Innehållsförteckning för March 2016 från Prevention

[3] FUN, SMART THINGS WE AL LEARNED THIS MONTH— AND HOW TO ACT ON THE M RIGHT NOW Just a Little Perk from Us to You Why has Prevention started its own coffee brand? Reason No. 1 is the research about coffee’s benefits (sharpens memory, wards off diabetes and skin cancer, brightens mood). But it’s also because we came up with a blend and a name that made us smile, and we thought you’d smile, too. TRY THIS NOW: Go to shop.prevention.com and start pouring. 100% That’s how many more Thinables than Wheat Thins you get to eat for the same calories. These crackers, described by food and nutrition director Sarah Toland as “ridiculously tasty,” are made with resistant starch, the magical weight loss carb covered in “Eat These, Lose…

Pop quiz: What’s the very best sign of marriage satisfaction? Nope, not frequent sex! It’s something much simpler: appreciation. According to a new study, feeling valued by a spouse was the most consistent predictor of how happy people were in their relationships. Make it work for you by finding out how you can do better, recommends study author Allen W. Barton, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Georgia’s Center for Family Research. Asking, “Do you feel appreciated?” seems simple (and yeah, kind of cheesy), but given its potential for a happily-ever-after payoff? Might be worth a try.…

GENERIC WARNING Generics cost less because once a patent expires, other companies make the drug and prices drop. But despite the FDA rule that a generic is “identical...to a brand-name drug in dosage form, safety, strength, route of administration, quality, performance characteristics, and intended use,” there can still be differences between generic and brand-name. For that reason, pharmacists may not always recommend a generic. An example: “I wouldn’t substitute certain meds that treat seizures,” says retired Beverly Hills pharmacist Jack Porter, “since the generic dissolves at a different rate. You could have a seizure because of that.” 1 Bigger isn’t always better. Chain-store pharmacies seem reliable and official—and they can be. But unlike the little guys, pharmacists at the big places have quotas, meaning they usually have 15 minutes to…

1. MOUTH Eating sugary, fatty processed foods creates more saliva. The more saliva, the better food tastes, increasing your likelihood of overeating. 2. TEETH The more junk you eat, the more sugar clings to teeth and reacts with bacteria to produce enameldamaging acid. 3. GUT Refined carbs break down into sugar more quickly than other foods, so blood glucose peaks quicker, within 45 minutes. 4. BRAIN The blood sugar boost causes a surge in mental energy while stimulating “happy” hormones like dopamine that trigger calm and contentment. 5. BLOOD After excess sugar is used or stored, blood glucose and insulin drop, causing sugar cravings and hunger. 6. LIVER & MUSCLES When there’s no more room for glycogen in the liver and muscles— that’s where unused blood sugar is stored—it’s converted…

Hungry for more healthy choices? Get the Eat Clean, Stay Lean book at prevention.com/ecsl. NOT CLEAN FLAVORED GROUND Flavored picks like French vanilla are rarely made with actual vanilla— they use synthetic flavors that aren’t required to be tested and may trigger allergic reactions and headaches. CLEAN PLAIN WHOLE BEAN OR GROUND Daily joe has huge health benefits like fighting heart disease. But conventional can contain trace toxins, so opt for beans from Ethiopia, which are grown with fewer pesticides. CLEANEST FAIR TRADE, ORGANIC WHOLE BEAN Fair Trade means fair wages for workers; organic means no toxins. Not to brag, but Prevention’s Don’t Burn Out Coffee ($15; shop.prevention.com) boasts both labels. The Pond Scum You’ll Want to Eat Algae-derived foods are the hot health trend right now, but before you…

Lose the shoes and you stand to gain: “Wearing shoes can reduce how much you use the muscles in your arch, the foot’s core, and dampen the feedback cycle between your feet and your brain,” says Patrick McKeon, an assistant professor of sports science at Ithaca College. That causes foot muscles to weaken and bones and joints to take the brunt of the force, which ups the risk of heel pain and other foot and leg problems. So dig your toes into the soft spring grass (or, hey, your living room carpet) and let the pain-easing magic begin. Why I Walk CALLIE SPEER 31, pastry chef PERPETUAL MOTION “I’m the executive pastry chef at the Hotel Van Zandt in Austin, TX, and I spend 90% of my day walking. If…

WHAT YOU’LL GET 3-Disc DVD Set Packed with nine 10-minute routines, it’ll rev your metabolism, strengthen and slim abs, and shed belly fat—fast. 30-Day Program We’ll tell you which workout to do each day for quick results. Or mix and match the routines as you prefer. Eat Clean Jump-Start We’ll give you everything you need to succeed in the 64-page guidebook, including a delicious 3-day meal plan, complete with recipes. Mini Exercise Ball Consider this your secret weapon for serious belly toning.…

Want to know which foods give you the most RS bang for your buck? Sadly, there’s no universal guide that says how much RS is in whole foods— levels vary from plant to plant and with different cooling times. But there are a handful of studies to give us approximate amounts. Here, the best sources: Green bananas Peel a single small fruit for 38 g. Potatoes Roast one medium spud and then let it cool for 33 g. Rolled oats Put 1/2 cup uncooked oats in muesli or sprinkle over yogurt for 8.5 g. White beans Puree 1 cup for a tasty dip and you’ll get 10.5 g. White rice Just 2/3 cup of the cooked stuff gives you about 5 g—no cooling required. Pasta Let 1 cup cooked pasta…

Bright, peppery greens; juicy grapes; creamy yogurt; meat so tender because you cooked it just right, all dressed with a spray of seasonal citrus and a toss of garden mint: This is what clean eating can look like. Simple but flavorful. Delicious but not fussy. Clean because you made it—and so fresh you can’t help but dive in. Whether you start with our favorite chicken salad (shown here) or any recipe in this issue, when you cook with fresh, whole foods, you instantly start to eat clean—and everything tastes better.…

YOU DON’T HAVE TO SPRINT out of the bedroom, but yep, you should hit the head. While there’s no firm data on this, it’s possible that during sex a microscopic amount of bacteria can be transmitted up the urethra and into the bladder. If you’re really unlucky, that can trigger a UTI. Emptying the bladder after sex (and even before for extra protection) may help flush that bacteria away—but snuggling a little first isn’t the end of the world. DR. JENNIFER ASHTON is cohost of The Doctors, senior medical contributor for ABC News’ Good Morning America, and a practicing ob-gyn in New Jersey. 59% That’s how much a woman’s chance of developing insomnia can be explained by her genes, while only 38% of a man’s risk is thought to be…

Alas, you can’t always trust the label (or the hefty price tag). After DNA testing salmon marked “wild” in stores and restaurants nationwide, conservation group Oceana found that 43% was mislabeled. Fraud is more common in colder months, and may get worse now that genetically modified salmon (also farmed) is on its way to stores. How to find the real thing? Pacificcaught “Chinook” or “King” is more likely to be authentic than fish labeled with the vague “wild salmon” catchall.…

Get this: Your skin works its hardest for about 1 hour per day: 11 pm to midnight. Research shows this is when skin repair and renewal peak. “It’s when cells need nutrients most and anti-aging products can have the most impact,” says NYC derm Dennis Gross. The process is triggered by natural light cycles, not your sleep schedule— so whether 11 pm is bedtime or not, cleanse, exfoliate, and moisturize before then. Products with vitamins A, B, and C are the best options for reducing wrinkles and upping protection just when you need it most. Source: Journal of Drugs in Dermatology…

When your job starts to feel like a miserable chore, squeeze in a quick walk or trip to the gym. Even as little as one workout a week can help banish work anxiety, found a recent study. People who sweated it out at least that often cut their scores by half on measures of burnout and depression, and were faring much better than their sedentary peers after 18 months. So, what are you waiting for? Source: BMC Psychiatry 3 min The amount of time spent on gentle movement— such as walking or simple moves like chair squats—that can lower systolic blood pressure by 10 points if you do it every 30 minutes. Sounds like a decent ROI to us! Source: American Heart Association…

SPICE & ONION CHICKEN p. 122 Bone–in, Skin–on Breasts BEST FOR Panroasting, grilling, and frying. PROS More flavorful and less expensive than boneless, skinless breasts and cook faster than whole birds. Ideal for one-pan meals. CONS Prone to overcooking and drying out; prevent by using a meat thermometer. Pan-Roasted Chicken with Mushroom & Herb Gravy SERVES 4 PREP TIME: 10 minutes TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes 2 tsp olive oil 4 sprigs thyme + 2 tsp chopped thyme 2–4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 2 lb total) 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1/2 tsp black pepper 6 oz shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced 11/2 c low-sodium chicken broth 2 shallots, finely diced 4 tsp all-purpose flour 1/4 c white wine 1. Heat oven to 425°F. In ovenproof skillet, heat oil and thyme…

RECENT RESEARCH SUGGESTS that calcium intake has no significant impact on fracture prevention in people 50 and up. However, calcium is required for proper functioning of the heart, skeletal muscles, and nervous system. Women who don’t consistently eat calcium-rich foods like leafy greens, organic dairy, broccoli, and sardines should consider 250 to 350 mg of calcium citrate supplements twice a day with meals. Men should get 500 mg from dietary sources alone, since some studies have linked very high calcium intake to an increased prostate cancer risk. I also suggest (except for people with disorders associated with too-high calcium levels, such as primary hyperparathyroidism) 2,000 IU of vitamin D3. It is essential to calcium absorption, and deficiency is common. ANDREW WEIL, MD, is founder and director of the Arizona Center…

The Mediterranean diet has gotten more than enough press, but this scoop was too good not to share: People who followed the diet—heavy on whole grains, fresh produce, olive oil, and fatty fish; light on red meat and dairy—had physically bigger brains than people who didn’t, found a recent study published in Neurology. Eating this way prevented the amount of decline that naturally occurs over 5 years of aging, explains lead author Yian Gu, an assistant professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University. That shrinkage can make you more forgetful and increase Alzheimer’s risk. Not ready to commit 100%? Start by getting 3 to 5 oz of fish a week and limiting red meat to 3.5 oz a day. That alone can slow brain aging by a worthwhile 3 to 4…

Your foot feels weak when you flex it. When the sciatic nerve— which runs down the entire leg—is pinched, it can cause pain, weakness, and tingling. Having all these symptoms in one leg is a red flag. You can’t summon your pain with a push. Use your thumb to firmly press the muscles in your lower back. If that makes your pain worse, you’re probably achy from muscle tightness, not sciatica. You find yourself sprinting to the bathroom. Thankfully, this is extremely rare, but if a slipped or herniated disk is putting too much pressure on the sciatic nerve, it can rob you of control over your bowels and bladder. If one or more ring true, it’s likely sciatica. A doc will formally rule out osteoarthritis and muscle tightness, and…

Eating fat is now accepted as a key to weight loss and health, but are RDs really giving the green light to lard, or animal fat? You bet. About 50% of lard’s fat is heart-healthy monounsaturated, plus it has less saturated fat than butter, takes longer to go rancid than many oils, is a top source of vitamin D (1 Tbsp of pasture-raised has up to 17% of the RDI), and, most important, tastes great. Low-quality lard can have trans fat, so look for a trusted brand like Epic Pork Lard ($9).…

1 Cook, Cool, Repeat: Cook a starchy food as usual, but before you eat, let it cool a few minutes on the countertop or stick it in the fridge or freezer. Repeatedly cooling and heating starchy foods can create even more RS, so embrace your leftovers. 2 Go Low and Slow: Slow cooking methods like roasting increase RS more than fast ones like boiling do. (A roasted, cooled potato has 24 times the RS of a boiled, cooled potato.) Roast potatoes, cook grains over low heat, or opt for the slow cooker over the steamer basket or microwave. 3 Deep-Freeze: Storing products like tortillas or bread in the freezer can more than double their RS content.…

KATE’S QUESADILLA SERVES 2 TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes In skillet over medium heat, warm 10" whole grain tortilla 30 seconds. Flip, warm 30 seconds more, then flip again. Sprinkle 1/4 cup shredded farmer cheese on half tortilla; top with 1/4 cup cooked chickpeas, 8 sliced cherry or grape tomatoes, 7 sliced pitted kalamata olives, and 2 Tbsp chopped red onion. Sprinkle another 1/4 cup cheese over filling and fold empty tortilla half to enclose. Brush with olive oil; flip. Cook until underside is crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Brush top with olive oil, flip, and cook until crispy, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Flip, then transfer to cutting board. Cool before slicing into wedges. Serve with Greek yogurt mixed with dill, mint, and lemon juice. NUTRITION (per serving) 303 cal,…