Oil pulling is an Ayurvedic practice and involves swishing a small amount of oil around your gums and your mouth. The oil binds with the plaque and bacteria, and is then disposed of when you spit it out into the trash, purifying your mouth of harmful toxins. You do NOT want to swallow the oil after swishing and you shouldn’t spit it into your drains, as it can be clogging.

In the traditional Ayurvedic text translations, oil pulling for about 2 – 5 minutes is sufficient, while others suggest 5-20 minutes (do what feels right for you). You can either use a high quality sesame oil, which has a warming effect, or a high quality coconut oil, which is cooling.

Benefits of Oil Pulling

• Improves oral health, by minimizing plaque and bacteria in your mouth.
• Improves bad breath.
• Whitens teeth.
• It encourages an increased flow of mucous from your throat and sinuses, which is one of the body’s best methods for removing toxins.
• It can activate the vagus nerve, which helps reconnect the gut/brain communication, helping with digestive issues.

If you’re worried about not having enough time to add another step into your morning routine — I get it, but there are plenty of ways you can multitask and save time. For instance, you can have your lunch and your outfit prepped the night before. In the mornings, you can oil pull while you’re getting ready or taking a shower,  then sip your warm lemon water as you make your green smoothie to-go, and so on. It’s recommended to oil pull first thing in the morning before you drink anything or brush your teeth.

Will you be adding oil pulling to your morning routine?

If you have any questions about how you can incorporate this into your mornings, please reach out in the comments below, and I’ll be sure to reply.

XO Devon