In traditional Chinese medicine, your mouth is the window to your health. One of your body’s best health indicators is the colour of your lips. This may sound shocking, but if you think about it, your lips can tell you quite a lot. When you are cold, they shiver. When you are sick, they tend to get dry and start to crack.


Based on the advice of many experts, this is how to identify some common health problems…all by observing the natural colour of your lips: 

Also read: Safely bleach your privates

1. Pale Lips

You may have anaemia and not even know it. When your lips are pale, you are likely neglecting to feed your body iron-rich foods like red meat, dark green vegetables, or hearty grains. In Chinese culture, light lip colour would be attributed to a cold body with cold energy. Warming up your system by going for a jog won’t do; instead, eat warm foods to increase your energy levels.

2. Very bright red lips

Naturally, a lovely shade of red is what you are looking for to determine the healthiest lips. But this red shade, if too light, could also be a sign that your liver and spleen are struggling. Spend a weekend relaxing to let your body regenerate. Also, consuming foods such as celery, honey, melon and light-coloured teas can help you get healthier.


3. Purple or green tinted lips

If you see these colours, there are likely problems with your heart or respiratory system that need to addressed by a medical professional. If you notice even the slightest green or light purple tint, consult with your doctor about the possibility of heart failure.


4. Dark red to black lips

Many women think that men are attracted to dark lips, so they continue to keep them that way. Buy dark lipstick instead of honey, because naturally dark lips may be due to an overloaded digestive system. Your body is looking for a cleanse. Yoghurt, honey and sweet potatoes are foods that are fibre-rich, go down easy and help bring back the nutrients your body is seeking.


5. Dark red or purple lines around lips

If the lines around your lips seem more mysterious than the surface of your lips, your body may be out of balance. With your busy and hectic schedule, you have forgotten to eat whole grains, make healthy choices and relax every once in a while. Don’t remember to keep your body hydrated and rejuvenated; your lips are trying to tell you how important it is to take care of yourself.

Maintaining a balanced diet and ensuring your body gets the rest it needs is the best way to maintain a healthy lip color, so lay back and relax with a big bag of carrots tonight. You need it!