Many who follow me on social media see me post about my daily oil pulling morning ritual.

Many of my holistic friends know exactly what I’m talking about, and some don’t. I remember when I first learned about it from a video of a woman demonstrating oil pulling.

One day my tooth was hurting, and I dreaded going to the dentist and hearing about needing a cavity filled. So instead, I decided to start oil pulling. Over a year ago, I started oil pulling probably right when I decided to give probiotics a break. Truthfully, I’ve been just as healthy as I was when I ingested a probiotic capsule daily on an empty stomach.

Oil pulling not only supports your teeth but it protects your gums as well and YES, as implied above, it gives you the added benefit of a healthy immune system. Check out the benefits of oil pulling from the chart below.

So, why not start oil pulling in your morning ritual?

How to oil pull:

Take a teaspoon of unrefined oil, preferably coconut oil but oils such as sesame or olive oil can be used as well. Swish it around your mouth for about twenty minutes. This is the best time to be multiprocessing because the very first time you do it, you have to get used to doing it and take your mind off of gagging.

Here are some guidelines to keep in mind when oil pulling

• Please be sure that you do not swallow the oil. If you swallow, then it’s like you’re putting all the bad bacteria and toxins back into your system. (Note: you can get very sick if you swallow.)
• Oil pulling is best done on an empty stomach, which is why I recommend doing it first thing in the morning.
• You must swish around the mouth for about twenty minutes to get great coverage so you allow the bad bacteria to cling to the oil.
• When the twenty minutes are up, I highly suggest that you spit the oil in a plastic bag, not down your sink or in the toilet because it could clog your plumbing.

This is just one of the many daily rituals that I do to take care of my health. I am in the midst of putting together a challenge so that everyone can embody rituals and practices to take care of yourself physically, mentally and emotionally. If this sounds like a plan and you’re on board with engaging in easy and invigorating activities, please like my Facebook page to get more daily rituals and quick tips for blending self-care into your life: https://www.facebook.com/SelfcareQueendom