Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2019 i Prevention

ONE DAY NOT LONG AGO, I sat at my desk staring at pages and pages of data: the results of a huge survey on stress we’d conducted with the nonprofit HealthyWomen and the communications firm GCI Health. The numbers were fascinating but overwhelming, and I was, well, stressed by them. So I emailed the (many) spreadsheets to one of the smartest writers I know, Sandy Fernández, and we set up a time to talk. Sandy and I mostly work together over email because we’re both so busy (and stressed!), but talking to her was worth every minute. Together, she and I were able to think in a deeper way about how to turn the data into a helpful story. We caught up on personal stuff too—how our sons were, what…

Extreme temperatures are being touted as the latest ticket to tighter skin from head to toe. New professional in-office treatments use high levels of heat (via radio frequency or laser, like WarmSculpting with SculpSure) or cold (with technology like cryolipolysis, also called CoolSculpting) to injure fat cells, which then die and are absorbed or expelled by the body, says Dianne Quibell, M.D., a cosmetic laser surgeon in Wellesley, MA. “Cold treatments cause blood vessels to narrow and the superficial muscles in skin to contract, which then reduces puffiness and temporarily tightens skin,” says Paul Jarrod Frank, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City. “Heat treatments have been shown to have long-term skin-firming effects.” On average, the procedures (which can cause mild discomfort and minor side effects, like bruising and soreness)…

1 Stand with a resistance band just above your ankles, with your feet underneath your hips; be sure to stand up tall, as if someone is pulling at the top of your head. 2 Shift your weight to one side, with the knee slightly bent and not locked. Lift the opposite foot off the floor, and bring it slightly behind you. This is your starting position. 3 Feeling the resistance of the band and keeping your core nice and tight, kick the leg straight back, squeezing your butt so you feel the muscles engage. Return to starting position. 4 Repeat 10 times, then replicate on the other side. Get more from Betina in Prevention’s video program Strong ($30, prevention.com/strongdvd).…

PICK FRUIT Load up on grapes and berries, which are rich in polyphenols such as ellagic acid and resveratrol. “Preliminary research has linked this type of antioxidant to helping protect skin cells from UV damage,” which can include dark spots, says Jaclyn London, M.S., R.D. Aim to eat them daily as a snack. PRIORITIZE SLEEP “Beauty sleep” isn’t just an expression: Important natural skin-repair processes occur as you doze, and when you get adequate shut-eye (seven to nine hours per night), your levels of the stress hormone cortisol have time to go down and your natural moisture barrier isn’t compromised, explains Daniel A. Barone, M.D., a neurologist and the author of Let’s Talk About Sleep. If you can’t fall asleep or if you wake up in the middle of the…

“There are four foundations to managing your stress,” says Vaile Wright, Ph.D., a licensed psychologist and the director of research and special projects at the APA, which conducts a yearly “Stress in America” survey. “Eating well, getting enough sleep, being active, and maintaining social interaction. With those, you’re 90% there.” But when our survey respondents named ways in which stress interfered with their lives, getting irritable was number one and getting tired was number two. Feel familiar? “It’s a chicken-and-egg thing,” agrees Dr. Piccione. “Are you ragged because you’re stressed, or is stress making you ragged?” How she suggests finding out: “For a week, do whatever you need to do to eat well, sleep well, and exercise. Just a week, so it’s not overwhelming. That’ll give you a reset so…

10% to 20% of Americans have GERD, which studies suggest is on the rise. Many of us experience heartburn now and again—payback for gobbling one too many pizza slices on Friday night! But if you deal with bouts of it two or more times a week, you might have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition in which the muscle at the bottom of the esophagus is too relaxed, letting digestive acid escape from the stomach and bubble up to create that bitter, sour post-meal sensation we know as heartburn. Over time, this can damage the esophagus, leading to ulcers, creation of scar tissue, or a potentially precancerous condition called Barrett’s esophagus. Start here to help tame chronic reflux. PREVENT IT AVOID TRIGGERS Limit dietary items linked to heartburn: acidic, fatty,…

1 Ischemic Stroke 87% of strokes, like Laura’s, are caused by fatty deposits in the brain that block a blood vessel (cerebral thrombosis). Those fatty deposits may break off in a blood vessel elsewhere in the body, causing a blood clot that travels to the brain and blocks a vessel there (cerebral embolism). 2 Hemorrhagic Stroke When a weakened blood vessel in the brain ruptures and causes a “bleed.” 3 Trans-Ischemic Attack (TIA) Also known as a ministroke, caused by a vessel-blocking clot that dissolves relatively quickly; a warning sign to watch out for a future, full-blown stroke. 4 Brain-Stem Stroke What it sounds like—a stroke in the stem of the brain that affects both sides of the body and can cause “locked-in state,” in which a person is aware…

1 An IV Treatment That Heals Spinal Cord Injuries AWARD WINNER: LONNIE SHEA, PH.D. When the spine is traumatized, your immune cells flood to the injured area and overreact, essentially doing more harm than good. Those overzealous immune cells create too much inflammation for the delicate nerves of the spine, ultimately damaging them beyond repair. That’s what leads to paralysis. But new research in mice shows that an injection of special nanoparticles administered intravenously to the spine within two hours of a trauma can actually intercept and redirect some of those well-intentioned immune cells, preventing the spinal cord from degenerating. “Getting the spinal cord to regenerate after a trauma is a challenge, which is why finding a way to prevent nerve damage is exciting,” says Shea. While more research is needed before…

ACTIVE 10 MIN. TOTAL 10 MIN. MAKES 4 SANDWICHES 6 large eggsKosher salt and pepper1 Tbsp olive oil4 whole-grainEnglish muffins, split and toasted2 oz extra-sharpCheddar cheese, coarsely grated2 cups baby spinach 1. In a large bowl, beat eggs with 1 Tbsp water and ¼ tsp each salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium. 2. Add eggs and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula every few seconds, to desired doneness, 2 to 3 minutes for medium-soft eggs. 3. Spoon onto bottom halves of English muffins; top with cheese and spinach, then muffin tops. NUTRITION (per sandwich): 330 cal, 19 g pro, 28 g carb, 3 g fiber, 1 g sugars (1 g added sugars), 16.5 g fat (6 g sat fat), 293 mg chol, 540 mg sodium…

PROBLEM: Your Dog Chews Everything SOLUTION: Redirect. “Chewing is a normal and necessary behavior,” says Andrea Arden, trainer and Animal Planet pet expert. “It helps prevent tooth and gum disease, boredom, and stress-related behavior problems.” Make sure your dog has lots of chewable toys, and rotate them frequently to prevent boredom. If you catch him chewing something he shouldn’t, take it, calmly say “No,” and replace it with a toy, praising him as he grabs the toy so he understands the right targets, says Colleen Demling-Riley, certified dog trainer and owner of Pawtopia Dog Training in San Diego. And if he chews when you’re not there, both experts advise using a crate or an exercise pen to keep him contained. PROBLEM: Your Cat Pees Outside Her Box SOLUTION: First check…

1 Play dentist at home A recent study in the Journal of Dental Anesthesia and Pain Medicine confirmed the power of playtime: In it, the dentist explained the cavity-filling procedure to all kids in child-friendly language. Some kids got to play a smartphone dentist game, some got to touch toy dental instruments, and others played with the instruments and a Play-Doh Doctor Drill ‘N Fill set. In the play groups, 85% exhibited positive behavior, such as laughter and enjoyment, compared with 55% of the other kids. “Playing is a fun way to work on a child’s fear of the unknown, which is likely the biggest reason kids are anxious about the dentist in the first place,” says Eric K. Wood, D.D.S., lead pediatric dentist for Bright Now Dental in Cleveland…

SERVES 4 1 Fill a large saucepan with 8 cups of water. Add a 1-in. piece of fresh ginger (peeled and very thinly sliced) and 2 scallions (cut into 1-in. pieces) and bring to a boil. 9¢ 2 Add 6 oz of ramen noodles and cook per pkg. directions, adding 6 oz of shiitake mushroom caps (thinly sliced) and 2 heads of baby bok choy (stems thinly sliced and leaves halved lengthwise) during the last 3 minutes of cooking. $10.60 3 Remove from heat. Stir in 4 oz of snow peas (thinly sliced) and 2 Tbsp each low-sodium soy sauce and rice vinegar. $1.44 4 Divide soup among bowls and top each with half of a soft-medium boiled egg (peeled). Top with sliced scallion, sliced red chile, and cilantro. 50¢…

Between holiday gatherings, tree trimming, and gift wrapping, getting to the gym can seem impossible. But there are more and more ways to stream exercise content from home via your TV, laptop, or smartphone. If you have cable, browse on-demand channels, as most companies offer free yoga or cardio videos as part of their packages. Roku has a huge library of fitness apps, both free (Yoga Daily, Free Workout Channel) and paid (Daily Burn, $19.95 per month); search “exercise” or “fitness” to find one you like. Gold’s Amp ($9 per month) and The Blink App ($15 per month or free for Blink Fitness members) can be accessed via smartphone or tablet, and each has a huge portfolio of audio and video workouts created by gym-affiliated personal trainers; Blink also offers…

Imagine that a health epidemic affected the vast majority of U.S. women, with about 65% suffering from its symptoms daily and 40% of those experiencing them multiple times a day. Imagine that it could mess with your appetite and sleep, pockmark your relationships, add pounds around your middle, and make you prone to illness. Imagine that researchers believed it was a reason more and more young women were having early heart attacks. Well, this epidemic is real. It’s called stress, and it’s present at sky-high rates. That’s according to a recent survey Prevention conducted with the nonprofit HealthyWomen and healthcare communications agency GCI Health as part of our #BeHealthiHer movement. Stress is the brain’s code-red response to perceived danger: It gets your blood pounding, lowers activation of systems it finds…

When it comes to holiday-time stressors, we expected to hear about Uncle Ron’s “jokes” or tension with a MIL—but the ho-ho-horror of gift giving? It’s legit, insisted our survey respondents, a surprising number of whom wrote in “buying the perfect gift” or “pleasing everyone with gift choices” as their top Yuletide fist clencher. That may be the problem, says Washington University in St. Louis marketing professor Elanor Williams, Ph.D.: “People have this sense of the ideal gift, even if they don’t know what it is specifically, and it ends up weighing on them. It’s hard to let that go and just give a gift that is good enough.” But that, research says, is exactly what you should do: Maximizers—those of us who are always looking for the perfect answer—are generally less…

Dr. Streicher is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Every year I lecture to medical students about female sexual function, and when I look out at the sea of faces, I know what they’re thinking: I’m going to be a cardiologist/gastroenterologist/oncologist/fill-in-the-blank specialist. I don’t need to know about female sexual dysfunction. Wrong! Virtually every disease can be accompanied by fatigue, anxiety, pain, or insomnia—all of which can mess up a healthy sex life. Anything that alters hormones, such as hypothyroidism, diabetes, or menopause, can be problematic. Hormones and neurotransmitters need to get to the right places in the body, so medical issues that compromise blood flow can affect arousal and orgasm. And nerves need to respond and muscles need to contract (and…

CRANBERRY-BANANA SMOOTHIE ACTIVE 5 MIN. TOTAL 5 MIN. SERVES 1 In a blender, puree 1 cup each frozen cranberries and unsweetened almond milk with 1 banana, 1 Tbsp maple syrup, and ½ cup ice cubes. NUTRITION (per serving): 125 cal, 1 g pro, 27 g carb, 4 g fiber, 15.5 g sugars (6 g added sugars), 1.5 g fat (0 g sat fat), 0 mg chol, 90 mg sodium CRANBERRY SALSA ACTIVE 10 MIN. TOTAL 10 MIN. MAKES 1 CUP In a food processor, pulse 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries to finely chop. Transfer to a bowl and fold in 1 Persian cucumber, ½ small jalapeño, ¼ sweet onion, and ¼ cup cilantro (all finely chopped), 1 tsp honey, and ½ tsp kosher salt. Serve with crackers. NUTRITION (per ¼-cup serving):…

VEGAN THROUGH AND THROUGH Agar agar, which comes from algae, is a great swap for gelatin. It’s also a flavorless way to help sweets that need firming up. FOR A PERFECT GLUTEN-FREE CAKE Choose a finely ground almond flour that lists almonds as the only ingredient—and note that it’s not a straight 1:1 swap for traditional flour. BLOOD ORANGE–OLIVE OIL SHORTBREAD ACTIVE 15 MIN. TOTAL 30 MIN. PLUS COOLING MAKES ABOUT 48 COOKIES 3 cups all-purpose flour½ tsp kosher salt2¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, divided1 cup extra virgin olive oil2 tsp pure vanilla extract2 Tbsp blood orange juice 1. Heat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and 1 cup confectioners’ sugar. Add oil and vanilla and mix to combine. 2. Transfer dough to 1 piece of parchment…

REBUS PUZZLES What common phrase is each of these word pictures trying to say? MAGIC SQUARE Enter the rest of the numbers between 1 and 9 so that the numbers in each of the three rows and columns as well as the two diagonals add up to the same sum. WORD FILL-IN What’s the longest word you can come up with that starts with the letter on the left and ends with the letter on the right? MISSING PIECE Which puzzle piece will fit in the empty spot? ANSWERS: Magic Square: Top row: 8, 3, 4. Middle row: 1, 5, 9. Bottom row: 6, 7, 2. Rebus Puzzles: no U-turn, play on words, top secret. Word Fill-In: There are many possible answers. Here are ours: belonging, rotunda, antidisestablishmentarianism, inconsolable, nervousness.…

Real gold is now being used in skincare for anti-aging benefits—but is it worth its weight in, well, you know what? “In theory, gold is an anti-inflammatory and has been known to help heal skin damage,” says Kavita Mariwalla, M.D., a dermatologist in West Islip, NY. Studies also show that gold nanoparticles can improve skin’s firmness and elasticity, helping prevent signs of aging. But further research is needed on whether gold particles (which can also be liquefied) can penetrate skin and if the use of gold in topical skincare products has any long-term effect, she says. What you can take to the bank: Infused into skincare and cosmetics, gold flakes reflect light and add warmth, giving skin an instant youthful radiance. FACE MASK Peter Thomas Roth 24K Pure Luxury Lift…

BASE INGREDIENTS Aromatics like garlic, ginger, and scallions create the foundation for many Asian dishes—and besides being an easy way to impart big taste, they also contain valuable antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. If you like things spicy, try adding hot chile peppers to the mix, which may support heart health and fight inflammation. SHIRATAKI NOODLES Also called konjac noodles after the Japanese yam they’re made from, they look and behave like glass or rice noodles but are full of fiber and super low in carbs and calories—most brands are about 10 calories per serving! Try them in your favorite noodle dish (shirataki pad thai, anyone?!) for a nutritious and filling bite. MUSHROOMS Their deep umami flavor provides a meaty effect, making plant-based eating easier. Load up a veggie stir-fry with…

Maintaining a radiant complexion isn’t about how many products are in your skincare routine: “Less is more,” says Heather Rogers, M.D., a dermatologist based in Seattle. “So often people are so interested in doing the perfect thing that they don’t do anything, but all you need to do is stick to two or three products that really work.” Start with these three smart steps every day and then, when you want an extra boost (holiday party coming up?), incorporate the bright ideas from skin and makeup experts. Prep Your Skin Clear your canvas thoroughly of pore-clogging, skin-dulling dirt, oil, and dead skin cells with this mini “facial” that smooths and luminizes, helping color cosmetics go on evenly. 1 EXFOLIATE If you do nothing else besides cleansing, “one of the best…

You’re driving during morning rush hour when suddenly you feel your heart start to pound and your palms start to sweat. You’re hyperventilating, and you feel so nauseated or faint that you pull over. This isn’t stress—it’s a panic attack, a symptom of anxiety. Unlike stress, which is based on an external stimulus (even if that’s just a lip-purse from your boss) and will dissipate once you, say, get a new job, anxiety is internal, a persistent feeling of dread in reaction to situations that actually aren’t threatening. And while stress can be managed in the short term via lifestyle changes like getting enough exercise and sleep, anxiety can easily become anxiety disorder, the most common mental health condition in the U.S., and should be treated. In our survey, 34% of…

1 What They Are Your voice box sits between the base of your tongue and the top of your windpipe, which is basically where your Adam’s apple likes to hang out. The vocal cords are two bands of smooth muscle tissue, each covered in a mucous membrane, that stretch across your voice box like the strings of a guitar. 2 How They Work When you’re quiet—listening, observing, perhaps meditating on life—your vocal cords sit apart from each other, creating a tunnel through which you can breathe in. But the moment you begin speaking, they clap together as the diaphragm pushes air up from the lungs. This air causes your cords to “buzz,” or vibrate, and send sound waves through the resonating cavities (i.e., your throat, nose, and mouth), which amplify…

Since we’ve become glued to our smartphones, neck pain has gotten more common. “Our necks and heads tend to be flexed forward when we’re reading our phones, which puts extra stress on the back of the neck,” says William J. Lauretti, D.C., professor of clinical chiropractic at New York Chiropractic College. In fairness to our phones, though, neck pain can be caused by many things, from carrying a loaded pocketbook to aging or arthritis. If your neck pain is new and unexplained, keeps you up at night, or radiates down your arm, see your doctor right away. For minor soreness, these treatments promise to ease your kinks. But do they work? TOPICAL PAIN RELIEVERS WHAT THEY ARE: OTC creams you can rub into sore areas. WHAT WE KNOW: Research shows…

Cough drops? Check. Tissues and hot tea? All set. And of course you’re washing your hands on the reg to avoid getting sick in the first place. But something else can help you ward off the sneezy sniffles or recover faster: what you eat. Certain foods support a healthy immune system thanks to specific nutrients, and when you combine them, their immunity-boosting powers get even stronger. YOGURT + TURMERIC Did you know that your gut houses an estimated 70% of your immune system? That’s why it’s important to feed it foods that keep it happy, like yogurt and fermented fare such as kefir, says Elizabeth Shaw, M.S., R.D.N., nutritionist and founder of ShawSimpleSwaps.com—the bacteria in these may help keep gut bugs in balance. Adding turmeric, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant…