t he46d

THE TRUTH ABOUT BLUE LIGHT

YES! N YO U C AE H AV T DE SSE R

SEE YA, SUGAR! •

How Much Is OK? •Good Swaps & Substitutes •The Science of Cravings “I TRIED PSYCHEDELICS FOR MY HEADACHES — AND THEY WORKED”

COUPLES THERAPIST

EYES

PET

P R E V E N T ION

CONTENTS AU G U S T 2 0 21

ON THE COVER 44 4 Signs You Need a Couples Therapist

48 See Ya, Sugar!

56 Keep Your Eyes Young

54 Yes! You Can Have Dessert

64 “I Tried Psychedelics for My Headaches— and They Worked.”

P U LS E 6 More reasons to love stone fruits, coconut, lowsugar drinks, and other refreshing summer finds

MIKE GARTEN.

62 The Truth About Blue Light

W ELLNESS

FOOD

20 Natural Benefits of Ginger Think beyond cooking.

72 Hooray for Tomatoes Super summer treats

22 Look Great Without Makeup Secrets to glowy skin

74 No-Syrup Pancakes The secret is apples!

ON THE COVER: PETER CROWTHER. THIS PAGE, FROM TOP: DAN SAELINGER; GETTY IMAGES; DANIELLE DALY.

31 Gardening’s Perennial 76 Hydrating Eats The tastiest waterHealth Perks packed foods Why Dr. Weil loves it 78 The Scoop 34 15 No-Big-Deal on Yogurt Hacks to Improve How to pick the one Your Health for you—and enjoy Start here for less the heck out of it pain and stress.

HEALTH 42 Meet Your Hair The root of its health 44 When Couples Therapy Can Help Strengthen your ties.

46 Why Did I Stop Sleeping?

A medical mystery 48 Break Up With Sugar, Once and For All Plus: Sweeteners 101

SCI E NCE

p.

48

p.

62

p.

78

FAMILY 88 Learning How Things Work Try this outsidethe-box craft.

90 Build Strong Bones Why kids need support now 92 What Your Pet Is Trying to Tell You Decode their actions.

I N EVE RY ISSUE 2 Editor’s Note 95 Brain Games

56 6 Myths About Eye Health Protect your peepers.

62 Blue-Light Blockers Do you need them?

64 The Medical Potential of Psychedelics Why scientists are so intrigued

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J O IN PR E VE NTION P R E MIU M! Get another year of the magazine, plus unlimited access to our site’s fitness, news, and more, at prevention.com/join.

A U G U S T 2 0 21 • P R E V E N T I O N .C O M

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E D I TOR’S NOT E

It’s a New World REMEMBER HOW LAST YEAR

every day started to seem more like

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Time flies, unless you’re 9 and wishing it were time to go back to Camp Grandma!

COURTESY OF SUBJECT.

becomes a much smaller fraction of our lives than it is to, say, a 9-yearold who is not impressed when I say that it’s “only a few months” until he gets to see Grandma again. Entire years can even blend together.

Obviously 2020 was different, but I think 2021 will stick with us too, even if it seems to pass in record time. It marks a change in perspective—I’m certainly more grateful for the world I used to take for granted, and it has cracked open a “Heck, let’s try it!” attitude for me.

Case in point: A few years ago, when I started working at Prevention, someone on staff suggested that we do a story on microdosing, a way of using tiny amounts of drugs to potentially garner health benefits.

Interesting, I said, but no, too fringe. Now here we are with a story this month by a woman who tried psychedelics to ease her debilitating headaches. What a world, folks! It’s super-fascinating—but illegal in almost every state, so all I’m asking you to do is open yourself up to a wild and innovative read. Meanwhile, props to Diana, who pitched the microdosing story idea, for being far more forward-thinking than I. May we all embrace the rest of this year—and beyond—with that sort of curious mind.

WALK WITH US ON OCTOBER 2 Prevention’s next big event features fun benefits and new prizes for participants!

WHAT IS THE VIRTUAL WALK? It’s a free 5K (3.1-mile) walk that you do on October 2—wherever you are. No need to find parking or leave your pup or stroller at home; just lace up and head out! Register for free at runsignup.com/prevention-virtual-walk, and add a navy athletic T-shirt and/or a bib number if you want to show off what you’ve accomplished!

do the walk on your own as usual and access a recording of the group walk afterward if you’d like. Plus, Charge is offering registrants special training walks leading up to October 2 so you can make some virtual friends before the big day. Get all the details when you register at runsignup .com/prevention-virtual-walk.

GET YOUR 4 -WEEK PREP PLAN JOIN A LIVE WALK! We are super excited to announce that for the first time, you can join the Prevention Virtual Walk live, thanks to an app we love called ChargeRunning (don’t worry, no running is involved!). Once you register, we’ll send you full instructions, but it’s very easy—and free!—to download it and participate on October 2 at 11 a.m. ET. Listen in as a coach cheers you on for your 5K, and message with other participants— it’s like a big, happy group text. If you can’t join us then, no worries—you can

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This year’s special guide, exclusive to registrants, is a holistic fitness, nutrition, and wellness plan. In the years we’ve been hosting the Virtual Walk, we’ve discovered that walking means so much more to you than having a way to exercise. So we created this simple but powerful plan with Marisa Moore, R.D.N.; Judy Ho, Ph.D.; and our friends at Charge. As a nutritionist, Moore will bring you great insights into food and fuel; Ho, a neuropsychologist, will support your mental health and help you make the most of this time you’re committing to yourself; and Charge will help us get to 5K! Learn more about the plan and the walk at prevention.com/virtual-walk.

OUR 5K FAMILY Carol and Bruce Glenn, Bluff Park, AL

When you join a Prevention Virtual Walk, you become part of a community of thousands of walkers from all across the country.

Go team!

Julie Anna Alvarez Rivera, New York City

Nancy and Carl Durham, Raleigh, NC

Brenda Kellar, Eagle Point, OR

SOME NEW SHOES!

COURTESY OF SUBJECTS.

…or socks, or leggings, or whatever you need from Brooks. Tell us why you walk (What inspires you to get out there? What keeps you going?) to enter to win one of ten $100 Brooks gift cards. Brooks offers a variety of shoes that provide stability, comfort, and support while you log miles, run errands, or walk with friends. Share your story—we love to know your “why.”

PREVENTION/ BROOKS VIRTUAL WALK CONTEST NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Prevention/Brooks Virtual Walk Contest. Sponsored by Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. Beginning July 13, 2021, at 12:01 a.m. (ET) through October 2, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. (ET) (the “Entry Period”), go to prevention.com/walk-contest on a computer or wireless device, fill out the entry form, and submit an essay of 250 words or less describing why you walk. Ten (10) winners will get a Brooks gift card (ARV: $100). Total ARV: $1,000. Important Notice: You may be charged for visiting the mobile website in accordance with the terms of your service agreement with your carrier. Must have reached the age of majority and be a legal resident of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, or Canada (excluding Quebec). Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited by law. Contest is subject to complete official rules available at prevention.com/walk-contest.

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P R E V E N T ION

PULSE

Stone Fruits for the Win It’s that happy time of year when peaches, nectarines, plums, plumcots, cherries, and apricots are at their peak. There are plenty of sweet reasons to take a bite: All these fruits are filled with fiber, vitamin C, and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin. But each variety is a nutritional standout in its own way too. Cherries are particularly high in potassium, an electrolyte that helps regulate fluid balance and muscle and nerve function, and cherries and plums get their bright hues from anthocyanins, powerful antioxidants. Plumcots (also called pluots) and apricots are rich in vitamin A, which is crucial to good eye health. And nectarines and peaches contain folate, a key player in energy production, as well as beta-carotene, another type of antioxidant, which gives their juicy flesh a yelloworange color. Here’s a tasty pro tip: Grill peaches, nectarines, and plums for a delicious dessert, or add them to a salad with seasonal fresh herbs.

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PULSE

At -Home Heart Care If you have high blood pressure that requires close monitoring, you and your doctor may be able to keep tabs on it from home with a new service from Omron Healthcare: VitalSight.

Here’s how it works:

The VitalSight kit is delivered to your home along with an electronic data hub to transmit your stats and readings to your doctor—no other Wi-Fi or cellular data use is required.

If an issue or a red flag pops up, your doctor will be alerted and can address it immediately.

VitalSight is currently covered

by Medicare.

Why is this program so helpful?

For one thing, it makes it easy for

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people to keep up with their medical care without frequent in-person appointments. It also fills a hole for those living in underserved communities or geographic areas with limited health care access. Omron hopes the closer monitoring will result in fewer heart attacks and strokes in the long run. If you think VitalSight could be helpful to you, talk to your doctor about how to get started.

U.S. HOUSEHOLDS HAS ADDED A PET ( DOG OR CAT ) SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC, according to a new survey by the ASPCA.

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Your doctor decides which Omron products you need— a blood pressure monitor, a body-weight scale, or both.

Could You—and Your Dog—Live Longer?

A group of veterinarians and scientists are studying our canine friends to uncover how genes, lifestyle, and environment influence dog aging— and how the information they glean might inform the future of human health. Matt Kaeberlein, codirector of the Dog Aging Project (DAP), and Kate E. Creevy, D.V.M., the project’s chief veterinary officer, share more.

Why dogs?

KC: They’re excellent translational models for the study of aging in people—dogs get most of the same diseases, are genetically diverse, and share our environment.

By better understanding how lifestyle and genes impact dog health, we can offer dog owners better guidance to help them make the best care decisions for their dogs.

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Could we actually slow aging in dogs— or humans?

MK: We’ve already identified interventions that slow aging in lab mice, and everything I know about biology makes me believe some of these will have the same effect in dogs and also in people. As part of DAP,

we’re studying one such intervention.

What stage is the project in now?

MK: The DAP Pack has over 30,000 participating dogs, and soon we’ll start separating them into sample cohorts. I’m excited by how interesting the initial data looks, and we haven’t even started digging into the genetics and systems biology aspects of the project, which will last at least 10 years.

INTEREST PIQUED? On July 27, learn why dogs age seven to 10 years faster than people, how human and canine health intersect, and more at Live Better Longer: The Dog Aging Project, part of a webinar series Prevention hosts with the American Federation for Aging Research.

Sign up for free at afar.org/events.

PULSE

83% BRAI NH HEALT

Get Answers About Your Brain

Wondering if your memory is starting to falter? Worried about someone who doesn’t seem like themself lately? You can get answers and guidance from a helpful new tool, BrainGuide from UsAgainstAlzheimer’s.

Online or over the phone, you’ll complete a confidential questionnaire. If you’re taking it for yourself, it will include quick memory tests; if you’re concerned about someone else, you’ll be asked about what you’ve observed. Then you’ll be directed to resources based on your answers. It’s available in English and Spanish at mybrainguide.org or by calling 855 -BRAIN-411.

OF RESPONDENTS BELIEVE EXPOSURE TO NATURAL SUNLIGHT IS CRITICAL TO GOOD HEALTH, AND 55% SAID THEY’D RATHER GO OUTDOORS FOR AN ENERGY BOOST ON A STRESSFUL DAY THAN GRAB A SODA OR A COFFEE,

according to a recent survey

by YouGov and BrainLit.

In honor of National Eye Exam Month, here’s a reminder to schedule an eye exam, which can flag vision-related issues, such as glaucoma and macular degeneration, that benefit from earlier treatment. The exams also often spot the earliest signs of heart trouble and diabetes, which can cause changes to blood vessels in the eyes and retina; eye doctors may notice eyelid skin changes as well, which can signal skin cancer. Already all checked out? Congrats!

Learn more about your eyes on page 56.

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GETTY IMAGES (2).

Check Those Peepers

Summertime Sips We don’t have to tell you that hydration is key year-round, especially during hot summer days. These refreshing picks will do the trick.

AURA BORA

SHAKA TEA

Check out these sparkling-water This unsweetened iced tea is flavors: Lemongrass Coconut, brewed from Hawaiian botanicals, Peppermint Watermelon, Lavender and the flavors will take you to the Cucumber, Basil Berry, and Cactus islands: Pineapple Mint, Mango Rose. The cans are almost too pretty Hibiscus, Lemon Lokelani Rose, and to recycle! aurabora.com Guava Gingerblossom. shakatea.com

NIXIE Have you tried sparkling iced tea?

Choose Peach Black Tea or Pomegranate Green Tea, both organically flavored with no regular or artificial sweeteners. drinknixie.com

ELEMENTS If you like a hint of sweetness, Elements is just right, with 4 g of sugar per can—none of it added sugar! Each flavor contains a specific blend of good-for-you adaptogens such as holy basil and ashwagandha. elementsdrinks.com

STOCKFOOD/ROB FIOCCA PHOTOGRAPHY.

LA CROIX This sparkling-water brand has been around, but fresh flavors are launched regularly, and this summer brings three newcomers: Beach Plum, Black Razzberry, and Guava San Paolo.

They’re all free of sweeteners, sodium, and artificial flavors. lacroixwater.com

VOLAY Think caffeine in a drink with a hint of fizz and refreshing fruit flavors. Each can has 50 mg of caffeine (from organic green coffee beans). volaywater.com

PULSE

T HE S C I E N C E OF B E A U T Y

BETTER SKIN...

IN A BOTTLE? A dizzying array of products these days claim to whip aging body skin into firm, supple, spot-free shape. Here’s what pros say may actually make a difference (and what won’t):

WORTH A TRY: Retinol body lotions. “Retinol works the same on your body as it does on your face to stimulate collagen for smoother, firmer, more even-toned skin, so these formulas can help reduce spots and improve areas that are starting to get lax or crepey,” says Anne Chapas, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. Just be extra diligent about sun protection, as retinol makes skin more vulnerable to UV damage.

PREVENTION PICK: Paula’s Choice Retinol Skin-Smoothing Body Treatment, $29, paulaschoice.com Cellulite creams. They won’t eliminate dimples and lumps, but a formula with caffeine can temporarily tighten skin so it appears a bit smoother for a few hours.

PREVENTION PICK: Dr. Brandt Cellusculpt Smoothing Cream, $59, drbrandtskincare.com

SKIP:

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Prebiotic and probiotic lotions and antiperspirants. “This is an active area of research, but we don’t yet know whether topical prebiotics and probiotics can impact skin condition and body odor, so it’s too early to say if these products help,” says Dr. Chapas.

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Q&A My lashes don’t look as full as they once did. What can I do?

The hair on our heads grows in finer and less dense as we age, and so do our lashes. If yours lack oomph lately, even with mascara on, don’t fret. The right products and tricks will restore your fringe to lush, fluttery glory.

UPGRADE YOUR MASCARA “As we age, our eyelids droop, bringing lashes downward so they appear more straight than curved,” says makeup artist Lori Taylor Davis, Global Pro Lead Artist for Smashbox Cosmetics. Switch to a lifting mascara that bends lashes up so they seem fuller.

MASCARA SWIPE: JEFFREY WESTBROOK/STUDIO D.

PREVENTION PICKS:

For thin, long lashes: Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara, $24, smashbox.com; For thin, short lashes: Maybelline New York The Falsies Lash Lift Intensifier Mascara, $11, drugstores

DO SOME PREP A lash curler creates bend, and you can bulk up lashes with lash primer, which nourishes and coats so lashes look thicker. And swipe like a pro: Continually roll the brush forward as you pull it through your lashes. Add a second coat

at the outer lash corners for a youthful lift. “Hold the brush vertically and use the tip to dab a coat on lashes that lines up with your irises for an elongating effect,” she says. Finally, eyeliner can make it look as if you have more lashes: Line the tops of your lids with a thin stripe of deep charcoal-gray eyeliner, which is a more natural look than black.

PREVENTION PICKS: Tweezerman ProMaster Lash Curler, $23, tweezerman.com; Lancôme Cils Booster XL Vitamin Infused Lash Primer, $27, lancome-usa.com; Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner in Charcoal, $8, drugstores

CONSIDER A PRESCRIPTION The FDA-approved prescription lash-growth treatment Latisse helps lashes grow in longer and thicker and increases the amount of hairs in them, says Rachel Nazarian, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. Other lash-growth serums may help, but none are FDA-approved.

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PULSE

20-Minute Meal Under $10 Corn & Coconut Soup

PER SERVING 310 cal, 10 g pro, 38 g carb, 4 g fiber, 12 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 17 g fat (10 g sat fat), 0 mg chol, 650 mg sodium

TOTAL : $6.40

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CON POULOS.

SERVES 4

THE GOOD STUFF DANIELLE DALY. FOOD STYLING: SIMON ANDERWS. PROP STYLING: VANESSA VAZQUEZ.

Coconut milk makes this month’s meal oh so creamy, and the rest of the coconut is equally delicious—and nutritious, says Elizabeth Shaw, M.S., R.D.N., owner of ShawSimpleSwaps.com.

WHAT’S INSIDE Coconut is high in fat, but the meat contains important nutrients: fiber, copper, iron, potassium, and selenium. It’s also one of the best food sources of manganese, which plays a crucial role in energy metabolism, immunity, and bone health. Coconut water is fat-free and has electrolytes too.

THE TRUTH ABOUT COCONUT SUGAR While coconut sugar is less refined than white

cane sugar, it’s still a source of added sugar, so be mindful of how much you eat, Shaw says.

SMART BUYS Reach for unsweetened coconut flakes when you can find them; they make it easier to keep track of your sugar intake. If you can find only sweetened flakes, just cut back on the rest of the sugar, whether you’re baking with it or adding it to your oatmeal. When shopping for coconut oil, you’ll see refined and unrefined— their nutritional profiles

are pretty much the same, but refined is more processed and has less flavor.

And if you want to cut back on fat, give reducedfat coconut milk a try.

“It still has enough fat to offer a creamy texture to recipes,” Shaw says.

COCONUT INSPO Add a can of coconut milk, along with freezer veggies, curry spices, and chickpeas to a pot for an easy, hearty meal. Another Shaw go-to: including coconut flakes in energy bars made from things like dates and nut butter.

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PULSE

MOVE OF THE MONTH

BOOTY STRENGTHENER Kickbacks are a great way to work your glutes, and adding a resistance band can up the difficulty by creating tension that forces your muscles to work harder.

1 Place a looped resistance band just above your knees, then get on all fours, hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Keep your back flat like a tabletop.

2 With your knee remaining bent at a 90-degree angle, slowly lift one leg straight back and up toward the ceiling in one motion, then bring it back down. That’s one rep.

KAT WIRSING.

3 Do 10 reps, then switch sides and repeat for another 10.

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Secrets to Feeling Great After a Workout Want to keep post exercise soreness at bay?

Incorporate these three things into your routine.

BEFORE: STRETCH

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Don’t skip a warm-up. Dynamic stretching (moves like walking lunges and torso twists) loosens up your joints to improve range of motion and blood flow as well as prevent injury when you really start sweating, says Jason Wersland, D.C., founder and chief wellness officer of Therabody.

DURING: DRINK You probably chug water the second you finish exercising, but don’t forget

to sip throughout your workout (and before!) too. It’ll help keep you hydrated so you can feel strong while you exercise and recover better when you’re done.

AFTER: SLEEP Snoozing well is always important, but especially so after a day on which you’ve worked out. Sleep gives your body the downtime it needs to repair itself, recuperate, and recover, Wersland says.

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Groundbreaking Research Shows

How to Regain Healthy Blood Sugar and Lose Weight One answer to healthy blood sugar levels is found in high-protein low-glycemic nutrition.

People who live with diabetes want better options for getting a handle on their blood sugar, especially their HbA1c levels.

The problem is that, even when we do try to eat right and exercise, our bodies still need extra help from our metabolism to light the fires of our glucose-burning furnace that’s necessary for weight loss.

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Weight Reduction

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These improvements were even seen after 52 weeks of follow-up.

There are other lifestyle intervention studies, with other diets, that have had some success, such as the 2017 DiRECT study in the U.K., which suggested that a very-low-calorie total diet replacement for up to 5 months, along with coaching by health practitioners, could achieve weight loss and reductions in HbA1c levels.2 But the U.K. study was hard to follow (25% dropped out), had some unwanted side effects, and had a 2:1 ratio of carbs to protein.

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MIKE GARTEN. FOOD STYLING: ROSCOE BETSILL. PROP STYLING: CHRISTINA LANE.

P R E V E N T ION

WELLNESS

Natural Benefits of Ginger Gingerroot has been used since ancient times for its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties. Research has shown that bioactive compounds in it, such as gingerols, can aid digestion and reduce inflammation. Devin Miles, a naturopathic doctor based in Houston, shares her favorite home uses.

BY A R R I C CA E L I N S A N S O N E

ITCH EASER FOR THE SCALP This anti-inflammatory solution can calm a dry, itchy scalp. Fill a 1-oz spray or dropper bottle nearly to the top with organic jojoba or coconut oil. Add 3 drops each of peppermint, tea tree, and ginger essential oils.

Shake well, apply to dry scalp, and massage in.

Depending on your hair and scalp type, you can leave it in either until the next time you shampoo or just overnight (lay a towel over your pillowcase), washing it out the next morning. If you have sensitive skin, test a small area first. Store at room temperature.

TUMMY-SOOTHING TEA Sip this tonic to relieve nausea, bloating, gassiness, or intestinal spasms. Wash and cut a 1-in. piece of fresh gingerroot (peeled) into thin slices. Place 1½ cups water in a saucepan, add the ginger, and let simmer until the mixture has a pungent smell and begins to turn yellow. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp dried peppermint leaf. Let steep 5 min., then strain and enjoy. Optional: Add ¼ tsp honey.

ENERGIZING SMOOTHIE Jump-start your day with a refreshing smoothie that supports digestive health.

Put 1 banana or ½ cup blueberries in a blender, then add one ½-in. to 1-in. piece of washed, peeled gingerroot, a handful of kale, and 4 oz coconut water.

To boost fiber and protein, add 1 to 2 Tbsp flaxseeds, chia seeds, almonds, or walnuts and/or 2 Tbsp vegan protein powder. Blend well and drink up.

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WELLNESS

BEAUTY

Look Great Without Makeup Show off your bare-faced beauty with these pro tricks.

BY V I C T O R I A K I R BY

A

fter more than a year of working from home and wearing face masks, we’ve gotten used to giving our makeup bags a bit of the cold shoulder. Many of us who previously wore a full face every day are now happily going more bare much of the time, even as we tiptoe back into office life and in-person socializing—and not just because it’s easier. More time spent outdoors (and less spent in bone-dry, glow-zapping office building air) can have a positive impact on skin, and there are a slew of new skincare formulas to help us feel polished with less makeup. Here’s what to know about putting your best face forward.

MAKE SURE YOUR SKIN HAS MOISTURE A lit-from-within glow is beauty-speak for skin that has a

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healthy moisture barrier. That’s the outermost layers of skin responsible for holding in water and nourishment and repelling irritants in the air so they don’t penetrate skin and wreak havoc. “If your face is dry, red, or flaky, that means you have a damaged moisture barrier,” says Austin-based celebrity facialist Renée Rouleau. “When this happens, your skin develops tiny, invisible cracks that allow moisture to escape and light to penetrate, meaning light is no longer bouncing off skin’s surface to create that natural radiance.”

Thankfully, the right skincare can restore a damaged moisture barrier as well as your luminosity. First, stop using retinoids and anything with exfoliants until any dryness or irritation subsides.

Introduce into your regimen a daytime moisturizer with hyaluronic acid, which holds up to 1,000 times its weight in water for maximum hydration—it’ll

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also plump skin so it appears smooth and give you a nice, subtle dewiness. At night, slather on a face cream that contains ceramides, a core component of the moisture barrier, to help replenish them within your skin.

ACID:

Hydra Gel, $36,

Curél Intensive Moisture Facial

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WELLNESS

BET ON BRIGHTENERS There’s a reason so many dermatologists recommend using a vitamin C serum daily on all skin tones: This powerful antioxidant is one of the best ingredients for boosting radiance, evening out skin tone, and fading pigment spots. Look for a formula that contains l-ascorbic acid or tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate—more stable forms of vitamin C—in a pump bottle (to best preserve the ingredient’s potency). For instant brightening, Rouleau recommends blending on an illuminating serum or moisturizer with

gleam.” And consider makeup primer: Worn on its own, it fills in pores so skin appears smoother. Today’s formulas are much lighter than the old-school that left your face feel-

with brightening

extra luminous.

Beauty Balm, $13,

Perfecting Primer,

CHILL OUT

Your everyday skincare can double as highlighter, and you may find that it works even better than cosmetics. “I always prefer a dewy highlight rather than a sparkly one, because it looks much more natural,” says celebrity makeup artist Monika Blunder, who likes to use a balm, salve, or face oil for this move. “Tap a little along the high points of your cheekbones—the wetness catches the light to give you a pretty

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If your face tends to get red or blotchy or you have undereye dark circles, stashing a few things in your fridge can work complexion wonders. Blunder keeps a couple of spoons in her refrigerator as a fast fix for tired eyes. “Place the back side of a chilled spoon under each eye and gently rock it back and forth to massage the skin for a few minutes,” she says. “The cold metal helps constrict blood vessels to reduce redness and make dark circles less noticeable—plus, it’ll reduce puffiness.” Rouleau stores her entire skincare regimen in the fridge for this same reason. “Cleansing, toning, and moisturizing with cool-temperature products helps constrict capillaries to calm redness and irritation,” she says.

WELLNESS

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1.

Using the sides of your index fingers, start at each side of your nose and smooth your fingers out along your orbital bones (eye sockets) until you reach your temples. Repeat 5 to 10 times.

Holding your index and middle fingers together, press and glide up along each cheekbone, again working toward your temples. Repeat 5 to 10 times.

With these same fingers, massage along your jawline, starting from your chin back to below your ears.

Repeat 5 to 10 times.

Finish by using the same fingers to gently knead your forehead from your eyebrows up to your hairline.

Repeat 5 to 10 times.

2.

3.

4.

GETTY IMAGES.

MASSAGE YOUR FACE A few minutes of gentle face kneading increases blood circulation and helps drain excess fluid, which can make skin appear tighter, firmer, and rosier, notes Blunder. Before you begin, “pat on a facial oil or serum,” she says. “Your skin needs some slip so you’re not tugging on it.” You can use a facial roller tool or your own two hands, “but always massage upward, never down toward the ground, to help create a lifted effect,” explains Blunder. “And don’t be afraid to use a moderate amount of pressure—enough to get the blood moving but not so much that you’re pulling and stretching the skin.” Try her technique whenever you need a complexion pick-me-up:

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WELLNESS

NATURAL FIXES

Gardening’s Perennial Health Perks Dig in, whether you have a small windowsill or a big plot of land.

BY A N D R E W W E I L , M . D .

GET T Y IMAGES.

G

rowing up in Philadelphia, I learned to garden from my mother, who helped me tend the tiny patch of land behind our row house. I’ve been hooked on gardening ever since, no matter what climate I’m living in. Aside from growing my own food, one of the things I love most about gardening is its positive effect on my mood: Digging in the dirt has always brought me a pleasant sense of tranquility, and I’ve found it to be a great form of exercise.

I’m not alone in my experience. Gardening really took off last year with the additional P R E V E N T I O N .C O M

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WELLNESS

woodlands you’ve never been to, visit a botanical garden, or just stroll through a nearby greenhouse. To discover new green spaces, check out the Gardens Map at publicgardens.org.

BRING THE OUTSIDE IN Some evidence suggests that in windowless spaces, houseplants can increase productivity and lower blood pressure. You can also take indoor gardening to the next level and enjoy the satisfaction of cooking with what you raise: Try growing herbs or other small edible plants on a sunlit windowsill, porch, or enclosed patio.

MAKE IT A TEAM EFFORT I believe my lifelong love of gardening stems from that time spent outdoors with my mother, working together in the dirt. If you have the space, try cultivating a family garden. Or, tend a local school or community garden and connect with others in the process.

GO FOR A WALK Research has found that taking short walks through a garden is more conducive to mental health than walking in a shopping mall. This is a great reason to step outside and explore parks and

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Dr. Weil is founder and director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine.

TOP: GETTY IMAGES. ILLUSTRATION BY KATHRYN RATHKE.

time people spent at home during the pandemic— and there are many healthful reasons to keep it up.

Increasing evidence supports the idea that gardening can benefit both body and mind.

For instance, some studies suggest that gardening may help prevent childhood obesity and age-related weight gain as well as improve sleep. Horticultural therapy, a professional practice that uses gardening to improve health, appears to be helpful for people coping with dementia, depression, and even the emotions surrounding terminal cancer.

Fortunately, you don’t need a large backyard to reap the health benefits: A recent review of 77 studies found that just the act of gardening was associated with improvements in stress, anxiety, and depression as well as with increased physical activity and better blood sugar levels. Results didn’t depend on the size of the garden— or on having a garden at all. In fact, simple acts like planting seeds, taking cuttings, and even viewing gardens had healthful perks. Whether you’re overseeing your dream landscape or just trying to keep a houseplant alive, here’s how to boost your well-being.

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WELLNESS

15 NO - BIG - DEAL HACKS TO

IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH Try these simple strategies to feel strong and energized and stay pain-free.

BY A D E L E JAC K S O N - G I B S O N

GETTY IMAGES.

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S

ometimes ads or folks on social media make incorporating healthy habits seem like an all-or-nothing proposition. Soon whatever resolve you had to, say, train to run a 10K or learn plant-based cooking is spent just in the planning stages, and you’ve made no changes at all. Well, don’t stress (it’s bad for your health!), because we’re here to help. No matter where you are on the health spectrum, you don’t have to change everything at once to feel results. Here you’ll find little expert-backed moves that will have a major impact on your overall well-being.

We’re all on a mission to drink more water, so find ways to make guzzling it more exciting. Try this formula for infused ice cubes: fruit (berries, citrus, or melon chunks) + fresh herbs (mint or basil) + water. Freeze in ice trays, then drop the jazzed-up cubes into your glass of regular or sparkling H2O. Need help remembering to sip?

Download an app like HydroCoach or Aqualert that will send you “Drink up!” alerts.

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MIKE GARTEN.

HAVE FUN HYDRATING

GO BAREFOOT

GETTY IMAGES.

MAKE THE MOST OF THE MORNING You already know to exercise, but creating and maintaining a morning movement ritual can be particularly helpful in making you feel energized and ready to take on the day, says Jen Bruno, a holistic health coach and personal trainer in Chicago. Take your morning coffee on a walk, try sunrise yoga, or hop on your bike for a quick ride—the action doesn’t matter as long as you’re moving. If you’re counting it as your workout for the day, aim for about 30 minutes. Another plus: Exercising in the morning jump-starts your metabolism and makes you likelier to be more active through the rest of your day.

Studies show that spending time in nature can boost mood and tame stress, but you may get even more of a benefit if you stroll around your backyard sans socks and shoes.

One study in the journal Explore found that making skin-toearth contact for at least 10 minutes may reduce inflammation and pain and increase blood flow. Some experts believe that contact with Earth’s natural electromagnetic field helps rebalance our bioelectrical systems to support cellular health.

WALK WEIRDLY Make getting your steps in more fun by changing the way you move a few times a week. “Try what I call ‘weird walking,’ ” says fitness expert Jen Sinkler, founder of the online fitness community Unapologetically Strong.

“Sneak, tiptoe, do calf raises, circle your hips, leap and catch yourself in a squat. Make a game of it and spend time getting to know your body and how it works.” You’ll get exercise and work different muscles than when you simply put one foot in front of the other (and maybe you’ll make some small children laugh!).

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DO SOME DOODLING Coloring isn’t just for kids! Scribbling between the lines is its own form of zen and relieves stress by allowing the brain to rest and relax, and it’s a mindful experience because it takes the focus off stressors and puts it on the task at hand, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Science backs this up—multiple studies suggest that art therapy can help people cope with anxiety and depression.

TAKE COLD SHOWERS Rinsing in cold water for 15 to 30 seconds may help improve circulation and give you a burst of energy in the morning, says Tania Elliott, M.D., an associate attending physician at NYU Langone Health in New York City. When the cold

water hits your skin, it gives a quick shock to your nervous and circulatory systems, dilating blood vessels, increasing blood flow to your extremities, and causing your heart to beat faster.

EAT MORE CHERRIES Research shows that antioxidant-rich cherries may improve sleep, boost immunity, and reduce joint and muscle aches—but you’d have to eat a lot of them (45, to be exact!) to match the studies. As that’s more than most of us can stomach, sipping some tart cherry concentrate can also do the trick, says Amber Dodzweit, a fitness coach and founder of Built for Her in Fort Lauderdale, FL. “Cherry concentrate helps reduce inflammation that many of our daily actions, like exercise, can cause,” she says.

Performing a simple gesture of gratitude can give you an instant boost in happiness, found a study in Psychological Science, likely because it inspires you to feel grateful and reflect on positive people or experiences. Get creative with your delivery—buy a pack of pretty note cards and a nice pen, or just shoot off a quick email or text (taking full advantage of some cheerful emojis!).

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GETTY IMAGES.

WRITE A THANK-YOU NOTE

BREATHE FOR STRONGER ABS

GETTY IMAGES.

Yes, deep breathing is a great way to relieve stress, but it can strengthen your abs too. Having a strong core is key to good posture and also helps prevent you from getting hurt doing ordinary tasks like lifting a box or putting away groceries on a high shelf, and just the act of taking deep breaths in and out works those abdominal muscles, says Ife Obi, a certified Pilates instructor and founder of New York City’s The Fit In. Try it: Take a full breath in and let your belly fill with air, then forcefully exhale as if you’re fogging a mirror. Focus on breathing into your rib cage while trying to keep your abs tight for at least 30 seconds. Start with three times a day and work your way up to one minute per session—if you can do this, it means your core is getting stronger!

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WELLNESS

SET STRETCH ALERTS Program your phone to notify you every 30 to 60 minutes, then limber up when you hear it. “Stretch your wrists and neck, especially if you work at a computer,” says Steph Gaudreau, a strength-training coach in San Diego.

“Stand up and do gentle torso twists, shoulder rolls, and side bends.”

Beyond the fact that it feels great, stretching during long periods of sitting helps prevent muscle and joint pain and stiffness.

muscle strength and overall health, from your heart to your brain. Don’t quit your regular workouts altogether, but feel free to count vacuuming and grocery lugging toward your weekly total!

SIT ON THE FLOOR Watching shows might sound like a lazy thing to do, but when you do it on

Too tired to mow the lawn and get in your daily workout? Don’t be too hard on yourself: Science says household chores are a form of exercise too. Multiple studies have shown that engaging in everyday activities that make you move and get your heart rate up can positively affect

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GETTY IMAGES (2).

COUNT HOUSEWORK AS EXERCISE

the floor, you can realign your body, says Kelly Starrett, D.P.T., cofounder of The Ready State, a mobility-coaching app. “Sitting on the floor is one of the ways to make the hips stay open, and the spine protects itself and resets,” he says. “Plus, it engages muscles we don’t use when sitting in a chair.” No need to be in perfect lotus position— you can pop a squat, kneel, or sit with legs stretched out. Each targets different muscles. For extra credit, regularly getting up from the floor without leaning on anything improves your balance, which studies suggest may help reduce the risk of falls that rises with aging.

START “SHEET PAN SUNDAYS”

GETTY IMAGES.

Throwing veggies and protein on a sheet pan with your favorite herbs and spices and then roasting them is one of the easiest ways to get supper on the table and healthful foods in your belly, says Jessica Stamm, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Los Angeles. “Get creative based on seasonal produce; in summer, I love combining chicken with nectarine, sweet potato, and onion,” she says. Designating a specific day of the week for this type of dinner (it doesn’t have to be Sunday!) gives you the chance to prep ahead so you can try new healthy foods and recipes. Pro tip: Make enough for leftovers so you have a few lunches covered for the week.

common cause is eating too much too fast, says Sydney Greene, a registered dietitian nutritionist in New York City.

“Our brains need 20 minutes to catch up with our stomachs and recognize that we’re full. Putting the fork down requires you to chew, taste, and sense the food in your mouth, which can help prevent speed eating or overeating,” she says.

POWER DOWN BEFORE BED Create a set of bedtime steps to get you snooze-ready—dim the lights, listen to calming music while you brush your teeth, or do a quick meditation. And don’t forget to put away digital devices at least 30 minutes before bed to avoid melatonin-disrupting blue light. Your bedtime routine plays an important role in making sure you get the eight hours of sleep your body needs to undergo its complete reset every night.

PARK YOUR FORK BETWEEN BITES Indigestion is uncomfortable and drags down your energy level, and one A U G U S T 2 0 21 • P R E V E N T I O N .C O M

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P R E V E N T ION

HEALTH

Meet Your Hair W

e think it exists just to make us look gorgeous, but its role is more layered than it may seem.

BY A D E L E JAC K S O N - G I B S O N A R T W O R K BY E L S A M O R A

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1

A Hairy Situation

2

Rapunzel Is a Unicorn

Each strand has various layers: the protective cuticle on top, the cortex (providing bulk and color) below, and, for coarser hair, a soft core called the medulla. But strands don’t lengthen endlessly like those of a magical princess. Hair grows about half an inch a month, but sex, age, genes, and other factors influence its maximum length. Basically, the longer your growth phase, the longer it’ll get if you don’t cut it. During the growth phase (which lasts two to six years), new cells form at the base of the follicle and harden into a protein called keratin. As they proliferate, they push

A Real HeadScratcher

3

Thankfully you can’t tell, but we’re as hairy as chimps.

Like your monkey cousins, you have about 5 million hair follicles, only 100,000 of which are on the scalp. This means most of your body (save your palms, the soles of your feet, and your lips) is covered in hair—it’s just that most of our hairs are so small and colorless that they’re almost invisible. Yet they’re busy trapping warmth for you when you’re cold (hello, goose bumps) and wicking away sweat. The thicker hairs, the ones you can see, have other jobs. For example, your lashes protect your eyes from dust and excess light, while your eyebrows help you communicate confusion or surprise; head hair guards against harmful UV rays and is, of course, available to be dyed in rainbow colors if that’s your jam.

one another up through the scalp. Hair then enters a second phase, in which it stops growing, and then a third, the resting cycle, when it hangs out for a few months before it falls out. Every strand is on its own schedule, so you normally don’t lose them all at once. But as you age, the growth cycle can slow or stop, which is why hair can look thinner, says Rochelle Torgerson, M.D., Ph.D., a dermatologist at the Mayo Clinic. If you’re worried about hair loss, see a dermatologist—it may be age-related, but could have to do with stress or a more serious condition.

Before a hair pops out through your skin, blood vessels within the follicle nourish the root; as the hair exits the scalp, your sebaceous gland squeezes oil onto the strand to lock in moisture and prevent frizz. But too much oil buildup can lead to more than just a greasy look: Oil, as well as yeast, dirt, and dead skin, can accumulate on your scalp and cause inflammation, itchiness, and dandruff. In the worst cases, your follicles can become infected, which could lead to scarring and permanent hair loss.

Your hair type determines how often you should shampoo and what product to use. If you notice flakes or have an itchy scalp, ask a derm, who may prescribe medicated shampoo to clear things up.

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H E ALT H

SEX & LOVE

When Couples Therapy Can Help You don’t need to be in a crisis to benefit from outside help—and you don’t even need to be married.

T

Rachel Zar, L.M.F.T., CST, is a relationship and sex therapist at Spark Chicago Therapy and the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine & Menopause.

44

here was a time when couples therapy was spoken of in hushed whispers, when outside help was sought only in absolute worst-case scenarios.

But now nearly half of married couples have been to couples counseling, and more and more people come into our offices before things get really bad or so they can get ahead of potential issues.

Remnants of stigma against therapy are still very present, however, in some cultures and communities more than others. And research shows that couples wait an average of six years after identifying a problem before seeking help. So how can you know when the time is right for you and your partner?

If you’re in a relationship crisis, such as after sexual, emotional, or financial infidelity,

P R E V E N T I O N .C O M • A U G U S T 2 0 21

it may seem obvious that assistance is needed. But while crises are often what get people through the door, I’d recommend considering help as soon as you notice a sticking point or a pattern of disconnection— before things feel too hopeless.

Here are three other common reasons couples seek therapy: to help them through a major transition, like a move or having a baby; when there’s a stressor affecting the relationship (financial shifts or health issues); or when there’s a recurring problem they can’t seem to work through (difficulty managing family dynamics, money, or religion, or different sexual desires). But the issue may be more nuanced: Are you feeling less connected? Are there topics that are hard to talk about?

Do you feel unheard or misunderstood? These are all great

ILLUSTRATION BY KATHRYN RATHKE.

BY R AC H E L Z A R , L . M . F.T. , C S T

GETTY IMAGES.

reasons to seek support, and the process of healing may go more smoothly before wounds have scarred over.

If you think you can fix things on your own, ask yourself why that hasn’t happened already. Remember, no one taught us in school how to maintain a healthy relationship, and there’s no shame in seeking out expert guidance.

The right therapist won’t take sides but will help you make decisions that are in the best interests of both you and your partner. They can help you identify patterns in which you’re stuck and have tough discussions in a more productive way. And since it’s all confidential, you’ll retain privacy to an extent that turning to friends and family doesn’t allow for.

You don’t need to be married or even in a monogamous relationship to be

in therapy. Therapists sometimes have particular specialties, so if you’re unsure about whether your issues are a good fit with a therapist, request a consultation.

There are a few situations in which couples therapy is not indicated: Research shows that those who are in emotionally or physically abusive relationships or relationships involving untreated addiction or substance abuse have better success with individual therapy for each partner.

Bottom line: Even if you have different ideas about what’s going wrong, deciding to go to therapy is a commitment to taking each other’s concerns seriously and a statement that you’re willing to do the work. Agreeing to walk through the door of a therapy office with an open mind is a way to say “I care.”

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H E A LT H

MY DIAGNOSIS

Why Did I Stop Sleeping?

I also gained weight and lost hair—and it took four years to figure out why.

BY M A R Y M AC H I CA , AS TOLD TO MARISA COHEN

F

ive years ago, right around when I turned 30, I started noticing a lot of changes in my body. I’d always had a slim face, but I would look in the mirror and notice that my face was getting rounder. I was like, OK, I guess I’m getting cheeky! I also started gaining weight. I figured my metabolism was slowing down, but that didn’t make sense. I worked out almost every day and ran around after my three kids; plus, I was trying to eat as healthily as I could, and I still gained 40 pounds over the next year! One time someone asked, “When is the baby coming?” and it was so upsetting.

There were a lot of other weird symptoms: My neck got really swollen on one side, I was losing my hair, and even my back was swollen. I would wake up and find random bruises on my body.

But the worst thing was that I started to lose sleep. At first I would wake up at 5:00 a.m. and couldn’t go back to sleep

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no matter how hard I tried. Then I was waking at 3:00 a.m., then 1:00 a.m.

There were days I would literally be up for 24 hours. I tried melatonin, sleeping apps, special oils, and even sleeping pills, but nothing helped me stay asleep.

My kids (now ages 6, 7, and 9) would ask me, “Mommy, why are you so tired?”

Everyone kept telling me it was probably stress or hormones, but I knew something was wrong. I felt as if I were suffocating in my own body.

LOOKING FOR ANSWERS I lived with my symptoms for four years, feeling terrible about my body and trying

KAT WIRSING.

Mary, above in 2020 and at left in May 2021, eight months after surgery.

to get answers at my checkups. I even went for a sleep study to see if I had apnea. My primary care doctor eventually ran blood tests and diagnosed me with hyperthyroidism, but she also told me my cortisone levels were high and recommended that I see an endocrinologist. I live in Brooklyn, but my brother convinced me to go into Manhattan, and my daughter’s godmother, Joanne, found out about Minghao Liu, M.D., at Lenox Hill Hospital.

When I described all my symptoms to Dr. Liu, she immediately said it sounded like Cushing’s disease, which I’d never heard of. But I learned that it is caused when a tumor on the pituitary gland secretes a hormone called ACTH that tells the adrenal gland to produce excessive amounts of the stress hormone cortisol. All that cortisol in the blood causes weight gain, insomnia, bruising, prediabetes, and the other symptoms I was experiencing. Dr. Liu told me I would have to have a dexamethasone suppression test and an MRI to confirm the diagnosis. When she said I might need brain surgery,

it was as if my heart dropped and my world stopped. It was so scary—I held it together in her office, but as soon as I left, I called my husband and broke down crying.

The MRI showed that there was a tumor on my pituitary gland. When I met with my neurosurgeon at Lenox Hill, John Boockvar, M.D., he told me the surgery could be done via an endoscope through my nose; that was a bit of a relief, but I was still scared and nervous.

I had the surgery in September 2020, though, and it changed everything.

FEELING LIKE MYSELF AGAIN It took me a few weeks to recover, but now I feel so much better. I have to take steroids until my body learns to produce the normal amount on its own.

But the change has been amazing. I’ve lost 35 pounds, and my body is going back to the way it was. I look in the mirror and don’t want to run away— I can see my collarbone again, and my face looks like it did before. The best thing is that I can sleep! My husband is amazed when he wakes up and finds me in bed, because for years I was never there—when he woke up in the morning, I would have already been up for five or six hours.

It was difficult and frustrating, especially during the pandemic. But I couldn’t give up. Even when people told me it was just age or stress, I knew it had to be something more. No one really knows what you’re feeling except you. I’m so glad I kept looking for answers until I found one.

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H E A LT H

Most of us are a lot more dependent on the sweet stuff than we realize. With this guide, you can eat less sugar without feeling deprived— and lower your risk of chronic diseases in the process.

ONC E AN D FOR AL L IT’S HARD TO GET AWAY FROM SUGAR. Sure it’s

P H O TOG R AP H S BY D A N S AE L I N G E R

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in your favorite desserts, but it was also hiding in the ketchup and hot dog buns at yesterday’s barbecue as well as in the dressing of the otherwise healthy salad.

In fact, the average American downs about 57 pounds of added sugar every year! That’s concerning, because research shows that consuming too much can up your risk of conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. But sugar provides the fuel your body and brain need to function properly, so we consulted nutritionists to better understand what we’re eating and how we can cut back.

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H E A LT H

A S U GA R P R I M E R First, a science lesson: Simply put, sugar is a carbohydrate, which means it contains carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen molecules. When we eat carbs, they are digested and broken down into glucose, which serves as the preferred energy source for cells throughout the body. If glucose levels in your blood drop too low (say, if you have hypoglycemia or you haven’t eaten anything in a while), that can hinder your brain-

power, cause fatigue, and even make you shaky.

There are two main types of sugar. Simple sugars (monosaccharides or disaccharides) are made up of only one or two sugar molecules and found in foods like candy, soda, fruit juice, honey, and table sugar. Complex sugars involve three or more linked sugar molecules and are found in foods like apples, broccoli, lentils, spinach, and unrefined whole grains.

The latter are digested

H OW TO R EAD N U T R I T ION L A B E L S The Food and Drug Administration recently did a much-needed update of the nutrition facts label on foods and beverages. One of the main changes: Both total sugars and added sugars are now listed. “Total sugars” includes both added and natural sugars, whereas the “added sugars” value underneath that indicates the amount of sugar that has been added to the product. One other thing to keep in mind: Ingredient lists are ordered by weight, so if an added sugar is a product’s first ingredient, the item’s nutritional value is likely to be poor.

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and absorbed more slowly, so eating them doesn’t cause sudden blood sugar spikes.

Beyond that, sugar can be categorized as natural or added. The natural kind is just what it sounds like—“sugar found inherently in food such as fresh produce,” says Elizabeth Shaw, M.S., R.D., owner of Shaw Simple Swaps.

Consuming good-foryou items like fruits and vegetables that contain natural sugar “can be a wonderful way to obtain many nutrients the body needs, like antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber,” says Shaw.

According to groups like the World Health Organization, naturally occurring sugar poses less of a health risk than added sugars—which are, well, added to foods to enhance flavor, color, texture, and shelf life.

Top sources for Americans include sweetened beverages, desserts and sweet snacks, candy, cereal, coffee, tea, and sandwiches, but sugar is

also added to foods like ketchup and marinara sauce. High-fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, and rice syrup are common names for sugar on nutrition labels. This is also where things get tricky: Sugar sources like honey and maple syrup technically come from nature and are considered better choices than cane sugar, but when they act as sweeteners in packaged products or you mix some into your morning oatmeal, that’s adding it, so it counts toward your daily addedsugar consumption.

“Research has shown that consistently high intakes of added sugars reduce the proportion of beneficial bacteria in the gut while decreasing the diversity of gut bacteria,” says Maya Feller, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., owner of Maya Feller Nutrition. Also, when you regularly provide your body with excess sugar, it struggles to keep up, and you could end up with too much in your blood-

stream. “In the case of elevated blood sugars, the body is under consistent stress,” explains Feller.

“This can negatively impact the heart, eyes, and vascular system—increasing the risk of developing additional metabolic conditions.”

Added sugar in moderation is fine, but most people consume much more than they realize. American adults eat an average of more than 70 g of added sugar per day, though the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend limiting added sugar to 10% of total daily calories. For a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s 50 g.

The American Heart Association recommends stricter limits: for women, no more than 25 g of added sugar per day, and for men, a maximum of 36 g daily.

H E A LT H

T HE SCI E NCE BE H I ND S WE E T S CRAV I NGS Because our bodies need glucose, we’re evolutionarily programmed to seek it out. “When sugar hits our tongue, it activates certain taste buds that send a signal up to the brain,” says Nicole Avena, Ph.D., an assistant professor of neuroscience at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and author of Why Diets Fail: Because You’re Addicted to Sugar.

This activates the brain’s reward system: Feel-good dopamine is released and the behavior is reinforced, which makes us want to repeat it ( just one more cookie!).

Sugar isn’t the only dopamineproducing food, but it’s unique in terms of how the body reacts to it. “Usually when we eat something new and tasty, dopamine is released the first time we taste it,” explains Avena. “This is an evolutionary advantage to help us pay attention to new tastes, in case they make us sick. If we eat something new and don’t get sick, typically the dopamine response goes away the next time.

With sugar, it’s more like what happens

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with a drug of abuse, where dopamine is released every time it’s consumed.”

The gut-brain connection is also at work. “When that sweet thing you’ve eaten hits your gut,” Avena says, “it activates sugar receptors there, which signal the brain to release insulin.”

That insulin signals fat cells to store extra glucose, fatty acids, and other calorie-rich substances. As a result, too few calories remain in the bloodstream, so the brain thinks it’s low on fuel, your hunger level rises, and sugar is appealing because it provides quick energy. Thus the cycle begins again.

10 WAY S TO S T OP S U GA R C R AV I N G S “Your brain can readapt when you cut back on sugar, and you won’t crave it as much,” says Avena. “However, it can take a while, even months, for this to happen, depending on the severity of dependence on sugar one has.” Use these nutritionist-backed tips to break the cycle.

1|Listen to your body.

4|Pay attention to patterns.

“Just because you have a craving for something sweet, that doesn’t mean you have to eat sugar,” writes Michele Promaulayko in her book Sugar Free 3.

Take a minute to notice what’s going on in your body and address the root cause of your discomfort. Do you have a headache? Are you stressed out? Do you feel physical hunger? Are you bored?

Do you need an energy boost? Or do you really want a sweet treat? If that’s what you need, go ahead, be present with it, and mindfully enjoy every bite.

If you notice that a sugar craving hits you at 3 p.m. daily without fail, that’s a good sign that you should add a protein-filled afternoon snack to power you through the day, says Promaulayko. This will not only make you feel better, but also set you up for fewer nighttime cravings. Try prepping a non-sweet snack, like hardboiled eggs, at the start of the week so you’ll have something handy to head off trips to the pantry or vending machine.

2|Keep a food log.

It sounds tedious, but it will really help you see the bigger picture of your diet.

“Keep a sugar log for a week to figure out where your sugar is coming from,” says DJ Blatner, R.D.N., author of The Superfood Swap. You may not realize how much sweetened salad dressing you’re eating until you write it down.

3|Start small.

“My motto with all my clients is ‘Small changes lead to big differences,’” says Shaw. Try to tackle one area that’s a significant contributor to your daily intake of added sugar. “If this is soda or juice, decrease your portions gradually instead of cutting it out cold turkey,” she adds. (For ideas on replacing common culprits, see the box on the next page.)

5|Balance your meals.

Make sure every meal you eat contains protein, veggies and/or other healthy carbs, and healthy fats. This will keep you full and stabilize your blood sugar.

Smart breakfast options: a vegetable frittata, avocado on whole-wheat toast, cottage cheese with berries, a proteinrich smoothie, or even dinner leftovers.

6|Pinpoint favorite recipes.

Figure out low-sugar dishes you love that make you feel satisfied, not deprived. Pick two go-to breakfasts, two go-to lunches, and two go-to dinners, and keep the ingredients on hand so you can stay consistent even in a pinch.

7|Be adventurous.

While it helps to have delicious staples, being curious in the kitchen can provide a fun outlet and get you started on healthier A U G U S T 2 0 21 • P R E V E N T I O N .C O M

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H E A LT H eating habits. Explore new recipes and eat produce you’ve never tried before.

“Focus on what you’re adding to— not subtracting from—your diet,” says Blatner. “Enjoy the process of finding naturally sweetened or no-sugar swaps.”

8|Shut down sugar pushers.

Yeah, your mom may try to get you to eat dessert, or your friends might roll their eyes when you turn down an extravagant cocktail. Tell friends, family, coworkers, and your significant other what you’re trying to accomplish and ask for their encouragement. You may even inspire them to make positive changes of their own.

9|Look beyond your diet.

Healthy habits that extend past meals (such as sleeping seven to eight hours every night, drinking plenty of water, and getting at least 30 minutes of daily

S W E E T S WA P S SODA: Sip unsweetened fruit teas or add fresh fruit, ginger, or herbs to H2O. SWEETENED COFFEE AND TEA:

Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, coconut collagen, or cocoa powder for a flavor kick.

DESSERTS: Cover dates with cocoa powder, dip berries in dark chocolate, make ice cream with frozen bananas, or grill peaches or plums.

physical activity) can give you the steady energy you need to get through the day without depending on foods and drinks full of added sugar, says Blatner.

10|Practice self-compassion.

The evolutionary drive to nourish your body is strong, so don’t beat yourself up if you’re struggling to cut back on sugar—and know that completely eliminating it from your diet isn’t worth it. “Because humans enjoy sweets, it’s difficult to cut them out entirely, and doing so can lead to feelings of deprivation, which might lead a person to go overboard when they finally have it,” says Marisa Moore, R.D.N., L.D., a culinary and integrative dietitian. Skip the guilt and shame and do what Moore recommends: Give yourself some grace.

SUGARY TOPPINGS: Use chia jam, mashed fruit, sweet spices like nutmeg, or chopped unsweetened dried fruit.

CEREAL: Bake no-sugar granola, keep homemade protein pancakes in the freezer, or mix sliced dates, ripe banana slices, or stewed apples into oatmeal.

FLAVORED YOGURT: Blend frozen berries into plain versions.

CANDY: Opt for dark chocolate, which is high in helpful flavanols.

Sources: DJ Blatner, R.D.N., author of The Superfood Swap; Christina Liew-Newville, R.D.N., a dietetic technician program director and an assistant professor of dietetics at Tarrant County College in Arlington, TX; Lauren O’Connor, R.D.N., owner of Nutri Savvy Health

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sweet, and studies show that it actually helps you avoid getting cavities,” says Gardner. “However, you have to have more grams of xylitol than sugar to be as sweet, and it has calories.”

THE T RU T H ABOUT S U GA R S U B S T I T U T E S Our love of sweet foods has driven the production of sugar alternatives. Here’s how they compare with regular sugar.

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

NATURAL NONNUTRITIVE

SUGAR ALTERNATIVES

Examples: acesulfame potassium, aspartame, saccharin, sucralose Artificial sweeteners are synthetic chemicals that our taste buds perceive as sweet. “They are 200 to 600 times as sweet as sugar,” says Christopher Gardner, Ph.D., a nutrition scientist at the Stanford Prevention Research Center.

That means just a tiny amount is needed to sweeten things, so there’s little caloric impact.

Unfortunately, research shows a link between artificial sweetener intake and stroke, obesity, and diabetes. “Artificial sweeteners trick the brain into thinking you’ve had sugar, but ultimately your body knows you didn’t, so you’re likely to end up craving more,” says Laura Iu, R.D., a certified intuitive-eating counselor and owner of Laura Iu Nutrition.

SUGAR SUBSTITUTES

Examples: agave, coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, molasses These are just sugar by another name. “A gram of sugar is a gram of sugar,” says Iu. “Your body really does not discriminate between different sugars like white sugar, brown sugar, honey, and molasses.”

Some may contain small amounts of vitamins or minerals or hit your bloodstream more slowly than others, but all have similar effects on your overall health.

Examples: allulose, monk fruit, stevia, yacon syrup These are also essentially zero-calorie, but because they are derived from plants and other foods, they’re not technically artificial. Some research even suggests that they might help people with diabetes manage the condition better than do artificial sweeteners. Just keep in mind that foods they’re added to aren’t usually super-nutritious to begin with—a cookie is still a cookie.

THE BOTTOM LINE SUGAR ALCOHOLS

Examples: erythritol, xylitol Sugar alcohols can be found naturally in some produce or created in a lab. The one most people are familiar with is xylitol. “When used in chewing gum, xylitol makes it taste just as

Sugar substitutes can be helpful if you’re aiming to reduce your intake of sugar and calories.

However, if you’re trying to avoid weight gain and other health complications, make sure you’re not using them as an excuse to eat more unhealthy foods.

Reported by Lisa Bain, Alyssa Jung, Kaitlyn Pirie, and Stefani Sassos A U G U S T 2 0 21 • P R E V E N T I O N .C O M

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SCIENCE

6 Myths About Eye Health To see things clearly, you’ll want to separate fact from fiction.

BY K A T E R O C K W O O D I L L U S T R A T I O N S BY A N D R E A D E S A N T I S

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MYTH #1 Staring at a screen all day will wreck your eyes.

MYTHBUSTER Not to worry: All those hours working and Zooming haven’t done permanent damage to your eyes. The blue light from electronic devices like computers, smartphones, and tablets isn’t bright enough to do lasting harm. (More about blue light, page 62.) What that light

can do in the short term, says Chris Easley, O.D., of the Milan Eye Center in Alpharetta, GA, is give you eyestrain and dry eye, both of which “are very treatable.” The reason your eyes dry out after screen time is that “staring at nearby objects for a long time reduces your blink rate,” Easley says. It also tires your eye muscles. One

study of college students found that 90% of them experienced symptoms of computer vision syndrome (CVS)—eyestrain, dry eyes, headaches—after two hours of screen time. To combat CVS, blink more often, keep your prescription for glasses or contacts up to date, and give your eyes regular breaks so they can rest and refocus.

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MYTH #2 If your vision hasn’t changed, you can wait on an exam.

MYTHBUSTER Issues like glaucoma,

macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy can sneak up on you without symptoms, says Raman Bhakhri, O.D., an associate professor at the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago. All three can eventually cause irreversible damage, leading to vision loss or sometimes total blindness, but catching them early can potentially stop or delay the damage. Eye exams also offer clues about the health of your blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue that can be warning signs of problems such as brain tumors, skin cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Get a comprehensive eye exam at least every two years between the ages of 40 and 64, and every year once you turn 65 or if you have risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or a personal or family history of eye disease.

MYTH #3 Sunglasses are to keep you from having to squint.

MYTHBUSTER Sunglasses are major multitaskers. Sure, they’ll protect your skin from crow’s feet caused by squinting. But damage to the eyes from the sun’s UV rays accumulates over a lifetime, and eventually that UV exposure ups your risk of cataracts, macular degeneration, and skin cancer around your eyes and on your eyelids, says Bhakhri. In fact, up to 20% of cataracts are caused

by UV exposure, and 5% to 10% of all skin cancers are on the eyelids, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. So wear sunglasses with UVA- and UVB-protectant coatings year-round. Make sure your eyeglasses have those coatings as well. And don’t skip the shades on cloudy days: Clouds block only about 20% of UV rays.

MYTH #4 The best way to get out an irritant is to make yourself cry.

MYTHBUSTER Hold the tears—crying can help only with minor stuff like an eyelash or a fleck of dirt, Bhakhri says. If you’re experiencing heavy tearing, redness, or light sensitivity because of something in your eye, immediately flush the eye with a sterile, medical-grade saline solution if you have it or else with tap water. Hold your face under a running faucet or shower or use a clean cup to pour water into your eye. If it is no longer red, painful, watering, or irritated after 20 minutes, you are probably in the clear, but see a doctor if redness returns, your eye hurts, or your vision becomes impaired. If something is embedded in your eye or you get a chemical in it, seek immediate medical care, Easley says.

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MYTH #5 Carrots can improve vision.

MYTHBUSTER You won’t be able to see in the dark no matter how many you munch. That’s because while studies show that carotenoids (do-good micronutrients in carrots) can reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, no food will actually improve vision, says Easley.

Peeper-friendly produce isn’t limited to carrots: Broccoli, leafy greens, spinach, summer squash, and peas are high in antioxidant vitamins like C and E and plant pigments like lutein and zeaxanthin, all of which help keep eyes healthy. Researchers from the University of Georgia in Athens also found that carotenoids could reduce eye stress from glare and bright light. And Easley notes that omega-3 fatty acids (in salmon, cod, tuna, and halibut) are essential for good eye health too.

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MYTH #6 Blurry vision means you definitely need reading glasses.

MYTHBUSTER Not definitely. Presbyopia makes

it hard to see things up close for most people after age 40, and reading glasses will usually do the trick. But blurry vision that isn’t solved by magnifiers may be due to high blood sugar (which can cause swelling that changes the shape of the eye), uncontrolled diabetes (which can damage the blood vessels in the back of the eye and cause permanent vision loss), cataracts (which affect about half of Americans by age 75), or an infection. As with any vision change, it’s worth getting an eye exam to rule out more serious medical conditions.

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DOES IT WORK?

Blue-Light Blockers The truth behind the products promising protection from eyestrain and skin damage

BY JA K E S M I T H

W

e’re staring at our devices more than ever, and besides eating up our time, they’re giving off tons of light.

Blue light has gotten an especially bad rap, but that’s not quite fair: It’s just one piece of the visible spectrum emitted by tech (and the sun), and invisible UV light is worse. However, blue light is the most intense wavelength we see, and there are legit reasons to shield yourself. A new class of products claims to help. Which are duds, and which are true-blue?

BLUE-LIGHT SKINCARE WHAT IT IS: Creams and serums to shield skin from visible light.

WHAT WE KNOW: UVA and UVB light are most strongly linked to skin cancer and aging, but visible light can be harmful too; one study found that repeated exposure produced skin discoloration and damage. Small

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studies have linked blue light to hyperpigmentation, explains Heather Woolery-Lloyd, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in Miami, but no one light color has been singled out as worst: “Maybe it’s all of them,” she says. Blue-light skincare blocks all visible light, including blue.

SHOULD YOU TRY IT? Sure, along with SPF if you have a condition like melasma or want extra protection. There are no clear pros yet, Dr. Woolery-Lloyd says, “but there’s no downside.”

Any product with iron oxide, like most makeup and many mineral sunscreens, blocks visible light, so you might not need to take this step.

BRANDS TO TRY: Super Serum Skin Tint ($48, iliabeauty.com); Anti-Pollution Drops ($145, drsturm.com)

BLUE-LIGHT GLASSES Blue-blocking shades to help you sleep better.

WHAT WE KNOW: “When we’re WHAT THEY ARE:

BRANDS TO TRY:

Warby Parker Felix Eyeglasses (from $145, warbyparker .com); Livho Blue Light Glasses ($16 for two pairs, amazon.com)

BLUE-LIGHT SCREEN PROTECTORS

GETTY IMAGES.

WHAT THEY ARE:

outside during the day, we see a massive amount of blue light,” says Raj Maturi, M.D., a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). Humans evolved seeing very little blue light at night, but these days, we use devices that emit blue light, like phones and TVs, at all hours. Blue light can suppress the sleep hormone melatonin, per a 2019 study, meaning we should try to limit our nighttime exposure to it.

SHOULD YOU TRY THEM? The AAO does not recommend the glasses, but they pose no threat, Dr. Maturi says, if you want to see whether using them for, say, TV helps you sleep. On phones and computers, a simpler solution is night mode, which removes blue from your screen.

Adhesive film that attaches to screens to prevent eye issues.

WHAT WE KNOW: Blue light is commonly thought to cause eyestrain, but a 2018 analysis found no definitive connection between the color and the condition. If you’re suffering from blurriness and sore eyes, Dr. Maturi says, the culprit is likely your device. “Eyes are made to change their focal point,” he explains, but constant staring means less blinking, tears, and movement, leading to eyestrain.

And a 2019 study found that blue light from devices didn’t worsen melasma, so you may not need to block it.

SHOULD YOU TRY THEM? Probably not; night mode works just as well.

Dr. Maturi recommends the AAO’s 20-20-20 rule to combat eyestrain: Every 20 minutes, look at something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

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Once time-capsuled along with VW camper vans and earnest discussions of a shared consciousness, hallucinogenic compounds such as those in LSD and magic mushrooms are now showing exciting promise in treating a variety of conditions.

BY KATHERINE ELLISON I L L U S T R A T I O N S BY J U L I E N PACAU D

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he beefy armed guard at the door of the Church of Entheogenic Plants chuckled at the sight of me, and I guessed what he might be thinking: What’s that 60-something lady doing here?

It wouldn’t have been unreasonable to wonder—and not just because everyone else waiting to pass through the metal detector that day last winter was roughly 40 years younger than I. Vice News has called the Oakland, CA, church, also known as Zide Door, America’s “most prominent ‘magic mushroom club,’ ” implying that its religious decor is a ruse to evade state and federal laws against selling psychedelic drugs. In accepting “contributions” for strains of ’shrooms with names like “Blue Meanies” and “Penis Envy,” Zide Door claims the same exemption that lets the Navajo legally ingest peyote, a traditional sacrament.

Ruse or not, that hasn’t offered much protection. In August 2020 police raided the premises and seized about $200,000 worth of cash and drugs.

Pastor David Hodges told me he planned to sue the city government for violating his congregants’ religious freedom.

Potentially breaking the law was not my only concern when it came to trying magic mushrooms. I was an unusually suggestible child in the 1960s, when well-meaning parents scared their kids straight with stories about acid trippers who went blind from staring at the sun, mistook a baby for a turkey and stuffed it in the oven, or woke up convinced they’d turned into a glass of orange juice.

T

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In the late 1970s, when many of my college pals were experimenting, I declined even to smoke weed.

But last February, I was standing in front of the church out of desperation, hoping that psilocybin, the active ingredient in mushrooms, would relieve my excruciating pain. I was in my 12th week of a siege of cluster headaches, and I felt as if a Lilliputian with a tiny ice pick were jabbing at the back of my right eye for an hour each day, starting at 5 a.m.

Cluster headache is a rare disorder, estimated to affect roughly one or two in 1,000 people (migraines are at least 120 times as common). They’d plagued me for a month or so every two years since 2005, and usually prednisone knocked them out. But this time the only thing that brought even brief respite was—no joke—snorting cayenne pepper, which made me sneeze until I felt as if I might pass out. I also worried that it might be corroding the inside of my nose.

I’m far from the only person seeking out these long-demonized drugs for medical reasons. Using LSD, psilocybin, and MDMA (Ecstasy) to relieve suffering appears to be on the rise. While most self-experimenters use psychedelics to enhance well-being, a portion “self-medicate preexisting mental health conditions,” wrote psychiatrist Adam Winstock, M.D., in the Global Drug Survey. His annual polls of more than 500,000 people suggest that the use of

LSD and psilocybin among respondents has roughly doubled over just the past five years. An honorary clinical professor at the Institute of Epidemiology at the University College of London, Dr. Winstock joins other experts in comparing the drugs favorably with prescription antidepressants. “The benefits are really clear for patients,” he says. “They want things that work, work quickly, and don’t require them to take medications every day.”

Americans’ interest in hallucinogens was supercharged by Michael Pollan’s 2018 best seller, How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and

Transcendence. A year later, Johns Hopkins launched a $17 million center to study a variety of illicit-drug therapies that showed promise in treating disorders such as depression, trauma, anorexia nervosa, tobacco addiction, and even post-treatment Lyme disease.

Researchers are excited, even as psilocybin and LSD continue to be classified as Schedule I substances, which are seen as having no medical use, a high potential for abuse, and unacceptable risks even under professional supervision.

But if you’ve ever had cluster headaches, you know why they’ve been called “suicide headaches.” People in the midst of an attack are believed to die by suicide at roughly three times the rate A U G U S T 2 0 21 • P R E V E N T I O N .C O M

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of the general population, and sufferers describe the attacks as more painful than childbirth, gunshot wounds, and kidney stones, according to University of West Georgia psychology professor Larry Schor, Ph.D., who has conducted a large survey of cluster-headache patients (and suffers from them himself). On average, cluster-headache patients take more than five years to be properly diagnosed, after which even prescribed drugs may fail.

Early on, I tried taking sumatriptan, a drug for migraine headaches, and at first it was helpful, but then made my headaches worse, sending me to an emergency room three times. As this latest attack stretched on, I knew I had to try something new.

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Researchers first investigated the potential therapeutic benefits of psychedelic drugs in the 1950s and 1960s, when hundreds of Americans, including actors Cary Grant, Rita Moreno, and Jack Nicholson, joined a series of supervised experiments in California. (Grant credited acid with helping him control his alcohol use and cope with the long-unexplained disappearance of his mother when he was a child.) The backlash began after Harvard lecturer Timothy Leary and psychologist Richard Alpert (who became known as Ram Dass) championed wider use of LSD and psilocybin, with Leary’s call to

“turn on, tune in, drop out” becoming a slogan of the counterculture. President Richard Nixon branded Leary “the most dangerous man in America” and in 1971 launched the war on drugs.

These days, the hope is that psyche­ delics may help the many millions of Americans who suffer from depression and other serious mental disorders, par­ ticularly when nothing else has worked.

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 17.3 million U.S. adults have at least one major depressive episode each year, while up to 30% don’t receive sufficient help from mainstream anti­ depressants. PTSD affects nearly 8 million people, including more than half a million U.S. veterans, while 40 million adults have anxiety. (Some of these rates were higher during the pandemic.) Research­ ers have been studying psychedelics to alleviate cluster headaches since 2006, but I learned of them through an activist patients’ group called Clusterbusters, which has touted their use since 2002.

Amid all the hoopla, some people may get a boost from just the idea of psyche­ delics: More than 60% of participants in a 2020 study said they’d experienced mind­altering effects after taking a placebo. Still, researchers have gathered sufficient evidence of psilocybin’s power to convince the FDA in 2019 to classify it as a “breakthrough therapy” for two types of severe depression. That fast­tracked it for approval, similarly to how esketamine (related to ketamine, an illegal party drug) was OK’d for treatment­resistant depression that same year.

The treatment of PTSD may be the

next potential boon: Some scientists have found MDMA both safer and more effec­ tive in treating trauma than conventional antidepressants. In May, a major study published in Nature Medicine provided new evidence along these lines, and late last year Rick Doblin, executive director of the nonprofit Multidisciplinary Asso­ ciation for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), predicted that MDMA­assisted psycho­ therapy for PTSD could win federal approval as soon as next year.

It’s not clear just how psychedelics might supply mental and emotional benefits—or, in my case, relieve physical pain—but scientists have some ideas.

Studies suggest that psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs affect levels of sero­ tonin, a neurotransmitter and hormone involved in regulating mood. MDMA is believed to activate receptors for oxytocin, a peptide linked to trust and bonding, possibly helping soften trauma sufferers’ defensive shells. So far the explosion of discoveries has involved small studies that need to be expanded and replicated. Yet the drumbeat of positive developments has likely helped increase official toler­ ance in some parts of the nation.

Many jurisdictions are considering rewrit­ ing their laws on psychedelics. In May 2019, Denver became the first U.S. city to decriminalize psilocybin mushrooms, and Oakland, CA, followed suit. Voters in Ore­ gon and Washington, DC, have approved the therapeutic use of psilocybin, while A U G U S T 2 0 21 • P R E V E N T I O N .C O M

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California lawmakers recently took up a bill to decriminalize some hallucinogens.

The trend is familiar: Whereas barely 20 years ago cannabis was outlawed everywhere in the United States, today 36 states and four territories have legalized it for medicinal purposes.

(Decriminalization doesn’t make a drug legal. It simply reduces penalties associated with it. Selling psychedelics is still illegal everywhere, and possession of them can lead to federal prosecution that could result in up to a year in prison and $1,000 or more in fines.)

Of course, breaking the law isn’t the only risk involved. Some recreational magic mushroom users have reported frightening bad trips, panic attacks, seizures, and hospitalizations. Scientists and drug aficionados alike warn against casual use, and participants in psychedelic studies to date have all been carefully screened and supervised, with researchers rigorously excluding subjects with preexisting conditions such as heart trouble, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. “I really worry about people in a time of crisis choosing to take psychedelics without supervision and making themselves worse,” says Dr. Winstock, whose surveys indicate that approximately 8% of LSD and psilocybin users had a bad experience over the past year.

Still, in reporting a story for the Washington Post, I learned that many scientists regard psilocybin as one of

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the least toxic and addictive of all recreational drugs, and that the reports of bad trips involved much larger doses than the therapeutic amount for my cluster headaches. In severe pain, I decided to give it a try. “Psilocybin’s chemical structure is similar to melatonin’s,” says Yale University neurologist Emmanuelle Schindler, M.D., Ph.D., referring to a hormone that regulates circadian rhythm and is taken supplementally for insomnia as well as headache prevention. It is also akin to triptans, which are prescribed to treat one headache at a time. “Psilocybin has a longer-term effect, though,” notes Dr. Schindler, who is currently working on a study on its effects for cluster headaches.

Over the years, Clusterbusters members have offered invaluable support to Dr. Schindler and other scientists, recruiting patients for their studies and providing them with information from their self-treatment with psychedelics.

In 2004, the group convinced Harvard researchers to conduct a pioneering study on psilocybin and LSD. The Harvard team gathered testimonies from 53 cluster-headache patients, most of whom said the drugs had helped. John Halpern, M.D., a psychiatrist who led the Harvard study, told me he has since seen many patients go from being “incapacitated” to “having as close to a functional cure as

you can get.” The two drugs may prove to be “the best we have to offer” to cluster-headache patients, he adds, “although legally we can’t offer them.”

I followed Clusterbusters’ recommended protocol of taking small amounts of psilocybin—more than microdoses, but short of what would lead to tripping— brewed in a multi-ingredient tea containing lemon, honey, vitamin C, and a little instant coffee, with three doses spaced five days apart. The first time I didn’t feel anything remarkable until the next morning, when I had a more-awfulthan-usual headache: the “slap-back” side effect the website had warned me to expect. Over the next five days, however, I noticed that there were two days when I didn’t have a headache at all.

Maybe a little overconfident, I overestimated with my second dose. Twenty minutes after sipping the tea, I found myself staring for half an hour at our backyard pistache tree, which seemed to have grown beckoning silvery branches.

I felt as if I could see the tree breathing, which was wondrous. I was back to myself within a couple of hours, and the next morning I had another slap-back headache. But the two mornings after that—nothing. For the rest of the week, the headaches were milder.

Then I took my third dose, measuring carefully this time. The only psychedelicish effect that I noticed—really noticed—was that my dog’s face was utterly gorgeous. Then I fell asleep next to my husband. I woke up to yet another fierce headache the next morning, but the morning after that I had zero pain.

Zero again the next day, and the next.

Two months have now passed without my having a single headache.

As the psychedelic-therapy revolution matures, there have been calls to ensure that its potentially powerful benefits are accessible to all. That will require some significant change considering that Black people are much more likely than white people like me to be arrested for possession of any drug, even after decriminalization. “Equity of access to these drugs will address the burden of disease we know is greatest among people of lower socioeconomic status, who have higher rates of depression and PTSD,” says Dr. Winstock. MAPS has trained scores of therapists of color to prepare for the time when treatment with them becomes legal.

In the meantime, research continues.

“It doesn’t strike me as weird that the same molecule used by someone in a bedroom listening to Pink Floyd can also be a healing drug,” says Dr. Winstock. He says that psychedelics’ capacity to “disrupt existing brain networks and allow new pathways and new ways of thinking is why they can have wide potential in so many different conditions.” As for me, I can’t say whether my cluster-headache siege ended on its own or whether using ’shrooms really did do the trick. But I do know that I’ve got a plan if the headaches return—and that I’ll never look at our pistache tree the same way again.

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P R E V E N T ION

FOOD

Hooray for Tomatoes For a few sunny months, antioxidant-rich tomatoes are the sweetest and juiciest they’ll be all year. Make the most of them with these flavor-bursting bites.

TOASTS WITH MINT YOGURT AND SUMAC VINAIGRETTE ACTIVE 10 MIN. TOTAL 10 MIN. SERVES 4

In bowl, combine ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, 1 scallion (finely chopped), ¼ cup mint (chopped), and 2 tsp grated lemon zest.

In second bowl, whisk together 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp lemon juice, and ¼ tsp each cumin

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seed, ground sumac, coarsely cracked pepper, and kosher salt. Spread yogurt on 4 pieces toasted bread, top with 3 medium heirloom tomatoes (sliced), and spoon vinaigrette on top. Sprinkle with additional chopped scallion if desired.

PER SERVING 182 cal, 8 g pro, 17 g carb, 4 g fiber, 5.5 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 10 g fat (2 g sat fat), 4 mg chol, 243 mg sodium

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WHITE WINE AND TOMATO MUSSELS ACTIVE 20 MIN. TOTAL 20 MIN. SERVES 4

In large Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 large cloves garlic, and 1 red chile (all finely chopped) on medium-low 3 min. Add 1 cup dry white wine; boil 2 min. Add ¼ tsp kosher salt, then 2 lbs mussels (scrubbed and beards removed) and cook, covered, stirring once or twice, until shells open, about 4 min. Transfer mussels to shallow bowl. Add 2 medium tomatoes (about 1 lb total; seeded and chopped) and cook 2 min. Remove from heat and toss with ½ cup each basil and parsley (chopped), then spoon over mussels.

PER SERVING 269 cal, 25 g pro, 15 g carb, 2 g fiber, 3.5 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 11.5 g fat (2 g sat fat), 56 mg chol, 705 mg sodium

ROASTED CHERRY TOMATOES

DANIELLE DALY. FOOD STYLING: SIMON ANDREWS. PROP STYLING: VANESSA VAZQUEZ.

ACTIVE 5 MIN. TOTAL 15 MIN. SERVES 4

On small rimmed baking sheet, toss 1 lb cherry tomatoes with 2 Tbsp olive oil and ¼ tsp each kosher salt and pepper; roast at 425°F until some start to burst, 8 to 10 min. In mini food processor, puree 1 cup cottage cheese until smooth. Spoon cottage cheese onto plate and top with tomatoes and any juices in pan. Top with cracked pepper if desired.

PER SERVING 135 cal, 7 g pro, 8 g carb, 1 g fiber, 5.5 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 9.5 g fat (2.5 g sat fat), 13 mg chol, 296 mg sodium

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F OOD

BREAKFAST

No-Syrup Pancakes Sweeten your stack naturally with applesauce and sliced apple.

ACTIVE 25 MIN. TOTAL 25 MIN. SERVES 4

1 2 ½ ½ ½

1. In small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

2. In medium bowl, whisk together milk, applesauce, butter, and egg. Add dry ingredients to wet ones

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PECTIN POWER Apples are packed with pectin, a type of fiber that helps with day-to-day functions like smooth digestion and appetite control.

and mix until just combined. (Batter should be slightly lumpy.)

3. Lightly coat large nonstick skillet with oil and heat on medium.

Spoon 3 scant ¼-cupfuls batter into skillet and place 1 apple ring in each, pushing rings in slightly. Cook until bubbles begin to appear around edges, 2 to 3 min.

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4. Using spatula to lift, peek underneath to be sure bottoms are golden brown, then carefully flip.

Cook until browned on other side, about 1 min. more. Transfer to wire rack and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

Repeat with remaining apple rings and batter.

PER SERVING 245 cal, 7 g pro, 36 g carb, 2 g fiber, 10 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 9 g fat (5 g sat fat), 67 mg chol, 635 mg sodium

MIKE GARTEN.

cup all-purpose flour tsp baking powder tsp ground cinnamon tsp kosher salt cup 2% milk, at room temp ½ cup unsweetened applesauce 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted 1 large egg, at room temp Canola oil, for pan 1 large apple (we used Gala), peeled and cut into thin rounds, then cored

LIVE EVERY MOMENT

LIFE IS TOO BUSY TO LET DIABETES GET IN THE WAY. BE READY WITH GLUCERNA . ®

Actor portrayal.

GLUCOSE

VS

GLUCERNA

Made with CARBSTEADY® to help manage blood sugar.*

#1 doctor-recommended nutrition brand for people with diabetes.

*Designed to help minimize blood sugar spikes in people with diabetes compared to high-glycemic carbohydrates.

Use under medical supervision as part of a diabetes management plan. ©2021 Abbott 20216726/January 2021 LITHO IN USA

Scientifically designed for people with diabetes.

F OOD

NUTRITION

Hydrating Eats Get quenched with fruits and veggies.

BY STEPHANIE ANDERSON WITMER

C

alling all “Water is boring” types! We’re here to change your mind about good ol’ H20, because hydration is about more than alleviating your thirst. “Water is essential for every body function and reaction, from blinking to flexing your biceps,” says Julie Upton, M.S., R.D., cofounder of Appetite for Health Consulting, Inc. “It also helps control your heart rate, liver and kidney function, and overall metabolism.” But drinking for hydration isn’t the only way to go. While you can’t totally ditch what comes from the tap, foods with super-high water content can help you reach your hydration goals. Take a bite out of these picks to augment your daily water intake.

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provides sodium and potassium, key electrolytes that help shuttle water into cells where it’s needed,” Upton says.

Honeydew and watermelon have similar water content.

CANTALOUPE POPS

Puree 2½ lbs cantaloupe, 1 cup coconut milk, and 1 Tbsp each agave syrup and lime juice until smooth.

Divide among 10 ice pop molds. Insert sticks and freeze.

ZUCCHINI This summer squash is more than 90% water and also superversatile (thread it on skewers, spiralize and toss with more veggies, add to a stir-fry or pasta salad, bake into muffins— the possibilities are endless!), so it’s the perfect way to load up on moisture.

CANTALOUPE

LEMON -MINT ZUCCHINI RIBBONS

Melon is so juicy and satisfying because it’s brimming with water. “Cantaloupe is 90% water, and it also

Whisk together 1 tsp grated lemon zest, 1 Tbsp each lemon juice and whole-grain mustard, and ¼ tsp each salt

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they’re a great source of folate, which may help counteract one sign of dehydration—fatigue— since this B vitamin plays a role in energy production.

SPICY CITRUS RADISHES

Whisk together 1½ Tbsp each olive oil and fresh orange and lime juices, ½ tsp honey, and ¼ tsp each salt and pepper. Add ½ lb radishes and 1 small serrano chile (all very thinly sliced) and toss to combine.

CELERY

GETTY IMAGES.

and pepper. Whisk in 2 Tbsp olive oil.

Stir in 1 small shallot (finely chopped) and 1 Tbsp capers (chopped). Add 2 medium zucchini (raw and very thinly sliced on a mandoline) and let sit, tossing occasionally, 5 min.

Fold in ¼ cup fresh mint.

RADISHES They don’t seem overly watery, but radishes are almost entirely liquid. And

This fiber-rich snack is über-hydrating, and it contains important electrolytes that help keep fluid levels balanced and the body’s electrical signals firing for proper muscle and nerve function—so crunch away!

CELERY SALAD

Whisk together 2 Tbsp each olive oil and white wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp prepared horseradish (squeezed of excess moisture), and 1 tsp Dijon mustard; stir in 1 scallion (finely chopped).

Toss with 4 stalks celery (thinly sliced) to coat. Toss with 1 small head Bibb lettuce (torn) and ½ cup parsley leaves.

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THE

yo on

The dairy aisle is bursting with y o g u rt s , w h i c h a r e

G O O D F O R YOU R G U T

and so much more.

H e r e’s h o w to P I C K A W I N N E R — and then use it in all kinds o f c r e a my, d r e a my wa y s .

P H O T O G R A P H S B Y D A N I E L L E D A LY

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F OOD

D E C O D E YOU R

We’re clearing up confusion about all those phrases featured in the yogurt aisle so you can find your new favorite cup.

Fat The percentage of fat in yogurt is the same as that of the milk used to make it—full-fat can be satisfying and creamy, while low-fat offers a tart taste. Both are good for you, so pick one based on your taste preference.

100% Grass-Fed Products derived from cows fed grass or forage (rather than grains) can have up to 147% more heart-healthy omega-3s than conventional dairy.

Plus, some people prefer the robust flavor.

Vegan So if it’s not made from animal milk, what’s in it?

Plant-based yogurts use nondairy sources

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like almonds, soy, coconut, and cashews along with probiotics for good gut bacteria (and a little tang!).

Lactose-Free In these products the enzyme lactase is added to regular yogurt, which can help people with lactose intolerance digest milk sugars that cause gas or bloating. FYI: They’re still 100% dairy.

Skyr Pronounced skeer, this thick and creamy Icelandic-style yogurt is technically a strained cheese (really!) that boasts a protein-rich nutritional profile similar to Greek yogurt’s.

Probiotic Most store-bought yogurts already have probiotics, which are key to regulating digestion and supporting the immune system. Look for “live and active cultures” on the label for the best benefits.

FOOD STYLING: SIMON ANDREWS. PROP STYLING: VANESSA VAZQUEZ.

yogurt

buy

THE

We tried over 100 scoops to find the greatest ’gurts.

Wallaby Organic Aussie Greek Style Lowfat Yogurt Plain $8 for 32 oz, wallabyyogurt.com Icelandic Provisions Fruit & Nuts Skyr $2 for 4.4 oz, icelandic provisions.com

Chobani Hint Less Sugar Greek Yogurt Willamette Raspberry $1.50 for 5.3 oz, chobani.com

The Collaborative Noosa Blended Mango & Passion Coffee Yoghurt Fruit Plant -Based $1 for 4.5 oz, Yogurt noosayoghurt.com $2.50 for 4.2 oz, enjoythecollab.com

F OOD

crazy

Liven up your yogurt cup with some sweet and savory mix-ins. Simply tear off the lid, add some flavor, and get scooping:

TZAT Z I KI

EVERYTHING BAGEL sesame seeds + dried onion + poppy seeds + fennel seed (crushed)

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cucumber + scallion + lemon zest + mint

SWE ET & SALTY crunchy chickpeas + mango + chutney + chives

FALL CRUMBLE pears + apple pie spice + granola

DOUBLE STRAWBE RRY freeze-dried strawberries + fresh strawberries + chia seeds

ORANGE - POM orange segments + pomegranate seeds + toasted coconut

F OOD

W I T H YOG U R T It adds just the right touch to meals, snacks, and desserts!

GRILLED YOGURTMARINATED CHICKEN recipe, p. 86

HORSERADISH BEET DIP recipe, p. 86

SALMON SAL AD WITH GREEN GODDESS DRESSING recipe, p. 86

PROTEIN BOOST Dairy-based yogurt is a great vegetarian source of protein— look for brands that contain at least 6 g per serving.

UPSI DE - DOWN PLUM CAKE recipe, p. 87

HEAD-TO-TOE GOODNESS Yogurt serves up a solid dose of potassium, a key mineral for muscle function and fluid regulation.

Studies show that it can also help improve blood pressure.

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F OOD

GRILLED YOGURTMARINATED CHICKEN ACTIVE 15 MIN. TOTAL 1 HR. 5 MIN. PLUS MARINATING SERVES 4 TO 6

3½ - to 4-lb chicken, backbone removed Kosher salt 1 cup plain yogurt (not Greek) 4 large cloves garlic, grated 1 2-in. piece peeled fresh ginger, grated 1 Tbsp grated lime zest plus ¼ cup lime juice 2 Tbsp sweet paprika 1½ Tbsp ground coriander 2 tsp ground cumin ¾ tsp red pepper flakes

1

1. Season chicken with 1 tsp salt and let sit while making marinade.

2. In large bowl, whisk together yogurt, garlic, ginger, lime zest and juice, paprika, coriander, cumin, red pepper, and 1/2 tsp salt; transfer half to small bowl; cover and refrigerate.

3. Add chicken to large bowl and coat all over in yogurt mixture.

Refrigerate at least 21/2 hr. or up to overnight.

4. Heat grill on mediumhigh. For gas grill, turn off burners on 1 side; if using charcoal, move charcoal to 1 side (this creates an indirect-heat cooking area).

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5. Remove chicken from marinade (discard marinade), place skin side down over direct heat, and grill until beginning to char, 2 min. Flip chicken over, transfer to indirectheat side of grill, and cook, covered, 20 min.

6. Brush chicken with some of reserved yogurt mixture, rotate, and continue grilling 15 min. Brush with additional yogurt mixture, rotate, and grill until internal temperature of thigh registers 165°F, 15 to 20 min. more depending on size of bird (if you like more color, you can sear the breast one more time over direct heat before removing it from the grill).

Transfer to cutting board and let rest at least 10 min. before cutting into pieces.

PER SERVING 352 cal, 39 g pro, 2 g carb, 1 g fiber, 1 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 20 g fat (5.5 g sat fat), 126 mg chol, 569 mg sodium

¼ cup plain Greek yogurt 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 Tbsp olive oil Kosher salt and pepper

In blender on low to medium speed or in food processor, puree beets, walnuts, horseradish, yogurt, lemon juice, oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper until very smooth.

PER SERVING 113 cal, 3 g pro, 8 g carb, 2 g fiber, 5.5 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 8.5 g fat (1 g sat fat), 2 mg chol, 282 mg sodium

SALMON SALAD WITH GREEN GODDESS DRESSING ACTIVE 40 MIN. TOTAL 40 MIN. SERVES 4

8 1 1 1

½

HORSERADISH BEET DIP ACTIVE 5 MIN. TOTAL 5 MIN. MAKES 1¼ CUPS

8

oz cooked beets (about 5 small beets) ⅓ cup walnuts, toasted ¼ cup prepared horseradish, squeezed of excess moisture

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¼ ¼ ¼ ¼

1 1 1

Kosher salt and pepper oz green beans, trimmed lb small new potatoes Tbsp olive oil 1¼-lb center-cut salmon fillet, about 1 in. thick, cut into 2 pieces cup plain yogurt (not Greek) cup fresh lemon juice cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for serving cup fresh dill, plus more for serving cup chopped fresh chives, plus more for serving Tbsp capers, drained ripe avocado, halved 5-oz pkg. mixed greens

12 oz mixed-color grape or cherry tomatoes, halved 4 medium-boiled (jammy) eggs, halved

1. Bring pot of water to a boil and fill bowl with ice water. Add 2 tsp salt, then green beans, and cook until just tender, 2 to 4 min. Transfer to ice water.

2. Add potatoes to pot and simmer until just tender, 8 to 10 min.

Drain and run under cold water to cool, then pat dry and cut in half.

3. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet on mediumhigh. Season salmon with ½ tsp each salt and pepper and cook until golden brown and just opaque throughout, 6 to 9 min. per side.

Transfer salmon to plate and, using fork, flake into pieces, discarding skin.

4. In blender, puree yogurt, lemon juice, herbs, capers, ½ avocado, 2 Tbsp water, and a pinch each of salt and pepper until smooth.

5. Toss greens with 1/4 cup dressing and slice remaining ½ avocado, then divide both among plates along with potatoes, green beans, salmon, tomatoes, and eggs. Top with additional herbs if desired and serve with remaining dressing.

PER SERVING 489 cal, 42 g pro, 36 g carb, 8 g fiber, 5 g sugars (0 g added sugars), 20 g fat (5 g sat fat), 255 mg chol, 776 mg sodium

UPSIDE-DOWN PLUM CAKE ACTIVE 40 MIN. TOTAL 1 HR. 35 MIN. PLUS COOLING SERVES 8 TO 10

1

tsp grated orange zest plus ¼ cup orange juice 1 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger 1 cup sugar, divided 1 lb plums, pitted and each cut into ½-in. wedges ½ cup olive oil, plus more for pan 1½ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup yellow cornmeal ½ tsp kosher salt ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda 1 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt, plus more for serving 2 large eggs 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place orange juice, ginger, and 1/4 cup sugar in large saucepan and cook on low until sugar has melted, 2 to 3 min. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until mixture is syrupy, 2 to 3 min. more.

Remove from heat, add

plums and zest, and set aside, tossing occasionally, until cool.

2. Oil 9-in. round cake pan.

Line bottom of pan with parchment, then oil parchment. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and remaining 3/4 cup sugar.

3. In second bowl, whisk together yogurt, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Add yogurt mixture to flour mixture and mix to combine.

4. Working in concentric circles starting from center, arrange enough plum slices, overlapping slightly, to cover bottom of pan.

Spoon juices from bowl over top.

5. Spoon batter over plums in pan. Bake until cake is light golden brown and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 65 to 70 min.

6. Let cake cool in pan 10 min. Run butter knife around edges of cake to loosen it from pan.

Place platter over top of pan and invert. Remove cake pan and peel off parchment. Serve dolloped with yogurt if desired.

PER SERVING 377 cal, 7 g pro, 53 g carb, 2 g fiber, 29 g sugars (22.5 g added sugars), 15.5 g fat (3 g sat fat), 45 mg chol, 235 mg sodium

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P R E V E N T ION

FAMILY Learning How Things Work

W

ant your kids to literally think outside the box? This cardboard project can teach them design basics and inspire them to upcycle.

BY M A R Y G I L E S

WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT “Working with cardboard lets kids experience the creative satisfaction of making something with their hands and teaches them how toys and machines are put together,” says Jonathan Adolph, author of Cardboard Box Engineering and Mason Jar Science. “Plus, you can’t beat cardboard as a building material for kids. It’s sturdy and easy to work with, and best of all, it’s free.”

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DANIELLE DALY.

GET STARTED Try making Adolph’s Extending Grabber, far-reaching hands built from interconnected levers that open and close like scissors. “They let kids pick up things like stinky socks from a safe distance,” he says. Other projects in his book include periscopes, kaleidoscopes, solar cookers, and more, and all have easy-to-follow how-to photos.

TO MAKE THE GRABBER:

1.

Cut four strips from the most durable cardboard you can find; they can be as long as two feet each. For strength, cut the strips so the flutes in the cardboard are parallel to the long sides of the strips.

Connect the strips by poking four round wooden toothpicks through them. Thread on

2.

wooden beads and glue them over the ends of the toothpicks, then trim off the points with scissors once the glue is dry.

Cut out two “hands.”

We made crab claws, but simple hands with three “fingers” work well; if you go that route, cut a slot in the bottom of each hand and angled slots in the ends of the strips so the hands face each other for better grabbing. Hot-glue in place, then decorate if you like.

3.

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FAM I LY

Build Strong Bones

W

hen a child gulps down a glass of milk, skips rope, or twirls in the sun, they’re doing more than simply being a kid: They’re helping strengthen their skeleton. After all, up to 90% of bone mass is built by age 18 to 20. But with some 10 million adults dealing with bone-thinning osteoporosis, you have to wonder, are we doing enough for our children? Take these steps to combat what the National Institutes of Health calls “a childhood disease with old-age consequences.”

BY H O L LY P E V Z N E R

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ISTOCKPHOTO/GETTY IMAGES.

Get moving for longer A first-of-its-kind study in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research continuously tracked kids on a 24-hour loop and determined that 1.5 hours of moderate-tovigorous activity a day is the sweet spot for bone health (though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends just an hour). Weightbearing exercise (running, dancing, tennis, soccer) and resistance exercise (push-ups, cartwheels, crab walking, lifting hand weights) are the biggest bone builders. “These activities stress the bones, and when bone cells sense this, new bone tissue is made,” says Andrea Mucci, M.D., a pediatric endocrinologist at Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital.

Think beyond formal exercise In addition to high-impact activities, kids need 3.4 hours of light activity daily, the same study found. That includes any off-the-rear time, as in standing, walking, and doing chores.

“These activities still require weight bearing, so they add to bone health,” says study author Dorothea Dumuid, Ph.D. “Instead of focusing on the exact amount of time kids do these activities, think about limiting sedentary time.”

Don’t forget D

Keep an eye on calcium If kids don’t get enough dietary calcium, it’s sapped from their bones, weakening them. From ages 1 to 18, calcium needs vary from 700 mg to 1,300 mg a day. “Two 8-oz glasses of milk or a fortified milk alternative gets you to about 600 mg,” says Marina Chaparro, R.D., a pediatric dietitian in Miami. “For the rest, look to other dairy and fortified sources, beans, almond butter, tofu, leafy greens, and broccoli.” A hint for reading labels: Kids ages 9 to 18 need four servings of foods with a 30% DV for calcium or six to seven servings of foods with a 20% DV.

“About 60% of American kids may have suboptimal levels of vitamin D, with roughly one in 10 being deficient,” says Chaparro, noting that children who are overweight are at higher risk of deficiency.

This matters because vitamin D promotes calcium absorption.

Kids 12 months and older require 600 IU of vitamin D each day.

You’ll find it in foods such as eggs, canned tuna, button mushrooms, and salmon as well as in fortified milk, OJ, yogurt, and cereal.

Encourage shut-eye “Bone building requires the right balance of hormones, and these hormones are closely linked with sleep,” says Dumuid. “We also think that in the early stages of puberty, when there are rapid hormonal changes, sleep may be even more crucial to maintaining the right balance.” In fact, Dumuid’s study found that for 11- and 12-year-olds, getting 10.9 hours of nightly zzz’s was ideal for healthy bones.

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FAM I LY

A

healthy relationship of any kind requires the ability to communicate,” says Phillip Tedeschi, L.C.S.W., a clinical professor at the University of Denver’s Institute for Human-Animal Connection. “Animals have these amazing ways of doing that.” Decoding our dogs’ and cats’ nonverbal signals might feel like learning a new language, but improving communication with your pet can strengthen your bond.

BY L I Z Z S C H U M E R

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NILS JACOBI/ALAMY.

What Your Pet Is Trying to Tell You

Watch Their Posture Pets communicate lots of information through their body language, but we’re not great at reading it. “Research has shown that pet owners are not always good at identifying when their dogs are fearful, or misinterpret some of those signals as threats or even happiness,” explains Suzanne Hetts, Ph.D., a certified applied animal behaviorist and the founder of Animal Behavior Associates Inc. A fearful dog or cat may crouch or lean back to look smaller, flattening their ears and tucking their tail. A threatening dog or cat may stand up taller, stare directly at you, and raise the fur on their back as a “back off” sign. By contrast, a dog who wants to play will often “bow,” with their front legs on the ground and their tail wagging in the air, their face slack and “grinning.” Cats don’t have as many play signals, Hetts explains.

That can sometimes lead to scuffles among furry family members if cats misinterpret each other’s body signals.

Understand Their Motivation In general, resist the urge to discipline your pet for behaviors like barking, whining, or licking themselves. Instead, investigate why they’re doing it, Hetts advises. A dog might bark at the mail carrier to protect their home, for instance. If you get out of bed to feed a meowing cat or toss scraps under the table if your dog barks, you’re reinforcing that behavior. Before punishing them, look into the source, and reward them for being quiet instead. Pets who lick or groom themselves excessively should see a vet, Hetts adds. That can point to a dermatological, digestive, dental, or even anxiety issue.

Engage in Eye Contact Soulfully gazing into each other’s eyes isn’t just for couples in soap operas. Research shows that sustained eye contact with pets boosts chemicals like oxytocin in both humans’ and pets’ brains that can deepen their bonds, Tedeschi explains, leading to greater trust from animal companions. On the other hand, if your dog or cat frequently stares off into space or at walls, check in with your vet.

Hetts once worked with a dog who often stuck their head into dark corners because of floaters in their eyes, and some other vision or memory problems can manifest in similar ways.

Embrace Routine In addition to responding to your tone of voice, pets are very in tune with your facial expression, posture, and even breathing and heart rate. Dogs love knowing where they stand with you, because they’ve evolved to live in families in which each member has their own role, Tedeschi explains. If you change your routine, dogs may follow you to learn why. “Dogs work hard to get along with each other and humans,” he says. “There’s a level of commitment necessary to learn their language, and like in any good relationship, that’s mutually beneficial.”

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EDITOR IN CHIEF

P R E V E N T I O N A DV I S O RY B OA R D

Sarah Smith

Richard Carmona, M.D. 17TH SURGEON GENERAL

DESIGN DI R ECTOR

OF THE UNITED STATES; UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

Jarred Ford EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, HEALTH NEWSROOM

CHIEF FOOD DIRECTOR

Sandra Bond Chapman, Ph.D. CENTER FOR BRAINHEALTH, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS

Lisa Bain

Kate Merker

Raj Dasgupta, M.D. UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN

E D I TO R I A L

FOOD

DEPUTY DIRECTOR, HEALTH NEWSROOM

SENIOR FOOD EDITOR

HEAR ST VIS UA L G R OUP

Catherine Lo

Stephanie Dolgoff

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

DEPUTY EDITOR

Becca Miller

Alisa Hrustic

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

SENIOR EDITORS

Samantha MacAvoy

Alyssa Jung, Kaitlyn Pirie, Lizz Schumer

R E S E A R C H & CO P Y

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

RESEARCH DIRECTOR

Jake Henry Smith

Diana Erney

CHIEF VISUAL CONTENT DIRECTOR

Alix Campbell EXECUTIVE VISUAL DIRECTOR

Christina Weber VISUAL DIRECTORS

Bruce Perez, Allison Chin

UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Rachel Lustgarten, R.D. WEILL CORNELL MEDICINE Jordan Metzl, M.D. HOSPITAL FOR SPECIAL SURGERY Lauren Streicher, M.D. NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY FEINBERG SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Deirdre Read

Sophia L. Thomas, D.N.P. PRESIDENT, AMERICAN

VISUAL RESEARCH EDITOR

ASSOCIATION OF NURSE PRACTITIONERS

Ulrika Thunberg

Benay R. Bubar

Ann Schinnerer

LANGONE MEDICAL CENTER

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B RAI N GAM E S

Stay Sharp

ODD ONE OUT Which of these doesn’t belong?

Fun ways to give your brain a little workout.

EYEGL AS S ES

SHOES

JEANS

UNDERWEAR

NEXT, PLEASE! What numbers come next in this sequence?

4 6 2 -4 -6 -2 __ __ TURN FOR MORE

A U G U S T 2 0 21 • P R E V E N T I O N .C O M

95

B RAI N GAM E S

REMEMBER THIS TAKE TWO MINUTES FOR THIS CHALLENGE: WRITE DOWN THE NAMES OF PEOPLE YOU HAVE MET WHOSE LAST NAME STARTS WITH T.

SHAPES & NUMBERS If each symbol represents a number in the sums below, then which symbol will make the equation at the bottom correct?

+

=

+

= =

SOLVE THIS:

+

+

=

__

ANSWERS: Odd One Out: Shoes; they are the only “pair” that isn’t physically connected.

Tell us if you have another idea by emailing letters@prevention.com. Next, Please!: 4, 6.

Shapes & Numbers: Circle (circle = 4, triangle = 3, star = 2, square = 1).

96

P R E V E N T I O N .C O M • A U G U S T 2 0 21

Prevagen® is America’s best-selling brain support supplement ‡ and has been clinically shown to help with m memory loss associated with aging. 1 Prevagen is available at:

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1

Based on a clinical study of subgroups of individuals who were cognitively normal or mildly impaired.

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‡

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.

This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.