Oil Pulling

Have I got your attention now? What a weird and confusing title for a blog post huh? If you are familiar with oil pulling than first off, good for you! A+ ...If you are not, I'm sure you are just dying to know what the hell oil pulling is. 

I wasn't aware of this unique practice until only a few months ago. As you probably already know by now, I'm completely in love ( it used to be infatuation but now we are on a much deeper level) with coconut oil. The health benefits are off the charts and you can use it for SO many different things. The list is seriously endless and continues to evolve and grow. 

So another use for coconut oil is oil pulling. What the heck is it you ask? It's simply taking 1 tsp (start with a 1/2 tsp if you need to) and swishing it around in your mouth, gums and teeth for anywhere from 10-20 minutes then spitting it out. The longer you do it the better but when I first started doing it, I could only do it for about 10 minutes because my mouth got too tired. Maybe it's just me? Probably... 

After you spit, rinse your mouth out with warm water and brush your teeth. You will instantly feel refreshed and clean.

So, why oil pulling? 

 There are many different reasons people choose to participate in the oil pulling activity. The most basic way I can describe it is your mouth is full of all sorts of bacteria. When you swish the oil around the bacteria literally get stuck in it. Then when you spit it out, out goes the bacteria. 

Here are a few health benefits:

 Removes bacteria, toxins and parasites that live in your mouth 

Pulls congestion from your throat and loosens up your sinuses

 Reduces plaque and gingivitis
Helps with bad breath 

Stronger gums and whiter teeth

A form of detox and rejuvenation

A few tips:

DO NOT swallow it

Make sure to swish it around to all areas but try and avoid the throat
When you are finished spit it out in the toilet or the trash- not the sink

Doing it while in the shower makes time go by faster. I know I have ADD but I get really bored when I'm just standing there waiting to spit. 

You can use other oils such as sesame or sunflower but I recommend coconut oil because it's antimicrobial and tastes better :)

For more information, click here  

***

Get your oil pulling on this weekend and start to reap the benefits!

-Kate