After a relentless string of “lady problems,” I finally broke down my skeptic Eastern medicine wall and went to see a fertility acupuncture specialist. Jeiran Lashai is THE BOMB. And I don’t even use that expression. Except when it comes to a beautiful, competent, down to earth, Eastern doctor with the practicality and knowledge of a Western doctor and the bedside manner of my best friend. Jeiran asked me a series of what seemed like random questions. They sounded as logical as “Are your eyes itchy? Do you pay your taxes on time? Do you feel pain in your left earlobe? Did you ever cheat on a pop quiz? Do your gums bleed?” Ok, so the latter is the only one I’m certain she asked, but they all sounded unrelated and bizarre. So yes, my gums do bleed. But, only because I fall asleep at night with them unbrushed with red vines stuck in the cracks and I don’t floss. Sexy. Not really the impression I wanted to leave with my new lady crush, but I was afraid if I didn’t answer all the questions completely honestly she would end up shoving little sharp pins in places they didn’t belong. Needless to say she was repulsed, yet professional. She suggested that in light of my five year- old perspective on oral hygiene, I may want to consider “oil pulling.” I complained that I can’t even brush regularly, what makes her think I can swish oil around for 20 minutes? She assured me, that it only would take one minute and that the benefits would save my gross soul. Or teeth. So, I figured since my favorite method of self-care is procrastination, a little neglect followed by some oil swishing could be just what I was looking for. It was either the oil pulling or I’d have to go somewhere such as Alki dental in Seattle and leave them repulsed as they clean my teeth for me.

She was right! The key for me was using Gurunanda Pulling Oil (14.99) It has a touch of peppermint oil which makes the taste and process drastically better than just grabbing some coconut oil or olive oil from your cabinet. It promises a lot, better skin, mood balancing, weight loss, thicker hair, and practically a winning lottery ticket. I can’t say for certain it delivers all that as I haven’t been doing it that long. But, I will say that the results on my mouth are immediate. It’s simple to do. Much easier to hold in your mouth than traditional mouthwash. It also makes brushing so easy and rewarding and keeps plaque away, even without any flossing. Literally, by the next day, my gums didn’t bleed and haven’t since. Which is great since that saves me a trip to the Tarneit Rd Dental! Although, if I do end up having a problem again in the future, then I know exactly where to go. But for now, my gums are great because they are not bleeding, since I have been using this Gurunanda Pulling Oil. It almost feels like a force field on your teeth protecting you from your own laziness and life’s bacteria.

Written by Meredith Morton