The first thing I do in the morning when I wake up is walk to the kitchen, take out a spoon and scoop a spoonful of organic virgin coconut oil into my mouth. I keep it there for at least the next 20 minutes before I spit it out again. Why would you do that?? Well, let me tell you about the concept of oil pulling and its benefits.
What is oil pulling?
In the Ayurveda, oil pulling has been known for thousands of years. It is a method to help improve oral health and to detoxify our bodies. We have a lot of bacteria, viruses and fungi in our mouths, which are concentrated there after a night of sleep. Cleaning up our bodies starts right in our mouths. Oil pulling literally pulls out the toxins and leaves you with a clean mouth. The best moment to do it, is first thing in the morning on an empty stomach.
How to do it?
Easy! take a spoonful of coconut oil or sesame oil (I tried flaxseed oil too, but that taste was a bit too much for me) and swish it around in your mouth for 20 minutes – no longer -before you spit it out in the trash can (not in your sink, because oil will solidify when it gets cold). Don’t swallow the oil, since it contains a high concentration of bacteria and other toxins which you would otherwise ingest again. You will see that after the 20 minutes the oil has gone from transparent to white. Rinse your mouth thoroughly with warm water.
What are the benefits of oil pulling?
Like I said, you first of all detoxify your body when you pull oil. A detoxified body will result in different visible and noticable improvements.
- Healthier teeth and gums
- Better breath
- Whiter teeth
- Radiant skin
- Increased energy levels
- Reduced headaches
You don’t have to get up earlier, since you can combine oil pulling easily with taking a shower or preparing breakfast. It is sometimes hard of me to incorporate a new habit, but this one was actually very ease. Worth the try if you would ask me!
