BENEFITS OF COCONUT OIL PULLING

As I complete day 2 of the oil pulling adventure, I have to say I am really excited and hopeful about making it a daily thing.  The benefits it promises seem countless as I read more on how the coconut oil and it's composition works, and how it helps with dental/gum health and even further, the fact that dental health contributes largely to heart health.  

Tell me it helps with heart health and I'm there.  I come from a family of unfortunate losses due to heart disease, runs in my blood.... and as much as i exercise and eat healthy, I am pretty good with my teeth cleaning routines but still find my teeth building lots of plaque. and I also suffer from sensitive teeth. Since my alst dentist visit she recommended I stopped the Total Advanced Whitening toothpaste becuase it was pretty much destroying my tooth enamel so now that im using the one special for sensitive teeth, which has no whitening ingredients, I am noticing my teeth getting a little less white. The coconut oil pulling claims to also help with teeth whitening and sensitivity. 

 Oil pulling comes from the process of the oil "working" in the mouth by pulling, pushing, and sucking it through the teeth. This type of oral therapy has its origins in Ayurvedic medicine dating back thousands of years. 

The procedure involves rinsing (swishing) around your mouth, approximately one tablespoon of oil. As the oil hits your teeth and gums, microbes are picked up as though they are being drawn to a powerful magnet. Bacteria hiding under crevices in the gums and in pores and tubules within the teeth are sucked out of their hiding places and held firmly in the solution. wow!!! Sound disgusting and intriguing at the same time. lol 

I've read that we could pretty much use any type of vegetable oil but that Coconut oil is preferred because 50% of the fat in coconut oil is comprised of the bacteria whooping ingredient lauric acid. pretty sure it's the best tasting one. Lauric acid is very well known for its antimicrobial actions; it inhibits Strep mutans that are the primary bacteria that cause tooth decay. No wonder why they say it helps in prevention of tooth decay. Super interesting. 

Experts say there is no question that oil pulling lessens the bacterial load in the mouth. As we all know, the mouth is the gateway to the body. When you consider the fact that a clean mouth may have between 1,000 and 100,000 bacteria on each tooth, and those that do not have a clean mouth may have between 100 million and a billion bacteria on each tooth, surely oil pulling can’t hurt? I know the immune system would appreciate a little coconut oil as part of a regular routine. 

All I can think now is why the heck didn't I Google this before... Why did I wait so long?? Anyway.... wanted to share my experience and why I'm doing it with you.... stay tuned for more updates.... better yet... try it yourself and let me know how it goes...  

Step by Step: 

1. Ideal time is the morning, on an empty stomach, before drinking or eating, place 2-3 teaspoons of coconut oil in your mouth, making sure not to swallow.  The morning is the ideal time to oil pull because your bacteria levels are the highest and you’ll have the greatest potential for detoxification. Opt for an unrefined and cold pressed so you will get the most benefits. I've been using Organic Virgin Oil from Costco, but you can find it at any food store nowadays. 

2. Swish the oil around your mouth for 15-20 minutes like you would a regular mouthwash. Do not gargle the oil and do not swallow. It will be full of the toxins and bacteria it just pulled so you really don't want that to go back into your system.  

3. After 15-20 minutes, spit the oil out into the garbage can, not the sink, to prevent the pipes from clogging from the hardening of the oil. 

4. Brush your teeth, tongue and gums.

5. Rinse with warm salt water. I use 1/4 teaspoon himalayan sea salt mixed in 1/4 cup warm water. 

Notes: In the beginning, you may have a hard time swishing for 15-20 minutes. If you are having difficulty, just oil pull for a few minutes and work your way up. You also may want to start with a smaller amount of coconut oil and work your way up. Even though the morning is the ideal time to oil pull, anytime during the day or night that you can fit time in to oil pull will be very beneficial!  I've read from some people they do it while they take a shower. 

These are some of the benefits I've read we can experience with Coconut Oil Pulling: 

• Reduced bacteria in the mouth
• Reduced migraines and headaches
• Reduced sinus infections
• Increased oral health
• Reduced plaque on the teeth
• Reduced bad breath
• Decreased joint pain and stiffness
• Reduced liver and kidney stress
• Reduced chemical load
• Reduced risk of gum disease
• Increased whitening of teeth
• Increased mental awareness
• Increased overall physical health

Should I say more? give it a shot.... we have nothing to lose.... wait, yes we will lose a lot... lots of bacteria.... happy pulling! :)

Coconut Oil Pulling

Saturday night, almost 11 pm, actually about 20 minutes before 11 pm and hubby decides to mention about this new thing he read about while looking for ways to treat rescinding gums. So me being the impatient person I am, I said let's do it now. He insisted we started tomorrow, but I always win. So we did it today. :) he is just too cute. 

Anyway, we grabbed a tablespoon of coconut oil each and in our mouths it went. 

20 minutes later, after a few swishing rounds, we put it out in the garbage. The reason for this is number 1, because you don't want to clog the sink note that we read on a few sites that we should get water with salt to rinse so have that ready on the counter.  We put Himalayan salt in ours and then brush your teeth as usual. 

So far we have noticed very silky lips and teeth feeling sooooo smooth! . 

I'll be back with more updates. Stay tuned. 

In the mean time, check out this other blog post i wrote with the step by step, why I think this is great, it's benefits and my motivation to give this a try. 

BENEFITS OF COCONUT OIL PULLING

 I recommend you also do your part, try it and educate yourself more on it.  I'd love to hear your thoughts.... I invite you to comment in the comments section.  Thank you for follwoing along! 

Stay tuned for more. For now... Time for bed. ❤️

Flourless Chocolate Chickpea Brownies

Serves: 16 (1 brownie each)     Prep time: 20 min.     Cooking Time: 28 min.
CONTAINER EQUIVALENTS (per serving)         1

• Nonstick cooking spray 
• 1 (15-oz.) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed 
• 1/4 cup organic grass-fed butter, melted (or extra-virgin organic coconut oil)
• 2 large eggs 
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (or raw honey)
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract                  
• 1/3 cup  organic unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder, gluten-free
• 1 pinch sea salt (or Himalayan salt)
• 1/4 cup  semi-sweet (or dark) chocolate chips 

______________________________________________________

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line 9 x 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Lightly coat with spray. Set aside.
3. Place chickpeas, butter, eggs,maple syrup, extract, cocoa powder, baking powder, and      salt in blender (or food processor); cover. Blend until smooth. 
4. Add chocolate chips; mix by hand until blended. 
5. Evenly spread batter into prepared pan.
6. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes , or until a toothpick inserted into the center of brownies comes  out  clean.
7. Cut into squares.

You can also use an 8 x 8-inch pan to bake brownies. They will be a little thicker.
You can substitute cannellini beans for garbanzo beans. They make a smoother brownie.


*update: top them with walnuts!!! OMG sooo good!!! 

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF COMPLETELY CHANGING YOUR LIFE.... I Never thought it would be possible for me, but I decided to try... and indeed, my life completely changed.  

Let me help you get started... I share this with you along with the recipe because I want to show you that healthy doesn't mean spinach and chicken... it's a combination of discipline, effort, balance and accountability. 

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