Indholdsfortegnelse for July 2018 i Prevention

HERE’S A STORY I love to tell about strength (and humility): A couple of summers ago, my mom said to my husband and me, “What’s all this about planks? Everything I read these days is about planks! Can you show me how to do one?” So we dropped to the grass in her yard and huffed and puffed our way through about 30 seconds of planking. Then, ever the helpful daughter and son-in-law, we carefully instructed her on proper form and adjusted her position as she tried out the move. “Like this?” she asked. “Good going, Mom!” I said. But then she said, “That’s it?” without even a hitch in her breath, and my husband and I stared at each other, openmouthed, over the top of her straight back. We…

Metabolic syndrome—a cluster of factors that raises your risk of heart disease and diabetes—affects roughly 34% of U.S. adults. But Brazilian researchers have found something that many of them share: low levels of vitamin D. In a recent study, 58% of participants (all female) with metabolic syndrome were vitamin D deficient. People are considered to have metabolic syndrome if they have at least three risk factors associated with it—waist circumference above 35 inches in women and 40 in men, high blood pressure, high fasting blood sugar, and abnormal levels of triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood) and high cholesterol. Researchers believe the sunshine vitamin somehow influences insulin secretion and sensitivity, which play a major role in development of all these conditions. If you have metabolic syndrome, consider talking…

Sulfates (cleansing agents common in everything from hand soap to shampoo) have been stirring up controversy amid claims they dry out and irritate the skin and scalp and can even fade hair color. This has prompted some consumers to switch to sulfate-free formulas. The real dirt from our in-house experts: Sulfates cleanse quickly and effectively, are proven safe, and, if formulated well, won’t strip natural oils or hair color more than a sulfate-free shampoo or water. Do opt for sulfate-free formulas like L’Oréal Paris EverPure Moisture Shampoo ($8, drugstores) if you’re allergic or have skin or scalp sensitivity.…

The shoes we wear when the weather heats up are among the worst for our feet, but we know: It’s hard to give up style (and the chance to show off that fresh pedicure) for the sake of comfort. That’s why we asked podiatrist Silvia Arroyo, DPM, a Kaiser Permanente foot and ankle specialist in Baldwin Park, CA, to compare your favorite footwear and pick the best options. Flip-Flops vs Slides This one’s a draw. Slides are comfy but awful for your feet—there’s nothing holding them on, which means your toes must constantly grip the base; this can lead to foot, knee, hip, and back issues. Flip-flops aren’t much better support-wise, plus they leave your feet exposed—say ouch about the potential cuts or scrapes. For both, look for a thicker…

Bread Salt is added during baking to stabilize yeast and add flavor, but some packaged loaves are a significant source of sodium, packing more than 100 mg per slice. Look for brands with less than 35 mg a slice. Cereal Some boxes can contain as much as 270 mg of sodium per half cup. Read the nutrition label before buying (pay attention to sugar content too), or opt for a naturally low-salt alternative such as homemade oatmeal. Ketchup With as much as 160 mg per tablespoon in some varieties, a few squeezes can quickly become a sodium bomb. Look for bottles with “low sodium” or “no salt added” on the label. Salad Dressing Store-bought dressing can have as much as 350 mg per 2 Tbsp, especially fat-free or sweeter varieties…

Ready to change your life and body? Start with this beginner-friendly routine from Prevention’s new Fit After 40! DVD program with trainer Natalie Jill. WORKOUT HOW-TO: Perform each exercise for 60 seconds. Do the circuit 3 times. WHAT YOU’LL NEED: A sturdy chair and a yoga mat or carpeted surface 1 AIR CHIN-UPS Targets: Upper back, biceps How to do it: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Extend arms overhead as if grasping a pull-up bar, hands in fists. As you pull both arms down, squeeze shoulder blades together, ending with fists in front of chest. Pause, then reverse the move back to start. Expert tip: Move slowly and squeeze through your arms and back as if you are doing a chin-up. 2 AIR CURL Targets: Biceps How to do it:…

START HERE! Walking to the library? Work in some intervals, says Ingrid Skjong, a trainer in New York City. Speedwalk to a bench or streetlight, then slow down again before racing to another landmark. Doing yard work? Turn it into a friendly competition. Round up some helpers and see who can rake a section first, or pluck the most weeds. Going to the beach? For every 15 minutes you spend lounging, take 5 to play sand hopscotch (as fun as when you were 10, but easier on the knees), make sand angels, or just jump around in the water. Turn the page for other lively ways to enjoy more active time with the people you love—studies also show that sharing fitness with others can help you keep moving instead of…

Dogs will do pretty much anything for you, but if you’ve mostly been hanging out in the yard lately, “build up slowly in duration, intensity, and frequency of exercise,” says Cynthia Otto, DVM, PhD, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. Once you get to a good distance together, sign up for a dog-friendly race! There’s now a database of runs around the country that welcome furry athletes, thanks to the work of health psychologist Bethany D. Lavins-Merillat. Find one near you at runrepeat.com/the-dog-race-database-fido-fitness-and-fun.…

Q I love when you run your Healthy Packaged Food Awards, but when I brought the list to my grocery store, there were ones I couldn’t find! —Leslie Sanderson, Pomona, NY A Thanks for letting us know! Here are a couple that we’ve discovered since then that are easier to find and still fit our original healthy-eating criteria. For a mouthwatering yogurt that doubles as dessert, we love Siggi’s Icelandic-Style Skyr Strained Low-Fat 2% Yogurt in Vanilla & Cinnamon (it’s the ideal companion to a berry parfait). For pita-perfect hummus, try Hope Hummus—we can’t get enough of the Black Garlic flavor! Look for them at major retailers like Whole Foods and Target. FIND EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED ON PREVENTION.COM Our site is easier than ever to navigate, and this summer,…

Obesity raises your risk of certain cancers and may also influence when you might develop them. Now new research by Case Western Reserve University says that nine common cancers (many of which arise later in life) are striking people earlier than has been typical. In 2016, 1 in 10 new breast cancer cases and 1 in 4 new thyroid cancer cases appeared in adults 20-44; one study found that men who were overweight as teens were more likely to develop colon cancer by age 48. Obesity triggers DNA changes that increase cancer risk and alters metabolism and hormone levels to create a cancer-friendly environment. Weight loss may improve prognosis, but researchers say the damage can’t be reversed—so it’s important to try to keep the pounds from piling on in the…

A few sun salutations a day could help women maintain strong muscles. In a study of 15 women, University of Connecticut researchers found that those who regularly practiced yoga had lower body fat and higher muscle mass than non-yogis. (They studied women ages 50 to 65, since a decline in muscle mass and strength is common during this time.) The research suggests that yoga may help slow the rate at which the body breaks down protein, and in turn build healthier muscles. 90 PERCENT THAT’S HOW MUCH LESS LIKELY WOMEN ARE TO DEVELOP DEMENTIA WHEN THEY’RE PHYSICALLY FIT, SAYS A STUDY IN NEUROLOGY.…

Dr. Streicher is an associate clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. EVEN THE MOST healthy, satisfying sex life can be knocked off course by vaginal dryness, whether it’s temporary or long-lasting. Lack of lubrication—and the itching, burning, irritation, and painful intercourse that often follow—can happen for a variety of reasons and at various life stages. It’s a particular problem after menopause, but breastfeeding, chemotherapy, and radiation can each result in cellular damage and low estrogen levels, which in turn sabotage the ability of vaginal tissue to stay lubricated and elastic. And some medications (antihistamines and decongestants, for example) can have a negative impact as well. Too many women, though, suffer silently, not realizing that this is a highly fixable issue. And doctors often…

1 WHAT IS INFLAMMATION—AND IS IT GOOD OR BAD FOR YOUR BODY? Inflammation can be your best friend—or your worst enemy. Let’s say you sprain your wrist: The swelling and tenderness signal that your immune system is doing its job, and remind you to stay away from tennis till your injury heals. Same when you slice your finger instead of the bagel, or when your appendix becomes infected. What’s happening is that your immune cells travel to the injury and summon chemicals and proteins called cytokines to attack the problem. Blood flow increases and white blood cells swarm the injured or infected area to begin the healing process; because fluid comes along with those cells, the area becomes swollen. This is an acute inflammatory response, and it’s needed for good…

Five years ago, Johanna Bond went out to dinner with friends who were visiting her in Rochester, NY. As they chatted, Bond, a licensed mental health counselor, nibbled on an ordinary appetizer—garlic bread dipped in marinara sauce. But suddenly, her gums tingled. Her throat tightened. She became nauseated and began to shake. In a panic, Bond called her mother, a former emergency room nurse. Her quick response: Get to a hospital now. You’re having an allergic reaction. At the hospital, doctors treated Bond with Benadryl, which she’d also taken on the way at her mother’s urging, and kept her there under observation for four hours. At a follow-up doctor’s appointment, tests showed that Bond, now 29, was allergic to chile pepper, an ingredient in the marinara sauce, as well as…

Dance Party What you’ll need: Music; speakers How to play: Ask each person to pick a song for your dance party playlist. You could just dance your way through it, but give it a twist by letting each person be the “exercise DJ” when his or her song comes on. The job entails shouting out dance moves for everybody to try (“The twist!” “Plié!”). Come up with some creative ones before you start, like mimicking a mermaid or walking like a bear, and you’ll be laughing too—great for the core! The Amazing (Family) Race What you’ll need: Pen and paper; a timer; a quiet playground with a variety of “stations” (monkey bars, rings, a slide, a bench) or DIY obstacles such as cones and jump ropes How to play: Set…

Excess weight may do damage to a surprising body part: the tongue. Studies have found that putting on pounds can affect how people taste food by lowering their sensitivity to flavor. But new research in PLOS Biology suggests it may have an even bigger impact—obese mice actually had fewer taste buds than regular-weight ones. Scientists think the buildup of inflammation-triggering fatty tissue kills taste bud cells faster than they can regenerate. Researchers hope the findings will lead to new treatments for obese people struggling to taste. MORE THAN 1 IN 3 U.S. ADULTS ARE OBESE.…

More evidence that it pays to get your blood pumping, even for just a few minutes: Any amount of time spent engaging in moderate-to-vigorous exercise contributes to a reduced risk of premature death, says new research on more than 4,800 adults in the Journal of the American Heart Association. Experts still recommend 30 minutes of exercise a day (or 150 minutes a week), but these findings show that it’s fine to break that up into small chunks—think powering up a few flights of stairs or taking a brisk lunchtime walk. Researchers say these findings could change how doctors recommend activity to their patients, since it may seem less daunting (and more convenient!) to work out in several shorter sessions versus one longer one. Water Safety 101 In 2016, more than…

1 Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet on medium. $0.24 2 Brown ½ lb 99% fat-free ground turkey, 1 chopped onion, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl. $3.50 3 Mix 1 chopped plum tomato and 2 Tbsp dill relish into the turkey. $0.56 4 Wipe out skillet. Whisk 2 eggs together with a pinch of pepper, add to skillet, and cook on medium, covered, for 2 minutes. $1.13 5 Spoon ¼ of turkey mixture on half of the egg and sprinkle with 1 Tbsp grated extra-sharp Cheddar. $0.27 6 Fold the other half over the filling and cook until the cheese melts. Repeat with additional eggs and cheese, plus remaining filling, to make 4 omelets. Total: $5.70 NUTRITION (per serving): 262…

It had been weeks since Tina Willis had gotten a good night’s sleep. All the tossing and turning left her with a familiar feeling of dread: Years ago she had suffered a debilitating bout of insomnia, and she knew that if she didn’t do something, she’d find herself back at that same sleepless place. So the 48-year-old, Orlando-based personal injury lawyer looked around for a doctor in her area who could get her answers. After consulting a few physician review sites, she clicked on a link for one general practitioner who saw patients with sleep issues and had the highest rating possible—five stars. Willis booked an appointment, but the visit didn’t exactly go as she’d hoped. “I thought we would talk about ways I could change my diet, my exercise, my…

When someone lies to a restaurant server about having an allergy, it’s a disservice to both the staff and those with true food allergies, says Naba Sharif, MD, an allergist at the Asthma, Allergy & Sinus Center in Waldorf, MD. Allergy protocols in restaurants typically require resanitizing already clean utensils and plates and preparing food in an isolated area of the kitchen. “If many customers claim to have food allergies who actually don’t, it gives the cooks less incentive to be so precise, and the risk to those with allergies becomes greater,” Dr. Sharif says. If you simply want to avoid certain ingredients, say so. Most restaurants will accommodate you because they want you to keep coming back. Those who do have food allergies can follow these tips to stay…

Schedule it Choose one day each week to get moving and make a standing appointment in your calendars, says Kailey Snyder, an exercise science doctoral candidate at the University of Nebraska Omaha. You can decide together what to do, but it’s remarkable how much harder it is to bail when it’s written down in black and white. Do what you like to do “Some family members might think they’re not the active type, but that just means you haven’t found the right thing,” Snyder says. If your spouse would rather read books than play ball, try walking through a zoo, botanical garden, or museum. Let your work pay off Set a fitness goal—like going for a walk once a week for two months—and reward yourselves with a kayak rental this…