B.O. and Bad Breath

Okay, maybe these are not the loftiest subjects to write about, but I defy you to find two more practical (or common) concerns. Granted, they're only peripherally related to fitness and nutrition. Ok, maybe even that's a stretch. But I was thinking about them both because, frankly, after a long day and finally getting the kids to bed (but not yet making it to the shower or to brush my teeth), they're both on my mind.

And there is another indirect connection I just remembered. When I changed careers (from high-tech and bio-tech corporate finance management), these were two, shall we say, occupational hazards I thought I might come across here and there with my new career. Thankfully, with the exception of one teenage boy I was training years ago, who smelled like, well, teenage boy, everyone has been very nicely well-groomed for our sessions!

Here are three tips (one for the pits; two for the mouth) that will surprise you with they're simplicity and effectiveness:

1. Baking soda makes a terrific deodorant. Just dip your fingertips into a baggie of the stuff and spread it lightly around your armpit, mostly in the crease. It may need to be applied a second time during the day, but it not only is kind to both your skin and the environment, it doesn't just cover up odor, it actually deactivates the bacteria that causes it. And it's dirt cheap too!

2. Same thing with salt on your tongue for stale, late-day breath. I learned that from Dr. Dean's lunchtime radio show, and guess what? It works. Just sprinkle a little on your tongue and then scrape your tougue with your teeth (running them forward toward the tip) and rinse if you can in a sink. If not, the salt alone helps a bunch.

3. Cinnamon toothpicks work great too, and if you chew on one before bed, even morning breath is virtually eliminated. You can make them very easily by soaking flat toothpicks in a small amount of cinnamon oil and let them sit until they dry. Careful to wash all the oil off your hands before you touch anything.

Or you might have bigger problems than the ones in the title of this post...