Innehållsförteckning för April 2015 från Prevention

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF The One Food Never to Keep in View I’m powerless. Whenever my son reaches into the cupboard for his am cereal—and then, being a teenager, abandons the box on the counter forever—my reaction is as mindless as his sloppiness: I reach in to grab a handful of Whatever-Os. That’s only human, but now we hear (and have reported on Prevention.com) about a new study by Brian Wansink of Cornell University Food and Brand Lab. He found that anyone who shares my Pavlovian response to cereal weighs an average of 21 pounds more than those who don’t. TRY THIS NOW: Give away your son to the circus (JK). Or at least reestablish the house rule: When finished with the cereal, put it away. Please. Keep Calm and Buy Shoes Specifically,…

Low Carb, Not Low GI As if you needed another reason to whip up some guac: A new study in the Journal of the American Heart Association revealed that people on a moderatefat diet who ate an avocado a day lowered LDL (“bad”) cholesterol by 10%—much more than those on a low-fat or moderate-fat diet without avocado. Researchers credit the fruit’s sky-high amounts of monounsaturated fat. More dip, please.…

A strong vocabulary may be your ticket to sidestepping dementia, says a new study from researchers in Spain. After a series of tests on 326 adults over age 50, researchers found a greater prevalence of mild cognitive impairment (a common precursor to dementia that’s also linked to Alzheimer’s disease) among participants with less-developed mental word banks. An ample vocab is an indication of robust cognitive reserves, a surplus of neurons that help the brain compensate for memory lapses. Shoring up your mental thesaurus now can yield dividends down the road, says lead study author Cristina Lojo Seoane of the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela. Short of boring yourself to tears with a dictionary, tackle a crossword puzzle or take on a tome like your brain depends on it. For more…

Your Workout on New Science 1. Rear Lateral Raise SCULPTS: Back of shoulders HOW TO: Bend forward at hips, holding 5- to 8-pound weights and arms extended down as shown. Without moving torso, raise arms out to sides, then return to starting position. Do 3 sets of 12 reps. 2. Single-Arm Row* SCULPTS: Sides of shoulders HOW TO: Start in staggered stance as shown, holding one 5- to 8-pound weight in right hand. Raise weight to chest, then return to starting position. Do 3 sets of 12 reps on both sides. 3. Dumbbell Shoulder Press SCULPTS: Front of shoulders HOW TO: Bend elbows and hold 5- to 8-pound weights just above shoulders. Extend arms straight up, then return to starting position. Do 3 sets of 12 reps. *Modified for at-home…

Spring cleaning isn’t just for closets. Research shows that most people prefer the look of a nearly bare face to that of a done-up one. Try paring down your routine to these subtle solutions: Accentuate eyes without dramatic dark shadow by brushing a bronzer like E.L.F. Pressed Mineral Bronzer ($5) along the eyelid crease, avoid drawn-on brows by trading your pencil for a tinted brow gel like Tarte Colored Clay Tinted Brow Gel ($21), and finish with a rose-tinted balm such as L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Glossy Balm ($8) and creamy Clinique Cheek Pop ($21) for a flush more natural than matte lipsticks and cakey powders provide. Source: Michelle Radow, Los Angeles–based makeup artist…

Devices Worth the Dough NuFace Mini Facial Toning Device ($199) THE CLAIM: Microcurrents stimulate muscles for a tighter, more lifted look. THE VERDICT: “I did one side of my face; it looked tighter for 24 hours.” —Jess C. Georgia Louise Lift + Sculpt Butterfly Stone ($45) THE CLAIM: This massage aid drains puffiness and smooths lines. THE VERDICT: “It got rid of puffiness but didn’t minimize my wrinkles.” —Sara L Kathy Ireland Skincare by ReVive Light Therapy Essentials ($70) THE CLAIM: The LED lights trigger collagen and elastin production, temporarily filling fine lines and wrinkles. THE VERDICT: “After I hovered the device over each of my smile lines for 3 minutes, they were actually less noticeable! Surprising, but I swear it’s true.” —Sarah T.…

DINNER TONIGHT Parsley, Mint, Lemon, and Quinoa In large bowl, whisk 3 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp mustard, 1 minced clove garlic, and 1/2 tsp each salt and pepper. Add 3 cups cooked quinoa, 1 pt halved grape tomatoes, 1 diced cucumber, 1/2 diced red onion, and 1/2 cup each chopped parsley and mint. Toss and top with grilled chicken. Cabbage, Tofu, and Ginger In large bowl, whisk 2 Tbsp each safflower oil and rice vinegar, 1 Tbsp each less-sodium soy sauce and peanut butter, 2 tsp dark sesame oil, and 11/2 tsp grated fresh ginger. Add 1 sm head shredded savoy cabbage, 1 cup trimmed snap peas, 1 pkg (6 oz) baked and chopped tofu, 2 grated carrots, 1 sliced red bell pepper, and 3…

Next time you’re vexed by heartburn, gas, diarrhea, constipation, or even the chronic misery of irritable bowel syndrome, make this compendium of stomach soothers your go-to bathroom read. Start Here! Avoidance Cut reflux and gas culprits. To ease acid-induced heartburn, limit spicy, fried, or fatty dishes and chocolate, tomato sauce, ketchup, and coffee, and stay upright for 2 to 3 hours after eating. Gassy? Avoid hard candy, fizzy drinks, and foods like broccoli, cauliflower, beans, and bran, which ferment in your gut. MOVING FOODS If you need to get unstuck. The fiber in oatmeal, beans, whole grains, and fresh fruits and veggies softens stools for a quicker exit. Water helps, too. 187 mg Approximate dosage of peppermint oil you can try taking 30 minutes before a meal to relieve abdominal…

We’ve all met them. They are the Naturals. The woman in yoga class pre-engineered to nail asanas like some kind of transcendent Gumby. The friend who needs only 2-pound dumbbells to pop Cameron Diaz–like biceps. That peppy guy who clearly sprang from the womb wearing his fitness instructor uniform. You, meanwhile, haven’t felt motivated to walk fast since some weirdo followed you in the parking lot. You can do strength routines for weeks without detecting a hint of triceps definition. Instead of the promised results, you’ve found frustration. You’ve maybe even beat yourself up for all the missed goals. Well, you can check that little blame game at the genetics lab door. According to breaking research, it’s not necessarily that you lack willpower; you just got stuck with the short…

When you meet someone new, what are you fixated on? Yourself: What kind of impression you’re making, your handshake, if you are making eye contact or have spinach in your teeth. That’s why the new acquaintance’s name never gets locked in. You can change that. Pick out one or two things about the person—a trait, where they’re from (e.g., “Steve with the big beard is from Boston”). To keep his brain firing, neurologist Majid Fotuhi plays this game with himself whenever he lectures in front of a large group. He interacts with the audience and tries to memorize up to 50 names—and usually succeeds. “Now I can’t not do this trick when I meet someone one-on-one—I don’t even have to try anymore,” he says. “My wife, who always used to…

Breakfast has a reputation as the most important meal of the day, yet it’s also the one we’re all most likely to skip. Completely contradictory, right? Part of the dichotomy has to do with our penchant for eating on the go. (Ever have a meal while talking on the phone and working on your laptop? Yeah, we thought so.) But there’s another major reason so many of us forgo the morning meal: sheer confusion. Over the past decade, we’ve been barraged with endless contradictory drivel on what and when— and even whether—the meal should be, making breakfast too irksome to even think about, let alone eat. Well, it’s time to stop the morning madness: We’ve pored over the recent research and asked top nutritionists what we really need to know…

The Integrative MD Waking up occasionally to use the bathroom is nothing to worry about. But if it consistently happens at least twice a night, you may have a condition called nocturia that can impede the restorative nature of sleep, affecting your daytime performance and mood. In a recent study of women over 40, more than a third reported experiencing nocturia. Diuretic medications or drinking too many fluids late in the day may be to blame, but nocturia can also be a symptom of diabetes or heart failure, both of which affect kidney function and frequency of urination. Start by limiting fluids and bladder irritants like caffeine, alcohol, and spicy foods after dinner. After ruling out the medical issues mentioned above, your doctor may recommend drugs that reduce the urge…

Stacy Zoern, who has spinalmuscular atrophy, was resigned to relying on others to get anywhere; it was too physically demanding for her to maneuver from her wheelchair into a car and drive. Then she discovered an electric car that allowed her to roll right into its back. “The wheelchair locks in, you close the hatch, and go,” she says. The hitch: The Hungarian company that owned the Kenguru (Hungarian for kangaroo) was about to go under. With zero business experience, Zoern, 35, set out to save her potential savior. She eventually raised $4.5 million, enough to start production. There’s already a triple-digit waiting list, but Zoern isn’t on it: The first model is for users who can operate a steering wheel; because of her upper-body limitations, Zoern requires a joystick.…

Try Something New As in, double-date them. When researchers grouped together pairs of couples and had them ask each other personal questions (for example: What’s your greatest accomplishment?), the participants reported feeling more passionately in love with their own partners after the 45-minute conversations. Since there’s no Match.com for friend foursomes, consider seeking a datable couple the oldfashioned way: Find an event you and your mate share interest in (a running club, volunteering, etc.) and actually go this time. Spot another pair, work up your nerve, and make the first move. “Come here often?” line not required. Sources: UC Boulder; Wayne State University 1,600% Increase in the chemical bisphenol A in volunteers’ urine after they drank soy milk from cans lined with BPA (most cans are). The subjects’ blood pressure…

Numbers to Live By Making the changes below can cut your stroke risk in half. 2HR/WK The amount of walking at a brisk clip (too out of breath to sing a favorite tune but able to chat with a friend)that can decrease stroke risk by 37% 1HR/WK That’s how much to do if you prefer hardcore sweat sessions. High-intensity interval training lowered postmenopausal women’s risk by 40%. 7HR/NIGHT Ideal goal for nightly sleep. Getting 10 or more hours per night is linked to a 63% increase in risk. If you find you need that much, go to the doctor. TWENTY GRAMS Increase in daily protein intake (particularly from fish sources) that could reduce your risk by 26% 3 to 9 Weekly number of drinks linked with an 11% lower stroke…

Get Off the Couch for a Better Brain More evidence that your brain gets stronger right along with your body: Study participants who did weight training 3 times a week for 24 weeks significantly improved their concentration skills and memory, compared with those who stuck with stretching exercises. Researchers believe that resistance training enhances blood flow to the brain and increases levels of the protein IGF-1, a growth factor that protects and promotes the survival of brain neurons. Now, what to do with all those extra minutes you’ll gain from not looking for your phone? Source: Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 43% How much lower the risk of the neurological nightmare known as Parkinson’s disease was among study participants who got more than 6 hours of moderate exercise…

Old Problems, New Solutions A Tousled Crop Why It Works: A slightly shaggy finish gives short hair a modern, youthful vibe. Get the Look: Boost roots with volumizing mousse, blow-dry, then use a ½-inch curling iron to bend ends under. A Low Chignon Why It Works: This style shows off the collarbone and neck for subtle sex appeal. Get the Look: Gather hair at the nape of your neck and loosely twist into a low bun; secure with bobby pins. A High Ponytail Why It Works: It gives skin a gentle upward lift and emphasizes the eyes rather than jowls. Get the Look: Tease hair at the crown and secure 1 to 2 inches above eye level, leaving out a few face-framing pieces. Sources: Whitney Bowe, MD, New York City…

Science-Backed Skin Tips Researchers found that women tend to apply potent anti-agers unevenlyand skip areas that show age most, like the skin around the mouth. The labtested process: • USE ONE FINGER TO DAB A DOT of antiager on each of the 11 facial points at right. l • MASSAGE THE PRODUCT INTO THE SKIN at each point and the surrounding area, using circular motions for even absorption. l • SPEND 30 TO 50 SECONDS in each area to be as thorough as possible. Source: International Journal of Cosmetic Science Cream(s) of the Crop New, staff-tested youth boosters to optimize with the improved technique above: Vichy LiftActiv Supreme Day Cream ($42) plumped and hydrated so well, it (almost) made up for lost sleep. StriVectin Intensive Illuminating Serum ($89) lightened dark…

Probably. A new study in the Quarterly Review of Biology suggests that the popular nutritional approach may be seriously flawed. The diet, heavy in meat, nuts, and veggies and devoid of legumes, dairy, and grains, is based on the idea that it’s healthier to eat only what “cavemen” in the Paleolithic era ate. But researchers now say the diet likely doesn’t reflect what our ancient ancestors were actually consuming. Scientists point out that the Paleolithic era spanned a few million years, and current technology can give us only an incomplete picture of what people ate then. What we do know is that Paleo-era humans weren’t picky, meaning they definitely weren’t stopping to consider a food’s fiber content or make sure that 35% of their calories were from protein, as many…

Chopra’s journey began a couple of years ago, when she was speaking onstage about living “a life of purpose.” As she addressed the crowd, out of nowhere, a voice in her head hissed, Who are you to be talking about this when you don’t have any purpose yourself? It was true: Despite making a career of helping women in midlife find more fulfilling lives (and being the daughter of the world’s best-known self-help master), Chopra struggled to find her own fulfillment. She was drowning her stress in sugar and ill at ease with her soccer-mom status. “At that moment onstage, I realized something had to change,” Chopra says. So the poster girl for intent embarked on a mission to find her own—and uncover how aging into midlife had changed it.…

Avoid Food Toxins Stefanie Neal WHO SHE IS: Food-app visionary LICENSE TO BLOG: Neal is the culinary genius behind Food Fix Up, a popular app featuring more than 100 gluten-, dairy-, and refinedsugar-free dishes. With 58,000-plus Instagram followers, Neal has inspired many to find both health and delight in the kitchen. FIND HER ON EATCLEAN FOR: Recipes for terrific allergy-free dishes not found on her app. STARTER TIP: “When you live on packaged foods, fresh produce can seem plain. But shop and cook smarter and a strawberry can taste like the best thing you’ve ever eaten.” Cook Yourself Thin Dawna Stone WHO SHE IS: Health and diet expert LICENSE TO BLOG: First Stone started a fitness magazine and a marathon series. Then she won The Apprentice: Martha Stewart. Now she’s…

Drop the celery and head for the spice rack. In a new study, women on a reducedcalorie diet who also consumed 1 teaspoon of cumin daily lost 3 more pounds and 3 times more body fat in 12 weeks than those on a calorically equivalent diet without cumin. How can a teaspoon work such wonders? Cumin revs metabolism, researchers say. Another bonus: Those on the cumin plan saw greater drops in LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, thanks to natural plant sterols in the spice.Source: Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice Lose weight and eat brunch with this cumin-infused Spicy Hash & Eggs dish. Go to prevention.com/cumin-egg-hash for the recipe.…

A little nature has the capacity to turn us all into workout fiends. Postmenopausal women who did a circuit-training routine outdoors were substantially more likely to keep up the regimen for 12 weeks than those who did the same workout indoors, according to a recent study from the University of Sherbrooke in Quebec. “The outdoor exercisers felt more tranquil and less depressed—psychological benefits that are often linked to spending time in nature,” says study coauthor Marianne Lacharité-Lemieux. “And the happier you are while exercising, the more likely you are to stick with it.” Source: Menopause…

Have a Belly Breakthrough The problem: Your lower back feels pinched. The fix: Engage your abs and tuck your tailbone under by tilting your hip points toward your chin. If it still hurts: Put basic science to work and drop to your forearms. Getting closer to the floor decreases gravity’s stress on your body. The problem: You don’t feel the ab workout. The fix: Exhale through pursed lips, as though blowing out candles, and imagine you’re pulling your hands and feet toward each other. If you still don’t feel it: Rock your torso forward and back, or alternately lift your legs for 5 to 10 seconds. The problem: Your neck hurts. The fix: Hold a tennis ball between your chin and clavicle to help you avoid over flexing your neck.…

Dust mites, microscopic critters found in your carpets and fabrics, carry allergens that can worsen atopic dermatitis, a common skin issue that causes dry, itchy patches on the neck, face, elbows, and knees, according to a new Journal of Investigative Dermatology study. LONG-TERM FIX: Steamclean or wash fabrics, upholstery, and rugs in hot water (130° to 140°F) to kill mites. FOR RIGHT NOW: Baby your upset skin with short, lukewarm showers; a fragrancefree cleanser; and gentle moisturizer on face and body. Source: Rebecca Tung, MD, associate professor of dermatology at Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL…

Gluten-free bread is almost never as soft or satisfying as the original. But that could soon change: Gluten-free bread made from wheat (yes, wheat!) is set to hit grocery stores in Italy this summer. How’s that possible? Scientists at the University of Bari exposed wheat to Lactobacillus bacteria and fungi, both of which digest gluten proteins in flour during sourdough fermentation. The result: hydrolyzed wheat flour, which contains just 12 parts per million of gluten, a level the FDA considers safe for those with celiac disease. More studies are needed before the bread makes its US debut; consider it extra time for those Italians to master the gluten-free pizza.…

“As I stood in the Macy’s fitting room, my own reflection sent shivers down my spine. You look just like Mom, I thought. Two years prior, I had watched lung and liver cancer ravage my mother’s body; she was gone inside of 2 months. Now, as I stared at my rounded belly and sagging skin exposed in the dim light, I couldn’t shake a feeling. My mom taught me so many wonderful things, but a healthy lifestyle wasn’t one of them. For most of her life, she smoked, loved fattening cooking, and didn’t exercise. Growing up I adopted those habits, too, and by 44 I was overweight and a closet smoker, and my health was deteriorating. Both my blood pressure and cholesterol levels were on the high end of normal.…

You can’t predict it by looking at your parents or grandparents. Hair loss is polygenetic, which means your fate is decided by a random assortment of genes from both immediate and extended relatives, says Nicole Rogers, a hair-transplant surgeon and boardcertified dermatologist based in New Orleans. So, while you’re more likely to deal with thinning if it generally runs in your family, you can’t blame Mom—or Dad. Your hormones aren’t actually haywire. Many women nearing menopause assume out-of-whack hormones are at fault. The truth: If your follicles are simply extra sensitive to androgens—male hormones we all have—even perfectly normal levels can trigger a hair-depleting miniaturization process in the follicles, says Rogers. (It’s impossible to tell if you’re in that camp until your hair actually thins.) Naturally, messing with normal hormone…

Browsey was an adorable terrier mix with the playful energy and brisk trot of a dog half her age. Even at her advanced 13 years, she was often mistaken for a puppy. But soon after owner Patti McCracken, of Chicago, moved to a new apartment, Browsey started acting old— forgetting where she lived and walking in odd, repetitive circles. McCracken took the dog to several stumped vets. Finally, one asked McCracken, “How are you feeling?” Surprised, McCracken brought up the extreme fatigue, mysterious aches, and wicked optic migraines—she would lose vision in one eye for several minutes at a time— she’d suffered for the past few months. “I’ve been tested for everything,” she told the vet. “No one can find anything wrong with me.” “It sounds like a gas leak,”…