Table of contents for November 2022 in Prevention

IT ALL STARTED with a Prevention editor with a swollen neck—who ended up discovering she had a jaw joint disorder. Then we learned about a woman who couldn’t sleep (turned out to be a thyroid disease). Then another, whose brain fog was so bad she slurred her words. She eventually discovered a heart condition. These people all had long journeys in the health care system, and we wrote about each of them, as well as others with similar stories, in our My Diagnosis column (if you missed them in print, they’re at prevention.com/misdiagnosis). I’ve always hoped that these tales of strange symptoms and myriad doctor visits will help our readers, that maybe you’ll recognize your own issues and finally get answers—or maybe you’ll simply be inspired to persevere. And you…

Tinned fish is an easy way to get protein and essential vitamins and minerals with minimal effort, and there’s so much more than tuna to explore. Scout is a chef-founded company that prides itself on flavor, quality, and its commitment to source seafood sustainably from North American waters. Go basic with wild albacore tuna in extra virgin olive oil or try something new like smoked wild-caught salmon, organic PEI mussels, or Ontario trout. Find them at retailers nationwide, Thrive Market, or enjoyscout.com.…

When your strands are wet and tangled, it’s tempting to smooth them by brushing, but that can lead to unhealthy hair. “Water swells and stretches the hair shaft; this causes the shingle-like outer layer to lift, and brushing can cause it to break,” says Sabina Wizemann, senior chemist at the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab. Ideally, brush before you wash, and if you need to comb hair post-shower, gently towel-dry it and apply a leave-in conditioner first. Or try the Wet Brush (wetbrush.com), designed to protect wet hair.…

1 Sit on the floor. Position one knee directly in front of the hip on the same side; the corresponding foot should be directly in line with that knee to create a 90-degree angle. 2 Inhale deeply and trap the air by tensing your core. Push your front knee down as if pushing the floor away from you. Lean your trunk forward, hands on the floor, going as far as you can. Hold for 3 to 5 seconds. 3 Use your hands to push yourself back up into starting position. That’s one full stretch. Try to do this 8 to 10 times. 4 Switch sides and repeat the move another 8 to 10 times.…

If you suffer from insomnia, you’ve likely tried just about everything modern medicine offers to help you fall asleep. But Jessica Cho, M.D., an internal medicine physician in Los Angeles with an integrative approach, says you might take a cue from traditional Chinese medicine and lend an ear (or two) to ear seeding, also known as auricular acupressure. Dr. Cho, who uses ear seeding with her patients, explains what you need to know about this noninvasive therapy. What exactly is ear seeding? It’s a way to stimulate pressure points in the ear. This technique has been used for thousands of years to alleviate insomnia, pain, stress, and other issues. Small metallic beads or plant seeds are adhered to pressure points in the ear’s microsystem that are linked to other body…

Health food trends come and go, but this year the Mediterranean diet was named the best diet by U.S. News & World Report for the fifth year in a row. It’s hard to avoid the perception these days that this is the one superior way to eat. It certainly is healthy: The Mediterranean diet is predominantly composed of plant-based foods like legumes, nuts, and grains with a moderate amount of dairy and lean proteins such as seafood and chicken. It includes very little red meat and few sweets, and its primary fats come from olive oil. The diet was developed from the work of researcher Ancel Keys, who, in 1958, conducted studies in seven countries and found that people who adhered to this eating style had a lower incidence of…

Jamie is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian who provides nutritional guidance for Almased. Almased fuels the body with a unique complex of amino acids, including all nine essental amino acids, which are crucial in maintaining our health and metabolism. 1. Histidine: Helps with cell regeneration 2. Isoleucine: Regulates blood glucose levels 3. Leucine: Prevents muscle loss and improves muscle gain 4. Lysine: Helps with wound healing and exhibits antiviral effects 5. Methionine: Improves immune function 6. Threonine: Maintains gut integrity and function 7. Tryptophan: Serves as a precursor for serotonin (a neurotransmitter that controls mood and sleep). 8. Phenylalanine: Affects mood and emotions 9. Valine: Assists in making other amino acids, glutamine and alanine…

IF YOUR DOCTOR SAYS: “Your symptoms are from stress.” ▶ SAY: “I know my body well, and this is definitely more than stress. When I’m stressed I tend to have insomnia, but I’ve never had numbness in my legs before. I know that something is physically wrong. I’m counting on you to help find out what it is.” “Hmm. This is a real puzzler.” ▶ SAY: “I appreciate your honesty. Can we brainstorm together about what my next steps might be? And can you tell me all the things you’ve ruled out so I can at least worry a little less?” “Your test results aren’t showing anything.” ▶ SAY: “I know you’ve run basic labs, but can you test more extensively, maybe looking for hormone issues, nutritional deficiencies, or other…

TOTAL 5 MIN.  SERVES 1 1 small avocado, halved2 thick slices sourdough bread, toasted1 lemonKosher salt½ 3.75- to 4.5-oz can sardines, drained and halvedRed pepper flakes Scoop avocado out onto toast and mash. Zest lemon on top and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Top with sardines and sprinkle with red pepper flakes. PER SERVING 589 cal, 24 g pro, 57 g carb, 12 g fiber, 5 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 31.5 g fat (6.5 g sat fat), 20 mg chol, 865 mg sodium IMMUNITY BOOST Sardines are a good source of immune-supporting vitamin D and omega-3s—plus, avocados bring a bit of vitamin C.…

VOCABULARY TESTER Can you make eight four-letter words using the letters P and N plus only vowels? (Y doesn’t count.) NUMBER PATTERN What number is missing from this series? 47 50 _ 68 92 140 WORD CREATOR What four-letter word can be added to each of these words (as either a beginning or an ending) to create four new words? AIR HUNTER QUARTERS RED VIEW FROM THE TOP Which picture shows what this structure would look like from the top? ANSWERS: Vocabulary Tester: nape, nope, open, pain, pane, pean, pine, upon. Number Pattern: 56. Compound Word Creator: head. View From the Top: A.…

If you’ve ever wondered what growing up in a digital world is like for a teenager, pick up the new book Behind Their Screens: What Teens Are Facing (and Adults Are Missing) by Harvard researchers Emily Weinstein and Carrie James. They reveal some of the most fascinating insights from their latest research project, which sought to find out what issues today’s youth were dealing with online and the impact screens had on their lives. Here, they explain. ■ Why do we need to learn about what teens experience online? It has major ramifications for what they’re feeling, thinking, learning, and doing. We surveyed more than 3,500 middle and high schoolers from 15 schools across 10 states and recruited an advisory council of teens with diverse identities and backgrounds to work…

The superheroes of the beauty world are definitely the antioxidants in your creams and serums—if you’re not using one already, you’re missing out on some special powers. “Antioxidants are there to neutralize what we call free radicals,” explains Mona Gohara, M.D., an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine. “Free radicals are essentially pesky little chemical particles that can wreak cosmetic havoc on our skin.” Their effects can include fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone, and sagging skin. All antioxidants help protect the skin from free radical damage, a.k.a. oxidative stress, but each has other specific skin benefits too. And while many skincare routines involve multiple antioxidants, it may be helpful to focus first on products whose primary antioxidant will help with your specific skincare goals. Here’s…

The difficulty a person may have in getting their hands on healthy food can be another barrier to following popular nutrition advice. Research has shown that Black households are three times as likely to be food insecure as white households, and low-income communities face both geographic and economic barriers to healthy choices. These families often live in food swamps (areas in which processed and packaged foods are more widely available than healthier options) and food deserts (areas where there are not many grocery stores or fresh foods available). The popular advice to eat whole foods over processed foods is problematic when processed foods are all someone has access to, notes Nyemb-Diop. Additionally, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, poverty has a direct correlation with obesity rates, and…

GETTING a nasty bruise when you bash your leg into the coffee table is one thing. But when you see a lot of black-and-blue marks on your skin for no obvious reason, it may be a red flag indicating that something else is going on. WHAT EXACTLY IS A BRUISE? ■ You probably recognize that tender spot where you’ve injured yourself. It can start out red, purple, or dark brown and turn yellow or greenish as it fades. A bruise, also known as a contusion or an ecchymosis, is the result of broken blood vessels (capillaries) that leak so blood pools and becomes visible under the skin’s surface, explains Riza Conroy, M.D., a family medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Why do some people bruise more…

WHEN GWEN LA CROIX THINKS ABOUT HER SON JONAH, she remembers the creative child drawing his favorite character, Sonic the Hedgehog. She recalls how, as a 6'2" teenager, he adored pickup basketball. And she marvels at how well he seemed to be doing, starting an early-college program while still in high school. But one autumn night in 2016 is always at the forefront of her mind. She and Jonah, then 17, got into a disagreement about politics that escalated. Since second grade, Jonah had struggled with (and been treated for) mental health issues. When their argument finally ended, Gwen assumed that Jonah had gone out walking, something he did regularly to calm himself down. With her husband at work, Gwen took her younger children and her mother-in-law out to run…

▸ WHAT TO KNOW: There’s only one FDA-approved eyelash-growth treatment, a prescription med called Latisse. Eyelash conditioners or serums just help improve lashes’ look. ▸ HOW THEY WORK: “Conditioners contain ingredients that coat hair to soften and plump it,” explains Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Growth serums contain peptides (building blocks of hair) and prostaglandins (lipids with hormone-like effects) to extend the growth phase. ▸ SHOULD YOU TRY THEM? Sure, but improvement can take time and may not be major. Also, they can cause irritation, so talk to a doc first. EDITORS’ CHOICES: GrandeLash-MD Lash Enhancing Serum, $68, sephora.com; Revitalash Advanced Eyelash Conditioner, $98, revitalash.com…

CREAMY If something luscious is your comfort food, there are plenty of ways to enjoy that vibe without the saturated fat that comes with heavy cream. “I love using tahini to add rich flavor and a creamy texture to sauces and salad dressings,” Moore says. Greek or regular yogurt also does the trick and is useful in dishes that call for sour cream or mayo. CRUNCHY “Air fryers, convection ovens, and even regular ovens can deliver crispy food without loads of oil,” says Moore. “Use crushed cornflakes to coat meat or fish for a crunchy finish, and you can also use crushed almonds for crunch and a dose of good fats. In both cases, you’ll still need to dip it in egg or another binder such as mustard to help…

A TRULY GREAT PHOTO can take your breath away. It can convey feelings and messages across cultures. And the act of creating those photos can be transformative. “I think of photography as a confrontation between my vision and my camera and my world,” says Editha Mesina, M.F.A., an assistant arts professor in the department of photography and imaging at Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. “So the resulting images are, for me, an interpretation of that world—which can be revelatory.” …TAKING PICTURES PUSHES YOU to pause, observe your surroundings, and make sense of things. “There’s a feeling of satisfaction from being able to communicate ideas and show beauty in a photograph, and from giving voice to your insights and inner life,” says Mesina. One of the best…

Depending on who you are and where you’re from, nutrition advice can feel helpful—or make you think everything you’ve ever eaten is wrong. Eating well can mean something different to each of us, and the foods you grew up enjoying play a huge role in determining what you want to eat. When nutrition advice makes your favorite foods seem like the enemy or excludes your heritage altogether, you may start to think you’re the problem. But no: Experts say biases are baked into popular nutrition advice—and getting past them can bring everyone a whole new understanding of food. PUTTING DIVERSITY ON THE TABLE Nutrition advice has to come from somewhere, so we turn to experts. However, 80% of registered dietitians in the U.S. are white and only 3% are Black,…

Fad diets come and go. At any given time, one out of three women and one out of four men are on a diet. Unfortunately, two thirds of dieters regain the weight within one year, and virtually all regain the weight they lost within five years. This is called the yo-yo effect. Years ago, Hubertus Trouillé, a German holistic therapist, developed an effective formula to end the cycle of weight loss and gain. Using just three natural nourishing ingredients, Trouillé developed a dietary supplement with a unique amino acid complex that works in a unique manner by treating and improving the body’s metabolism and thermogenesis, which converts food to heat or energy. Unlike other supplements that simply suppress appetite, this patented formula increases the body’s metabolism, maintains muscle mass and…

When big differences over values arise in a relationship, it can catch you off guard. You may not have realized how important religion was to your partner until you had kids, or you may not have seen the depth of your political differences until we were in this fraught climate. Can you navigate a relationship with someone who has different values? It depends on myriad factors, but a few strategies can set you and your partner up for success. SET BOUNDARIES When couples realize they’re on opposite sides of an issue, they may completely avoid that topic or fight about it nonstop. If these conversations need to happen (say, in order to make decisions about your current life or your future), the key is setting a time and space that…

LOCK UP GUNS IF YOU HAVE THEM—EVERY SINGLE TIME Gwen La Croix wishes she had interrogated her then-husband about this. “I was always afraid to get into a fight. But I wish I had done an inventory of every gun and where it was,” she says. Ammunition should be stored separately in a secure location. TALK TO A PERSON YOU’RE CONCERNED ABOUT—WHEN THEY’RE NOT IN AN ACUTE CRISIS You can offer them a lockbox to keep in their home to which only you or another outsider has the key. ASK MORE FROM YOUR REPRESENTATIVES Demand that federal and state pols pass legislation to require background checks on all gun sales and create red-flag laws. Days-long waiting periods are also key. “This creates a buffer between someone having a suicidal crisis…

Get solutions in our guide In Smarter Pain Relief, a 72-page Prevention Premium member exclusive, you’ll learn all about: ▸ Herbal remedies that work ▸ Other natural ways to ease pain ▸ The best OTC options READ IT NOW! Members can download Smarter Pain Relief via the QR code here. When you join Prevention Premium, you enjoy exclusive access to all our guides and challenges on fitness, nutrition, weight loss, and more at prevention.com/premium-guides. NOT A MEMBER YET? prevention.com/signup…