Mind your mouth – literally…

Mind your mouth: Your mouth is a path connecting the environment and your mind/body.
Add a few actions rooted in Ayurvedic medicine to your oral care.

Tongue Scraping:  Morning tongue scraping can remove build-up on the tongue that can house a significant number of bacteria. I use a copper tongue scraper, but you can also find stainless steel options at the grocery or health-foods store or use a spoon. Just scrape from back to front, ~7-14 times, rinsing the scraper each time. Then rinse your mouth.

Oil-Pulling: Swish a tablespoon of oil  – coconut oil and sesame oil are most often recommended – for 5-20 minutes.  While there is debate about the benefits (and ask your doc about it if you are pregnant), it likely won’t hurt anything, and I personally find that it makes my teeth shinier & my mouth feel cleaner, as well. (I use coconut oil with either a drop of peppermint oil or On-Guard oil – depending on which toothpaste I plan to use). Just make sure to spit it into the trash, not in your sink – trust me on this one!

Brushing: Duh. I prefer a bamboo toothbrush (in place of plastic that will be around for hundreds of years) and a more natural toothpaste that is free of fluoride, sulfates and artificial sweeteners. I tried activated charcoal powder – and while it made my teeth feel super clean, it was a mess.

Floss: Try a natural floss, especially after reading this article  – ugh.

Yes, you already brush your teeth, but think of your mouth as a gateway – you use it to eat the food that nourishes your body, to speak your mind, and to kiss your sweeties, and add some intention and extra time to be more mindful about how you care for yourself.

Rehydrate

 

Rehydrate!

Yep – you’ve heard this one before, again for good reason! After fasting all night, it’s important to rehydrate.  Staying hydrated is essential for maintaining optimal brain activity and is an easy way to promote overall health, including benefits to your heart, lungs, and kidneys.

After my quick oral care routine, I have 16-32 ounces of warm water with lemon, apple cider vinegar and a dash of cayenne pepper.  Does this detoxify or alkalize the body? No. You have a liver for that. But – I do think it tastes great and helps me feel more awake before my morning workout. If you have GI/acid/reflux issues, you may want to stick with plain water.

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