I like to take health ‘news’ with a grain of sea salt, after all, for the 25 years I’ve been studying nutrition and health there’s been a ‘latest thing’ for every one of those years!

Of course these days, new information comes out daily and I’m sure many things will be in the ‘why didn’t we do this earlier’ category when we look back 20 years from now!

Something we can’t deny is that we live in toxic times..

So, Oil Pulling is becoming a ‘thing’ now. But it's really not that new, it's been an Ayurvedic practice for centuries. I’ve been practicing this with Coconut Oil for a few years and I really do recommend it. It’s something I learned from an Ayurvedic Naturopath in the nineties and remember looking at her sideways, but once I started, I couldn’t stop!

Oil pulling is credited with many health benefits:

 • Plaque prevention

• Prevention of halitosis (bad breath)

• Prevention of cavities and gingivitis

It also is claimed to help with other conditions:

• Reduced  migraines

• Hormone imbalance

• Improved kidney function

• Relief from sinus congestion

• Relief from eczema

• Improved vision

• Reduced migraines

• Anti inflammatory

• General Detoxification

• Cure for insomnia

• General bulletproofness.

While I think the jury is out on much of that list, I can tell you that simply from an Oral health perpective, Oil Pulling rocks! I was heavily dosed with tetracycline as a child as I was very sickly, this was later found to have a major impact on growing teeth, I also ate far too many sweets and had a full mouth of fillings by age 15. Since then, I’ve been to and fro from the dentist’s chair, spending an absolute fortune on root canals, replacement fillings, crowns, gum inflammation. After I started oil pulling, I noticed that the gum irritation reduced remarkably, I also significantly reduced tartar, so much so that at one maintenance appointment, there was virtually nothing to remove and the dental hygienist asked me what I’d been doing! It has also removed stains from my teeth, I have a berry based smoothie daily and the backs of my teeth had staining for years, this too has gone, so if red wine or coffee is your vice, this will definitely help!

  So why coconut oil? In fact, in India where Oil Pulling originated, they use sesame and you can also use olive. I personally think using Coconut Oil is a no brainer because of all the other benefits it brings: 

 • Anti-inflammatory—controls inflammation and helps repair gum tissue.

 • Antibacterial—kills bacteria that cause gum disease, mouth and throat infections

 • Antiviral—helps to kill viruses that start in the mouth

 As usual, there’s a host of other claims for oil pulling with Coconut Oil, these include:

• Anticarcinogenic

• Antiparasitic

• Antifungal

What I can tell you is that it makes your mouth feel great and saves you on dentist bills. Anything else is a bonus!

 I add a drop of Clove oil to my oil, this is a great idea if you’re adjusting to the taste of Coconut Oil (though the one I use has a very mild flavour). Clove has a long association with mouth health, especially inflammation and it leaves your mouth feeling really alive. You could also use peppermint oil, in both cases, just make sure you use a food grade oil.

 All you need to do is take a dessert spoon full plus a drop of whatever essential oil you like, pop it in your mouth and chew it around for 10 minutes. Build it up over time to 20 minutes, but really, anything is better than nothing!

 Once you are done, spit it in the bin (not down the drain!) and rinse your mouth a few times with hot water. Then brush with a natural toothpaste (I like the OnGuard one from Doterra, full of yummy spices) I also add a little Bi Carb Soda. Rinse thoroughly and get on with your day!

 Wait- I don’t have time! The kids need me! Really, you can do plenty of ‘normal’ activities and not talk, try it!

 PS, in the acompanying picture, my mouth is full of coconut oil!