Hear ye, Hear ye, to improve one’s hearing you must make sure you’re getting
enough potassium.

As we age, we worry about a host of health problems: mental decline,
muscle loss, deteriorating eyesight, creaky and achy joints an on and on,
and losing the ability to hear is also a major concern.

Sharp hearing isn’t just to hear the television or loved ones, it (hearing)
also protects balance, health, memory and moods.
And what’s really concerning is that hearing loss happens gradually,
making it hard to realize you’re even struggling with it and that”s why
the mineral potassium is so important.

Potassium is a “miracle mineral” that 90% of us are deficient in and
what it so special is it helps nutrient-rich blood reach tiny capillaries
in the inner ear to heal existing hearing loss.

So, if you want to preserve and maintain your good hearing for a lifetime,
follow the 3 non-food and 2 food tips listed below.

Non-food tip-
a) Clean Here-
And by here, we mean the nasal passages. Fall and spring hay fever may
cause inner-ear inflammation, leading to buildup that hampers the hearing
of people with seasonal allergies and luckily, there’s a simple cure.
The cure: Flushing out the nasal passages to get rid of all of that inflammation.
To clear out the passages, ask you doctor or health-care provider to recommend
a good quality prescription nasal steroid.

b) Protect Hearing-
Simply put, when vacuuming, or mowing the lawn or running your blow-drier,
you may want to protect your ears by wearing ear plugs. Exposing the ears to
constant noise damages the tiny hairs and bones responsible for translating
sound from the ears to the brain.
Look for earbuds or ear plugs at stores like Walgreen’s, Walmart, B.J.’s
or online at Amazon.com

c) Open Up-
Your windows. Yes, it might be cold in your part of the country, but keeping
windows closed puts you in close contact with dust mites, mold and
other allergens. And these dust mites, allergens and mold can clog ears
and impair hearing. Scientists say leaving the windows open for
a few mins. each day creates a cross-breeze that ushers out about 45%
of the toxins that are trapped in your home.
Also helpful: Look into investing in a humidifier, available at Home Depot,
or Walmart.

Now, onto the food options:
Recipe No. 1-
d) Banana Bread!
It’s that time of year when more people are baking and what a great way to use
up those “too-brown” bananas and improve your hearing as well by baking banana
bread.
Bananas are loaded with potassium and cuts hearing loss risk by 60%.
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups of flour
2/3 cup of sugar
2 tsp. of baking powder
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
5 Tbs. of butter (try Kerrygold)
1 Tbs. of instant oats (optional)
To make: Heat up the oven to 375*F. Grease a loaf pan, 9″ X 5″.

Mix the first 3 ingredients together in a bowl, and then add the eggs,
bananas, butter, and a pinch of salt. Pour into the loaf pan; sprinkle on the
oats, and bake for 45 to 60 mins. Place a knife in the center of the loaf and
if the knife comes out clean, it’s done.
Let cool, cut into thin slices and spread slices with nut butter or low-sugar
jam or top with sliced bananas or warmed up berries. Enough for 10 servings.

Recipe No. 2-
Guacamole with Tomato!
Another food that’s loaded with potassium: Avocados.
Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados
2 Tbs. of lime juice
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
1 scallion, chopped
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. of salt
2 Tbs. of a tomato, chopped and seeds removed (optional)
To make:
Pit, peel and chop up the avocado, toss into a blender or food processor,
along with the lime juice, pulse (or blend) until coarsely chopped.
Add the cilantro, scallion, garlic powder and salt. Blend a little more making
sure it’s still a little chunky. Place it in a bowl, stir in the tomato; serve with
your favorite chips or cut-up vegetables, (carrot and celery sticks).

And one last tip:
In addition to the 2 foods mentioned-bananas and avocados, potatoes (with the
skins), tomato sauce, prunes, raisins, dates, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, lentils
and lima beans also contain ample amounts of potassium.

Sources:
* Plant Foods For Human Nutrition
* University of California, San Diego
* Scott B. Hansen, Ph. D.
* University of Maryland, Research Dept.
* Taste of Home, Magazine
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