In Zimbabwe, people will never tell you directly that you have bad breath—especially if you are an elder. It’s considered disrespectful, even demeaning. The only time you might hear it openly is in the heat of an argument, when someone uses it as an insult. But in day-to-day life? They’ll keep quiet, whisper about it behind your back, and silently distance themselves.
The result is often worse than the truth. You may never realize what’s wrong, yet you continue to suffer rejection—social, professional, and even within your own family. Not even your wife or husband will tell you, unless the subject comes up during a quarrel. And the cruel irony is that no one can truly smell their own breath. To you, it always seems fine… until you try that awkward, unpleasant trick of scraping plaque from your teeth and sniffing it.
A Lesson from Abroad
When I went to Norway for my master’s programme with Choreomundus, the experience was different—almost shocking. For the first time, someone told me about my breath openly, but kindly.
Her name was Lika, a classmate from Georgia. I’ll never forget her honesty. My first reaction was to feel defensive. But then it struck me: what she gave me was not embarrassment—it was freedom. She had told me what others would never say, and in doing so, gave me a chance to do something about it.
As my confidence grew, I turned to her for feedback often. I tried every remedy I could think of—brushing multiple times a day, changing toothpaste brands, even rinsing with methylated spirit (a terrible idea, in hindsight). Nothing worked.
The Medical Reality
During our third semester in France, in the middle of COVID, we went through rigorous health checks. That’s when I finally asked a doctor about my problem.
The diagnosis: H. pylori (HP). The prescription: antibiotics. The treatment helped, but the doctor warned me—it wasn’t a permanent solution. The bacteria could come back, and the side effects might do more harm than good.
Lika, as always, continued to encourage me. But after graduation, when life took us in different directions, I no longer had her honest feedback. And at home, I knew my wife’s respect would prevent her from being fully truthful about my breath, just as I would never embarrass her with such a comment.
Once again, I was back to square one—uncertain, doubting myself, and frustrated.
Enough Is Enough
That’s when I decided: enough is enough. I had to find a real solution, not just trial and error.
I embarked on research, diving into natural remedies, lifestyle changes, and science-backed approaches. Thanks to ChatGPT, I was able to comb through detailed information and narrow down the best options on the market. I tested them. I learned. I refined.
And that’s how Fresh Within™ was born.
This blog—and the products we are building—come from lived experience. From silence, whispers, and shame, to openness, research, and solutions. Fresh Within™ is not just about fresh breath. It’s about confidence. It’s about dignity. It’s about never again having to wonder what people are saying behind your back.
Because bad breath doesn’t just affect your mouth—it affects your life.
👉 Next on the Blog: I’ll share the natural remedies that worked for me, and how you can start your own journey to stay fresh within.
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