20 Minutes of Silent Reflection

…Otherwise known as oil pulling.

I’m sure you’ve all heard of oil pulling by now. It’s kind of the (relatively) new crunchy-word-on-the-block. Everyone’s buzzing about it, including me.

I’ve been oil pulling for… gosh, ages now. I don’t actually remember when I started.

I do remember why I started though – I had been reading about it for a while, trying to gear myself up to try it, when I woke up one morning with sore, inflamed gums above and behind two of my teeth. That did it. I had to give it a try and see what happened. Well. Let me tell you. I was blown away.
Because I was actually trying to treat my inflamed gums, rather than simply routine maintenance, I was doing it two times a day instead of just once. After the very first go, my gums were still inflamed but noticeably less painful. Yes!
I did it again that night, and although they looked inflamed still, there was another noticeable reduction in pain.
I went to bed and woke up the next morning – there was a huge difference in how my gums looked. They were almost back to normal! And only the slightest bit of pain.
Two more oil pulls that second day, and by the following morning, I was totally back to normal.

Well, I wasn’t going to stop after an experience like that! I’ve kept up with it since then – with only a couple of periods were I wasn’t doing it so regularly and definitely noticed the difference (more on this experience below).

But first, check out my oil pulling video for a quick demo of the process plus a few good tips if you’re just starting out with oil pulling…

A quick description for those of you who may not have heard of it before…

Oil pulling is a traditional remedy or routine with roots in many cultures, and is mentioned in Ayurvedic texts. Basically, you take about a tablespoon of oil and swish it around in your mouth for 15-20 minutes before spitting, rinsing, and then brushing your teeth as usual.

It is reported to reduce total bacteria count in the mouth (including reducing the types of bacteria which cause cavities), significantly reduce Streptococcus mutans in the mouth, significantly reduce plaque and related gingivitis as well as significantly reduce microorganisms in the mouths of those suffering plaque-induced gingivitis, and improve ratings of bad breath.

Hot Tip: coconut oil and sesame oil (both cold pressed) are best for oil pulling, both because of their unique properties and because of their palatability. Organic Coconut Oil is my oil of choice, because it also has amazing antibacterial/antifungal properties.

Scientific research aside, I have found the following benefits in my own personal journey with oil pulling:

• Reduced pain and inflammation due to gum infection
• Prevents gum infections
• Helps lighten teeth (I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it whitens teeth, but it definitely lightens them)
• Fresher breath for longer
• My mouth just feels so much cleaner!

I mentioned earlier in the post, there have been a couple of blips in the radar, where I have fallen off the bandwagon a bit with oil pulling.
It is in these moments when I notice gum infections starting to creep back in – I’m not saying that you will definitely get gum infections if you don’t oil pull. I’m just saying that when I don’t oil pull, that’s the only time I ever get gum infections now. I just don’t get them at all when I am oil pulling regularly (once a day first thing in the morning, for routine maintenance).
I also notice that my teeth start to yellow again when I forego the oil pulling for a chunk of time. Another good reason to keep it up.

Since making all of these observations, I have been more strict in keeping with my oil pulling regime. It’s well worth the commitment to 20 minutes of oil pulling each morning.

Luckily, you can get stuff done in that 20 minutes! Get ready for the day, pack lunches, make breakfast, sit down with a book, even meditate – all while doing your daily oil pull!

This post was written for the amazing 31 Days to Better Health and Wellness Challenge. It’s not too late to join us! Click over to read all about it and sign up.

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