Prevention December 2023

IT’S A GOOD THING there’s a lot of exciting science around living longer these days: I’m going to need to live to 100 just to read everything that was suggested at my last book club meeting! Seriously, though, we have a great article this month (“How to Age Healthier,” page 30) on staying young from the cellular level on up—it’s literally life-changing stuff. But it got me thinking: If we’re getting to a place where we can feel great well into our 90s, what are we actually going to do with all this extra lifetime? I got to talk to someone who has a lot of inspiring ideas about this: Michael Clinton, the author of Roar: Into the Second Half of Your Life (Before It’s Too Late) and a leader…

GET OUT YOUR PENCIL! You’ve done some pretty cool stuff, right? Of course you have. And reflecting on your achievements can help you attain better mental health and more resilience, says Taryn Marie Stejskal, Ph.D., author of The 5 Practices of Highly Resilient People. “It fills you with positive emotions like pride, joy, and gratitude, which helps combat the brain’s negativity bias, the natural predisposition to remember problems and shortfalls more readily than successes,” Stejskal explains. Feeling stronger mentally can make you more equipped to handle and rebound from changes or struggles in life, which supports physical health too. WRITE DOWN THREE ACCOMPLISHMENTS FROM THIS PAST YEAR (BIG OR SMALL!) Spend a few minutes with the emotions that reflection brings.…

1 What’s the best approach to using a water flosser? A Choose either a water flosser or traditional floss—using both can damage gums. B Use a water flosser and regular floss in tandem. C Switch between string floss and a water flosser depending on how much time you have. 2 Brushing and flossing regularly are mostly for keeping our breath fresh and our teeth healthy. A True B False 3 Can you brush your teeth too much? A Yes—twice a day is sufficient. B The fresher, the better—brush after every snack and meal! 4 How often do you need dental X-rays? A Every visit B Once a year C It depends on my personal oral health. 5 Should you brush your tongue? A Yes B I don’t have to if I use mouthwash. ANSWERS 1 Don’t ditch your string floss just yet. Dentists say water flossers…

ANSWERS ▶ COTTAGE CHEESE edges out Greek yogurt, with about 30% more protein, making it an excellent way to mix things up. Try sweet add-ins such as fruit and nuts (just the way you enjoy yogurt!), or make cottage cheese toast with savory toppings like tomatoes and basil. ▶ SALMON comes out slightly on top, with about 1 g more protein than halibut per 3-oz fillet. But you don’t have to be a pink-fish loyalist—halibut is still a good source of those beneficial omega-3’s you’re after in salmon (and solid on protein). ▶ EDAMAME reigns supreme when it comes to plant-based proteins—it has 11 g per 100 g compared with about 7 g in the same amount of chickpeas. Bonus: Soybeans are a complete protein, meaning they contain all nine essential…

■ Feeling unsteady from time to time? We naturally get a bit more wobbly as we get older, putting us at risk of falling and being injured as a result, but you may not realize it until you take a tumble. Check on your balance by completing the 4-Stage Balance Test from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (It’s smart to have another person around when performing the test.) Talk to your doctor if you can’t stay in any of the positions for 10 seconds—they can suggest balance exercises, taking classes in tai chi (which has been shown to help prevent falls), or physical therapy. Balance Test ▶ Aim to stand in each position for 10 seconds. ▶ You can stretch your arms out for balance, but keep your…

■ When you’re decking the halls, your furry friends might want in on the fun, but the holidays can turn toxic if you’re not careful, cautions board-certified veterinary toxicologist Ahna Brutlag, D.V.M., of the Pet Poison Helpline. ANSWERS ▶ MISTLETOE: Lilies, holly, and mistletoe are more dangerous than poinsettias. Even one lily leaf or petal can trigger kidney failure in cats, and mistletoe and holly may cause GI upset in cats and dogs. ▶ SUGAR-FREE CHOCOLATE: Xylitol, a sweetener, can cause a life-threatening drop in blood sugar or liver failure. Dark chocolate is worse than milk chocolate: It has high levels of the toxic chemical theobromine. ▶ TINSEL: The shiny stuff can cause severe intestinal damage if swallowed—possibly leading the animal to require surgery. ▶ ONION DIP: Onions and garlic…