Gee, Your Breath Smells Terrific

Until the chlorophyll and charcoal kick in, you can use a dab of pure peppermint oil on your tongue to refresh your breath. Peppermint is stimulating and will give you a little lift, too. I like to carry a small bottle of peppermint oil with me wherever I go because I like it so much; I put a dab on my finger and rub it on my gums so my whole mouth feels refreshed. Peppermint also is an activating herb that is used as a flavoring in hard candy. Not only does it aid digestion by stimulating digestive juices, but it also has been useful in stimulating mental alertness.

Chlorophyll: Nature’s Deodorizer

Chlorophyll, the green pigment of the plants, works as one of the best natural deodorizers for the body. Liquid chlorophyll can be swallowed straight, put in water or juice, or taken in capsule form. Liquid chlorophyll takes the smell out of the body and neutralizes acids in the body that can make you smell. It’s also good for helping to cleanse the bowel, which is where many waste materials are harbored.
Liquid chlorophyll has been used for various conditions and has been useful in:

• Deodorizing the body
• Building up blood count in cases of anemia
• Stopping bleeding when applied externally to wounds
• Supporting the digestive system
• Restoring minerals in the body after depletion
• Clearing up skin conditions
• Providing energy
• Easing sore throats when used as a gargle
• Speeding the healing of canker sores

Bad Breath (Halitosis): A Refreshing Remedy

You don’t have to eat onions to have bad breath. And you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to realize that if everyone around you backs away when you talk to them you probably need an oral odor eater! Local infection such as gum disease (also known as gingivitis) harbor bacteria and can give a foul odor to your breath. (See Chapter 12, “G:
Great Remedies,” for more help with gingivitis.) Sinus drainage can be another localized factor. If no localized problem exists, and if you haven’t had onions or garlic lately, bad breath is probably a result of a toxic bowel or sour stomach. When bad breath is due to a sour stomach, food enzymes will help support your digestion and get to the cause of the problem. Enzymes will also help you break down your foods better so that you are eliminating more efficiently. Enzyme tablets are best taken before meals.
Remember our zinc rhyme? If you stink, take zinc. A client told me once about a friend’s son’s feet that smelled terrible all the time. His mother took him to a naturopath, who told him to take zinc. After taking zinc for two days, the smell was gone! Activated charcoal is another absorbing remedy that will absorb toxins and their smells from the body. Charcoal is used for other things as well, such as filtering harmful pollutants from drinking water. Taken internally, charcoal helps neutralize your bad odors, including body odor.