Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2019 i Prevention

I ALWAYS LIKED running best when I was alone and it was quiet. Chitchat and music were not for me. When my dog was younger, she came along, but she kept to herself. Recently, I decided to tackle a 15K race—that’s over nine miles—and I needed to do increasingly long runs on weekends. My son, who is 6, loves his bike and his Saturday Mom time, so I found myself with what I’d been avoiding for years: a chatty running partner. He was happy to shoulder the bulk of the conversation, though, with complicated stories and extra-loud singing. Spoiler alert: I loved his company. Still, I hung on to the core of what I loved about running: It’s fuss-free. I could put on my shoes and go; I didn’t need…

A video game might be exactly what kids need. Digital treatment embedded in a game called Project: EVO helped kids with a dual diagnosis of autism and ADHD focus better, both during the game and after completing it, according to a small study in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. About half of children who receive both diagnoses don’t respond as well to ADHD medications, meaning they often deal with impairments in memory, attention, and goal-reaching; this may make day-to-day life a struggle. The video game was designed by Akili Interactive with researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and a larger follow-up study is planned.…

Visits to a museum or the theater may help ward off the blues. A study of about 2,000 adults over age 50 in the British Journal of Psychiatry found that making regular trips to cultural attractions—movies, museums, concerts, plays—every few months was associated with a 32% lower risk of developing depression, and doing this at least once a month bumped that risk reduction to 48%. These types of outings combine social interaction, creativity, mental stimulation, and light physical activity, which researchers think all work together to support mental health. “Just as we have a ‘five-a-day’ rule for fruit and vegetable consumption, we should also plan regular cultural activities into our lives,” says Daisy Fancourt, senior research fellow at University College London. 1 LOW BACK PAIN IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE…

The trendy substitute for dairy in your latte is now being stirred into haircare products. “Oat milk has been shown to have anti-inflammatory benefits for skin,” says pharmacologist and hair expertThomas Dawson, Ph.D. For your scalp, reducing inflammation (signs of which include irritation and itching) may even help minimize hair loss. “Oat milk is also rich in protein and lipids, which can add smoothness, shine, and strength to strands,” he explains. For the most effective results, try a preformulated product. PREVENTION PICKS SOOTHING SHAMPOO Garnier Whole Blends Gentle Oat Milk & Rice Cream Extracts Shampoo, $4.50, drugstores NOURISHING TREATMENT Aveeno Oat Milk Blend Overnight Oats Hair Mask, $9, Walgreens…

50% of adults experience insomnia at least occasionally, and 10% have chronic insomnia; it’s twice as common in women as in men. Ever have a night when you just can’t drift off to sleep? This is a form of insomnia, but it’s different from the chronic kind, clinically defined as three sleepless nights a week for three or more months straight. Sporadic—also known as acute—insomnia can be just as pesky, caused by things like stress, anxiety, poor sleep habits, an out-of-sync body clock, and even fretting over your lack of zzz’s. This can lead to next-day symptoms such as fatigue, impaired memory, and moodiness. “Almost everybody has a bad night now and then, but the right circumstances can help sleep happen,” says Nathaniel Watson, M.D., codirector of the University of…

HEADACHES Drink a cup of coffee at the first twinge. It may help by constricting the enlarged blood vessels causing the throbbing. Also try a cold pack on your forehead or on the back of your neck. Tension headache? A scalp or temple massage could ease pain. MENSTRUAL CRAMPS Get exercise—even if only a brisk walk—to ease the discomfort of cramps. (Thank you, pain-busting endorphins.) Heating pads or reheatable wraps can relax the muscles that cause cramps as well. MUSCLE STRAINS AND SPRAINS Follow the RICE method for relief: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Ice a new sore spot for 15 minutes every couple of hours to bring down inflammation (swelling equals pain), then wrap it with a bandage and elevate the injury above your heart so that gravity won’t…

Fun fact: Stretch marks are a type of scar. When skin is stretched or wounded, new collagen fibers form at the stressed spots as part of the healing process, leaving marks behind. There’s no surefire way to prevent stretch marks and other scars, and they’re diffcult to get rid of entirely, says Rebecca Baxt, M.D., a dermatologist in New Jersey. Some remedies, however, promise to reduce their size or appearance or to erase them altogether. We’ve fleshed out how well these actually work. TOPICALS WHAT THEY ARE: Available online and in drugstores, creams, body oils, serums, and silicone gel sheets claim that their active ingredients will shrink scars or prevent and fade stretch marks. WHAT WE KNOW: The data is inconclusive, and study results are mixed. “Research has failed to…

MAGIC SQUARES Insert the numbers from 1 through 9 so that the sum of the numbers in each row, column, and diagonal is the same. For this one, arrange the first nine even numbers into the square so each row, column, and diagonal adds up to the same number. WHO’S TALLER? SIX FRIENDS ARE ALL DIFFERENT HEIGHTS. JILL IS SHORTER THAN LUCY, DANIELLE IS SHORTER THAN SAM, AND CHRISTINE IS SHORTER THAN ALEX. LUCY AND SAM ARE SHORTER THAN CHRISTINE. LUCY IS SHORTER THAN DANIELLE. WHO IS THE TALLEST AND THE SHORTEST? JUMBLE Unscramble the words below (things you’ll find in this issue of Prevention!) and then use the letters in green to discover what we’re all about. PICTURE PATTERN Which image should come next in the sequence? ANSWERS: Magic…

VITAMIN IV DRIP Intravenous drips filled with vitamins promise to provide an energy boost or cure a hangover. How? The theory is that you absorb the nutrients better than if you were to eat them or pop a pill. OUR TAKE: SKIP IT! Getting an IV when you don’t need it (and you should need it only during a true medical problem) is an unnecessary risk—it may cause bleeding, infection, or blood clots. Plus, are you really clamoring to get stuck with a needle for fun? Probably not! WHITEN TEETH WITH GUM If you’ve heard that chewing a few pieces of gum after eating or drinking is the secret to getting bright pearly whites, you probably think it sounds too good to be true. Is it? OUR TAKE: TRY IT!…

Jutting your head forward to get a closer look at your computer screen is like hanging 45 pounds from your neck, according to a new small study by San Francisco State University researchers. Tilting your head forward at a 45-degree angle or scrunching closer to see tightens neck and upper back muscles, which can lead to pain in those regions, headaches, and eye pain. “If you do have to tilt like this, minimize the risk of discomfort by doing this every few minutes: Sit up, wiggle, take a breath, look at something in the distance, then go back to work,” says Erik Peper, Ph.D., study author and professor at the Institute for Holistic Health Studies.…

29 PERCENT THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO ADMIT TO LYING ABOUT OR EXAGGERATING THEIR WORKOUT ACCOMPLISHMENTS, according to a survey by Bowflex. Evening exercise isn’t the sleep killer it was once made out to be, according to a new study review by sleep researchers at ETH Zurich. They found that working out with moderate effort within four hours before going to bed was actually associated with slightly more time spent in a deep sleep phase. The exception was vigorous or high-intensity evening activity, which one preliminary study concluded did impair sleep quality, possibly because people’s heart rates didn’t have enough time to return to normal. Wondering what counts as moderate exercise? We asked experts for insight: “The goal is to focus on movements that won’t spike your heart rate but…

Yes! It’s not all in your head: Anxiety can show up on your face. “When you’re stressed, your levels of the hormones cortisol and adrenaline skyrocket, creating an inflammatory cascade in your body that can have a slew of side effects, including aggravating skin conditions like acne, rosacea, and eczema,” says Amy Wechsler, M.D., dermatologist, psychiatrist, and adjunct assistant professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. “The redness from those is bad enough, but it turns out that chronic stress—consistently heightened levels for a few weeks or months—can cause an increase in lines as well as decreased skin elasticity (which can prompt sagging). But not to worry: There are easy solutions for both inside and out. FIND MORE CALM IN YOUR DAY PRIORITIZE SLEEP “Getting seven and a half…

1 The Lymphatic Road Trip • Think of your lymphatic system as a highway of one-way lanes (lymphatic vessels) on which fluid full of immune cells is pushed through your torso, limbs, and extremities. • Along the way are 600 “tollbooths”—pea-size, bean-shaped glands called lymph nodes that house more disease-fighting cells. • Where does the fluid called lymph come from? Your lymphatic system runs alongside your circulatory system—each time your blood finishes one lap throughout the body, 1% of its fluid is left behind in your tissues. This is absorbed by nearby lymph capillaries and becomes lymph, which then does its own lap through the body via the lymphatic vessels. • While on the move, lymph’s immune cells scan for intruders. When your body detects a threat—a bacterium or a…

CLASSIC To each of four 16-oz jars, add ½ cup old-fashioned oats, 1Tbsp chia seeds, 1Tbsp honey, and ⅔ cup milk or unsweetened plant-based milk. Cover and shake to combine. Refrigerate overnight. Makes 4. NUTRITION (per serving): 365 cal, 12 g pro, 57 g carb, 8 g fiber, 26 g sugars (17 g added sugars), 11.5 g fat (4 g sat fat), 16 mg chol, 75 mg sodium PB&J Make Classic Chia Pudding.To serve, stir in 1Tbsp peanut butter per jar and top each with 1Tbsp strawberry jam and sliced strawberries. NUTRITION (per serving): 530 cal, 16 g pro, 76 g carb, 10 g fiber, 40.5 g sugars (27.5 g added sugars), 19.5 g fat (5 g sat fat), 16 mg chol, 125 mg sodium BLUEBERRY-COCONUT Make Classic Chia Pudding,…

Lots of parents have nagging worries about children and screen time, and while it’s true that too much isn’t good for their eyes, brains, or moods, phones and computers are a fact of life. Here’s how to balance that reality with keeping kids safe. We need our child to have a smartphone so we can stay connected. How can I make sure she uses it responsibly? If you’ve decided she’s mature enough to take on the responsibility (don’t forget, there are phones that text and call but don’t go online!), discuss how media fits into your lives. What do you expect her to use it for? What else does she want it for, and is that worth considering? Create a contract that spells it all out—including consequences. “Ask kids what…

Did you switch from hot coffee to cold brew because you’d heard it was lower in acidity and would be easier on your stomach? You might want to reconsider your order. Researchers atThomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia tested hot and cold brew coffee samples and found that their pH levels were comparable, meaning the chilled variety (which differs from traditional iced coffee in that it’s actually brewed with cold water) probably doesn’t do much to alleviate coffee-induced gastrointestinal distress. If java messes with your tummy, “drink smaller amounts of it, try decaf, or systematically eliminate extras such as sweeteners to figure out if it’s coffee or your add-ins that are causing problems,” suggests William D. Chey, M.D., professor of gastroenterology and nutrition at Michigan Medicine.…

Take a (spring) break from your go-to floral fragrance. The newest bottled “bouquets” are sprouting herbs from your backyard garden like basil, sage, and coriander (a.k.a. cilantro), for a clean, crisp effect. BASIL The peppery basil in Jo Malone London Lime Basil & Mandarin Cologne ($68, jomalone.com) is balanced with a refreshing splash of mandarin. SAGE Earthy sage and green tea blend with uplifting grapefruit in Viktor & Rolf Magic Sage Spell ($190, Sephora). CORIANDER Maison Margiela Replica Under the Lemon Trees ($126, Sephora) is a zesty unisex mix of coriander, citrus, and woodsy cypress. THE NUMBER OF WEEKS IT TAKES ON AVERAGE TO SEE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COMPLEXION FROM THE USE OF SKINCARE PRODUCTS, according to the Good Housekeeping…

Cottage Cheese “Yogurt gets a lot of attention, but at 13 g of protein per ½ cup, cottage cheese deserves some of the limelight,” Moore says. She suggests drizzling with olive oil and topping with fresh basil or pesto and tomatoes for a savory snack. Nutritional Yeast It has a nutty or cheesy taste, and just 2 Tbsp contains 4 g of protein and only 30 calories. “Sprinkle on popcorn or roasted veggies for a flavorful and nutritious punch,” says Moore. Hemp Seeds This buzzy superfood packs 10 g of protein into 3 Tbsp. “Add nutty hemp seeds to smoothies for extra protein and healthy fats, or use to top a salad,” Moore says. Lentils If you’re a fan of beans, don’t forget lentils! There are 12 g of protein…

TO BANISH BREAKOUTS A salicylic acid acne treatment helps kill blemish-fostering bacteria and prevent flare-ups. PREVENTION PICK: Almay Clear Complexion Blemish Armor, $12, ulta.com TO SMOOTH WRINKLES The gold-standard anti-aging ingredient retinol increases skin cell turnover, which prompts collagen production to soften fine lines; apply on clean skin every evening, as the active ingredient can degrade when exposed to light. PREVENTION PICK: Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Retinol Oil, $28, drugstores TO STRENGTHEN SKIN “Acne, eczema, and psoriasis—which all can be provoked by stress—weaken skin’s outer layer, causing moisture to escape and increasing sensitivity,” Dr. Wechsler says. Fortify skin by smoothing on a cream with ceramides (components of its barrier) in the morning and evening. PREVENTION PICK: Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Cream, $52, peter thomasroth.com TO FIGHT INFLAMMATION…

Dr. Streicher is an associate clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Feminine hygiene” is big business (“feminine,” of course, being the marketing euphemism for “vaginal”): There are hundreds of products designed to be used either externally (on the vulva) or internally (in the vagina). But as a gynecologist and a woman, I find the implication that a woman’s genitals are in constant need of cleaning and perfuming so they’re not offensive to be—well, offensive. Many of my patients, however, express concern even when they have no problem; often they’ve been conditioned (by the feminine-hygiene industry, a well-meaning mother, or a clueless partner) to believe vaginas naturally smell bad. So let’s start with the simple medical fact: There’s no need to use anything other than…

Sports rubs aren’t just for athletes—products like Icy Hot, Tiger Balm, and Biofreeze can take some of the ache out of your back, shoulder, or knee or another body part. Plus, you can use them along with a painkilling pill: Since they don’t enter your bloodstream, they won’t cause drug interactions or side effects. Instead, they use ingredients like menthol, lidocaine, and camphor that dull nerves’ transmission of pain to the brain—similar to what happens when you rub your fingers over, say, the spot on your elbow you just bonked. Chronic-pain sufferers may want to check out capsaicin creams, which are made with the same hot substance that’s in chile peppers. These creams help numb nerves, but you have to use them daily—sometimes three to four times a day—and it…

1 Allergies Make Pets Itchy Seasonal allergies create skin inflammation in pets, says Andrew Rosenberg, D.V.M., of Animal Dermatology & Allergy Specialists in New Jersey. A dog may scoot her rump, lick her paws or groin, or shake a lot. Cats may overgroom or develop skin crusts. 2 Watch Out for Scratching Too much can lead to infection, says Alexandra Gould, D.V.M., of the Dermatology Clinic for Animals in Tacoma, WA. Over time, dogs can develop hair loss, thickened skin, hyperpigmentation, hot spots, and ear irritation. Cats often overgroom, leading to hair loss, especially on their sides or bellies. In both species, excess scratching can cause yeast and bacteria on the skin to multiply, setting off infections. Call the vet if you notice these signs of itchiness. 3 What a…