Fresh breath, clean teeth, and coconut? Yes, please...

By now, I'm sure you've heard of the ancient practice of oil pulling. If not, I'll briefly explain. It is long held by Ayurvedic (traditional Indian) medicine that swishing oil, particularly coconut oil, in your mouth for 20 minutes and then spitting it out draws toxins from your body. I haven't read anything to back this claim, however, oil pulling is actually a proven way to keep your mouth clean and healthy! If you remember anything from science class, the outer membrane of a cell is made up of lipids, or fats. The way it works is that when the cell membranes of bacteria come into contact with oil (a fat), they adhere to the oil, so when you spit the oil out, you're also saying "bye-bye" to odor and gingivitis-causing germs! I've also noticed my teeth become whiter after just a few swishing sessions.

You can use sesame, sunflower, or coconut oil, but since coconut oil contains lauric acid, an anti-microbial, it's definitely the oil of choice! I also like to add 3 drops of peppermint oil for a minty fresh feeling. Not to mention, peppermint oil is also an excellent anti-microbial!

All you need is 1 tablespoon of organic, unrefined, virgin coconut oil (I buy mine at Trader Joe's) and 3 drops of peppermint essential oil, which you can get online or at GNC. I like to swish while watching my favorite TV show, so the 20 minutes goes by pretty quickly. Also, don't work too hard with swishing or you'll seriously tire your jaw! Lastly, make sure you don't spit the oil into your dishwasher or sink, or you risk clogging them up! Otherwise, this is a relatively easy, no-hassle way to keep your mouth fresh and clean! Happy pulling!