Healthy(ish!): tongue reading
SUSANNAH TAYLOR
I think I’ve gone grey overnight juggling work with three children in lockdown and she agrees that stress could be it. ‘And I can’t see any swollenness,’ she says, ‘which is great because a swollen tongue can be a sign of a weakened digestive system.’ There is also, she says, a normal-size crack in the middle. And what about that slightly furry coating we all have? ‘You have a thin coating, which is perfect because everyone needs some,’ she explains. The reason it looks worse in the morning is because our body fishes out all the toxins overnight and they appear here. She goes on to say, however, that I have a slight ‘dampness’ in the centre, which may relate to excess sugar or dairy. ‘That will be my daily lockdown latte and chocolate fix,’ I reply. Beware, tongues can tell tales.
TALKING IN TONGUES
In natural light before you brush your teeth in the morning.
If yours is puffy with white teeth marks it indicates a lack of nutrients and moisture in the body and there could be toxic build-up. A very thin tongue could indicate dehydration or that a chronic condition has left the body depleted.
A thin coating is normal, but an absence of it may mean the body is depleted or strained. A yellow coating will indicate heat or an infection in the body, while a thick white coating indicates cold in the body and possibly a yeast infection. A pale coating in the middle to the back can be caused by too much alcohol and sugar.
A healthy tongue should be light pink. A red tongue may indicate a fever, hormonal imbalance or anything agitating the body, such as a lack of sleep, while a purple tongue shows poor circulation and possible inflammation. A pale tongue is a sign of a lack of energy, common in people who are anaemic or who have a weakened immune system. @susannahtaylor_
1. How to read yours 2. Tongue shape 3. Tongue coating 4. Tongue colour