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Ayurveda: Science of Life
Cold pressed sesame oil
Oil pulling (aka kavala, gundusha, oil therapy) is an ancient ayurvedic practice that consists of gently swishing and chewing oil in your mouth. While providing a whitening and overall hardening affect for the teeth, oil pulling also strengthens the gums (making them less prone to bleeding while flossing or even eating :/ ); helps to detoxify the entire body (by removing toxins from the blood stream while "pulling" the oil around in your mouth*); supports the human heart, lungs, liver and kidneys; and treats typical ailments and afflictions like skin diseases; headaches, poor memory, loss of appetite and insomnia, to name a few.
As you swish and chew the oil through your teeth and around your mouth, the oil naturally mixes with your saliva, causing the release enzymes that attract and draw toxins from your bloodstream. You can literally see spots of white or an otherwise milky white and possibly yellowish color in the oil as you spit it out of your mouth (spit it in a clear glass cup to see). *The trick is, you never want to leave the oil in your mouth for longer than about 3-4 minutes because the toxins will be pushed back into your bloodstream as your blood naturally circulates throughout your body.
It is best practices to only use cold pressed, un-refined oils for oil pulling (and truly any other oil usage in the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom) because cold pressed oils are carefully produced at low temperatures, leaving the oil's nutritional value, aroma and flavor all intact. The four most popular oils that are commonly used for oil therapy are sesame oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil and olive oil. Again, all oils should be cold pressed and un-refined for optimal results.
Ingredients
3 tablespoons cold pressed oil
2 tablespoons natural spring water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or baking soda)
fluoride free toothpaste
Instructions For A Proper Oil Therapy Practice
*To Note: It is important to spit the oil out after about 4 minutes. If you keep the oil in your mouth for longer, the toxins/bacteria will be reabsorbed back into the blood and will then have to be pulled back from the bloodstream again.