few episodes ago.

All right.

There you have it.

Seven awesome ways to fight against intermittent fasting bad breath.

It's also worth noting that intermittent fasting or keto breath often improves

on its own and you become fat adapted.

In the meantime, however, you can easily fight against it by Number one, staying

hydrated and drinking enough water, especially during your fasting windows.

Number two, drinking some good old healthy green tea.

Number three, practicing good oral hygiene, brushing and flossing regularly,

using a tongue scraper, and a good alcohol free mouthwash with zinc.

Number four, finding the right protein and carb balance, not eating too few

carbs and not eating too much protein.

Number five, adding more natural breath fresheners to your diet, including

parsley, mint, cilantro, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, and cinnamon.

Number six, give oil pulling with organic coconut oil a try.

And finally, number seven, chew sugar free gum or mints during your eating window.

So, as you can see, managing intermittent fasting bad breath is totally doable.

With just a few simple tweaks like drinking enough water and sipping on some

green tea, you can keep your breath fresh and your fasting experience fabulous.

You are not going to want to miss the next episode of the Intermittent

Fasting Gems with Jen podcast that will be released on the 20th of this month.

In this episode, I'll be sharing 10 of the very best ways to fight hunger

during your intermittent fasting journey.

Have yourself an absolutely awesome day and happy fasting everyone.

Hey, thank you so much for choosing to spend part of your day listening

to this episode of the intermittent fasting gems with Jen podcast.

If you think these tips could help a friend or a family member, please

consider sharing this episode with them.

And if you really enjoyed the show, taking a minute or two to leave a positive review

Would be so appreciated tune in for new 15 to 25 minute episodes released on

the 10th, 20th, and 30th of each month episodes will feature solo shows filled

with IF hacks that have worked for me, as well as episodes where I get to chat with.

fun folks of all ages who've experienced incredible success

with intermittent fasting.

If you have questions or want more unique intermittent fasting health

and weight loss tips, tricks, and recipes, please visit my website

and blog at sowhatifwithjen.

com.

Finally, we'd love to welcome you into our free intermittent fasting program.

Fasting Facebook support group.

So what if with Jen?

Find all of these links in the show notes below.

And as always, I hope you spend your day loving without fear and

laughing until your cheeks hurt.