Oil Pulling... Helpful Habit Or Just A Fad?

Dr. Jenna Arts's picture
Posted by Dr. Jenna Arts
on April 30, 2015 - 5:14pm
Eat By Design

The mouth… what's so important about it? 

It is the entrance point for nourishing, healing real food! 

I think we can both agree that a diet full of toxic and processed foods, smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol on a regular basis in combination with poor oral hygiene can be a recipe for disaster. Cavities, gingivitis, bad breath, stained teeth...

But what about if you are already eating By Design? What can you do to take your oral health one step further. 

Oil pulling. 

Keep in mind that oil pulling is not required to be fully living By Design, but it is something that I wanted to talk about because we have been getting lots of questions about it lately.

So what is it?

Oil pulling is like using coconut oil as mouthwash. It is actually an ancient Ayurvedic practice that has been used for thousands of years where you swish oil around in your mouth and then spit it out.

There are thousands of bacteria in our mouth… some good and some bad (just like in our gut) and oil pulling pulls the bacteria out of your mouth. Some bacteria is fine, but when it gets out of control it can leave you with stained teeth, bad breath and more susceptible to gum and teeth problems like gingivitis and cavities at your next dental checkup. 

How does it work?

Oil pulling removes the bad bacteria and plaque from your mouth. Like I said, it works similar to mouthwash. It also polishes your teeth, removing stains and leaving your teeth whiter than when you started. Because oil pulling removes the bad bacteria living in your mouth it leaves your entire mouth less inflamed and with fresher breath. 

Ok, so what do I do?

To start, it is really simple, and only requires fifteen minutes a few times a week.

  1. Take a big spoonful of extra-virgin organic coconut oil and put it in your mouth.
  2. Start swishing it around until it turns to liquid. Avoid swallowing the oil (remember, the bad stuff is in there!)
  3. Spit out the oil in the trash or toilet since the oil can clog your sink’s drain. 
  4. Now brush your teeth as per usual. 

If you find that your facial muscles get fatigued or sore before the fifteen minutes are up, try relaxing your jaw, not swishing the oil around as hard or starting with less coconut oil. 

Now please do not misunderstand what I am saying here. Oil pulling is not a replacement for brushing your teeth, flossing or a checkup from your dentist.

My verdict is that oil pulling is a helpful habit to add to your regular oral hygiene routine a few times a week, if not daily. 

If this sounds like something you are thinking of adding to your weekly routine, I would love for you to comment below and let me know how it went! 

For more simple By Design recipes why not pick up your copy of the Eat By Design Cookbook. I’ve created it in the form of a 28-day meal plan (plus grocery lists!) so you don’t need to think about what’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner for the next month. Or you can grab the first 7 days FREE by clicking here.

Creative Commons 04 12 12_Coconut Oil Biscuits_0217 by Meal Makeover Moms is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

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