Preventionの July 2023 の目次

THE DAY BEFORE I talked to Kathi Ross-Nash, the author of Prevention’s new book Stretch Away Pain, I sat on a plane for six hours. That morning, I went for a run and then sat down for another six hours to catch up on all that I’d missed during my vacation. So as Kathi was telling me about the importance of regular movement in our lives, I knew she was wise, but that I had not been. When it comes to moving through your life with a healthy body that’s free of pain, “30 to 45 minutes at the gym is not going to cut it,” she said. “It’s not what you do in the studio,” she explained, referring to a studio for Pilates, which is her area of expertise.…

Your feet deserve a skin ritual just like your face does. Smooth your soles with these tips from board-certified New York City der-matologist Dana Stern, M.D., and celebrity manicurist Jin Soon Choi, founder of Jin-Soon nail care and nail spas. START WITH A SOAK “Foot creams don’t penetrate calluses optimally, so first you have to clear off the thick, dead skin,” says Dr. Stern. Wash your feet thoroughly, then soak them for several minutes in a tub of warm water with Epsom salts. DOUBLE-EXFOLIATE Scaly heels need a combo of chemical and physical exfoliation. After soaking, while your skin is still damp, rub on a callus remover gel or cream that has urea or alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) to dissolve dead skin; use a foot file with grit pads to…

SERVES 4 1 Heat grill or grill pan over medium. In large bowl, toss 1/small red onion (thinly sliced), 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice, and a pinch each of kosher salt and pepper, then toss with 1 ripe but firm mango (thinly sliced) and 1 small seedless cucumber (thinly sliced into half-moons). Let sit, tossing occasionally, at least 10 min. $3.19 2 Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine 1 Tbsp each olive oil and salt-free jerk seasoning and 1/tsp salt, then rub all over 8 thin-cut chicken breasts (about 11/lbs total). Grill until just cooked through, 2 to 4 min. per side. $9.67 3 Fold 1/cup cilantro (chopped) into cucumber salad and serve with chicken and lime wedges if desired. 6¢ PER SERVING About 274 cal, 7.5 g fat (1.5 g…

ADJUST YOUR HEAD A posture tweak called a head ramp can help you avoid triggering an “ouch” from hunching: With-out lifting your chin or your chest, reach the top of your head up toward the ceiling while sliding your ears back over your shoulders. This prevents you from tilting forward so you can look at your devices at a more comfy eye level. STRETCH YOUR NECK MUSCLES This move can help ease any pain-causing tightness in the muscles along the sides of your neck. Assume the head ramp position, then drop your right ear to your right shoulder while continuing to imagine that you’re stretching your head toward the ceiling (picture a giraffe); then drop your left ear to your left shoulder. THINK LIKE A CHICKEN The way chickens hold…

Given the amount of skin we have (about 22 square feet!), it’s no wonder that lots of issues pop up. Fortu-nately, there are a wide variety of solutions, many of which harness the healing power of plants. Here are a few: ACNE See a dermatologist about any blemishes you can’t definitely identify as acne, but for a typical breakout, try: COCONUT OIL “People with acne tend to overdry their skin, which triggers more oil production,” says Diane Madfes, M.D., a clinical professor of dermatology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Apply a thin coating of coconut oil after cleansing with a salicylic wash. It has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties along with ingredients, including vitamin E, that help the marks heal.” ALOE The plant’s antibacterial qualities are great for…

THE ROLL DOWN GOOD FOR Lower back, upper back, and neck discomfort 1 Stand with legs sit-bone-width apart and parallel, back straight and stomach tight. 2 Bend your knees softly and place your hands on your thighs. Pull your stomach in. Inhale and lower your head. 3 Exhale and gradually roll your spine down, hands sliding down your legs as the upper and lower back stretch. Pull your stomach in. 4 Reverse the action and roll up. Repeat twice. MAKE IT PART OF YOUR DAY: Do this the next time you’re shaving your legs. GENIE TWIST GOOD FOR Limbering up the shoulders, neck, and upper and lower back 1 Stand with legs sit-bone-width apart and parallel, back straight and stomach tight. 2 Bend your knees softly. Lift your arms to chest height,…

In 2021, just shy of my 25th birthday, I was in the best shape of my life—I had just hit personal records in preparation for my first powerlifting competition. But one day I bent down to pick something up and a sharp, cramp-like pain in both my thigh muscles made me fall to the ground in agony. For the next few days the pain came and went; then it disappeared completely. I chalked it up to having lifted heavy weights too soon after taking time off. Over the next months I continued lifting weights, thinking I just needed to give myself more time to recover after each workout. But my soreness intensified, and the agonizing cramps continued to return randomly. After months of off-and-on pain, I saw an orthopedist who…

Angela Lore was 17 when a boy she thought was driving her home from a party took her to his college dorm, where he and several friends raped her. Feeling shame that she had been drinking and gotten into his car, Lore kept the experience to herself. Lore did not forget, however, and neither did her body. Over the years she experienced depression, anxiety, insomnia, high blood pressure, and other conditions. Looking back, she sees all as linked to the abuse. “When I think of what has happened to me, I feel an internal sadness. It’s made a profound impact on my life,” says the 56-year-old former nurse in Mandeville, LA. It was only in 2018—watching the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation hearings—that Lore finally told someone and even contacted the police…

“I HAVEN’T HAD A MAMMOGRAM IN FOUR OR FIVE YEARS, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW I SHOULD. THE PAIN IS TOO MUCH.”—CATHERINE, 61 Mammograms are the single most important tool for finding breast cancer at its earliest, most treatable stage—yet one in three women 45 and older is not up to date on their screenings, according to research by the American Cancer Society. There are a number of reasons women avoid mammograms, but for many it comes down to fear—the fear of getting bad news, of course, but even more so the fear of pain. Now, no one would argue that getting a mammogram is like a day at the beach, but if you haven’t had one in a few years, the experts want you to know that the technology has…

When we place a glass under our kitchen faucet, most of us can feel confident that we’re drinking some of the cleanest water in the world. But that doesn’t mean it’s as pure as it could be, and tens of millions of people in the U.S.—like those in Flint, MI, and Jackson, MS—have been exposed to water that is brimming with unhealthy contaminants. “Tap water quality is not the same for everyone,” says Tasha Stoiber, Ph.D., a senior scientist at the nonprofit Environ-mental Working Group (EWG). Antiquated treatment plants, aging and corroded underground pipes, and increased flooding and drought from climate change create water problems for many of us, adds Erik D. Olson of the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council. Pollutants include chemicals, bacteria, and medications people have flushed down…

ACTIVE 10 MIN. TOTAL 10 MIN. SERVES 1 1/cup orange juice1/cup quick-cooking steel-cut oats Kosher salt11/Tbsp sliced almonds, toasted1 tsp olive oil2 Tbsp Greek yogurt Orange, for zesting Aleppo pepper and flaky salt, for serving 1. In small saucepan, bring orange juice and 1/cup water to a boil. Add oats and a pinch of kosher salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 7 min. 2. In small bowl, toss almonds with oil and a pinch of kosher salt. 3. Transfer oatmeal to serving bowl, top with yogurt and almonds, then grate orange zest over top and sprinkle with Aleppo pepper and flaky salt if desired. PER SERVING About 253 cal, 13.5 g fat (2 g sat), 4 mg chol, 252 mg sodium, 26 g carb, 4 g fiber, 7.5…

MATH RIDDLE HOW CAN EIGHT EIGHTS BECOME ONE THOUSAND? WORD LADDER How many steps does it take you to turn PLUM into CORN by changing just one letter at a time? The other letters cannot be rearranged. NUMBER FIND Can you find the numbers below in the grid? 78961 141 903 8853 436827 0721 SAME OR DIFFERENT? Find two matching pairs of circles (and two circles that don’t match any others!). ANSWERS: Word ladder: One way to solve it: plum, glum, glut, gout, lout, lost, lose, lore, core, corn. Math riddle: 888+88+8+8+8=1,000. Same or different?: The pairs are A+E and C+F.…

Hypertension is a risk for your heart, but it may also mess with your brain health. Having high blood pressure in one’s 30s is associated with negative brain changes known to affect the risk of dementia, according to a new study in JAMA Network Open. Researchers from UC Davis compared brain scans of older adults who had high blood pressure in their 30s with brain scans of older adults with normal blood pressure; those who had hypertension earlier in life showed lower brain volume and impaired white matter, two factors associated with dementia. It’s important to support healthy blood pressure at all stages of life by minimizing added sugars in your diet, staying hydrated, moving your body regularly, sleeping well, and managing stress.…

Many little ones just can’t resist a furry friend, but it’s crucial for both parties’ safety to approach animals properly, explains licensed family dog mediator Justine Schuurmans, CPDT-KA. Never get in a dog’s space without first asking their owner, but also make sure the dog wants to be petted. To assess that, Schuurmans devised the “pat, pet, pause” method. First, stand still and pat your leg to invite the dog over. If they decline, let them be. If they approach you, pet them with one hand on their back or shoulders (never on their head, which makes some dogs nervous). After a few seconds, pause, stop petting, and watch their body language—if they’re relaxed and wagging their tail, they’re game, but if they look tense or walk away, leave them…

SCOTCH BONNET Native to Jamaica, this pepper is ”about 10 times as hot as cayenne,” says Anderson-Haynes. Capsaicin, the substance responsible for the heat, has anti-inflammatory benefits. Add judiciously to soups, stews, meat dishes, and dressings. CALLALOO Similar to collard greens in look and taste but slightly softer in texture, “callaloo is a dark, leafy green that’s rich in fiber as well as vitamin K and iron, two nutrients that support healthy blood,” Anderson-Haynes says. Fold into pasta, stir into soups or stews, or sauté. ACKEE & SALTFISH This is the national dish of Jamaica. Ackee (a fatty fruit) and saltfish (white cod that has been salted for preservation) are cooked with onions, tomatoes, garlic, thyme, scotch bonnet, and Jamaican spices and served with cultural staples such as fried plantains,…

IT’S TIME TO throw out any notion that-juggling is just a circus act and reimagine it as a delightful way to stimulate your brain and improve your motor skills. “There are lots of reasons to juggle,” says David Cain, a world champion and Guinness World Record–holding juggler and the author of many books, including 200 Historical Jugglers Every Juggler Should Know. “It can be done for exercise or to entertain.” LET’S START WITH THE BRAIN BENEFITS: “Juggling was one of the first activities discovered to cause growth in gray matter in the brain,” says Cain, and research shows that it promotes the growth of white matter too. It requires movement, focus, hand-eye coordination, spatial awareness, and memory—skills that all engage different areas of the brain. “It’s also been used for…

Sharing a bed with a partner can be wonderful in many ways—but though this is the default for couples in the U.S., the number of those with partners who decide to sleep in separate rooms is on the rise. Nearly one in four couples chooses this arrangement, and almost half say they’d be willing to try it. The term “sleep divorce” has a negative connotation, but for some couples sleeping separately can actually lead to increased closeness and intimacy. In fact, good-quality sleep has been shown to be an important indicator of relationship health: A study from The Ohio State University showed that it could improve communication and reduce conflict and irritability over time. So if sleeping with your partner is making it hard for you to get seven or…

THIGH AND HIP STRETCH GOOD FOR Opening up the hips and stretching the thighs 1 Sit upright with shoulders over your hips and legs a little more than sit-bone-width apart. Bend your knees at a 90-degree angle, with your knees over your heels. Point your feet forward. 2 Slide over in the chair so your right sit bone is off the side of the chair. Position your shoulders over your hips. 3 Pull your right foot straight back until your knee is under your hip; your heel will be lifted. Straighten your right leg and push your right heel back. Hold the stretch for three counts. 4 Return to starting position and repeat stretch on the left side. MAKE IT PART OF YOUR DAY: Lean into your hips for a quick…

Cramp fasciculation syndrome (CFS) is a neurological disorder in which groups of muscle fibers contract automatically, causing twitches and some-times cramps, explains Payam Soltanzadeh, M.D., an associate professor of neurology at UCLA. The twitching and cramps occur most commonly in the thigh and calf muscles but can affect other areas. The cause of CFS is unknown. It can appear without any trigger, often in someone who is otherwise healthy. “Various things may trigger this syndrome, but usually we don’t find a clear cause,” says Dr. Soltanzadeh. “B12 deficiency can cause a variety of problems that may contribute to hyper-sensitivity of the nervous system. Extreme anxiety and stress, caffeine overuse, and sleep deprivation are some of the reported triggers.” Treatments can include lifestyle modification, vitamin supplementation, thyroid medications, or a short…

Work yournetwork: Download and repost videos and graphics on your social media networks to inspire your circle to join the fight. Kid and teen-friendly comics that deal with issues of consent and discuss child abuse are also available. Visit rainn.org/materials. Call your congressperson:The National Alliance to End Sexual Violence is asking for more funding for the Rape Prevention & Education program, which has been helping communi-tybased groups hold programs for teens and support rape crisis organizations, among other actions. Volunteer to help: RAINN, the largest sexual violence prevention organization in the U.S., has lots of opportunities. Visit rainn.org/get-involved.…

WHICH OF THESE ARE TRUE? YOU NEED TO DRINK EIGHT GLASSES A DAY. NO! Not even close for most of us, says Herman Pontzer, Ph.D., a professor of evolutionary anthropology and global health at Duke University and the author of Burn: The Misunderstood Science of Metabolism, adding that this mandate was never based on research. The body does need water throughout the day, but the amount it already gets includes liquid from food and beverages such as juice and coffee (yes, coffee counts!). And we get a cup and a half of our daily water needs from just moving around, since water is created in the body as a by-product of burning calories. The rest does need to come from what we drink, but how much you require depends on…

WE CRAVE WATER (and juice, cola, iced tea—which are all basically flavored water) because it’s what keeps us going. Every part of the body needs water to function. If you don’t get enough, you can become fatigued and irritable and run the risk of urinary tract infections or even kidney damage. A recent study found that the body actually ages faster if it is chronically parched. The average adult woman is made up of 55% liquid, and men are 60% liquid. Here’s where that water can be found and what it does:…

BOOSTED BRINE Radishes, a prime source of vitamin C, trade some of their peppery bite for the flavor of the pickling solution. Ours includes ginger and honey for a sweet and spicy complement to juicy salmon. EYE-CATCHING CRUNCH Acidity causes anthocyanin—the antioxidant that colors red onions—to seep and tint the whole onion pink, making this topper delicious and dazzling. FLAVOR BOOST Any type of vinegar is fair game when pickling, but make sure to use one you like since it’ll bring the biggest flavor punch. Red and white wine vinegar offer a decent amount of pucker, while rice vinegar enhances a veggie’s natural sweetness, as in this crunchy carrot salad. FAB FRUIT You can pickle almost anything: Even sweet stone fruits (like peaches, plums, and apricots) benefit from a sour…

What did you initially hope to get out of tackling his bucket list? After losing my father, I became an advocate against distracted driving (that’s what took him from me), and I hoped checking things off his list would create a way for me to spread the message to more people. I had no idea I was about to embark on something that my soul needed. How did completing your dad’s list play a role in your grief process? There had been times when I felt I altered who I was to fit a “norm” instead of being my truest self. Making my way through his list gave me the courage to write a book, something I’d always wanted to do, and it helped me find a purpose and not…

1 Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart; hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms hanging down at your sides. 2 Bend your arms at the elbows and bring them up so the dumbbells are positioned around your shoulders. 3 With a slow and controlled movement, roll your arms (keep your elbows bent) and the dumbbells down for a count of five, then bring them back up for a count of five, pausing halfway on each rep. 4 This is one rep. Do a set of 10 reps two to three times, with a short break in between.…

The women with the most gorgeous skin know the importance of sun protection. Shielding skin from UV rays is crucial for protecting against skin cancer, of course, but it’s also key to keeping that youthful glow. Spending too much time outside can add years to your complexion through sun spots and discoloration. Applying sunscreen-infused beauty products is an option, but they tend to provide lower SPF. Lathering on sunscreen is good—until your makeup makes a run for it down your cheeks. Instead of choosing between sun protection and makeup, you can use both. Here’s how. MOVE YOUR SPF I keep my sunscreen in the bathroom with my skincare. I like to apply it before I moisturize or put on makeup. I find that this step gets skipped if it’s by…

PARALLEL LEGS: Stand or sit with your legs apart, knees in line with the centers of your hips and your heels, toes pointing forward, knees aligning with the second toes. SHOULDER HEIGHT: When lifting one or both arms, arm(s) should be parallel to the ground. SIT BONES OR SITTING BONES: These two bony points are located in the lower middle part of the buttocks and are what hurt when you sit on a hard chair. SIT-BONE-WIDTH APART: Stand with your heels and the center of the ball of your foot in line with your sit bones. STOMACH IN AND UP (DIAPHRAGM): Without allowing your ribs to pop forward, pull your navel back toward your spine and feel your stomach muscles lift to support your back. Remember to breathe!…

NOTHING RUINS the first soft-serve of summer like a lightning bolt of pain shooting through your frontal lobe. You may have experienced brain freeze often as an overexcited, slushy-scarfing kid, but any time you eat or drink something very cold, you risk feeling that intense (but thankfully brief) sensation all over again. WHAT CAUSES BRAIN FREEZE? Brain freeze is medically known as cold neuralgia or sphenopalatine gan-glioneuralgia, and it happens when the roof of your mouth or throat is cooled too quickly, explains Heather Viola, D.O., a primary care physician at Mount Sinai Doctors-Ansonia. “Blood vessels throughout the head expand to let extra blood into the area for warmth,” she says, adding that the surrounding nerve endings in the brain perceive this as a red flag and so it causes…

LAST YEAR, while on a trip, internist Shaman Singh, M.D., developed red bumps on his feet. The 44-year-old chalked it up to bug bites, but when the rash spread up his legs and the itchy bumps blistered and became painful, he knew something was seriously wrong. He rushed to the ER when he got home to Arlington, VA, but was shooed out without a diagnosis. He was given only a list of dermatologists to call. “I was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’” says Dr. Singh. “The earliest appointment was 10 days away.” In desperation, Dr. Singh scoured the Internet and stumbled upon Zocdoc, a website that helps patients find and book doctors. He found a dermatologist who could see him immediately; that doctor took two biopsies and the results…

Summertime issues like heat rashes and sunburn have been around forever. But with the acceleration of climate change—the 10 warmest years ever recorded have all occurred since 2010, and experts predict that the planet’s average temps could soar another 2 to 10 degrees Fahrenheit over the next decades—it’s time to consider the serious health dangers of extreme heat, says Elizabeth Gardner, M.D., an associate clinical professor at Yale School of Medicine and a sports medicine expert. These days heat can affect us in locations we don’t think of as hot spots, says Kurt Shickman, director of the extreme heat initiative of the Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center. He points to the 110°F days that buckled roads and killed hundreds of people in the Pacific Northwest a few summers back. And…

TO MAKE SURE YOU’RE DRINKING ENOUGH TO STAY HYDRATED, keep a bottle on your desk or in your bag. Since 38 billion single-use bottles wind up in U.S. landfills each year, toting a small refillable container is a smarter (and less expensive) move than buying bottled water daily. Some top choices from Hearst’s Good Housekeeping Institute: GREAT FOR EVERY DAY Yeti Rambler 26-Oz Bottle This no-sweat bottle—available in multiple beautiful hues—sits perfectly on an offce desk, and its oversize handle makes it equally great when you’re on the go. And unlike many others, this is dishwasher-safe. GREAT FOR THE GYM Owala FreeSip Insulated Stain-less Steel With Straw We love the fun colors of this bottle, and it lets you sip in two ways: from the built-in straw and from the spout.…