36 done ... 16 to go...

What: #70 Try Oil Pulling

When: June 11, 2016
Where: The kitchen
Why: A little over a year ago, I had a friend telling me that she was doing this, and I had so many questions, mainly "What?!" As I heard her say a bit more about it, I was intrigued. About a year ago, I bought a jar of coconut oil to give this a try with some friends during a weekly TV night. At some point, we figured out that we'd have to be totally quiet for 20 minutes while we performed the ritual of oil pulling, so that didn't fit with our plans, which required us to make a lot of comments during the TV show we watched together. So, for many months, that jar sat unopened in the pantry. Until tonight.

For the past week or so, I've had a reminder on my calendar that I keep putting off (not uncommon, unfortunately), and today, I finally decided to just do it. Armed with a 1/2 teaspoon, I started the process. What I know is that it works best with a tablespoon, but there was no way I could put that much gelatinous coconut oil in my mouth. So, I took two scoops with my 1/2 teaspoon and tried not to gag. Seriously, the instant sensation is not pleasant, and for the first few minutes, I almost felt panicked trying not to swallow and to keep swishing and to just chill out. Finally, I settled in to it as it really liquified, and went about doing some laundry to distract myself, which also helped me to slow the swishing and loosen my jaw a bit.

And that's the odd part. It's supposed to be good for people like myself with TMJ and similar jaw problems, but I can't figure that out because my jaw was stiff and sore the entire time. It is also supposed to be good for skin conditions, which is also puzzling, and a variety of dental issues, which makes a lot more sense.

Not quite the full 20 minutes...

Back to the process. I had read that the oil eventually enlarges in your mouth (uhhh...), and it did seem to increase in volume, at which point I started to really get uncomfortable with it and finally spit it out. Into the sink. Which I had read multiple times one should not do because the oil can cause issues in the pipes. Ugh. I was just so ready for it to be done that I got to the nearest drain instead of finding a trash can or plastic bag.

After I rid myself of the oil, I rinsed with warm salt water, then brushed and flossed. I'm sure it's in my head, but my teeth did look whiter! I'm hoping to keep this up for the week and see if I notice any substantial effects.