For Better Looks And Health, Make That The Last Straw

Do you sip beverages through a straw? Bad idea. Straws can add pucker to your cheeks, create wrinkles around your mouth, inspire intestinal gas and help dissolve your teeth.

It is a common myth that drinking sugary and acidic beverages through a straw can help preserve your pearly whites by lessening tooth exposure to staining liquids and acids. It works only if you place the straw in the back of your mouth, causing you to miss much of the taste of the beverage. Then, what’s the point in even drinking a tasty treat?

Expert Warning

A growing number of dental experts say it is a much better idea to chase sugary and staining beverages with a bit of water to neutralize acid and minimize stains. An even better option is to opt for water as your drink of choice.

So if straws aren’t really protecting your teeth, what are they doing for you? They’re giving you wrinkles and could be causing digestive issues.

When you enjoy refreshment through a drinking straw, you make the same puckered-lip motion that smokers do as they puff away at their cigarettes. Though you may not be inhaling a multitude of poisonous chemicals, drinking a beverage through a straw may give you a wrinkly smoker’s mouth.

If you notice that you tend to be gassy or bloated after enjoying a meal or beverage, there could be many culprits. But one you may not expect is the plastic tube from which you sip your drinks. With every slurp, you may also gulp a tiny amount of air. This air builds up in your gut and can cause painful bloating and uncomfortable gassiness.

FDA Bans BPA From Baby Bottles

After a storm of controversy over the health effects of bisphenol-A (BPA), an industrial plastic, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it can no longer be used in baby bottles and sippy cups. But public health experts are still concerned that we continue to eat plenty of BPA in canned goods and absorb it (and related toxins) in our fingers from handling the thermal paper used for retail receipts.

BPA is an endocrine disrupter that interferes with the body’s use of estrogen. It has been associated with a number of health problems ranging from metabolic disease to reproductive issues, and the chemical can be found in many plastic products used for food packaging and liquid storage.

In his latest video blog, David Dausey, Ph.D., of Mercyhurst University says that the FDA’s decision to announce a BPA ban on infant beverage containers is too little too late.

“Manufactures and the chemical industry were getting such bad press from their use of BPA in baby bottles that they voluntarily decided to stop using it years ago,” Dausey said. “Now that no one is using BPA in baby bottles, the FDA finally gets around to banning it.”

He calls the FDA’s recent move a “symbolic gesture” and is calling on the FDA to get to work passing real laws that force chemical manufacturers to be more responsible in producing safe products for human use.

“The last Federal toxic chemical law in the United States was passed in 1976,” Dausey said. “Since then, more than 80,000 chemicals have been brought to market.”

You may be wearing some of the potentially toxic chemicals Dausey wants the agency to review. They include perfluorinated chemicals, stain repellants in clothing that may impair immunity. He’s also worried about the fire retardants called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a family of chemicals linked to hyperactivity and learning disorders in youngsters.

The Worst Chips and Dips

Worst Guacamole Dip

T. Marzetti Guacamole Veggie Dip

(2 Tbsp, 29 g)
130 calories
13 g fat (2.5 g saturated)
240 mg sodium

Real guacamole is an incredibly healthy spread for chips and sandwiches alike. That's because avocados are rich with oleic acid, a healthy fat that helps to lower the bad cholesterol and raise the good. The problem, however, is that guacamole imposters are hiding in every cooler in the country. This one from T. Marzetti is made up mostly of oil and sour cream.

The Worst Chips and Dips

Worst Salsa

Tostitos Creamy Salsa

(2 Tbsp, 32 g)
60 calories
5 g fat (0.5 g saturated)
160 mg

Salsa is typically the planet's finest condiment because it's packed with antioxidants that help prevent cancers and macular degeneration. Another benefit? It's typically no more than 10 meager calories per 2 tablespoons. Any spicy dip labeled "creamy," however, has been polluted with a dose of fatty oil. This Tostitos Southwestern Ranch is more than three times as caloric as the Ortega's Thick & Chunky Salsa. Maybe not such a big deal after one scoop. But after 10? You're looking at the caloric difference of four McDonald's McNuggets.

Eat This Instead!

Ortega Thick & Chunky Salsa Medium

(2 Tbsp, 31 g)

10 calories

0 g fat

170 mg sodium

The Worst Chips and Dips

Worst Party Dip

Lay's Creamy Ranch Dip

(2 Tbsp, 33 g)
60 calories
5 g fat (0 g saturated)
210 mg sodium

Make ranch your staple dip and you could be adding hundreds of low-quality calories to your snacking. Instead, choose hummus. This fiber- and protein-rich Mediterranean staple is perfect for dipping and slathering, and it has only a little over half the calories as nutritionally void ranch.

Eat This Instead!

Wild Garden Hummus Dip Roasted Garlic

(2 Tbsp, 30 g)

35 calories

2 g fat (0 g saturated)

70 mg sodium

The Worst Chips and Dips

Worst Cheese Dip

Kraft Cheez Whiz Original Cheese Dip

(2 Tbsp, 33 g)
90 calories
7 g fat (1.5 g saturated)
440 mg sodium

This glowing orange goop is pure junk. If you have a taste for cheese, save your calories for the real thing. We're especially fond of Tostitos Salsa Con Queso Medium. With the nutritional perks of tomatoes and peppers, salsa con queso beats straight cheese dip every time. Plus, you can eat twice as much for the same caloric punch (not that you should, of course!).

Eat This Instead!

Tostitos Salsa Con Queso Medium

(2 Tbsp, 34 g)

40 calories

2.5 g fat (1 g saturated)

280 mg sodium

The Worst Chips and Dips

Worst Flavored Corn Chip: Tostitos Hint of Lime

(~6 chips, 28 g)
150 calories
7 g fat (1 g saturated)
125 mg sodium

For Tostitos, a “hint of lime” includes partially hydrogenated soybean oil and artificial coloring. If you want lime-flavored chips, your best option is easily the Guiltless Gourmet line. It has fewer ingredients, less fat, and double the fiber of the Tostitos.

Eat This Instead!

Guiltless Gourmet All Natural Chili Lime

(~18 chips, 28 g)
120 calories
3 g fat (0 g saturated)
250 mg sodium