What Does Your Tongue Say About Your Health?

To a well-versed Ayurveda practitioner, your tongue can potentially be an open medical record.

Yes, your tongue. You might’ve not noticed it, but your tongue is in state of flux according to your diet and health.

There’s a reason most medical practitioners of Western medicine will check your tongue when they’re trying to make an initial diagnostic. One glimpse of your tongue can show if you’re a lifelong smoker or if you’re going through a bout of bronchitis.

The best part is that your tongue can essentially be the canary in the coalmine because it can give you a heads up if you need to make alterations to your diet. A healthy tongue means you’re on course to living a healthy life.

An unhealthy looking tongue, on the other hand, is a reflection of an unhealthy aspect of your life. Of what exactly? It depends on your tongue’s imprints, coating, and movement.

The best time to observe your tongue is in the morning, right before you brush your teeth. The whole point of this exercise is to see the unadulterated truth your tongue says about health, you need to be able to see your tongue in its natural state.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here are the aspects of your tongue that you need to look out for.

What to Look for in Your Tongue

1. The Coating

Your tongue’s coating can reflect if it’s covered with bacteria, the degree of which you consume toxins, and how overburdened your digestive system is.

When you’re observing your tongue’s coating keep an eye on how thick its coating is. Dense coating shows that you might be overindulging in oily foods or alcohol, it’s also a sign that your digestive system is overburdened.

In turn, having heavy coating can lead to feeling constantly sluggish, having dull skin, and having mental fogginess. These are usually symptoms of having too many toxins in your system.

I also recommend incorporating scraping your tongue into your daily dental hygiene routines. It’s a simple way to get rid of the toxin build up on your tongue and it’s an essential routine to keep your mouth happy.

2. Imprints

Teeth imprints are indicators of improper absorption of nutrients, inflammation, or a diet overindulging in salts.

If you’re finding too many imprints on your tongue, don’t panic. Simply add more ginger to your diet and avoid iced drinks.

3. Tongue Movement

Have you ever judged someone for being too skittish? Well, you can also apply the same criteria to your tongue. A skittish tongue reflects high levels of anxiety and stress.

Stress might seem unavoidable, but there are ways to help manage it naturally. You can help by reducing your caffeine intake and having more light soups in your diet.

Ideally your tongue should look like a kitten’s or baby’s tongue. In case none are at hand for reference, your tongue should have a thin, transparent coating, its coloring should be pinkish, its shape, symmetrical, it should be free of bumps and cracks, and have a pleasant odor and taste (yes, that is quite a mouthful).

As long as you’re taking care of your tongue, it will take care of you.