Inhaltsverzeichnis für November 2023 in Prevention

THERE ARE THREE very different things I want to draw your attention to this month—and each showcases a part of Prevention I’m really proud of! ➳RIGHT HERE IN THIS ISSUE: This month’s Year of Making Noise special report is on the sorry state of trust in public health and how that plays out with regard to vaccine recommendations in particular. Read it on page 66 and then, please, get your flu and COVID vaccines! ➳ON A PODCAST: You can now tune in every month to hear me, our incredible reporters, and our trusted experts on The Not Old—Better Show. Prevention is partnering with this terrific radio show and podcast, hosted by journalist Paul Vogelzang, to talk about the issues we cover, go behind the scenes on stories, and share advice. Find…

I remember the first time I noticed my wrinkles. I was about to turn 30 and had just seen a black-and-white magazine photo of Debra Winger. In the photo, the then-30-something movie star had her head thrown back while laughing—cute laugh lines on display. She looked so cool that it made me feel OK with my new lines. Since then, I’ve viewed my wrinkles as beautiful. But the fact that I appreciate them doesn’t mean I want them to stand out. Makeup can make mature skin look older by settling into fine lines. Our skin loses moisture as we age, making our complexions look less plump and more wrinkly. While drinking water can help your skin look more hydrated, it won’t completely erase the passage of time. Foundation, concealer, and powder…

GOOD, SUSTAINABLE NUTRITION IS A LIFESTYLE. “There’s no quick fix. People want nutrition to be slick and sexy, but it’s not. It’s a long-term practice—it’s about creating better habits and understanding how certain foods and nutrients affect the way you feel,” says Vanessa Rissetto, R.D., cofounder of Culina Health. This doesn’t have to be overwhelming or all-consuming; start by identifying just one small change you can make today and keep adding more each week. Start your day with protein. ◼ “You’ll feel fuller longer and your blood sugar will be more stable, which helps with sustained energy and steady mood,” says Vandana Sheth, R.D.N., author of My Indian Table: Quick & Tasty Vegetarian Recipes. Have yogurt, eggs, tofu scramble, and a smoothie bowl topped with nuts and seeds—any of these is…

» No-juicer green juice. In a blender, blend 2 cups spinach + ½ peeled lemon + ¼ cup frozen pineapple + 1 cup cold water. It’s an easy way to get a boost of vitamins and nutrients while preserving the fiber you lose when juicing! » Weekly beans. Beans are loaded with plant protein and fiber, and the goal is to eat 1½ cups each week (one can’s worth). Keep a clear container of rinsed and drained beans at eye level in the fridge so it’s easy to toss them into salads, wraps, stir-fries, and more. » Salad sammies. If you get sick of salad, chop it up and stuff it into sprouted or whole grain bread, wraps, or pitas. You get the nutrition of a salad with the craveability…

Your core is busy: Most of your daily to-do’s—like lugging groceries, reaching something on the top shelf, and tying your shoes—rely on those central muscles, which encompass the midsection, the back, the spine, and the pelvic-floor region. “The core provides stability, which leads to better posture, decreased risk of injury, and improved balance,” explains Tatiana Lampa, a personal trainer and creator of the app Training With T. On the flip side, having a weaker core can lead to issues such as neck, shoulder, or back pain and getting hurt more often than seems normal. Some great news: “You can build core strength without a bazillion crunches,” says Gail Barranda Rivas, a personal trainer and functional strength coach in New York City. Start with this three-day plan, then keep it up!…

◼ No matter how well-intentioned medical providers and public health officials may be, there’s no denying that our health care system has major shortcomings, and these often disproportionately impact people of color and other marginalized groups. Research shows that systemic biases surrounding race and socioeconomic background are pervasive among medical professionals and institutions, and these biases often result in worse health outcomes. For example, studies have found that compared with white people, people of color are less likely to get proper pain management, are more likely to be dismissed when they bring up health concerns, and are three times as likely to die from pregnancy related causes. Given the historic and ongoing mistreatment of Black, Hispanic, and Native American people in medical settings, many people in these groups have a…

NUMBER RIDDLE TURN ME ON MY SIDE AND I AM EVERYTHING. CUT ME IN HALF AND I AM NOTHING. WHAT AM I? MAKING 100 By using each of these numbers one time, you can create three sets of numbers that add up to 100. What are the groupings? ROUND AND ROUND Spell out the six-letter answer to each clue in the circles around it; the arrow indicates the direction in which the word will read, but not where the word begins. When you’re done, all the circles will be filled in with one letter each. ANSWERS: Making 100: 21, 15, 9, and 55; 70, 17, and 13; 30, 12, 2, 53, 3. Number Riddle: 8. Round and Round: Middleword: single, with“S” inthetopleftcircle; thenclockwisefromtop: island, dining, string, gloves, velour, sleeve.…

GET OUT YOUR PENCIL ! You know how something bothering you can become all-consuming? It happens to everyone, but ruminating or focusing on a difficult situation for too long can mess with your mood and focus, so try scheduling daily worry time. Experts say setting aside a small chunk of time each day (10 to 30 minutes) to think about the things that are causing you concern may help you work through these feelings and give you an opportunity to think of a solution. Ready to feel a little lighter? WRITE DOWN THREE THINGS THAT ARE CAUSING YOU WORRY THIS WEEK. Then pick a time each day when you will think about them, feel whatever thoughts or emotions bubble up, and consider how you might best handle them.…

BOWLING IS ONE OF those rare activities that can be a blast whatever your age or skill level. “If you were to stand right inside the front door of a bowling center, you’d almost always hear the people walking out say, ‘Man, that was fun!’” says Chad Murphy, executive director of the United States Bowling Congress, the organization that oversees bowling at a national level. … A BIG DRAW OF BOWLING is the fun of doing it with a group of people you love hanging out with. “When we do surveys and ask, ‘How did you get into bowling?’ almost everybody says either a friend or a family member took them,” says Murphy. “And when you’re around people you care about and enjoy, I think it’s great for your mental…

» A variety of condiments. Hot sauce, mustard, and toppings like everything bagel, elote, sriracha, and allium seasonings will tickle your tongue. (Trader Joe’s, McCormick, Good & Gather, and 365 by Whole Foods have lots of choices.) » Strongly flavored cheese. Opt for the full-fat version of soft (goat, feta, cotija) or hard (Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, Gruyère) cheeses to add wonderful flavor and a hint of salt. » Broths. Stock up on low-salt or salt-free chicken, mushroom, veggie, beef, or fish broth. You can cook grains in it or use it to build and flavor sauces. » Infused oils. You can steep rosemary, sage, thyme, garlic, citrus, or chili peppers in olive oil, then drizzle the flavored oil over dishes just before serving. Or, grab an infused bottle online or…

YOU’RE TAKING A STROLL through your favorite art gallery when suddenly your stomach pipes up with a loud, echoing grumble, ruining the peaceful vibe. You may be mortified by this bodily betrayal, but hey, it’s totally normal. WHY DOES MY BELLY GROWL? “The noises that happen when we’re hungry are known as borborygmi [pronounced ‘bor-buh-RIG-my’],” explains Donna Powell, M.D., a gastroenterologist and an internal medicine doctor with GastroMD in Tampa. “They’re primarily caused by contractions of the muscles in the stomach and intestines, which help move food along the digestive tract.” When there’s no food to push through the GI tract, these contractions move air, fluid, and small amounts of waste, which creates all those lovely sounds. The good news is that stomach gurgling is a sign that your digestive system…

◼ Normalize having difficult conversations: “We need to be able to disagree while we engage in a respectful and calm way,” says Rupali Limaye, Ph.D., M.P.H., deputy director of the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. During the pandemic, she met with at least 2,000 vaccine-hesitant people in places ranging from churches to prisons and found that by acknowledging their concerns with care she could connect with them and reduce their uncertainty. ◼ Think twice before posting: A report on health misinformation by the U.S. Surgeon General recommends that you verify the accuracy of information before you post it so you won’t potentially add to misinformation. Courtney Allen, a Missouri mom of two, says she was “misled by misinformation” online about topics she was…

ACTIVE 20 MIN. TOTAL 50 MIN. MAKES 14 TO 16 1 cup whole-milkcottage cheese1 cup self-rising flour, plus more for dusting½ tsp ground turmeric2 tsp whitesesame seeds2 tsp blacksesame seeds1 large egg, beaten 1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. 2. In food processor, blend cottage cheese until smooth. Transfer to large bowl and mix in flour and turmeric until dough starts to form. Turn out dough onto lightly floured surface and knead, sprinkling in more flour as necessary if dough is sticky, until smooth, 2 to 3 min. 3. Roll dough into 1¼-in. balls and space 2 in. apart on prepared sheet. 4. In bowl, combine white and black sesame seeds. Brush tops of bagel bites with egg, then sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake,…

If you can’t afford the time or money required for TM, here are no-cost options: 1 MINDFULNESS MEDITATION: The type of meditation offered on apps such as Calm, Head space, and Insight Timer, mindfulness has been shown in numerous studies to increase focus and reduce stress. Techniques include guided body scans and deep breathing methods; all involve being intensely aware of what you are feeling in the moment. 2 KIRTAN KRIYA: In this simple 12-minute technique, meditators sing “Saa Taa Naa Maa” first aloud, then to themselves, while tapping their fingers in a way that enhances blood flow to the motor-sensory part of the brain. Several small studies have shown that it can improve memory and sleep, decrease anxiety, and raise insulin levels. 3 THE BENSON TECHNIQUE: Developed at Massachusetts…

» Play music. It’s a mood lifter, and if meal prep feels like a chore, bopping to a good playlist can offer a bit of distraction. Or cue up a podcast or an audiobook instead. » Don’t make huge batches if you know you’ll get bored. Keep it interesting with your ingredients. For instance, when cooking ground meat, season half for tacos and half for stuffed peppers. » Meal prep doesn’t have to look like a complete meal—it can be a batch of grains or beans, a big container of roasted veggies, or chopped raw ingredients. » If you like to mix things up, cook one meal—then eat half fresh and freeze the rest. You’ll end up with a varied stash of ready-to-eat freezer meals. » Prep snacks or breakfast instead of…

1 MYTH : Megadoses of vitamin C will help stave off colds or speed recovery. MYTHBUSTER Alas, no. Vitamin C supplements are heavily marketed as preventing or shortening colds, but research suggests that for most people the positive effects are limited. Trials showing that vitamin C reduced cold risk were done on marathon runners, skiers, and soldiers performing intense exercise in the subarctic, not on regular people living their lives. In fact, high doses of the vitamin “can cause heartburn, nausea, headaches, and even kidney stones,” says Jennifer Johnson, D.O., a family medicine physician at the Mayo Clinic Health System. Unless you’re on a diet that doesn’t include fruits and vegetables, you don’t need to supplement, says Adam Ratner, M.D., director of pediatric infectious diseases at NYU Langone Health. The best…

TENDERHEART By Hetty Lui McKinnon Part cookbook, part culinary memoir, Tenderheart is an ode to author McKinnon’s late father, a Chinese immigrant to Australia who worked at a banana market in Sydney. The crates of greens he’d bring home shaped how young Hetty ate then and her vegetarian diet today. While her book salutes produce, it also honors the quiet heroes: Asian pantry staples that bolster flavor behind the front line of vegetables. VEGETABLE REVELATIONS By Steven Satterfield As a chef, Satterfield travels and tastes a variety of cuisines to inspire his dishes at Miller Union, the hyper-seasonal temple to vegetables in Atlanta. He believes readers of his cook book can bring that same inquisitiveness to home kitchens by trying a new variety of produce, seasoning, or technique to get…