Cleanest Mouth Ever!
So recently I tried out oil pulling, because I am all about trying out a new wellness trend. Except oil pulling actually isn't new at all, it's an ancient Ayurvedic dental practice. I mean, when you think about it, the toothbrush has only been around the past couple hundred years, so what were they doing before that? Well, oil pulling for one!
So if you're not familiar with the process, here is how you do it. Fairly simple actually. You want to use a high quality grade of oil ideally, but really any oil will do. I would recommend highly recommend using an organic extra virgin coconut oil, because the idea is to draw out toxins, not introduce more toxins. Coconut oil also contains lauric acid which has strong antimicrobial and antiviral benefits, which basically means it kills the nasty bacteria and prevents viruses and infections. You want to take about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in liquid form and swish it around in your mouth on an empty stomach for about 20 minutes. Say what?! I know, I know. I thought the same thing. Ain't nobody got time for that! Except I was pretty intrigued so of course I found the time and then realized it wasn't that hard to reorder some morning events to make it work fairly easily. So I either do it right before I get into the shower, or as I am making the kids breakfast. The latter is more annoying because the kids will inevitably want to ask you a million questions about what you are doing, and well, you're not going to be able to answer them, so you'll either ignore them or you will play a game of charades for 20 minutes. Either way, their interest is going to be compounded the longer you continue. Don't let them break you. You can do this!
Once the 20 minutes passes, spit the oil out into the trashcan. Coconut oil will solidify in your pipes and you don't want that. Also, the oil will be filled with bacteria and other toxins, so be sure not to swallow it either. Then I like to rinse my mouth and gargle really well with warm salt water. Then - ta da! Your mouth will feel like you just left the dental hygienist. No kidding. I notice that my teeth are whiter, my lips are super hydrated, and my mouth feels ah-mazingly clean! So clean that I actually don't even want to eat any food and spoil it. But I do, because I am starving. But! Silver lining: I've noticed that it totally kills my morning sugar cravings making it easier to dish up a savory fat filled breakfast over a mug of granola.
There are some claims that oil pulling boosts metabolism. Other experts say that is baseless. I do notice once I am finished oil pulling my hunger is about as revved up as after I am finished nursing, so I'd like to believe that it attributes to a boost of some kind.
So the benefits of oil pulling are many! There are the immediate noticeable benefits of shinny white teeth, plump lips and clean breath that are enough to make it worthwhile on its own. However, there are a multitude of additional health benefits that are a result of drawing all of the bacteria and toxins out of the mouth on a regular basis, such as prevention of cavities, tooth decay, gum disease, heart disease, reduced inflammation, improved immunity, and even possibly, a boost in metabolism!
So try it out! Let me know what you think!