Tongue Scraping for better Health

I bet it sounds pretty gross, but try and be open just for a minute. Back in the fall, when I was fighting a cold, a sweet guy from my Spiritual Direction class passed on some advice his alternative medicine doctor gave to him. 

He told me that he hasn't been sick in two years since he started scraping his tongue. I was pretty impressed considering that he lives in community and he is in his 70's. He bought a tongue scraper and suggested I do the same. Any of varieties will do. 

He suggested using it in the morning before you eat or drink anything and then again at night before you go to bed. It sounds too simple to be true, but I made it through two flu seasons at a college and still can boast good health. I've since learned that tongue scraping works because your immune system is part of your digestive tract and your tongue is the first stop on that line. If you can reduce the bacteria in your mouth then you can help to prevent your body from absorbing so much bacteria into your blood stream. In the very least, tongue scraping does a world of good in keeping your breath fresh.

 If you would like to read more about tongue scraping then check out this article on "5 reasons why everyone should own a tongue scraper". 

While we are on the topic of tongues, I have read a handful of medical articles offering an explanation as to why doctors check your tongue when you are there for a visit. The reason they ask you to "say ah" is because your tongue is a good indicator of your current health. The tongue can actually tell you a lot about what is going on in your body. 

I know most people spend a decent amount of time taking care of their teeth, but I'd like to encourage folks not to forget about their tongues. We really should not ignore them. Check this out: