Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2022 i Prevention

DO YOU HAVE FRIENDS you hardly ever see, or possibly haven’t even met? One of our articles this month is by someone I’ve known for 20 years but only met once or twice, and crucial to her story are people whom she has never met—but who helped save her life. I worked for many years at a parenting magazine, where a lot of the writers wrote about their kids in their articles—and also in emails to me, as I got to be sort of pen pals with some of them. I witnessed their kids growing up as my friends went from covering sleep to potty training to school. One of those writers was Teri Cettina, whose reporting and writing I counted on for many years and whose family I came…

Experiencing elevated anxiety, depression, and stress during pregnancy resulted in fetal brain alterations that translated to a delay in cognitive development at 18 months, found a small new study in JAMA Network Open; further research is needed on how those changes may impact toddlers’ social-emotional development. Tension-taming strategies like deep breathing and yoga are safe for pregnant women, and consider meditation: “Awareness and acceptance of one’s thoughts, emotions, and body sensations helps build stress tolerance,” says Jessica Shepherd, M.D., an ob-gyn and the founder of Sanctum Wellness in Dallas.…

Dr. Weil is founder and director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. A strong immune system protects you from foreign invaders such as viruses, bacteria, and other germs. But when yours mistakes your body’s own tissues for a threat, you could develop an autoimmune condition. Here are four key things to know about autoimmune disorders—and how a holistic treatment plan can help. 1 There are many autoimmune disorders. In fact, experts estimate that there are more than 80. Common ones are rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, lupus, type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s disease, psoriasis, and certain thyroid conditions. Depending on the condition, symptoms can include pain, inflammation, and fatigue, which can flare, subside, and flare up again over time. 2 Women are at higher risk. While we don’t know what…

IT MIGHT HIT YOU just when you’re feeling confident in your favorite sleeveless dress: the skin-crawling urge to scratch, monkey-style. On top of being prone to sweating and chafing, the armpit and axilla (the space on your side just below the underarm) are full of nerve endings, explains Ava Shamban, M.D., a dermatologist and the founder of SkinFive Medical Spas. “Even a minor disruption to the skin can feel irritating,” she adds. WHY SO ITCHY? The most common cause of itchy armpits is contact dermatitis. This happens when a substance such as a deodorant, fragrance, or detergent irritates your skin; the natural friction from moving your arm exacerbates the reaction, and the itch can spread. Other causes include: ♦ Heat rash: When your sweat ducts don’t have the opportunity to…

Politics and legal debates aside, abortion is at its core a medical procedure that one in four women undergoes during her lifetime. Here are four findings from a comprehensive report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Abortion is safer than pregnancy and childbirth. The odds of dying from any of these is low, but the potential complications women may experience during pregnancy—hypertension, gestational diabetes, and infections—mean that it is riskier than abortion, says Ned Calonge, M.D., M.P.H., an associate professor of family medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, who spearheaded the report. Black women have three times the risk of dying from pregnancy that white women do, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As for birth itself, delivering a child is…

nearly four years ago, I had two encounters with health professionals that sent chills down my entire body. The first was with a physical therapist, whom I’d gone to see for pain in my back and ribs. Within 10 minutes, a shadow came over her face. “I don’t want to alarm you, but this pain is not muscularskeletal,” she told me. “You need to get a CT scan. Today.” Later that day, the ER doctor came to my room with test results. “We found something we didn’t expect,” she said. “There is a suspicious mass on your pancreas that looks like cancer. I’m so, so sorry.” From my experience as a health writer, I knew that pancreatic cancer was one of the deadliest types. My brain switched to reporter mode,…

It was the middle of the night when Karen Murray’s 10-year-old daughter called out for her and she jumped out of bed to see if everything was OK. The next thing she remembers, her legs gave out from under her and she fell, hitting her head on the nightstand on her way down. “I blacked out,” says the 45-year-old from Philadelphia. “A few seconds later, I came to and got up, but I felt wobbly and nauseous.” Her husband went to check on their daughter, and Karen spent the next 20 minutes feeling as if she was going to throw up. When the nausea passed, she drifted back to sleep. But the next morning, the mom of two woke up with a pounding headache. Throughout the rest of that day…

TOTAL 5 MIN. SERVES 2 1 Persian cucumber, chopped, plus thin slices, for serving1 banana, cut into pieces, then frozen1 cup frozen pineapple chunks1 cup baby spinach½ cup Greek yogurt1 Tbsp lemon juice¼ cup unsweetened almond milk or water In blender, puree all ingredients until smooth. If desired, press thinly sliced cucumbers against sides of glass before pouring in smoothie. PER SERVING 178 cal, 8 g pro, 31 g carb, 4 g fiber, 12.5 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 4 g fat (1.5 g sat fat), 8 mg chol, 62 mg sodium HYDRATE & SHINE This smoothie offers a serious boost of H2O. Cucumber, pineapple, and spinach all consist of more than 85% water by weight!…

➼Members of Prevention Premium can now dive deeper into fascinating health and wellness subjects with our exclusive guides. Each one explores a way to take control of your health, with helpful, practical tips and valuable science-backed info. Here’s just a sample of what you’ll find: ▶ Simple home remedies for issues from acid reflux to warts ▶ Effective natural solutions for easing all kinds of pain ▶ The healthiest way to do keto, including tons of recipes + NOT A MEMBER YET? prevention.com/signup Download all our exclusives once you’ve joined Prevention Premium!…

■ How do you see aging these days? When you look at aging as something that you’re fighting, already you’re initiating the relationship to it with, I think, the wrong perspective. I don’t look like I did in my 20s, but I don’t want to be in my 20s! I’m not saying to just forget about aging, but to custom-make your day to embrace it. For me, that’s water and exercise and eating well, giving myself a break when I need to, and sleep. All these things create a sense of vitality. ■ How do we change assumptions about aging? We need to start a dialogue and change how we label being over 40, and really look at it as vitality and maturity, confidence and experience. I work with Clos…

YOU CAN CREATE something truly special by dipping a brush into water, then some paint, and swooping the brush across a blank page. “The amazing thing about watercolor is that it’s so immediate,” says Michael Lyons, B.F.A., an artist and a continuing education instructor at Rhode Island School of Design. “Different colors combine and swim together on the paper, and even absolute beginners can achieve unexpected and beautiful results.” …WE OFTEN THINK OF WATERCOLOR PAINTING AS A KIDS’ ACTIVITY, but it’s a boon for adults too. Research shows that creating art activates the brain’s reward pathway (giving you pleasure), lowers cortisol levels (meaning you feel less stressed), and enhances neural connections in the brain. You may even give your brain a bigger boost when you try to paint something realistic.…

When those first itsy-bitsy spider veins or thigh dimples show up, you might be happy to look the other way. But if those types of changes start to bother you, there are solutions. In the past, cosmetic leg treatments were lengthy and painful; today, however, most can be done in under an hour with little to no pain. Here’s what to consider, and a few camouflage tricks that work on everyone. MAKE VEINS VANISH Contrary to popular belief, crossing your legs often or being on your feet all day won’t give you spider veins (which are under the skin) or varicose veins (which are raised). Pregnancy, exercise, or injury to the skin may aggravate these issues, but it’s genetics that brings them on. SPIDER VEINS are painless clusters of damaged…

“Simply put, there’s no substitute for or magic pill to replace a balanced diet. We need a combination of all three macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, and fat), as well as an array of micronutrients and phytonutrients, to thrive,” says Jennifer Agha-Khan, M.S., R.D., a registered dietitian at Culina Health. “Rather than striving to eat perfectly every day, consider focusing on adding more of these superfood picks over time, and have fun finding ways to eat them!” says Iu. “Enjoy alcohol, added sugars, and processed meats in moderation, as they can increase the risk for chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and even some cancers,” says Tamar Samuels, M.S., R.D., cofounder of Culina Health. “Physical activity, stress management, sleep, spending time outdoors, and mindfulness/meditation are important parts of the overall wellness spectrum…

I first noticed something was wrong with my sleep around 2006, when I started having horrible nightmares that I was being suffocated. I would wake suddenly and sit straight up, gasping for air, like something out of a scary movie. And then something even stranger started happening: My 86-lb chocolate Labrador, Gracie, started waking me up several times each night, every hour or more. She would come over to the bed and poke my arm or my face with her cold, wet nose. Sometimes she would jump up on the bed and hover over me—and that’s a pretty big dog to be pouncing on me in the middle of the night! I thought maybe she was just getting older and couldn’t hold her bladder like she used to, so I…

Dr. Streicher is a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. This is adapted from her book Hot Flash Hell: A Gynecologist’s Guide to Turning Down the Heat. Besides hot flashes, one of the main things that gets women in the door of our clinic, the Northwestern Medicine Center for Menopause, is weight gain that feels out of control. And guess what? I’ve observed that among our patients, the women having that symptom tend to be the same ones who are having hot flashes. In fairness, it’s not just menopause that brings on extra pounds. I’ve always told my patients that even if they eat and exercise the same way as they did in their 30s, they’ll see the number on the scale start…

1 MINIMIZE YOUR RISK OF FALLING The answer to preventing concussions, says Bretzin, could be as simple as eliminating some risky behaviors or using protective equipment, like a properly fitting helmet when you ride a bike. Colantonio adds that older adults are one of the biggest segments of the population who get concussions, which means it’s especially important to assess your risk of falls as you age. “It’s easy to think of falls as accidents, but there’s a lot you can do to prevent them,” she says. “Things like exercising to build balance and strength, getting enough sleep, not rushing when you stand up, and even wearing sturdy, well-fitting shoes can go a long way toward keeping you safe.” She recommends getting a home safety assessment from an occupational therapist…

HISTORY QUIZ Can you place these important health and wellness milestones in chronological order, beginning with the earliest event? A First National Park Established B First Earth Day C Discovery of Penicillin D Founding of The Red Cross E Founding of The American Cancer Society THE MISSING LETTER What is the correct letter to fill in this famous sequence? CRYPTOGRAM Can you decipher this expression and the character who said it? ANSWERS: History quiz: A (1872), D (1881), E (1913), C (1928), B (1970). The missing letter: T (do, re, mi…). Hidden equation: minus, times, divided by, plus. Cryptogram: It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then. ~Alice (from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland).…

You might not think too much about going to the bathroom, but you probably should. It can indicate how well hydrated you are, which is important for joint, skin, and immune system health, explains Natasha Bhuyan, M.D., national medical director at One Medical. Not drinking enough water can affect daily functioning and long-term mental agility, brain health, and chronic health problems like kidney disease and diabetes, says Stavros Kavouras, Ph.D., an assistant dean and a professor of nutrition at Arizona State University. And that old-school eight-glasses-a-day rule isn’t so simple, Dr. Bhuyan says. Food and drink intake, activity level, the weather, alcohol consumption, and more can play a part in how much water is right for you, explains Angel Planells, M.S., R.D.N., a Seattle-based national media spokesperson for the Academy…

IF SOMEONE ASKED IF YOU WERE HAPPY, what would you say? Sure, some days it’d be an easy yes, because something great has happened to you. But real joy is bigger than that. “Happiness really is more internal than external, so it’s how you feel about yourself, other people, and the world around you. It’s how you think and how you behave on a daily basis that influences happiness the most,” explains Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, and author of The How of Happiness. The mini happiness challenge you’ll find here can help transform your outlook. Start with Day 1, but don’t leave each day’s challenge behind when you move on—each is a valuable tool for cultivating happiness. DAY 1 DO SOMETHING…

Have you heard of Blue Zones? They’re regions of the globe where people live longest and are healthiest, and they were popularized by Dan Buettner, a National Geographic fellow and the author of several books, including The Blue Zones Challenge: A 4-Week Plan for a Longer, Better Life. Top picks for eating like the world’s longest-living people: SARDINIA, ITALY The land of olive oil and red wine also relies on: ■ FENNEL: Used as a vegetable (the bulb), an herb (the fronds), and a spice (the seeds), it’s rich in fiber and vitamins A and C. ■ SOURDOUGH BREAD: It’s often made from whole-wheat flour in this region, along with live lactobacillus (instead of yeast). Fermentation creates organic acids that delay starch absorption, giving this tangy bread a lower glycemic…

It’s estimated that 22% of men and 17% of women have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). “When we sleep, most of our muscles relax,” says Carlos Nunez, M.D., chief medical officer of ResMed. “When the muscles in your throat relax during sleep, the tissues can collapse down and prevent air from passing through.” This can cause you to stop breathing, sometimes 50 or more times an hour. “The brain senses that you’re suffocating and forces you to gasp for breath,” Dr. Nunez says. Some of the biggest risk factors for OSA are obesity, age, a large neck circumference, enlarged tonsils or a small throat, and frequent use of alcohol or sedatives. In addition to leaving you exhausted, untreated OSA can increase your risk of dementia, high blood pressure, and type 2…

They say “It’s like riding a bike!” for a reason: Whether you’re a semi-regular rider or it’s been a while since you touched that dusty cruiser in the garage, you can probably hop on and get moving pretty quickly. But there are a few things about the bike itself that you can adjust to get an even better ride. Here’s what to know, from Stephanie Kaplan, hardware group product manager for Peloton. SADDLE ➝ When your seat is at the right height, you should be able to touch the lowest pedal with only a slight bend in your knee. Ask someone to hold your bike for you while you check and adjust it. HANDLEBARS ➝ It’s normal to lean forward to hold the handlebars, but you shouldn’t be seated so…