Oil pulling- say what?

We all want whiter teeth, right? No one wants cancer right? Well, here are some tips...

Have you heard about oil pulling? It's pretty much just swishing (coconut) oil in your mouth for up to 20 minutes. Here is some info I found from wellnessmama.com

Oil pulling is an age-old remedy that uses natural substances to clean and detoxify teeth and gums. It has the added effect of whitening teeth naturally and evidence even shows that it is beneficial in improving gums and removing harmful bacteria.

The basic idea is that oil is swished in the mouth for a short time each day and that this action helps improve oral health. Just as with oil Cleansing for the skin, the principle of “like dissolves like” applies, as oil is able to cut through plaque and remove toxins without disturbing the teeth or gums.

The practice of oil pulling started in India thousands of years ago, and from my research, was first introduced to the United States in the early 1990s by a medical doctor named Dr. F. Karach, who used it with success in his medical practice.

I found hundreds of testimonials online from people who experienced benefits from oil pulling, including help with skin conditions, arthritis, asthma, headaches, hormone imbalances, infections, liver problems and more.

So, I (Farrah again...) decided to give it a try... It was easy. Not gross, no gagging, no big deal. And if it really is good for my overall health- and may whiten my teeth too, well then I'm all in!

This is a very funny article about a male reporter who's assignment was to  try oil pulling- http://www.xojane.com/beauty/i-tried-oil-pulling-because-i-was-sick-of-hearing-everyone-else-talk-about-it

In my "research" (hahahaha) to learn more about oil pulling, I found another article that also talks about how making a simple paste out of baking soda and lemon juice can help with whitening too- http://everydayroots.com/teeth-whitening-at-home

Okay, remember that cancer reference I made above? Well, I have some friends who worry that deodorant is going to give all us women breast cancer, because of the aluminum used in most deodorants. While that theory seems to have been debunked (according to my on-line research!), there are still many conspirators who believe it to be true. So who knows really...

I have a few friends who use homemade deodorant, one who swears by rubbing your armpits with just some vinegar on a cotton ball even! Well, my awesome friend Ashley shared with me her recipe for deodorant. Both she and her husband use it, work out like crazy and live in the hot, humid state of Georgia. They swear by it, so I'd like to think it works well...

Here is the recipe- 

1/4 cup cornstarch (or arrowroot if you are fancy like that) 

3-5 tablespoons of coconut oil

15 or so drops of your favorite essential oil

1/4 cup baking soda (rest assured that I discovered, in my research (that just cracks me up every time) that all baking soda is aluminum free! Here is the proof- http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2014/01/baking-soda-aluminum.html)

I made this last week- again, easy peasy. Our coconut oil has a light coconut scent to it, and while I did put in a bunch of lavender oil, I still smell the coconut mostly- which is just fine with me. 

Ashley says it takes a few weeks for your body to adjust, so keep trying with this deodorant. So far so good for me! And if it keeps me from getting breast cancer- great. If it saves me a couple bucks and prevents me from having to go to the store for one more thing, then that's great too!

Imagine how nutty Brian thought I was when he came home and found all our new homemade products/remedies on the bathroom counter-