Innehållsförteckning för October 2015 från Prevention

17 Reasons Why It’s Time for You to Go to the Doctor Here’s an unsettling statistic: 80% of people report holding off on preventive care. What’s even less comforting—the majority are women, who tend to put the health of their friends, family, and even pets before their own, a ZocDoc survey of 2,000 found. TRY IT NOW: Join me in releasing that I don’t have time for this crap frustration. That attitude made sense back when I had zero faith I could see my doc without long phone waits, an hour in the waiting room, and a blizzard of confusing mailings about insurance coverage. But once I read the advice in “17 Secrets Every Doctor’s Receptionist Knows” (p. 32), I got my MD mojo back and finally made an appointment…

The average wait time to see a physician in 15 major US cities is 18.5 days. Need a GP in Boston? That’ll be 66 days (on average). If you’re hunting for a dermatologist in Philadelphia, try 49 days. Accessing doctors is just one of the maddening things about medical care, but the secret to navigating it all is right there in the waiting room with you: the receptionist. As the office gatekeepers, they know all the tricks…so we asked them to spill. Here, 17 of their top tips for getting prompt, quality health care—anywhere. 4 STRATEGIES FOR SAME-DAY SERVICE 1 Call between 10 and 11 am. That’s when most offices know about afternoon cancellations. Booked solid? Ask if the doctor holds any times open for same-day or urgent appointments. 2…

The best baking apples are Galas, Fujis, Granny Smiths, and Pink Ladies, all of which hold shape and taste great out of the oven. 1. Chocolate-Almond Apples Core 4 apples; cut off tops with stems. Mix 1/4 cup almond butter, 1/4 cup shredded coconut, 3 Tbsp chopped almonds, 3 Tbsp dark chocolate chips, and 4 tsp maple syrup; divide among apples. Top with almonds and coconut. Bake at 350˚F under foil until tender, 15 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 minutes more. 2. Raspberry-Crumble Apples Core 4 apples; cut off tops with stems. Fill each apple with 1 Tbsp frozen raspberries and 1 tsp honey. Mix 6 Tbsp granola, 4 tsp honey, 1 Tbsp vegetable oil, and 1⁄2 tsp cinnamon and divide among apples. Bake at 350˚F under foil until tender,…

Here’s a new reason to submit to a siesta: Volunteers who snoozed for 90 minutes recalled 33% more random word pairs (like “vegetable-bible,” which, by the way, we’d totally read) after waking. The bump is courtesy of sleep-time action in the brain’s hippocampus, says study author Sara Studte of Saarland University, Germany. Not the napping type? Consider pre-bedtime your prime slot for learning new stuff; you just might wake up smarter You Say Tomato, We Say See Ya, Hot Flashes A surprisingly everyday beverage might help you weather your worst menopause symptoms. In a recent study published in Nutrition Journal, 93 women with at least one menopausal complaint found palpable relief after drinking about 4/5 cup of unsalted (ah, the catch: unsalted!) tomato juice twice a day for 8 weeks.…

The power of miso soup to soothe the jitters goes well beyond its comfort-food status. A new study of 700 people found that those who ate more fermented foods like miso, kimchi, yogurt, and kefir had fewer social anxiety symptoms. The relief was strongest among people who tended toward the highest levels of worry, anxiety, envy, and guilt. Likely at play? Probiotics, of course. This corroborates earlier findings showing that animals given good bacteria produced more GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), a neurotransmitter made in the gut that has an effect similar to that of antianxiety drugs. To reap max benefits, aim for at least one serving of probioticrich foods every day. For this Soothing Miso Soup recipe, head to prevention.com/miso-soup. Be sure to add miso paste last to preserve live bacteria.…

Go from the couch to a 5K in 6 weeks! Find our beginner-friendly training plan to help you slim down and get you race ready at prevention.com/5Kplan. Don’t overstretch before you start. Static stretching—holding a stretch for 30 seconds or longer—can hamper your performance when done immediately before a run. Why? Tight hamstrings can actually help you go faster. Your muscle tendons are like rubber bands; the shorter and less flexible they are, the quicker they snap back, speeding up your stride. Static stretching after training, however, can help you prepare for your next workout—so don’t skip it post sweat session. Do a dynamic warm-up. Moves like high-knee walking and lunges are excellent for preparing your body to run. These full-body movements “activate” your muscles (so your workout feels easier)…

Your kitchen pantry may hold the key to a dewy complexion. A new study found that skin elasticity improved in postmenopausal women who swallowed 5 teaspoons of argan oil every day for 2 months. It’s likely that the nutty oil’s phytonutrients, like ferulic acid, are at work, says Wendy Bazilian, nutritionist and contributor to Eat Clean, Stay Lean (Rodale, 2015). Since the dosage weighs in at 200 calories, sub it in dressings, dips, or dishes for sly skin help. Try Dip&Scoop’s Culinary Argan Oil ($25). Source: Clinical Interventions in Aging…

For even more mood-lifting bath products, go to shop.prevention.com. Your mood: “My hormones are going crazy, and so am I!” The Oil: Rose geranium. The antiinflammatory essential oil is the go-to aroma Rx for off-kilter hormones behind breakouts, headaches, and hot flashes. Find it in: Royal Botanicals Rose Geranium Bath Soak ($45) Your mood: “I’m exhausted, but my brain is still wired...and it’s 2 am.” The Oil: Frankincense. The tree resin has been used to balance the breath for centuries (think meditation in a bottle) so you can mentally hop off the hamster wheel. Find it in: Violet & Lark Frankincense Hand Mixed Bath Salts ($33) Your mood: “Libido? What libido?” The Oil: Atlas cedarwood. Aromatherapists say that sniffing it centers and calms you, so you’ll feel less out of…

You pop a probiotic pill daily and have a fridge full of yogurt, so it’s natural that you’d be curious to try products with the beneficial bugs for your furry friend. But before you replace Fido’s biscuits with kimchi every time his poop looks wonky, consider both the pros and cons How They Help Probiotics can offer many of the same stomach-calming, immune-boosting benefits for animals and humans, says Sherry Sanderson, an associate professor at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. A North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine study found that one probiotic strain managed diarrhea in shelter dogs as well as an antibiotic. Bonus: The dogs given probiotics had a better immune response to a distemper vaccine, says Sanderson. Probiotics also have less chance of…

Butternut Squash Queso-ish Dip SERVES 6 TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes Throw 11⁄2 cups butternut squash puree (canned or DIY) and 1⁄2 cup diced yellow onion in blender and run until that f*ck*r is smooth. In small bowl, mix 3 Tbsp whole wheat flour, 11⁄2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp chili powder, and 1 tsp smoked paprika. In pot, heat 3 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add flour mixture and stir until it thickens. You guessed it: We’re making a roux, b*tch*s. Slowly whisk in 1⁄2 cup vegetable broth. Add 1 cup diced tomatoes with juice; stir until it’s lump-free. Add squash mixture; 1⁄2 cup nutritional yeast; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 or 2 jalapeños, minced; 1 Tbsp lime juice; and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir and reduce heat to low.…

A shocking one-third of women have full-on high blood pressure. This excess force of blood pushing against artery walls can damage blood vessels and ultimately trigger heart attack, stroke, aneurysm, or kidney damage. The problem arises from narrow or stiff arteries and an overworked heart—dire-sounding, yes, but often reversible. Here’s how. Start Here! The Outdoors Good day, sunshine. UV light alters levels of a compound called nitric oxide in skin and blood, relaxing vessels and lowering BP. (Erectile dysfunction drugs also use nitric oxide to relax blood vessels.) And Japanese research into shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing,” finds that spending time in nature lowers BP, along with stress hormones and heart rate. 120/80 to 139/89 = prehypertension, meaning you might end up with high BP if you don’t take steps to…

Spiralized veggies have taken the blogosphere by storm. The hot-hot-hot pasta alternative appeals to millions watching their weight or on grain-free diets like Paleo. Vegetable noodles are even popping up in restaurants, like Raw in Chicago, and in supermarkets, thanks to Hungryroot, which offers packaged “pasta” meals with sauces ($10). But there’s an even simpler way to taste the awesomeness: Pick up a tool like the Inspiralizer ($50), crank through your favorite veggie—beets, carrots, broccoli, anything!—and sauté with oil. Compared with 1 cup of pasta, a zucchini’s worth of noodles will save you 166 calories and 33 g of carbs. Spaghetti that’s glutenfree, low-carb, low-calorie, and packed with nutrients? Sounds like a win to us. This simple Zucchini Pasta is easy and delicious to make. Head to prevention.com/spiral for this…

Enjoy your java an hour before exercise: Caffeine reaches peak levels in the blood in 45 to 60 minutes and starts to fade after 3½ to 5 hours. One more reason to love those beans: A little caffeine before exercise will not only boost your motivation to move, it’ll help you actually get more from your workouts. When weight lifters drank just over 5 mg of caffeine per kilogram of body weight (roughly 16 to 24 ounces of coffee for a 150-pound woman), it gave them the get-up-and-go to do 11.6% more bench-press repetitions and 19.1% more leg-press repetitions, compared with their caffeine-free workouts. Previous research shows that as few as two cups of coffee can boost endurance, so whether you’re doing aerobic exercise or strength training, caffeine can help…

FILTER OUT WBINKLES Marnie Goldberg, 42 @msgoldgirl Apply a highlighting concealer along the full length of any fine line or wrinkle, then blend the product with a finger or a fluffy brush. The lightness visually “lifts” the fold in your skin, Goldberg says. INSTA-SMOOTH LIPS Dia Dibble, 50, and Michelle Bouse, 43 @TheBeautyBookends For youthful, smooth lips, “run a clean toothbrush or damp washcloth over your lips,” say Dibble and Bouse. Nightly, use a hydrating lip serum with line-reducing peptides. LIKEABLE LASHES Kim Hudnall, 44 @TheHipChickOnline Hudnall wields a lash curler to make thin, sparse lashes look longer and hide hooded lids. “For major length, I hold the curler near the root for about 15 to 20 seconds,” she says…

WHILE 23 STATES and Washington, DC, have legalized medical marijuana, the federal government sees cannabis as having no medical use. This is at odds with scientific fact. Research indicates that cannabinoids—the active compounds in marijuana—can relieve pain, nausea, and other debilitating effects of multiple sclerosis and cancer and the drugs used to treat them. A recent JAMA review reported strong evidence that marijuana can ease chronic pain. Early findings suggest cannabinoids may kill certain cancer cells without harming healthy ones. I support regulating marijuana for medical and recreational use. We need more human research, but our current national policy is counterproductive and irrational. ANDREW WEIL, MD, is founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Arizona. Send your…