Tongue Scraping: Sounds Super Ew, But It’s Not

Hey guys!

This week, yet again, has been kicking my ass.

A few days ago, my dog decided to eat his ENTIRE stuffed animal/toy in one bite ( basically ). This led to him waking me up 2-3 times a night this whole week to take him out to shit ( OR he took the liberty of pooping all over the house at all times of the day ).

For an OCD, clean-freak like me, this is traumatizing.

He’s totally going to be fine, by the way! We made a long visit to the vet today to make sure everything is okay. I just kind of want to kill him now. The glamorous life of dog-ownership, ammmmirite?

He does this way too often. Remotes, stuffed animals, footballs, etc. He eats everything. He’s a monster.

What toys am I supposed to give him? Anyone?? Any recs for dog toys that can withstand German Shepherd jaws are much appreciated!

Okay so now that we have talked about dog shit, let’s move on to mouth health. LOL.

Yum.

Tongue Scraping  — sounds about as appealing as dog shit, TBH.

Tongue Scraping is an Ayurvedic Medicine practice that is shown to get rid of bad breath, boost the immune system, and improve digestion & dental health.

Okay, we’ll start with what Ayurvedic Medicine is— Ayurveda is considered to be the oldest form of healing, originating over 5,000 years ago in the Vedic culture of India. Ayurvedic Medicine seeks to help people live long, balanced, & healthy lifestyles. It’s all about the interconnectivity of the body, mind, & spirit. This interconnectivity is used to prevent illness & the need for medications/prescription drugs. (source)

I’m not saying ‘let’s all say F our doctor’s prescriptions & restrict ourselves to the less-informed techniques of ancient peoples,’ but these preventative measures do hold some value, I think. Actually, there are a few legit case studies to prove many of these claims ( I’ll link them below for the skeptics– because that’s so me ).

I talked a little about Ayurvedic Medicine when I posted about oil pulling not too long ago. Should I go more into this subject?? I’m intrigued by the whole thing.posed

Okay so Tongue Scraping is the cleaning of bacteria build-up, fungi, and food debris from the surface of the tongue.

Basically, you take this handy little tongue scraper ( there are a TON out there, but I like this one & this one via Amazon ), and scrape your tongue with gentle pressure from back to front 8-10 times ( washing scraper in between ), or until you feel the nasty coating has gone away. You should use your handy dandy tongue scraper in the morning when you wake up, & on an empty stomach.

& that’s it. PS: tongue scrapers cost less than $10 on average, so this is a cheap-o, easy tip.

It is recommended to follow tongue scraping with oil pulling, BTW.

So, how exactly does tongue scraping benefit us?

1. Getting rid of bad breath.

Bad breath, AKA: halitosis, is caused primarily by bacteria that accumulates on the back of the tongue. Tongue scraping is shown to significantly reduce the oral bacteria from the tongue that causes halitosis ( a lot better than a toothbrush! ). | source

2. Tasting your food better. YASS.

This built-up bacteria on the tongue also stops your taste buds from being fully exposed. Tongue scraping removes much of this bacteria, resulting in more exposed taste buds. Studies show that two weeks of tongue cleaning ( most efficiently with a tongue scraper! ) improves taste sensation.  | source

3. Boost Immunity

Cleaning your tongue prevents bacteria/toxins from being reabsorbed by your bod ( which would compromise your immune system ).

4. Improve Digestive Health

“In Ayurveda, proper digestion is considered to be the foundation of health. Given that digestion begins with taste, it’s important to remove any toxins that may obstruct optimal functioning. Scraping also activates saliva production and promotes agni (the body’s digestive fire) to help with digestion throughout the day.” | source

5. Improve Dental Hygiene

In conjunction with brushing regularly, tongue scraping significantly reduces bacteria build-up, which leads to improved dental hygiene (gum & teeth health ). | source

So, thoughts? Has anyone else thought to scrape their nasty-ass tongues?

Again, this is the cheapest wellness hack/tip ever. $10 MAX. Let me know if any of y’all try it out!

I’ll include a little slider with more tongue scraper options below ( for those of you reading from my app, you’ll have to view this post via regular internet on your phone/computer to see the slider! — getting this fixed ASAP, I promise! )

Talk soon. xx

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