Bad breath may not be something every guy thinks about all of the time, but, rest assured, it can be a big factor in the overall confidence. Naturally, when someone thinks their breath smells bad, they may be hesitant to engage with others, or, worse, may end up popping a bunch of mints or gum to try and cover it up, only making them look unnatural when speaking thanks to a wad of gum in there.

Fear not, fellas, because we’re here to help you fight bad breath once and for all, giving a few tips that will lead to a a fresher mouth all day long — and it doesn’t take as much work as you may imagine. In fact, it’s pretty simple, just as long as you stay on a good routine.

For those who can’t stand bad breath and want to put their best selves forward, here are things you can do to combat that nasty stench coming from your mouth.

Eat your veggies to avoid bad breath

Remember when you were younger and your mom insisted that you eat all of your veggies? Well, as it turns out, there was more to it than just to help keep a balanced diet. That’s because vegetables promote an alkaline environment in your body, which helps reduce the acid inside of your body that naturally develops. Who knew, right?

Clean your tongue early and often

In case you didn’t know it, your tongue is one of the filthiest places on your entire body, as lots of bacteria sticks to the tiny taste buds on it and releases a nasty odor when not taken care of. Therefore, fighting bad breath can be as easy as taming such bacteria with your toothbrush or a tongue scraper throughout the day, eliminating such bacteria and, more so, decreasing your chance of plaque forming.

Drink your water

We all need to be drinking more water throughout the day for a lot of reasons, but, one of the benefits is actually promoting a healthier mouth and fresher breath. In essence, water keeps bacteria in your mouth under control, helping your body functioning properly without any added sugars or ingredients — like soda or sports drinks have in them.

Chew parsley and/or mint leaves

Sure, you may want to grab the spray or pick up some gum at the register of the supermarket to help combat bad breath, but want to know what will really be effective? Chewing parsley and/or mint leaves instead. Much like you would pack a lunch each day, a good routine to get into is packing a couple of these before leaving for the office, popping them into your mouth throughout the day. The mint leaves help boost your breath, and the chlorophyll in the parsley helps fight sulfur in the mouth — which attribute to bad breath.

Limit your carb intake

Believe it or not, much like keeping yourself fit, limiting your carb intake will help your breath stay much more fresh throughout the day. We get it; nothing quite beats eating fatty foods like a big ol’, greasy hamburger with french fries, but if you want to fight bad breath, you’d be wise to limit carbs as much as possible. Consider the healthier carbohydrate options like vegetables and fresh fruit instead.