147.8 Do You Brush Your Tongue?

Do you brush your tongue with your toothbrush at least once a day?  I find that the cleaner my tongue is, the better my food tastes when I do eat.  A clean tongue helps keep breath fresh, too, not to mention it just looks better, whenever you show your tongue to people, which let's hope is not often, but still.

I have a strong gag reflex, and so brushing my tongue is a bit challenging.  I wait until I am done brushing my teeth, so that there is a bunch of suds from the toothpaste still there, but the toothpaste is no longer solid.  I brush my tongue quickly but firmly, starting as far back as I can go without choking, putting the toothbrush straight in, and not trying to brush sideways.

After I brush my tongue, I further clean it by sliding my front teeth along it from as far back as they will go, and pushing the toothpaste suds out into the sink.  The suds are always an off color, meaning they include debris which I have just cleaned off my tongue.

Your tongue should always look pink like mine does in this photo.  A dirty tongue will look white, especially in the middle and toward the back. This whiteness is food debris and bacteria that feed on the food debris.  This is really disgusting when you think about it, and also when you smell it.



This video is about brushing a pierced tongue, but it was the best video I could find on brushing any tongue. You do not need a special toothbrush to do a good job. She brushes her teeth until :55 on the video, when she brushes her tongue.

I maintained my weight perfectly yesterday, much to my pleasant surprise!  I had peanut butter toast right before bed, which is never a good idea.  At 147.8 pounds, I am firmly within my weight-loss goal of 145 pounds to 149.9 pounds.  For exercise, I walked the dogs 1.3 miles in our neighborhood park and did some vacuuming and laundry, which means going down and up the basement stairs.  Here is what I ate yesterday:

Small bowl of Special K and organic soy milk
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
2 maple bars at church fellowship
El Monterey Beef burrito with salsa
Hamburger patty with 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce and steamed broccoli
1/4 cup peanut M&Ms
2 slices of wheat toast with 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter