Many of us don't realize the importance of what we actually immerse in our mouth and subsequently stomach and how that affects the smell that our bodies produce in various areas.

We are made of what we eat! Furthermore we smell exactly like the food we eat. Well not exactly though -- eating lavender wouldn't make you smell like lavender, however the point is that in the long run what we eat has a direct impact on how our skin, hair and breath smells.

What are the body parts prone to bad smells? Well obviously it is skin as we are almost completely covered by it. However the most vulnerable areas are:

• Armpits
• Genitals
• Groin
• Feet
• Hair
• Ears
• Mouth
• Breasts (if you are female)

Did you know that each person has a unique body odor influenced primarily by diet, health and gender? Dogs and other animals identify us by our specific smells.

I use to be very insecure about the smells my body produced several years ago. I remember being super stressed about my breath and whenever someone would get too close or if I need to talk to someone one on one, every time I said something I would be thinking how "smelly" that word would be

Back then I didn't really know the cause and I just convinced myself: that we are all humans and we all smell. However what I didn't realize is that we all smell differently, some better and others worse. And what's most important is that we can actually influence and change it with some effort and through replacing few habits, especially our eating habits.

After years on the rollercoaster-like journey, the experience I gained throughout my healthy lifestyle as well as two years of being hard-core vegan, I am confident that what led me to smelling sweet and fantastic just like a baby(kidding) is my nutrient-high diet and active lifestyle

Most people tend to put a lot of time, effort and resources into finding various ways to cover up and conceal unpleasant natural stenches and they don't bother understanding what is the root cause of the unpleasant smell.

Instead of trying to temporarily cover it up by pouring perfume on our skin, rolling that strongly scented deodorant stick on armpits and applying pounds of that sweet fruit conditioner on your mop, why not try to help our body produce more pleasant natural smell by understanding how body odor is produced.

What causes unpleasant body odor?

We have two types of sweat glands: Eccrine and Apocrine. Eccrine glands are almost innocent when it comes to body odor, the real culprit here is apocrine gland, which produces proteins and lipids -- bacteria's favorite food. The sweat produced by apocrine gland is a pure reflection of body's toxic condition.

Now let's face the truth: If you put less toxic and acidic products in your body, less toxins will be produced by your body!

People in poor health, those who regularly eat spicy foods and red meats as well as obese individuals are prone to having more unpleasant body odor than healthy and fit people on a balanced diet.

Now let's see which foods can make us smell a little better, because perfumes and deodorant are temporary solutions that won't completely mask your body odor. We need to look at the root of the problem.

Bacteria or any disease would not survive in alkaline environment! So the most effective way to eliminate those smelly culprits is to create alkaline environment inside and outside of your body if possible. Alkalinity = less toxins as well as free radicals and subsequently less bacteria and less odor.

Now which foods can help us boost our alkalinity?

1 Celery

Celery is one of those antique veggies (and by coincidence gorilla's favorite food) that is an excellent source of antioxidants, beneficial enzymes and such vitamins as vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, folate and vitamin B6. Phenolic phytonutrients and antioxidants contained in celery have been shown to decrease the risk of oxidative damage to the body as well as inflammatory reactions in the digestive tract and blood vessels. This all leads to less toxins and free radicals.

As toxins thrive in your body so does the smell and odor. Celery is mostly made of water and fiber, so not only it is a popular and proven diuretic, but it also helps with bowel movement due to the large amount of fiber.

This crunchy snack aids digestion process and helps eliminate toxins that cause body odor.

Celery is widely available at most of the grocery stores and is very affordable, Trader Joe's has them for $2.99 per stalk pair. If you are too lazy to prep a meal with this fantastic veggie, then throwing it into one of your smoothies will never ruin the taste and the blender will completely liquify it for you.

2 Parsley

People most commonly refer to parsley as fresh herb or dried spice, however this herb is packed with enormous amounts of chlorophyll and is known for its blood purification abilities.

This superfood is full of antioxidants and will help detoxify your body and keep toxins away creating alkalizing environment and helping your blood maintain its high PH level. Parsley also helps with production of new red blood cells which in turn accelerates healing processes.

For centuries parsley extracts and parsley oils served as diuretics and antiseptics with anti-inflammatory properties. Parsley is included as a main ingredient in many detox programs and it will certainly have great impact on the natural smell your body produces as well as help with bad breath.

In other words this simple herb is an expert when it comes to driving toxins out of your body, scavenging free radicals and keeping you "cleaner" and more "aromatic".

3 Lemons and other citrus fruits

Despite many arguments about lemon's acidic nature, it definitely has an alkaline effect on the body, because once inside it raises urine's pH level. It has actually been proven that lemon juice dissolves kidney stones and kidney stones can only be dissolved in alkaline environment!

Water mixed with lemon juice is one of the best detoxifiers. It is also very simple to make and doesn't require a juicer. Add other fruits or veggies for flavoring and grab this amazing drink to keep you hydrated the entire day and see what effect will that have on your body odor.

This is very healthy and affordable juice because organic lemons cost 59 cents each at Trader Joe's and getting a clean neutral pH water is just a matter of using Brita water filters.

4 Alkaline Water

Alkaline water has a pH level higher than 7, which determines the alkalinity of the water. We all know that bacteria thrives in acidic environments and the job of our body its to keep each area at certain pH level:

• Blood at 7.4
• Urine at 6.1
• Saliva between 6.5 and 7.5
• Fundic(upper portion of the stomach) between 4.0 and 6.5
• Small intestine between 7.0 and 8.5

The scale is from pH 0 to pH 14 with 7 being neutral.Different areas have different pH and ones are more alkaline while others are more acidic. While drinking alkaline water wouldn't simply raise body's overall pH, it would definitely help body regular alkalinity. And considering that we live in "toxic" environments exposing ourselves to different chemicals, we must constantly fill our alkaline reserves so that our bodies can function well and produce healthy odorprint.

5 Apples

Have you heard that "An apple a day can keep the dentist away"? A recent study in the Journal of Dental Research confirms that statement, furthermore South Korean scientists are trying to breed apples that will one day be used to freshen breath.

So while your dentist is kept away, you will inevitably attract friends and people in general to get closer because apples, due to their natural detergent properties, are incredibly powerful when it comes to fighting against bad breath. That however doesn't replace the brushing and flossing your teeth regularly.

Furthermore when biting into an apple, you're forcing plaque to move away from your teeth as well as any food matter that can cause bacteria to thrive and bad breath to appear as a result.

Conclusion

Eating more fruits and vegetables that have an alkaline effect on your body would promote a good health and "healthier" body odor as a result!

Red meats, alcohol, refined sugars, dairy, lots of coffee, spicy foods and just foods will yield more acidic and toxic effect on your body which helps bacteria to grow and subsequently unpleasant body odors.

I personally follow 80-20 rule, where 20% of my diet are acidic-forming foods and 80% are alkaline-forming ingredients like fruits, vegetables and other plant-based unprocessed or minimally processed foods.