Oil Pulling

***I need to make an amendment to this post. I was doing Oil Pulling for about 2 months everyday for 5 - 10 minutes each day. Just this last week I developed Oral Thrush. Admittedly I was eating way too much sugar (natural, "good" sugar, mind you! But sugar is sugar) and Candida (the cause of thrush) thrives on sugar. My doctor thinks that with the oil pulling I depleted the good and the bad bacteria in my mouth and with the extra sugar, candida just had it's way with me. So.....I don't oil pull every day, but will limit it to a couple of days a week. Why oil pull at all? I like it because I have a tooth implant and it is hard to keep it clean underneath and oil pulling does it very nicely. Also, it whitens teeth.***


Oil Pulling? Have you tried it? 

First, what is it? An ancient practice of placing a tablespoon of Extra Virgin Organic Cold Pressed Oil into your mouth and then swishing it around for up to 20 minutes, minimum 5 minutes (pulling in between your teeth) before spitting it out. DO NOT SWALLOW IT (the idea is to pull out the toxins and you don’t want to ingest those!) Afterwards brush your teeth with an all-natural, fluoride-free toothpaste and rinse well. Sounds easy (it is unless you are a gagger, then it requires starting slow and adjusting to the feel of it).

Second: Why Oil Pulling? The oil pulls out the bacteria, fungi, viruses and other toxins in the mouth before they can spread throughout the body. This frees up the immune system, reduces stress, curtails internal inflammation and aids well-being. 

A few benefits are: 1) teeth whitening; 2) increases energy by pulling out toxins before they are a problem; 3) detoxes the body. Since the mouth is the gateway, it all starts here; 4) aids hormonal changes; 5) reduces headaches; 6) keeps skin clear; 7) and the obvious: promotes oral hygiene and helps control bad breath. 

Like most health practices, the results won’t be overnight, depending on your health when you start. Making it a daily habit is beneficial to your overall health. I pop in a tablespoon of coconut oil as I head out for a walk or before getting into the shower. (Note: don’t spit it out down the drain as, over time, it will clog.) I’d be interested to know how this works for you. Personally, I have noticed all the above benefits over the months. Do I enjoy it? Not really, but I don’t enjoy exercising either, but the benefits make it worthwhile.