Michael J. Fox Is Working to Find a Cure N Ove M Ber/D E for Parkinson’S Disease Pg

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November/December 2014 / $4.95 Meet the 2014 WebMD MEN’S FOod & Health Fitness Health heroes The 411 on Eating Seasonal Sweet pg. 36 Disorders Healthy Potato Recipes pg. 14 Beauty pg. 56

Beat Winter Dry Family & Skin Woes Parenting pg. 18 Is a Scheduled C-Section Safe? Living pg. 26 Healthy

Prediabetes: Are Living You at Risk? With pg. 15

Alzheimer’s Disease pg. 63

Future Focus Michael J. Fox is working to find a cure N OVe m ber/D E for Parkinson’s disease pg. 30 Ce m ber 2014

V E R T I S E M E A D N T

Take the Lead in * w eb md Your Health TURN TO PAGE 45 . com NOV/DEC 2014 Contents Features

Pg. 30

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Future Focus Early in his career, Michael J. Fox was best known for his roles in Back to the Future and Family Ties. But after being diagnosed with Having a Parkinson’s disease in family means his 30s and keeping his you don't condition under wraps always““ find for several years, he took moments of on his greatest role to quiet, so you date: raising awareness for the disease and find quiet in leading the way to a cure the chaos. through the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. This year, we honor Fox as our first WebMD Health Hero Hall of Fame winner. in every issue

Good Pg. 4 Company Editor’s Note Every year, WebMD Our 2014 Health Heroes celebrates Americans winners, and more who change the health landscape in our country. Pg. 70 This year, we honor Take 10 winners in five categories: Health is no laughing matter for Ricky prodigy, scientist, activist, Gervais. The comedian philanthropist, and opens up about his People’s Choice. Meet diet, motivation for the 2014 WebMD 36 70 dropping 20 pounds, Health Heroes. and how humor helps.

Cover photograph by Jeff Lipsky/CPi NOV/DEC 2014 2 W ebMD.com Contents NOV/DEC 2014

HEALTHY START Hot Topics: Are five apples a day really better than just one? Does sleep deprivation lead to fake memories? Does stress slow down your Pg. calorie burn rate? Find out and get more news you can use.

6 LIVING HEALTHY WebMD on the Street: Our experts dish out healthy living tips for a pastry chef. • Men’s Health: Eating disorders among men are on the Pg. rise. Do you know the signs? • Women’s Health: Prediabetes is more 11 prevalent now. Are you at risk? HEALTHY BEAUTY Your Smile: ’Tis the season for sweets! Learn how to snack smart and save your smile during the holidays. • You Asked: Ward off winter’s dry Pg. spell and keep your skin soft and hydrated with our expert product picks. • Beauty Smarts: We shed light on what you need to know 16 about fractional laser treatments. Plus: Beauty 411, Aisle Do, and Dirty Secret

Pg. FAMILY & PARENTING Parenting: Extra! Extra! Read all about how two kids have completely changed TV host Mario Lopez’s outlook on life. • Baby Talk: Are you 22 traveling with your little one? Develop a flight plan with our expert tips. • Pregnancy: Are scheduled C-sections and inductions risky business? Find out. • Kids’ Health: You might not know it, but you could be fat- shaming your kids. Here’s how to tell. • Pet Health: Four-legged friends Pg. of all ages need wellness visits, too. Follow our guide.

56 Food & Fitness In Season: You say potato, we say sweet! We’ve got new and delicious ways to prepare a holiday season favorite, the sweet potato. • Off the Menu: The name of chef Steven McHugh’s restaurant says as much about him as it does about his food. • Work It Out: Want to get faster and stronger? Take a page from elite athletes’ playbook. • Fitness Challenge: It’s party season. Rock that little black dress with these moves to tone your glutes, abs, and arms.

webmd CHECKUP It’s cold and flu season. Are you prepared? • Living With: How to take action now Pg. after an Alzheimer's diagnosis. • By the Numbers: We take a closer look at health during the holidays. • Health Highlights: Breathe easier with tips for managing 62 COPD. • My Story: One reader shares his journey as a caregiver. • Advocacy: A Q&A with actor Seth Rogen about Alzheimer’s awareness. • Health Check: What’s your back pain IQ? Take the quiz to find out.

Correction: In our “Living With” story about lupus (page 79) in the October issue, we misspelled Aimee Ackell’s name.

W ebMD.com 3 NOV/DEC 2014 Editor’s note

Look for this Access Now! icon on pages Get instant access to healthy living info, throughout expert tips, and products as well as all of the magazine. WebMD’s mobile apps. Here’s how.

Download the free Digimarc Discover app, 1 available at iTunes and Google Play. Open the app. Hold your device 4 to 7 2 inches away from the activated icon (shown at left) to scan it.

Your phone will alert you when Digimarc Discover recognizes the image. For the past eight years, WebMD has honored Health Heroes, people who Your browser will open to display a webpage transform health in this country by 3 where you can access WebMD articles, meeting challenges and giving back to videos, slideshows, and more content; buy others. We are pleased to bring you the featured products; or download WebMD apps. extraordinary individuals who make up NOTE: WebMD does not approve or endorse any product or service featured through Digimarc our 2014 winners. And, for the first time, digital activations, or those presented through ShopAdvisor, except for proprietary WebMD apps. we have a new award, the WebMD Health All featured products, services, and information (except WebMD apps) are hosted and sold by third- party providers and sellers. WebMD makes no claims, promises, warranties or guarantees about the Hero Hall of Fame Award. It’s presented accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of any featured product or service. to an individual who has made an indelible mark on the health and well- being of many people and who has raised Watch our exclusive video with Michael J. Fox! the bar for championing a health cause. Good Morning America co-anchor It is our honor to bestow the first Robin Roberts, host of our 2014 WebMD Hall of Fame Award on Michael WebMD Health Heroes awards J. Fox for his significant efforts to raise ceremony on Nov. 6, sat down recently awareness, expand funding, develop treat- with our first Hall of Fame Health Hero ment options, and advocate for patients winner. They discuss how Fox first learned of his diagnosis, the most in his tireless quest to find a cure for common misconceptions about Parkinson’s disease. the condition, his advice to Turn to page 60 to read our cover story people living with Parkinson’s, with Fox, and learn more about his acting and how he stays motivated career, how a diagnosis of early onset Par- every day. kinson’s impacted his work, and about his vision for The Michael J. Fox Foundation. We Want to Hear From You! We hope Fox and our other Health t ions Hero winners this year will inspire you Like WebMD! as much as they do us, especially in this facebook.com/webmd season of giving.

obin P roduc obin Tweet us! Have a wonderful holiday. twitter.com/webmd

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WebMD Magazine is distributed to doctors’ offices throughout the U.S., online at WebMD.com, and by download from the App Store or Google Play. WebMD Magazine is not responsible for advertising claims. WebMD Magazine (ISSN 1553-9946), Vol. 10, No. 8, is published by WebMD, LLC and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission of WebMD, LLC. All editorial content is reviewed by our board-certified physicians, is for informational purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your health care provider with any questions regarding a medical condition and never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of something you have read in WebMD Magazine. If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. © 2014 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved. healthy start HotTopics! facts and news you can use

77,900: The number of children under age g e s 5 who were treated 1 in 7 Your child’s risk g etty i ma in emergency rooms of developing chulte/ for injuries involving diabetes if you

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g e s nursery products such were diagnosed as high chairs and before age 50. /Getty Ima /Getty .57 Source: American Diabetes changing tables Association g Subju ; miles g e s in 2012 Source: Consumer Product Safety Commission The distance around one level of 1 in 4 new HIV infections are in the Mall of hannon/Getty Ima s hannon/Getty Ni na ; young people ages 13 to 24. Most g e s America in have no idea they’re infected, and can Bloomington, unknowingly pass HIV on to others. Minn. Source: AIDS.gov Source: Mall of America c/Getty Ima i c/Getty ar i pov ca P D u si ca ; g e s Most 60% of shelter 3-year-olds cats are adults have 20 and have a harder time than kittens a Zubareva/Getty Ima Zubareva/Getty M ar i a ; baby 139 finding a new home. Calories in teeth. Source: CATalyst Council Source: American is k i ndler/corb a piece of Dental s Association fruitcake

; A ndrea ; Fingernail and toenail g e s (about ⅓ cup-size piece) problems make up about Source: USDA 10% of all skin conditions. Source: American Academy of Dermatology Gastroesophageal reflux disease Stock; art-4-art/Getty Ima art-4-art/Getty Stock; i (GERD) affects about 1 in 5 people, with symptoms such as heartburn, belching, and difficulty swallowing.

from top left: L jupco/ left: top from Source: International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders

NOV/DEC 2014 6 W ebMD.com healthy Start

Learning Time Parents begin teaching their Nut Case children the day 48% Almonds can help keep a healthy heart ticking. they are born. But Amount of babies might begin A new study found that after eating meals that learning before that. added sugar included 1.75 ounces of almonds (that’s about A recent study found in Americans’ 42 nuts) a day for four weeks, healthy men ages that fetuses showed g e s diet that 20 to 70 had lower blood pressure, improved signs of learning at blood flow, and increased levels of a naturally 34 weeks’ gestation. comes from Starting in week 28 occurring antioxidant in their bloodstream. All of their pregnancies,

sweetened Ima Scanlon/Getty ally are signs of decreased risk for heart disease and expectant mothers B ; beverages. recited a rhyme twice g e s Source: American Public Health heart attack. Association Source: Free Radical Research a day. At 34 weeks, /Getty Ima /Getty the mothers stopped the daily recitations. en H un g B en ; When researchers Sleep Sense played a recording C orb is Losing sleep could do more than just leave you feeling a little of an unknown

foggy. Sleep-deprived people are prone to creating false woman reading the Fi nely/ M arc ;

memories, a study says. Two groups of college-age adults were rhyme, the fetuses’ g e s asked to study photos of a crime, read an inaccurate heart rates slowed—a sign of learning c/Getty Ima t i c/Getty

description of the photos, and then describe the photos. s and memorization. o One group had slept the night before; the other The fetuses still group had stayed awake. When they described the recognized the pictures, those who’d stayed up all night were more rhyme, demonstrated likely to say the details in the falsewritten by their heart rates, description were present in the photographs. four weeks later. Source: Infant Behavior & Source: Psychological Science Development K Zlatko left: top from is e clockw 50% Percentage of Americans who will buy candy during the holidays. It’s the

g e s No. 1 snack Run For Your Life Running could add years to your life. And you don’t purchase of need to do that much to reap the benefits. In a study that followed 55,000 people ages 18 to 100 for 15 the season. e Source/Getty Ima Source/Getty g e years, runners were 30% less likely to die prema- ; Ima ;

g e s turely during the study period than their non-running peers. This amounted to outliving non-runners by about three years. Even running as little as 30 to 59 minutes a week—that’s 5 to 10 minutes a day—at a slow pace lowered risk of premature death.

er/Getty Ima Spr i n g er/Getty C had Source: Journal of the American College of Cardiology Source: NDP Group

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Burning secret Stressed out? That’s when many Wine Not? people reach for the cookies or chips. It’s no secret that too But that could be the worst possible much alcohol is bad time for high-calorie snacks. In a study, for your kidneys and women completed a questionnaire about your heart. But the how much stress they’d had in the past day. occasional glass of Then they ate a high-fat, high-calorie fast-food wine could have some benefits. Among more meal. Afterward, researchers measured how fast they than 5,800 people, burned calories. Women who had faced one or more stressors in the previous those who drank less 24 hours burned 104 fewer calories over the next seven hours than their than one glass of wine stress-free peers. For women who face stress every day, per day—say, a few this difference could equal an extra 11 pounds a year. glasses per week— Source: Biological Psychiatry were almost 40% less likely to have chronic kidney disease than those who never drank wine. And for those who already had kidney disease when the study began, the

annell/Glow occasional vino helped

m P Ti m ; prevent the condition g e s from progressing to heart disease. Source: National Kidney Foundation e Source/Getty i ma Source/Getty g e ; Ima ; g e s

/Getty Ima /Getty Tube Time Most of us unwind in front of the TV, but your

; Seraf i cu s ; downtime might be better spent elsewhere. g e s According to a study of 13,000 adults who did not have a previous diagnosis of diabetes, heart disease, or cancer, those who eley/Getty Ima a z eley/Getty 65% watched three or more hours of TV a day Percentage were twice as likely to die prematurely over of Americans the next eight years than those who watched an hour or less. It wasn’t just because they who say they were sedentary. Time spent driving or avoid soda. using a computer didn’t have the same effect. eter D P eter left: top from is e clockw Source: Gallup Source: American Heart Association

NOV/DEC 2014 9 W ebMD.com healthy Jump Start start

Magazines are like babies. You love each and every one as it arrives in the world. But I’d say that we at WebMD have a special place in our heart for the last issue of the year, the one you’re reading now, because it always celebrates a new group of people we call Health Heroes. This year’s annual WebMD Health Hero winners are no less exemplary. One is a child psychologist who co-founded Take Five an institute to If an apple a day keeps the doctor away, how about five apples? They speed treatment breakthroughs for could greatly reduce your risk of dying early. Researchers looked at childhood mental the fruit and vegetable intake of more than 800,000 people and found illnesses. Another those who ate five servings of fruits and vegetables per day lived the is a college student whose curiosity longest. Every serving of fruits or vegetables you eat each day could about teens’ sleep cut your risk of premature death by 5%, according to the study. and mood patterns led to a novel However, the benefits max out at five servings a day. research project. Source: BMJ A third is a plastic surgeon whose team created a device to mitigate the pain of .com cluster headaches. Another sees kids’

g e s Hot Hits gardens in school- What’s trending yards across the on WebMD.com

/Getty Ima /Getty nation as a way to * g right now fight hunger and Garcinia cambogia: encourage healthy Is it safe? meals. And a fifth

n Skjoldbor ob i n established a health What is the ; R ; center focused placebo effect? Strike a Pose g e s 45% on quality care for HIV symptoms Chronic fatigue and pain can seniors as a model keep breast cancer survivors from Aspirin therapy for a better end of uu/Getty Ima uu/Getty exercising and lead to other health Percentage life for everyone. Losing belly fat problems. But yoga classes may s ujan

K Who are they? Turn s What causes skin bring relief. In a recent study of 200 of Americans to page 36 to find tags? breast cancer survivors, half took ; T uoma ; out. Their stories brighten this season Caffeine 90 minutes of hatha yoga classes who will

C orb is withdrawal of joy. per week for three months. A few Treating styes months after completing the yoga bake treats Cold feet training, these women had less fatigue, less inflammation, and Anti-aging this holiday ency/ Ag P hoto op i c Colleen Paretty more energy than their peers who Editorial Director hairstyles had not practiced yoga. [email protected] *as of Sept. 1, 2014 season.

ht: T r ig ht: top Source: Clinical Oncology Source: NDP Group

NOV/DEC 2014 10 W ebMD.com living The healthy Pause Effect Do you react rather than stop to think when someone pushes your emotional buttons? If you want to change this behavior, pause before you respond outwardly. Choose to be more curious about yourself and the other person. The goal of this curiosity is for you to become more open-minded in the heat of the moment, rather than instantly clamping down like a steel trap, with one judgment. Try these three steps, says Leslie Becker-Phelps, PhD, author of WebMD’s The Art of Relationships blog and the book Insecure in Love: How Anxious Attachment Can Make You Feel Jealous, Needy, and Worried and What You Can Do About It. First, choose a situation. Pick some behavior or interaction— positive or negative—that you have questions about, or that you could be wrong about. Second, check your thoughts and feelings. Do a thorough job of this. You might even want to look at a list of emotions to help you figure out exactly what you’re feeling. Third, consider possible explanations. Once you pinpoint your emotions and thoughts, consider the possible reasons the incident happened, using what you know about yourself and the other person or people involved. “By going through these steps repeatedly, you’ll start to see that any given incident could have a number of likely causes—not just the one that flashed through your mind first as emotions ran high,” Becker-Phelps says. “It will become easier for you to pause and respond more thoughtfully.”

Photograph by Sigrid Olsen/Corbis NOV/DEC 2014 11 W ebMD.com living healthy

Sweet Reach Out “Staying in touch these days is so much easier than ever before thanks to technology. When you’re away, schedule a specific time each night for a Skype chat to catch up on what your teens did Success that day. Texting is also huge with We pound the pavement to teens, and because it’s something they’ve grown up with, they’re get expert answers to your more likely to be responsive to it pressing health questions compared with a phone call.” Photograph by Jonathan Timmes

Sherrie Bourg Carter, PsyD psychologist specializing in women and stress Hands On

“To relieve eczema, apply a moisturizer with the ingredient dimethicone two to three times daily. Dimethicone helps form a protective barrier on the skin that repels water. Before bed, soak or steam your hands for five minutes to open up the pores. Then apply a natural oil such as coconut or sweet almond oil to your hands and cuticles, slip on a pair of white cotton gloves, and relax.”

Mohiba K. Tareen, MD medical director, Tareen Dermatology, Roseville, Minn.

webmd on the street Paula Shoyer

Baking Point Pastry chef/cookbook author, 49 Chevy Chase, Md. “Delicious, easy-to-eat treats like cookies are hard to resist, but if you do your baking after eating In the mid-1990s, Paula Shoyer a healthy, satisfying meal, you worked as a legal adviser for the will be better able to resist the human rights organization UN temptation. Store the baked goods Watch when her husband got a job immediately and out of sight, and in Geneva. “I’ll go to cooking school indulge sensibly with a cookie at a in Paris for fun,” Shoyer figured. time when you can sit down, relax, Eventually, her training led to a and savor every bite.” thriving catering business—with a twist. “I took French pastries and turned them into kosher, dairy-free desserts.” Today she travels across the United States and teaches bak- Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD ing classes. Long stretches away are WebMD director of nutrition tough on family life. “I have three teenagers at home and one at college, and it’s hard to stay involved with them while I’m on the road.” When teaching she spends a lot of time on her feet. “Standing for long Want to be the next periods of time is hard on my back Stride Right WebMD on the Street and neck.” Also, she’s often too star? Tweet us your keyed up to sleep. “I’m exhausted “One way to reduce any impact health issues at @WebMD. We might the next day. What can I do to wind on your knees is to take shorter come to your city! down after a show?” Temptation is strides—three steps per second— another job hazard. “Around the no matter how fast you run. To holidays, I’ll bake 10 to 12 batches help prevent overuse injuries and provide total body fitness, mix in of cookies and cakes every day. It’s other types of cardio, like cycling, hard to stick to my healthy diet with with your running. If you do have so many sweets around.” She stays knee pain, check with your doctor.” fit by running but worries about the Read more strain on her knees. “How much is expert advice safe, and how much rest time do I in our free need in between runs?” Her hands tablet apps! are another concern. “Handling irritating foods and constantly washing Michael W. Smith, MD my hands and cookware has led to WebMD Chief Medical Editor painful bouts of eczema.” —Stephanie Watson

the opinions expressed in this section are of the experts and are not the opinions of WebMD. WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment. Read Signs of an Eating Disorder, a top article at living WebMD.com. healthy Learn how on page 4

MEN’S HEALTH Hunger Games Eating disorders affect more men Mr. Big? every year. Our Expert explains the signs A lot of men spend By Colleen Oakley time building muscle and working on their physiques, but for some it can be a sign of a problem. A psychological disorder added to the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) last year disproportionately affects men more than women.

It’s called muscle dysmorphia (MD), commonly known as bigorexia. “Individuals with MD think that they are too small despite valiant efforts at muscle building like excessive weight lifting, taking steroids, or other body building supplements,” says Binging, purging, yo-yo dieting, anorex- Are you underweight, or does your psychologist Jennifer ia. Think these are girl problems? Not so weight frequently shift due to repeated Thomas, PhD. fast. “Recent data suggest that one in four attempts to drop pounds? “In men, this While not technically people with an eating disorder is male,” says might manifest as fasting, dehydrating, or an eating disorder, Lazaro Zayas, MD, a psychiatrist at Massachu- wearing plastic clothing to ‘make weight’ MD often leads to setts General Hospital. But because of a long- before a sports competition,” Thomas says. disordered eating such held belief that bulimia and anorexia are Do you regularly and sometimes severely as binging or excessive supplement use to put largely female issues, males are more likely to restrict your food intake by amount or variety? on more weight. See a suffer in silence—or worse, not even recognize Or do you have an over-reliance on supple- doctor if you: they have a problem. ments instead of regular food? People can suffer from eating disorder Do you eat large amounts of food while • Obsess over gaining symptoms without meeting the criteria for a feeling out of control? “In growing boys, muscle and/or spend excessive full-blown diagnosis of bulimia (character- who eat quite a lot, it can be difficult to tell,” time in the gym ized by binging and purging), anorexia (a Thomas says. “Remember to compare your- starvation diet), or binge-eating disorder, says self or the male you’re concerned about to his • Often take more Jennifer J. Thomas, PhD, assistant professor peer group.” supplements than the of psychology at Harvard Medical School and Do you try to “make up” for calories recommended dose co-author of Almost Anorexic: Is My (or My consumed? This can be anything from vom- • Take (or are g es Loved One’s) Relationship With Food a Problem? iting to using laxatives and diuretics to over- considering taking) Ask yourself these questions. A “yes” answer exercising and fasting. steroids does not necessarily mean you have an eat- If you are concerned that your relationship ing disorder, but a conversation with your with food is problematic, ask your doctor for Reviewed by doctor or a mental health professional may be a referral to an eating disorder specialist or a Michael W. Smith, MD WebMD Chief Medical Editor

in order. program in your area. I ma Kristensen/Getty Lasse

W ebMD.com 14 NOV/DEC 2014 Watch Does Eating Sugar Cause Diabetes? at WebMD.com. living Learn how on page 4 healthy

WOMEN’S HEALTH On the Rise Certain risk factors increase women’s chances of developing prediabetes

By Jodi Helmer

High scores for credit Change Up It’s possible to ratings, football reduce your games, and SATs are all prediabetes risk or keep a diagnosis good, but high blood glucose from developing levels are no reason to into type 2 diabetes. Start with these celebrate. They are a sign of three lifestyle prediabetes, a disease changes. diagnosed when blood sugar readings are between 100 Focus on weight loss: Research published in and 125 mg/dL—higher than the Journal of General normal but not high enough Internal Medicine to mean a diabetes diagnosis. shows that losing 10% The number of Ameri- of your body weight cans with prediabetes has (about 20 pounds for a 200-pound woman) doubled since 1988, accord- within six months of a ing to research published in prediabetes diagnosis Annals of Internal Medicine — can lead to an 85% bad news, since the condi- reduction in the risk of tion increases the risk of developing diabetes within three years. heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. For women, Get moving: Exercise the increase is even more reduces insulin striking. Rates skyrocketed resistance and from 15.5% in 2001 to 50.5% lowers blood glucose levels. To minimize in 2010. prediabetes risk, Obesity, a sedentary life- diabetes expert M. style, and a family history of Kaye Kramer, DrPH, diabetes are risk factors for mass decreases, and weight symptoms, which is why the suggests getting 30 both men and women. But loss becomes more difficult. American Diabetes Asso- minutes or more of moderate-intensity the chances of developing “Don’t wait until you ciation estimates that fewer exercise at least five diabetes are also higher in feel sick to get screened for than 10% of the 86 million days a week. women who had gestational prediabetes,” says M. Kaye adults with prediabetes have diabetes during pregnancy, Kramer, DrPH, MPH, RN, been diagnosed. Eat well: Read gave birth to babies weighing director of the Diabetes Lifestyle changes can nutrition labels and aim for 45 to 60 grams more than 9 pounds, or were Prevention Support Center make a big difference. “A of carbohydrates per diagnosed with polycystic at the University of Pitts- lot of people believe that meal (carbs cause ovary syndrome. burgh. “Early detection is once they have prediabetes, blood sugar levels to For midlife women, essential because, if left developing diabetes is inevi- rise) with no more than g es prediabetes is a wake-up unchecked, prediabetes table, and that can make the 25% of your total daily I ma calories from fat. w o call since the risk of being increases the risk of develop- diagnosis overwhelming and diagnosed with diabetes ing type 2 diabetes.” scary,” Kramer says. “Make Reviewed by increases after age 45—when To complicate matters, healthy lifestyle changes so Brunilda Nazario, MD WebMD Lead Medical Editor l N orris/G Liam metabolism slows, muscle prediabetes has no you don’t develop diabetes.”

NOV/DEC 2014 15 W ebMD.com Lip Service Full lips are a genetic feature—if mom or dad has them, there’s a 50/50 chance that you do, too. But if you didn’t score big in the gene pool, at least as far as your lips go, not to worry. You can still fake a plump pout sans pins and needles, says Aniesha Jones, a freelance makeup artist in New York City. Start by applying concealer to your entire lip to create a blank canvas. Then, using a lip liner that’s similar in color to your natural lip— or one shade darker—draw a line around the perimeter of your mouth, just slightly above your natural line. Fill the lip in with lipstick or gloss, using a lighter shade to reflect light and give the illusion of fullness. Finally, use a luminizer or a nude eye pencil to trace your cupid’s bow (the “M” shape right above your upper lip) and blend lightly.

Photograph by Crystal Cartier Photography/Glow Images NOV/DEC 2014 16 W ebMD.com Watch How to Whiten Your Teeth, a video at healthy WebMD.com. beauty Learn how on page 4

YOUR SMILE Candy Crush ’Tis the Sweets season! Keep your snacking in check—and your pearly whites intact—with these tips

By Jodi Helmer CRUNCH TIME If you crack a tooth on grandma’s peanut brittle, you may not be able to see your dentist. “Most dental offices are closed during the holidays,” says Kimberly Harms, DDS, a dental consultant in Farmington, Minn. If you have a dental emergency, Harms offers these tips.

Be prepared. Pack dental floss, gauze, and over-the-counter pain relievers with your toiletries to deal with minor dental problems when you travel. Remember to take your dental benefits policy number with you.

Know whom to call. The secret to indulging in seasonal cause a lot of painful and expensive damage,” If your dental office sweets and still having a cavity-free Chussid says. “Is it worth it to break a tooth will be closed during smile to flash in festive photos is taking care for a nut?” the holidays, ask your of your teeth during one of the busiest times Maintain a routine. The holidays can dentist for a referral for emergencies and of the year. These tips will help keep your upset your schedule, but staying up late to know the location of teeth healthy during the holidays. wait for Santa isn’t a good reason to go to bed the nearest emergency Avoid overindulging. It’s the most won- without brushing your teeth. “You should dental clinic (similar to derful time of year for candy canes, popcorn brush at least twice a day,” Chussid says. an urgent care clinic). balls, and cookies—and this nonstop buffet of To keep up good oral health habits on the Don’t delay treatment. sweets can wreak havoc on your teeth, says go, stash a toothbrush and mini tube of tooth- Waiting until the new Steven Chussid, DDS, associate professor of paste in your purse or briefcase and make year to fix a broken dental medicine at Columbia University Col- time to “freshen up” after meals. If brush- tooth or replace a lost lege of Dental Medicine. ing your teeth isn’t an option, chew sugarless filling could make Still, you don’t have to skip holiday treats. gum, which increases saliva and helps flush the problem worse. If you’re traveling, call a “Eat a single dessert and brush your teeth out food debris and neutralize acid. local dental office for afterward,” Chussid advises. “You’ll expose Honor appointments. Don’t let the fes- an appointment if you

your teeth to less sugar [with a single indul- tivities interfere with a scheduled dental need emergency care. G etty Images gence] than if you’re constantly snacking, exam. Skipping a dental exam could get you Harms notes that most and that reduces the risk of tooth decay.” on the naughty list. “It’s much better to catch dentists set aside time for emergencies even Snack smart. The colorful soldiers stand- problems now and not put them off until the for people who aren’t ing at attention beside the almonds are not new year,” Chussid says. regular patients. just decorations. Use a nutcracker, not your If your six-month checkup falls during the Reviewed by Eric Yabu, DDS teeth, to shell nuts. No nutcracker? Choose holidays, consider it a celebration of good p hy/ Photogra Carroll ara WebMD Oral Health Expert

a different snack. “One poor decision can oral health—and a holiday gift to yourself. b Bar

W ebMD.com 17 NOV/DEC 2014 Shop now for these products! healthy Learn how on page 4 beauty

You Asked The Big Chill is your skin ready for cooler temps and drier air? Our expert tips and product picks can help

By Ayren Jackson-Cannady 2 Shower Power CeraVe Moisturizing Cream ($15.79) 2 “Taking long, hot 3 showers can strip the body of its protective oils. I recommend 10-minute-or-less showers with warm, not hot, water. When you step out of the shower, pat dry and apply a body 4 cream. This one has ceramides that replace the skin’s 1 natural oils.” 1 Clean Break Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash ($7.99) “The key word here is ‘gentle.’ I’m one of the many dermatologists who like to recommend a non-pore-clogging face wash that leaves skin soft and hydrated. This one contains only what your skin needs. It’s mild, so if you have sensitive skin you will be able to use this twice a day. Bonus: Many of my women patients claim it’s the 6 5 best makeup remover they’ve ever used.”

Dhaval G. Bhanusali, MD dermatology resident, Mount Sinai the opinions expressed in this section are of the experts St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai Roosevelt hospitals and are not the opinions of WebMD. WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment.

Photograph by Ted Morrison NOV/DEC 2014 18 W ebMD.com beauty smarts TK tk

The essential from webmd.com iPhone app for people living with chronic pain. Q &A “I sometimes have itchy, red bumps on the backs of my ■ Personal journal to easily arms. What gives, and how do I make log pain levels, triggers, them go away?” and more.

■ Daily tips approved by WebMD doctors to help Kristen Jacobson you meet your goals. 24, sales associate, North Wales, Pa. ■ Articles, slideshows, and videos related to your condition.

■ EXPERT Custom reports for better ANSWER discussions with your doctor. 3 5 Oil Change Face Time “Those bumps are Josie Maran Argan Aveeno Active Naturals most likely due to Oil ($48) “I’m a big Positively Radiant a chronic condition proponent of argan oil, Daily Moisturizer With called keratosis pilaris, or KP for a dermatologist favorite, SPF 30 ($14.99) “This short. KP is very on the body. This natural soy-based face cream stubborn, but ingredient contains absorbs quickly and can be improved essential fatty acids— is great for improving with diligent use linoleic and oleic acids— pigmentation and of certain topical that are amazing for texture. I love that it is therapies. Salicylic acid, glycolic acid, your hair and skin. Place also infused with SPF, or lactic acid can a dot in the palm of your one of the best anti- help smooth the hand, and massage the aging ingredients.” area and exfoliate oil into the driest parts the dead cells that of your skin and hair.” pile up, clogging the pores. Look for products with soothing ingredients 4 6 like colloidal oatmeal—for Lip Service Hand Out example, Aveeno Aquaphor Lip Repair Neutrogena Norwegian Eczema Therapy ($4.99) “This is my Formula Hand Cream Moisturizing all-time favorite. It is ($4.99) “Fragrance-free Cream, $9.49— packed with emollients, and not super greasy, ceramides, feverfew, and chamomile, which are great because this hand lotion is a which can help they prevent water loss, perfect selection for dry, minimize the soften dry spots, and chapped hands brought redness.” increase the moisture on by excessive hand levels in the top washing or exposure to layer of skin. There are chemicals…on top of dry no fragrances or irritants indoor heat. Use often, so you can use this all and after every day long.” hand washing.” Whitney P. Bowe, MD clinical assistant professor of dermatology, Reviewed by Karyn Grossman, MD SUNY Downstate WebMD Skin Care Expert Medical Center

Photograph by Ted Morrison healthy beauty

beauty smarts Guiding Light Fractional lasers are all the rage. our experts explain what they do and how they work

By Liesa Goins

In the Know Here’s what to expect during a fractional laser treatment, according to dermatologist Anne Chapas, MD.

Before: Ask your doctor if ablative fractional laser or non-ablative fractional laser makes the most sense for you. Ablative fractional penetrates more deeply, causing more skin injury and downtime, but requires fewer treatments. Non-ablative keeps the outer layer of skin intact, leading to faster recovery, but will likely entail more treatments.

During: Your doctor will apply a layer of a numbing cream to minimize discomfort during the process. Depending on the size of the area you’re treating—face, neck, chest, hands, or other regions—the treatment takes about 30 minutes. The procedure feels like small pinpricks, Dermatology has taken a sci-fi fraction of the skin is treated because uncomfortable but not twist in recent years with an the technology uses heat to create intolerable. increasing focus on lasers and the thousands of microscopic zones of After: You’ll look swollen and range of problems they’re said to thermal injury separated by healthy red, like you have a sunburn, address. Fractional lasers are one of tissue,” she explains. Since there are so immediately following the the most buzzed-about options. many areas of healthy tissue, the skin treatment. The swelling If you’ve heard of fractional lasers, heals much faster. subsides in a few days. you’ve likely heard of Fraxel. It’s the “The heat from the laser helps On day two or three post- procedure, you’ll see tiny brand name for one of the first devices generate collagen, which is the build- pepper-like dots appear. to offer the unique laser procedure. ing block of the skin,” says Elizabeth Those are pigment granules “The name comes from the pattern Tanzi, MD, co-director of laser surgery being shed as new skin grows. the laser uses during treatment,” says at the Washington Institute of Derma- Anne Chapas, MD, founder and medi- tologic Laser Surgery in Washington, On days two through four, your skin will appear scaly cal director of Union Square Laser D.C. The new collagen helps fade scars and will peel as the surface Dermatology in New York City and an and stretch marks while also tighten- layers are sloughed off. assistant clinical professor of derma- ing skin to firm wrinkles, she says. But usually within a week,

bi s P i nky pi lls/Cor tology at NYU School of Medicine. “A “There are few other treatments that your skin will be healed.

NOV/DEC 2014 20 W ebMD.com Check out How Your Life Affects Your Skin, a top healthy slideshow at WebMD.com. beauty Learn how on page 4

generate collagen with such little recovery time.” Fractional lasers also help fade age spots and uneven pigmentation in the course of healing. The microscopic Beauty 411 injuries act like conduits for the pig- What are peptides? mentation cells to slough off, Chapas Peptides are rather aptly named, says. The pigmented cells are drawn since these amino acids promise to to the injured sites and are then shed give some pep to your skin. as the skin turns over in the next few There are many different peptide variations—depending on exactly days. “We don’t know why it happens, how long the chain of amino acids but you can observe it on a microscopic is—but all are the building blocks of level,” she says. collagen and elastic tissue. When The treatment costs anywhere from applied to the skin, peptides act as $400 to $1,500 a session, and you usu- a signaling agent, which basically tricks the skin into thinking they ally need several sessions to see dra- are fragments of damaged skin. matic results, Tanzi says. This prompts your own skin cells Expect to hear more about the frac- to start making more collagen and tional laser in the future. Since the skin elastic tissue to repair, rebuild, turns over quickly after the process, and refresh tired, dull, inflamed, or Dirty Secret even blemish-prone skin. the device is one of four or five ways to Unlike some other powerful skin “I exfoliate my skin daily. Am decrease skin cancers, says Ronald L. care ingredients, such as retinol or I overdoing it?” Moy, MD, Physician at Moy-Fincher- alpha hydroxy acids, which can be Chipps Facial Plastics & Dermatology irritating to sensitive skin, peptides Think of it as the skin care in Beverly Hills, Calif. “These lasers are very gentle. But it’s hard to tell version of “too much of a good how much of a concentration of thing can be bad for you.” Yes, go below the basal layer to reduce peptides is in a lotion or cream. you may be over-exfoliating if pre-cancers like actinic keratosis. The Find smaller, niche brands, where you do it on a daily basis. The laser has a lot of different roles.” you’re more likely to be able to answer depends on your skin contact the company and ask type, the method of exfoliation, specifics about a and the amount of pressure you Reviewed by Mohiba K. Tareen, MD product’s ingredients. apply while sloughing the skin. WebMD Skin Care Expert —Harold Lancer, MD For example, someone with oily dermatologist in Beverly Hills, Calif. skin could potentially exfoliate twice a week up to daily, while drier skin types may want to try it only once a week (or not at all) to avoid irritation. Facial scrubbing can help Aisle Do oils that smooth the cuticle, helping antioxidants and skin-improving preserve the color. When the cuticle is ingredients penetrate more PRODUCT PICK smooth and hydrated, the color looks deeply into the skin, plus it’s Kérastase Reflection brighter and lasts longer. The shampoo a proven technique to rid the Bain Chroma Captive Shampoo gives a rich lather, so I don’t have to skin of dead cells, oil, and gunk. ($39) use as much. It’s sulfate-free, which However, too much scrubbing EXPERT is gentle on dyed hair. And the light, can make skin (especially sensi- Mary P. Lupo, MD clean fragrance doesn’t compete with tive skin) dry and irritated. founder, Lupo Center for Aesthetic and my perfume. I also find that I don’t Start with a mild facial scrub General Dermatology, New Orleans have to use any hairspray or stylers or lotion, but do not rub too when I wash with Chroma—the line much into the skin. Instead, “I color my hair an auburn shade, and does such a good job making my hair apply in gentle circular motions. I find this shampoo helps retain the manageable and combating the hard After skin is clean and dry, fol- brightness and vigor of the red longer water we have in New Orleans. I often low up with a moisturizer. than any other. The Chroma line uses a recommend this to people, especially combination of hydrating agents and other redheads.” Joshua L. Fox, MD G etty Images

dermatologist and director of Advanced jug/ u b

Dermatology P.C., New York City S

W ebMD.com 21 NOV/DEC 2014 family & parenting

Parenting Extra Credits By Matt McMillen Actor, author, dancer, dad: Multitalented Mario Lopez, host of the Emmy-winning entertainment news program Extra, celebrates his 30th year on the small screen this year. Perhaps best known for his five years as A.C. Slater on the 1990s sitcom Saved by the Bell, Lopez placed second in the third season of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars, appeared naked on the FX drama Nip/Tuck, and hosted the recently canceled Fox reality program, The X Factor. The author of a new autobiography, Just Between Us, Lopez talks about raising Gia, 4, and Dominic, 1, and how he makes time for himself.

Photograph by Dan MacMedan/Getty Images NOV/DEC 2014 22 W ebMD.com family& parenting What’s the hardest thing about juggling your career and your family since the birth of your kids? The toughest thing was adjusting my sleep patterns. I knew it was coming, of course, but dealing with it was kind of tough. But I have a lot of family and a lot of kids in the family, so it wasn’t a big shock. Then, once you get settled, another kid comes along! But you adapt. You just do. I work a long day and it gets kind of draining. But then you go home and you rejuvenate when you walk in. They hear you come in the door and come running, yelling “Daddy!” It’s the best.

How has being a dad changed your life over the past four years? Completely for the better in every aspect. For me, it changes my outlook on life in general. Little things don’t bother you as much, don’t matter as much. Your priorities are shifted and you don’t sweat the small stuff as much. You become more patient and you get extra incentive and drive as you realize you have responsibilities other than yourself.

Whom do you turn to for the best parenting advice? My sister. She’s a new parent with four kids, so everything’s fresh in her head Watch right now, even over Mom and Dad Mario Lopez because it’s been a while since they every weekday on ABC’s had little kids. I’ve talked to her about Extra. Read the full how to handle things when her kids Q&A with are sick and how she can tell. Appar- Lopez in our ently, kids get sick a lot when they’re free tablet apps! small and building their immune systems.

What’s your favorite way of spending time with your kids? When we’re out playing and doing fun stuff like riding bikes and other physical stuff. Our routine is going to the park to play on the jungle gym and the swings or going on a little hike. We’re getting a little workout and having some fun at the same time and enjoying the weather here in L.A.

continued on page 24

W ebMD.com 23 NOV/DEC 2014 Photograph by Dan MacMedan/Getty Images Watch Lopez’s wife and daughter interview him for Extra! Learn how on page 4

continued from page 23

Fitness is a really important sort of applying the same philoso- part of your life. How do you plan phy: Keep ’em busy and keep ’em out to pass that on to your kids? of trouble. Plus, it makes you well- We do stuff together all the time, rounded, I feel. my daughter and me. I’ve got a jogging stroller and a cool kind of bike Your autobiography was pub- stroller, which is a lot of fun. We prob- lished in September. What led ably go way too fast down hills, but you to write it at this time of she’s a little daredevil, so she likes all your life? that. She’s in ballet class, gymnastics, Turning 40 was the inspiration. I and swimming, so she’s already very thought it would be a good time to physical and active. She’s not going to look back and reflect...mistakes I’ve know any different. made, what I’ve learned, how I got to this point.

“They hear you come in the door and come running, yelling ‘Daddy!’ It’s the best.”

What’s your daily exercise routine? You’ve written two children’s It varies. I box three times a week, books. Have your children I go to the gym. I like to run and be provided you enough material outside in the summertime. I was for a third? going to go surfing in Mexico but I I’m working on it, as a matter of fact. tore my rotator cuff over the summer, It’s going to be a surprise, so what it’s so now I have to chill out and alter the about remains to be seen. I can tell workouts. I’m doing more biking, run- you it will incorporate both of them, ning on the treadmill, and using the but I think that’s all I can get away elliptical machine while I’m rehab- with saying. bing. My schedule is jam-packed, so it’s all about finding the time, making What were some of your favorite the time, but it’s a priority so I have activities as a kid that you want to do it. to share with your own children? My mom kept me real busy and out of What’s a typical day’s trouble by putting me in a bunch of diet for you? activities, like drama class and dance I try not to eat a lot of crap and stay class. There was always something away from junk, but I’m pretty much after school. I was pretty hyper and open to eating anything and don’t my daughter’s pretty hyper, so I’m worry too much about calorie counting. On the weekends, I’ll go a little more nuts, maybe crush a whole apple Reviewed by Hansa Bhargava, MD pie like I did last weekend. I like all WebMD Medical Editor sweets: pie, cake, chocolate.

NOV/DEC 2014 24 W ebMD.com Watch How to Handle Tantrums in Public, a family& video at WebMD.com. parenting Learn how on page 4

baby talk Flight Plan traveling with baby to 30,000 feet? Here’s how to prepare

By Stephanie Watson

Air travel these days is an airplane bathroom, you an exercise in know you’ve got to impro- patience. Add a baby, with vise. Bring along a diaper all the extra gear to lug, changing kit—a fold-up diapers to change, and cries accessory that holds diapers, to calm, and it becomes wipes, and a pad that will even more trying. turn any surface—even your Meg Collins, founder and lap—into a diaper-changing editor of the website Lucie’s station. List: A Survival Guide for Keep baby on schedule. New Moms and author of Trying to soothe a scream- the ebook Flying With Baby, ing baby amid the glares of offers this advice for arriv- your fellow passengers is ing at your destination with stressful. One key to avoid- your sanity intact. ing a scene is to keep your Bring a car seat. This baby on her nap schedule. is one travel essential you “When kids get really tired can’t be without. It makes they start melting down,” transporting baby from car Collins says. Whether you’re to airport to plane a snap. in the terminal or on the “Car seats are portable, plane, settle baby into her so you can just plop them carrier at the appointed into a car or an airplane time. seat,” says Collins, who is To combat boredom also a former child passen- fussiness, Collins suggests ger safety technician. You bringing a few toys your can also snap it into your baby hasn’t seen before. The umbrella stroller—the type novelty will help prolong her Collins recommends for Plan for meals. Next, lets you bring more than the attention span. trips because it’s light and think about feeding your 3.4 ounces of fluid normally Takeoffs and landings are portable enough to navigate baby. “Breastfeeding is logis- allowed through security. high time for crying because busy airport terminals. tically the easiest thing to do Remember, formula that’s babies’ ears are more sensi- Though baby flies for free because you can just nurse premade can last only one tive to pressure changes. The on your lap, that’s not the on the airplane,” Collins hour at room temperature. initial descent can be par- safest way to go. The Fed- says. Pack a cover-up to give Powdered formula is more ticularly painful. As soon as eral Aviation Administration you and your baby privacy. portable, but you’ll need to the pilot announces you’re says a parent’s arms don’t Formula feeding gets a ask the flight attendant for about to descend, offer baby provide adequate protection little more challenging. To warm water to mix it with a bottle, breast, or pacifier to during turbulence. The best save space when you pack, once you’re on board. Always relieve ear pressure. If that place for baby is strapped Collins advises bringing a make sure the water is not doesn’t work, try rubbing ge s

into a car seat. Make sure single bottle with multiple too hot—test it on the inside your baby’s ears. I m a w your car seat bears a sticker disposable liners instead of of your wrist. showing it’s approved for many bottles. If you use liq- Make diaper changes Reviewed by use in both motor vehicles uid formula, the Transporta- easy. Considering the Hansa Bhargava, MD WebMD Medical Editor

and aircraft. tion Security Administration miniscule box that passes for Exactostock/Glo

W ebMD.com 25 NOV/DEC 2014 Watch Top Pregnancy Health Tips, a video at family& WebMD.com. parenting Learn how on page 4

PREGNANCY Early Decision Many women opt to deliver before their due date. But is it risky?

By Heather Hatfield

Moms-to-be eager to bring their new babies into the world should err on the side of patience, suggest researchers at the University of Minnesota. They recently explored the growing trend of women choosing to have their babies early, whether by Cesarean section or induction, as a personal choice. But having a baby just two to three weeks early could lead to post-birth problems. “At least 3% of pregnant women in the United States have their babies early when there is no medical need for the baby to be born,” says Katy Kozhimannil, PhD, MPA, assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Play It Safe he needed to grow,” says respiratory failure, and low School of Public Health and Babies born at 37 to Kozhimannil. She decided to blood sugar—all of which lead author of the study 38 weeks may have go full term. might require neonatal a higher risk of recently published in Medical sudden infant death According to the study, intensive care. As a result, Care. “While that might not syndrome (SIDS). The babies born by medically these complications lead National Institute sound like a lot, it’s about of Child Health and unnecessary induction at to longer hospital stays 120,000 babies a year.” Human Development 37 to 38 weeks had 20% after birth. suggests ways Kozhimannil’s own experi- to reduce your longer hospital stays than “Our goal with this ence helped her under- infant’s risk of SIDS: babies who went to full term, research is to help reduce stand the issue. With her beyond 39 weeks. Babies and eliminate early, non- Always place your first child, she wanted her baby on his back to born early by C-section also medically necessary births,” mother, a schoolteacher, sleep, for naps and had longer hospital stays as says Kozhimannil. “We want with her when her baby was at night. well as 60% higher rates of to help moms better under- born. The baby was due in respiratory distress. stand that for the health August, and with a short Use a firm sleep Research from the Ameri- and well-being of their surface, such as a mat- window before the school tress in a crib approved can Congress of Obstetri- babies, waiting for labor to year started, she asked her by the U.S. Consumer cians and Gynecologists begin on its own—ideally at

obstetrician if she could give Product Safety Com- shows that babies born at 39 weeks and beyond—is the ge s birth early at 38 weeks. mission, covered by a 37 to 38 weeks are also at best option.” “He really took the time fitted sheet. greater risk of needing a to help me understand the Keep loose objects and ventilator to help them Reviewed by risks, and the importance breathe and are more likely Nivin C.S. Todd, MD bedding out of your WebMD Pregnancy Expert

of giving my baby the time baby’s sleep area. to develop pneumonia, e tty I m a G re k e /G i na Kri st

W ebMD.com 26 NOV/DEC 2014 Watch How to Prevent Childhood Obesity, a family& video at WebMD.com. parenting Learn how on page 4

KIDS’ HEALTH Heavy Duty fat-shaming kids can lead to obesity and low self-esteem. are you guilty of it?

By Lauren Paige Kennedy

Let’s say you have a Healthy daughter who’s 9 or 10, Habits and you can’t help but notice Nutritionist Jill Castle, MS, RD, she’s growing more solid LDN, has three around the middle, maybe daughters and one son, ages 12 thickening substantially in to 17. “Just because her arms and thighs. Should I’m a nutritionist doesn’t mean my you be alarmed, or say family always eats something to her? Maybe tell perfectly,” she says. She’s a big believer her it’s time to go on a diet? in structure to Researchers at UCLA maintain a healthy weight—and good strongly suggest the answer health, overall. is “no.” Their study, published in the Journal of the Checks and balances American Medical Association, “The trick is to be aware of what you’re tracked the development of eating, and if you go 1,213 African-American girls off track, correct it the and 1,166 white girls living next day,” she says. in Northern California, Cincinnati, and Washington, Sleep cycle “Sleep and a predictable daily D.C. Some 58% of the girls rhythm work together had been told they were too to create balance”— fat by age 10, regardless of higher the chance the girl in very seriously. Fat-shaming which aids weight whether they had a weight question grew up to become comments stick.” control. “Overly tired kids reach for more problem. The girls who a fat adult. You should talk to your snacks to boost their were “fat-shamed” at such Jill Castle, MS, RD, LDN, daughter, but Castle says the energy levels,” a young age had a 40% to a childhood nutritionist, is conversation should always Castle says. 60% greater chance of being not surprised by the findings. focus on healthful eating, clinically obese by age 19, “Age 10 is a tender age, both not weight. “Adults in the Stress relief Monitor stress levels and blow depending on whether the physically and cognitively,” lives of children should be off steam with negative comments came she says. “Most girls thicken extremely careful and sensi- regular exercise. from friends or teachers, up between 9 and 11 with tive about weight. Talk about or—more damaging—from prepubescent weight gain, ‘eating right’ in a neutral, Family affair “Don’t siblings and parents. and most get their periods or even medical, way. This single out your child,” Castle says. “Instead, Researchers also discov- around age 12. doesn’t mean dieting. It incorporate good ered a correlation between It’s not just the body that’s means consuming a wide eating habits for the the frequency of fat-shaming changing. Self-esteem is variety of foods, exercising entire family.”

during childhood and the developing, too. “Cognitively, every day, and achieving bal- ge s I m a

likelihood of becoming obese this is an age of black-and- ance. Sugar or junk food isn’t w nine years later. In other white thinking,” Castle says. off the table. You’re encour- Reviewed by Hansa Bhargava, MD words, the more people “Children hear these nega- aging good health through a G ri ll/Glo WebMD Medical Editor

made such comments, the tive messages and take them whole lifestyle approach.” mie Ja

W ebMD.com 27 NOV/DEC 2014 family& parenting

from webmd.com PET HEALTH Q &A Check Mate “Do indoor cats need checkups Your four-legged friend requires wellness visits, too. as frequently as Here’s what to expect at each stage outdoor cats?” By Linda Formichelli

Lee Fisher 39, application development manager, Downingtown, Pa.

EXPERT ANSWER “Yes, even indoor cats need checkups at least once a year. When we see a cat regularly, we’re able to identify, treat, and sometimes reverse health problems before they become insurmountable. For example, obesity can be an issue for indoor cats, which increases their risk for arthritis and diabetes, and more than half of cats older than age 3 You know your cat or dog needs regu- illness and will check again at around 6 have periodontal months, when you bring your pet in to be disease. Inside lar checkups to stay tail-waggingly cats also still healthy. But how often does he need to visit spayed or neutered. “We’ll also check to see need vaccines the vet? The answers depend on your pet’s how housebreaking, training, and socializa- for distemper, respiratory life stage, says Susan Barrett, DVM, head of tion are going,” Barrett says. illnesses, and Community Practice at Ohio State Univer- rabies—and the rabies vaccine is sity College of Veterinary Medicine. Adult: 1 to 7 to 10 years (depending on required by law in type of pet and breed) most states. Even Kitten or puppy: Birth to 1 year During this stage, vets recommend yearly indoor cats are at risk for parasites You’ll need to bring your kitten or puppy in checkups, in which the doc gives your pet such as heartworm, for vaccines every three to four weeks until a head-to-tail physical. She’ll also take a which is spread by mosquitoes, he’s 16 weeks old. Dogs will get distemper- blood sample from your dog to check for so your vet parvo and rabies boosters, and may also heartworms. (Cats are normally not tested should prescribe be vaccinated against health woes such as because the tests are difficult to interpret.) heartworm prevention.” kennel cough. Cats are tested for feline leuke- The vet may recommend other tests based mia and feline immunodeficiency virus, and on any problems your pet has or abnormali- ge s get vaccinations that cover several diseases. ties the vet sees during the exam. I m a w At this stage, your pet will also start heart- Your pet will get distemper-parvo and

/Glo worm and flea/tick prevention medications. rabies booster shots during the first yearly Jane Brunt, DVM The vet will check your pet to make sure checkup, then usually every three years executive director, CATalyst Council

XiXi n Xi g he’s growing well and shows no signs of after that. (The frequency of rabies boosters

NOV/DEC 2014 28 W ebMD.com Watch Spot the Signs of Fleas on Your Pet, a family& video at WebMD.com. parenting Learn how on page 4

depends on state law.) Your dog may a thorough physical, along with tests get additional vaccines to prevent ill- to follow up on any problems. Blood nesses like kennel cough, and outdoor work and urinalysis can give your vet cats should receive feline leukemia the scoop on your pet’s kidney health, vaccines. It’s also helpful to bring in a thyroid hormone levels, and more. stool sample from your pet, which your Tell your vet about any changes vet will check for intestinal parasites. you’ve seen in your pet—if, for example, your cat is drinking more water Senior: 7 to 10 years and older or your dog is no longer enthusiastic Vets suggest twice-yearly checkups for about his daily walks—because they older pets. Your cat or dog will get vac- can be signs of a new problem such as cines when needed and will undergo kidney disease or arthritis. C o rbi s s/

EXPERT TIP “To get your pet used to going in a carrier to travel to the vet, keep the carrier out and put your cat’s or dog’s food Reviewed by Will Draper, DVM and toys in it.”—Susan Barrett, DVM WebMD Pet Health Expert gr a p h er Photo Vi lan de z

W ebMD.com 29 NOV/DEC 2014 future FOCUS For years, Michael J. Fox kept his Parkinson’s diagnosis under wraps while he continued to work. But once the actor opened up about his condition, a new role opened up for him. Leading the way for Parkinson’s research and raising awareness about the disease, Fox blazes the trail for a cure. We talk to the WebMD Health Hero Hall of Fame honoree about his work, his family, and his hopes for what’s ahead

By Rebecca Ascher-Walsh Photography by Randall Slavin/August

W ebMD.com 30 NOV/DEC 2014 what to know About Parkinson’s Disease

The progressive, degenerative disease that affects Michael J. Fox results from the death of neurons in the brain that produce dopamine. Insufficient amounts of this chemical create problems with balance, breathing, movement, and speaking as Michael J. Fox well as other symptoms. has always been a poster boy. With his youthful good looks and Who gets the disease: Although scientists don’t mjfintelligent charm, he rose to fame playing a sassy Republican teenage know the cause yet, some believe genetics and son of ex-hippie parents in the TV sitcom Family Ties, impossible not environment both play a part. Age 60 is the average age when the disease to love no matter your political stance. In the blockbuster Back to the begins. Only 5% to 10% of people with Parkinson’s Future film trilogy, he was a time traveler with perfect comedic timing. have early onset disease And in a later sitcom, Spin City, he made us wish all politicians like Fox. What can be done: were as personable as his Deputy Mayor Mike Flaherty. Patients can take synthetic dopamine, but it’s not a cure-all, explains Angus In 1998, Fox became a poster boy for another reason: He went public Nairn, PhD, a Parkinson’s with the news he had Parkinson’s disease, diagnosed seven years earlier researcher at Yale when he was 30. Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disease, marked by trem- University. “The way dopamine is released by bling in the hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face; stiffness of the body; slow movements; the cells is very critical, and and impaired balance and coordination. The disease had become unmanageable for the the drug doesn’t work in actor, who until then was able to minimize his symptoms thanks to medication, surgery, and good the same way. Too much or timing. Eventually, the effort became too much. too little and the balance is “I needed every bit of those seven years to say, ‘I want to be out there,’ ” Fox says. “But at a off.” In addition, synthetic dopamine loses efficacy certain point I woke up and said, ‘What’s the risk? That people will judge you? People are already over time. Surgically, a judging you about whether you wear red shoes or blue shoes. So I talk funny or shake—why should procedure known as deep I restrict myself?” brain stimulation can help He adds, “You have to take your time and do what you need to do. But when you arrive at a place alleviate symptoms. where you are no longer judging it, where there’s no good or bad or right or wrong and it just is what What researchers hope: it is, you accept it.” “I think we are getting Much to his amazement, so did everyone else. While Fox initially feared becoming a sob story for closer to understanding the tabloids, he was met with enormous support. Overnight, the actor beloved for his ability to make the biology of Parkinson’s,” people laugh came to represent the face of a progressive, incurable illness. Nairn says. Researchers also aim to identify biomarkers (or discover a test) that Laying the Foundation would identify the disease Parkinson’s disease develops due to the death of brain cells that produce dopamine, a chemical cru- earlier, and to find out how cial to functioning balance, speech, and even memory. There’s no cure, and the treatment—generally stem cells might be taught a prescription for synthetic dopamine—is far from perfect. Regardless, the diagnosis turned out to be to be dopamine-producing nothing short of a gift, Fox says. “Only when my body couldn’t keep still was I able to find stillness in neurons. Clinical trials are also under way for drugs myself,” he explains. “I think the key to it is the 12-step acceptance rule, ‘My happiness grows in direct that might prevent, halt, or proportion to my acceptance, and in inverse proportion to my expectations.’” slow the progression of Parkinson’s.

W ebMD.com 32 NOV/DEC 2014 Watch Michael J. Fox’s interview with Robin Roberts at WebMD.com. Learn how on page 4

Family Ties Fox, now 53, turned the illness and The foundation is by no means his struggle with it into a gift for mil- the entirety of Fox’s world. lions of others when he launched The Most important to him, by Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkin- pursuit of his own account, is his fam- son’s Research in 2000. Its mission is to ily: He and Pollan have four fund and support research in the hope Happiness children—19-year-old twins of discovering a cause, new treatments, Actor, author, and Accept what you cannot Aquinnah and Schuyler, who and, ultimately, a cure. His celebrity has followed to give philanthropist Michael change. “I think the key to are in college; Esme, 13, a also helped raise awareness of Parkin- him the courage to J. Fox, who lives with my optimism was accepting seventh-grader in New York son’s, including a memorable appear- quit high school his my situation [as a person with City, where the couple live; Parkinson’s, leads a Parkinson’s]. When I saw it as ance before Congress in 1999 when he senior year and move and a son, Sam, 25, who lives happy and healthy just one of the things I was spoke without using medication so peo- to Los Angeles to seek emotional life. He dealing with, then I could see nearby in Brooklyn. ple could see the ravages of the disease. acting work. shares some of his the room around it.” “My family is the exception With a goal to move intelligently and For several years, it hard-won wisdom Practice patience. When Fox to the rule that ‘what other quickly, Fox’s foundation offers grants— looked like a bad deci- about what it does have a down moment, “I people think of me is none $450 million to date—to researchers with sion, as he subsisted on fast takes to be your just wait it out.” of my business,’” Fox says. “I remarkable speed. Says Angus Nairn, food and residual checks from best. Embrace family ties. “My family want them to be encouraged PhD, a Yale University professor and occasional parts. Then, in 1982, he makes me a better person and emboldened by what I lead researcher for Yale’s Michael Stern won the role of Alex P. Keaton in Family because they take me out do and to see me as a refuge Parkinson’s Research Foundation, “The Ties. By 1988, when he married actor Tracy Pollan of myself.” and resource.” And yes, life NIH has cut back on research, but (whom he met on the set of Family Ties and whom he calls Let go of judgment. “When in a large family can be cha- Parkinson’s has been really fortunate “my bride, the one and only love of my life”), Fox was there’s no ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ ‘right’ otic, but the actor says it is because The Michael J. Fox Founda- working nonstop in movies and television. He was making or ‘wrong,’ it just is what it is.” within that tumult that he tion has been incredibly successful in the Back to the Future trilogy, Teen Wolf, and Casualties of Turn assets into liabilities. has learned to find a calm doing things other people can’t do on War while simultaneously taping Family Ties. “Being small growing up, I had mind, much as he’s found to make an extra effort in things their scale. They have a different way Exhausted from his schedule and drinking heavily, Fox peace with the tremors of I did, and it opened up so many of working, with a very fast turnaround was on location in Florida filming Doc Hollywood in 1990 possibilities for me. ‘Nothing his disease. “Having a family funding research.” when his pinky began to twitch uncontrollably. A doctor ventured, nothing gained’ means you don’t always find The foundation’s approach comes attributed it to an old injury Fox suffered while filming a was obvious to me from an moments of quiet, so you find from the founder himself. “Michael is stunt on Back to the Future. A year later, Pollan noticed early age.” quiet in the chaos.” the founder but he is a patient first, and that one side of her husband’s body seemed rigid during a Say yes. From actor to author Fox also continues to act. as a patient, he has a patient’s sense of jog and insisted he see a neurologist. This time, there was and head of a foundation, Fox “I can play anybody as long urgency,” says Deborah W. Brooks, the no question: Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease is open to possibility: “Being as they have Parkinson’s,” he yourself and taking risks—what’s foundation’s co-founder and executive in September 1991. the downside?” says with a laugh. In 2013, he vice chairman. The diagnosis made him among the approximately 10% starred in NBC’s The Michael Live well. Fox doesn’t drink, of patients who have early onset Parkinson’s—the average J. Fox Show, a comedy about watches what he eats, Career View age of those diagnosed is 60. As is the case with most Par- and exercises. “I can’t run a man with Parkinson’s, “But Fox has always moved at lightning-fast kinson’s patients, “by the time I had my first symptom, marathons anymore, but I hike it was more than I bargained speed. Raised along with three sis- a twitching pinky, 80% of my dopamine-producing cells and have a dog who walks me.” for work-wise,” he admits; the ters and a brother by his mother and were already dead,” Fox says. His doctors told him there show ran for 19 episodes. Now, his father (a sergeant in the Canadian was no cure. They could treat him with synthetic dopamine to replace the chem- he enjoys roles like his guest-starring army), Fox discovered acting in high ical deficiency caused by the disease, and he could expect to work for another part on CBS’s The Good Wife, playing an school. At 16, he won the lead in a Cana- decade. Fox pushed it as hard as he could, and a decade later, he took on the big- attorney with, yes, Parkinson’s. And he’s dian series called Leo and Me (a part he gest role of his life: leading The Michael J. Fox Foundation. written two best-selling memoirs, Lucky won partially because the role called “The first thing I wanted to do was put the pieces in place to move forward Man and Always Looking Up: The Adven- for a 12-year-old; Fox was the right size quickly and not keep good ideas on the shelf for too long,” Fox explains of his mis- tures of an Incurable Optimist. but more sophisticated than any of the sion. “As soon as ideas appeared, I wanted to give them the wings to fly.” “I’ve accomplished a lot already other auditioning actors). Enough work While Fox has had a steep learning curve, he says he’s had no problem being career-wise, so everything else is just taken seriously by the research community. “They were like, ‘Wow, grants? What gravy,” Fox says. “What I really want is Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD line do we form in?’ I think that the Parkinson’s community is really excited to get for our foundation to be so successful it WebMD Lead Medical Editor the attention and have people interested in getting them to work.” goes out of business.”

W ebMD.com 34 NOV/DEC 2014 NOV/DEC 2014 35 W ebMD.com CompanyGood Every year, WebMD celebrates Americans who change the health landscape in our country. This year, we honor winners in five categories: activist, prodigy, scientist, philanthropist, and People’s Choice. Meet the 2014 WebMD Health Heroes By Stephanie Watson

childhood mental illness—drug and alcohol addiction, bullying, criminal Brain behavior, suicide, and the rare but dev- Child astating episodes of school violence. “Somebody has to speak up for these kids, because left untreated, their lives are really diminished.” Harold S. Koplewicz, MD He, it turns out, is that somebody. Activist In 2009, Koplewicz co-founded (along with philanthropist Brooke Garber The statistics are sobering. “Fifteen Neidich) the Child Mind Institute, a million children and adolescents in nonprofit organization in New York the United States have a psychiatric or City dedicated to children’s mental learning disorder, and less than half of health care. The institute works with them get any help,” says child and ado- international researchers to improve lescent psychiatrist Harold S. Kople- understanding of children’s brain wicz, MD. Adolescent mental health development and accelerate conditions like obsessive compulsive the pace of mental health disorder, depression, and ADHD are treatment breakthroughs. underfunded, in large part because of “It’s going to be the sci- the stigma that still surrounds mental ence and new treatment illness. “People talk about cancer and approaches we develop diabetes and MS and Parkinson’s, but here and share with the we are still ashamed of our kids who world, that are really have psychiatric illnesses.” He ticks going to change the lives off the consequences of untreated of these kids.”

Photograph by Jesse Dittmar Sleep Screen

Zarin Ibnat Rahman Prodigy

In 2012, 16-year-old Zarin Ibnat Rahman fell prey to a common teenage affliction. Every night she’d stay up well past midnight, glued to her cellphone or computer. “I noticed the next day I was always so tired and unfocused in class,” she says. What this junior at Brookings High School in Brookings, S.D., did next put her in a class apart. She embarked on a scientific study to investigate whether too much screen time interferes with teens’ sleep, mood, and academic performance. Her findings? “The kids who were sleep deprived had more Head screen usage,” she says. Students Strong who clocked less than eight hours of nightly rest were also drowsier—and moodier—during the day, and scored lower on mental tests. Rahman’s research—to her knowl- edge, the first of its kind—earned her the top Addiction Science Award at the 2013 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world’s largest high school science competition. Now 18 and a fresh- man at Harvard University, Rahman Frank A. Papay, MD plans to continue her studies of Scientist and behind the nose. The device this breakthrough came from work- sleep deprivation and mental health modifies transmission of headache ing on the team that performed the in teens, and to one day take her Cluster headaches have been called pain signals to the brain. “When first near total face transplant in the research into practice. “I want to be “suicide headaches,” because the you sense a headache coming on, United States in 2008. He says the a neurologist,” she says. “I’m hoping pain is so severe they’ve driven some you place a radiofrequency device recipient of that procedure, Connie to do clinical psychology research people to contemplate taking their about the size of a cellphone against Culp, “is doing phenomenally well.” after I finish medical school.” own lives. Cleveland Clinic plastic your cheek,” he says. “It activates He deflects much of the credit surgeon Frank A. Papay, MD, helped the electrode that resets the nerve for his surgical success to his team pioneer a new surgical approach to bundle and the headache goes away.” members. “I’m part of a team treat these painful headaches. A tiny In European studies, the device was always. It’s the collaborative team

Watch our Health Heroes electrode attached to a stimulator 70% effective for cluster headaches, approach that causes innovation.” in action! Check out their device (smaller than an almond) is and U.S. trials are next. He also praises patients like Culp for videos at WebMD.com. threaded under the cheek to a bun- Much of Papay’s understanding of their role in medical discovery. “She’s Learn how on page 4 dle of nerves under the eye socket face and skull anatomy that led to truly the hero in all of this.”

W ebMD.com 38 NOV/DEC 2014 Photograph by Damian Strohmeyer Photograph by Roger Matroianni NOV/DEC 2014 39 W ebMD.com

Jeff Gordon You Voted! The NASCAR driver (July/August 2008) leads the Jeff Gordon Children’s Founda- This year, we introduced a new element to tion, which offers cancer treatment for Health Heroes—the People’s Choice Award kids and funds medical research. In addition, Gordon is spokesman—and driver— In August, WebMD asked you to choose from for AARP’s Drive to End Hunger campaign, raising money among 10 celebrity health activists—all of to feed seniors. whom appeared on a past cover of WebMD Magazine—for the 2014 People’s Choice Health Alicia Keys Hero award. Each star was passionately involved in a health The singer-songwriter (November/ Garden cause at the time we ran his or her story. Today, each contin- December 2011) founded Keep a Child of Eatin’ ues to work to better the health and wellness of many people. Alive, which provides care to families and Meet the winner on the next page. And meet the runners- orphans affected by AIDS worldwide. She up—all WebMD Health Heroes in their own right—here. supports Frum tha Ground Up, which helps at-risk young people in the United States, and Carson Daly Greater Than AIDS, which provides education at a local Philanthropist level. Her newest venture, We Are Here, supports organizations working for a more peaceful and healthier future. In early 2014, when NBC’s Today Andre Agassi show invited its anchors to support The tennis great (November/December Padma Lakshmi worthy causes as part of its Shine 2005), founded the Andre Agassi Founda- This cookbook author/TV host (Septem- a Light program, Carson Daly tion for Education, which runs a charter ber 2009) co-founded the Endometriosis jumped at the chance. “I wanted to school for at-risk kids in Agassi’s home- Foundation of America. In July, she took use all of the influence and power town, Las Vegas. Agassi is also a co- part in a benefit concert featuring the of the Today show and NBC News founder of Athletes for Hope, which encourages sports band Train that raised $1.5 million for the to do something good,” he says. stars to support charitable causes. effort. She led a teen health campaign with New York When considering which charity to State Sen. Jeffrey Klein to build awareness about endome- support, he thought of family first. Carmelo Anthony triosis, and is a global ambassador for Alicia Keys’ Keep a “The most important thing in my Through his Courts 4 Kids program, the Child Alive foundation. life is being a father,” says Daly. “I NBA star (June 2013) has refurbished run- wanted to do something with kids down basketball courts in New York and Cynthia Nixon and hunger.” Puerto Rico. He helped build a playground The actor (July/August 2010) is an adviser He partnered with the organiza- at a New Orleans school during the NBA to the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York tion KidsGardening.org to trans- Cares All-Star Day of Service and partnered with Feed the City, established to promote health and form 1,000 square feet of school Children and the Madison Square Boys & Girls Club to wellness education. Nixon also heads the playground in Crown Heights, provide Thanksgiving meals to families. 2014 Act on Red campaign, which spreads Brooklyn, into a garden. “This the word about the skin disease rosacea. A breast cancer particular area of Crown Heights is Christina Applegate survivor, she is a global ambassador for Susan G. Komen a concrete jungle. There’s no green The TV star (October 2010) established for the Cure. space anywhere,” he says. a foundation, Right Action for Women, Today, the garden at PS 705 and which promotes early detection of breast Kelly Ripa Exceed Charter School has become cancer. Applegate was diagnosed with the The Live! talk show host (May/June 2008) an outdoor classroom where kids disease in 2008 and underwent a double is co-hosting this year’s QVC Super learn the importance of nutritious mastectomy. She co-hosted the Revlon Run/Walk for Saturday, a shopping event to benefit eating. “When they build it, it’s Women, which raises money for breast cancer research, the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. Ripa amazing how much more they can treatment, and counseling. serves as spokeswoman for Electrolux— be convinced to like it,” Daly says. proceeds from sales of the company’s washers and dryers Daly hopes to start a green Katie Couric benefit the OCRF. movement, encouraging parents The newswoman (March/April 2007) and teachers around the country co-founded Stand Up To Cancer and the to help kids dig their fruits and National Colorectal Cancer Research vegetables. “You don’t need to be a Alliance, which raise awareness and celebrity or have a lot of money to money for cancer research. She also And the get involved with a garden locally.” co-founded the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health to honor her husband after his death from colon winner is ... cancer in 1998. turn the Page ➽

W ebMD.com 40 NOV/DEC 2014 Photograph by Justin Stephens/August NOV/DEC 2014 41 W ebMD.com 2009 Zane Gates, MD Where Are Founder and Medical Director, Healthy Altoona Regional Partnering Years They Now? for Health Services Altoona, Pa.

Every year since 2006 we’ve honored a group of outstanding The free clinic for the working poor people who work to find cures, raise awareness, encourage that Gates started in his hometown has become a new Martha Stewart research, or get treatment to people in need. Here, we revisit model for health care delivery. It’s an “insurance-less” system some of WebMD Magazine’s past Health Heroes. of primary care supported by regional hospitals and private donations. Gates, who was a Robert Wood Johnson Founda- Martha Stewart tion Community Health Leader in 2011, has seen his idea take transformed domestic off: Last year the Pennsylvania legislature passed a law that duties into an art form. will set up other free clinics around the state. Today, she presides 2006 over a multimillion- Clare Rosenfeld Evans 2010 dollar empire that encompasses Doctoral Candidate Tiffany Denyer magazines, TV shows, and home Cambridge, Mass. Owner and Trainer, goods. Given her successes, Stewart Wilderwood Service Dogs considers philanthropy a personal Not long after she was diagnosed with Maryville, Tenn. responsibility. “Giving back is just type 1 diabetes, at age 7, Evans gave part of a good life, and it makes me her first speech as an advocate—a Denyer is doing more of what she feel good,” she says. role she kept up throughout high school and college. She’s started out to do when she launched In 2007, with a $5 million now seeking an advanced degree at the Harvard School of her business: training dogs to help people with neurological donation, she opened the Martha Public Health. She hopes to become a professor “to pursue disorders. Many of the animals are placed with children who Stewart Center for Living at Mount the three things I feel most passionate about—teaching, have autism or adults with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. Sinai Hospital in New York City. research, and advocacy.” Denyer places about 12 dogs a year, and a recent grant allows The center fills a need for quality her to cover the cost for families who need dogs. senior health care at a time when 2007 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each Craig Lambrecht, MD 2011 day—a phenomenon Stewart calls President, Sanford Health, Ellen Beck, MD “the silver tsunami.” Bismarck Region Executive Director, Student-Run She dedicated the facility to her Bismarck, N.D. Free Clinic Project, University of mother, Martha Kostyra, who died California, San Diego, in 2007 at age 93. “She was a good K epka As a National Guardsman in Iraq, San Diego sia example of growing old and being A ; Lambrecht treated children at a U.S. well,” she says. To promote graceful Army burn unit. When supplies ran low, this emergency The free clinics Beck set up in 1997

aging, the center offers a holistic D olberg x room surgeon reached out to colleagues at his home provide quality care to the public while training medical and approach, pairing traditional medi- M a ; hospital, who helped raise more than $600,000 in funds pharmacy students. They offer training to teachers from cal care with alternative therapies and supplies. Now retired from the Guard, Lambrecht is medical schools across the United States, some of whom

like yoga and tai chi. R eynolds a hospital president working to build a strong health care go on to set up their own clinics. In 2014, Beck was honored Today, the center gets more than system for an area that’s become something of a boom- with a Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational amara

10,000 annual patient visits, mak- T ; town, thanks to a recent oil rush. Teacher Award. ing it one of the largest outpatient arlow facilities in the country for older F 2008 2012 adults. Stewart credits the top- Katherine Stone Richard and Debra Siravo ; M elissa ; notch care to Mount Sinai’s staff. Postpartum Progress Blogger Founders, The Matty Fund “The doctors are so superior and are Fayetteville, Ga. Wakefield, R.I. M ahoney

such wonderful people and work so ob hard at their practice to make this B ; Stone started her blog when she had The nonprofit the Siravos founded after obsessive compulsive disorder after their youngest son died from a seizure

an ongoing and growing success.” K incaid What would her mother think of her baby was born. Ten years later, it’s offers information and support to other ; W ill ; the center? “She’d be thrilled.” going strong, with more than 3 million followers hungry for families dealing with epilepsy. It sponsors workshops, helps news and hope. In 2011, Stone started a nonprofit, Postpar- fund research, and runs a summer camp for children. Most Reviewed by Michael W. Smith M c C laren tum Progress Inc., to fund educational efforts and services recently, the couple started Siravo Consulting Inc., to advise WebMD Chief Medical Editor obbie

R for women who have mood problems after giving birth. others who want to start or grow a nonprofit.—Susan Percy

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INSIDE expert tips & smarts from

what to do: cold & flu Diabetes care healthy holiday meals

Pick up an extended copy of Take the Lealthead in Your H exclusively at your ’Tis the Season local Walmart Keep your family healthy and happy Take the lead in your health health information from Bug Off Reduce your chances of getting a cold and the flu this season with four expert tips By Erin O’Donnell Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD, WebMD Chief Medical Editor

othing puts a damper on holiday festivi- Nties like a raging cold or bout of the flu. To keep you and your family healthy, John E. Swartzberg, MD, FACP, infectious disease specialist at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health, shares four strategies that research shows may reduce your chances of getting the flu or a cold. Take your best shot. Get a flu vaccine now. “Flu shots are very important for everyone older than 6 months of age,” Swartzberg says. He acknowledges that flu vaccines are not as effective as people might like: They don’t always cover all circulating flu strains, and sometimes work less well in seniors, whose immune systems don’t respond to vaccines the way younger people’s systems do. Researchers need to develop a better vaccine, but the exist- ing flu vaccine is “much better than nothing,” microscopic droplets from the Hands Off he says. “People really make a terrible mistake nose and mouth. When you Here are some common spots when they don’t get one.” sneeze, cover your nose and where you might come in Douse your digits. Hand washing is a key mouth with a tissue that you contact with germs. strategy for staying healthy—many respira- then toss in the trash. Or cover • Hands tory diseases are spread by touch. Wash your your mouth and nose with the • Used tissues hands frequently with soap and water, and crook of your elbow. • Countertops don’t rush. Lather up and rub vigorously 15 Keep your distance. Steer • Doorknobs to 20 seconds, or the time it takes to sing the clear of people you know are • Faucets song “Happy Birthday” two times. “Fifteen to sick, Swartzberg says. He also • Desks 20 seconds is longer than most people think,” recommends people rethink • Phones Swartzberg says. He adds that many people the habit of going to work or • Computer mice misunderstand the purpose of those suds. school while ill. Mingling with Clean hard surfaces with “Soap doesn’t kill organisms necessarily,” he your colleagues increases the disinfectant wipes or cleaners, says. “It’s an emulsifier that lifts the organ- chance you’ll infect them. Stay or a diluted bleach solution. isms off the skin and allows the water to rinse home if you have a fever, a sign them off down the drain.” Alcohol-based hand that you have something worse sanitizers are effective alternatives to soap than a cold. “It’s something more and water, but choose a brand that contains serious, like influenza,” Swartz- Get more healthy more than 60% ethyl alcohol. berg says. Remain at home until living tips and info at Cough carefully. Remind children you’ve been fever-free for 24 webmd.com/ and other family members to cover their hours without the help of fever- askthepharmacist coughs and sneezes, which spray contagious reducing meds. cove r: T hi n kst oc k; M arti n Le igh/ Ge tty I mag e s SS This content is selected and controlled by WebMD’s editorial staff and is funded by Walmart.

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Take the lead in your health health information from Change of Heart If you have diabetes, taking care of your ticker is even more important By Stephanie Watson Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD, WebMD Lead Medical Editor

ype 2 diabetes is a numbers game. To con- Ttrol it and avoid complications, you need to keep track of stats like your blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. One reason for the careful counting is to protect your heart. Poorly controlled diabetes contributes to blood vessel damage, and it can more than double your risk of developing heart disease or a stroke. One of the most important numbers you need to know—and need to lower if it’s high— is the one on your bathroom scale. “The first thing you need to attack is obesity,” says Valentin Fuster, MD, PhD, director of Mount Sinai Heart in New York City. About 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese, a major risk factor for heart disease. Losing just a moderate amount of your body weight—as little as 10%—can trim heart disease risks like high cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, and inflammation. Don’t try to crash-diet your way to weight loss. A slow and steady approach is best, Fuster says. “Lose about 1 pound a week over a period of months.” sugar and lower heart disease Numbers Watch One path to gradual weight loss is to risks like high cholesterol and To protect your heart—and follow a generally healthy diet like the blood pressure. the rest of your organs—know DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hyper- Diet and exercise aren’t the these numbers, and keep them tension) plan. First developed to help only components to your heart within a healthy range. prevent heart disease, its principles—lots of disease prevention plan. If you • Body mass index (BMI) vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat smoke, work with your doctor to • A1c dairy with limited saturated and trans fats— find a method that will help you • Cholesterol so closely mimic the diet diabetes doctors quit. Smoking compounds the recommend for their patients that U.S. News blood vessel damage from dia- & World Report has ranked DASH as its No. 1 betes, which can lead to a heart diabetes diet. attack or stroke. Finally, ask your If diet is 75% of the weight-loss formula, doctor whether you should take a Get more the other 25% is exercise, Fuster says. Staying daily low-dose aspirin. For some healthy living active has benefits that go far beyond helping people, that little pill might stand tips and info at you lose weight. Adding 30 to 60 minutes of in the way of a catastrophic heart webmd.com/ exercise daily will also help you control blood event. askthepharmacist Baris S ims e k/ Ge tty I mag s This content is selected and controlled by WebMD’s editorial staff and is funded by Walmart.

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Q. What should Q. Do you have any I look for when diabetes-friendly checking my eating tips for the blood sugar? holiday season?

A. You want to monitor the patterns and A. If you’re like me and you’re visiting several track consistencies and uctuations in your houses and neighborhood parties, focus on blood sugar. A normal fasting blood glucose is your food choices. Start with lower fat options usually less than 100; so if you wake up in the Izell Dukes, PharmD, RPh such as raw vegetables, salsa, shrimp cocktail, morning, and your blood sugar is more than Walmart Pharmacy Clinical or a salad, and use small plates, which really 130, that’s an issue. Ideally, you want to Services Manager enables you to avoid overeating. Market 343: Wausau, WI check your blood sugar after every meal and before bedtime and before and after exercise. Q. How can my local Q. What is the main Q. What foods pharmacist help di erence between would you me manage my type 1 and type 2 recommend for diabetes? someone with diabetes? A. The average diabetes patients are going A. Type 1 diabetes results when the body’s diabetes? to see their pharmacist three to ve times more immune system destroys the pancreatic cells A. The best foods for diabetics are actually than their physician. When a pharmacist gets that release insulin, and the body makes too the best foods for the whole family: a variety involved in patients’ diabetes care, especially little or no insulin. Without insulin, cells cannot of high- ber vegetables, fruits, whole grains, in the coaching aspect of it, such as making absorb sugar, which they need to produce and beans; and less salt, sugar, and added energy. The cause of type 1 diabetes is sure they’re eating a healthy diet and keeping fat. Keep your amount of carbohydrates unknown. Type 2 diabetes is caused primarily up with regular eye and foot exams and low, because they instantly increase your by excessive body weight, and the body immunizations, they have a better outcome. blood sugar. cannot use the insulin it makes. Ninety percent of the cases of diabetes are type 2.

Your local Walmart Pharmacy employs pharmacists who are available every day to help you manage your health and wellness. The pharmacy not only carries branded prescription medications, but also o ers a generic prescription program and low-cost diabetes supplies. Visit your local Walmart Pharmacy today. Walmart.com/Pharmacy

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Not a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment, and advice of a physician. Consult your doctor for guidance before changing or undertaking a new diet or exercise program.

Walmart-AskPharm_0905cc.indd 1 9/5/14 6:32 PM Take the lead in your health health information from See the Light Holiday feasts don’t have to be heavy and rich. Switch up some of your favorite foods with healthier versions—and still enjoy all the flavor

By Kerri-Ann Jennings Reviewed by Hansa Bhargava, MD, WebMD Medical Editor

ich, decadent meals are hallmarks of the Rholidays. But Bonnie Taub-Dix, RD, nutrition expert and author of Read It Before You Eat It, says this season you can make your festive feasts both nutritious and delicious. She shares her favorite healthy-holiday food swaps. Start with vibrant holiday colors. “It’s a little corny, but I always think of the colors of the holidays. For Hanukkah, I’ll make desserts using frozen blueberries and yogurt for the blue and white. For Christmas, there are so many beautiful red and green fruits and vegetables. You can make a salad with chopped kale and beets, or use red pepper slices or pimientos to perk up a dish—they don’t fade when cooked, and they are a powerhouse of nutrients.” Color signals a food’s phytochemical content—those naturally occurring compounds in plant foods linked with a host of disease-fighting benefits. When you eat a spectrum of colors, your dishes look attractive up salad dressings and sauces with flavorful while giving you a variety of super-nutrients. balsamic glazes and horseradish sauces, plus just Cut carbs with added vegetables. Starchy a drizzle of flavored oil. foods such as potatoes and pasta are satisfying, Be baking savvy. What are the holidays but large portions make a meal calorie-dense. without desserts? Try a few swaps to make a dish Taub-Dix recommends lightening up starchy healthier. “For a quick bread, you can use mashed mains and sides with extra non-starchy veg- avocado in a 1-to-1 ratio in place of oil—I love it Get more etables, which are lower in calories. “You can use in brownies or banana bread and you don’t even healthy living zucchini ribbons either instead of pasta or mixed taste the difference,” Taub-Dix says. “The healthy tips and info at with linguine—top it with Bolognese [sauce] for a fat in avocados can benefit your heart and also webmd.com/ green and red Christmas dish. You can also mash gives you fiber and many vitamins and minerals.” askthepharmacist cauliflower in with potatoes, or make a roasted If you want to drive down calories even further, root vegetable medley with Brussels sprouts, she recommends subbing applesauce or puréed sweet potatoes, purple potatoes, and different prunes for some of the fat. You can boost fiber colors of cauliflower.” and nutrition in baked goods by using whole Add oil at the end. Oils and fats add a lot of wheat pastry flour in place of white flour, which flavor to food, but too much can turn a dish into a Taub-Dix says you can usually swap cup for cup. calorie bomb. Taub-Dix’s solution is to add oil at When a recipe calls for heavy cream, try 2% the end, so you can clearly taste it. “At 2,000 calo- evaporated milk. “It’s a wonderful alternative to ries a cup, a little bit goes a long way.” She uses heavy cream—it makes a great pumpkin pie and this trick when roasting vegetables, and lightens still tastes decadent without being overly rich.” A l e xa nd ra G b ew ski/ Ge tty I mag s This content is selected and controlled by WebMD’s editorial staff and is funded by Walmart.

NOV/DEC 2014 W8 Take the lead in your health health information from Take Care Coming down with something? Here’s what to do when you’ve got a cold or the flu By Heather Hatfield Reviewed by Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH, WebMD Medical Editor

ctober through May is prime time for colds Oand flu, with millions of cases of colds and about 5% to 20% of Americans developing the flu. You know the telltale symptoms—runny nose, fever, coughs, and muscle aches, most of which defy easy treatment. “You’re going to feel different degrees of lousy depending on whether you have a cold or the flu until it runs its course,” says Jeffrey A. Linder, MD, MPH, an internal medicine specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. “Make it less miserable by treating your symptoms.”

Stay or Go? Your first line of offense against a cold or flu is rest; it’s the best medicine to fight the fatigue. Work often gets in the way of rest, so gauge your ability to make it to the office against your symptoms. If you have a fever, definitely stay home. “You can also try to treat your symptoms with A runny nose and mild cough are more decongestants and nasal sprays,” Linder says. ambiguous. If you feel up to it and want to give “Both might ease congestion and provide some work a shot, avoid close contact with your col- relief from cold and flu symptoms.” Ask your leagues, cough or sneeze into tissues or your pharmacist for help with the available options. upper sleeve, and wash your hands—a lot. Consider fluids another at-home treatment for “Flu packs a much more powerful punch than cold and flu. Fevers can cause dehydration, so Get more a cold,” Linder says. “It comes on dramatically, drink lots of water to replenish fluids. Chicken healthy living with high fever, muscle aches, chills, and cough. soup helps keep you hydrated, too. tips and info at You feel like you’ve been run over by a truck, so webmd.com/ even if you want to, you shouldn’t go to work.” Call the Doctor askthepharmacist The same goes for your kids: runny nose and Keep an eye out for red flags that your at-home mild cough don’t have to keep them home. But as treatment isn’t enough. Ear pain, common in soon as a fever hits, your child should stay home. kids, could signal an ear infection. A severe sore For both colds and flu, stay home from work or throat could be strep, and trouble breathing keep your kids home for 24 hours after the fever and chest pain could mean pneumonia. In these breaks without the use of medication. cases, call your doctor. Finally, be patient and let your illness run its Medicine Cabinet course. Colds usually last seven to 10 days before Over-the-counter fever reducers like ibuprofen or symptoms improve. Flu symptoms last one to acetaminophen help reduce your body tempera- two weeks. “Don’t be a hero,” Linder says. “Once ture and alleviate your misery. A cool-mist humid- your fever is gone and you start to feel better, ifier can help relieve congestion and coughs. generally you can get back to your routine.” Seb Oli ve r/ G l ow I mag e s This content is selected and controlled by WebMD’s editorial staff and is funded by Walmart.

W9 NOV/DEC 2014

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©2014 Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. All Rights Reserved. *Not a substitute for the diagnosis, treatment and advice of a medical professional. Take the lead in your health health information from Support System Are you taking care of someone who has diabetes? Here’s what you need to know By Christina Boufis Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD, WebMD Lead Medical Editor

aybe your spouse or partner has diabetes. MOr perhaps your mother was recently diagnosed. You probably know their body has a hard time making or using insulin—the hormone responsible for moving sugar from the blood into the cells where it’s needed for energy. But do you know how to help them manage the disease? “Type 2 diabetes is a 360-degree disease,” says Amisha Wallia, MD, MS, assistant professor in the division of endocrinology, metabolism, and molecular medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “People live with this every day, and it can be life-changing. It’s important to make sure they get the support they need.” How can you help? Wallia offers some tips: Ask questions. “Some people need help getting to and from doctor appointments,” Wallia says. “For others, it’s help testing blood sugar, writing down the results, or making good food choices. So it’s important to ask [specifically] numbness in the hands or feet, it’s time to call how you can help.” the doctor, she says. Become familiar with the equipment. Know the signs of low blood sugar. Be “Knowing what supplies people with diabetes on the lookout for increased hunger, nausea, Get more need is essential,” Wallia says. Learn about lightheadedness, dizziness, shaking, sweating, or healthy living what’s involved with testing blood sugar, such chills, Wallia says. In its most severe form, low tips and info at as a blood glucose monitor (glucometer), test blood sugar (hypoglycemia) can cause a person webmd.com/ strips, and lancets. Make sure to keep these sup- to become disoriented and may lead to seizures. askthepharmacist plies on hand, she adds. Be sure to keep on hand glucose tablets or gel, Understand the effects of high blood sugar. which treat low blood sugar and are available Long term, high blood sugar can damage the at drugstores. Four ounces of orange juice or a eyes, kidneys, and nerves and even increase tablespoon of honey will also help raise blood the risk of heart attack and stroke, Wallia says. sugar quickly, Wallia adds. However, if your fam- “That’s why it’s important to follow the doctor’s ily member is unconscious or unable to respond, directions on how often to check blood sugar,” call 911 right away, she says. she adds. Get to know the team. “Understand that What are the signs of high blood sugar? “Some many people are involved in the care of diabe- people don’t have any,” Wallia says. But if your tes,” Wallia says. “Not just the doctor, but also relative or spouse is excessively thirsty, urinates dietitians and diabetes or health educators to a lot, is extremely tired, has blurry vision, or has whom you can reach out for help.” Brz o z ow ska/ Ge tty I mag e s This content is selected and controlled by WebMD’s editorial staff and is funded by Walmart.

NOV/DEC 2014 W12 Food & FITNESS

in season Sweet Talk By Erin O’Donnell

Recipes by Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD The scrumptious sweet potato is a holiday season staple. (Sweet potato casserole, anyone?) But this nutrient superstar deserves a spot on the table all year. One medium sweet potato brims with 438% of your recommended daily value of vitamin A and 38% for vitamin C (both important for a healthy immune system), and 15% of the recommended daily value of fiber (key for good digestion). “The sweet potato is much better for you than your regular white potato,” says Denise Holston-West, MS, LDN, RD, a registered dietitian at the Louisiana State University AgCenter. Just think beyond high-calorie sweet potato pie and sweet potato fries, which often contain unhealthy fats. Holston-West loves baked sweet potatoes served simply with a small pat of butter and pinch of salt. “It’s that salty-sweet flavor that many people crave,” she explains. Try our three sweet potato recipes for the holidays and beyond. eb Wahl D eb t s Styli Food

Photograph by Dan Whipps nov/dec 2014 56 W ebMD.com from fat: 22% 4 gfiber, 14 gsugar, 268 mgsodium.Calories 5 gfat (3gsaturated fat), 12mgcholesterol, 4gprotein,210 calories, 38 gcarbohydrate, Ingredients Makes 6servings Carrot-Ginger Sweet Potato Soup anynish; type ofapplewilldo. Itfeaturesmeals. applegar asautéed bowls for acolorful starter holiday as wheat rollO and salad. lunch when with paired acrusty whole warmingThis soupmakes asatisfying UpSouped

1. Directions Per serving 4. 3. 2. fitness Food & Food 1½

½ ½ ½ 4 3 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 kin seeds,andserve. parsley,sautéed apples, andpump- Ladle soupintobowls. Garnishwith achieve desired consistency. tional stockorwater ifneededto Stir inhalf-and-half, andaddaddi- immersion blender topurée soup. Use ablender, food processor, or tender. 30–40 untilvegetables minutes are boil. Cover, reduce andsimmer heat, ginger, salt,andpepper. Bringtoa carrots,potatoes, stock,applecider, Return oniontopotwithsweet aside for garnish. Removeminutes. andset apples areapples tender, about4–6 and sugartopotsautéuntil andsetaside.heat A golden brown. Remove onionfrom Sautéonion6–8until heat. minutes oven, meltbutterover medium-high In aheavy-bottom, 12-quart Dutch tbsp unsaltedbutter large onion,chopped and chopped large apple, peeled,cored, tsp sugar peeled andcubed lbs sweet potatoes, large carrots, peeledandchopped cups low-sodium chicken stock cup applecider tbsp freshly grated ginger tsp salt tsp whitepepper cup half-and-half tbsp choppedparsley tbsp unsaltedpumpkinseeds

dd apple pieces dd applepieces r serve small - Makes 6servings Cinnamon Sweet Potato Muffins nutrient-dense veggies. muffins are ahitwithThese kids, whodon’tneed toknow they contain waymal agood fat. is recipe (This toleftover use baked sweetpotatoes.) Sweet give potatoes muffins amoist texture and delectable flavor with mini- Muffin Remix Ingredients

pinch ofsalt ¼ ½ ½ 3 2 2 1 1 W 1 1 1 1 eb potato cup mashedsweet divided cup brown sugar, cup canolaoil cup low-fat milk large eggs tsp vanilla flour cup all-purpose oats (notinstant) cup old-fashioned divided tsp cinnamon, tsp allspice tsp bakingpowder walnuts tbsp chopped MD.co Eat sweet potatoes soluble your bodyabsorb the veggie’s fat- olive oil)tohelp (say, of adrizzle with alittlefat m vitamin A. vitamin 57 nov/dec 2014 sodium. Calories fromsodium. Calories fat: 34% saturated fat), 1mgcholesterol, 2gfiber, 13gsugar, 122mg 186 3gprotein, calories, 28 g carbohydrate, 7gfat (1g Per serving 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. Directions toothpick comes outclean. toothpick comes 15–30 depending onthesize minutes, oftins,until a sprinkleofthebrown sugar-walnut mixture. Bake Spoon batterintomuffintins. T brown sugarandcinnamonsetaside. In asmallbowl, combinewalnuts andremaining mixture.potato Stirtogetheruntiljustmoistened. in thecenterofflourmixture andaddthesweet spice, bakingpowder, andsalttoblend.Make awell In alarge bowl, mixflour, oats,¾tspcinnamon, all- oil, milk,eggs,andvanilla inamediumbowl. Whisk togethersweet potato, ⅔cupbrown sugar, with cookingspray. Preheat oven to350°F. Prepare muffintin by coating the root ofaplantin Sweet are potatoes the morning glory the morningglory not potatoes, but not potatoes, Photograph Dan Whipps by op each muffin with op each family.

Food Stylist Deb Wahl Eat a sweet potato FOOD & with the skin for FITNESS extra fiber and nutrients, which concentrate next to the skin.

North Carolina is the top grower of sweet potatoes in the United States.

The terms “sweet potato” and “yam” are often used interchangeably, but they are different vegetables. Most “yams” in this country are sweet potatoes. True yams are dry and starchy, grow mainly in Africa and Asia, and can weigh up to 100 pounds. Rainbow Bright This colorful salad features three seasonal ingredients: sweet potatoes, cranberries, and pecans. Rich in disease-fighting antioxidants and fiber, it’s a super- healthy alternative to the traditional sweet potato casserole.

.com Sweet Potato Spinach Salad With Cranberries, Pecans, and Goat Cheese Makes 6 servings What’s Ingredients Directions Cooking! 2 lbs sweet potatoes, 1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Thousands of people turn peeled and cubed 2. In a large bowl, toss sweet potato cubes to WebMD.com for meal 2 tbsp olive oil, divided with 1 tbsp of the olive oil, salt, and pepper. inspiration every day. ¼ tsp salt, plus a dash Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet Here are the most-clicked ½ tsp freshly ground pepper and roast 20 minutes. Flip potato pieces recipes.* 1 small red onion, sliced over and add onion to the pan. Roast 20–25 more minutes or until vegetables are golden Stir-Fried Spicy Chicken thin Tenders 2 tbsp white balsamic and tender. Set aside to cool to room vinegar temperature. Chicken Breasts Stuffed ½ tsp Dijon mustard 3. Make vinaigrette: Whisk vinegar with With Pimiento Cheese 1 (10 oz) bag of baby remaining olive oil, the mustard, a dash of spinach, washed salt, and pepper to taste. Add this dressing Bean & Tomato Salad ¼ cup dried cranberries to the spinach and toss to coat the leaves. With Honey Vinaigrette ¼ cup chopped pecans, 4. Divide spinach salad among six plates. toasted Top with roasted sweet potatoes, cranber- Quick Thai Chicken & ries, and pecans. Garnish with goat cheese Vegetable Curry ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese crumbles, and serve. Cucumber & Black-Eyed eb Wahl D eb t Pea Salad Per serving *as of Sept. 1, 2014 250 calories, 5 g protein, 38 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 2 mg cholesterol, 6 g fiber, 11 g sugar, 240 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 32% s Styli Food

Photograph by Dan Whipps nov/DEC 2014 58 W ebMD.com Food & fitness Salad of Beet, Avocado, Blood Orange, and Arugula Pesto off the menu Makes 6 servings

Ingredients 4 large beets, any color Steven McHugh 1 tbsp olive oil Chef/OwneR, Cured salt and pepper to taste 1 cup arugula, packed San Antonio APP BONUS! 1 tsp minced garlic Chef McHugh’s ¼ cup olive oil In January 2010, Top 5 Healthy ½ tbsp toasted pine nuts Habits Steven McHugh ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 tbsp milk received grim news: a salt and pepper to taste diagnosis of non-Hodgkin 1½ avocados (¼ avocado per lymphoma, a cancer of serving) the blood and one of the 2 cups blood orange slices (or most common cancers in other oranges) 2 cups arugula the United States. 2 sprigs tarragon, leaves removed At the time, McHugh and reserved was 34 and already a ½ cup shaved ricotta salata cheese 20-year veteran of pro- (note: a vegetable peeler works fessional kitchens. He best) started as a dishwasher in Directions his home state of Wiscon- 1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat sin, trained at The Culi- beets in 1 tbsp olive oil and sprin- nary Institute of America, kle with salt and pepper. Wrap then cooked at some of beets in aluminum foil and roast until they can be easily pierced the finest restaurants in with a knife. Cool, then peel and New Orleans before set- cut into wedges. tling in Texas. 2. To make pesto, blend arugula, After his diagnosis, garlic, ¼ cup olive oil, pine nuts, McHugh’s determina- Parmesan cheese, and milk in a blender until completely mixed. tion to succeed became a Taste and, if necessary, add salt determination to survive. and pepper. He underwent two surger- 3. Divide beets, avocados, and ies and a year of chemo- orange slices and place in the therapy. Since 2011, he’s center of each plate. Garnish with arugula, tarragon, and ricotta been in remission. “Cured,” insists McHugh proudly. “That’s the word I use.” cheese. Drizzle with pesto and Cured is also the name of his restaurant, located in San Antonio’s Pearl Dis- enjoy. trict. Opened in December of last year, the name celebrates McHugh’s recovery as much as it does the art of charcuterie—sausages, pâtés, hams, and other prepared Per serving meats—which he matches with a healthy emphasis on seasonal produce. “We 331 calories, 7 g protein, 23 g carbohydrate, 26 g fat (6 g saturated fat), keep it simple and base our menu on what’s available at the farmers market,” says 17 mg cholesterol, 7 g fiber, 14 g sugar, McHugh, now 39. 429 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 70% McHugh, who runs his new restaurant with help from his wife, Sylvia, who handles employee hiring and other office duties, says he rarely finds time to make it to the gym more than once a week. There, he sticks mostly to the cardio machines. McHugh works long hours throughout the week then closes the restaurant every Sunday. “That’s by design, so my wife and I can have some sanity,” he says. At home they cook simple, easy-to-prepare dishes like the salad of beets, c h/Getty a r

avocados, blood oranges, and arugula pesto he shares here. “It’s super seasonal,” B y says McHugh, who likes the earthiness of the beets blended with the sweet acid of the oranges and the peppery arugula. “I like the avocados because it’s such a local flavor.” Despite his demanding schedule, McHugh has taken on a new role. Last spring, Po pp Ran g el; avid

he joined the board of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s South Texas Chapter. D le f t:

W ebMD.com 59 nov/dec 2014 Watch Fitness Aches & Pains, a video at Food & WebMD.com. fitness Learn how on page 4

work it out Basic Training Want to get faster and stronger? Take a cue from how top athletes get fit

By Colleen Oakley

Every year elite McClusky says. “The only athletes get, well, way you’re going to know if more elite. They make a training plan is working breaking world records look is by measuring it.” At each as easy as a stroll in the workout, write down how park. But it’s not just fast you run, how much you because they work hard and lift, and your heart rate, so log long hours in the gym. you can tell if you improve It’s science. over time. “In the past 50 years, Get out of the mid- we’ve learned so much about dle. “One of the biggest how the human body reacts mistakes most amateur to athletic training,” says athletes make is working Mark McClusky, author of out at an average inten- Faster, Higher, Stronger: How sity,” McClusky says. For Sports Science Is Creating a instance, competitive run- New Generation of Superath- ners are either doing sprints letes and What We Can Learn and super-hard interval From Them. “We’re learn- work or easy jogging. The ing more about the roles of intense intervals help make nutrition, hydration, genet- you faster, while the easy Pump It Up jogs build up your aerobic base. “Most people should science has found a At each workout, write down how few tricks to give you work out much harder, or a better workout. much less.” fast you run, how much you lift, Change it up. If you Get more sleep. A and your heart rate. Stanford University study don’t see improvement found that increasing within three to four weeks— ics, and mental aspects. body reacts differently to sleep time by two hours a meaning you’re not getting And all of these vectors have training and nutrition,” night increased athletes’ faster or stronger—it’s time aim and energy. converged to improve ath- McClusky says. “It’s so indi- to look at your training pro- letic performance by leaps vidualized. The same train- Pop a vitamin D pill. gram and try something dif- and bounds.” ing program might give one Recent studies show ferent. When elite athletes Which is to say that get- elite athlete a 50% perfor- that taking a vitamin D hit a wall, they switch it up, ting stronger doesn’t neces- mance improvement, while supplement for eight and you should, too. Experi- weeks increased muscle sarily mean spending more another only improves 5%. ment with your nutrition, function in athletes, time in the gym. It means You have to be conscious of reduced injuries, and the timing of your work- being smarter about the that.” In other words, the improved sprint times. outs, meditation, and your time you have. Take a cue workout plan that gave your workout intensity until you from successful athletes and co-worker a six-pack might Play that funky music. find what works for you. A British study found get more results from your not do the same for you. that listening to favorite workout with these tips. Keep a workout diary. tunes boosted athletic Reviewed by r bi s /Co Remember: You’re an Elite athletes under- performance and reduced Michael W. Smith, MD, CPT o u WebMD Chief Medical Editor avid L avid individual. “Everybody’s stand the power of data, the perceived effort. D

W ebMD.com 60 nov/dec 2014 FOOD & FITNESS

fitness challenge Best Dressed Q It’s party season! Break out your LBD and look “My family will be traveling great in it with these moves for glutes, abs, and arms for the holidays, and we want By Jodi Helmer to avoid junk food. What are some healthy options?”

You have holiday parties to attend and a few weeks to tone up and look your best before Allison Orr, 43, the festivities begin. To help you look fabulous, Anna Kaiser, a certified personal trainer stay-at-home mom, Morris Plains, N.J. and founder of New York City fitness studio AKT in Motion, created a “Little Black Dress” workout. Do the moves, which target the glutes, abs, and arms, at least three times a week to look and feel fit all season long.

A “To prep for a road trip, pack nutritious snacks with a mix of protein, fiber, and The Chiseler Twisted Teaser Tighten and Lift carbs. Whole grain crackers and low-fat string cheese or Kaiser loves this move This move works the rectus Adding a resistance band peanut butter and an apple because it engages the and traverse abdominals and helps isolate the glute biceps, triceps, shoulders, obliques. To increase the muscles and make them are great choices; homemade and lats in one simple intensity, Kaiser suggests work harder. trail mix is always a hit. If a exercise. holding a 10-pound weight trip through the drive-thru is and keeping both feet raised 1. Grab a resistance band unavoidable, order a cup of 1. Grab a lightweight resis- slightly off the floor. “This and a mat and get down chili, a plain baked potato, tance band. Hold one move engages your core and on all fours on the floor. handle in each hand and helps tone your waistline,” 2. Place the resistance band or a grilled chicken sandwich step on the band with she says. around the bottom of with a side of apple slices. both feet. your right foot and hold Choose bottled water or milk 2. With palms facing for- 1. lie on your back with one handle in each hand. over soda and juice. And if ward, bend your elbows your knees and elbows 3. holding the handles on you’re not staying with fam- and bring your hands to bent, hands gently the mat, keep your back your shoulders in a bicep cradling your head. flat, tighten your glutes, ily, try booking a hotel room curl. 2. keeping your abs tight, and extend your right leg with a kitchenette. You’ll eat 3. Press your arms over- raise your left knee in straight behind you until healthier if you can prepare head, rotating your palms toward your chest, rotat- it’s parallel to the floor. your own meals instead of so they face each other, ing your torso to the left, 4. Return your knee to the relying on takeout.” until your elbows are fully bringing your right elbow starting position (but extended. toward your left knee. keep it hovering an inch 4. lower arms to the start- 3. Return to starting off the floor). ing position. position. 5. do 30 reps. 5. Repeat 20 times, rest, and 4. do 20 reps. 6. Repeat on the left side. do 20 more reps. 5. Repeat on the right side. Amy Jamieson-Petonic, MEd, RD, Reviewed by author of No Nonsense Nutrition Michael W. Smith, MD, CPT and director of wellness coaching on L ee on at the Cleveland Clinic s WebMD Chief Medical Editor

Ja Wellness Institute

nov/DEC 2014 61 W ebMD.com CheckupTaking care, living well

It’s cold and flu season. Do you know the difference? Cold and flu have similar symptoms, so it can be hard to of the flu if you take it within the first day or two you tell the difference. Generally, the flu is worse than the have symptoms. common cold. You’re more likely to have fever, cough, The flu can be serious, especially for children, the chills, fatigue, and all-over body aches with the flu. A elderly, and people with chronic diseases like diabe- cold is more apt to bring a runny or stuffy nose. tes. About 200,000 Americans go to the hospital each

g es Colds are the No. 1 reason children miss school and year because of flu-related complications. But you can adults miss work. Adults catch about two or three colds prevent the flu with a vaccine. The CDC recommends a year. Children have even more. The flu doesn’t strike everyone 6 months and older get a flu shot as soon /Getty I ma /Getty g as often—5% to 20% of Americans get it each year. as it becomes available—usually in October. Modern A cold lasts about a week to 10 days. The flu can last Family’s Julie Bowen, former Chicago longer. Doctors recommend plenty of rest and fluids Bears coach Mike Ditka, and WNBA b er Bloom g es; for both colds and flu. Over-the-counter medicines can star Elena Delle Donne have all used help ease symptoms, too. A prescription medication, their star power to promote flu shots. such as Tamiflu or Relenza, can shorten the duration —Sonya Collins mith/Glow I ma S mith/Glow Charles

NOV/DEC 2014 62 W ebMD.com Watch Caring for Elderly Parents, a video at Checkup WebMD.com. Learn how on page 4 Reviewed by Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH, WebMD Medical Editor

living with Alzheimer’s Are you newly diagnosed or know someone who is? take action now

By Christina Boufis

Rosemary Orange, 53, Brain Game of Ottawa, Ontario, It can’t be cured, but suspected something was can Alzheimer’s be wrong with her 83-year-old slowed? Research is ongoing, but these mother, Sylvia. “She’d go steps may help. shopping and forget what she was doing,” Orange Get moving. Physical explains. “So she’d come exercise is good for right back home without brain and heart health, so a regular routine is buying anything.” important, says aging Several months later, expert Gary Small, MD. Orange’s mother was diag- “I often recommend nosed with Alzheimer’s, that people with a type of dementia that Alzheimer’s and their caregivers exercise affects nearly 36 million together—it can be as people worldwide—a rate simple as taking a walk that’s expected to nearly after dinner.” double in the next 20 years, according to the World Eat a brain-healthy diet. A low-fat Health Organization. diet, high in fruits, What can you do if a par- vegetables, and ent or relative is diagnosed omega-3 fatty acids with this progressive disease, organizations, such as the handles up high where in fish like mackerel which affects memory and, Alzheimer’s Association or people with Alzheimer’s or salmon, may help protect brain cells, eventually, the ability to Alzheimer’s Foundation of wouldn’t think to reach, according to research. carry out everyday tasks? America, for education and Small says. Many older people Gary Small, MD, professor support, he adds. Maintain routines. don’t get enough of psychiatry and biobehav- Plan for the future. “Keep everyday activities fruits and vegetables, ioral sciences at UCLA and Make sure your loved one as routine as possible,” Small says. “Eating five servings a day will director of the UCLA Center has updated advance direc- and place several orienting protect the brain from on Aging, suggests some tives (documents about items, such as clocks and oxidative stress that steps you can take now. end-of-life care) and legal calendars, around the house, causes wear and tear Be informed. “No. 1 is documents, such as wills and Small says. on the cells.” get the right information,” trusts, in place. “It’s best “Long-term memory is Manage stress. “Any says Small. “A lot of mis- to do that early when the preserved until late in the kind of stress can conceptions surround the person [with Alzheimer’s] illness,” he explains. “So if aggravate symptoms disease, and many people can still have some input,” the date is prominently dis- such as aggression are terrified when they first Small says. played and everyday activi- and paranoia,” Small hear the diagnosis.” Make a safe home. If ties are reinforced, it will be says. Encourage stress-reduction Find a doctor who has there’s a danger your relative much easier for people to techniques such as experience treating Alzheim- will wander from home, remember and become part meditation or tai chi, b is Greul/Cor er’s, and reach out to other block stairways or put door of long-term memory.” he advises. g 2/Jor

W ebMD.com 6263 NOV/DEC 2014 Checkup

Reviewed by Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH, WebMD Medical Editor

by the numbers holiday health Facts and Figures on Top Issues

By Heather Hatfield

158Number of lives that 12,000 may have been saved Injuries from holiday decorating each year by buckling up 1,041 Calories 436 9% the average Traffic fatalities over Percent of babies woman burns Thanksgiving holiday conceived during while holiday weekend in 2013 December shopping 4,500 Average number of calories consumed from snacking and 229 eating on a traditional holiday Average grams of fat

Percentage5% increase in heart-related 6 deaths during the holiday season Deaths caused by home Christmas tree fires December

When25 most heart attacks 230Home fires started by happen in the U.S. Christmas trees each year 22Injuries

Sources: Calorie Control Council, Circulation, Consumer Product Safety Council, National Safety Council, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Thomson Reuters-NPR Health, WebMD c k isto

W ebMD.com 64 NOV/DEC 2014 Checkup

Reviewed by Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH, WebMD Medical Editor

Health Highlights COPD Tips for managing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

By Matt McMillen

Stay social Quit smoking 1 Connect with others in a 6 Your lungs will thank you, no group COPD rehab program matter how long you’ve been or support group. smoking. Talk to your doctor.

Know your triggers Maintain a 2 Irritants like smoke, pollu- 7 healthy weight tion, and pollen cause flare- Drop those extra pounds, ups. Learn what bothers you. and you’ll ease the burden on your lungs. Educate yourself 3 Visit WebMD’s COPD Center Plan ahead to learn about the disease 8 Schedule errands and chores and better control it. for when you’ll have the most energy, factor in time to rest, Travel smart and don’t rush. 4 Talk to your doctor, know your airline’s oxygen regula- Wash your hands tions, and pack extra batter- 9 Use soap and water or ies for portable equipment. alcohol-based gels often to keep your hands germ-free. Join the club 5 Learn breathing techniques, Rethink mealtimes helpful exercises, and more 10 A full stomach can hinder at your local Better Breath- breathing, so eat a number of ers Club, an American Lung small meals each day rather Association project. than three large ones.

EXPERT TIPS

Kathrin Nicolacakis, MD Alan F. Barker, MD Len Horovitz, MD pulmonologist, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland pulmonologist and director of the Pulmonary pulmonologist, Lenox Hill Hospital, Function Laboratory, Oregon Health & Science New York City “For COPD patients, it takes more energy University, Portland, Oregon just to breathe, so proper nutrition is vital. “Make a plan to quit smoking and Focus your diet on good-for-you foods “Get a flu shot. This is particularly establish a quit date several weeks out. such as leafy greens, whole grains, important if you have COPD. Influenza Craft a strategy. Work with your doctor on and lean meats.” can cause major setbacks in your it. Become an ex-smoker.” treatment, and it can worsen your “Drink lots of fluids. Dehydration leads to symptoms. The flu also increases your risk “Focus on what you can do. You may not stickier mucus that’s hard to move. Drink of bacterial infections and pneumonia. be able to run or swim like you used to, is b is g es/Cor six to eight glasses of non-caffeinated Protect yourself by getting but you can find exercises that you do like beverages every day.” vaccinated each year.” to do, such as lifting weights or walking.” ius I ma R a d ius

NOV/DEC 2014 65 W ebMD.com Check out 14 Ways to Avoid Caregiver Burnout, a top Checkup slideshow at WebMD.com. Learn how on page 4 Reviewed by MIchael W. Smith, MD, WebMD Chief Medical Editor

my story Hope Floats A reader shares his 30-year journey as a caregiver

By Peter Rosenberger WebMD.com community member

My journey as a Peter’s Pointers caregiver started the moment I said “I do” to my “Laugh. I watch funny things and read funny wife, Gracie. A few years books. It’s a muscle earlier, she’d endured a you have to work every horrific car accident that led single day.” to permanent disability and 20 operations. Since then, “Don’t believe everything you think. her challenges have mush- Get an objective roomed to 78 operations, opinion by seeing a amputation of both legs, counselor at least treatment by more than 60 once a month.” doctors in 12 hospitals, “Make sure you get coverage under seven life insurance. It’s insurance companies, and inappropriate to call $9 million in medical bills. yourself a caregiver if With the almost daily you don’t. What if you issues we’ve faced for three die before your loved one? You’ll leave the decades, no “plateau” exists. person with nothing.” Dealing with the crisis du jour is often like trying to “Know that you have nail Jell-O to the wall. some real tough I’ve been a caregiver since choices, and one of them is learning how I was 22. I’m 51 now. Along to say no to something the way, I’ve learned a great and yes to taking care deal about America’s health of yourself.” care system (I’ve never lost an appeal, and I’ve changed don’t take care of myself, I’m nights a week: to grow and playing the piano, working Gracie’s policy six times jeopardizing her entire care learn from other people. out the kinks in my heart. without a lapse in coverage). system. It sounds counter- Support groups, martial Drawing upon my own Being married to someone intuitive, but like the flight arts three times per week, journey of nearly 30 years, with severe disabilities and attendants say, you have and taking time for myself I’ve also written a book, constant pain, I’ve also to put your own mask on are part of my regular Hope for the Caregiver, to learned a great deal about before helping someone else. routine as a caregiver. I offer a lifeline of help to fel- relationships, faith, and love. Caregivers struggle with make sure I see my doctor low caregivers. I’ve learned that my the three I’s: isolation, loss regularly—nearly 75% of I’m learning to pace ultimate responsibility is to of independence, and loss caregivers don’t do that. myself and breathe deeply. myself—but I don’t mean of identity. In that isolation, In addition, I find great I’m not loving Gracie well if that in a selfish way. Gracie’s we often make bad deci- strength in my Christian I’m running around trying to entire support system is sions because we operate faith. And part of taking put out fires with a syringe. contingent on my making in the vacuum of our own care of myself involves It doesn’t help her today— good decisions—emotionally, thoughts. That’s why I go to spending a few hours each nor will it help me when she physically, and fiscally. If I support groups two or three week alone at my church needs me tomorrow.

W ebMD.com 66 NOV/DEC 2014 Photograph by Tamara Reynolds Watch actor Seth Rogen testify before Congress. Checkup Learn how on page 4 Reviewed by Michael W. Smith, MD, WebMD Chief Medical Editor

advocacy Call to Action A Q & A with actor Seth Rogen about Alzheimer’s awareness

By Kara Mayer Robinson

Comedian Seth Rogen is a self- proclaimed “lazy, self-involved...man- child.” But the actor and funnyman, who stars in, co-directs, and produces the film The Interview (opening Christmas Day), also happens to be an activist. Together with his wife, Lauren Miller Rogen, he leads Hilarity for Charity, an organization that raises awareness about Alzheimer’s, an irrevers- ible brain disease that affects 5 million Americans. By hosting live variety shows with serious starpower—think Paul Rudd, Kevin Hart, John Mulaney, Mindy Kaling, and Bruno Mars— and sponsoring college contests, they hope to inspire millennials to become the next generation of Alzheimer’s advocates.

When you started dating Lauren, her mother was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s. What was that like? It was very shocking. I didn’t know anything about it—how terrible and debilitating it was, how young you could be, and how taxing and painful it is on everyone. I didn’t know there was no cure for it in any way, shape, or form. I didn’t know how underfunded it was. Then it became clear that I could use the attention I get to try to change that situation. The idea was to put on a big comedy variety show and give the money to charity.

Photograph by Alba Tull/Trunk Archive NOV/DEC 2014 67 W ebMD.com Checkup

What are common misconceptions [a variety show] televised or broadcast about Alzheimer’s? on the Internet. One is that only old people get it. People also think it’s a curable disease. You’re focusing on the younger There’s literally nothing you can do generation. Why? about it. You can ask a doctor, “What Soon they’ll be the older generation. if I take fish oil?” and a doctor will say, When you’re young, you have the “Couldn’t hurt, but there’s no proof it tendency to kick the can down the will actually do anything.” And it’s a road and say, “Oh, that’s something old lot less cute than it’s portrayed in the people deal with—it’s not something media and movies. It’s generally viewed I’m going to have to deal with.” That’s exactly what I thought. Then you realize, “Oh, it’s not something that affects People like success stories and there’s really my grandparents—it’s something that affects my parents and will very soon none of that with Alzheimer’s. There’s nothing affect me.” I also think it’s a very taboo to even slow the disease down. disease in the older generation. It’s harder to break down those walls. like, “Oh, I forgot my keys.” But in discouraging in other ways. Very few What do you do with the money reality, Lauren’s mother forgot how to senators who are part of the committee you raise? speak and walk and eat. bothered to show up—and Alzheimer’s The main thing is providing home kills millions of people. But what’s care for people who can’t afford it. The Why is funding so inadequate? encouraging is that what I said got amount of money we raise is not going People like success stories and there’s out there in such a large way. It didn’t to find a cure for Alzheimer’s, but it can really none of that. If you get Alzheim- translate into actual money, but for a provide hours and months of free care. er’s, you will die from Alzheimer’s. moment it made Alzheimer’s some- We’ve partnered with Home Instead There’s nothing to even slow that down. thing slightly cool to talk about. It’s [in-home care agency], and they’re also It’s not a very glamorous disease. The a step in the right direction, but until donating hours. As terrible as our situ- “ice bucket challenge” [where people more dollars are given to research and ation has been with Lauren’s mom, the dunk themselves in ice water to raise the government really gets behind it, fact that I have a job where I make a lot money for ALS research] is a good it’s not enough. of money has made it infinitely more example of how, if you make your mes- manageable. sage slightly more glamorous, you can Hilarity for Charity hosts comedy capture more money. ALS is a terrible and music shows. What else are What advice can you give disease, but the amount of people who you doing to raise money and get caretakers? have ALS in comparison to Alzheimer’s the word out? Don’t be afraid to ask for help. I saw is very small. When I’m your best We have a college program we started Lauren’s father trying to do it on his celebrity spokesperson, you know your last year. We send a little packet that own and it’s impossible. Lauren’s mom disease is not in great shape. tells you how to put on your own needs a full-time caretaker. At any event. Last year we showed the college given moment she could just get up and You spoke at a congressional hear- that made the most money an early walk, then fall and hurt herself. Now ing that aired on TV. Did that help? screening of Neighbors [a 2014 comedy they live in a duplex. He lives in one More than 6 million people watched starring Rogen]. I hung out and took side. Lauren’s mother and a full-time that C-Span video and maybe $10,000 pictures with everybody and did a Q&A. caretaker live in the other. Apply for was donated to our charity. It was very We’re also trying to do events in other one of our funds if you feel like you encouraging in some ways and very cities. We’ve talked about trying to get need help. is O utline b is ushi/Cor S

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Reviewed by Arefa Cassoobhoy, MD, MPH, WebMD Medical Editor QUIZ 1. To avoid further injury, call a doctor right away if your back is in pain. Yes No

2. Plenty of bed rest and relaxation is the best cure. Yes No

3. Heat or cold can help some people with low back pain. Yes No

4. Surgery can help all types of back pain. health check Yes No

What’s Answers: 1. Yes, but only in certain circum- stances. Try self-care for a couple of days if Your Back pain is persistent yet mild. But don’t hesitate to call your doctor if pain is severe or if you Pain IQ? have a fever. Call 911 if you have back pain with chest pain, you fell or suffered a severe About 80% of Americans blow, you are vomiting, or you have weak- have low back pain at ness, tingling, or numbness in your legs. some point—pain that ranges 2. No. Don’t stay in bed more than a couple of days. Getting up and moving about some from mild aches to jaw-gritting will speed your recovery. 3. Yes. Right after spasms. Many aren’t sure what the injury, cold from an ice pack or other to do when it hits. “A little while source can be applied for 10 to 15 minutes. Repeat every two hours as needed for the ago, I was cleaning my shower. first two or three days. After that, heat from Suddenly I felt a searing pain a hot pack or other source can be applied in my lower back and I went to for 15 to 20 minutes at a time. Warm baths may also help. 4. No. Surgery usually helps my knees,” nikkiporter writes only certain types of back pain, such as pain to the WebMD back pain com- caused by a pinched nerve, a compressed munity. “I painfully made it to spinal cord, or too much movement between the vertebrae (spinal bones). Doctors con- my couch where I am lying now, sider surgery a last-resort treatment. but I am unable to get comfort- able. What treatment should I do right now? Hospital? Ice? SourceS: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Heat?” Do you know how to National Institute of Neurological Disorders and treat back pain? Stroke, WebMD Back Pain Health Center

? ASK your Doctor 1. What can I do to prevent my back pain from getting worse? 2. Why is my back vulnerable to pain and injury? Is there anything I can do g es to prevent it? 3. What are my treatment options? Will I need medication or surgery? 4. If you advise surgery, what are the risks? How long does it generally take io/Getty I ma tu d io/Getty to recover? i S g i a Y

NOV/DEC 2014 69 W ebMD.com Take 10 10 QUESTIONS Ricky Gervais Comedian/Actor/Writer/Producer You’ve starred Then I started shed- in the Night at ding pounds, and I got 1 the Museum addicted to both the trilogy and exercise and the Muppets Most results. Wanted. What made you say yes to these Have you projects? I’m a sucker changed your for family blockbust- 7 diet? The only ers, and these movies reason I want are a lot of fun. I think to live longer is to eat people confuse my more cheese and drink stand-up with who I more wine. If I can am, but I go into taboo work out six days a subjects because I week and then at 6 want the audience to p.m. open a bottle of go on a journey where wine and have a nice they haven’t been meal, that’s what it’s before, to be fearful all about. and get through it. Humor gets us through What keeps the bad stuff—that’s you moti- what it’s for. 8 vated? I treat myself like an The original idiotic donkey tied to a UK version of carrot. When I run, I 2 The Office see Champagne and made you cheese. I just want to famous when you be fit enough to eat were 40. Was it a big Read the too much. If this adjustment? I had no full Q&A with works, it will be the fear because I had an Gervais in greatest diet book ever older, wiser head on our free tablet written. apps! Night at the my shoulders. I didn’t Museum: Secret desperately want to be of the Tomb Why are you famous. There was no opens in passionate pressure, because just theaters about rescue Dec. 19. 9 to have this as my job dogs? Pups meant I was already from pet stores are winning. I went from 7 billion people in the affect you. I wish Jane Fallon], “I’ve got a often taken away from working in an office for world, and you don’t people knew that great joke,” and she their mothers far too 10 years as a special need all of them to like more. Your reputation says, “Please don’t do young and you get a events manager to you to have a really is what strangers think that in public,” and I sick dog, when right having a go at sitcoms. good career. you’re like. Your know it’s good. down the street is a character is what rescue dog in jail. Save Does any- You never you’re really like. You started it! There’s nothing thing give you seem to hold running and better for your soul. 3 performance 4 back, even Where do you 6 lifting weights anxiety? Not when you get get your best five years ago What’s the getting my way is the criticized for offend- 5 ideas? In the and lost more than 20 best part only thing that worries ing people. Do you bath or on a pounds. What inspired 10 about fame? me. If a broadcaster ever compromise? plane because there you? It was Christmas My girlfriend came along and said, The people who don’t are no distractions. and I’d eaten some- says the best part of “We have to change like you don’t like you, Also when I’m on a run. thing like 10 sausages my fame is I can one word but we will but the people who do It’s 40 minutes of me and I said to Jane, “I scruffle a dog and a give you a better time like you will buy your thinking, and I come think I’m going to have person doesn’t think slot,” I’ll take the worse DVDs. The people who home and say to my a heart attack,” so I I’m a maniac.—Rebecca time slot. There are don’t like you can’t girlfriend [producer started working out. Ascher-Walsh

W ebMD.com 70 NOV/DEC 2014 Photograph by Ray Burmiston