Oil Pulling

UmmBinat's Note:

This is a Ayurvedic practice which is native to the Indian subcontinent and practiced as a form of alternative medicine in the Western world. I am posting this as a form of tooth whitening & tightening of the teeth. It also *may* improve skin conditions. I have found that my face has become clearer since starting this practice. I find it helps our bodies eliminate. I also found I don't crave eating all the time as I used to since beginning this. Please rate this recipe based on the recipe not what you may have read somewhere else. I also use Internal Detox for Glowing Skin in combination with this practice rather than the glass water for my clear skin. (It's a liver detox).

• Total Time: 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 1

Yield: 1.0 time

• 1 tablespoon unrefined sunflower oil or 1 tablespoon unrefined sesame oil
• 1 cup water

Directions:

1. Swish and pull 1 tbs of preferred oil through the teeth and around the mouth before brushing, eating or drinking anything in the morning.
2. Do not swallow.
3. Do this for 15-20 minutes. You will find that the oil will start to get watery as your saliva mixes with it. Keep swishing. If your jaw muscles get sore while swishing, you're putting too much into it. Relax your jaw muscles and use your tongue to help move the liquid around the inside of your mouth. When you do this correctly, you'll feel very comfortable. Pretty soon, it will become second nature.
4. When 20 minutes are up, spit the oil into the toilet.
5. Rinse out your mouth a couple of times with warm water and then brush your teeth and tongue (In Ayurveda tongue cleaning is a part of one's daily hygiene regimen, to remove the toxic debris, known as Ama. It is also an element of traditional Chinese medicine.).
6. Drink one full glass of water.
7. This may be repeated 2-3 times throughout the day, 4 hours before eating or 1 hour after drinking. (That is what I have done and saw the results mentioned in the introduction.).
8. You may eat right away afterward.

Reviews

[Dreamer in Ontario]

I've been doing this for a week now using sesame oil and I don't know whether my teeth are whiter but this does make my mouth and teeth feel very clean. To make time, I would do this while showering and dressing in the morning and while getting ready for bed. Thanks for sharing. Made for Spring 2010 PAC.

[Lalaloula]

WOW, Ive never done anything like this before, but it really is good! I started doing this two times a day and after the first day already my mouth felt so clean and my teeth were shiny and felt tightened, too. Im amazed, I never would have thought this really works and this quick. I used both sesame and sunflower oil and I think I prefer the sunflower as it is less dense and has a less pronounced taste. THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing it with us, UmmBinat! Made and reviewed for Veggie Swap #24 July 2010.

[Prose]

This is a great secret! I have tried it before, and I tried it again this morning. I think it does make my teeth look whiter, even after just one treatment, and I think it also makes me feel "cleansed" in general, if that makes sense. So far I can only do it for 10 minutes, but it seems to be beneficial nonetheless. Thanks for posting! Made as a "recipenap" for Veg*an Swap, June 2010