Cracked, White, Hairy and Black?

Have you ever looked at your tongue? I mean really looked and inspected it? I have discovered over the past few years that your tongue can tell you a lot about your health. The mouth is the entrance point for many things; the air you breathe, the food you eat and lots of little bacteria and microbes. These are all important for our health and by looking in your mouth and inspecting your tongue you can learn some important things your body might be trying to tell you.

Have you ever had a canker sore? Do you get them often? Ever think about why? If you have dental work or if you have a small injury to your tongue, this can be a simple reason you might be getting canker sores. Other causes include food sensitivities, chemical sensitivities (like to your toothpaste), stress, hormone imbalances, and some vitamin B deficiencies. If you are getting some serious canker sores it might be time to consult your doctor. The mouth is the window to your internal alimentary canal that runs right through you. Severe, canker sores that persist may be an indication of more serious inflammatory issues.

Is your tongue cracked? If you have a cracked tongue you will know it. It’s sometimes referred to as a fissured tongue and if it’s been there for as long as you can remember it could just be genetic. If, however, you have pain associated with a cracked tongue then it could be something more. One of the issues with a cracked tongue is that debris and microbes can get caught up and create issues. Good dental hygiene is really important. If you have pain associated with your cracked tongue, please be sure to get it checked out ASAP!

What colour is your tongue? Do you know what colour it should be? First, a healthy tongue should be pink and should have small bumps called papillae. If your tongue is white or covered in a white coat or white spots you could be dealing with oral thrush. This is a yeast infection of the oral cavity and can affect you down to your guts if you don’t work on ridding it from your mouth. People with dentures, a compromised immune system, or anyone with an affinity for sugar. You might also be more susceptible to thrush if you have recently taken antibiotics. If your tongue is really red this can indicate a lack of B vitamins like B12 and folic acid. Ever seen a black and hairy tongue? I’m not kidding! Certain people experience bacterial and fungal infections of the mouth that can affect the papillae I mentioned earlier. If you are a smoker this could affect you more than others!

Has your tongue ever felt like it was burning? I’m not talking about after eating some spicy food either! A burning sensation can be because something has irritated your tongue. Maybe a food or a chemical is irritating you. I had an experience with this once. I was eating celery. My tongue got tingly and started to burn. Turns out I hadn’t washed the celery and likely there was something sprayed on my veggies. It was an interesting sensation!

The tongue is not only the strongest muscle in your body but is also a window to our health. I challenge you to look at your tongue and get some insight into your health. If you see any of these symptoms I recommend you talk to an expert that can give you some ideas. Many of these issues can be helped and possibly prevented with nutrition changes and support. Do you want to get even healthier? Are you curious about what your tongue might be telling you? Let’s chat about how health coaching can help you make your own healthy changes so that you never have to deal with a black and hairy tongue. Schedule an initial complimentary consultation with me today—or pass this offer on to someone you care about! Visit www.noshoesnutrition.com and sign up for a FREE consultation.  I work with women from all over the world individually or in groups so don’t let anything hold you back!