Oil Pulling, Part 2

About 10 days ago, I started my new adventure of oil pulling. I promised to keep you updated, so here I am!

Every morning I wake up, and start my day with oil pulling. At first, this was rather disgusting. Because I'm using coconut oil, it was solid at room temperature. This sensation of solid goop wasn't pleasant, but the oil quickly melts after being swished around for just a minute.

As you know (having read my first post, of course!), I wasn't able to do the full 20 minutes in the beginning. Now however, I've got this! By day four, I could do the entire 20 minutes of swishing with no problem. I still feel a little queasy when I spit the oil out (after my 20 minutes), but it's getting better.

If you're attempting oil pulling yourself, I suggest finding a task to complete while you're swishing. I've been cleaning my kitchen every morning. This works for me, I hardly notice the swishing now. I am having issues with clenching my jaw a little too tight, but I think that's just me. I grind my teeth at night too, ha. When I notice the tension, I simply relax my jaw a bit and everything is fine.

The first few days of pulling, I didn't notice much difference in myself except for a clean feeling in my mouth when finihsed. After 10 days, I've noticed quite a bit more. For example, I definitely have more energy! I noticed this side effect just a few days ago, and I'm extremely excited about it. As someone with an autoimmune disorder, I pretty much walk around tired all the time. I'm not sure if the oil pulling is boosting me or if this is psychosomatic, but I'm happy to take advantage of the benefit either way.

I've also noticed some changes in my sleep pattern. I often have difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep. I guess I'm a bit of an insomniac. Again, in the past few days, I am most definitely sleeping better and feeling well-rested when I awaken.

Now that I've gotten past the icky feeling of putting oil in my mouth every day, I'm loving the changes I feel. Over the remaining 20 days of my challenge, I'll keep you updated! I'm tracking a few other supposed benefits, so we'll see if they're true or not.

Until next time, peeps!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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Oil Pulling, Part 1

Over the last several years, I've become much more focused on my health. Specifically, on what goes into my food, and what my body might be absorbing. These changes are difficult to make all at once. I'm sure you know what I mean! It's hard enough to keep a New Years resolution, much less a huge lifestyle change.

So, I decided to pick one thing at a time, and change that. Once I've mastered the mini-goal, I move on to the next one. Hopefully, all these mini-goals will add up to make a big difference. 

If you follow my Facebook page (if you're not, you totally should!), you know I started some smaller goals when the Hubs was deployed. I take my vitamins everyday, after I did some careful research on which ones will make a difference for me. I actually get the most benefit from coconut oil, which isn't technically a vitamin, but I take it nonetheless. If you're looking for a great company to get vitamins and supplements from, check out Swanson Vitamins, I love their site. 

Of course, I've also been walking my dog everyday (though I've slipped occasionally there), and reading my devotions everyday, among a whole host of other things. I even started making my own brown sugar scrub, which I LOVE.

Brown Sugar Scrub

My new goal is to try oil pulling for 30 days. If I find it benefits me, then I'll continue the practice indefinitely.

What exactly is oil pulling? I know you're wondering. 

From what I understand, oil pulling originated in India, and has been practiced for a super long time. I know that's not very scientific of me, but I'm just starting to learn about this technique. Supposedly, the oil pulls toxins and bacteria from the mouth, which are then spit out. This can improve such conditions as bad breath, bleeding gums, insomnia, migraines, acne and other skin conditions, ulcers and stomach conditions, nerve diseases, and arthritis. AND, this is supposed to be a natural teeth whitener as well. 

Your oil choice makes a difference, with most articles recommending either sunflower or sesame oil, with an option for coconut oil. 

Because I always have unrefined coconut oil on hand, this is what I'm using in my experiment. I began with a tablespoon of oil. If you've used coconut oil before, you know that it's a solid consistency at room temperature. Placing that in my mouth was a little scary, but after the first few seconds, the coconut oil responds to the heat in your mouth and melts.  

And then you just swish, swish, swish! You should do this for 20 minutes, but I'm finding it difficult. On day one, I only managed 5 minutes. Today was day two, and I swished a little more than 10. I'm building up to that 20 minute mark. 

I haven't noticed an appreciable difference yet, though my mouth does feel clean after the swishing. Upon spitting out the oil, I rinse very well with water and then move on with my regular morning routine. Quick Tip: If you're using coconut oil like me, don't spit it into your sink because the oil will solidify again in your pipes and clog them up. Spit into the trash instead. 

I'll let you know how the rest of this experiment goes! Have any of you tried oil pulling? Has it worked for you? Please comment and tell me about your experiences. 

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com