Prevention Magazine Australia October/November 2021

Once, there was a little girl who tripped over her own feet – literally. Oh, the humiliation of going frog hunting with my cousins and jumping over a puddle and falling in. Yep, not sporty. At all. Years passed and I can confidently say that, during that time, my sporting expertise was, er, marathon shopping – I reckon I had a black belt in that. But when my son was small and we adopted a dog, I began getting up early to walk him and discovered the simple pleasures of seeing strawberry sunrises, where the sky would flush bright pink before exploding into full daylight. It was magical. At the end of my route, I found a gully with steep steps – 150 of them – and started to set…

LOOK BEFORE YOU EAT I’m trying to make positive changes to my health so I loved the strategies in ‘Break all your bad habits’ (June/July). Instead of reaching for a sugar snack, I’m now opting for healthier alternatives and becoming more conscious of what I’m eating. In each issue of Prevention, I love the inspirational quotes, how you represent people from diverse cultural backgrounds and how you support great charities. Vanessa Genova, NSW Congratulations, Vanessa! You’ve won a Dermalogica Smart Response Serum, valued at $211. MUM’S THE WORD Thank you for reigniting my love of magazines with your fantastic articles, such as ‘The Art of Being Alone’ (June/July). As a solo parent of three teenage boys, there’s nothing I love more than my alone time. This article cemented that it’s totally okay. Keep up the…

NICE REWARDS Smile at a stranger, shout someone a coffee, offer a compliment: kindness – whether you’re giving or receiving it – does wonders for wellbeing. Research has found that engaging in kindness lights up the pleasure and reward centres in the brain and triggers a flow of hormones that boost feelings of happiness and life satisfaction. It has a physical impact, too. Being kind releases endorphins, which offer natural pain relief, while a spike in the hormone oxytocin dilates blood vessels, helping to reduce blood pressure. The catch? You’ve got to keep being nice to reap maximum health rewards. There’s plenty of time to practise before World Kindness Day on November 13, but it’s the perfect reminder to bank a few good deeds for your health. A day to veg out Give…

Peace of my mind Next time you butt heads with your partner, colleague or friend, offer an olive branch as soon as possible. US researchers say that resolving a disagreement by day’s end is a powerful way to combat chronic stress. The study found that people who resolved a row the same day experienced a much lower emotional response than those who didn’t. The day after the event, the peacekeepers’ stress had vanished. Need some help negotiating a truce? Try these tips from Katie Burgess, psychologist and lecturer at the Australian College of Applied Psychology. RELAX “Take deep breaths, keep a calm voice and maintain ‘soft’ eye contact and body language – avoid crossing your arms or waving them around.” LISTEN “Give them time to express their feelings without interruptions. When listening, reflect…

LET IT GO Dropped a cup of coffee, missed your bus or forgot to pick up the milk? The quicker you can shake off your irritation, the better for your wellbeing, says a new US study. If you’re a bit of a stress-head when it comes to the small stuff, it might be that your amygdala – the almond-shaped part of the brain that supports emotion and memory – is primed to hang on to small negative events for longer than more optimistic folk, impacting your overall mental health, the researchers explain. For a happier outlook, try not to let the little things ruin your day – even if it was a delicious coffee! Bitter feed If you’re all about good vibes only, give Twitter a miss in the evenings. An analysis of…

Studies show that one of the most effective ways of reducing cortisol and calming your brain is to play music – up to 66 per cent, in fact. It’s even more effective than other calming techniques, such as meditation and massage, according to recent research. Japan’s Osaka Medical Center played tunes for a group of patients undergoing surgery and found the patients’ cortisol levels rose much less than others who underwent the same procedure in a quiet room. In other findings, people prone to difficulty falling asleep enjoyed improved muscle relaxation and distraction from thoughts when they listened to relaxing tunes. So, what type of music reduces stress the best? Experts recommend slower-tempo tracks with woodwind or stringed instruments, an easy listening radio station or even nature sounds, such as…