A Delicious Accident: A Spoonful of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Oil Pulling & A Dash of Anaphylaxis
Use code Vitality for a discount on your Terra & Co order here, the best oil pulling product in existence!
I have an invitation for you today: How could you invite some deliciousness into the practices you do daily that simply make you feel great? Today I’m talking specifically about oil pulling, an ancient Ayurvedic self-care practice. Backstory: I had a very unexpected, rather terrifying experience in January. Living in Florida, I occasionally indulge in the heavenly experience that is raw, fresh coconut available chopped fresh all year long here in the tropics. I love coconut with all my heart and taste buds, have never wanted it to be a food I can’t have in my life, and therefore have eaten it sporadically, in moderation. Then one morning I made my breakfast protein smoothie with my favorite occasional indulgence, and five minutes later felt like I couldn’t breathe very well. My heart was racing, I was trembling, and wondering if I was having trouble swallowing, I took a sip of water to find it just didn’t want to go down easily because my throat was swelling.
As I kid I had a few anaphylactic reactions to bee stings, but don’t remember those experiences. I’ve carried an Epi Pen all my life, but didn’t ever expect to need it while enjoying a routine breakfast before work on a Tuesday morning! Through the process of spending a couple hours in the parking lot of the ER, trying unsuccessfully to get hold of my doctor, and foolishly believing I could monitor whether I needed to be seen, I learned all the things you’re not supposed to do in such a situation. [Important PSA: If you have ANY signs of anaphylaxis, you need emergency care ASAP, as I learned it can go from 1 to 10 in seconds, without notice, and you can have a recurring experience many hours later, as I did, even in your sleep. Also, gastrointestinal distress can be a major indicator of anaphylaxis.] I also saw first hand the abysmal state of health care in Florida when trying unsuccessfully to productively engage with the ER, and why the few amazing doctors here suggest avoiding it at all costs unless there isn’t time to hop on a plane and seek great medical care in another state. Supposedly this is changing… Florida is a bit like my travels through Southeast Asia in more ways than you’d expect! That’s a story for another time…
Long story short, I spent the next month and a half being injected with increasing amounts of all manner of substances that are toxic to my body to see just how badly I would react, feeling like hell, and one of the saddest parts, besides no longer being able to eat coconut, was not being able to do oil pulling.
Oil pulling has been gaining buzz! Have you heard of it? For a wellness practice that’s 3,000-5,000 years old, that’s a hell of a delayed response. But apparently the media has decided its time has come! It works miracles in the mouth, clears up gum issues, detoxes your mouth of all sorts of bacteria and toxins, supports a healthy oral and gut microbiome, whitens your teeth, decreases inflammation, and Ayurvedic doctors and practitioners believe it also improves skin conditions and overall health! That’s a laundry list of upsides for one tiny practice.
The downside is that it takes time to get used to the sensation of swishing oil in your mouth (unless you discover the best oil pulling product ever made…see below), through your teeth, and spitting it out, especially if you strive to make it to the ideal 15-20 minute mark! Rest assured, 5 minutes works great.
So anyway, I ordered a new type of Sicilian extra virgin olive oil recently. Eager to see what it tastes like, I sipped some off a spoon. It was so grassy, peppery, green & a touch bitter, all the delicious attributes of a stellar EVOO loaded with antioxidants, I couldn’t resist taking another spoonful. And then it hit me: could I possibly oil pull with the ambrosia-like pressing of Sicilian sunkissed Nocellara olives?! Hell yes! It worked beautifully, the taste was divine, and there was no gagging or stomach churning, as is often the case with a mouthful of cold, solid coconut oil until it melts. Olive oil works just as well as coconut or sesame oil.
If you haven’t tried oil pulling, this is one self-care habit that will knock your socks off in terms of effectiveness. Have a little sore spot in your mouth, a gum irritation, a potential cavity that could remineralize or a randomly sensitive tooth? Oil pulling could save you an expensive, uncomfortable dental situation.
You can go the minty coconut oil route and I would support you 100%, but if you’re also one who basks in the beautiful simplicity of the most delicious extra virgin olive oil, I dare you to take a sip and swish away. Enjoy the sensory culinary-meets-wellness ritual, and make sure to spit it in the garbage, not the sink or toilet, to avoid plumbing issues.
For more self-care surprises, check out my Self-Care Online Course. Let me know how it goes and what your experience is like, I love hearing from you! If you prefer the minty coconut type of oil pulling, this one by Terra & Co (< use this link and the code Vitality for a discount on your order!) is the absolute best in my opinion, liquid at room temperature, and so easy and delicious to use. I’m staying tuned for non-coconut varieties from this inspiring, sustainable company in the future. Swish away!
