Prevention June 2019

MY LIFELONG ABILITY to fall asleep anywhere is almost worthy of a Dr. Seuss book: I can nod off in a car, on a couch, at hotels and campgrounds near and far. It’s a skill that was particularly useful when I was painfully sleep-deprived as a new mom—at least I could get in three minutes between subway stops! Staying asleep, though? That became my problem a couple of years ago. The older I got, the earlier my eyes started popping open, my mind and heart racing as I silently shouted at myself to relax and go back to bed. Hot tip: That doesn’t work. Two things did help. One was, unsurprisingly, turning off my phone well before I turned out the lights. The other was meditating before bed. Even after…

If you need an excuse to plan a trip to the beach, here’s one: It may boost your overall health and well-being, and there’s science to back that. In a small study published in the journal Health & Place, researchers surveyed 1,000 adults in Hong Kong about their exposure to blue spaces (oceans, rivers, lakes) and asked how they would describe their health and psychological well-being. Those who reported being in “good/very good” health and responded positively to questions from the World Health Organization’s Well-Being Index happened to spend the most time around water—either viewing or visiting a blue space. Previous research has shown that spending time near water can wash away stress, boost creativity, and increase happiness.…

Your TV habit could affect your cancer risk, says new research in JNCI Cancer Spectrum. A study of more than 89,000 women ages 25 to 42 found that watching more than two hours of TV a day was associated with a nearly 70% increased risk of developing colorectal cancer before age 50, even after researchers controlled for factors like BMI, exercise, and family history. “TV time may be a particularly harmful inactive behavior because there aren’t social cues and interruptions that would normally prevent sitting without a break,” says Long Nguyen, M.D., gastroenterology fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Prolonged sitting has been shown to impair glucose levels and decrease vitamin D levels, risk factors for colorectal cancer.” Take breaks amid Netflix binge sessions to stand, stretch, or do sets of…

People with diabetes often require daily insulin shots to keep blood glucose levels balanced—but if you’re one, you may someday be able to swap your needle for a pill. Researchers from MIT, Harvard, and Novo Nordisk have created a blueberry-size capsule containing freeze-dried insulin that’s released once the pill reaches the stomach. Animal studies show that the pill can lower blood sugar to the same levels as an injection does. The team hopes the tech may one day extend to other health conditions requiring injected meds.…

About 38 million Americans suffer from migraine, but for those who are also obese, there’s a drug-free treatment option that appears to help: weight loss. That’s according to a new meta-analysis presented by researchers from Italy and the U.S. at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting. The research team looked at 10 studies and found that among people with obesity who suffered from migraine, losing weight was linked to significant reductions in headache frequency, pain intensity and disability, and length of attacks in both adults and children. Neither the amount of weight lost nor the method (bariatric surgery versus diet and exercise changes) appeared to have an impact on migraine improvement. The reason shedding excess pounds seems to help is unclear, but researchers think doing so somehow affects chronic inflammation or…

If you want to maintain your healthful lifestyle while you’re away, you’re in luck: More and more hotels and resorts aim to help you keep up your regular wellness routine. Find them by searching online using the word “travel” and whatever activity is important to you (e.g., fitness, meditation, or eating organic). Or start with one of these standouts: At Even Hotels by IHG, each room has free streaming fitness classes plus all the gear you need, like resistance bands, an exercise ball, and a yoga mat. Yotel amenities vary by property, but options include SmartBeds for quality sleep, streaming meditation videos, and a Peloton bike right in your suite. Cala Luna Boutique Hotel & Villas in Costa Rica offers outdoor yoga and fitness classes and runs an organic farm…