Oil Pulling...?

Zumba and hot yoga are to 2013 as oil pulling is to 2014. Yes...it's only April and oil pulling is close to becoming the health trend of the year already! Although I do admit, when I first heard about it I was a little grossed out.

What is it...
...it's an ancient traditional medicine practice, and the gargling-like method is said to assist in pulling toxins out of the body. This benefits a variety of health concerns like oral plaque build up, diabetes, and heart disease.

Benefits...
...strengthens teeth, gums, and jaws
...helps to prevent gum diseases such as cavities and gingivitis
...prevents bad breath
...could possibly prevent bleeding gums
...prevents dryness of lips, mouth, and throat

...migraine/headache relief
...corrects hormone imbalances
...reduces arthritis inflammation
...reduces eczema
...reduces sinus congestion
...reduces insomnia
...reduces allergy symptoms

How do you do it...
...the best oil to use is unrefined coconut oil, however a spoonful (one tablespoon) of sesame oil will work just fine! You simply take the spoonful of oil and swish it in your mouth for up to 20 minutes first thing in the morning. You then spit it out, rinse your mouth out with water, and follow this by brushing your teeth. I'll admit it sounds awful to have to swish it around for 20 minutes, but I promise you it'll become a reflex if you do it while showering or surfing the net!

*Some are worried about using the coconut oil because it has a solid consistency, however within a few seconds of swishing it it becomes a liquid!
*After the solid oil begins to liquify, continue swishing only until the oil begins to thicken again. I found that within 15 minutes it had solidified and I'd continue to struggle to swish the thicker liquid which gave me some jaw pain for the first few days.
*Alternating between the 2 oils has also produced better results for some!

xo
R