You guys I’ve got a new obsession that I want to share with you all. And it’s oil pulling.
That’s right oil pulling. If you’re anything like me, as of last week I had NO clue what oil pulling is. But after less than a week, I AM SOLD.
Here is a great snapshot and cliffsnotes version of Oil pulling:
Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic method for detox and rejuvenation. It’s a simple practice, with quite remarkable results. Many have heard of it, but never actually dove in to try it. It definitely has a mystical and exciting vibe around it, which made me eager to try. But what exactly is it? What does it do?In a (coco)nut shell:To oil pull, simply swish your choice of unrefined, high quality oil in your mouth; similar to the way you would use a mouthwash. My favorite is coconut oil. This can be done anywhere from five to 20 minutes. The process attracts and removes bacteria, toxins, and parasites that live in your mouth or lymph system, and also pulls congestion and mucus from your throat and loosens up your sinuses, which is amazing! With the help of your saliva, all these scary undesirables bind with the oil, ready to be disposed of. Pulling also helps re-mineralize your teeth and strengthen your gums by thoroughly cleansing the area
This post from Ashley is actually what sold me on the idea of oil pulling, and if you are at all interested, you should definitely check out that post. It’s full of tons of GREAT info.
In 4 days, I’ve “oil pulled” 3 times, for about 20 minutes each day and am consistently impressed with the results.
After the first attempt, I swore that I had just gotten my teeth cleaned. It was amazing. And while it could have just been wishful thinking, I felt like my teeth were noticeably, albeit minorly, whiter.
I have been using high quality olive oil (because it’s what we have), but have read that coconut oil is the most popular, primarily due to taste.
Does the olive oil taste great? No. But the taste goes away. My biggest piece of advice is to distract yourself while you’re doing it. Each morning I’ve done it as a part of my morning routine.
I get up, get my workout in, and then get myself a tablespoon of olive oil and pull away while I shower and get ready for the day. Before I know it, it’s time!
A few pointers:
- DISTRACT YOURSELF
- Do it in the morning, swish with warm water after and then brush as normal.
- Do not spit in your drain, as it can clog
- Check out Ashley’s post for quick and dirty run down of how to get it done!
I’ve only been doing this for less than a week, but I absolutely plan to stick with it. I’ll be sure to keep you all up to date with my progress or if I notice any other changes!
Have you ever tried or heard of oil pulling?
Chocolate Covered Race Medals 
I have done it a few times with coconut oil. If you switch to coconut oil, use less than a tablespoon because of the consistency. I use about half of a tablespoon. I definitely think it helps!!
Good tip!
Very interesting idea. Seems like a chore to do for 20 minutes daily, but if the results are there, I can see the benefit.
I’ve done it for 20 — but anywhere from 5-20 is beneficial.
Cool. I will definitely give it a shot!
I’ve heard a lot about this lately – I have to give it a try!!!
You should, I love it!
I’ve thought about it: but never done it!
I am loving it, obviously 🙂
Very interesting, I’ve heard of it but didn’t know what it was. How do you feel it’s been beneficial?
My teeth feel like they’ve had a professional cleaning, and in a weird way feel stronger. On top of that, like I mentioned, I swear they seem a little whiter
And the oil doesn’t leave a layer behind?
I think it does create a protective barrier, but nothing like a layer you can feel. Just feels clean.
Okay, cool, thank you 🙂
Wait do you spit it out? I sure hope so! I can’t imagine drinking straight up oil. But this is intriguing- anything to help me with sinus issues!
Yes yes definitely spit it out. You can actually get really sick by ingesting it, because of the bacteria it is ideally picking up.
Lol duh Amy. That makes sense!
haha no it’s a legit question!
FYI- I have heard that olive oil can actually stain your teeth so you might want to switch to coconut oil!
Really — interesting I need to look into this.
I’ve tried oil pulling a few times lately with coconut oil. I really like it. But my jaw gets sore, and I usually have to spit part of it out about halfway through. Takes some practice, I guess!
LOL it’s definitely not a natural treatment!
I tried it with coconut oil and almost puked right away. I don’t think it’s for me. Ah well!
lol you’re not alone.
I have been hearing about this for a few weeks now, I am going to have to try it out!
Let me know what you think!
thanks for reminding me to re-incorporate this into my daily habit… along with using my neti-pot again. bring it!
anytime, dear 😉
Oh I saw this on a TV program before. It was a ”if you can prove a natural cure for something, we’ll investigate” show…I know that doesn’t help haha! …. A guy with bad gum problems did this pulling with coconut oil and practically reversed his problems! Although when investigate by the 4 doctors and two test groups – one placebo using water – there wasn’t much of a positive result from using coconut oil to water. It was mainly the motion that caused the improvements. That said – I think it better to do it then to not. And I can’t say it covered the sinus. Anything is worth a shot! –I haven’t tried it myself though!
Interesting — thanks for adding that!
If I had 5 minutes to myself….oh the things I could get done! Can’t say I’ve tried this before but you’ve got me thinkin’ about it 😉
lol as a Mom I can only imagine. . .
I tried it a couple weeks ago with coconut oil. Honestly, I didn’t notice much of a difference. Maybe I need to do it more. And btw, if you have good olive oil, it tastes amazing!!!
You’re brave. I don’t think I can do it, but I look forward to hearing your report after long-term use.
I’ve seen oil pulling traveling through the internet, but hadn’t looked into it further. I might need to try this especially since I’m havin trouble since my tonsillectomy. I also love coconut oil and this would be a good use for it.
Interesting enough and seems like it’s worth a try. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, I had never heard of this. You’ve got me curious now… I might have to try it, too…
OK I’ve only tried oil pulling once, but I only lasted 5 minutes. I think I need to find something to distract myself when I do it, because I kept thinking about not swallowing, which made me need to swallow even worse haha. I’m definitely planning to give it another try!
haha I wouldn’t have been able to do it without a distraction!
I heard about it on Dr Oz, but hadn’t tried yet. Thanks for sharing. I’m going to give it a go tomorrow morning.
Let me know how you like it!
I’m totally curious about this. Thanks for the info!
As a skeptic and someone who loves science, I’d like to kindly disagree with this assertion, that it actually works. Here is an article I found: http://skeptoid.com/blog/2013/11/11/oil-pulling-miracle-treatment-or-woo-mouthwash/
I don’t want to take anything away from the post but honestly natural cure alls just don’t work, not the way they are believed to. Science doesn’t work this way and neither does biology.
Ok… So do you think that if I rinse my body in coconut oil for 20 minutes, do you think it would have a similar benefit? 😉 I’m thinking that would be an awesome way to lose weight.
LOL can you imagine?!
I would smell AWESOME!!!
lol yeah you would!