Tongue colors & shapes. A guide to help you. Photo courtesy of Emperor's College of Traditional Oriental Medicine

People, you need to take your tongues seriously. I don’t mean like the way Miley Cyrus does. I mean she was sued for nearly killing someone with it according to a report by Rolling Stones.

What I am talking about is even more serious. Did you know that you could see how fit or healthy you are just by examining your tongue?

Traver H, Bloem of breakingmuscle.com explains: “TCM believes the tongue is a microcosm of the entire body and will reflect its excesses and deficiencies. Being directly related to the stomach by proximity and availability, the tongue acts as a very good reflection of our digestive systems. If your tongue’s neighbor the stomach is having problems, it’s most likely going to spill over into your tongue’s life.”

Shape of Your Tongue

The shape of your tongue says a lot about how fit you are.
photo by stockimages

It is a fact that most of us who train very frequently tend to ignore the need for proper nutrition that our body needs in order to recover and get stronger.

If your tongue is puffy and grooved on both sides it means that your body is not getting proper nourishment. Don’t worry if you see this, you have not done any damage to your body yet. The problem is that if you always overtrain and push your body too far you might be on the brink of doing so.

If your tongue is thinner than normal, then you really need to start drinking a lot of water, especially if you are an athlete. A thin tongue is a sign of dehydration. Men should aim for a minimum of 3.7 litres a day or 125 ounces. Women need 2.7 litres or 91 ounces approximately.

Color of Your Tongue

A red tongue is associated with the following issues:

• Fever
• Hormonal Imbalance
• Stress
• Asthma
• Heartbreak (yes heartbreak!)

A purple tongue is associated with the following issues:

• Major Injury & Pain
• Muscular Tension
• Inflammation
• Infection

A pale tongue is associated with the following issues:

• Weak Immune System
• Deficiency
• Lack of Energy
• Anemia

A pale tongue is normal for women who have just had their period. It is also common in both men and women who have just completed a rigorous training cycle.

Now you know why the doctor tells you to stick out your tongue. It's not only to look down your throat.

Let us take care of our bodies because we are only granted one. Let us not ignore the little cries of help from our bodies. A stitch in time saves nine and listening to our bodies could save our lives.

Sources

http: //www.rollingstone.com/music/news/miley-cyrus-tongue-slide-leads-to-lawsuit-20140315

http: //breakingmuscle.com/health-medicine/know-your-tongue-know-your-health

http: //healthyeating.sfgate.com/minimum-water-consumption-per-day-9415.html