What the Heck is Oil Pulling?

If you've read much of my blog, or if you happen to know me, there's a pretty good chance you've figured out that I'm a little 'different'. I'm totally okay with that. Normal is overrated. There are quite a few 'normal' things you won't find at our home. You won't find much (if any) bread unless it is gluten free. You won't find any fun cereals with marshmallows and red dye #40. You won't find any 2 liter bottles of soda. You won't find a bottle of 409 or Windex under any of the sinks. You won't find any over the counter (or prescription) pain relievers or antacids. You won't find scented candles burning in every room. You won't find a tube of Crest toothpaste.

You MIGHT find a bag of Hershey's kisses, but please pretend you didn't see them and if my kids ask, play dumb. I'm down to only a few hiding places, and unless I want to store my secret stash behind the toilet in the bathroom, I need to protect them.

You WILL find strange looking vegetables from the farmer's market. I roasted four of these beauties for tonight's dinner.

You will also find bottles of homemade water kefir and kombucha and approximately four gallons of vinegar and a lifetime supply of peroxide. You will find a bunch of tinctures and homeopathic drops and essential oils. If you're thorough, you might even find a supplement that lists 'bovine liver' as an ingredient. You will find a jar of what appears to be dirt on my bathroom sink that is actually a toothpaste made of bentonite clay. Along with the jar of dirt/toothpaste, there are various concoctions all made from recipes I found online using essential oils and non-essential oils, and dirt. That is where you will also find a jar of coconut oil.

That's the one I want to talk about. Why would I have a jar of coconut oil on my bathroom counter? No, I didn't run out of room in the pantry because of all the vinegar and I wasn't sleep walking or got distracted and carried it in there by mistake. It's one of my favorite beauty products. I use it in my hair, on my face, and in my MOUTH. Yes, coconut oil is great for ALL these things and MORE. Much more.

Oil pulling dates back thousands of years to ancient Indian and traditional Chinese medicine. Here in America, we tend to think if we didn't invent it or it isn't trademarked and patented by a pharmaceutical company, it can't... you know... WORK. That is where we are WRONG. We are totally missing out of some GOOD stuff. Traditionally it was done with sesame seed oil, but today, most people agree that coconut oil is the oil of choice. Make sure you use only ORGANIC coconut oil for oil pulling. Since our goal is to remove toxins from our bodies, it is important to use organic oil for this purpose.

Is oil pulling hard?
Oil pulling is so easy. The hardest part is deciding how to fit it into your schedule. I either do it in the morning while I am in the shower or in the evening just before bed. Usually when I am ready for bed my husband decides he needs one more cup of tea and needs to check on all the sports crap stuff (?) he missed that day. Heaven forbid someone hits a home-run or bites someone's ear off and he doesn't know about it. (Hi honey, I love you. But... seriously?) ...anyway, thanks to the American pastime, I usually have time at night to do my oil-pulling. It is best to make sure all your children are occupied or asleep. Otherwise, without exception, one of them will ask you where their shoes are and you end up playing an involuntary game of charades. It is also a good idea to stick a spoonful of coconut oil in your mouth as soon as you notice your husband reviewing the credit card statement. When he starts asking questions just point to your mouth and shrug apologetically. You might want to try that anyway even if you're not oil pulling. I'm actually sitting here with a mouth full of oil as I type this post.

Why should I oil pull? 
Oh, I suppose I should get around to the WHY you would want to do it. There are many reasons, actually.

Studies have shown oil pulling to be effective for:

Bad breath

Whitening teeth

Gum disease

TMJ

Skin problems including acne, eczema, and psoriasis.

I've also read testimonials of people who claim that it:
Cured headaches (including migraines)
Treated asthma and other respiratory conditions
Morning sickness
Digestive problems
Detoxing

I don't know from PERSONAL experience if it helps with all these things because I don't deal with all these issues, but I can testify that it has whitened my teeth, improved my gum health and my skin. The last two times I've had my teeth cleaned my hygienist and dentist both commented on how healthy my gums looked and I had very little buildup on my teeth. That has never happened prior to oil pulling. The last time I was even asked if I had been oil pulling.

How do I do it?
The process is simple. You put a spoonful of coconut oil in your mouth and swish it back and forth 'pulling' it through your teeth for about twenty minutes. I don't like the first ten seconds of the cold coconut oil in my mouth, but it melts very quickly and then it just feels like water. I can't taste it. The coconut oil pulls toxins out of your body. For this reason, you do NOT want to swallow the oil when you're finished. Spit it out in the garbage when you are done. It is not recommended to spit it in the sink because coconut oil hardens above 76 degrees. I do spit it down the shower drain though. Don't judge. It is usually because someone is beating on the bathroom door looking for their shoes.

You can get coconut oil at any grocery store or HERE. Do make sure you buy organic. If you are interested in reading more about the benefits of oil pulling or coconut oil in general, I recommend the following book.

I believe oil pulling is a practice that most everyone can benefit from. The detoxing benefits alone are worth the effort. I wrote about detoxing HERE. If you can't or choose not to do it daily, even once a week should help. I go through cycles where I do it daily, but right now I'm doing it about once a week. If you feel like you're coming down with something, it is a GREAT time to do it. Many people even add a drop of essential oil to the coconut oil to add additional benefits. I haven't tried that yet, but I'm considering it. A drop of peppermint would be good if you are interested in eliminating bad breath. Melaleuca is a good choice too.

Since today is Oct. 1st, why not join me in a 30 day oil-pulling challenge? Let's do it every day in October and see if you can tell a difference at the end of the month. Whaddya say???

What is YOUR experience with oil pulling?

Kristy