Oil Pulling Diary: Day Twenty-one, Twenty-two & Twenty-three

So I have a new twist and it seems to be making this more interesting in terms of teeth whitening anyway.

I was looking around on the net at different oil pulling sites, both those singing it’s praises to the skies and those claiming it’s a scam. I don’t think scam would be the right word if it is in fact a crock. Scam implies someone is making money off of an untruth or trick. If it’s a crock, it’s just a crock, not a scam. No one is making money off this. Anyway, I was looking to see if other, cheap, common, oils could be used, because I have a friend in prison with all the same health issues as me. It’s actually a little uncanny how many of the same chronic illnesses we have... So I was hoping he could do it with some cheap-ass kitchen oil. Still looking fairly negatory on that.

But while I was reading a zillion different ditties about this and that, people kept mentioning tooth soap. So off I went searching that. The conclusion I arrived at was, that it sounded quite interesting and that I didn’t need to buy some fancy, new age, ginger flavoured version for 15 bucks a jar of shreds, because I already use Dr. Bronner’s Soap which is the shiznit.

If you think washing your teeth with plain soap sounds awful then you probably don’t have the issues with toothpaste I have always had. Toothpaste is awful. The taste alone is bad enough but then you add the slimy, foamy, pervasiveness it just blows. The only toothpaste I’ve ever loved is the stuff they used to polish my teeth with at the dentist when I was a kid. You can’t get that at home, cuz I’ve tried. But that was in the dark ages before the internet, maybe one could, now.

For two days now I have brushed with Dr. Bronner’s Castile Soap. Yesterday was a bit crazy as i used too much and it was an insane lather freakout for a little while. Today I used one drop, then another drop, perfect. Today and yesterday the teeth are a tad whiter. Also my mouth feels generally better than usual. I don’t quite know what the difference is, maybe just less slimy and more clean. I dunno, just something about it I like.

Oil Pulling Diary: Day seventeen, eighteen, nineteen & twenty

I’ve been pretty faithful up till today. But first thing today I started tasting the pulled pork I took out of the oven after baking all night. It was only a while after messing around with it that I remembered I was meant to do this, the other thing, first.
So I’ll probably skip today rather than trying to find some interlude where I haven’t eaten or drunk anything for four hours.

Still unclear if anything is getting better. I’ll have to take it on a very similar act of faith as when I started taking Co enzyme Q 10. I felt a big surge at first then it leveled off as I became accustomed to feeling better. It’s also similar to blood sugar. One gets accustomed to gradually elevating blood sugars so one doesn’t realize that it’s gone up into the three or four hundreds until you get piss or blood tested for it.

I have had funny poop for a few days. Don’t know if that is related. Yup, funny poop. Downright hilarious.

Oil Pulling Diary: Day Fifteen & Sixteen

No, no, no, I didn’t cheat again. I just didn’t write yesterday is all. Really, for me, only dropping two days out of sixteen is not too bad of a pace.
So I decided to take the advices of other blogs and brush first. But what that means is that I then have to wait awhile after for everything to calm down. But today I used the time to do some wiping down in the bathroom, make some Trader Joe’s pop tube cinnamon rolls for afters, and play a stupid computer game way too obsessively for way too long. Don’t know how this will all work out if I ever get a real job again. But, cross that bridge when it arises eh?
I do think I’m seeing some progress on stain elimination, even though every day I smoke, drink tea and or coffee or even, like yesterday, eat blueberries. What that means in real time is that stains are coming off the tarter. Which makes me question, is or isn’t this going to dissolve tarter at some point?

Oil Pulling Diary: Day Fourteen

OK, OK, I’m back on it. Yesterday I was regaled with stories about how one (long distance) friend has had all her liver spots fade and her hair turn back to brown from grey. I haven’t seen her yet but will let you know later if I can verify this. Apparently at some point here I will smell bad for three days as well. Something about eliminating toxins no doubt. Today I just grabbed the bottle, took the swig and soldiered through, even when someone was in the bathroom when I was more than ready to spit. I just sat back down, kept swishing and started writing this.

Oil Pulling Diary: Day Thirteen

I didn’t do it. I resented me and felt a little shamed. But I didn’t do it.

Oil Pulling Diary: Day Twelve

I did it. I resented it and didn’t like it, but I did it.

Oil Pulling Diary: Day Eleven

I think I have to not brush my teeth immediately afterwards. But rather wait and let things calm down in there for awhile. One blog I read informed me I was to brush prior. I think I can’t do that or my gag reflex will be too activated to accomplish the task at hand.

Oil Pulling Diary: Day Ten

Oy vey. Had a bad morning with it today. See I have this gag reflex issue around toothpaste, teeth brushing, all that kind of thing. This is why I have really weird tooth pastes because the normal, minty, American stuff is just not on. Which is odd because I might fight you over a York Peppermint Patty.
I had tried to ignore that I swore to get back on the horse, but as I was putting on the tea water I took a swig. Twenty minutes later I was feeling a bit gaggy so I was glad for it to be over. But when I brushed my teeth all hell broke loose. You know how when you puke on a drunk it feels like your spine is knocking on your stomach? Ya, that. I had to resort to making ginger tea from tea bags which I generally do not care for. It wasn’t so bad with a large dollop of honey.
On the upside, I think I’m noticing that my hot/cold teeth sensitivity is going down. I tested it on the hot tea, not one twinge. I’ll try it on something cold if it ever stops being temperatures like 3 below outside.

Oil Pulling Diary: Day Nine

Yeah I blew off a day. What did it bring me? Congestion like a mofo. I won’t even skeeve you out with the grimy things that happened up in there. So I WILL wake up and do it again tomorrow. Just like I tell my addict friends, “It’s not so much about whether you slip, but what you do when you wake up the next morning”.

Oil Pulling Diary: Day Eight

Talk about resistance, I somehow conveniently “forgot” to post yesterday or even write a new post for today. OK I’ve gotten to the point where I am just swigging from the bottle and not measuring the time either (erring on the side of excess though). I was hungry at four in the morning so by the time it was time to do this I was all like “arrgghh I’m so hungry, let’s just get it over with.” Ok I’ve posted now. Now I have to dismember my living room for the contractor to fix the wall.

Oil Pulling Diary: Day Seven

I was really in resistance to this today. I woke up, fed the cats, sat around, played facebook, smoked a couple cigarettes, watched a little TV. It wasn’t until I put water on for tea that I just said “Oh all right!!! I’ll do it already.” And after all, it was only twenty minutes out of my life. So I grudgingly got it done. All I can say is this better solve some systemic health issue to make it worth it. Cuz right now it’s bugging me.
I have noticed that it may be adding a little oomph to the old alimentary system, not that I need that. That is the one thing on me that works REALLY well already.

Oil Pulling Diary: Day Six

So one is meant to sort of seethe the oil through ones teeth. I am beginning to wonder if I’m not being violent enough with this? Am I too lazy in this as well? I increased the quantity, I changed the physical technique a bit as I became accustomed to having a mouthful of oil to contend with. Perhaps I need to up the aggression factor.
Also, perhaps I need to google this again and check if I’m actually doing this right. I remember something about the oil should be white and frothy when you’re done. That is certainly not the result that I’m getting...

Oil Pulling Diary: Day Five

Well it seems we’re in the dog days of oil pulling. One sort of resignedly and lethargically goes about it because it’s now something to just be got through.
Today I upped the ante to a tablespoon to see if something spectacular would happen. It didn’t.
But I am still enjoying breathing this easily in winter very much.
I can no longer tell with any honesty or accuracy if any teeth whitening is occurring. I still have hopes that that one front tooth that is sort of recessed and extra stained will clear A LOT!

Oil Pulling Diary: Day Four

Well it’s just another sort of day. The teeth ARE getting whiter which now makes the tea and nicotine stains more noticeable.
I am enjoying breathing quite a bit. I suppose one forgets what ease is like when one has lived with discomfort at length.
The propolis has unpacked and decamped from the giant hole in my molar probably due to the extra brushing. I am curious what, if any, reaction the nerves will have with the oil pulling. Maybe it will solve the faint charnel house smell I occasionally get from dying tooth...

Oil Pulling Diary: Day Three

I was told that I am doing this wrong. That I’m meant to be using a tablespoon as opposed to a teaspoon of oil. Cripes, no wonder people struggle so much with this. I’m sticking with a teaspoon for now, unless I really cease seeing any results. Cheaper that way too. Not that I’m using fancy, schmancy, organic, cold pressed oil. Just plain sesame that I buy at the Korean grocery.
Still, no more significant change in teeth whitening, but lungs and sinuses remain clearer. I seem to be smoking a little less as well. Possibly, (probably) from having to wait basically a half hour to start each day.
I also just realized that I have totally gotten out of the habit of spellcheck. Going back to edit previous entries now.

Oil Pulling Diary: Day Two

The oil was still darkish when I spat it.
However the mucus drain thing did start immediately again. And one nostril is extremely clear.
Teeth only showed a tiny bit of difference. Maybe we’re down to the really hardcore, longterm stains.
Brushed afterwards with the new, herbal, Neem toothpaste. Very intense. I felt like I was having the full, subcontinent experience.
But even with less than spectacular results, if it keeps me from lighting up the minute I open my eyes, and gets me to brush my teeth and hair first thing it’s worth the price of admission.

Oil Pulling Diary: Day One

I immediately started releasing mucus that ordinarily chokes me trying to express it in AM.
Teeth immediately whiter, stains cleared by at least 1/2.
20 minutes later both nostrils open and I can breath through my nose completely.
My head feels light and good. I want it to be time to do it again.
Almost 9 hours (and several cigarettes) later my nose is still much clearer than usual.