Is the food you are eating making your body odor worse?

Have you ever been walking in a mall, crowded restaurant or party and get a whiff of body odor? Did the thought of “What the heck did that person eat?” come to mind? It’s a known fact that what you put in your body to process will affect your energy, weight, state of mind but did you know it can also affect your smell?

Body odor is an interesting thing. It can be measured by the smell of your breath, the smell of your sweat and the bodily odors released with elimination. All of these are affected by the foods we choose to fuel our body with on a regular basis. But there are some simple things we can do to return our body to our sweet-smelling self!

First, lets explore the foods that could be adding to our not so pleasant smells.

1. Alcohol – This doesn’t mean having a glass of wine is out of the question but a night of binge drinking or over doing it can lead to a few days of smelling less than optimal. Alcohol has to be processed by the liver. The liver breaks it down into compounds that are safe for removal and that removal can take place through the sweat glands, feet, etc. It’s how the body naturally detoxifies the alcohol from your system. My suggestion is to keep that alcohol in moderation to keep your body odor under control.

2. Brassica/Cruciferous Veggies – These veggies are jam packed with vitamins and nutrients, so I would never suggest not keeping them as part of your weekly menu. But, they do contain sulfur compounds that can add to odor in the body.

3. Allium - Along with the brassica veggies watch out for too much garlic and onion as these too leave the sulfur smell in their wake but again, they are important for so many great nutrients and vitamins, they are antimicrobial and antibacterial so removing them for good is not a solution. Just be sure to not over do it!

4. Asparagus – This bright green vegetable has a compound called methyl mercaptan that produces a smell in all the bodily fluids once consumed. Studies have been done that show it’s not as strong as we perceive, and some people can’t smell it at all. If you notice your smell changes after eating asparagus, you can rest easy knowing that there is very little chance that anyone else will notice so keep on eating that asparagus!

5. Red Meat – There was an actual study done where men in one group we asked to consume meat and another group consumed a vegetarian diet. They collected the t-shirts worn by the men after a couple of days and had women decide which group of men smelled better. (Yep, not sure I would have volunteered for this smelly study!) It turns out that the women found the vegetarian men’s smells much more acceptable. So cutting back on your red meat consumption is thought to help keep you smelling your best.

6. Fish – There is a condition called trimelthylaminuria where trimethylamines are not broken down in the body. This chemical is found in fish and when not broken down builds up in the body and ends up coming out in the sweat, breath and urine of those affected as a fishy smell. It’s now thought that this may affect more people than once thought so if you find that eating fish leaves you smelly this could be the answer!

Okay, so now we know the foods we need to watch out for, but what can we do if we feel we need a little help with our body odors.

1. Eat Clean – Again, there is the tried and true evidence supported idea of avoiding processed foods. These include foods high in refined sugar, white flours, hydrogenated oils, preservatives and chemicals. I know, I know, this is always the answer, right? Well, if it is just that easy then why isn’t everyone doing it? We would all smell SO much better!

2. Build Your Microbiome - This also goes along with the first idea of eating clean. You want to feed your body well, but you also want to feed the gut bugs in your intestinal system that help you process foods better. This will help you produce less gas and odor. Another consideration here is the microbiome of your mouth and skin! Did you know that sweat doesn’t have an odor? It’s the bacteria on your skin that acts on the sweat that produces the odor. Keep the area of your sweat glands (feet, armpits, breasts and groin) clean and dry. Your breath and the health of your teeth can also be affected by the microbiome of your mouth so proper dental care and hygiene is important but so is eating healthy fermented foods.

3. Chlorophyll – Eating meals with lots of leafy greens and concentrated chlorophyll has been known to help remove body odor. Chewing herbs such as parsley, mint and cilantro have been traditionally used to help neutralize odors at the end of meals. (Those herbs on your plate are not just garnish!)

4. Fiber – Eating a menu high in dietary fiber can help in several ways. First it feeds the microbiome in your gut to help break down your food better and secondly it helps carry toxins from the body to improve elimination.

Do you want to know more? Do you do all these things and still find you dislike your own aroma? Are you ready to smell your best? Would you like to know more about how you can begin to get to the root issues holding you back from reaching your health and wellness goals? Let’s chat about how holistic nutrition consulting and health coaching can help you make your own healthy changes so that you can feel your best every single day. I can provide recipes, meal and snack ideas and support changes to transform your health! Schedule an initial complimentary consultation with me today—or pass this offer on to someone you care about! Visit www.noshoesnutrition.com and sign up for a FREE consultation.  I work with women from all over the world individually or in groups so don’t let anything hold you back!