Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2017 i Prevention

I lIke few activities better than a walk in the woods before the trees are completely bare here in the Northeast. But if you’re like me, as the days become shorter, you may find yourself wanting to hole up and nest, trying to avoid going dark as the days get darker. This year, if I sense that happening, I’ll do two things. First, I’ll get a new light box, which can help combat seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression that often occurs when light diminishes in the late fall and winter. A mild form of SAD may afflict up to 20% of the population, women more often than men. The bright light from the box mimics outdoor light and lifts my mood, though my device is a contraption from…

MORE THAN 70% of US citizens regularly experience stress-related physical or psychological symptoms such as fatigue, headaches, and irritability. Analysts at WalletHub, a personal finance website, ranked 150 major US cities from most to least stressed, based on residents’ health, finances, and employment status, as well as factors like divorce and suicide rates. The most stressed city: Newark, NJ. Least stressed: Fremont, CA. The city with the highest percentage of adults in “fair/poor health”: Corpus Christi, TX. Lowest percentage: San Jose, CA. Las Vegas, Henderson, and North Las Vegas, NV, get the fewest hours of sleep. LEAST STRESSED 1 Fremont, ca 2 plano, tx 3 overland park, kS 4 ScottSdale, az 5 Sioux FallS, Sd MOST STRESSED 1 newark, nJ 2 detroit, mi 3 cleveland, oH 4 JackSon, mS 5…

serves 4 In large skillet, warm 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. $0.25 Add 1 onion, diced, and 1 green bell pepper, diced. Cook until softened, 2 minutes. $2.54 Add . lb Italian turkey sausage (casings removed). Cook until no longer pink, 5 minutes. $7.89 Stir in 1 lg sweet potato, grated, and . tsp black pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. $1.55 Top with ? cup shredded mozzarella and cover until melted, 2 minutes. $1.24 Sprinkle with . cup chopped parsley and serve. $0.21 Total: $13.68 NUTRITION (per serving) 316 cal, 19 g pro, 28 g carb, 5 g fiber, 8 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 15 g fat, 1.5 g sat fat, 58 mg chol, 672 mg sodium A BETTER MILK You might not…

IndIgestIon and bloating, even if they’re not serious, can ruin your day —and even interfere with your enjoyment of life. Dinner out becomes a challenge, and just lounging on the couch can be uncomfortable if you’re feeling overly full, sluggish, or nauseated. For occasional stomach woes, bitter herbs—such as angelica, burdock, dandelion, and gentian—can help by gently increasing the secretion of digestive enzymes and stomach acid. These herbs are especially effective when consumed—in a salad or as a tea or tonic—before a meal. You can purchase traditional bitter herb blends or make your own tonic with my recipe at right. Other herbs, such as fennel, are carminatives, meaning they help combat intestinal gas and bloating. Many Indian restaurants offer candied fennel seeds for freshening breath and aiding digestion. Other carminative…

DEMENTIA IS ASNEURO IMPAIRMENT, including memory problems, that interferes with the activities of daily life and eventually prevents sufferers from being able to live on their own. And while there are several different diseases and conditions that can cause cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s is by far the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60 to 80% of cases. An estimated 5 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s, and the number is expected to triple over the next 20 years as the population ages. But unlike diseases such as diabetes and cancer, Alzheimer’s has no single, definitive medical test that can lead to a diagnosis. Complicating the issue is the fact that many medical conditions besides Alzheimer’s can cause brain fog and memory loss. And while there is no cure…

HOW CAN I FIND A DOCTOR WHO USES IT? there’s no clearinghouse for physicians who use light therapy, so your best bet is to ask your doctor for a referral or search online to find one in your area. HOW CAN I JOIN A CLINICAL TRIAL? visit clinicaltrials.gov. you can search by health condition or by using “light therapy” as a keyword. clicking on a study title will bring up eligibility criteria. HOW DO I KNOW WHICH PRODUCT TO CHOOSE? hundreds of devices that use light therapy are available online, so plan to do some reading. the best products will typically provide extensive information about the research, development, and science behind them. look for the phrase “medical-grade technology,” and expect a steep price tag. “don’t go for the one you…

After age 40, everything changes, including which foods, exercises, supplements, and habits are optimal for your mind and body. that’s where Prevention’s Love Your Age plan comes in. this 21-day program will help you revamp every part of your life: nourish yourself with meals that truly satisfy. Ditch belly bloat. Flaunt your curves. Get silky soft skin. Stop focusing on wrinkles. Heat things up in the bedroom. reset your mind, body, and spirit! Fall back in love with your age, your body, and your life. Learn more at Prevention.com/ LoveYourAge.…

YOUR MINDFUL DAY I have a glass coffee percolator. the only sound it makes is a gentle blupblup as it turns clear water to deep brown and ordinary kitchen air to fragrant aromas. I can’t walk away from it like a drip machine; I have to pay attention. pouring my coffee into a glass mug, I marvel at how the cream transforms it again. It’s a perfect mindfulness meditation. Michele Bartlett / Littleton, Co practicing mindfulness is something I do along with taking melatonin and engaging in exercise. We really have to take care of our bodies and be good to ourselves! Marlene Lerner-Bigley / Martinez, Ca HARD TO SWALLOW I have an assortment of supplements that I use to bolster my immune system during high stress or acute illness.…

IN A RECENT POLL of nearly 700 surgeons and surgical residents, 90% said they use music as a sound track in the operating room. The most popular genre? Classic rock, such as “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses and “Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin, according to the survey, conducted by music streaming service Spotify and health care app Figure 1. Pop tunes came in second, followed by classical, jazz, and R&B. “Music calms the nerves and improves staff morale,” said one surgeon. Said another, “It can keep the room mellow and at other times pick up the pace.” Most respondents noted that the staff makes sure to turn down the volume during crucial moments in the operation. Find these beauty items at shopprevention.com. beauty by natuRe looking…

1YOGA FOR BRAIN HEALTH New studies presented at the American Psychological Association’s annual convention found clear benefits from yoga. In one, brain scans of women ages 60 and over who practiced yoga at least twice a week for an average of 15 years showed more activity in the prefrontal cortex (associated with attention and memory), compared with a control group of women who never practiced yoga. The researchers said this suggested that yoga could protect against age-related cognitive decline. Another study indicated that two yoga sessions a week may help decrease symptoms of depression. 21-MINUTE MEDITATION Feeling stressed? Place right index and middle fingers on center of right eyebrow, and place thumb on right nostril and other fingers on left nostril. Take a deep breath in, close right nostril with…

move of the month Rainbow Side Bend T his move activates obliques to sculpt a strong, lean physique. In addition to targeting your core, it will improve your posture and stability. TRY IT loop resistance band around forearms with palms facing each other, then stand tall with feet hip-width apart and extend arms overhead. keeping sides of body long, reach up and over to right; you should feel a stretch on the left side of your body and a crunch on the right. Return to center and repeat on opposite side. Continue alternating sides for 30 seconds. Do 2 sets 3 times a week. MAKEOVER OF THE MONTH MARISA OZER Age 38 pounds lost 11 Inches lost 18 Despite eating well and exercising regularly, physical education teacher Marisa Ozer couldn’t…

Warts are caused by human papillomavirus, a family of viruses with more than 100 different strains that can affect both genital and nongenital areas of the body. Roughly 60% of these strains trigger nongenital warts, often on hands and feet. The virus amplifies the output of tissuegenerating cells, which produce thick, knobby growths. The immune system generally keeps HPV in check during adulthood, but as immunity decreases with age, warts may become more common. The growths often clear up on their own, but since HPV is transmissible and the warts can spread, it’s best to deal with them as soon as they’re visible. 7-12 Percentage of people in the world who have nongenital warts PREVENTIVE MEASURES 1 Skin care Keeping your skin healthy prevents damage that may allow HPV an…

BEN AND Shelly* came to see me for help with Ben’s dwindling sex drive. Until about a year ago, the 58-year-old had seemed to be constantly “in the mood.” But now he’d rather watch TV or take a nap. When I explained to the couple that numerous factors can affect sexual desire, they told me a dip in libido wasn’t the only problem. “I toss and turn at night, and I’m pretty cranky,” Ben said. “I’ve even put on some weight.” To Shelly, these changes seemed awfully familiar. “If I didn’t know better,” she joked, “I’d say my husband is going through menopause.” Shelly was onto something. The concept of “male menopause” is controversial among clinicians, in part because there’s no clear sign for it, as there is for women…

1 KNOW THE SIGNS most memory lapses are signs of normal aging. but the Alzheimer’s Association flags these cognitive problems as reasons to see a specialist for an evaluation: • memory loss that disrupts daily life, including forgetting just-learned information and important dates or events • trouble following plans, such as cooking from a recipe or keeping track of monthly bills • Difficulty with tasks that were previously familiar, such as driving to work or playing a favorite game • Losing track of time, days, or seasons • Forgetting where you are or how you got there • Using incorrect words or having trouble following conversations • Losing things because you put them in unusual places (for instance, putting keys in the oven) • changes in mood and personality, such…

ULTRAVIOLET A • studies show UVa to be the most effective light treatment for severe eczema. NARROW BAND ULTRAVIOLET B • UVB may help treat psoriasis, vitiligo, and other inflammatory skin conditions. FULL SPECTRUM • Full-spectrum light boxes (minus the UV rays) may help alleviate seasonal affective disorder. BLUE LIGHT • studies show it can effectively kill the antibioticresistant form of Staphylococcus aureus. BLUE LIGHT PHOTODYNAMIC • this treats actinic keratoses, skin patches that may become cancerous. YELLOW LIGHT • it cuts down on skin redness and possibly helps with rosacea. RED LIGHT • red light is FdA approved for treating chronic pain and may help with wound healing. NEAR-INFRARED LIGHT • studies show that it penetrates the skin to help with brain injuries, chronic inflammation, dementia, and more.…

BP: HOW LOW IS TOO LOW? About 75 million American adults have high blood pressure, and many take medication to lower it. standard meds work to drop the top number, systolic pressure, which measures the pressure when the heart contracts. Doctors typically don’t worry about the lower figure, diastolic pressure, which represents your BP between heartbeats. But scientists are now examining diastolic pressure below 80 mm Hg after several studies linked numbers between 60 and 69 mm Hg to an increased risk of heart disease and death. If you take BP meds and have a diastolic reading below 60, talk to a doctor about adjusting your prescription, says Paul Conlin, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical school. THE CASE FOR MICROFIBER A recent lab test finds that cotton towels…

88% Percentage of Americans who eat turkey on Thanksgiving BRAIN the sluggishness you might feel may not be caused by the turkey’s tryptophan, contrary to what you might have been told. you feel fatigued because “digestion takes work, and a big meal is harder to break down,” says nutritionist keri gans. STOMACH a large meal can cause bloating, nausea, heartburn, or indigestion, especially if you collapse on the couch after eating. “lying flat increases the likelihood of heartburn,” says susan chapman, clinical nutrition manager at piedmont healthcare. BLOOD supersize portions and sugary dishes like cranberry sauce and pies cause blood sugar levels and insulin production to ramp up and levels of triglycerides (fats in the blood) to rise. HEART eating one large high-fat meal causes stiffening of the arteries and…

IF YOU’RE diagnosed with osteopenia, it means your bone mineral density is lower than normal but not low enough to be classified as osteoporosis, a condition in which the bones are prone to fracture. Unlike osteoporosis, which affects 10 million American men and women, osteopenia is not a disease; it’s a precondition that suggests osteoporosis may develop in the future, much the way a diagnosis of prediabetes is a warning that someone is at risk of developing type 2 diabetes if preventive measures aren’t taken. Women are much more likely to be diagnosed with osteopenia than men are, in part because bone loss speeds up during the hormonal changes of menopause. For both sexes, beginning in middle age, bone is reabsorbed into the body faster than new bone is made.…

ANIMALS, LIKE humans, get sick sometimes and need antibiotics to cure their ailments. These drugs, such as penicillin and tetracycline, also help prevent disease on large, crowded factory farms. More than half a century ago, livestock farmers learned something else: Daily administration of antibiotics could help animals gain more weight, raising profits. But this antibiotic overuse came with a dangerous side effect: It made the drugs increasingly ineffective. Continually giving animals antibiotics that are used to treat humans increases the risk that bacteria living in those animals—such as E. coli and salmonella—will mutate and spread as superbugs that infect humans but don’t respond to antibiotics. FDA research shows that these resistant bacteria, most often contracted by people in health care settings such as nursing homes and hospitals, are sometimes present…

1 IT MAY BE ONE OF THE most popular words of the millennium: superfood. Between 2011 and 2015, the number of product labels containing the words superfood, superfruit, or supergrain increased by over 200% worldwide. But these terms aren’t regulated, and many superfood benefits aren’t proven. While the latest trendy foods seem to have a health halo, those that experts consistently recommend have always been in plain sight. “You don’t need fancy or expensive foods,” says Diane Vizthum, a research dietitian at Johns Hopkins University. The everyday foods on our list are packed with nutrients known to help prevent or alleviate health conditions. Stock your kitchen for a longer, healthier life. LOWER CHOLESTEROL Artichoke One cooked artichoke has a significant amount of soluble fiber—important for lowering cholesterol. “Soluble fiber creates a…