Tip of the Week: Add a glass of 100% juice daily to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables*. While most juices don’t contain the fiber of whole fruits and vegetables, 100% juice is packed with beneficial phytonutrients, as well as vitamins and minerals. Adding a glass of juice is an easy way to get started on the road to healthier eating.

Suggestions for incorporating this tip into your lifestyle: Instead of 2 cups of coffee in the morning, how about 1 cup paired with a glass of juice? You might want to try subbing a grape juice for that soft drink at afternoon break. Love tea? It is terrific when combined with a variety of juices. (I prefer to mix the tea with equal parts of sweeter juices—such as apple, grape, peach, and cranberry—but pick whatever juice you like. These combinations are great either hot or cold!)

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And now, this week’s discussion–

Let’s face it–most of us don’t eat the way we know we should. The excuses for this are almost endless: too little time. . .too much work. . .didn’t have it in the house. . . it costs too much. . . it wasn’t available. . . the package is too big. . . I don’t like the taste!

Unfortunately, this laundry list of excuses is not rivaled by a lengthy array of solutions. In fact, there is only one—that solution is known as commitment. If you’re serious about extending the quantity and quality of your life, commit to a healthier way of eating.

But what about supplements? you ask. Why can’t they provide the nutrition that’s lacking in a poor diet? Once again, the answer is simple—food is superior to supplements! Yes, supplements serve a purpose, but their role is that of the supporting cast—not the lead! By definition, supplements are an addition, an accompaniment—not the main course.

Food has it all. It can provide protein, carbohydrates, fat, fiber, water, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, and phytonutrients–all delivered in a complex environment that is not duplicated in a pill. Furthermore, at present all of the components found in food have not yet been identified.

These unidentified elements, as well as those more familiar to us (such as fiber, trace elements, etc.) can make significant contributions to the outcomes of research studies (as well as to our health!) They present yet another reason to favor food over supplements as the body’s major nutrition provider. Supplements simply cannot duplicate the “total food package”.

In summary, a multivitamin—even a high quality one—isn’t going to make up for eating a poor diet. Commit to improving your intake by eating nutritious food—TODAY! Take a multivitamin/mineral supplement in addition to—not in place of—a healthy diet. The tip of the week (located at the top of this article) can get you started in the right direction.

*The eventual goal is a minimum of 5 servings/day.

Naturally, just brushing your teeth and flossing on a regular basis will produce cleaner, whiter, healthier teeth. But if your teeth are stained, you might want to find a solution that works faster. If your stains are caused by food, beverages or smoking, teeth whitening strips can be used every day to eliminate the stains eventually if you do not want to have your teeth professionally whitened by a dentist. Know, though, that although it can be costly, professional dental whitening is the quickest method of removing stains from your teeth.

At-home tooth whitening kits are effective against stains, and noticeable results can usually be seen within a week or two. Using at-home teeth whitening kits, along with brushing morning and night, flossing, avoiding tooth-staining foods and beverages like coffee and wine, and avoiding smoking will help you keep your teeth white.

When trying to decide which product will be best for you, consider how stained your teeth are and how your smile looks. There are many products available to help you in your quest to whiten your teeth and enhance your smile, but remember to continue your regular daily dental care and visit your dentist regularly to make sure that your teeth and gums remain in good shape.

Read more: Daily Tooth Care