Create Your Sunshine

Chances are somewhere over the last few months you’ve heard of oil pulling. A post on Facebook, a friend or neighbor, or perhaps your monthly wellness magazine. Wherever you heard it, you likely had the same reaction that I and many others had: What the deuce is oil pulling?

Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic technique that helps to strengthen teeth and jaw, cleanse the mouth of bad bacteria and detoxify the body and much much more!

I recently started oil pulling after literally being bombarded with articles and status updates on Facebook. I know, I know – fortune by Facebook? Being a big believer in the fact that the Universe will get you the message HOWEVER it can, I took notice and decided to give it a whirl.

The most commonly used oils are Coconut Oil and Sesame Seed Oil. Already having Coconut Oil on hand, I gave that a go first. *WARNING* I sadly did not have the foresight to MELT the Coconut Oil before inserting into my mouth. Let’s just say that gag is the least that I did. If you decide to go with Coconut Oil, do yourself a favor and get it back to it’s oily consistency first.

After having my dastardly bout with the Coconut Oil, I purchased and tried Sesame Seed Oil instead and I’ve gotta say, I really like it! It tastes kind of like peanut butter too, which is alright with me! A couple of things that you want to know before you go out and purchase your oil is that it should be ORGANIC, UNREFINED and COLD PRESSED (if you happen to be confused about expeller pressed vs cold pressed like I was – read this article). I got my Sesame Seed Oil at Whole Foods.

The whole technique behind oil pulling is really quite simple. First thing in the morning, take a 1/2-1 tablespoon of oil, put it in your mouth and go to town swishing and pulling around your mouth and between your teeth for 15-20 minutes. Don’t get discouraged if you can’t do it for that long right off the bat. I started out at 10 minutes and worked my way up. Sometimes all you can do is 5 at first, it’s OK, just keep trying!! It’s important to be present during this time, paying close attention to your swishing. I like to read a book or just do small house hold things like emptying the dishwasher or folding clothes. If your schedule doesn’t allow for that, just do the best you can. Once the time is up, spit the oil into a disposable cup or straight into the garbage. Spitting it into the sink or toilet can potentially leak out the bad bacteria you just swished up and the oil can harden in your plumbing. No bueno

The oil you spit out should be frothy and opaque. If your mouth and teeth feel oily after spitting, you didn’t swish long enough. After that, just rinse your mouth with warm and salty water and brush as normal. Now you have a beautifully clean and refreshed mouth, a happily detoxed body and boosted immune system and an energized, happy heart!

I have been oil pulling for the last 2 weeks and I can already start to notice a difference in my over all health and alertness. I don’t think that I will stop oil pulling anytime in the near future. In fact, I’ve built a whole morning routine around it! If you are interested in reading more on oil pulling, I highly suggest this article from MindBodyGreen and also this one from Elephant Journal. Both were extremely helpful with starting my journey.

Do you have a question about oil pulling or a story about your experience? Please share with us below and I will be happy to answer as best I can.

♥ xo