{"id":13448,"date":"2015-04-27T09:30:10","date_gmt":"2015-04-27T16:30:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress-367309-1145696.cloudwaysapps.com\/?p=13448"},"modified":"2015-04-26T06:26:54","modified_gmt":"2015-04-26T13:26:54","slug":"oil-pulling-what-it-is-and-why-you-should-try-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/articles\/oil-pulling-what-it-is-and-why-you-should-try-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Oil Pulling: What it is and Why You Should Try it"},"content":{"rendered":"
Oil pulling is an ayurvedic<\/a> practice credited with improving overall health and wellness. Here’s my initial experience with it and why I continue doing it every day!<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I\u2019ll start off by saying that I started oil pulling about a year ago, and have been doing it ever since. There are a lot of alleged<\/i> health benefits, but from what I\u2019ve read, it varies person to person.<\/p>\n For those who may be unfamiliar, oil pulling is an ayurvedic technique where you basically just swish oil around in your mouth for 20 minutes. I\u2019ve read a lot of articles that recommend sesame oil (and that\u2019s what I normally use), but you could really use any sort of organic seed, nut, or vegetable-based oil.<\/p>\n Some people swear by coconut oil,<\/a> and another common favorite is sunflower oil. I\u2019ve also used olive oil in a pinch, but I wouldn\u2019t recommend it because it tastes terrible and leaves your teeth yellow.<\/p>\n It\u2019s recommended that you do it 20 minutes a day on an empty stomach, so I usually do it first thing in the morning while I\u2019m getting ready.<\/p>\n The idea is that this practice draws the toxins out of your body through your gums. Sounds a little crazy (and maybe it is), but there\u2019s a lot of evidence out there that, at the very least, it does a lot to improve oral health. In fact, that\u2019s the only reason I kept doing it for so long!<\/p>\n I was curious about it after reading it could help improve acne, allergies, sinus issues, infections, and a bunch of other stuff, but I kept doing it because of how great it made my teeth and mouth feel.<\/p>\n One of the first things I noticed was that it made my teeth whiter. This was probably after a solid three weeks of using it, but it was so worth it. As someone with super sensitive gums, oil pulling was a great alternative to my usual whitening strips, mouthwash, and toothpaste regiment that I\u2019m pretty sure stripped most of the enamel from my teeth (And you don\u2019t get that stuff back! Once it\u2019s gone, it\u2019s gone!).<\/p>\n But like I said before, my gums used to be super sensitive, especially to really hot or cold beverages, but not anymore! Now, of course this could be because I haven\u2019t been using harsh, abrasive chemicals to whiten my teeth since I started oil pulling, but either way it\u2019s thanks to oil pulling that I don\u2019t need use them now and my gums feel great!<\/p>\n After about a month of using it, I started noticing that my mouth just felt really clean. Sometimes later in the day, especially right after lunch time, I would always have to brush my teeth because they just felt gross. Since starting oil pulling, I hardly ever get that icky, plaque-covered feeling on my teeth at all! Don\u2019t get me wrong, I still brush my teeth after every meal (kind of religiously), but it\u2019s great for those days when I just don\u2019t get a chance to brush right away after I eat.<\/p>\n What\u2019s even better about this is that it\u2019s a natural solution for whiter, cleaner teeth. Previously, I\u2019d been using those really harsh strips and rinses to make my teeth whiter, and they made my gums sting, and even bleed! Oil pulling was the exact opposite! Now, it took two to three weeks (vice two hours) before it kicked in and I started to see some definitive results, but it was well worth the wait.<\/p>\n Overall, oil pulling has made my teeth noticeably whiter, smoother, and cleaner. I can\u2019t speak to all of the claims that some ayurvedic practitioners have made about it (like allergy relief and healthier skin) because I never experienced those results. Either way, swishing oil around in your mouth for 20 minutes a day is definitely worth it for the oral health benefits alone!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [Image of coconut oil <\/a>via Shutterstock]<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Some recommendations and things to note as you start oil pulling:<\/h2>\n
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