Oil Pulling Leads to Total Body Detox

I have been seeing a lot of chatter about oil pulling on social media and have been seeing it pop up on the web as an alternative health suggestion for many health issues. It is something that I tried a few years back but then discontinued because my morning routine was growing to large, to fast. But I have recently picked it up again because a few of my clients have been asking about it and I want to be able to speak from experience as I regurgitate information from ayurvedic and medical texts.

Oil pulling is an ancient ayurvedic method of healing for the gums and teeth, as well as detoxifying the entire body.
The benefits of this practice are quite expansive and worth the 20 minutes of your time in the morning. You may do it while you focus on other things like cleaning the house, washing dishes, folding laundry, taking the dog for a walk, or my favorite, getting some morning reading in before my day gets crazy.

What it Does:

• Brightens and whitens teeth, reduced plaque and bad breath
• Reduces stiffness and pain in joints 
• Relieves nasal and sinus congestion
• May help with migraine headaches
• Regulates menstrual cycle and provides relief from PMS
• Helps with clearing skin
• Boosts energy
• Benifits the throat, voice and eyes
• Improves the lymphatic system
• May help to alleviate allergies
• Boosts the immune system
• Helps with insomnia
• Possible remedy for jaw soreness and TMJ

How it is Done:

• Wake up
• Splash your face with cool water and rinse out your eyes
• Drink a large glass of warm water
• Try for your morning evacuation 
• Before you brush your teeth and on an empty stomach, take 1/2 up to 1 tablespoon of coconut oil, sesame oil or sunflower oil and swish it in your mouth for 10-20 minutes. Ultimately you are going for 1 tablespoon of oil for 20 minutes, but if you need to work up to that, start with less oil for less amount of time and give yourself a few days to get used to it.
• Make sure to move the oil around slowly in the mouth and swish it through the teeth. Try to get the oil in all the nooks of the mouth. Lightly, lightly gargle a few times before you spit it out. 
• DO NOT SWALLOW any of the oil, it is absorbing and pulling toxins from your body that you do not want to reabsorb. 
• When your 20 minutes is up spit out the oil in your toilet or trash, you do not want to spit it into the sinks, as it will clog your pipes. 
• Rinse out your mouth with warm water and then brush your teeth and scrape your tongue.

NOTE: Do not do this for more or less than 20 minutes (after you have worked up to your 20 minutes). More than 20 gives chance to reabsorbing the toxins through the mouth that you are trying to get rid of. Less than 20 is not nearly as effective. Definitely brush your teeth afterwards. It takes about 15-20 days of doing it every day, to see results. If every day is not possible try for every other day, shoot for at least 4 days a week, which is better than not doing it at all!

Holiday Travel Tips

It is that time of the year! Most of us will hustle and bustle to the next town, city, state or even country. Traveling is exciting but can also leave us feeling light headed, ungrounded, frazzled and even sick. Traveling can be very taxing on the system but with a few Ayurveda based tips, you will feel better, keep the travel sickness away and enjoy your destination.

1) Sip warm water throughout the entire trip. Travel with a thermos. Any time you can, fill it with hot water.  Bring some lemon and lime pieces with you if you need a little flavor (but don't drink lemon/lime water the entire time, too much citric acid is hard on the enamel of your teeth).  Flying (and driving) is very dehydrating and dehydration makes you more susceptible to headaches, dry nose, jet-lag  and  catching a cold/flu.
2) Stay away from: sugar/candy, cold foods and icecream, soft drinks, and dry snack foods like chips, peanuts and crackers. All these things have either dry, light or cold qualities and the sugar creates a breeding ground for germs. You need more grounding and rich foods when you fly. So find some oatmeal, soup or a a hot sandwich. Better yet, bring some of your own food to snack on like home made muffins with almond butter, veggie and fruits slices, steamed greens with ghee etc. By eating these warm, heavier, nourishing food you will feel more grounded and settled. Stay away from fast food!
3) When you land at your final destination, drink a cup of warm milk (almond or organic whole milk preferred) with a dash of cinnamon, cardamon, ginger, turmeric and a teaspoon of Ashwagandha powder. Ashwagandha is very grounding, calming, nourishing and building to your nervous system, which has been depleted and rattled from flying or driving. You can purchase capsules or powder here. Make up the spice mix before you leave home and carry it with you so you have it right away. If you can't have the warm milk right away, drink it before you go to bed that evening.
4) Get outside as soon as possible and take a 10 minute walk. Fresh air and sunshine will help to settle your nerves and system and help the body come back into its element.
5) Get in the time zone ASAP. Try not to take a nap, go to bed when night time comes, that way you can wake up around the same time as everyone else and get into the grove quicker.

All tips apply for car and plane travel.

Safe and happy travels and Merry Christmas!

Drink Your Immune Booster - Turmeric Tea

Turmeric Tea - An Immune Booster/Helper
Any time you start to feel a scratchy throat or signs that you might be getting sick, make this tea and relax while you help boost your immune system. It is a great idea to drink this during busy travel times too. 

1 cup hot water (DO NOT Boil)

1-2 tsp turmeric

1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tsp unpasteurized honey (raw)

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger (optional)

1 - 2 teaspoons unpasteurized apple cider vinegar or 1/2 fresh lemon, juiced

Mix everything BUT the water together in your favorite drinking mug. Then pour in the hot water and mix together. Drink while hot.

NOTES: 

-Pasteurized honey actually creates mucous so you do not want to use pasteurized honey in your diet.

-Do not boil the water, boiling water and honey, when they come in contact, creates a toxin. So make sure that the water is just under a simmer. 

-Turmeric is an immune helper, has anti-inflammatory properties, has antioxidants and works directly on the back of the throat.

- Raw honey helps to sooth the throat while drying up mucous.

-During cold season keep sugar consumption down because it causes mucous. 

Turmeric Drink for Kids (or Adults)

1/2 cup hot water (DO NOT Boil)

1-2 tsp turmeric

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger  or  1/8 - 1/4 tsp powdered ginger

3-4 whole cloves

2-3 cardamon pods

1/2 teaspoon Funnugreek seeds (optional, helps turmeric and ginger to do its job, has synergy with these spices)

1/2 cup almond, coconut or cows milk

1/2 - 1 tsp unpasteurized honey or maple syrup 

Place spices and water into a pot, bring to a simmer, and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Add milk and bring to a simmer again. Strain contents by using a wire strainer or cheese cloth, into a favorite drinking mug. Add honey or maple syrup. This is medicinal but also very enjoyable. A chai sort of drink for those days when you need something soothing. Kids will like the creaminess of the tea and it should help with their fold or flu. 

NOTES:
-Fennugreek seeds can be found in Indian grocery stores. But if you do not have them then this tea will still work to help with immunity. 

- When making the drink for a child, start on the lower quantities for the spices and then work your way up, making sure that it is not to spicy for them.You can always dilute it with more milk.