🧐What's the message?
Before laboratory tests, imaging, or blood panels existed, the human body itself was the diagnostic tool. Early "healers" understood that internal imbalance always expresses externally. The face, tongue, hair, and nails were viewed as living maps—constantly updating reflections of digestion, circulation, organ vitality, mineral status, emotional health, and nervous system function.
Over the last few weeks, we've been exploring the foundational ways your body talks to you. I'm placing some of the key things we've discussed here as an intro to self-assessing your HEALth experience. Use these messages to help you and your medical team understand what your body could be actually telling you.
Now grab a 🪞mirror and get to looking!
Face map:
When it comes to the face, look at some of these indicators:
•Skin tone, puffiness, acne location
•Emotional imprints stored in facial tension
They can offer signs of stagnation, inflammation, or organ stress.
Key things to observe:
•Dark circles → Adrenal or kidney stress
Herbal remedies: Nettle, Alfalfa
•Puffiness under eye → Kidney imbalance
Herbal remedies: Dandelion leaf, Cleavers
•Puffiness over eye → Gallbladder imbalance
Herbal remedies: Oregon Grape, Dandelion Root
•Red cheeks → Inflammation or vascular stress (may also indicate congestion in the lungs digestive irritants or allergies)
Herbal remedies: Hibiscus, Mullein, Marshmallow Root
•Yellowing → Liver/Gallbladder overload (highly visible in eyes)
Herbal remedies: Oregon Grape, Milk Thistle Seed
•Acne patterns → Hormonal or digestive imbalance (chin: sex organs)
Herbal remedies: Vitex , Wild Yam, Red Clover
•Deep lines → Chronic stress patterns or organ weakness
Herbal remedies: Holy Basil, Eleuthero, Licorice Root
Above is one of the best face maps I've come across. (book: WTF [Why the face] Dr. Todd Frisch available in the Resource Center for further reading)
Tongue map:
The tongue is a direct extension of the digestive and circulatory systems. Unlike lab tests, it updates daily. What is yours telling?
Key things to notice:
•Pale tongue → Blood or nutrient deficiency
•Red tongue → Inflammation or heat
•Purple or bluish → Poor circulation, stagnation
•Thick white coating → Digestive congestion
•Yellow coating → Liver or gallbladder stress
•Cracks → Chronic depletion, gut lining weakness
A bit deeper with recommendations to support you:
•Digestive Weakness (pale, scalloped tongue)
Nutrition: warm cooked foods, adequate protein
Herbs: gentian, ginger
•Heat & Inflammation (red tongue, yellow coat)
Nutrition: cooling foods, hydration
Herbs: peppermint, burdock
•Stagnation (purple or dark tongue)
Nutrition: circulation-supporting foods
Herbs: turmeric, hawthorn, red clover
Stay tuned for a chat later about Hair & Nail messages. But for the time being, practice looking at the two above-mentioned areas and share what you're seeing!
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As with any herb do your research.
Traditional uses of herbs or self-assessing is intended for educational purposes only and not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any diseases.