Is Oxy Pulling Better Than Oil Pulling?

I love the health benefits I get from oil pulling and suggest it a lot to my patients.  Whether for oral health, cleaning the lymph, or detox support oil pulling is helpful in so many ways.  I have just recently come across oxy pulling thanks to one of my patients who brought it to my attention and so I have something new to add to my daily health routine!   Good news is oxy pulling only takes 30 seconds to do.  Oxy pulling was developed to replace oil pulling and that's what my patient wanted to do, stop her oil pulling and do oxy pulling instead but when I did my research I actually had her do both.  It is more beneficial to do the oxy pulling first and then the oil pulling, then brush your teeth.

While you sleep and throughout the day, your mouth is producing live organisms that are not only harmful to your overall oral health, but to your body as well. These organisms can cause a plethora of disease within the body if swallowed. Therefore it is very important that these organisms are not allowed to accumulate and thrive in your mouth. The most opportune time for these organisms to develop and grow is when we are asleep and after we eat.
Similar to what happens during the oil pulling process, swishing the oxy pulling oral rinse around in your mouth will activate enzymes, allowing toxins and bacteria to be drawn out from the body.  The only Oxy Pulling solution I know of is Garner's Garden.  

The following are the key ingredients that are used to make oxy pulling so effective:

1% or 2% Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide, H2O2: Helps by inhibiting the reproduction of bacteria and also kills fungal spores. H2O2 is also able to penetrate periodontal areas between the teeth and gums by its foaming action; this is how oxygen is released to inhibit the growth of bacteria while creating a whitening/bleaching effect for the teeth. Another benefit is the ability to remove and repel plaque from the surface of the teeth for prolonged periods of time. Think of how wax is applied to a car. When water touches the car’s surface that has had wax applied to it, water will bead up and roll off of the car. This is along the same premise of H2O2 and plaque – there will be some accumulation of plaque over a couple of hours of daily activities, but a large majority of the plaque will be repelled and not accumulate on the surface of the teeth.

Other Ingredients that can be in Oxy Pulling Solutions -

Activated Charcoal: Assists with the whitening of teeth and it also traps and removes toxins that are present in the mouth.
Peppermint Essential Oil: Kills germs, helps with pain, and highly effective at preventing bad breath.
Cinnamon Essential Oil: has the greatest antimicrobial potency against streptococcus mutans, the bacteria responsible for tooth decay, and lactobacillus plantarum, one of the bacteria responsible for gum disease.
Tea Tree Essential Oil: Contains terpinen which is responsible for giving this oil its healing properties. Tea tree is known to kill fungus and bacteria.

Is Your Bra Harming Your Health?

We've all seen them, those television ads showing women how beautiful they can look in those tight underwire pushup bras.  Of course, no one is bothering to tell women that these same bras could be increasing their chances for breast cancer and cardiovascular disease.  Dr. Michael Schacter, MD says in his article, The Prevention and Complimentary Treatment of Breast Cancer, "Over 85% of the lymph fluid flowing from the breast drains to the armpit lymph nodes.  Most of the rest drains to the nodes along the breast bone.  Bras and other external tight clothing can impede flow.   The nature of the bra, the tightness, and the length of time worn, will all influence the degree of blockage of lymphatic drainage.  Thus, wearing a bra might contribute to the development of breast cancer as a result of cutting off lymphatic drainage, so that toxic chemicals are trapped in the breast."

It's important to realize that nearly all underwire bras contain metal under wires, coated with plastic which creates even more potential risk for the wearer.  Metal acts an an antenna which will attract electromagnetic fields.  This can increase risks of cardiovascular disease.  Johns Hopkins performed research showing that there is a direct relationship between exposure to electromagnetic fields and the speed and rhythm of the heart.  To see more on how electromagnetic fields affect your health, read here.

Sydney Singer and Soma Grismaijer, authors of Dress to Kill, conducted a study of over 4,000 women and found that women who do not wear bras have a much lower risk of breast cancer.  There findings included:

• Women who wore their bras 24 hours per day had a 3 out of four chance of developing breast cancer.

• Women who wore bras more than 12 hours per day, but not to bed, had a 1 out of 7 risk.

• Women who wore their bras less than 12 hours per day had a 1 out of 52 risk.

• Women who wore bras rarely or never had a 1 out of 168 chance of getting breast cancer.

  Singer and Grismaijer also found that about 90% of fibrocystic patients improve when they quite wearing bras.  

Of course while some women would be happy to have any excuse to burn their bras, breasts can be heavy and having insufficient support can cause some women a great deal of discomfort.  Fortunately there are more and more options for women which will give them great support without restricting flows.  There is a whole series of new bras on the market which don't restrict the lymphatic flow.  Some places simply call them "wireless" bras.  Several examples of these bras include the Genie Bra, the Wire Bra and the Ahh Bra, but there are plenty more options like them.  Sports bras also work.  It may take some time to find the right wireless bra but do it for the health of it!

The Art of Dry Brushing

After writing last weeks post on Detox Baths patients were asking more questions about dry brushing so here's my answer...in a nutshell, dry brushing is the process of brushing your skin, preferably before a shower or bath with a dry brush.
Why would we want to do that?

Right below your skin is a network of blood vessels, capillaries, fat, and lymph nodes. They are working hard to circulate through the body, but sometimes our lifestyles and the toxins we have stored in our body will hinder our bodies from doing a really good job of circulating those fluids.

Dry brushing will . . .
1) Help drain your lymphatic system
2) Re-Circulate old or stagnant blood
3) Move toxins out of fat cells to be eliminated by the body
4) Exfoliate dead skin

Starting at the feet and legs, use small brisk strokes always moving TOWARDS the heart. Concentrate on areas on the back of the legs and butt as well as areas where your lymphatic system is concentrated such as the groin area, armpits and the glands on the neck.  For video demonstration: https://youtu.be/PlgJVAtgJTI



This only takes a few minutes and feels refreshing and rejuvenating, especially in the morning.

You can purchase a dry brush at any drug store for about $20 dollars or you can purchase one online: https://healingartsnyc.com/shop/szwdohm7ql8022zpg5c5getwwdcxb0. Make sure you get one with medium bristles. Too soft won’t do anything and to hard of a bristle may be too harsh on your skin. Dry brushing is best done right before showering or bath, once a day but can be done any time of day. Make sure you wash your brush once a week with soap and let it dry thoroughly.

The Benefits of Oil Pulling

Oil pulling was first introduced in Ayurvedic medicine. I finally decided to blog about it as I ask many of my patients to do it. Whether it's for oral healthcare, digestive health, to clear out the sinuses or an immune system booster I've seen it help many patients in many ways!

Oil pulling as we know it today, was introduced in 1992 by Dr. F. Karach, MD. He claimed that oil pulling could cure a variety of illnesses ranging from heart disease and digestive troubles to hormonal disorders. Dr. Karach’s method of oil pulling emphasis swishing, not gargling, the oil in the mouth. The oil is “worked” in the mouth by swishing and chewing it around the mouth and ‘swizzling’ it (pushing it through the teeth) for a period of 15 to 20 minutes. The best time is in the morning before eating breakfast, but can be done before any meal on an empty stomach.

Oil pulling instructions:

Use 1-1.5 spoonfuls of unrefined, high quality, organic sesame seed oil (non-toasted) and 'swizzle" in your mouth for 15-20 minutes. Sesame seed oil is the best oil to swish with.  I love using Banyan Daily Swish

Once completed, spit the oil out (we recommend spitting in the trash as it can clog your sink or toilet over time).

Follow it by a thorough mouth rinse with water.  Warm water with sea salt is best.

Never swallow the used oil because it is loaded with bacteria, toxins, pus, and mucous. It is a good idea to brush your teeth afterwards to really clean out any leftover toxins and wash the sink afterwards as well if you don't spit it out into the trash.

Benefits:

Strengthens teeth
Can help reverse gingivitis
Prevents tooth decay/whitens teeth
Strengthen immune system
Improve digestion
Reduce skin problems (acne, eczema, psoriasis)
Reduce allergies
Lessen headaches
Help hormonal imbalance
Clear out sinuses

Tips:

Be sure you are using a high quality, organic, non-toasted sesame seed oil.
Set timer for 15-20 minutes because it's going to feel like a long time and I don't want you to guess that it's been 15 minutes when it's only been 5 minutes.

Precaution:

If you are allergic to a particular brand of oil, then change the brand of oil.

DO NOT SWALLOW.

One of the first cleansing symptoms you will experience is an increased flow of mucous from your throat and sinuses. Mucous drainage is one of the body’s methods of removing toxins. While you are oil pulling mucous may build in the back of your throat. You may even have to expel the oil and clear the mucous from your throat before reaching a full 20 minutes. If so, take another spoonful of oil and continue swishing for a full 15-20 minutes.

I usually do oil pulling when I am feeling sick to help clean my lymphatic system and boost the immune system. Your lymph takes about 7 minutes to circulate through the body. It is important to do oil pulling for a minimum of 15 minutes so you can clean out all of the lymph at least twice. But if during the 15 minutes your mouth begins to tire or stomach becomes sensitive start with 5 minutes and work your way up to 15-20 minutes.