My ears are ringing, but not because someone is talking about me

Within days of a friend of mine telling me he had severe tinnitus from an illness several years ago, I awoke from an evening after a concert with ringing in my left ear.  At first I thought it was some kind of sympathy tinnitus.  I couldn't really have it, could I?  I tested it by sitting in silence, by plugging my ears, by tuning out, by tuning in... Yup.  It's there.  

I brushed up on my knowledge of tinnitus which is a ringing or buzzing sound in one or both ears.  It can be from an illness or from exposure to loud sounds.  It can be temporary or permanent.  The damage to the ear is always permanent.  Maybe it can't easily be prevented if caused by an illness, but we can often control the safety of our hearing when around loud noises.  A website from the American Tinnitus Association has easy to comprehend information about knowing when loud is too loud.  Read it.  Having healthy ears isn't something we always think about, but something we would certainly miss.  

Old sensation, new inspiration

Maybe it is some kind of inner rebel within, but my reaction is often the opposite of what it should when listening to motivational speakers.  Something about someone intending to motivate me with their lively actions and upbeat words is just too deliberate for me.  Perhaps I feel that if I willing go to something that is purposely supposed to motivate me, I am missing something within myself.  On the other hand, great stories of great people who did great things---acting purely from their heart to do the impossible--hook me in an instant.

Man on a Wire is a film about Phillippe Petit.  You know, the guy who simply just strung a wire from one Twin Tower to the next and danced across it for 45 minutes.  Actually, I hadn't heard of him, nor the event, and merely stumbled across the documentary on Netflix (amazing I get Netflix delivered under my rock).  Voila!  I am instantly obsessed.  Aside from the fact that he performed an incredible feat, the documentary details something even greater: his determination to do the impossible because it is his dream and it is what he loves to do.  

What is it in some people that fills every cell of their body with life and curiosity while others are satisfied doing what they are "supposed to do"?  What makes someone do something extraordinary when others are happy just living life by the rules?  I'm not sure the answer, but I'm looking for it.  And when I find it, don't expect to find me on a wire, but doing something similar.  

Dear Life, give me lemons!

What gives with the lemonade fast or the Master Cleanse?  These are both forms of "detox diets" or "cleanses" that claim to purify our body by only drinking a solution which is merely lemon water.  There is some something to it, and it may just be science.

Lemons contain a flavonoid called eriocitrin.  Some research has shown this flavonoid to be an antioxidant and some has shown it to have the ability to break down lipids and lower cholesterol.  While it would be a lengthy discussion on how it actually works, let's just say that it seems to be tried and true and that this flavonoid actually has a lipid lowering effect.  Hence why it is so popular among cleanse diets, etc.  

I did my own little Google search on eriocitrin and found that some companies are actually selling it as a supplement.  Now, I'm not so sure that when we extract things and manufacture it into a pill that it has quite the same effect (take lycopene for example, is it just as effective of a nutrient when not in a tomato? maybe there is something else in the tomato that makes it so fantastic).  Still, at least eriocitrin is getting its 15 minutes of fame.

I say, "Life, give me lemons so I can make lemonade!"  Why not add a glass of lemon water to the beginning of each day for a little extra lipid lowering? (Hold the sugar :)

Get some Zzzz's, avoid the sneeze

This just in...

A recent study is showing that people who get less than 7 hours of sleep a night are more likely to contract a cold than those who get 7 or more hours of sleep.  After hearing about this study, I started to realize that we really are a busy society, a society of doers, as we now not only avoiding food preparation to save time but also do not rest enough.  Let's start a revolution and take care of ourselves by allowing the time we really need to nourish our body.

Lack of sleep raises cold risk