I tried oil pulling a while back and could not get down with it. The feeling of a lump of coconut oil in my mouth that I had to chew down into a liquid and swill for 20 minutes almost made me heave. But hearing of the benefits again made me want to give it another (proper) try.

Getting over the texture and plainly unnatural feeling in the mouth is purely down to will power. There's nothing that's going to make it pleasant so just remind yourself of the benefits as you're doing it and try not to think about it too much. I like to distract myself with getting dressed, playing with Winnie, preparing breakfast, or watching a YouTube video or two. So, what are the benefits to this seemingly ridiculous act?

Oil pulling literally pulls toxins and bacteria from your mouth and the rest of your body and bloodstream. This means:

- clearer skin (known to cure acne, eczema, and psoriasis)

- healthier hair and nails  

- better sleep

- a cure for migraines

- whiter, brighter teeth

- fresher breath

- increased energy levels

- alleviated allergies

- regulated menstrual cycle (and therefore improved PMS symptoms)

- a cure for hangovers

to name a few. With such a list of benefits it's a wonder it's not mandatory. 

So how do you oil-pull?

It's pretty simple, really. All you need to do is plonk about a tablespoonful of coconut oil (make sure it's organic, you don't want to be adding any nasties into your body), chew it until it's liquid and begin swishing it around your mouth like mouthwash. You want to keep this up for 20 minutes to get the most out of it. At first it may feel strange and be a little difficult, but it's something worth getting used to and if you need to do it for 10-15 minutes the first few times to get use to it, that's perfectly fine, too. Just make sure when you spit it out (into a bag) it's creamy and cloudy. This means you've trapped the bacteria into the oil.

When you've spat it out, be sure to brush your teeth immediately. Pulling the toxins through your mouth means their may be some left behind and so you want to clean your mouth, teeth, and gums thoroughly after pulling. I recommend brushing (preferably with an electric toothbrush), tongue scraping, and swilling again with mouthwash.

I added this to my morning routine and noticed almost immediate results. My skin was clear, my hair and nails were healthier, and I definitely felt a lot healthier and lively. To double check it was the oil pulling doing it's job and not just a coincidence or something else I had changed, I kept the rest of my routine the same and stopped oil pulling. After a couple of days my skin began to become dull with a few blemishes and my hair is now limp and lifeless. My sleeping pattern has gone completely out of the window and I've had an awful headache for three days.

Needless to say, I'm getting back on the coconut oil pulling regimen starting tomorrow!

Have you tried oil pulling yet? What would you hope the outcome to be?