Innehållsförteckning för December 2015 från Prevention

[3] FUN, SMART THINGS we all learned this month— and how to act on them right now Bury Your Hatchets, Fight Your Blues Commonsense finding of the month that I needed to be reminded of: Letting resentment brew and stew is depressing. Literally. I usually stifle my childlike blaming (except with the love of my life—I’m sorry, honey, I’m sorry), but I admit that’s my go-to reaction inside when things don’t go perfectly for me. Now a study in Aging & Mental Health confirms that those who practice forgiveness end up with better mental health. The researchers looked at older men and women but believe that anyone can benefit. TRY IT NOW: The best part is you don’t have to tell the object of your anger, petty or otherwise, you’ve…

Turns out your body digs heat: People who eat spicy foods every day could have a 14% lower risk of premature death, per research in BMJ. Even those who ate hot stuff only once or twice a week saw their risk drop by 10%. Bioactive ingredients like capsaicin in spicy foods may fight everything from cancer to inflammation, says study coauthor Jun Lv, an associate professor at China’s Peking University Health Science Center. If you can take it, go fresh: Raw chile peppers offer more protection against cancer and diabetes deaths than oil or sauce does.…

“Patients sometimes forget that nurses aren’t the enemy,” says Natalie Gottlieb, a student nurse at George Mason University. “We’re actually your advocates.” Here, straight from registered nurses’ mouths, is how to capitalize on that. 1 We’ve got all the gossip— take advantage. Just chat with one of us for the scoop. (Or network ahead of time with friends to find their fave nurses on-site.) Then ask us privately about the doctors. We know who has the best bedside manner and whose patients come back most often with complications. 2 Tour the unit in advance. Today nearly two-thirds of surgeries are outpatient procedures, but either way, consider dropping by. Tell the receptionist you want to see where everything will happen. It’ll reduce your fear factor, plus give you a chance to…

Pomegranates are everywhere right now, offering flavor and color in an otherwise bland world of winter produce. Plus, there’s substance behind the beauty: Studies show this fruit packs big cancer-fighting, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory perks. But how to deseed them in a hurry? Simple: Cut one in half and, over a bowl, bang the skin side repeatedly with a spoon, causing the seeds to detach from the membrane quickly and without a mess. Then eat—on salads, in cocktails, or straight from the bowl. Head to prevention.com/pom for our favorite pomegranate recipes.…

Hungry for more healthy choices? Get the Eat Clean, Stay Lean book at prevention.com/ecsl. NOT CLEAN REGULAR ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR This flour spikes blood sugar more quickly than unrefined flours and may contain leftover chemicals from bleaching that are linked to diabetes in animal studies. It may be aesthetically pleasing, but it has no health perks to speak of. CLEAN UNBLEACHED ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR Although free of bleaching chemicals, this flour is still missing the healthiest parts of the plant—wheat bran and germ—and has less protein and fiber as a result. A diet that includes refined flours may increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. CLEANEST WHOLE GRAIN FLOUR Whole wheat and other whole grain flours add a nutty flavor to baked goods, and they also have more protein, fiber,…

How to do it: Perform each exercise for 45 seconds, resting for 30 seconds between moves. Complete the entire circuit twice. 1 PRESS ’N’ TONE Sit on edge of chair with one dumbbell in each hand, palms by shoulders. Extend arms overhead. Lower dumbbells back down to shoulder height, then alternately extend one arm forward at chest height, then the other. That’s 1 rep. 2 LIFT ’N’ CRUSH Lie on back on floor with heels on chair, one dumbbell in each hand with arms extended over chest, palms facing each other. Lift hips off floor, squeezing glutes. Slowly lower hips down, then bend elbows and bring dumbbells toward forehead. That’s 1 rep. Quick Routines. Amazing Results. Ready to get back in shape? Check out Fit in 10: Total-Body Transformation at…

ONCE YOU HIT 40, your hair may start acting up. A formerly lustrous look can grow finer and turn drab, especially around the crown. “Each hair follicle gets smaller as you age,” says Nick Penna, owner and lead stylist of SalonCapri in Massachusetts. “The body also slows the production of natural oils, so hair becomes drier and more brittle.” Now’s the time to jettison any drying, stiffening, or damaging products. Here are three to stock up on and what each helps you finally replace. TRY Ammoniafree color, like L’Oréal Paris Professionnel Inoa Haircolor ($17). DITCH Permanent dyes that contain ammonia, which can damage the hair cuticle over time, making hair drier and more prone to breaking. TRY Protecting your hair before heated styling with a product like Tresemmé Thermal Creations…

At 297 pounds, Pam Adams had diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and rheumatoid arthritis. She’d spent her life trying—and failing— to lose weight with all the usual methods: Weight Watchers, Atkins, Nutrisystem, you name it. None of them had worked for long. By the time she was 42, her body mass index was an astronomical 49, well into the “morbidly obese” category, and as a result she’d had eight ministrokes and a major stroke, making her go partially blind. She decided to try a type of weight loss surgery called gastric bypass. Roughly 900 miles away, a few years later, a similar story was starting to unfold for Jane Smith (who asked Prevention to change her last name). A big woman at 197 pounds, she nonetheless had a BMI…

THE US DEPARTMENT of Health and Human Services recently recommended reducing fluoride in drinking water because many children now receive fluoride in toothpaste and dental treatments. The new level preserves fluoride’s cavity-protecting effect in kids while cutting the risk of overexposure, which can result in stained teeth. Adults are not at risk of this staining and benefit only from topical fluoride, not from systemic exposure through drinking. Water fluoridation is controversial at any level. Some see it as compulsory mass medication; others say it causes neurological problems and cancer. I believe most fluoride health hazards are exaggerated. Toxic doses are rare, and concerns about lower levels of exposure are based on flawed research. ANDREW WEIL, MD, is founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine and a clinical…

Lose up to 15 pounds in 3 weeks with this recipe and others, all part of the new e-course Eat Clean to Get Lean. Find it at eatcleancourse.com. PEAR-ALMOND SMOOTHIE SERVES 1 Place 1 cup fat-free milk, 1 cup baby spinach, 1 sm chopped pear, 1 scoop whey protein powder (we like Reserveage Organics Grass-Fed Vanilla), and 2 tsp almond butter in blender and puree until smooth. NUTRITION (per serving) 352 cal, 32 g pro, 45 g carb, 8 g fiber, 29 g sugars, 7.5 g fat, 2 g sat fat, 212 mg sodium MARYGRACE TAYLOR is a writer and recipe developer for Prevention, Men’s Health, EatClean.com, and other Rodale titles. She developed the breakfast recipes for Rodale U’s 21-day Eat Clean to Get Lean e-course and enjoyed eating (and…

They’re usually totally harmless, but in some women they’re actually a sign of stroke. Entirely unexpected, we know: Just 10% of women polled by Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center knew hiccups are one of a handful of stroke symptoms more often seen in women. Others: chest pain, whole-body numbness, and headaches. Unlike FAST (quick refresher: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 911), there’s no handy acronym—yet—for these female-specific signs, which seem linked to a type of stroke common among women that occurs in the back of the brain rather than the top. Source: Diana Greene-Chandos, director of neuroscience critical care at Wexner Medical Center Stop Making These First-Aid Mistakes Banish these blunders from your treatment repertoire— for safety’s sake! OUT Cleaning cuts with antiseptics, which can…

Your gut feels stuffed, and you look as full as you feel. If it has nothing to do with a Thanksgiving binge, there are several possible culprits, ranging from gas and constipation to bacterial overgrowth and even stress (who knew?). Here’s how to burst your own bubble. Start Here! WARM LIQUIDS If you suspect constipation (and hey, you’d probably know). They’ll help intestines keep stool moving. And mixed with fiber, liquids can actually make poop softer, so try chasing high-fiber, easily digestible foods like bananas and oatmeal with warm water or natural gut relaxers like prune juice or chamomile tea. Avoid straws: They cause you to take in air, which can make bloating worse. 10–30% Proportion of healthy people who frequently feel bloated MORE MEALS But smaller. Sometimes it’s just…

1 WHEN YOU’RE DISTRACTED Water with Lemon Dehydration can mess with focus, so sipping water is always smart. Adding a squeeze of lemon juice has been shown to hone the effect further, though researchers aren’t sure why. 2 when you’re stressed Chamomile Tea Latte Chamomile tea helps ease anxiety and irritability, while milk from grass-fed cows has conjugated linoleic acid, a fat that may help counteract the stress hormone cortisol. 3 WHEN YOU’RE FEELING BLUE Greek Yogurt Smoothie The protein in Greek yogurt increases levels of moodboosting neurotransmitters while giving your gut a dose of probiotics, which research links to improved mood. 4 WHEN YOU’RE TRYING TO SLEEP Tart Cherry Juice Recent research shows that drinking tart cherry juice twice a day can help you sleep nearly 90 minutes more…

If you’ve ever felt silly doing those breathing exercises in yoga class, know you haven’t wasted your breath. When study participants practiced Sudarshan Kriya yoga—a specific collection of yoga breathing techniques—for 25 minutes a day, their anxiety scores decreased by about 44% in 6 months. “Deep breathing rebalances the autonomic nervous system, calming the fight-or-flight stress response at the root of anxiety,” says mind-body researcher Ronnie Newman. Try it NOW: Press right nostril closed with thumb. Exhale and inhale through left nostril, then press it closed with ring finger as you release thumb and breathe out through right nostril. Inhale through right nostril, then close it; open the left nostril to exhale. Continue alternating, breathing out and in on each side. Stick with it for 5 minutes and you’ll feel…

One morning 4 years ago, deep into my insanely busy fourth year of ophthalmology residency, I decided to go for a quick morning jog. I’d always been active, but my 15-hour workdays left little time for exercise. Within minutes of heading out, I took a misstep, and pain shot through me. I didn’t know it then, but I’d dislocated my kneecap and damaged one of the nerves in my leg. After 4 months of setting exercise aside, my leg muscles had gotten so weak they’d made my knee joints unstable. But I was dedicated to my work, and nothing was going to slow me down, so I hobbled through my clinics and surgical duties on crutches, trying to ignore the burning pain. When I finally saw a doctor, the diagnosis…

14 brand-new breakthrough products that are so good, we can’t believe we survived without them Finally SAFELY STRAIGHTEN HAIR IN SECONDS Hair becomes more fragile as we age, making the temperature of hot tools key. The Glampalm Simpletouch ($220) is carefully calibrated to be hot enough to get hair pinstraight without scorching it. The tool is ready to go—we’re talking a curlblasting 390°F—in just 10 seconds, and it shuts off automatically after 35 seconds of inactivity, so you’ll never again have to wonder if your flatiron is off just as you’re pulling out of the driveway. Finally RESTYLE WITHOUT SHAMPOOING The wizards at Rusk have made it possible to go from stick-straight to curls— without washing your hair. Apply Heatshift ($18) before heat-styling and, thanks to the crosspolymer technology, switch…

IT CAN BE TRICKY to get a full range of nutrients from the typical (read: lackluster) American diet, but there are problems with an overzealous OTC fix. It’s definitely not true in the case of some vitamins that if some is good, more must be better. Vitamins A, B9, and E have been linked to cancer in daily doses higher than 3,000 IU, 1 mg, and 1,000 IU, respectively. The exception: People with deficiencies may need megadoses per a doctor’s recommendation. Generally, try to get your daily doses from a balanced diet. DR. JENNIFER ASHTON, an ob-gyn, is cohost of The Doctors. (Find local listings at thedoctorstv.com.) Come see her and other health-thought leaders speaking live at Prevention’s R3 Summit in Austin, TX, Jan. 15–16. Get tickets now at preventionr3summit.com.…

Ginger isn’t just for cookies this time of year—it can also prevent you from packing on pounds, says new research from the European Journal of Nutrition. Researchers found that women who consumed dried ginger daily for 12 weeks significantly lowered their body mass indexes, compared with a placebo group. For that, credit ginger’s ability to reduce insulin, the body’s fat-storing hormone. Previous studies showed ginger also curbs hunger. Both fresh and dried varieties will do the trick, but for max flavor, fresh is best. Could Fermented Foods Cure a Hangover? Next time you want to right the wrongs of last night’s debauchery, think of kombucha or kimchi. These, along with other fermented foods, may help counter alcohol’s unpleasant effects on your system. The reason: Drinking too much— even for one…

Most counterintuitive tip of the month: Hard workouts can be salve for achy joints. When women with rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis sweated through 30 minutes of indoor cycling intervals twice a week, they slashed indicators of pain-causing inflammation in their blood by an average of nearly 40% after 10 weeks, according to a recent study. They also lost weight, dropped body fat, and increased their stamina without any negative side effects. “All of the women’s joints were able to handle the demanding workouts,” says study author Anja Bye. “Tackling intervals relieves pain— and makes you fitter, too.” Source: European Journal of Applied Physiology IRISIN ['ai-ris-in] A hormone released by muscles during exercise that may help convert unhealthy white fat to calorieburning brown fat. While it’s still unclear which exercises leave…

If you ever feel like the woman of Internet fame who hasn’t smiled in 40 years to prevent wrinkles, it’s time to grin again: Flexing facial muscles can put the brakes on wrinkle formation. In a Journal of Dermatological Treatment study, a small group of women ages 35 to 58 performed facial exercises twice a day. After 8 weeks, their skin was firmer and more elastic. “It’s bodybuilding for your face,” says Los Angeles–based aesthetician Carole Maggio, who’s been teaching Facercise since 1981. “Isolating a facial muscle tones and tightens it, minimizing lines and wrinkles.” Turn the page and let the lifting begin. DIY WRINKLE ERASERS The moves look funny, but a study found they work. Do 3 reps of each twice a day, holding the reps for 3 seconds…

1 Your vitamin aisle is now cleaner When Naomi Whittel was 16, she resolved her headto-toe eczema by taking Chinese herbs—only to discover in her 20s that her body was riddled with toxins. Doctors blamed it on contaminated supplements. Two decades later, supplements are still getting bad press for not always containing what they claim to. Lucky for weary, wary health seekers, Whittel is the founder of a rapidly growing supplement company, Reserveage Nutrition, that puts a premium on clean ingredients and science that vouches for their efficacy. “We wanted to cut through the jungle of ingredients to focus on what’s safe,” she says, “and, of course, what really works.” Self-splurge! Travel to Austin, TX, Jan. 15–16 to create your own health breakthrough, guided by experts like Maria Shriver and…

Call me Scrooge, but I haven’t had a Christmas tree in years, thanks to my fur kids. From the broken ornaments to swallowed pine needles, pets made having a tree less than jolly. But holidays with your furry friend don’t have to be a headache. Here’s how to save your sanity—and a trip to the ER. 1 SKIP THE BLAZING YULE. Decorations are enticing. Prevent catastrophes by nixing glass ornaments and tinsel and by spritzing the tree with a petsafe repellent like Grannick’s Bitter Apple Spray ($10–$15). Keep lighted candles out of paws’ reach, too. 2 PREPARE THEM ROOM. Pets crave breaks from holiday chaos. Establish a safe zone for them to escape from the celebrations, says Jessica Vogelsang, a San Diego–based veterinarian. 3 TAG YOUR PETS, TOO. Guests often…