SKY HIGH ON HEALTH reports on nutritional, wellness, and green lyfe fads both crazy and helpful.
Okay, so I know you’ve read about 50 different posts from 50 different blogs about this ancient detox method but, bare with me, I’m tryna real-talk: like, really, is this shit even worth it? For those of you who reside under a rock, or who spend too much money on rent to afford an Internet connection, oil pulling is also known as “Oil Swishing,” and is the act of literally swishing around oil in your mouth—as one would with mouthwash. Oil pulling is done first thing in the morning… before eating, drinking, or even brushing your teeth! A tablespoon of high-quality (and organic!) coconut or sesame oil should be used for the daily 20 minutes of swishing. When the 20 minutes are up, the oil is spit into the trash, revealing a sparkling smile and a hint of eau de Banana Boat (if you’re using coconut oil) leftover on your palate.
This Ayurvedic method is meant to improve oral health and hygiene. It is billed as a technique that helps to suppress and heal headaches, migraines, diabetes, asthma, and acne. Additionally, oil pulling is toted as a natural way to whiten teeth. The swishing of the oil is believed to literally “pull” toxins from the mouth—where a major amount of the bacteria in our body lives. The fat in the oil draws out impurities, leaving a healthier system overall and with beauty benefits to boot! When I first heard about oil pulling, I was, of course, most intrigued by the claim that it would whiten my teeth and bring my skin to a new level of smoothness and brilliance. Oral health is great and all, but, damn ma, I want you to hear the music when you look at me! “She put de lime in de coconut, she drank 'em bot' up.”
Readers, listen up. As I discovered, oil pulling is not about whiter teeth or better skin. It's about snot, mucus and phlegm.
Yup, for real. The reality of oil pulling is that it's not exactly a pleasant experience—20 minutes is a damn long time to keep something whirling around in your mouth. The first few times you try it, 20 minutes can feel like 20 hours and non-stop swishing can be pretty gag-inducing. Your mouth does eventually get used to the initial gunky consistency (coconut oil is a solid below 75 degrees Fahrenheit so it takes a minute in your mouth to become the liquid that you will swish) and after a week of regular oil pulling, you’ll have sufficiently developed a tolerance to lock-jaw (and your boyfriend will thank me). But such a lengthy AM routine is a serious commitment—especially, if, like me, you’ve got mad shit to do in the morning. If you’re just starting, I highly recommend morning multi-tasking by designating an activity to serve as a distraction to swishing. If you’d like to take those 20 minutes as an opportunity to meditate and ponder the removal of toxins from your being, you can also do that.
After a month of oil pulling, I’m sad to report my teeth weren’t whiter, my skin wasn’t brighter and I wasn’t living the high-life in a Banana Boat commercial. What I did notice, however, was that each morning, after I spit out my 20 minutes worth of coconut oil, I spent at least another 10 minutes choking up snot, mucus, and phlegm. It seemed never ending—coming up from the depths my inner passages. I didn’t realize I was such a snotty girl! So maybe I still needed Crest Whitestrips and a treasure trove of skincare products, but this oil swishing was definitely doing something. With all that draining of my sinuses, my seasonal allergies were minimized, and congestion reduced dramatically. If all tha
Okay, so I know you’ve read about 50 different posts from 50 different blogs about this ancient detox method but, bare with me, I’m tryna real-talk: like, really, is this shit even worth it? For those of you who reside under a rock, or who spend too much money on rent to afford an Internet connection, oil pulling is also known as “Oil Swishing,” and is the act of literally swishing around oil in your mouth—as one would with mouthwash. Oil pulling is done first thing in the morning… before eating, drinking, or even brushing your teeth! A tablespoon of high-quality (and organic!) coconut or sesame oil should be used for the daily 20 minutes of swishing. When the 20 minutes are up, the oil is spit into the trash, revealing a sparkling smile and a hint of eau de Banana Boat (if you’re using coconut oil) leftover on your palate.
This Ayurvedic method is meant to improve oral health and hygiene. It is billed as a technique that helps to suppress and heal headaches, migraines, diabetes, asthma, and acne. Additionally, oil pulling is toted as a natural way to whiten teeth. The swishing of the oil is believed to literally “pull” toxins from the mouth—where a major amount of the bacteria in our body lives. The fat in the oil draws out impurities, leaving a healthier system overall and with beauty benefits to boot! When I first heard about oil pulling, I was, of course, most intrigued by the claim that it would whiten my teeth and bring my skin to a new level of smoothness and brilliance. Oral health is great and all, but, damn ma, I want you to hear the music when you look at me! “She put de lime in de coconut, she drank 'em bot' up.”
Readers, listen up. As I discovered, oil pulling is not about whiter teeth or better skin. It's about snot, mucus and phlegm.
Yup, for real. The reality of oil pulling is that it's not exactly a pleasant experience—20 minutes is a damn long time to keep something whirling around in your mouth. The first few times you try it, 20 minutes can feel like 20 hours and non-stop swishing can be pretty gag-inducing. Your mouth does eventually get used to the initial gunky consistency (coconut oil is a solid below 75 degrees Fahrenheit so it takes a minute in your mouth to become the liquid that you will swish) and after a week of regular oil pulling, you’ll have sufficiently developed a tolerance to lock-jaw (and your boyfriend will thank me). But such a lengthy AM routine is a serious commitment—especially, if, like me, you’ve got mad shit to do in the morning. If you’re just starting, I highly recommend morning multi-tasking by designating an activity to serve as a distraction to swishing. If you’d like to take those 20 minutes as an opportunity to meditate and ponder the removal of toxins from your being, you can also do that.
After a month of oil pulling, I’m sad to report my teeth weren’t whiter, my skin wasn’t brighter and I wasn’t living the high-life in a Banana Boat commercial. What I did notice, however, was that each morning, after I spit out my 20 minutes worth of coconut oil, I spent at least another 10 minutes choking up snot, mucus, and phlegm. It seemed never ending—coming up from the depths my inner passages. I didn’t realize I was such a snotty girl! So maybe I still needed Crest Whitestrips and a treasure trove of skincare products, but this oil swishing was definitely doing something. With all that draining of my sinuses, my seasonal allergies were minimized, and congestion reduced dramatically. If all tha