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In planning for my upcoming wedding, there’s one thing that slipped my mind until just recently: the wedding favors. At first I was caught off guard and truly surprised by my omission — I’ve been so organized about planning — but the more I thought about it (despite all the spreadsheets and lists), it made complete sense.

I’ve gone to so many weddings where it seems like the bride and groom give out wedding favors simply as an obligatory step, like they’re only doing it because that’s just what everyone does. And beyond not being memorable, it’s only a matter of days or even hours before that small trinket gets lost in the shuffle.

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From Apartment Therapy → How Family Dinners Made Me a Better, Smarter, Healthier Person (Thanks Mom!)

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Confession: I’m a pizza blotter. I don’t always do it, but when I encounter especially greasy slices of pepperoni pizza, I grab a napkin and dab at those orange pools, finding a bit of satisfaction that the grease is now on the napkin and won’t end up in my stomach.

But what if I told you that when you’re making pizza at home, you can remove some of the grease before you even put the pepperoni on the pizza? The magic lies in the microwave!

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I’ve come a long way as a host in the past several years, mostly thanks to finding ways to keep my stress level down so I can genuinely enjoy my friends’ company. One key to that effort is having simple pre-meal snacks ready to go, so even if I find myself behind on the main meal, I won’t worry my guests are hungry.

I often put out a bowl each of roasted nuts and olives, and I’ve taken to marinating my own olives so I can tailor the flavors to our meal and the season. Right now I’m loving this summery variation featuring the bright and bold accents of orange zest and fresh basil.

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If a homemade pizza night isn’t already in your regular rotation, it should be. Even when you’re making the dough from scratch, this is an easy meal to fit into just about any schedule, and you get to pick any toppings you want!

Check out this video — Faith is here to show us all just how easy making pizza at home can be.

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You might think you know how to chop an onion, but there are other, stranger ways you’ve probably never even imagined. Most of these methods don’t even require a knife.

Watch this short video about various, insane ways to cut an onion, including karate-chopping it with your hand.

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There’s an unspoken understanding that takes place the moment you accept an invitation to someone’s house for dinner: The hostess agrees to make you feel awesome, while you, her guest, agree to be pleasant and appreciative. When both of these things are in sync, great times over great meals happen.

So what are the secrets to being a great dinner guest? Here are five things to do to make yourself a guest to remember.

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Temporomandibular joint disorders (TMD) cause pain in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and those with TMD usually have difficulty opening their mouths widely and may experience clicking or popping of the joint. TMD is also associated with neck and tooth pain, as well as dizziness and tinnitus.

In this article, I’ll describe some of the current theories regarding TMD and what you should do to improve your symptoms if you suffer from this painful condition.

HPA Axis Dysregulation

Anyone with TMD can attest that stress tends to make their symptoms worse. When you’re stressed your muscles tense, and in the case of TMD, this clenching can cause pain. But stress also causes physiological changes in the body that can lead to symptoms.

Those with TMD have been shown to have altered cortisol rhythms indicative of HPA axis dysregulation (i.e. “adrenal fatigue”). They have high levels of cortisol in the morning, and also exhibit an enhanced release of cortisol when stressed. (1, 2) Pain itself is a stressor, so it’s important to note that there have also been studies looking at TMD patients who had resolved their pain that also show elevated levels of cortisol, indicating that it is not just the pain causing higher levels of this stress hormone. (3)

While the normal response to acute stress is an increase in pain tolerance, researchers have shown in rat TMD models that chronic stress causing HPA axis dysregulation can actually decrease pain tolerance. (4)

Can adrenal fatigue cause TMJ pain?

Sadly, stress not only increases pain in those with TMD; it actually changes the structure of the temporomandibular joint. (5) It is vital to keep your stress under control if you want healthy temporomandibular joint structure and function.

If you suffer from TMD, it’s a good idea to check up on your adrenal health – if you suffer from HPA axis dysregulation it’s likely that improving your adrenal status will improve your symptoms. You can learn more about HPA axis dysregulation and what to do about it in Laura’s and my free eBook, but one of the best ways to improve your HPA axis activity is to implement mind-body activities like yoga, deep breathing, meditation, etc. These are simple things to incorporate and can often be done in the comfort of your own home. Here are some of my favorite resources if you’re new to mind-body activities:

• Yoga with Adrienne
• Headspace
• Stress Doctor

Inflammation in TMD

When you are subject to chronic stress, your body becomes resistant to the effects of cortisol. When this happens, inflammation is allowed to run rampant as the normal processes that keep it in check don’t function as they should. (6)

Inflammation and oxidative stress are associated with TMD, and it is thought that these inflammatory processes that takes place within the TMJ may be a cause of the pain patients experience. (7)

To decrease your inflammation, it is first crucial to get your HPA axis functioning normally, as HPA dysregulation increases inflammation. You can learn more about how to get tested for HPA axis dysregulation and how to treat it naturally in our eBook and video series.

It is also important to eat a healthy diet high in antioxidants – a Paleo diet is a perfect place to start, but make sure to get lots of fruits and vegetables of different colors to increase your antioxidant intake.

There have been limited studies on supplements that can help alleviate TMD. However, one study showed that N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) helped to alleviate oxidative stress on TMJ cells. (8) This has yet to be studied in animals or humans, but it’s likely that supplemental NAC may reduce the oxidative stress associated with TMD and help to relieve symptoms.

Sleep deprivation has also been shown to increase pain in those with TMD, which is thought to be because sleep deprivation increases inflammatory markers as well as estrogen (that part will make more sense in the next section). (9) To reduce inflammation in the body, it’s vital to get enough sleep. Make sure to listen (or read) Chris’ podcast with Dan Pardi on sleep to learn how to get restful sleep.

Mind-body activities are also great for not only improving HPA aHxis function but also lowering inflammation. Both yoga and meditation have been shown to lower inflammatory markers. (10) Yet another reason to practice!

Hormone Balance

The prevalence of TMD is 1.5 times higher in women than in men. This, coupled with the fact that other pain disorders like fibromyalgia are also much more common in women, made researchers believe that hormones may play a part in these diseases.

Both male and female TMD patients show high levels of estrogen, and estrogen seems to have a damaging effect on the TMJ while testosterone seems to inhibit damage. (11, 12) Research also shows that women who have genetic polymorphisms in a specfic estrogen receptor are more likely to have TMD than controls. (13) In addition to this, women who are exposed to estrogen via hormone replacement after menopause or through oral contraceptive use are more likely to suffer from TMD than those who haven’t been exposed to exogenous estrogen. (14)

Because estrogen seems to have such a significant impact on damage and pain in TMD, it’s crucial for both men and women suffering from TMD to make sure their hormones are balanced. Hormone balance is a topic unto itself and is best done with the help of a practitioner, but Chris gives a great primer on the topic in this podcast.

To help balance your hormones yourself, you’ll want to make sure:

• You’re at a healthy weight
• You avoid estrogen-like compounds in your environment as much as possible (BPA, birth control, soy, fat from non-pastured animals, etc)
• Your HPA axis is functioning properly and you keep stress to a minimum
• Your gut is healthy and you eat adequate fiber

TMD is a multifactorial disease that can be complicated and difficult to treat. However, with newer research we have a better understanding of the many factors that lead to the development of this condition. Given this newer research, it’s likely that treating HPA axis dysregulation, controlling inflammation, and balancing hormones will bring relief to those that suffer from TMD.

My question to you: Do you have TMD? Is your treatment plan addressing these factors?

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It’s Pizza Week here at The Kitchn, and pizza means wine. The classic combination of cheese and tomato will never get old, but I’m also glad that pizza now means something more. Pizza crust is basically a blank canvas, like a tortilla or toast; once you see it as such, the ingredient combinations are endless, as are the wine-pairing possibilities.

Who doesn’t love finding a killer bottle of wine under 10 bucks? I certainly do. I went to Trader Joe’s this past week on this very mission. Here are a few of my favorite steals, specifically chosen with pizza in mind.

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It’s Saturday morning. You wake up early because the nerves make it difficult to sleep. You check your bag to make sure you have everything you need. Your gi is clean and your water and belt are packed, along with everything else you might require to make tournament day run smoothly.

You have done everything. You’ve trained hard and have been on fire in the gym. But, despite all the training, you just don’t feel physically ready to compete. Your legs feel tired and you’ve been in a bad mood all week.

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