Indholdsfortegnelse for May 2023 i Prevention

WHILE I’M CONFIDENT that the articles in Prevention and on our site are helpful, it’s not every day that I get to say somebody is now cancer free because of us. But a few months ago I got a letter from a reader who had gone straight to the doctor after seeing “5 Skin Cancer Pictures to Help Guide Your Mole Checks” on prevention.com. “I had a strange spot on my arm that had recurred three times,” wrote Shari Morse, who lives in Michigan. “I came across the photos in your article and realized that it looked and sounded a lot like basal cell carcinoma.” She was right. The carcinoma was removed in one go, and she’s now doing great. “This type of cancer is really one of the ‘better’ ones…

SERVES 4 1 Heat oven to 400°F. Drizzle 2 tsp olive oil on rimmed baking sheet. From 2 to 3 limes, grate 1 Tbsp zest and squeeze 4 Tbsp juice. Place 2 Tbsp no-salt-added blackening seasoning or Cajun seasoning in shallow bowl. Drizzle lime juice over 1 lb tilapia fillets (cut into 3-in. pieces), season with 1/tsp kosher salt, and dip in blackening seasoning. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and roast until opaque throughout, 10 to 12 min. $9.62 2 Meanwhile, in second bowl, toss 1/large pineapple (cored and cut into matchsticks; about 1 cup) and 1 small red pepper (thinly sliced) with lime zest, 1 Tbsp oil, and 1/tsp salt; fold in 2 scallions (sliced into 3-in. matchsticks). $2.41 3 Top 8 small tortillas (warmed) with 4 leaves red…

TO R ELAX SHOULDER TENSION… ▶ Ease achiness from workday sitting with gentle neck and shoulder movements. Exhale and drop your chin toward your chest. Inhale and roll your right ear to your right shoulder; repeat to the left shoulder. Do five reps on each side. Next, inhale deeply as you draw your shoulders up toward your ears, then exhale and quickly drop your shoulders down. TO SOOTHE AN UPSET STOMACH… ▶ Relax your GI system to combat bloating. Stand with feet shoulder-distance apart. Ground your feet as you exhale, then slowly lower into a squat position. Bring your palms together, rest your arms against your inner knees, and hold for 10 breaths. TO LIFT YOUR MOOD… ▶ This move stimulates the vagus nerve at the base of your brain…

Between our social media feeds, chatter from friends and family, and the 24-hour news cycle, we’re inundated with info. Sometimes that’s helpful, but when it comes to our health, it can make it hard to know what’s truly OK. Here, we ferreted out five health care steps you may be hesitant to take that research shows are in fact perfectly safe. ▶ IT’S SAFE TO… SUPPRESS YOUR PERIOD LONG-TERM Whether you are disabled, are deployed in the military, are a transgender man, or just don’t want the hassle of a monthly period, you can suppress your cycle with continuous hormones. Some people say this isn’t natural or fear that it could affect future fertility or cancer risk, but a careful review of the evidence found nothing to bear out these…

Karen Peterson followed her doctor’s treatment directions to the letter: After her Stage I triple-negative breast cancer was diagnosed in 2015, she had four rounds of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy. Two years later, however, her cancer returned, and this time it was Stage IV. “The first time, I was just doing what I was told to do. It was all reaction,” says Peterson, 58. “There is no handbook to get you through your journey.” But by the time the cancer came back, Peterson knew a lot more about her type of cancer. Diving into the research, she soon came to believe strongly that for the stage of cancer she had, conventional treatments offered little hope. If she wanted to live, she felt, she had to swing for the fences…

Going out of your way to enjoy Mother Nature’s beautiful creations could be an easy way to lift your spirits. People reported more feelings of awe when they viewed images of natural events they wouldn’t necessarily witness every day—like sunrises, sunsets, rainbows, and starry skies—than when they saw photos of ordinary sunny conditions or blue skies, says a study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology. Awe is an emotional state that’s often difficult to elicit, but it’s one we should strive to experience more often, as it can help improve mood and increase positive emotions, say researchers from the University of Exeter. Try timing a few daily walks for right around sunset, set an earlier alarm every so often to enjoy your morning coffee with the day’s first light, or…

■ WHAT IS BURNOUT? It’s more than just ordinary stress. “Burnout is being out of gas and feeling helpless, and it takes an emotional toll,” says Rachel Goldman, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in New York City. “A weekend or a mental health day won’t cure it.” ■ BURNOUT SYMPTOMS… IN THE WORKPLACE: ▶ Diminished performance ▶ Loss of motivation, engagement, and purpose ▶ Feeling unappreciated ▶ Withdrawal from socializing and coworkers ▶ Difficulty concentrating and brain fog BEYOND THE OFFICE: ▶ Physical and mental exhaustion ▶ Irritability or inability to cope with minor issues ▶ Lack of interest in things you used to enjoy ▶ Sleep difficulties ▶ Headache ▶ GI issues or changes in appetite and eating habits DO THIS ONE THING TO HELP PREVENT IT: Practice saying no. And…

BERBERE A blend of toasted spices like paprika, ginger, garlic, cumin, fenugreek, cardamom, black pepper, and chiles, this Ethiopian staple is tangy, peppery, and great for seasoning meats, grains, lentils, and stews, Agyeman says. Chiles are packed with vitamin C and contain capsanthin, a compound with antioxidant properties. ZA’ ATA R The spices that make up this Middle Eastern mix vary by region, but it’s often a combo of oregano, sumac, thyme, and toasted sesame seeds, giving it a nutty and herby flavor that’s great in dips, sprinkled on salads, or on flatbreads or pita. Thyme and oregano both have antimicrobial properties, says Agyeman. CHINESE FIVE-SPICE POWDER As the name suggests, five spices—cloves, cinnamon, star anise, fennel seed, and black peppercorns—combine to create a medley of sweet, bitter, umami, and…

It happens to most of us at some point(s!) during the year: One of our good-for-us habits hits a lull (or all of them do!). You may find that you’re not sleeping well, or you feel on edge, or it’s harder to find the drive to work out—or all of the above. That’s because many healthy habits are intertwined with total-body wellness: Stress can mess with your sleep and your motivation to be active, but lack of zzz’s and exercise ends up negatively affecting how you feel! “It’s completely normal to fall off a good-habit streak. Ask anyone who has been on vacation or had a streak of lousy Tuesdays,” says Lindsey Benoit O’Connell, a certified strength and conditioning specialist and founder of The LAB Wellness. “But you can get…

Not all diets are about weight loss. For people with digestive issues, there’s a way of eating that has an almost mythic vibe to it, with proponents swearing that it can improve gas, bloating, and stomach pain: the low-FODMAP diet. Yet despite the growing popularity of low-FODMAP, there’s lots of confusion surrounding it. It’s not for everyone, and it’s very complicated, so it requires dedication and know-how. “The FODMAP approach isn’t like other diets that might simply have a list of entire food groups that are off-limits,” says Patsy Catsos, M.S., R.D., author of The IBS Elimination Diet and Cookbook. “It’s more nuanced.” Factor in loads of misinformation online, and it can be tough to know which foods are OK to eat or how long you should follow the diet.…

MYTH #1 It’s just Murphy’s Law that you always get sick on vacation. MYTHBUSTER There may be some bad luck involved, but there is an identifiable reason you often get sick when you finally get away: “You’re more likely to indulge or overindulge, undertake a variety of strenuous activities you might not have the physical fitness for, and stay up late and not get enough sleep,” says William Schaffner, M.D., a professor of preventive medicine and infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. And if you’re traveling to an area with poor public sanitation and hygiene, you might eat or drink something that makes you sick. “That, of course, can result in an unhappy two or three days when you have to stay in your hotel room,” he says.…

Being able to hear well is one of those abilities we often take for granted at exactly the time we should be working to safeguard it. “Simple actions now can help protect you from hearing loss as you age,” says Jill Carnahan, M.D., a functional medicine expert with Flatiron Functional Medicine in Colorado. Loud noise can damage the fibers in your ear that help you hear, so it’s smart to wear earplugs at loud events, keep headphone volume at a safe level, and cover your ears around construction racket or sirens. Regularly eating foods that support optimal auditory function can also help; specific nerves help our brains translate noises into meaningful sounds, so nutrients that support the brain and the nervous system will be go-tos. Try these healthy-hearing picks. COCONUT…

PREBIOTICS ▶ What they are: A form of plant fiber that feeds the gut’s good bacteria so they can thrive. ▶ Sources: Bananas, onions, garlic, Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, apple skins, dandelion greens, oats PROBIOTICS ▶ What they are: Live strains of bacteria that enhance the trillions of existing good gut bugs. You want an array of probiotic strains living in your gut, since each does something different. ▶ Sources: Probiotic yogurt, kefir, raw kombucha, raw sauerkraut, miso soup, kimchi POSTBIOTICS ▶ What they are: When probiotics feed on prebiotics, it creates these by-products that help good bacteria flourish and slow the growth of harmful ones. ▶ Sources: Eat a variety of foods rich in prebiotics and probiotics to create these vital by-products. SYNBIOTICS ▶ What they are: You’ll see this phrase…

Talk to your doctor. Pregnant women who suffered from migraines prior to becoming pregnant were more likely to experience complications such as pre-eclampsia, gestational hypertension, and preterm delivery compared with moms-to-be who didn’t get migraines, according to a study in Neurology that included nearly 20,000 women. Your doctor can help you find ways to manage your pain safely through drug-free alternatives such as keeping a food journal to ID migraine triggers, optimizing hydration with electrolyte drinks, focusing on getting good sleep, and treating migraines with cold packs or time in a dark room.…

Haircare brands are betting on micellar shampoos to deliver benefits to your scalp and hair that are similar to what micellar waters do for your skin. Like micellar waters, these shampoos feature micelles—tiny clusters of mild surfactants and hydrating ingredients. “Micelles act as magnets to absorb oil and dirt without disrupting skin’s moisture balance,” says Mona Gohara, M.D., an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. In shampoo, they may help control oil and be gentler on sensitive scalps than formulas with drying sulfates; they may benefit curly or color-treated hair, since sulfates can fade color or disrupt curl patterns. EDITORS’ CHOICES: L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Curls Micellar Shampoo, $13, drugstores; L’Occitane Aromachologie Gentle & Balance Micellar Shampoo, $28, loccitane.com…

Active playtime engages pets’ minds, keeps them in shape, and strengthens their relationship with you, says Sam Meisler, D.V.M., founder and CEO of pet wellness brand PetWellClinic. But getting feline friends moving can take some cunning. “Most cats like exercise on their own terms,” Meisler says. “Your challenge is to make it seem like it’s their idea.” Activate their hunting instincts with “bait” toys like a feather on a string, have them chase the light from a laser pointer, or get them running and jumping with a cat tree. Some cats can even be leash-trained. But felines are natural sprinters, so they get bored easily. Start with one brief active play session per day, then work up to several short bursts to keep them interested.…

FOR YEARS I WAS A CARDIO JUNKIE. I would run up to 50 miles per week—until I got injured and my doctor gave me a stern warning: If I didn’t take a break, the injury might not heal and could get worse. So I started doing three days of light weight lifting and three days of low-impact cardio. It was gentler on my joints, but I became stronger and still worked my cardiovascular system. Light weight training hasn’t worked just for me—it’s worked for women of all ages and fitness levels. I’m an exercise physiologist certified by the American College of Sports Medicine, and I’ve seen it in data I’ve collected from conducting numerous research studies for Prevention on resistance-training programs over the past decade. For this project, I created…

Most of my life was a search to find out what was “wrong” with me. When I was a kid, I was constantly anxious. I hated going to birthday parties and sleepovers, all the things kids usually love. Crowds and loud noises were overwhelming to me. I could be outgoing if I wanted to be, but I’d then have to spend days recovering. It’s exhausting to put on an act by smiling, engaging in conversation, and making eye contact when none of that comes naturally to you. When I was 11, I fell in love with football—I was on my high school team and even got to write for Sports Illustrated as a “kid reporter.” My plan was to go to college and become a sports journalist. But in 10th…

“When I was 5 years old, a family member who was a doctor thought it would be hilarious to hold up a giant needle and say, ‘Time to get your shot!’ I was terrified, and I’ve had a huge fear of needles ever since. For years I wouldn’t even get a flu shot.”—Jennifer R. 16% of people avoid flu vaccines because of fear of needles. Like up to 25% of all adults (and most children), Jennifer, a New York attorney, has a deep-seated fear of needles. This fear, called trypanophobia, keeps countless people from getting blood tests, having dental work, and receiving potentially lifesaving vaccines. For about a third of those with trypanophobia, the fear stems from a traumatic incident such as having been held down for a shot as…