tongue cleaner

Tongue Cleaner

As you may of read in my Newsletter 3, the tongue cleaner, an inexpensive yet transformative utensil, is a simple, thin, u-shaped piece of stainless steel. It consists of a blunted edge that removes plaque and build-up from the surface of the tongue. Dentists in America are recommending the tongue cleaner more and more because it helps to fight cavities by removing bacteria from the mouth. The tongue cleaner also prevents bad breath, especially for people who eat a lot of dairy and build up mucus in the mouth, nose, and throat.


The tongue cleaner comes from the tradition of Ayurveda, which asserts that people who use one are better at public speaking, express themselves more thoughtfully, and speak more sincerely and authoritatively. Some people ask if the same effect can be gained by brushing the tongue with a stiff toothbrush. Brushing the tongue moves stuff around and is helpful, but a tongue cleaner is more effective as it clears out the deep deposits and generally keeps the area cleaner, stimulated and alive.

And finally, a big advantage is that it enhances kissing because it makes the tongue more sweet, fresh and sensitive. If you are in a relationship, we invite you to check this out with your partner. Make an agreement to scrape twice a day for one week, and notice the difference.


Directions:

· Apply a few quick strokes, 2-3 times a day, or after brushing your teeth

· Use the rounded cleaning edge to scrape gently down the tongue several times,
while applying slight pressure

· Rinse under running water and gently scrape again until no white residue is left

· There should be no pain or gagging involved whatsoever—if you feel any discomfort,
you are probably scraping too hard or starting too far back on the tongue. And if you are wondering what those bumps are at the back of your tongue, they are your salivary glands and they are supposed to be there. If you found them you’ve gone too far.

causes of cravings

As you read in my Newsletter 3 I listed some causes of cravings. I wanted to share some other causes that I know of:

Lack of nutrients. If the body has inadequate nutrients, it will produce odd cravings. For example, inadequate mineral levels produce salt cravings, and overall inadequate nutrition produces cravings for non-nutritional forms of energy, like caffeine.

Seasonal eating. Often the body craves foods that balance the elements of the season. In the spring, people crave detoxifying foods like leafy greens or citrus foods. In the summer, people crave cooling foods like fruit, raw foods and ice cream, and in the fall people crave grounding foods like squash, onions and nuts. During winter, many crave hot and heat-producing foods like meat, oil and fat. Cravings can also be associated with the holidays, for foods like turkey, eggnog or sweets, etc.



Hormonal. When women experience menstruation, pregnancy or menopause, fluctuating testosterone and estrogen levels may cause unique cravings.



De-evolution. When things are going extremely well, sometimes a self-sabotage syndrome happens. We crave foods that throw us off, thus creating more cravings to balance ourselves. This often happens from low blood sugar and may result in strong mood swings.



Yin/yang imbalance. Certain foods have more yin qualities (expansive) while other foods have more yang qualities (contractive). Eating foods that are either extremely yin or extremely yang causes cravings in order to maintain balance. For example, eating a diet too rich in sugar (yin) may cause a craving for meat (yang). Eating too many raw foods (yin) may cause cravings for extremely cooked (dehydrated) foods or vise versa.

Newsletter 3, summertime eating

Hello everyone. It has been sometime. I'm getting ready to move so time is of an essence. Don't worry I have been keeping great notes so I will have tons to share soon. For now here are some thoughts about summertime eating!

Some food for thought:
Eat foods that are cool and liquid. Minimize foods that are hot. Eat foods that are sweet, bitter or astringent. Minimize foods that create heat (spicy, salty or sour).Eat lighter meat such as light proteins; fish and white meats in small amounts. Eat nice summer spices such as coriander, mint, cardamom, and fennel. Eat unrefined sweeteners. Minimize honey and molasses.

So now that we know what to eat and stay away from here are some healthy snacks to have on hand. Remember even thought it's recommended to stay away from some food, if you choose to have it go for the healthy choice.

Healthy Snack List

Crunchy
· apples
· frozen grapes
· rice cakes
· light popcorn or plain popcorn: use coconut oil to pop in a covered pan
· pretzels
· carrots: particularly the super-sweet, organic baby carrots
· crunchy crudités of veggies and dip (hummus, tabouli, vinaigrette, favorite dressing)
· celery and peanut butter (use nonhydrogenated peanut butter)
· hummus with whole grain toast, baby carrots, rice crackers
· nuts

Sweet
· wheatgrass
· fresh, whole fruit
· organic yogurt and ripe fruit
· apples and almond butter
· sprouted date bread with jam
· frozen yogurt: freeze yogurt and make your own!
· dried fruit
· use leftover grains to make sweet porridge: drizzle maple syrup and sprinkle cinnamon,
add soymilk and bananas, heat with fruit juice, etc.
· smoothies: mix whatever you have in the kitchen – fruit, ice, soymilk, yogurt, carob
powder, etc.
· fruit “ice cream”: peel a banana, freeze, blend in a food processor with nuts, berries or
raisins and serve; can be put through the screen of a juicer for a creamier consistency.
· freshly squeezed fruit juices: Make your own and try different combos.
· sweet vegetables: yams, sweet potatoes, squashes (acorn, butternut, kabocha) cut into
chunks or fries; sprinkle with cinnamon and bake.
· organic dark chocolate chips or carob chips

Salty

· olives
· pickles and pickled vegetables, such as carrot, daikon, beets and lotus root
· tabouli, hummus
· oysters and sardines
· steamed vegetables with tamari/shoyu or umeboshi vinegar
· tortilla chips and salsa or guacamole: try whole grain chips such as “Garden of Eatin” brand
and freshly made salsa or guacamole.
· sauerkraut: it will also knock your sweet craving right out!
· fresh lime or lemon juice as seasonings or in beverage
· salted edamame
· small amount of organic cheese

Creamy
· smoothies
· yogurt
· avocados
· rice pudding
· dips and spreads, like hummus and baba ghanoush
· puréed soups
· puddings made with silken tofu, avocado or mashed banana
· mashed sweet potatoes
· coconut milk

Enjoy! Let me know if you tried anything and how it went!