Skip to main content

Oil Pulling


I'm self-conscious about many things, but one that is high on my list would be having bad breath.  I'm always chewing on gum or mints.  So, when I heard about oil pulling, I knew I had to give it a try.

Oil pulling comes from an ancient Ayurvedic practice, which involves swishing a food-based oil around in your mouth.  By doing so, you pull the toxins and bacteria out of your body, while also promoting good oral health. 

To do oil pulling, choose any plant-based oil.  I chose to use coconut oil, as I had it readily accessible.  But, I also want to try oil pulling using, sesame oil, sunflower oil, and olive oil.  Take a tablespoon of the oil, and gently (emphasis on gently!) swish it around your mouth for 10-20 minutes.  I do this first thing in the morning, while I take a shower, and then spit it out in the waste basket when I'm finished.  

After completing a 21-day challenge, I can honestly say that it does produce some great benefits.

For one, my teeth are whiter, and I crave the gum and mints much less than I used to.  My skin has also never looked better.  I used to break out at my jaw line around my periods, but that has subsided.   The only negative side-effect that I've noticed, is that I get thirsty, as I'm essentially pulling the oils out of my mouth.  But, on the plus side, I'm drinking more water!  :)

Some things to note.  For one, never swallow the oil.  You'll be ingesting toxins, and this will upset your stomach.  It's also important to oil pull on an empty stomach.  Our bodies produce bacteria to digest our food, both in the mouth and the stomach.  By oil pulling, you'll be ridding your body of the food digesting bacteria, and can cause nausea or an upset stomach. 

Always spit the used oil into the trash, and never down the sink.  Your pipes will thank you.

Swishing oil around in your mouth for 10-20 minutes can seem like an eternity, so oil pull while you do something else.  I like to do it while in the shower, but have also found it effective to go through my emails, watch TV, or complete some mundane household tasks to make the time go by more quickly.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Oh Lord

When I die, put my ashes in the trash bag I don't care where they go Don't waste your money on my gravestone I'm more concerned about my soul Everybody's gon' die Don't everybody live though Sometimes I look up to the sky And wonder do You see us down here? Oh Lord, oh Lord, do You see us down here? Oh Lord, oh Lord, do You see us down here? Oh Lord, oh Lord, do You see us down here? Oh Lord, oh Lord Listen, yeah everybody wants change Don't nobody wanna change though Don't nobody wanna pray Till they got something to pray for Now everybody's gon' die But don't everybody live though Sometimes I look up to the sky And wonder do you see us down here? Oh Lord, oh Lord, do You see us down here? Oh Lord, oh Lord, do You see us down here? Oh Lord, oh Lord, do You see us down here? Oh Lord, oh Lord It's easy to blame God but harder to fix things We look in the sky like, "Why ain
Post a Comment
Read more

See the Value in Each Day's Journey

Sometimes the road seems so long and endless, that the idea we'll ever get to where we want to be seems like a battle that will never be won.  That all our efforts don't matter, and are for nothing.  But, the truth is, we need to find joy in the journey.  Stop focusing so much on what we don't have and that place that we haven't reached yet, and start being present in the moment and learning how everything we do affects us, and others.  Ask yourself, what is the impression I made today?  How have I affected others?  How does that make me feel?  How can I do better? Too often, I believe that we miss part of the message we're supposed to get out of our experiences, because we're so focused on the the end point. "The Pleasure and value of every walk or journey we take may be doubled to us by carefully noting down the impressions it makes upon us." - John Burroughs
Post a Comment
Read more

Happy November!

It is officially November, so you know what that means.   Holiday preparations are now in full swing.   I’ve been told I’m so organized I’m boring, but making lists, forward thinking and planning helps with managing my stress levels.   There is just so much to do, think about, and keep track of!   I have about 5 lists going right now.   It’s crazy.   What’s most exciting is that since I’ve moved to a house, my family and I will have more room to spread out and relax at Thanksgiving.   I always get so nervous that everything won’t work out, or people won’t have a good time.   But, no matter how much I worry, it always works out in the end. Here’s to a happy, healthy, and relatively stress free holiday season!
Post a Comment
Read more