Dear Friends,
Oil pulling! What the heck is oil pulling? Who thought of it, and…is it painful?
Oil pulling is a simple yet effective way to cleanse your mouth, teeth, gums and purge toxins from your body. In fact, it’s known as “gandusha”in Ayurvedic medicinal and the practice dates back over 3,000 years.
You accomplish it by swishing coconut oil in your mouth for 10-20 minutes in order to kill unfriendly bacteria, keeping your whole mouth clean and fresh. The reason it’s called oil pulling is because the oil literally “pulls” out toxins, bacteria and debris from where it resides in your mouth. Your mouth is a prevalent area for bacteria and toxins to gather and incubate. Therefore not only will Oil Pulling will help whiten your teeth, it will improve gum health, help cleanse your body and improve your lymphatic system.
According to WebMD, recent studies show that oil pulling helps against gingivitis, plaque, and microorganisms that cause bad breath. How? “Most microorganisms inhabiting the mouth consist of single cells that are covered with a lipid, or fatty, membrane, which is the cell’s skin. When these cells come into contact with oil, a fat, they naturally adhere to each other.”
Dr. Josh Axe, the wellness physician, popular radio show host, and sought-after national speaker, claims Oil Pulling will treat tooth decay, prevent heart disease, heal bleeding gums, kill bad breath, reduce inflammation, sooth a sore throat, heal cracked lips, improve acne and strengthen gums and jaw. There is even some anecdotal information that reports to be beneficial for TMJ.
So what have we learned? Oil Pulling is not scary or painful and for all the benefits, it’s well worth 20 minutes of your time. Who’s in?
Directions:
First, floss your teeth, or swish first thing in the morning when you wake up, before you’ve eaten or had anything to drink. But any time of day will do. Next, put one ½ to 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth. Remember that the volume will increase due to your saliva.I have never been able to use more than ½ tablespoon myself.
Swish the coconut oil for 20 minutes. You may want to set a timer. If you need to start with 5 minutes, that’s okay but to reap the benefits completely, you’ll want to work your way up to the full 20 minutes. Don’t swish longer than 20 minutes as you my start to reabsorb those nasty toxins. It’s a good idea to use a towel as a bid so you don’t stain your clothes if you dribble or you can do your swishing while you are in the shower.
Next, spit the oil out in the garbage or toilet; spitting the oil in the sink can clog your drains. Rinse your mouth several times with warm water and be sure to spit it out too so you don’t reingest toxins. Brush your teeth within 10 minutes if you are using fluoride-free toothpaste. If you use a commercial toothpaste with toxins like, fluoride, lauryl sulfate and artificial sweeteners brush before your oil pulling so that you will pull out the above mentioned toxins.
Wishing you health, abundance and clarity….
Love and Light,
Lori
