Q: I started drinking black tea as you’ve recommended, but it stained my teeth! I was able to remove the stains with whitening strips. How can I keep drinking black tea without staining my teeth? — Laurel, via e-mail
A: Having pearly white teeth is like wearing great black jeans: You know they make you look good. Likewise, tea makes you feel good, relaxed and attentive. Plus it contains polysaccharides — chemicals that stabilize your blood sugar, helping you avoid Ho-Ho binges. But, yes, black tea can stain teeth. The tannin in it transfers to tooth enamel. (Green tea stains too, though not as much.) If you love the comfort and health benefits of tea, do the following:
• Swirl some water around your mouth after every cup of tea to rinse away the tannin. Even better, brush.
• Floss daily to remove plaque, which acts like a stain magnet, darkening teeth around the edges.
• Ask your dentist to suggest an at- home whitener. Just don’t use it more often than recommended. Damaged tooth enamel isn’t pretty.
Q: I can control my appetite all day, but at night I’m starving. I’ve tried snacking on nuts, Jell-O and crackers, but I’m still not satisfied. What will tame the hunger pangs that come a few hours after dinner? — Joyce, Newtown, Conn.
A: Your after-dark feeding frenzies may get their start before the sun goes down. It sounds like you could be genuinely hungry because you’re not getting enough calories or fill-‘er-up protein, fiber and healthy fats. Result: Just as you’re about to watch “How I Met Your Mother,” hunger pangs send you to the refrigerator instead.
To avoid nighttime noshing, be sure you eat three moderate meals and two fiber-plus-protein snacks during the day. That should keep you from feeling famished when you’re most vulnerable: at home, at night. If you’re still hungry, go for lean protein (a turkey rollup or an egg-white omelet) or a healthy starch, such as whole-wheat toast with peanut butter or a small baked potato with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. Bonus: Starchy foods encourage your body to produce sleep-inducing serotonin. So you’ll be more than ready to nod off when it’s time to turn in.
Q: I’ve suffered with kidney stones for 16 years. My most recent attack involved calcium oxalate stones in both kidneys. Do any diets prevent kidney stones? — Lisa, Ontario, Canada
A: You’re smart to think about prevention because with kidney stones it’s not always true that “this, too, shall pass.” Calcium oxalate stones are the most common type. These tough little nuggets form when calcium and oxalic acid combine in acidic urine. Like a hairball in a bathtub drain, a big stone can clog your kidneys or ureter, the tube urine flows through as it travels from kidney to bladder. Your best diet defense? Do the following:
• Drink loads of water to dilute your urine so it’s less acidic. You want to produce about 2 quarts of it a day.
• Drink lemonade or orange juice too. They contain citrates, which help stop stones from forming.
• Don’t drink grapefruit juice, cranberry juice or dark cola. They increase your risk. Avoid salty foods, especially processed meats. (Hot dogs are not your friend.) Sodium increases calcium in urine, where it meets its bad-boy companion, oxalate, and they become hard friends.
• Limit high-oxalate foods, such as spinach, rhubarb, nuts and wheat bran.
• Don’t limit calcium, but do take calcium supplements with food. The pills may be protective because calcium binds with oxalate in food, which keeps it out of your urinary tract.
• If you take vitamin C, limit it to 500 milligrams a day because C can turn into oxalate in your body.
The You Docs, Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen, are authors of “You: On a Diet.” To submit questions, go to .
