See Some Warriors Sweatin’ It Uuupp!

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What takes longer than waiting for water to boil while you watch it? Nothing, that’s what. Instead of mentally trying to will those little bubbles to rise, consider taking those five or 10 minutes to do something good for yourself. Use that time to do some kitchen sink squats.

Related: The One Exercise to Do While Your Coffee Brews

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What do you think about when someone mentions Greek food? Gyros and souvlaki? Spanakopita? A Greek salad at your local diner? Just like any cuisine, there are a few ambassadors that pave the way, introducing us to the key flavors and ingredients that make that food special. Maybe gyros introduced you to cool and creamy tzatziki. Did that bite of spanakopita at your town’s Greek Festival start a life-long love affair ? (That’s how it happened for me). Or perhaps it was the Greek salad at your local diner that solidified your preference for feta over all other cheeses.

It’s pretty easy to swoon over Greek food because the flavors and dishes are so pleasing (can you ever really go wrong with lemon and oregano on your chicken and potatoes?). So this month we decided to cook from the Greek cannon, chasing all the flavors and dishes that made us swoon in the first place.

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For someone new to strength training or thinking about starting, it can feel at once inspiring and intimidating. If that sounds familiar, just remember…

Everyone has been a beginner at some point.

For me, everything started on a summer day in 2009. As I sat in the parking lot of the gym looking over the print-out of my first strength training program, I was so nervous. I had done some resistance training before, but most of it was on the machines, or done in a private, women-only gym. This strength program required that I use the squat rack in the free weight area. Up until now, I had gone out of my way to avoid that section of the gym because it was always crowded, and the majority of the people in there were men. I felt intimidated and scared that I would look silly because I had no idea what I was doing.

Before heading in, I sent a quick text to a friend who was a trainer there. I told him I had to use the squat rack and shared my nervousness. He reassured me and said that if I needed anything to let him know and he’d help me. That gave me the boost I needed. I gathered up my courage and headed into the gym. I put my earphones in, marched into the free weight area, and did my workout. Once I was finished, I realized just how much I had let my imagination get the best of me. It turns out, nobody was paying attention to me or to what I was doing. At all. They were far too immersed in their own workouts.

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Stories from the Girls Gone Strong Community

While my first-timer experience may not be exactly like someone else’s, the initial nervousness is very common. If you are new to strength training and feeling a bit nervous, please know this: you are not alone. It’s normal to feel a bit apprehensive before trying something new like strength training, but the reward is huge if you stick with it!

We asked women in the Girls Gone Strong community to share a bit about their experiences when they first started lifting, from why and how they started and what was going through their minds, to what helped them to keep showing up then and now. It is my hope, and theirs, that their stories will help you take that first step and try strength training, or that next step and keep doing it! Thank you so much, Carolyn, Claire, Lacey, and Justine!

Getting Over The Newbie Jitters

Women may hesitate to start lifting for a variety of reasons. Some feel intimidated and unsure of what they are doing, or overwhelmed by the gym environment or equipment. Others are self-conscious, imagining that they aren’t “fit enough” to lift weights, or that someone will laugh at them. Some women are wary toward lifting because they’ve been told that it’s for men, or that it will make them “too muscular.” If you are struggling with any of these feelings or thoughts, you aren’t alone — and you can work through all of these things to reap the benefits of strength training.

More and more women are taking up strength training. Getting over those initial nerves can be as easy as hitting the gym with a friend who enjoys lifting or hearing about someone who had a great experience lifting weights. Encouragement from a friend or sound advice from a doctor sometimes does the trick, too. No matter what moves you to walk through those doors for the very first time, it’s wonderful to see so many women becoming interested in harnessing and developing their strength.

How did you get started with strength training?

Carolyn: I was introduced to an amazing trainer in 2014. My sister had worked with him for months. I had been struggling with my weight for years. It took a good six to eight months before I finally agreed to meet him, and once I got started there was no stopping me. I started mostly with HIIT circuits and body weight exercises. As I started to lose fat, it was exciting to see muscle (for the first time in my life, at the age of 43!). Once I started to see muscle, I wanted to start lifting. I was shocked at how much my trainer had me lifting. Lifting heavy was a new concept to me, but I trusted him and embraced it.

Claire: I got into strength training after completing a half marathon. I thought, “Well, that was my running goal. What’s next?” I needed to switch things up after running 10+ miles every day for months. My mind needed a break, too. After graduating college and starting a full-time job, I needed an exercise routine that was not as time-consuming as long distance running. The added motivation of thinking I could look like a bikini competitor helped, plus I knew that lifting was incredibly important for healthy bones, especially for women.

Lacey: I’ve always been very active and was strength training without even realizing I was doing it, but I started intentionally strength training in college, when I was on the rugby team. I needed equipment. Bodyweight movements weren’t enough anymore; they weren’t providing the results I was looking for. I decided I wanted to see what barbells could do for me and the gym was the only place for that. I stuck to five basic barbell lifts for a long time — deadlift, back squat, bench press, row, and overhead press (the StrongLifts 5×5 program). This not only produced strength gains, but gave me a good foundation as I moved on to other programs and learned new techniques.

Justine: My husband started strength training a few years before I did, and he convinced me to try a “strength camp” that he really enjoyed. It incorporated both metabolic conditioning and weightlifting on different days. I had never lifted weights before, and it was very intimidating. I started in commercial gyms a long time ago, but only used the treadmill and elliptical machine.

What motivated you to start?

Carolyn: I had been doing mostly HIIT workouts and had really reigned in my diet with the help of my trainer. I think when I started to see muscle definition in my shoulders and biceps I just wanted more!

Claire: I was passionate about my health and knew that there were areas in which I was lacking while running long distance. I had also seen many bikini competitors show their progress on Instagram, and I was fascinated by their dedication and their journeys.

Lacey: I had plenty of speed as a rugby player, but needed more power. Although I had a solid foundation as a “fit person,” I wanted to build more muscle to benefit me on the rugby pitch.

Justine: The reason I started going to gyms in general was for weight loss. It feels like I have spent a large part of my early life trying to lose weight through diet and exercise, constantly trying to figure out whether a food was “good” or “bad,” or whether my exercise that day would help me negate any “bad” foods I ate. It was exhausting. I have since realized that exercise should not be used as a punishment, and now I just go to the gym for my overall well-being.

What was that first time in the gym like?

Carolyn: I felt totally intimidated. I didn’t want to be that girl in the weight room who didn’t know what she was doing. I had a written program. I’ll never forget the first time. I went on a Sunday afternoon to run through the whole program before getting started that week. My trainer lived two hours away though, so I sent him a few questions via text with pictures. He was great, and answered every question. I felt a little more confident when I got started the next day.

Claire: My first time in a gym was intimidating. I wanted to gain muscle. I wanted to lift weights but I didn’t know how. Off to the treadmills I went, so I could plot my five-pound bicep curl and eight-pound bent-over-row workouts.

Lacey: The weight room at the university rec center was a decidedly non-female space. Add to that the fact that I was just starting out and didn’t quite know what I was doing, and it ended up being fairly intimidating. But I chose to fake it ’til I made it. I pretended I was confident enough to be in there and make progress until that confidence actually came into being. Plus, I took one of my good male friends with me occasionally, which helped smooth the transition from intimidated newbie to self-assured lifter.

Justine: I was so intimidated! Even after my husband suggested it, I kept putting off the start date. What if I couldn’t do it? Would people look at me (and judge me for not being able to keep up?) But I did decide to take that first step one morning, and I remember walking into class being scared to death. I learned something that day, and in subsequent days — coaches don’t expect you to lift 100 pounds the first time you walk through the door. They want you to succeed, so a good strength coach takes the time to show you the exercises and help you succeed at your level, wherever you’re starting. One of the most important things I try to remember is that everyone was a beginner once.

What was going through your mind during those early days?

Carolyn: “This time it’s going to be different.” It felt different. I never worked with a trainer before, so that was new. He helped me with nutrition and workouts. I truly felt like I had a partner in this. It was life-changing. I saw quick results which was motivating and once I saw muscles… well I was hooked. He helped me fall in love with fitness, and muscles, and especially lifting heavy, something I never imagined I could do.

Claire: “I can get stronger. I will get stronger. I am getting stronger.”

Lacey: I had a clear goal: be a better rugby player. Some days, working out felt great. Some days it sucked. Having a set intention was useful when I felt unmotivated or not skilled enough to be lifting weights. Then, as I got more comfortable with the movements and recognized the positive impacts in every area of my life, I just kept thinking, “Why isn’t everybody doing this?! I need to get more people — especially women — into the weight room!”

Justine: During the early days, I just didn’t know if I was going to be able to keep up. I watched people deadlift and thought, “there’s no way I’m going to be able to do that.” Then I did, and it was amazing. Once I saw that I could do something like that, the goals just kept coming. I can now deadlift 200 pounds using a trap bar, and use 35-pound dumbbells in my bent-over rows. But as proud as I am of that, I didn’t start there. I started with 135-pound trap bars and 15- and 20-pound dumbbells. Seeing how far I’ve come helps motivate me to see how far I will go.

Stick With It!

Taking those first steps and completing those first workouts can be an empowering and eye-opening experience. Once you start, making the commitment and staying consistent will help you get the most out your strength training journey. Consistency is often one of the biggest challenges when you’re starting out. Hitting a few speed bumps as a new lifter is part of the process. You’ll be learning to navigate muscle soreness, scheduling, and changes to social habits. You’re not going to get it all “right” or “perfect” from the very beginning, but with some experimentation, you will figure out what works best for you and what helps you to keep showing up.

What helped you stick with it initially?

Carolyn: My trainer was incredibly motivating and supportive, and kept me going. I just wanted more… more muscle definition and strength. I started my day at 4:30 every day, and very quickly it became my favorite part of the day. It just became my routine and my me time.

Claire: I was introduced to kettlebell training by an incredible instructor. He coaches community of strong women who train with kettlebells and are competitive powerlifters. My combined respect for him as a coach, as well as the team he created, got me hooked for life.

Lacey: There were clear physical changes. I built muscle and that translated to power on the rugby pitch. It felt good to be progressing as a player. But apart from that, strength training was good for my mental and emotional health. My confidence in the weight room translated into every area of my life. I felt healthy, energetic, and ready to tackle the world.

Justine: I started seeing some results, but not in the traditional way. My biceps were more noticeable, my legs were stronger. Even when exercises got very challenging, all I had to do was look around and see that all the men and women in my group were working just as hard. Even if I perceived them as being more fit than me, they were pushing themselves, so this was hard for them too! It is one of the things I tell new people who join our group, because I know how self-conscious people can be when they first start.

What kind of support did you have?

Carolyn: I had tremendous support from my trainer and my sister, who originally introduced me to him. He and I mostly worked remotely, so I got lots of support from him via text messages. He was always there to answer my questions, give me feedback on my nutrition, and set up a session when I needed or wanted to change things up. He really cared about my goals and made me feel like my goals became his goals.

Claire: I was silly enough in my early days to not ask for help at all. The aforementioned instructor introduced himself to me as I was completing my marathon ab workout one day. I was interested because he made me feel capable from the very beginning, a feeling that up until then, I had typically shed upon entering the gym.

Lacey: I did a lot of Internet rummaging to find a good program for a newbie lifter. I asked a couple of my male friends how they trained and got some pointers. But I went at it mostly solo.

Justine: I received unwavering support and encouragement from my husband (I still do). The strength coaches in my gym are fantastic as well. They are constantly encouraging us not to sell ourselves short, which I am still working on. If I need to modify a movement, they are there to help me. They all have Facebook and Instagram accounts as well, and just reading their posts throughout the week often keep me motivated. I don’t feel like I’ve ever had to ask for support, they’ve just always given it to me.

Interests, Goals, and Priorities Change — And That’s OK

What initially sparks your interest in strength training may evolve into something very different. You may discover that you really love powerlifting, or kettlebell training, or developing bigger muscles (or all three!). There is a really good chance that lifting weights may send you down a different path than the one on which you originally started. For example, getting a taste of your strength might help you tap into a newfound curiosity for other physical activities and challenges that will take you outside of the gym — like mountain biking or circus arts — because as you look at your body with awe for all it can do, you think, “I’ve always wanted to try this other thing… I wonder…” Sometimes life circumstances require adjusting your lifting routines, and where getting “shredded” or hitting new PRs in a powerlifting meet were once your top goals, the new priority now is being “everyday fit and strong.” It’s normal for your goals to evolve or to change completely.

What has helped you to continue strength training?

Carolyn: Sadly, my trainer passed away last year. I know I will never give this up- to honor him and what he taught me. Being physically strong has made me mentally stronger too- what a great added bonus. I am so much more confident in everything I do. My trainer once told me to never settle- and so I keep setting new goals for myself. I am constantly pushing and challenging myself and that will keep me going.

Claire: My entire mindset has changed. Since taking control of my health and nutrition, I have wanted to be the smallest girl (being 5’1″ and reaching a low of 104#). Since I started strength training, all I could focus on was being the strongest girl. The strongest girl, in my opinion, isn’t just in reference to the weight on the bar but more the intention and care of movement as well as the strength of the world. I find that the strongest women may not have the best powerlifting totals, but actually have the closest knit community around them.

Lacey: Strength training has benefited my body, mind, and soul. Not only does it help me survive and thrive in my physically demanding job, but it also provides stress relief and a confidence boost. And when I can help other people start strength training and watch as their lives change, it just gives me one more reason to keep learning and sharing.

Justine: My mindset is different when I get a workout in, as opposed to when I can’t. It just helps everything “work” better. I had spent most of my time on elliptical machines and treadmills, and thought strength training might be something different to change things up. I honestly didn’t realize how much it would help me change my entire way of thinking. And the community I have gained through strength training has helped me keep at it. I’ve gained a support group of cheerleaders and friends. Even if they don’t say anything, I know there is an implied accountability to which we all hold each other, and some mornings that’s what gets me to the gym. Through strength training, I have realized food itself isn’t good or evil and that exercise isn’t a punishment. I’ve learned to love myself, do my best for me and leave the rest. I look forward to continuing to push myself and see what else I can accomplish. That is what keeps me coming back every day.

Five Success Tips For The Beginner Lifter

As the stories shared here illustrate, what leads you to your first strength training session may not be what prompts someone else to take their first step, but what doesn’t differ much are the kinds of things that help you keep doing it consistently. Here are a few tips that may help you get you started — and keep going:

  1. Have a plan. Going to the gym knowing exactly what you need to do feels a lot better than wandering around and trying to figure things out. If you want a great place to start, complete with videos and a year’s worth of smart, effective workouts, check out our flagship training program here.
  2. Make an appointment with yourself. When you are working to cement your new habit of strength training, it’s helpful to set implementation intentions. This means that you’re planning out exact dates and times for your training session and putting them in your calendar.
  3. Make it convenient. As the saying goes, “Convenience is king.” Adjust your bedtime routine to include packing your gym bag or laying out your workout clothes for the next day, including socks and shoes. Make it as easy as possible to get dressed and go. Plus, seeing your workout gear in the morning will serve as a fantastic reminder that strength training is important to you.
  4. Get some sleep. Speaking of what you’re doing before you go to bed the night before… go to bed! Seriously. Getting adequate rest will help you recover from training and have plenty of energy the next day.
  5. Find the support you need. A common challenge to staying consistent is the feedback or lack of support that you may get from family or friends who may not understand why you are working on developing new, healthier habits. If a lack of support is leaving you feeling isolated, it can be tempting to ditch your new routine. A positive support system is incredibly helpful as you begin your strength journey. Consider sharing your strength goals with a trusted friend who you know will be excited for you or who will be your training partner. Join an online community where you can meet other women who love to lift and celebrate each other’s strengths!

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The post Getting Started With Strength Training — True Stories From Former First-Timers appeared first on Girls Gone Strong.

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Why would you spend your hard-earned money on an Easter-specific basket that you can only pull out once a year? You know the kind we speak of — baskets with little bunny ears and a pastel egg pattern all over. Pick up one of these baskets and you can fill it with candy for the holiday, and then get more use out of it during the rest of the year.

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No other produce marks the entrance of spring with quite the same fervor as asparagus. Their long, slender stems are often the first sign of spring at the farmers market, with the promise of strawberries right on their heels. While these farmers market beauties are only available from February to June, hothouse-grown varieties are available year-round, making this vegetable a staple of home cooking and spring eating.

This comprehensive produce guide will cover everything from buying and storing this vibrant spring vegetable, to better ways to prepare and cook it.

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inline__ear_health_04.13.17Sure, they’re not exactly the sexiest body part, but it’s fair to say that life with substandard ear health would be notably less enjoyable. And as it happens, millions of Americans would be able to speak to that.

Research indicates that an estimated 1 in 5 folks have some form of hearing loss. This rate increases to 1 in 3 for age 65 and over, but some estimates put hearing loss great enough to impair communication even higher for the upper decades at around 40%. Perhaps even more alarming, close to 15% of American kids have some form of hearing loss. In teenagers, prevalence has jumped from 15% in 1994 to almost 20% in 2006. Unfortunately, that hearing difficulty will often go undiagnosed.

Hearing loss is, in fact, the third most common health condition in the country, right on the heels of arthritis and heart disease. And it’s getting worse. Between 2000 and 2015, the number of Americans with hearing loss has doubled, mirroring a worldwide increase of 44% over that same period.

But it’s not all about hearing. What about ear health? Our ears perform plenty more functions than just auditory reception. Let’s not forget that the ears are instrumental in influencing our emotions and state of mind, maintaining our sense of balance, and regulating pressure.

From what meagre stats are available on ear health, we know that close to 16,000 older Americans were killed in falls in 2005. We also know that nearly half of those deaths were balance-related. And that a whopping third of the population report vestibular symptoms (inner ear-related balance issues). Ménière’s disease, a disorder of the inner ear that causes tinnitus, vertigo and hear loss, affects an estimated 615,000 Americans. That’s enough in the way of statistics to indicate that substandard ear health has broad implications for overall health.

Noise Annoys: Let Natural Sound Abound

There’s plenty of mechanisms by which our bodies recognize stress. One such mechanism that often gets overlooked is our ears. At a very basic, primitive level, the sounds registered by our ears dramatically impact our emotions. Birdsong, in particular, and trickling water relax our minds and alleviate stress, while the neighbor’s yapping dog or traffic noise from the street rile us up. This lines up with what we know about the all-important vagus nerve, which plays an influential role in how our bodies control inflammation…and which just so happens to have a few tendrils in your ears.

Along with all the conveniences of the modern world, the Grok-friendly natural sounds of the past have slowly been replaced by anthropogenic noise. Cars, planes, trains, incessant chatter… noise constantly surrounds us, and while it may fade into the background, research shows that it’s slowly but surely contributing to chronic stress.

A 2014 literature review of the effects of noise on health noted that it disturbs sleep (duh), increases the occurrence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, and impairs cognitive performance.

And by triggering stress and the subsequent release of adrenaline, noise can create a negative feedback loop which worsens the health of your ears. Elevated levels of adrenaline lower blood circulation in the peripheral areas of the body, one of which just so happens to be the ears. With chronic stress, the tiny hairs inside your ear canals become starved of blood and the nutrients it provides. The result is a gradual die-off of these auditory hairs, which of course can lead to permanently impaired hearing. This means that noises that might not directly damage your ears can still harm your hearing.

On the brighter side, nature is the best antidote. Getting away from the urban jungle and immersing ourselves in the sounds of nature has been shown to reduce our perception of pain. A similar therapeutic effect is highlighted by this 2003 study, which modeled the stress-buffering effect that “nearby nature” had on schoolchildren. Unsurprisingly, researchers found that “the impact of life stress was lower among children with high levels of nearby nature than among those with little nearby nature.” The science behind restorative natural sound is largely rooted in evolutionary principle. Our inherent blueprints expect the subtle “aural diet” of our ancestors rather than the bombastic range of noises we feed it today.

Hearing Loss: More to It Than Many Believe

I’ll start with the obvious: if your ears are exposed to loud noises, you may suffer from temporary hearing loss. But newish research published in the Journal of Neuroscience suggests that it may not be over even after the concert’s over. According to the study, “acoustic overexposures causing moderate, but completely reversible, threshold elevation leave cochlear sensory cells intact, but cause acute loss of afferent nerve terminals and delayed degeneration of the cochlear nerve.” This means that going to a one-off music concert, for example, might set in motion a degenerative process which can damage your hearing permanently. Scary stuff.

And as the research into hearing loss begins to accumulate, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that ear health is intrinsically tied into your overall health. For starters, smoking has been directly linked to hearing loss. A 2007 study found that newborns who were exposed to tobacco smoke in the womb had a significantly lower hearing sensitivity than those who weren’t. Obviously, if you’re a Primal lifer you’ve long ago washed your hands of the Marlboros, but second-hand smoke is always a risk to pregnant mothers, no matter how healthy they are. Yet another reason to distance yourself from those noxious clouds…

Another sobering fact—there’s also plenty of evidence showing that diabetes can contribute to hearing loss. Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine examined medical records from 53,461 non-diabetic patients and compared them 12,575 age-matched diabetic patients. They found that sensorineural hearing loss was more common in the diabetic patients, and that this hearing loss impact increased with elevated diabetes severity. Other studies have found much the same correlation, with some indications noting that perception of higher sound frequencies might be the first to go.

The Role of Diet for Hearing

Yes, as with everything else, what you eat (or don’t eat) affects your ear health. Apparently, restricting calories is the new big thing in the ear world. A recent Swedish study proved that rats placed on a 70% dietary restriction showed reduced age-related degenerative shrinking of their inner ear tissues. This resulted in significantly improved hearing function over non-calorie restricted littermates.

For those of us interested in less extreme measures, there are other promising dietary strategies to consider. Multiple studies have shown that a diet rich in the vitamins A, C, E and magnesium can prevent hearing loss by minimizing inflammation and increasing blood flow to the inner ear. Crucially, however, none of these vitamins or magnesium alone were effective in reducing hearing loss or sensory cell death: only when applied synergistically did they provide the protective effect (kind of like the A Team of the hearing world). Specifically, their collective effect helped to protect the ear against the negative feedback degenerative hearing damage I discussed earlier.

And there’s plenty more research where that came from. This study used sound frequency testing and a semi-quantitative questionnaire to establish what impact intakes of certain vitamins and minerals exhibited on hearing health. Vitamins A and E showed the most promise, with vitamin A correlating with a 47% lower risk of hearing loss and vitamin E a 14% lower risk. I like those odds but, again, believe that synergy matters.

The role of magnesium in hearing protection has received particular attention in the literature, and the results continue to be positive. If you’ve got hearing problems and haven’t already invested in the formidable healing powers of quality magnesium supplementation, now might be the time.

So while the rest of the world waits for the development of wondrous oral drugs that capitalize on these findings, here’s an insider’s tip: you can get a head start by simply eating wholesome, nutrient-dense foods. Nothing new there, right? Dark leafy greens for magnesium, avocados for vitamin E, liver for vitamin A, and any number of fruit and vegetables for vitamin C. A comprehensive multi can’t hurt either.

Unpacking the Mystery of Tinnitus

Then there’s tinnitus, the frustrating ringing ear condition that regularly affects an estimated 15% of Americans. As far as causes go, the list is long. In addition to noise exposure, tinnitus can develop as a result of excessive ear wax buildup, medications like aspirin and antibiotics, middle ear infections, and aging. Tinnitus occurs when hair cells in the ear’s cochlea are damaged or destroyed, meaning there are any number of pathways by which someone can develop this condition. I have a friend who’s suffered from tinnitus over the past 5 years due to multiple concussions. Ding your head enough times, and your ears may pay the price. There’s even suggestions that certain folks may be genetically predisposed to developing tinnitus, but that research isn’t conclusive.

And despite our growing knowledge of the causes of tinnitus, it’s on the rise. As the urban population grows, so, too, does the percentage of the population exposed to that anthropocentric din I highlighted earlier. Concerts are just as big and loud if not more so than they were a couple decades ago. We have more and noisier machines in our lives than ever before.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Those same hearing-protective steps I talked about earlier can also be applied to tinnitus. Concentrating on nutrient-dense foods that provide ample levels of vitamins A, C and E, and perhaps supplementing with magnesium oil, should help to prevent those hairs in your cochlea from sustaining significant damage. Continuing the diet theme, there’s preliminary evidence to suggest that zinc depletion may play a role, and that moderate to high caffeine intake per day has beneficial effect. Probably not a great idea to go crazy on the coffee, however, particularly if you’re sensitive to it.

And, not suprisingly, Inflammation is almost undoubtedly at play here as well, verified by a strong association between hypertension and tinnitus. Reducing inflammatory food intake and minimizing stress should therefore go a long way towards lowering your risk of tinnitus. Similarly, vagal nerve stimulation, which uses small electrical pulses to stimulate an anti-inflammatory feedback in the vagus, shows a lot of promise in treatment for tinnitus.

Thanks for reading, everyone. Have you or those you love experienced any of the above conditions? Are you taking any special steps to preserve your hearing and ear health? Have you heard about other medical treatments or lifestyle interventions? Have a good end to your week.

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The post “What’s That?” Ear Health: Dietary and Lifestyle Choices that Preserve It appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

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An afternoon of decorating Easter eggs usually calls for a lot of supplies — and creativity and effort. If that combination of things doesn’t seem to be in the cards this year, consider making some of these simple eggs. They’ve all got that wow-factor you’re looking for and require very little fuss.

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Researchers look into the efficacy of shoulder manipulation on competitive athletes.

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Classic Greek vinaigrette is more than just a red wine vinaigrette with a little oregano for color. Nope, this classic gets its sass from the one-two punch of red wine vinegar and lemons. Partnered with garlic and some dried herbs from the pantry, this dressing will become the house salad dressing for your home.

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In case you’ve been living under a rock, or maybe on another planet, let us clue you in: People love Mason jars.

No, like really. People love these jars that have been used for over 130 years for everything from canning to wedding decor. Now, just in time for spring 2017, they are getting a new look.

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