Wo
ldMags®
BY SARA ALTSHUL
BETTER
HEALTH
Happy trails
Scientists at the University of Essex in England found that all it
takes is five minutes of strolling a wooded trail, raking leaves, or
performing almost any physical movement in a natural
outdoor setting
to produce a significant uptick in mood and self-
esteem. “Humans largely live inside, but because of our evolution as
hunter-gatherers we may feel more relaxed and connected moving
out in nature,” explains study coauthor Jo Barton, Ph.D. What’s
more, this
temporary boost may safeguard against problems like
depression.
So treat yourself to “recess”— even if it’s brief.
the sodium
in processed
meats
No baloney
A Harvard School o f Public Health study revealed that a daily serving of processed meat
(bacon, sausage, hot dogs) can
hike heart disease risk by 42 percent and type 2
diabetes risk by 19 percent.
But eating unprocessed beef, pork, or lamb, which had the
same levels o f saturated fat and cholesterol, didn’t raise those risks at all. The processed
meats contain four times the sodium and 50 percent more nitrate preservatives than their
unprocessed counterparts. Says study coauthor Renata Micha, R.D., Ph.D., “ This suggests
that
added salt and preservatives—rather than naturally occurring fats—may
account for the risks.”
Lynn Shuster, M.D.
As director of the Office of Women’s
Health at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester,
Minnesota, Dr. Shuster is at the leading
edge of women-specific medicine.
Restless legs
Q : L a te ly I’v e h a d t r o u b le s le e p in g b e c a u s e m y le g s fe e l “ ju m p y .”
W h a t ’s g o in g on ?
A :
You may have restless legs syndrome (RLS),
a common condition in which legs
or feet feel intensely uncomfortable when not in motion. Sufferers describe the
sensation as tingling, pulling, or burning, resulting in an overpowering urge to kick
or fidget.
Because symptoms worsen at night, sleep can take a major hit.
W hile
researchers aren’t sure what triggers most cases o f RLS, relief is possible. To start,
try to avoid caffeine, tobacco, and alcohol. Also helpful:
Take a warm bath near
bedtime, massaging your legs as you soak.
If you’re still tossing and turning after
three to four weeks, see your doctor, who may recommend a prescription drug such as
ropinirole or pramipexole.
Have a question about how to improve your health?
E-mail us at
We’ll select one question every issue and ask our health advisory panel to answer it. (Sorry, the
doctors can’t respond to all your question personally.)
Jeepers, peepers
A recent survey of 2,232 contact lens wearers revealed that
as many as 52 percent don’t
replace their contacts on schedule.
The top reason? Forgetfulness. That’s risky; expired
lenses can accumulate deposits that leave eyes vulnerable to infection. Now there’s a
gadget that can help:
LensAlert, a digital timer that counts down days until contacts
expire. When the big day arrives, the display flashes until you reset it. $10 at Target stores.
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OCTOBER 2 0 1 0 |
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PHOTOS: (WOMEN WALKING DOG) VEER
