Innehållsförteckning för September 2016 från Prevention

HELLO, READERS! I’m the new editor of Prevention and I’m excited to be here. With this letter, I’m ready to start a dialogue with you that I imagine will be fruitful on all sides. A few things I know about you: You come to us for cutting-edge, trustworthy health coverage; nutritious meal plans that are shoppable and cookable; workouts you can actually perform; alternative health care (“20 Doctor-Recommended Natural Remedies,” p. 54); and real people whose stories inspire you—all to help you live your best life, however you want to define that. You don’t need the diet du jour or 25-year-old models standing in for you. You’re grownups. You appreciate Prevention’s rich legacy as the authoritative voice on health and wellness. You understand that true health is body and mind,…

This calming drink is made with kefir, packed with probiotics that may help ease anxiety and trigger a release of the feel-good chemical serotonin. Berries and peaches provide vitamin C, a potential cortisol cutter, while hemp seeds deliver magnesium, which can help relax the mind and muscles. Blend and sip the next time you feel stressed. CALORIES BY CUISINE Tufts University researchers found that 92% of restaurant entrees exceed the recommended calorie count per meal. The averages they found: ITALIAN 1,556 CHINESE 1,478 AMERICAN 1,451 INDIAN 1,250 THAI 1,163 MEXICAN 1,110 VIETNAMESE 984 JAPANESE 945 GREEK 904 39 Average number of extra calories people ordered in dim restaurants, compared with brightly lit ones, according to a new study from the Cornell University Food & Brand Lab. 15-Minute All-Organic Meal under…

AS A couples’ therapist specializing in sexuality, I occasionally meet with partners individually. It’s often during these one-on-one sessions that perimenopausal or postmenopausal women share that, during sex, they find themselves groaning not with pleasure but with pain— which often leads to a waning interest in, if not outright avoidance of, sex. In the book When Sex Hurts, the authors—two physicians and a psychologist— contend that approximately 20 million women in America will suffer from painful sex, also known as dyspareunia, at some point in their lives and that more than 40% of them do not seek help due to feelings of shame, embarrassment, confusion, and even the belief that it’s normal for sex to hurt. Though it’s natural for sex to change over time, in my clinical experience too…

In a typical session of equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP), a therapist has a patient lead a horse through a maze of traffic cones, asking her to observe the horse’s reactions and her own emotional responses. Then, by talking with the therapist about the issues that arise during the exercise—frustration or anger or feelings of rejection—the patient gains emotional awareness and coping skills she can apply to challenges she faces in her everyday life. “With equine-assisted psychotherapy, emotions come up spontaneously as you’re working with the horses, so you get a chance to recognize those feelings and learn how to modify them in the moment,” explains Jenna Saul, a founding cochair of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’s Committee on Integrative Medicine, who offers EAP to her patients. “You learn…

Who needs a mix when the real thing not only tastes better but is also just as easy to make? I grew up at one of the most interesting moments, in the most interesting home, with the most interesting food stories possible if you were born in 1962. I spent my childhood on the first official organic farm in America, in rural Pennsylvania. As the third generation of the first family of organics and now the CEO of Rodale, which publishes well-known health and wellness titles like Prevention, and cochair of the Rodale Institute, which conducts scientific research on organic farming, I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen fads come and go, health and diet issues rise and fall, and trends go around and come back again. I’ve seen organic go…

1 Track your numbers. Just because some women with low cholesterol have heart attacks doesn’t mean cholesterol numbers have zero relation to risk. On average, lower is still better. Aim to keep total cholesterol below 200 mg/dL, LDL cholesterol below 130 mg/dL, and HDL at 40 mg/dL or above. 2 Watch your triglycerides, too. Another type of fat found in blood, triglycerides have generally been seen as a sidekick to LDL and HDL. But recent studies have found that triglycerides might directly contribute to heart disease and may be even more dangerous than LDL. Aim for a measurement under 150 mg/dL; a healthy diet and exercise can help get you there. 3 Eat Mediterranean. A recent trial found that a Mediterranean diet including olive oil and nuts, both of which…

If you’ve seen agility training competitions on TV, you know how impressive they can be: dogs weaving around poles, jumping over hurdles, and diving through tunnels with speed and precision, guided only by their owners’ verbal and hand signals. But the sport isn’t just for serious contenders. Experts say training at home can provide valuable health benefits for both of you. Improve your fitness. Agility training adds a fun form of jogging to the walking you already do with your dog. “It’s vigorous activity for the dog but also for the handler because you have to run to help him learn to navigate obstacles,” says Rebecca Johnson, a professor and the director of the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction at the University of Missouri. And since the jogging occurs in…

I love the new magazine. You don’t realize there are no ads until you get to the end—it’s a nice surprise, like seeing a movie with great popcorn instead of the usual chemical kind. Melissa McNeese / New York, NY I just got the July issue and read it front to back. You get what you pay for—no ads and great things to read! Laura Goodearly / via Facebook I am impressed with the new format—it’s refreshing to get so much information without marketing come-ons and slick ads. But the line “40+” could use an uptick. Your older readers are highly conscious of good health habits, too. Alice Rubino / Nutley, NJ We recently received the July issue. It looks wonderful. The one problem is that some of the print…

Women outlive men by an average of 5 years but suffer poorer health in their final years, says a University of Michigan study. Why? David Katz of Yale University Prevention Research Center offers this: “Sexism still exists, so women may have fewer resources to prevent illness. Many women work but are expected to manage their family, too, so they have less time to take care of themselves. Childbearing also takes a physical toll. I believe improved wellness for women relies on creating a culture that empowers the health of both genders equally.”…

Need a new reason to love bread? Two large studies have found that eating whole grains lowers the risk of death from cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. One study even found that getting 90 g of whole grains a day—the equivalent of two slices of bread and a bowl of cereal—can cut the risk by as much as 17%. KIDNEYS LOVE CITRUS Up to 15% more women get kidney stones today than 20 years ago, according to a new Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia study. Researchers blame the rise in part on poor hydration habits, which can cause stone-binding minerals to form in the kidneys or urinary tract. The good news is that stones are largely preventable, says the National Kidney Foundation. The best way to head them off? Drink more.…

SUPPLEMENTS ARE usually only necessary for women who are still menstruating or who suffer from iron-deficiency anemia, which is typically caused by heavy menstrual flow or internal blood loss due to ulcers or overuse of aspirin or other anti-inflammatory medications. Your doctor can confirm iron-deficiency anemia with a blood test. Gastric bypass surgery can also limit your body’s ability to absorb iron. But since you’re no longer menstruating, the odds you’re low on iron are slim. We all need small amounts of iron to make the oxygen-carrying protein in blood called hemoglobin, but a woman’s iron needs drop to just 8 mg a day after menopause—less than half the amount required during childbearing years. If you get enough iron in your diet—and most people do—taking a supplement could actually harm…

OVER THE past 2 years, I’ve become That Woman. You know who she is. You’re probably waiting in line behind her at the grocery store right now. I haven’t gotten to the “counting coins from a teeny change purse” phase of my life yet, but this is the conversation I had recently with a bank teller, who was Me I’m going to France, and I need some euros. Clerk Fine. Let me see. Me Not Italy. France. Though I guess it doesn’t matter. Clerk Um, OK, let me just… Me Sorry? What? Clerk I’m not sure what denominations we have. What would you like? Me The nomination? I don’t like it much, either, but I think we have to wait until the general election to see... Clerk What? No, I…

Standing up straight doesn’t just stop you from slumping; it also strengthens bones. If you stand with your hips and pelvis thrust forward—as many women do after years of wearing heels—you’re shifting weight-bearing activity off hip bones to other muscles, says fitness expert Katy Bowman, which can weaken pelvic bones and glutes and compress lower-back muscles. For healthier posture: 1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, toes pointed forward. 2. Straighten knees and relax kneecaps; don’t lock them. 3. Shift hips back so ankles, knees, hips, and torso align vertically. 4. Stack pelvis over pubic bone without sticking glutes out. 5. Relax rib cage over pelvis. 6. Draw chin back so ears are in line with shoulders and neck stays long.…

How to Make a Gel Pack Gel packs maximize anti-inflammatory powers of cold compresses and conform to your body better than a bag of frozen peas. To make your own: Mix 1 part rubbing alcohol with 3 parts water in a zip-top bag, place in a second bag, and freeze for 4 hours. Panera did it. Starbucks is doing it. Now even McDonald’s has joined the list of 35-plus companies switching from conventional to cage-free eggs. But do uncaged hens produce eggs that are healthier, and is cage-free really more humane? ON NUTRITION Cage-free eggs don’t have extra health perks: Diet, not breathing room, determines the nutritional value of hen eggs. Most birds, caged or uncaged, eat the same commercial feed. ON ETHICS Most eggs come from hens housed in…

MOST OF the time, water is all you need after a moderate amount of exercise. But when you’ve exerted yourself for longer than an hour, you may need more than just water. When we sweat, we lose electrolytes, minerals that help us maintain fluid balance and muscle function. These minerals, including sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, are found in store-bought sports drinks, but many of those drinks also contain unhealthy ingredients, like high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors. That’s why I like to make my own rehydrating drink using simple, natural ingredients. I start with coconut water, which is so good at replacing lost electrolytes that it’s been used for intravenous hydration during emergencies when saline solution is unavailable. For about 45 calories per 8 oz serving, it boasts…

I’ll never forget the moment I first saw Cassie, a tall, sleek thoroughbred. She was running in a pasture, her glossy brown mane flying. She looked so happy and free—the opposite of me. It was 1986, I was almost 16, and I was dangerously depressed. But seeing Cassie’s joy gave me hope: Maybe I could feel happiness again, too. I began to ride her daily. And as I got to know her, I realized that beneath her sassy attitude she was as wary and anxious as I was. The first time I tried to mount her, I had to back off several times to let her know she was safe. I learned that horses are vulnerable. In spite of their size, they’re susceptible to being hurt by wolves and mountain…

The latest surveys show that about a third of Americans now use natural or complementary medicine, and the number is growing. Fish oil is the most common natural product used for health—nearly 8% of adults take it preventively for heart health. Next in popularity are glucosamine/chondroitin, probiotics, and melatonin. The popularity of these remedies hasn’t been lost on physicians, who are increasingly acknowledging the usefulness of many alternative therapies. We asked doctors about the natural remedies they swear by—the ones they use themselves and recommend to patients instead of writing a prescription. Here are 20 you may have never heard of but could come to trust. Problem Acne Try Coconut oil 1 Doctor Says “People with acne tend to overdry their skin, which triggers more oil production. I recommend applying…

The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology have developed an online calculator (cvriskcalculator.com) that asks for a few basic facts—including cholesterol and blood pressure measurements, gender, and diabetes history—before producing a number that indicates the risk of a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years. For results of 7.5% or higher, the AHA and ACC recommend people talk to their doctor about statin drugs and other preventive measures. Some doctors advise using a different calculator called the Reynolds Risk Score instead. “It’s been tested in multiple populations, is accurate, and I believe is better,” says Steven Nissen, chair of Cleveland Clinic’s department of cardiovascular medicine. This tool takes into consideration something that’s missing from the AHA/ACC calculator: results of a blood test to measure C-reactive…

□ I’ve had a healthy libido in the past. □ My lack of desire causes me distress. □ I’m in a loving and satisfying relationship. □ I’m getting adequate sleep. □ My stress levels are manageable. □ I have a clean bill of health, including no underlying conditions that affect my libido. □ I’ve talked to my doctor about possible sexual side effects of the other medications I’m taking.…

WHEN YOU take time out for a creative activity, you can lower your stress level no matter your proficiency, according to a recent Drexel University study. After almost an hour of making artwork with markers and paper, clay, or collage materials, the majority of the study participants— including students, staff, and faculty—registered decreased levels of cortisol, and they reported feeling relaxed and “freed from constraints.” Some of the volunteers even said they wanted to make more art. You can enjoy the same calming experience by coloring this late-summer scene straight out of our CEO Maria Rodale’s organic garden. See more from Scratch in “The Art of Cooking from Scratch” on p. 64. *Must be US resident and at least 18. By submitting artwork to Rodale, you grant Rodale permission to…