Innehållsförteckning för December 2016 från Prevention

MY MOTHER WAS a fairly typical ’70s housewife who gave up her job to raise a family in the suburbs. She had her aha moment (see our story on p. 60) over egg salad one afternoon. That morning, as on every weekday morning, my father rode a commuter train into the city and my sister and I left for school early, not to return until dark. My mother looked up at the clock on the wall and thought, I’m all alone in this house. Two hours later, this former RN had applied for a job at an acute care community hospital. Soon she was working, earning a small salary and often invisible, but still proud to be of service and to put her skills and knowledge to work—in step with…

The high cost of prescription drugs has become a contentious current public health issue. In August, thousands of parents, startled by the suddenly higher price of EpiPen—the injectable antidote to life-threatening allergic reactions—took their anger to social media, prompting drug manufacturer Mylan to provide financial assistance programs and offer a lower-cost generic version. EpiPen cost about $100 for a two-pack in 2009, but the price rose to about $250 by 2013, $450 by 2015, and $600 as of last summer—even though it costs about $30 to make an EpiPen. “Pushback from the public and from physicians works to get companies to respond,” says Peter B. Bach, director of the Center for Health Policy and Outcomes at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. “But ultimately the question is whether this pressure will…

Fasting after a huge meal or sweets binge can cause a drop in blood sugar that triggers cravings and leads to more overeating. Fight back with the Mocha Bloat Blaster, made with ingredients that help stabilize blood sugar and beat the bloat. Potassium-rich bananas counteract the puffing effects of excess sodium, while coffee, a natural diuretic, helps flush fluid. Almond butter adds a dose of satiating fiber and protein to prevent you from getting hungry again too soon. THE PRO-FAT, ANTI-FAT FAD The ketogenic diet limits carbs and protein in favor of high-fat foods, and adherents claim it can lead to rapid weight loss. That’s because high-fat, low-carb diets cause your body to produce ketones—molecules normally produced during periods of low fo od intake or prolonged exercise. The body then…

Today’s nurses are caregivers, innovators, and leaders. They work in hospitals, clinics, and crisis zones, in their neighborhoods and around the world. They are often full partners on their medical and research teams, in jobs that are demanding and complex. “Nurses are the glue that holds health care together,” says Dr. Travis Stork, an emergency room physician and host of TV’s The Doctors. He learned this early in his career. “During my first shift alone as an attending doctor in a remote ER, a sick little boy was brought in, barely breathing after an accidental overdose,” he recalls. “The nurse on duty did remarkably that night. She gave me the strength to do my job in a way I didn’t know I was capable of, and, most important, the boy…

SO MANY herbs offer a wide range of health benefits. To honor the season, let’s focus on one of my favorites: peppermint. This popular treat belongs in every household. The latest research shows that peppermint tea can enhance concentration and may even help your memory. When scientists at Northumbria University in England gave volunteers either peppermint tea, chamomile tea, or hot water, they found that the peppermint drinkers were more alert and demonstrated better working and longterm memory. So instead of automatically reaching for caffeine when you need a boost, I recommend peppermint tea for focus without the caffeine jolt. Peppermint tea also aids digestion. It can subdue an upset stomach and ease gas and bloating—the perfect antidote to holiday excess. Drinking peppermint tea can also lessen symptoms of upper…

A money crisis can feel like a significant loss of hopes, plans, and efforts, says Megan Ford, a financial therapist at the University of Georgia. As with death, divorce, and other major losses, feelings of anxiety, depression, shame, and disbelief are common. These steps can help you manage your financial grief. • BE HONEST. If you weren’t responsible for the setback— let’s say you had an unforeseen illness or job loss—you need to remind yourself that it’s not your fault, says Ella Lasky, a Manhattan psychologist specializing in financial issues. If you did cause the problem—by, for instance, overspending or buying a home you couldn’t afford—forgive yourself. “Say, ‘OK, I’ve learned something from this. I’ll never do it again,’ ” Lasky advises. • DON’T BURY YOUR FEELINGS. Ford suggests opening…

I f you talk with people who have lost a large amount of weight and kept it off, they’ll almost always trace their success back to a single revelation. They often remember the pivotal instant when, after years of trying and failing to slim down, something “clicked,” enabling them to see things in a new light and forge a path to long-term health. For 41-year-old Sarah Charette, it happened in a hospital bed as she gazed at her newborn son, knowing that, physically, she was in no shape to take care of him and his two older siblings. Marnita Wiggins-Nichols, 54, points to a day in the doctor’s office, when she learned that her weight had pushed her blood pressure so high it threatened to kill her. Dale Robinson, 61,…

FOR MANY of us, cooking and baking for those we love bring joy to the holidays—and to our lives. “But cooking can become stressful as we try to fit it in amid everything else,” says University of Massachusetts psychology professor Lizabeth Roemer, coauthor of Worry Less, Live More. “We can become distracted or worried about how things will turn out.” If that sounds familiar, finding a way to refocus on the present moment can help you stay calm as the kitchen timer beeps. One way to do that: coloring between steps of a recipe or while your dish is in the oven. “Bringing mindful coloring practices into cooking can help us remember to pay attention in the moment, so we notice what we’re enjoying and catch ourselves each time our…

New research shows that a subset of breast cancer patients—those whose cancer cells are sensitive to the hormones estrogen or progesterone—may be able to avoid chemotherapy. A genomic test can identify the patients who may be safely treated with less invasive options. According to lead study author Fatima Cardoso of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, that finding may be applicable to nearly half of all women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer—approximately 19,000 women in the US each year. “If a woman has hormone-dependent breast cancer, she should discuss genomic testing with her oncologist,” Cardoso says. SAFER SIPPING Drinking beverages hotter than 149°F may increase the risk of esophageal cancer over time, according to a report from the World Health Organization. Most American restaurants serve coffee between 145° and 175°F; home…

Medical research in the 1960s and ’70s linked saturated fat and cholesterol to heart disease but largely left sugar off the hook. Now a new report from the University of California, San Francisco, finds that some of that research was biased. It turns out that a sugar industry trade group paid scientists to downplay the heart risks of sugar and shift the blame to fat. News like this can make people doubt all nutrition findings, but experts warn against overreacting. David L. Katz, director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, says industry funding might discredit some findings but doesn’t change the basics—for instance, that fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats are good for us. “What we know about nutrition in general has stood for decades, so you shouldn’t think…

I am a fool for Christmas cookies—the more icing and sprinkles, the better. Piled on a plate at a holiday party, they’re an invitation I can’t refuse, and I’ve been known to eat them till it hurts. And though I swear afterward I’ll never eat another cookie as long as I live, I know that’s a vow I won’t keep. I used to berate myself about my cookie-bingeing. A little voice in my head loved telling me how fat I was, how foolish, how out of control. A few years ago, I decided to take on that voice, and when I did, I noticed an interesting phenomenon: The more I chastised myself for eating cookies, the more cookies I wanted. But when I gave myself permission to eat them, my…

Citrus-Pomegranate Pavlova Serves 10 Prep time: 10 minutes Total time: 2 hours + cooling time MERINGUE 5 lg egg whites 11⁄4 c sugar 2 tsp cornstarch 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp distilled white vinegar FILLING 1 c fat-free Greek yogurt 1/2c heavy cream 2 Tbsp confectioners’ sugar 1/2tsp vanilla extract TOPPING 4 oranges, peeled and sliced 1 grapefruit, peeled and sliced 1/2c pomegranate arils Heat oven to 200°F. Line baking sheet with parchment. Whisk egg whites and . cup of the sugar. Beat with electric mixer on medium until soft peaks form, 3 minutes. Slowly add cornstarch and remaining sugar and beat to stiff peaks, 2 minutes. Fold in vanilla and vinegar. Spread meringue in 9" circle on baking sheet; dent center. Bake 1. hours. Remove and cool 3…

This is the time of year when anyone who finds themselves without health insurance coverage—and anyone who wants to make a change to the insurance they currently have—needs to choose a plan for 2017. Depending on your situation, it can be a daunting task that requires you to be part fortune-teller and part math whiz. Even most people’s biggest concern— how much will it cost?—is not a simple matter of looking at a price tag. You have to try to predict how much medical care your family might use in the next 12 months, and then plug those guesstimates into available options, calculating how much you might be responsible for paying versus what the insurance will cover To navigate this confusing world of health insurance options, Prevention and the University…

Holiday madness doesn’t have to turn you into a monster, says R. Douglas Fields, a neuroscientist and author of Why We Snap, a recent book exploring the science behind rage. We asked him for some practical suggestions to manage common holiday stressors To handle rude shoppers: “If someone cuts in line in front of you, avoid a verbal altercation by taking a deep breath and thinking about why you’re angry. Even this brief reflection can help keep you calm.” To make your holiday schedule manageable: “Write a list of why you should or shouldn’t engage in certain holiday activities, then choose the ones that are most important.” To stay calm on the road: “Try this breathing exercise: Inhale through your nose for 5 seconds, hold for 5 seconds, then exhale…

These two tubers are often mistaken for each other. And despite what the sign on the bin says, you’re probably buying sweet potatoes. Here’s a comparison, plus some tips for how to best use them both. APPEARANCE The orange-fleshed Jewel, Beauregard, and Red Garnet, among the most common varieties, are most likely to be mislabeled as yams. TASTE These three varieties are sweet, moist, and tender and are the most versatile and flavorful of the sweet potatoes. BEST USES Sweeter than yellowhued ones, the orange-fleshed potatoes are great roasted, mashed, or in pies or casseroles. NUTRITION One cooked cup has 114 calories, 27 g carbs, 4 g fiber, 2 g protein, and 10 times more vitamin A than a cup of yams. APPEARANCE Real yams have brown, barklike skin and…

If you suffer from lower-back pain, stop focusing only on your aching spine. Problems with the core muscles in the area of your lower back—specifically the glutes and hip muscles— may be triggering the pain. “Loosening the hips and strengthening the muscles on the sides of your glutes can help support your lower back and prevent pain from radiating,” says Brook Benten, an Austin, TX–based exercise physiologist. Open your hips and tone your glutes with the Clamshell (below), which Benten recommends doing three times a week to help prevent and reduce back pain. TRY IT Lie on one side with knees bent and stacked (1). Lift top knee to form a diamond shape with legs, keeping feet together (2). Slowly lower to return to starting position. Do 20 reps on…

Many Americans are still eating too much salt. The link between high sodium intake and high blood pressure (hypertension) was established long ago, and hypertension is a known risk factor for heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke. In spite of the evidence, the average American consumes 3,000 to 6,000 mg of sodium each day—far more than the American Heart Association’s recommended 1,500 mg (the equivalent of just over 1⁄2 tsp of salt). The controversy has always been whether this limit applies to everyone, since some people are not salt sensitive, meaning that their blood pressure doesn’t rise because of salt intake, so there may be no health reason for them to avoid it. But now there could be a second controversy around salt, as new studies find that too little…

I never understood how privileged I was until I lost all the trappings of material wealth. And I never could have predicted how much better my life would become after everything changed. In 2008, my husband and I were living in an affluent suburb with our daughter, Claudia, then 12, and my son, David, then 15, from my first marriage. We’d worked hard for the life we enjoyed, and our combined salaries—I worked in  business development for a paper company, and he was a self-employed consultant—allowed us to send the kids to private school and take annual vacations to beautiful places. Although I appreciated what we had, we were surrounded by people with similar means, and our lifestyle didn’t seem unusual. Then I was hit with divorce—for the second time.…

1 MAMMOGRAMS FOR HEART DISEASE SCREENING Researchers at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City confirmed a link between the amount of calcium in the arteries of the breasts, which can be seen on digital mammograms, and the level of calcium buildup in the coronary arteries.This means that routine mammograms could be a useful tool for identifying women at a higher risk of heart disease. Breast imaging centers will need to create systems for reporting heart problems found on the images, but women can take advantage of the finding now: If you get a digital mammogram, ask if your vessels show calcifications. If your breast arteries suggest a heart disease risk, you may be referred for additional tests. 2 THE WORLD’S FIRST VIRTUAL HEALTH CARE CENTER The new Mercy Virtual…

W e know the health perks of pets for their owners— easing stress, lowering blood pressure. Now pet owners are sharing their dogs and cats with people in need of comfort: training as teams to visit schools, where kids read to the animals to develop confidence, and hospitals, where they can lift patients’ spirits. Could you and your pet be a good therapy team? Determine if your pet has what it takes to be a therapy animal. Therapy pets are chosen for their temperaments plus certain skills and traits: “Dogs should have excellent basic obedience—be able to sit, stay, and come on command and refrain from jumping,” says Mary Margaret Callahan, senior national director of program development for Pet Partners (petpartners.org), an organization that registers human-pet therapy pairs. “Cats should…