I can remember when I first heard of oil pulling from friends, and the first time I tried it myself. Certainly no picnic. Now however, I have experienced so many wonderful consequences of pulling with coconut oil, most significantly the effect it had on my teeth. They have become much whiter and small starting cavities have disappeared. So I decided to share this with you, in the hopes you would give it a try yourself and stick with it for a while like I did.
What is Oil Pulling?
In the texts of the Ayurveda (an ancient health care tradition practiced in India) oil pulling is used to keep the mouth healthy and clean. It is also practiced to detoxify the body and rejuvenate. One tablespoon of sesame oil is taken into the mouth and then swished around for 25 minutes. This procedure can also be done with coconut oil. In fact, coconut oil has the most favorable properties in order to keep your mouth clean! It can stop bacteria from harming your teeth’s enamel, and help repair teeth by stimulating your saliva and balancing the pH-level in your mouth.
Which Coconut Oil?
Oil pulling is used to optimum effect if done with extra virgin coconut oil (cold pressed). Deodorized coconut oil is not only stripped of its smell and taste but also of essential nutrients, so steer clear from deodorized oil.
OIL PULLING IN 8 STEPS
For a good cleanse, you can start your day as follows:
- Practice oil pulling in the morning on an empty stomach
- Take 1 tablespoon of coconut oil and put in your mouth. If it’s solidified, don’t worry. It will melt quickly into a liquid.
- “Chew”, suck, pull and swish the oil in your mouth and between your teeth. Sometimes you can let the oil rest for a bit, so it gets the chance to dissolve some existing grime on the teeth.
- Make sure you do not swallow oil. It will contain a lot of toxins.
- Keep doing this for 25 minutes, you can build it up over a period if you find it unpleasant in the beginning. But 25 minutes is the ideal time: long enough to extract the toxins, but not too long so the body might absorb the extracted toxins again
- Finally, spit the oil out in the toilet, or outside. Not in the sink because it will be teeming with bacteria.
- After a couple of oil pullings, you won’t have to sit still and you can easily do other things like showering (my favorite), getting dressed, preparing breakfast, etc.
Cleaning after pulling Oil
To clean the mouth thoroughly afterwards, I have the following routine:
Add some celtic or himalayan salt to a glass of lukewarm water, and rinse your mouth until the water glass is empty. In between rinsings you can scrape your tongue clean as well. After rinsing, brush your teeth gently with a soft toothbrush and non-aggressive fluoride free toothpaste.
You can also create your own toothpaste with the following toothpaste recipe:
Mix a little magnesium chloride gel with a little celtic sea salt, coconut oil and a drop of peppermint oil. 100% natural and extremely basic! Magnesium chloride is extremely good for gums and teeth. It works against inflammation and makes for strong teeth.
The benefits of oil pulling
- Whiter teeth
- Healthy, pink gums
- Reduced migraine
- Less severe asthma
- Increased energy
- Relief from hay fever
- Improved PMS symptoms
- Regular menstrual cycles
- Better sleep
- Nice, clean skin
- Reduction of allergies
Whether or not you believe oil pulling is able to have all these effects on your body, it is worth experimenting with, because it’s safe, easy and very affordable. If you are trying it out, let me know what your experience was and if it helped you in any way!
