We’re always on the lookout for the most naturally effective ways to keep our bodies healthier.

Our focus lately?

Oral health.

Seriously, there’s nothing grosser than a nasty set of chompers. And worse than being yellow is plaque buildup, bad breath (sign of bacterial overgrowth), cavities, and even things like heart attacks or toxins entering the rest of your body!

Lately we’ve been trying a new tactic: Oil Pulling. Basically, you swish oil around in your mouth for about 20 minutes per day. Sounds weird right?

Even scientific studies have proven its effectiveness. According to one study:

“The oil Pulling therapy showed a reduction in the plaque index, modified gingival scores, and total colony count of aerobic microorganisms in the plaque of adolescents with plaque-induced gingivitis.”

Sounds cool, right? Let’s dive in.

Oil Pulling How To

Every day, preferably first thing in the morning, put 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of oil in your mouth – and please, no canola oil! Can’t even imagine how gross that would taste. We’re looking for the healthy stuff, like olive, macadamia, or our favorite, coconut oil (it has antibacterial properties).

Once in your mouth, slowly swish it around your entire mouth (get those molars!) and gently push it between your teeth. You’ll want to do this for 20 minutes, and it should be a thin white foam when you spit it out (or else you haven’t done it long enough).

Just make sure that you:

• Do this on an empty stomach – which is why first thing works great.
• Don’t gargle – keep it swishing around your mouth.
• Don’t swallow – this stuff is killing bacteria and pulling out toxins. Kinda defeats the point if you swallow it.
• Do it slowly.
• Don’t put it down your drain or toilet because it can clog your plumbing.

It’s been used as a traditional remedy for hundreds of years because of its ability to detox and kill germs.

Check out some of our favorite benefits to oil pulling:

Oil Pulling Dissolves Plaque and Tartar

If you’ve ever wanted whiter teeth, then you’re in a group with pretty much everyone. While oil pulling doesn’t actually whiten your teeth per se, it does a darn good job and dissolving that nasty yellow tartar. You’ll get whiter teeth, and fast too.

Isn’t it amazing what latest miracle thingy we’ll pay for to improve our health when there’s something natural that does it just as well, if not better?

Want whiter teeth? Skip the conventional stuff and try oil pulling.

Oil Pulling Keeps Oral Bacteria Under Control

Your mouth is gross. Just how it is.

We’ve all got bacteria in there, and sometimes it can get out of control – even causing oral infections or spreading to other parts of the body. There’s even some evidence of recent dental patients having increased incidences of heart attacks!

Oil pulling keeps the bacteria in check and even collects toxins for you to spit out. Handy, huh?

Oil Pulling Sends Essential Fatty Acids Straight into your Bloodstream

Just like juicing sends a veritable army into your body to combat, well, anything, oil pulling puts essential fatty acids (EFAs) into action.

Easily absorbed under your tongue, these EFAs enter your bloodstream quickly and without hitting your stomach acid. Many oil pullers have noticed things like skin conditions clearing up or other chronic conditions improving.

One note though: as with all detoxing, you might actually feel worse before you get better. You’re stirring up toxins that can wreak havoc on your body before you get a chance to expel them. Take a temporary worsening of your symptoms that the oil pulling is doing its job!

Conclusion

Well doesn’t that all sound super easy?

We love our natural, side-effect free remedies – especially a daily habit like this that keeps your body humming along in peak condition. It’s one of those things where you might notice a little difference even if you didn’t think anything was wrong.

To make your life easier, here’s one little tip before you go:

Erin did something super clever. She melted down a good amount of coconut oil and put about 1-2 teaspoons into these molds we have. She added 2-3 drops of peppermint for flavor (and because peppermint has crazy health benefits too), and tossed them in the fridge.

We like to add the essential oils after we put them into molds. That way we can use different essential oils for a variety of flavors and health benefits. Make sure that the essential oils you use are safe for oral use.

Each morning, we grab a little coconut chunk that quickly dissolves in our mouths and we’re done!

Seriously, give this a try. We’ve been astounded so far at the results (whiter teeth FTW) and we’re looking forward to how we feel long term. Let us know if you try oil pulling and how it works for you!

The post Supercharge Your Oral Health with Oil Pulling appeared first on Eat Real Stay Sane.