Beware!!

With the summer fast approaching we will inevitably see a drop in hours as customers take time off work and head out of town on holidays. It is very important that we understand the trends that take place this time of the year and find solutions so that we are highly productive. But there's another looming threat that will slice hours off of your personal schedule: bad breath.

A study conducted by the Hendry Research Group in 2006 found that bad breath can reduce your weekly personal training hours by as many as 8. With this startling revelation we must be vigilant and find solutions. Chronic bad breath, known as halitosis, affects approximately half of the population and can be the cause of incredible distress. As professional training coaches we are frequently in close proximity to customers and the last thing that is going to help them complete that pain-staking 12th repetition is a wafting odour.

Here is what you need to know about bad breath control:

• Halitosis is caused by the same compounds found in rotten eggs. These sulphur compounds are released when bacteria in the mouth break down protein from food.


• The more bacteria present, the greater the chances of having bad breath. Bacteria proliferate when they have places to hide. Such fertile conditions are in play when you have: teeth that need dental work, a build-up of plaque, periodontal disease and/or a habit of not brushing your teeth regularly.


• Certain diseases are associated with particular oral odours: diabetes creates a fruity smell; liver disease produces rotten-egg breath; kidney disease causes a fishy odour.


• Stress can cause bad breath. We all know how quickly our mouths can go dry when faced with a stressful situation such as public speaking. When stress is chronic, that dry mouth can be a hotbed for bacteria. As Dr. Ted Fillery, head of the faculty of dentistry and oral microbiology at the University of Toronto, explains, saliva is produced from glands both in the sides of the mouth (runny) and under the floor of the mouth (thicker). “When stressed, the body shuts down the runny saliva, so the saliva in the mouth changes from runny to thick,” he says. “Most of the bacteria that would normally be swept away by fluid saliva hang around, some of which are malodour-producing.”


• Some products can kill oral bacteria, but only temporarily. Regular oral hygiene is absolutely fundamental to bad-breath control, but sometimes this isn't enough. “A lot of people clean their mouths meticulously and yet still suffer from bad breath,” says Fillery. For these people, one of the following products might help: an antibiotic such as Flagyl; a mouthwash containing an antibacterial agent such as chlorhexidine (Peridex); products that contain xylitol, an all-natural sweetener that stimulates saliva production, which helps remove food debris and bacteria; or toothpaste that contains sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).


• According to the Canadian Dental Association, here's what you should be doing as part of your oral hygiene: Brush your teeth at least twice a day with a fluoride-containing toothpaste to remove food particles from your mouth / Brush your tongue and the sides and roof of your mouth at the same time / Use dental floss at least once a day to remove food particles from between your teeth (if you don't floss, you're missing more than one-third of your tooth surface) / Have your teeth cleaned by a dental hygienist every six months to make sure plaque – and bacteria – does not accumulate.

The Top 10 Foods to Avoid Before a Training Session:

Milk, cheese, yogurt, orange juice, coffee, onions, deli meat, alcohol, garlic, curry