How does swishing coconut oil around in your mouth every morning sound?
COOL OR GROSS?
Hmmm…
So my lovelies, how are we today? I’ve had one of those super exciting CLEANING mornings – ugh, I really was not born to be a housewife. Yes, as usual, it has been in jammies and yes I am still in them (2pm). I decided that I had been so good with my cleaning wipes and hoovering and putting away, that I was due a break. The kettle is on and I’m writing to you about something you may or may not have heard about but something I REMEMBERED today.
I was happily (hhhmmm) cleaning my bathroom when my old friend, my little pot of COCONUT OIL sitting on the counter, shouted;
“Oiiiiii, YOU, Elaine, your teeth look pretty yuk, think we need to talk!”
“Hello, little pot of Coconut oil, yes you’re right, it’s been a while, let’s get together.”
So, what am I actually talking about? Am I just being bonkers as usual? Well, partly. It’s the Art of Oil Pulling. ‘Say what!”.
Oil Pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic technique that has resurfaced in modern day as a large amount of us would really love slightly whiter teeth (thanks coffee, tea, curries, red wine, sugar etc etc) let alone better tooth and gum health. Oil pulling is also said to help clear skin, help clear strep throat bacteria, alleviate inflammation, congestion, bad breath, sensitive teeth, moistens lips & throats and even help relieve some stomach issues.
Now there are people that believe in something like this and obviously there are people that don’t (that’s ok if you want to go now, come back next time), and that’s totally cool. Again, we use the term BioIndividuality – what works for you may not work for someone else. Some may think, ‘well if something so simple can do all those things,’ why do we have medicines?’. That soap box is for another day although I am currently in the woof house with one of the lovely lovely, she really does have my total respect, local GP’s for not wanting the flu vaccine – no judgement please, yes I know I wouldn’t be here this year without meds, I am very much aware of that but I do still have a choice of what I currently put in my body and yes my inhaler is still in my handbag so don’t panic – ok so that was a bit of a soap box – my apologies.
Back to ….. ah yes, oil pulling, so if this would work, why do we also have whitening toothpastes in the supermarkets (have you ever found one that works?)? Why do we have blah blah blah!! We could go on and on. I’m not saying that you are instantly going to have teeth that shine like the Harvest Moon BUT I do think it makes a difference if you stick with it AND your teeth feel so clean. And hey, its cheap as chips (and healthier) so why not try it. It might work for you, it might not.
So how do you do it ?
- Measure out 1-2 teaspoons (or in my case, stick your fingers, clean please, in the tub/pot and grab a big blob) of coconut oil and put it in your mouth. The first few seconds aren’t too pleasant, a little gagging might happen first few times, bear with, it does get easier.
- Swish the oil around your mouth and between your teeth and let it rest from time to time (you don’t have to swish all the time, unless it’s some new dance move and if so, I’d like to learn please).
- Do your best to avoid swallowing, it’s pretty yuck and it will contain toxins and bacteria from your mouth that you’re trying to get rid of, not ingest.
- Start with five minutes, then build your way up to 20ish. I did it this morning whilst cleaning the bathroom (yawn) but from now on (and what I used to do) I’ll do it whilst having a shower. That way you’re not having to trying to find MORE time out of your super busy schedule. Do remember, you WILL NOT look at your best doing this (see pic of moi, no make up – not even my beloved mascara – post bathroom/bedroom clean, hair really needs a wash and still in jammies at 2pm)
- When you’re ready to spit out the liquid, make sure you do so IN THE BIN NOT INTO THE SINK as it will clog up your drains and you’re hubby, partner, dog will moan. Remember it solidifies when cold!
- Rinse your mouth out & brush your teeth (I always use an aloe vera toothpaste from Holland & Barrett as there are less nasties but your own one will do) to ensure that all of the oil is out of your mouth.
Give yourself a huge SMILE in the mirror and thank yourself for taking time to take care of you! SELF CARE IS SO IMPORTANT, more coming on that soon.
It’s best to do this oil pulling first thing in the morning, but you will still benefit from doing it any time of day and for any amount of time. Start small and work your way up! Try and do it for 2 weeks and see if it makes a difference. Take a before pic (eeekkk I forgot) and then an after 2 weeks and see if there is a difference. Do let me know, you know how nosey I am.
Guess I’d better go and have a shower in my nice clean shower and then back to cleaning the living room – yawn – am sure I’ll find something way more interesting to do, like make chocolate date balls.
Have a great day!
Ex