Oil Pulling

Being on a food journey often means veering off onto paths that encompass a holistic approach to natural healing and living. We had been learning more about holistic approaches to dental care, having read Nagel Ramiel’s fabulous book “Cure Tooth Decay” and listening to a range of speakers at the Heal Thy Mouth Summit. Experts at the summit had spoken about oil pulling, its detoxifying affect and it’s ability to help with skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, headaches, liver problems and more. We decided to give it a try.

What exactly is oil pulling?  Oil pulling has its origins in ancient Ayurvedic medicine. It is simple and consists of swishing with oil in the mouth for about 20 minutes. The oil is ‘worked’ in the mouth, pulling, pushing and drawing it through the teeth. This swishing is helping to remove toxins, bacteria, mucous and parasites that are in the mouth- making it a powerful detoxifier.

How do you do it?  Use about 1 teaspoon of organic coconut or sesame oil (I prefer coconut oil). Place in mouth and swish around. At first I was only about to keep the oil in my mouth for about 5 minutes without gagging. Build up over time and eventually 20 minutes will be easy. It is great to do it on rising so if you can get into a routine and do this early in the morning before you need to talk to anyone this can work well.  After you have swished spit oil into the bin. DO NOT swallow the oil. It is full of toxins! Rinse your mouth with warm water and brush.

Have you tried oil pulling? We’d love to know what you think.