Better than an apple a day!

FOREVER YOUNG
STAR SECRET TO
Thanks to Gwyneth Paltrow’s loud praise,
Hollywood has embraced an age-old way to
flush toxins, fight infection and speed slimming
M
any of the strategies stars swear by to look and feel amazing are
a bit too pricey, extreme or downright wacky to try. (Remember
when Demi Moore raved to David Letterman about the cleansing
benefits of leech therapy?) So when Gwyneth Paltrow began singing the
praises of oil pulling to whiten teeth and make skin glow, we wondered
if it was just another out-there remedy, or if swishing a mouthful of oil
could really be beneficial. We reached out to
natural-health experts for their take,
and they agree: This centuries-­old
Ayurvedic health practice is even
better than the buzz suggests.
Oil pulling reduces gingivitis by 60 percent and plaque
by 30 percent — plus offers
body-wide benefits, thanks
to its detoxifying action. “Oil
pulling draws bacteria, yeast
and other toxins out of gum tisANN LOUISE GITTLEMAN
sue and crevices between teeth,”
says Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D.,
author of The Fat Flush Plan. “These
toxins have fatty membranes that are attracted
to oil, which acts like a magnet to remove them.”
When the body’s internal toxic load is reduced,
the thyroid, immune system and other body systems all function more efficiently. “Women report
improvements in fatigue, migraines, sinusitis,
allergies and breakouts,” Gittleman says, adding
that the practice also eases the cellular inflammation that raises the risk of weight gain, arthritis,
diabetes and heart disease.
Unlike other detox methods, which can trigger
severe headaches and GI woes, oil pulling draws toxins out of tissues, preventing body backlash. Though
some women report slight headaches, jaw soreness
and cold-like symptoms, Gittleman assures that any
discomfort should subside quickly. And as for concerns that women with mercury amalgam fillings
should avoid oil pulling because it may trigger the
release of toxic vapors from the fillings, the experts
Closer consulted say these fears are unfounded.
In fact, given oil pulling’s detoxifying effects,
Gittleman says women with mercury fillings would
be wise to try it. Intrigued? Read on for the how-to.
“Oil pulling
draws bacteria,
yeast and other
toxins out of gum
tissue and crevices
between teeth.”
Bett e r t h a na ya!n
a p p le a d
100% HEALTHY
STEP 1: CHOOSE AN OIL
Sesame oil is the traditional choice,
but Gittleman prefers camelina oil,
which boasts inflammation-fighting
omega-3 fats. (One to try: Omega
Maiden Organic Camelina Oil, $13,
omegamaidenoils.com). Another
good choice: coconut oil, which is
high in lauric acid and caprylic acid,
both of which have antibacterial
properties. Since coconut oil is semisolid at room temperature, put a few
spoonfuls in a glass, then set the
glass in a bowl of hot water to soften.
STEP 2: ADD FLAVOR
Adding a drop of food-grade essential oil to the mix improves the taste
and enhances detox. “Peppermint,
spearmint and clove oils are great
choices since all have antimicrobial qualities,” says Gittleman. Sore
gums? Try peppermint oil, which
boasts pain-easing compounds.
STEP 3: SWISH LIKE THIS
Experts advise oil pulling for
20 minutes daily. To do: Put 2 tsp.
of your preferred oil in your mouth,
then swish and swirl, repeatedly
sucking and pulling the oil between
your teeth. If you have trouble keeping the oil in your mouth, you can
spit it out and resume using new oil.
STEP 4: RINSE AND BRUSH
Spitting “pulled” oil into the sink
can end up clogging pipes, so spit
it into a cup or glass, then empty it
into the trash. (It will look foamy or
milky from the bacteria, yeast and
toxins it contains.) Once you spit
the oil out, rinse with warm water
or brush your teeth as usual. Finally,
adds Gittleman, “Disinfect your
toothbrush afterward with a splash
of hydrogen peroxide, which will
kill any bacteria and yeast that cling
to its bristles.”
PHOTO: THE BIG PICTURE. STILL LIFE: GETTY. TEXT: REBECCA HAYNES
3 More Ways to Detox
HEALTHY LIVING
News You Can Use
SUGARY LIQUIDS WORSE
THAN SUGARY FOOD
So say scientists in the journal
PLOS ONE. In an animal study,
mice were fed sugar in solid or
liquid form. After 8 weeks, mice
drinking the sugar accumulated
more liver fat and ate more
calories than mice on a diet of
solid sugar. The reason: Liquid
sugar passes through the small
intestine faster, giving the body
less time to send satiety signals. This leads to overeating,
which causes the body to store
more fat in the liver.
SURFING THE WEB KEEPS
THE BRAIN SHARP
This from scientists in Brazil
and the United Kingdom. They
looked at data from adults
over age 50 and found that
those who regularly browsed
the Internet and used email
improved their recall over the
8-year study; those who didn’t
saw the opposite results.
A GOOD REASON TO
STAND UP MORE OFTEN
SIP A GREEN DRINK
BRUSH YOUR SKIN
SOAK IN THIS
Replacing one meal
a day with a fiberrich green smoothie
improves the body’s
ability to release
energy-sapping fat
and toxins, plus
revs metabolism to
speed slimming.
Up to 25 percent of
toxins are eliminated via the skin,
and dry brushing
your skin for 2 minutes a day boosts the
effect by stimulating
the lymph system to
flush toxins.
Relaxing in a warm
bath with 2 cups of
Epsom salts opens
pores and helps
speed toxin release
by increasing enzymatic activity in
the liver, where
detox begins.
In a study of office workers,
University of Massachusetts scientists compared the effects of
taking a 30-minute walk before
lunch with taking 4 mini breaks
per hour throughout the day
(3 breaks of standing; 1 taking a
short walk). They found taking
frequent breaks from sitting is
better than steady exercise at
preventing post-lunch bloodsugar swings (which are linked
to weight gain and fatigue).
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