Prevention April 2024

HOW DID YOU FEEL about your life 20 years ago? How do you feel about it now? One of our editors, Shannen Zitz, noticed something interesting: People in her age group (20s) were taking to social media to share pics of their parents when they were younger and bemoaning the idea of getting older themselves. Meanwhile, people Shannen knew in their 50s, like her mom, weren’t complaining. They seemed good. They seemed happy. They seemed…better. Out of that observation came a new column for 2024: Better Now. In it, Shannen interviews people over 50 to learn where their lives have taken them and what they’ve learned. Of course we all have things about ourselves that were actually better then (I used to be able to fall asleep literally anywhere), but…

What brings you joy? Knowing what generates this emotion for you—and finding ways to feel it more often—can help keep you strong mentally and physically, studies say. Tapping into this sentiment may help even when you’re not in a particularly joyful space: Research suggests that joy and related positive emotions such as awe, gratitude, and love can help prevent people who are in a negative headspace from spiraling even further. PONDER, THEN RESPOND TO, THESE TWO PROMPTS: What’s one thing that always makes you FEEL JOYFUL? What’s one way you plan to SPREAD JOY this month?…

SPRING-CLEAN YOUR PLASTICS. Go room by room and make a list of plastic items you can replace with sustainable alternatives. Swap in glass food storage containers for plastic ones, and search online for companies that make refillable options for cleaning products or personal care items. Popular greener materials include ceramic, salvaged wood, bamboo, stainless steel, glass, and silicone. START COMPOSTING. Earth Month is the perfect time to give this good-for-the-planet action a try! Many communities provide compost containers, or you can purchase one online. If maintaining your own backyard compost pile seems too daunting, look up your local food-scrap dropoff location or pickup schedule. MAKE A “NO FOOD WASTE” PLAN. Then start putting it into action this month! Freeze leftovers before they go bad and end up in the trash.…

1 What does climate change affect? A The weather B Personal health C Both 2 Why should we try to cut back on food waste? A Landfills will be full in five years B So sanitation workers can have shorter hours C It will help reduce greenhouse gases 3 What’s responsible for producing the highest level of climate change–causing gas emissions? A Garbage disposal B Transportation C Food production 4 What is the best way for you to fight climate change? A Attend rallies and volunteer B Drive less C Address food waste at home D All of the above 5 How much food waste does the U.S. generate each year? A 133 billion pounds B 5.5 trillion pounds C 570 million pounds ANSWERS 1 CLIMATE CHANGE HAS TO DO WITH MUCH MORE than the weather.…

ANSWERS APRICOTS: They’re filled with the antioxidants vitamin C and beta-carotene. Apricots are delicious on their own, in yogurt parfaits, with ice cream, or paired with chicken, pork, or fish. ASPARAGUS: These stalks come in green, white, and purple—all three are sources of prebiotics, plant fiber that feeds the good bacteria in our guts so they can thrive. Green asparagus also contains digestion helper folate (the white type has a similar nutritional profile), and the purple kind, as its pigment indicates, is bursting with antioxidants. FIDDLEHEADS: If you see green spirals at the farmers’ market or the supermarket, try them! They taste like a cross between asparagus and green beans, and they contain a bit of protein and a good amount of vitamin A. They should be eaten cooked and…

CHOOSE TRUE OR FALSE FOR EACH. #1 PETS CAN ONLY BE ALLERGIC TO FOOD. POLLEN AND DUST DON’T BOTHER THEM. True False #2 INCREASED LICKING, SCRATCHING, OR SELF-BITING IS THE MOST COMMON SIGN OF A PET ALLERGY. True False #3 IF YOU SUSPECT THAT YOUR PET MAY BE ALLERGIC TO SOMETHING, YOU SHOULD TAKE THEM TO THE EMERGENCY VET ASAP. True False #4 KEEPING YOUR PET AWAY FROM SUSPECTED ALLERGENS IS THE BEST WAY TO TREAT ALLERGIES. True False ANSWERS 1 FALSE. Our fur children are more like us than we may realize, and they can be allergic to many of the same things we are. The three main pet allergy groupings are food and medication, environmental and seasonal, and flea. 2 FALSE. Pets can have many other allergy symptoms.…