Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2017 i Prevention

HELLO, READERS! It’s midwinter; how’s everything? Me, I’m feeling a little bit sun deprived and energy compromised. Maybe you are, too. For those who dread the winter doldrums, this time of year is a challenge, sending some of us to the sun lamp—see “Happy News for SAD People” (p. 8) for this and other coping tips—and some of us under the covers. We can do better than that, with 67 fixes for strength and stamina in “Give Yourself an Energy Makeover” (p. 44), which lays out an easy plan for jump-starting yourself physically, mentally, and emotionally. My personal energy source? Lush images of nature, like the photo on this month’s cover: a brilliant echinacea flower with an intense orange-red seed cone that’s practically throwing off sparks—just what the doctor ordered.…

Be careful when charging your cell phone. Lithium-ion batteries—the kind used in at least 2 billion consumer devices worldwide— can release dozens of toxic gases if they overheat. Scientists tested nearly 20,000 batteries, heating them to the point of combustion, which caused the gases to be emitted. Even though the tests took place in a lab, batteries can be exposed to harmful heat in the real world, too (if they overheat or get damaged, for example). Since fully charged batteries in the study released more gases than batteries that were at 50%, the researchers recommend charging your phone to slightly less than 100% each time.…

“Sit comfortably with your eyes closed and visualize your headache. What does it look like? What color and shape is it? Maybe it’s a taut elastic band or a metal ring. Maybe it’s a hammer banging against your skull. Whatever you see, change it. Change the shape, change the color. If it feels hard, make it soft. If it’s tight, let it become looser. Breathe deep and imagine you’re breathing away any remaining pain. Feel the pain flow out of you.” Can’t Get That Song Out of Your Head? We’ve all had the experience: You hear a song on the radio and then it repeats in your brain, over and over. It’s called an earworm, and British scientists say they’ve discovered traits the most egregious earworms have in common. Those…

MAKEOVER OF THE MONTH CHRISTINE SZPYNDA Age 45 Pounds lost 16 Inches lost 21.75 With three teens and a full-time job at a financial services company, Szpynda was looking for a simple way to lose the weight for good. “I’d tell myself I’d start working out on Monday, and then it would be Wednesday and I still hadn’t done anything. It was a depressing cycle.” Now she does an easy 10-minute toning routine once a day, and she’s cleaned up her diet with 10-minute meals. “We need to value ourselves,” she says. “What we eat and how we move are important, even when we’re busy.” Her favorite meal and move are at right. MOVE OF THE MONTH Scissors Try this simple Fit in 10 move to gently firm and flatten…

Ian Kerner, PhD, is a licensed psychotherapist and a nationally recognized sexuality counselor I OFTEN MEET with men affected by erectile dysfunction, which is difficulty gaining or maintaining an erection. It is more common than many people think and becomes increasingly prevalent with age: Approximately 40% of men in their 40s experience ED; for men over 70, the percentage is roughly 70%, according to Cleveland Clinic. And it’s not just men who grapple with the condition. I hear many women worry, “Does this mean he’s not attracted to me anymore?” “Is he bored by sex with me?” “Is there something he’s not telling me?” The concerns are understandable—especially considering that men in our culture are often portrayed as walking erections. But the panic that ED frequently triggers in both…

WHY STRESS ZAPS YOUR ZEST The heart-pounding, do-something-now feeling of stress can be beneficial in true emergencies. Every day? Not so much. “When your sympathetic nervous system is revved up and churning out cortisol, you burn more energy than when you’re calm,” says Gerbarg. Stress also makes you irritable, which makes you more likely to see daily events and interactions in a negative light, can cause friction with loved ones, and may leave you feeling worn out. Instant stress reducer: Close your eyes, slow your breath, and imagine the feeling of love you have for someone close to you. Revel in the sensation for 30 to 60 seconds. Break Free from Worry with Self-Compassion If your mind is caught in an exhausting cycle of worry and rumination, practicing self-compassion is…

Rhea Boldman of Chicago should have been glowing. The 63-year-old took great care of herself—staying slim, exercising, and slathering on much-touted skin creams like La Mer that cost hundreds of dollars per jar. Instead, her skin was looking old, dull, and wrinkly, with little itchy dry patches and fine lines that deepened when she smiled. Distressed and wanting to look her best for an upcoming wedding, Boldman consulted a dermatologist, who told her that the silky, heavenly scented creams she splurged on were doing her skin no favors. “I’ve learned that a lot of products make claims they can’t deliver on,” says Boldman, who now has the radiant complexion she wanted, thanks to her dermatologist’s recommendations about changing her skin care regimen. While it’s true that skin produces less oil…

WHILE MAKING art by yourself reduces stress, creativity with a partner may bring true happiness. Some therapists use drawing, painting, and sculpture to help couples resolve conflicts, says Erin King-West, art therapy department chair at Phillips Graduate University. “When you’re drawing, especially if you’re not an artist, feelings come out on paper that you don’t expect,” she says, which might spur a deep discussion. Making art together can also add joy and a playful note to a relationship even if you’re not trying to work out problems, she adds. If a blank page seems overwhelming, try a more structured activity, like coloring the page at right, designed to allow two people to create at the same time. Show Us Your Art Send us a picture of your finished page…

Last month, we invited you to join our #SpreadTheHealth Healthy Habits Challenge by committing to simple changes for 1 week. Now we welcome the hosts of the CBS series The Talk, who will take on their own weekly challenges and share their experiences. Tune in to the show (weekdays at 2 PM ET, 1 PM CT/PT) throughout the rest of January and visit prevention.com/spreadthehealth to see their results, and share yours with us socially using #SpreadTheHealth! SPREAD THE HEALTH “I want to grow and change in multiple areas of my life in 2017, so I’m planning to take on all the challenges of my fellow hosts.” Sheryl Underwood “My mom has always been a constant in my life. I’m going to call and talk to her every day.” Julie Chen…

1lb How much more seafood the average American ate in 2015 than the year before Happy News for SAD People DOCTORS GENERALLY treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD)—a type of depression that typically strikes in winter when levels of natural light are low—with antidepressant drugs or light boxes that mimic sunlight. Now research suggests that a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy called CBT-SAD may be just as helpful. The treatment helps patients restructure their thoughts about winter. Instead of fixating on hating cold weather, for example, they’re directed to imagine fun wintertime activities. University of Vermont researchers found that light therapy and CBT-SAD are equally effective during an acute episode of depression, but people treated with CBT-SAD were coping better after 1 year. For more information, visit adaa.org/finding-help/treatment/therapy.…

WHEN THE MERCURY plummets, your chance of having a heart attack rises, says cardiologist Lawrence Phillips, an assistant professor at NYU Langone Medical Center. Here, a few precautions to lower your risk: 1 Keep body temperature stable when going indoors and out. If you get too cold, blood vessels constrict, raising blood pressure. “Find a comfortable temperature and try to keep it constant,” advises Phillips. 2 Don’t be a “winter warrior” and attack snow shoveling or other vigorous outdoor activities if you haven’t previously been active. Only shovel at a normal level of daily exertion for you. 3 If you take heart meds, check your supply in advance of a storm. Says Phillips, “Knowing that the weather can change quickly, don’t wait until the last day of your prescription to…

CHANCES ARE, if you’re a woman reading this, you have—or had— uterine fibroids, since up to 80% of women of childbearing age develop them (the fibroids shrink and often disappear after menopause). Uterine fibroids are noncancerous tumors made of muscle and fibrous tissue growing abnormally in a woman’s uterus. While hormones play an important role in the development of fibroids, genetics is also involved. Women whose mother or sisters have had fibroids are at higher risk. And research has found that some genes involved in fibroid development are passed from father to daughter, too. Most fibroids cause no symptoms at all, and women may only find out they have them during a routine pelvic exam or prenatal ultrasound. The safest way to treat these fibroids is to not treat them…

It feels like the mammograms you’ve had before, squished breasts and all. But a 3-D scan has the potential to transform mammography by identifying more cancers early and avoiding some of the false-positive scares of the typical 2-D version. “Today, breast cancer screening centers are adopting this method even faster than the conversion from film to digital mammography that took place in the 2000s,” says Liane Philpotts, a professor of radiology and biomedical imaging and chief of breast imaging at Yale School of Medicine. A Visual History of Breast Screening Early mammograms were really just glorified chest x-rays (top left). We’ve come a long way since then. Although 3-D mammography—or tomosynthesis, the technical name— received FDA approval back in 2011, many screening facilities have just recently installed their first machines.…

DRINK UP Research shows that even mild dehydration can make you feel fatigued. So aim for about 8 glasses of water a day (unsweetened beverages like tea count, too). MAKE DECISIONS LESS DRAINING Chicken or fish? Pants or skirt? Go to the party or stay home? “Each choice requires that you take in and process lots of information, which can be extremely fatiguing,” says Barry Schwartz, professor emeritus of social theory and social action at Swarthmore College. Try these simplifying strategies. Aim for “good enough.” “Instead of looking for the best restaurant or the car with the absolute lowest gas mileage, decide on a few key criteria: a restaurant that serves fish and is within a 15-minute drive or a car that gets 30 miles to the gallon and costs…

Pets try hard to communicate with us, but we don’t always understand them, says Meredith Stepita, a veterinary behaviorist in Dublin, CA: “They show how they’re feeling through body language first, then through vocalization.” Here’s how to decipher what you see and hear. What their tails tell you Don’t assume that your dog’s wagging tail is always a sign of happiness; the reality is a bit more complicated. In one study, researchers found that dogs tended to wag their tails quickly to the right when they saw their owners, a little more slowly to the right when they encountered someone new, and to the left when they were faced with an unfamiliar, dominant dog. Cat tail talk is even more subtle. “An upright tail is probably the clearest way cats…

Maybe chocolate’s not a health food like kale or quinoa, but as Valentine’s Day approaches, it’s helpful to remember that cocoa’s active plant chemicals, called flavanols, help keep your heart healthy by dilating blood vessels and improving blood flow, says professor Jeffrey Blumberg of Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Adding to the list of chocolate’s benefits, scientists now report that eating chocolate once a week cut the risk of diabetes in half, compared with eating it less frequently, possibly due to flavanols’ beneficial effects. For the greatest amount of flavanols, choose dark chocolate with more than 70% cocoa. $2,500 Average annual health care savings for people with heart disease who exercise 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week…

SMOOTHIE OF THE MONTH THE COLD CRUSHER It’s the middle of cold and flu season, and you’ve washed your hands 50 times today. For extra protection, try this immune-boosting treat that blends pear and spinach, which together provide about 25% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. Probioticrich yogurt helps fortify your gut—one of the first lines of defense against pathogens—with health-promoting bacteria. Ginger contains potent anti-inflammatory compounds that help reduce cold and flu symptoms. PEAR-SPINACH SMOOTHIE Blend 1 cup spinach; ¾ cup Greek yogurt; 1 Bartlett pear; 1/4 " piece ginger, peeled and grated; and a handful of ice. NOT YOUR MORNING COFFEE For a new kind of caffeine buzz, try a cup of pu’erh tea, which Shawn Stevenson, author of Sleep Smarter, thinks may be a healthier…

Tieraona Low Dog, MD, is a physician, educator, author, and expert in the fields of integrative medicine and women’s health. SEVERAL HERBS can ease a sore throat, but one of my favorite recipes features just two of them: sage and echinacea, both of which are antibacterial and act as topical anesthetics. Sage is a time-honored remedy for irritation and inflammation of the mouth, throat, and tonsils. I learned about it from my grandmother, who used to have her grandchildren gargle with a cup of sage tea with a pinch of salt whenever we’d get a sore throat. Science supports the herb’s effectiveness, too. One study found that sage worked better than a placebo for relieving a sore throat, while another found that a sage-echinacea throat spray was as effective as…

BLEND ON HIGH FOR 30 TO 60 SECONDS: 2 cups frozen pineapple, 1. cups coconut water, 1 cup firmly packed baby spinach, . cup cilantro, 1/4 cup parsley,1/2 cup fresh lime juice, 1 Tbsp chia seeds, 1 tsp finely grated lime zest, and 1 med fresh or frozen sliced banana. SERVES 2 NUTRITION (per serving) 210 cal, 4 g pro, 48 g carb, 9 g fiber, 29 g sugars, 2.5 g fat, 0.5 g sat fat, 216 mg sodium POWER UP WITH HERBS Most of us think of herbs as food accessories that add a dash of flavor, but they can also bolster your energy. Five of the best: Cinnamon Studies have shown it helps control blood sugar and potentially lowers cholesterol. Sprinkle it on oatmeal or into your morning…

Embrace Monotasking Talking on the phone while following a recipe or responding to a work e-mail, or scrolling through your social feed while your partner tells you about his day, may make you feel like you’re being really productive. But because juggling multiple activities is challenging for your brain, it sucks up more energy and can make you less productive overall. Instead, focus on one activity at a time. If you have a few things that need to be done quickly, allot 10 to 20 minutes for each one. “You’ll get more accomplished, and you’ll also conserve your energy,” says John Trougakos, an associate professor of organizational behavior at the University of Toronto. Standing Sun Breath Step 1. Stand tall with feet hip-distance apart and thigh muscles engaged. Let arms…

Apatient sits in her doctor’s office, discussing her prescription for warfarin, which helps prevent blood clots. She’s already had a heart attack, and the drug is helping fend off a second one. The doctor asks if she’s taking anything else he needs to be aware of. She thinks about her other doctors’ visits but not her trips to the drugstore, where she buys supplements and nonprescription painkillers. She tells her doctor no. This is a common scenario. In one survey of 100 people taking warfarin at a clinic in Salt Lake City, three-fourths were using supplements, most of which were not noted on their charts. Yet many of those supplements could put them at risk of serious interactions. Doctors have long worried about the possible negative effects of mixing prescription…

ANNOUNCING Prevention just got healthier! Your subscription now includes access to: · Premium Digital Content · Weekly Newsletter · Monthly Challenges · Ask an Expert · Magazine Archive and More! Go to www.prevention.com/premium shop.prevention.com Visit the Prevention store for all of your health and wellness needs. From skin care to the latest fitness gear, Prevention’s got you covered! Get Slim & Strong—For Life! Lose weight and tone every zone with our new Fit in 10 plan that combines 10-minute meals with 10 minutes of easy exercise a day. Busy women lost up to 18 pounds and 23 inches in only 8 weeks. Go to www.Fitin10slimandstrong.com Spread The Health Join the Prevention #SpreadTheHealth Challenge and let us help you on your path to a healthier new year! Visit www.prevention.com/spreadthehealth to get…