Oil Pulling

I had tried it once before, but had not felt strongly positive about the experience. Despite fearing the “ick” factor I had experienced before, I decided to give it a second shot. Maybe I was being too vigorous with my swishing the first time, or was trying to multi-task while holding oil in my mouth, gagging frequently for lack of breathing-while-running around. This time, I’m sitting quietly, typing this blog post, and tuned in to what my body is doing.

coconut_oil

Starting with 1/4 tsp (1.5grams) of coconut oil, I didn’t know what the heck to do with it at very first! Instinct came to the rescue, and I began chewing the hardened oil, which quickly became more liquid. This time I was sitting down, breathing through my nose any anxieties that bubbled up, barring off my throat to swallow carefully (more of an urge that would have potentially led to panic or abandonment-of-trial if it went unrelieved than actually swallowing anything). Within the first minute, it felt as though inflammation in my mouth was decreasing. I had a small canker sore on my front bottom lip and my mouth felt generally acidic this morning. In the course of the first few minutes, I envisioned  pus, mucus, and general nastiness extracting from my oral tissues into the oil I was holding and swishing gently between my teeth. My mouth started feeling less acidic and less inflamed.

Setting a timer for 10 minutes, I wrote this post. Timer went off, still writing, decided I could go another 10 minutes and reach the  range recommended by the interwebs. After 20 minutes, my mouth and throat, really my head in general, felt better! This therapy gets my approval as something worth trying again, and researching further. Disclaimer: This is not medical advice, nor am I claiming to cure any specific ailments. I can see the potential benefits to those who suffer from canker sores, sinus congestion, indigestion, and inflammation of many varieties and depths as part of an overall healthy lifestyle.

For another explanation of oil pulling, please visit this site. I welcome your comments and questions below.

Dr. Katrina

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