What is Oil Pulling?

Oil pulling – Do you want to brighten up your smile without using harsh chemicals?

Bleach trays and teeth whitening products do make your smile brighter but they also strip away precious enamel that could ultimately result in the thinning of your teeth. Plus, most of these products are packed with toxins such as coal tars, fluorides, aspartame, aluminum and benzene.

If you want whiter teeth without ingesting harmful carcinogens then try oil pulling.

Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic ritual where you swish oil (teaspoon of sesame oil or sunflower oil) around in your mouth for about 20 minutes and then spit it out. At first you have to get used to swishing around oil for 20 minutes but over-time you get will get more comfortable.
Oil pulling goes beyond teeth whitening.  According to Dr. Karach, M.D., “oil pulling treats headaches, bronchitis, tooth pain, eczema, ulcers, and much more.”
Dr. Bruce Fife, whose written an entire book on oil pulling, says the oil acts like a cleanser.
“When you put it in your mouth and work it around your teeth and gums it “pulls” out bacteria and other debris. As simple as it is, oil pulling has a very powerful detoxifying effect. Our mouths are the home to billions of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other parasites and their toxins. Candida and Streptococcus are common residents in our mouths. It is these types of germs and their toxic waste products that cause gum disease and tooth decay and contribute to many other health problems including arthritis and heart disease. Our immune system is constantly fighting these troublemakers. If our immune system becomes overloaded or burdened by excessive stress, poor diet, environmental toxins and such, these organisms can spread throughout the body causing secondary infections and chronic inflammation, leading to any number of health problems.”
Oil pulling (best to do it before breakfast) this  is incredibly effective for:

Peace

• Brightening & whitening teeth
• Healthier gums
• Removal of mucus
• Boosting the immune system
• Preventing bad breath
• Increasing energy
• Having a clearer mind
• Decreasing headaches
• Clearing the sinuses
• Alleviating allergies
• Better sleep
• More clearer skin
• Regulating menstrual cycles
• Decreasing inflammation
• Improving the lymphatic system
• Improving PMS symptoms

How to oil pull:

• Drink 1 cup of water on an empty stomach (best to do it before breakfast).
• Use 1-3 teaspoon of organic, cold-pressed vegetable oil (sesame oil is shown to work best) in your mouth
• Swish through your mouth for 20 minutes while you’re busy doing something else like checking your emails.
•  After 10-15 minutes the oil will become thin and white as it emulsifies with your saliva.
• Spit into trash, compost or outside in the grass (just not in the sink – we don’t want to clog the pipes).
• Swish water through your mouth to rinse.

There’s a lot more you can do with sesame oil besides oil pulling. Here are some other sesame oil benefits:

Bed time gum massage:

Ayurveda recommends massaging the gums with sesame oil before going to bed to prevent or help receding gums. For a quick night time boost to your oral health, you could pour a little oil onto the bristles of an electric toothbrush and then massage around your gums and over the surface of your teeth. For maximum benefit don’t rinse afterwards, just leave the oil residue in your mouth to work while you rest. It’s not unpleasant and makes your mouth feel very clean.
Sesame oil works as a great natural lip salve too, dip your finger into a small amount and rub it gently into your lips morning and night to protect them from chapping.
While the oil’s out why not spend a couple more minutes really looking after yourself?

The sesame oil de-stress routine:

To ease anxiety and improve sleep pour a little oil into the palm of your hand and massage into your forehead and temples. Rubbing warm sesame oil into the area between your eyebrows in slow gentle circles is particularly good for calming your mind and improving the quality of sleep.
Finally use a little more oil and massage it into your feet. Work up and down the instep to release tension from your spine, and across the soles of your feet to relax tension and help you feel grounded as you settle down to rest.
If you’re worried about getting oil on your bed linen you could sleep with cotton socks on which will also help keep your feet warm and draw tension from your head down into your lower body.
Now it’s your turn.
Try it out and let us know what you think!

Drew Canole

Sources:
http://www.oilpulling.com/
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4896/The-Single-Most-Effective-Ayurvedic-Practice-for-Your-Mouth.html
http://thehealthylivinglounge.com/2009/05/25/how-to-get-shiny-teeth-and-healthy-gums-with-oil-pulling/


Original post here: http://fitlife.tv/what-is-oil-pulling/