21 January 2013

Ayurvedic Practice: Oil Pulling

   
Oil-pulling? Whatever in God’s name could that possibly be? Though not a term most people have heard of for sure, oil-pulling has ironically been around for centuries and has its roots in an Ayurvedic practice called ‘oil-gargling’. Today oil-pulling has been claimed to cure anything from sinusitis and eczema to menstrual problems, bad breath and hormonal imbalances.

Origins
Oil-pulling was introduced by a Dr. F Karach, MD. in 1992. It involves the simple act of swishing, pushing and pulling vegetable oil in your mouth and drawing it through your teeth. This is done for five to 20 minutes either once or up to three times a day on an empty stomach. So first thing in the morning is best or just before a big meal.
Using himself as his own guinea pig, Dr. Karach practiced oil-pulling diligently and within just three days, cured himself of the severe arthritis that had often times left him bed-ridden. He also corrected a chronic blood disorder he was suffering from for 15 years.


Rationale
In Ayurvedic medicine, the tongue is believed to be connected to all the vital systems in the body. Therefore, using your tongue to move the oil around in your mouth helps stimulate your organs so they function at their optimal levels.
What’s more the mucosal lining on the inside of the mouth contains thousands of capillaries that absorb toxins and bad bacteria. The belief is that swishing oil against these membranes draws out the offending toxins and bacteria thereby allowing your body to be thoroughly cleansed in the process.

Results
The first thing most people notice after a short time of oil-pulling is how white their teeth becomes and how pink and healthy their gums look. If kept up for longer, the results from oil-pulling is more far reaching and varied – deeper and more restful sleep, increased appetite, better memory and more energy. Ever dark under-eye circles begin to fade.
As every individual’s responses vary.
 
Step1: 
First thing in the morning on an empty stomach and before drinking any liquids (including water), pour exactly one tablespoon of sunflower or sesame oil (or whatever oil you have chosen - Use the best quality you can get —unrefined, cold-pressed, which will not contain chemical residues) into your mouth. We don't recommend doing this process at any other time. Children can also do this with less quantity of oil provided they have control and practice not to swallow the oil.

Step 2:
Swish the oil around in your mouth without swallowing it. Move it around in your mouth and through your teeth, as if it was mouthwash (don't tilt your head back to gargle though). You'll find that the oil will start to get watery as your saliva mixes with it. Keep swishing.If your jaw muscles get sore while swishing, you're putting too much into it. Relax your jaw muscles and use your tongue to help move the liquid around the inside of your mouth. When you do this correctly, you'll feel very comfortable. Pretty soon.
There is no right way or wrong way to swish and pull oil. Don't focus on doing it right. Do it with very natural movement. Do this gently, not vigorously, in a relaxed way for about 20 minutes.
If you have the unbearable urge to swallow and If it becomes too unpleasant, spit out and try again. It can be a bit unpleasant at first when you’re not used to it, but soon won’t be bothersome at all, just like brushing your teeth.
When the oil has become saturated with the toxins it has pulled out, it may become whitish and a thinner, milky consistency, depending on the type of oil used. Each time you oil pull, it can take a different amount of time to get to that point, so 20 minutes is a general rule of thumb, but you can experiment with this.
If you spit out before 20 minutes. start again, the process is to make the oil swish enough time in your mouth so that it becomes a white thik substance which is a indication of process completion.

Step3:
As the end of the oil pulling session approaches, Spit the oil out, then rinse the mouth with warm salt water. ( Just use normal table salt). Salt water rinsing isn’t absolutely necessary, but is very helpful as an antimicrobial and to soothe any inflammation and proven to be effective in rinsing out any toxins which may be left out in the mouth.
You can do the oil pulling every morning if you like, or several times a week. Because oilpulling method can be detoxifying, you might want to take a break sometimes. One immediate benefit everyone gets is, whiter teeth, clean mouth . There’s no rule about frequency - judge according to your own experience.
Pl. understand that this process works better in the morning. Don't try to do this any time of the day. If for some reason it is absolutely not possible for you to pratice this method in the morning, you can do this on an empty stomach at any time of the day. Empty stomach means the food is digested completely. Ideally after three or four hours of you taking any food. ( Lot depends on the food you are eating).


Oil pulling Method common questions and concerns:

Q: Should I brush before Oilpulling?
No, there’s no need to. It’s important to brush after oilpulling and clean the mouth thoroughly after toxins are drawn out with salt and water as explained before.

Q: When oil becomes white after 5 min? 10 min? 15 min???
There’s no rule of thumb different oils will behave differently, so,pl. don't pay attention to when the oil becomes white. Do the oilpulling for 20 min and you shall notice that oil becomes white.

Q: I was only able to do it for about few minutes, Is it normal?.
It is very common for many. Because we are not tuned take oil in our mouth and for first few times there would be some difficulty. But pl. note you would be amazed by how quickly you can get used to it! It helps if you think about keeping the oil around your teeth and not toward the back of your mouth. Keeping the head tilted down a bit can help with that. Five minutes may be all you need, but you may also be able to increase the
time because it will become more comfortable. Experiment and you’ll find out what works best for you.

Q: I can’t help swallowing a little during OP. Is that harmful?
If you need to swallow a bit during oilpulling, the toxins being drawn out can usually be handled by the digestive system and eliminated properly. When you feel the urge to swallow, just spit the whole thing and restart.
Q: I could only do OP for a few minutes, as my mouth was getting tired.
You’re probably doing it too vigorously. Just Relax and do the swishing in a more relaxed way.
Q: Reasons for doing oilpulling on empty stomach
First, it helps not to have a full stomach if you get a little queasy from the oil pulling experience before you get used to it. Second, the detoxifying effect is a bit stimulating, whereas digestion involves the parasympathetic nervous system, so those are opposite functions. Eating something light may not be a problem, and you can judge by how you feel. If you can oil pull first thing in the morning, that takes care of that problem.

Q: After oilpulling it never turns in to white
The idea is , The viscosity and color should change significantly, but the color depends on so many factors, and can even be slightly different each time. A milky or creamy color is fine.

Q: How much salt should be used for rinsing after oilpulling?
Only use as concentrated a solution as you can comfortably take. Adjust the amount if it’s too salty or if you can stand it a bit saltier. Once it reaches a point which is intense salty for you, rinse with that water. When you are rinsing you shall fee that you are doing that with salt water.

Q: Does the toothbrush become full of toxins from Oilpulling?

Keep your toothbrush clean by letting it dry out completely between uses. Use one in the morning and a different one at night.

Q: Are there any diet restrictions with Oilpulling?

No actual diet restrictions per se, but oilpulling will work better the more you eat a diet that is right for you individually. You can eat right after oilpulling, no problem.

Ref:  http://oilpulling.com

Island Sushi Bar; Jakarta Style

A woman stands in her food stall in Jakarta's flooded business district on January 17, 2013. Heavy monsoonal rains triggered severe flooding in large swathes of the Indonesian capital this week, with many government offices and businesses forced to close because staff could not get to and from work. Weather officials warned the rains could get worse over the next few days, and media reports said that thousands of people in Jakarta and its satellite cities had been forced to leave their homes because of the torrential downpours.

 Photo: Enny Nuraheni/Reuters

Ocean Horror Show: Dead Sea Birds With Bellies Full Garbage


Our Culture of Waste is Killing our Wild Life.