Switch Up Your Toothpaste

Have you ever noticed that there is a poison warning on your dental care products telling you not to swallow it?  Toothpaste and other dental care products fall under personal care products and are therefore not under the control of the FDA - they can literally put anything in there.

I became wary of toothpaste after I began researching how toxic fluoride is to our bodies.  I first switched to whatever brands my health store had in stock but learned they just have some similar ingredients and still some that interfere with tooth care. For instance, glycerin is something that has been put into tooth paste to coat your teeth, intending that it will prevent cavities. The problem is, it takes approximately 20 rinses to remove it,  meanwhile the saliva in your mouth that is designed to remineralize your teeth is prevented from doing so. Glycerine is not a good ingredient. As a matter of fact there is not much that is necessary in tooth paste at all.  Most ingredients are sweeteners and chemicals, including anti freeze!  What?!  We are better off brushing our teeth with a dry brush then adding these items into your body. 

Here are the toothpastes in my bathroom cabinet as we speak:

To the right is what you'll find in our bathroom cabinet.  The farthest to the left, Desert Essence's Natural Tea Tree Oil toothpaste is what Lammer uses.  As of right now, this is the best I can do for him.  If it were up to him he'd still be using his Aquafresh, and I simply just won't allow that anymore!  The great thing about this toothpaste is it is fluoride free, gluten free (gluten is in freakin' everything!), and sodium laurel sulfite free.  It also tastes great and is still really foamy.  You can find Desert Essence at any health food store or Whole Foods.

Earthpaste is my new thang.  Here are the ingredients to the cinnamon flavored one I'm currently using:  Purified Water, Food Grade Redmond Clay®, Xylitol, Cinnamon Essential Oil, Redmond Real Salt®, Tea Tree Oil.

You've got the option of either swallowing or spitting this out after you've finished brushing...that's how legit it is.  After brushing I actually add a little water and swish so that the taste of the paste can really clean my whole mouth.  You can buy Earthpaste online.  

Auromere...my absolute favorite!  This is an Ayurvedic toothpaste that comes in a few flavors.  The cardamom-fennel is my go-to.  Here's another brand that commits to no fluoride, gluten, chemicals or artificial sweeteners.  They use plants, bark, roots, flowers and essential oils to clean and freshen the teeth.  Neem, which is used a lot in Ayurveda has invigorating properties for dental health.  You can find Auromere at any health food store or Whole Foods.

Ora Wellness's HealThy Mouth Blend should be in everyone's bathroom.  This blend is made of all organic and essential oils and is not only great for cleansing, but great for overall mouth health.  You can floss, brush or rinse your mouth out all with this tiny bottle of oil.  I love keeping a shot glass in my cabinet, filling it with water and 2-3 drops of this blend and swishing.  It leaves such a fresh and clean feeling.  Their products can be found online and I highly recommend subscribing to their newsletter which is always filled with loads of helpful information.  

Naturally Whiten Your Teeth with Oil Pulling

The practice of oil pulling started in India thousands of years ago.  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 benefits from oil pulling also include helping with skin conditions, arthritis, asthma, headaches, hormone imbalances, infections, liver problems and much more.

Basically, you swish a couple teaspoons of a vegetable based oil (coconut, sesame, sunflower or olive) in the mouth for 20 minutes and then spit it out and rinse well.  Oil pulling is best done in the morning, before eating or drinking anything.  I actually will do it right before I jump in the shower so that the time passes and I'm doing other things while I'm oil pulling.  

How to do oil pulling:

1. Put 1-2 teaspoons of oil into the mouth. (I only oil pull with 2 teaspoons of organic coconut oil.) If it's solid it will melt in your mouth from the heat of your body. 

2. Swish for 20 minutes, as this is long enough to break through plaque and bacteria but not long enough that the body starts re-absorbing the toxins and bacteria. The oil will get thicker and milky as it mixed with saliva during this time and it should be creamy-white when spit out.

3. Spit oil into the trash can…don’t spit into the sink! Do not swallow the oil as it is hopefully full of bacteria, toxins and pus that are now not in the mouth.

4. Rinse well with warm water. 

5. Brush well to make sure any remaining bacteria is killed.

This can be practiced daily to reap the benefits of teeth whitening, or once a week or even once a month.  Whatever you're comfortable with.  Please share your experience with me!

Clean Your Tongue

I was first introduced to scraping the tongue in my yoga teacher training.  In India and in Ayurvedic practices, the hand (fingers) are used to scrape the tongue each morning as a kriya (cleansing technique).  You can easily use a tongue scraper - an inexpensive yet transformative utensil, is a simple, thin, u-shaped piece of stainless steel. It consists of a blunted edge that removes plaque and build-up from the surface of the tongue. The tongue cleaner also prevents bad breath, especially for people who eat a lot of dairy and build up mucus in the mouth, nose, and throat.

The tongue cleaner comes from the tradition of Ayurveda, which asserts that people who use one are better at public speaking, express themselves more thoughtfully, and speak more sincerely and authoritatively. Some people ask if the same effect can be gained by brushing the tongue with a stiff toothbrush. Brushing the tongue moves stuff around and is helpful, but a tongue cleaner is more effective as it clears out the deep deposits and generally keeps the area cleaner, stimulated and alive.

Cravings can be reduced by cleaning the tongue of leftover food. When the mouth can still taste the food, you may experience cravings for previously eaten foods. A tongue cleaner reverses the process of desensitizing your taste buds, which has happened to everyone to a greater or lesser extent. It allows you to taste more subtle flavors in food so that you can eat vegetables, fruits and whole grains with greater joy. When old residue is removed from the tongue, you will be better able to taste your food and won’t need to eat as much since you will have gained greater satisfaction from your meal.

And finally, a big advantage is that it enhances kissing because it makes the tongue more sweet, fresh and sensitive. If you are in a relationship, we invite you to check this out with your partner. Make an agreement to scrape twice a day for one week, and notice the difference.  Kissie-kissie!!!

Directions: 

·       Apply a few quick strokes, 2-3 times a day, or after brushing your teeth.

·       Use the rounded cleaning edge to scrape gently down the tongue several times, while applying slight pressure.

·       Rinse under running water and gently scrape again until no white residue is left.