What if we told you that a simple pantry item could help you to detox, plus improve your general health, and in particular, dental health?
Without spending a fortune on medications and other remedies, you can maintain certain elements of your health by oil pulling every morning. If you haven’t heard of oil pulling before, it’s an ancient Ayurvedic practice that stems from India, where you swish oil in your mouth for 20 minutes everyday.
Most people use coconut oil to do this, because it is known for its antibacterial properties, and also because it tastes better than many other oils. Generally speaking though, you can use any vegetable oil to do oil pulling.
Oil pulling works best on an empty stomach so it’s best practice to do it first thing in the morning before brushing or flossing your teeth. Oil pulling removes toxins out of your body so essentially; it’s just like doing a big detox every morning.
As soon as you wake up, take one tablespoon of coconut (or sesame, or other vegetable oil) and swish it around in your mouth for 20 minutes. Push it and pull it between your teeth as you swish. Twenty minutes seems like a loooong time, but we usually do it while we’re checking our social media or emails in the morning. It is a fairly strong sensation though, so if you can only last 10 minutes, that’s better than not doing it at all. As you get used to the taste, it will get easier and you can then build yourself up to the 20-minute mark.
There are so many health benefits that people attribute to oil pulling. Number one is whiter teeth and healthier gums. This is because oil pulling is designed to flush all the toxins out of your body and as you’re swishing the oil in your mouth, it’s also getting rid of all the bacteria and plaque off your teeth. Other people note cured hangovers, reduced insomnia, fresher breath and clearer skin thanks to this ancient Indian remedy.
It’s important to remember not to swallow any of the oil, because as you’re swishing it around in your mouth, it’s collecting all the toxins, and so you don’t want to swallow those! The oil does kind of build up in size over the 20 minutes, so don’t worry if this happens – it’s just because the oil is collecting saliva and toxins as you swish. Once you’re done, spit the oil in the bin afterwards to prevent clogging in the sink.
Whilst it may seem a little gross to begin with, you do get used to it and it’s obviously been around for centuries for a reason. If it’s good enough for Gwyneth Paltrow, Miranda Kerr, Kylie Jenner and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, it’s good enough for us!
Have you tried oil pulling before? Tempted to try it? Let us know in the comments below!
