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“Sleep acts like an emotional soothing balm, resetting the appropriate reactivity in emotional centers of our brain,” says researcher Matt Walker, PhD, professor of psychology and neuroscience at University of California Berkeley. “Without sufficient sleep, emotional functions start to go awry, including a ramping up of anxiety.” How do they know? Dr. Walker and other researchers discovered that sleep deprivation intensifies activity in two regions of the brain responsible for managing anxiety and anticipation: the amygdala and the insula....

Men and women viewed photos of the opposite sex twice and were asked to rate each person’s level of attractiveness both times for a study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior. The result? Women rated the photos more attractive the second time, while men rated them more attractive the first time, suggesting a male preference for novelty, and a female preference for familiarity. The plot thickens: In a second study, men found women more attractive if they looked less like their current partner (the results were the opposite for women)....

Should you shave your legs before tonight’s dinner date…or intentionally wear the ugliest undies in your drawer? Romantic comedies and Friends reruns aside, the question of how long to wait before taking the next step with a new partner has flummoxed most women at one point or another. But new research published in the Journal of Sex Research finds that good things come to those who wait. Investigators surveyed roughly 11,000 people—all in committed partnerships—on nearly a dozen questions related to their relationships....

Deep down, I knew that my emotional changes were tied to my restlessness at work. I loved my job as an RN, but I really wanted to be a nurse-practitioner so I could see my own patients and play a bigger role in their care. And I wanted to be trim, happy, and in good shape—a model of good health. MORE: One Woman’s Amazing 155-Pound Weight Loss Story One couldn’t happen without the other, so I knew my first step involved getting myself out the door....

MORE: 10 Exercises That Are A Total Waste Of Your Time To get the most out of your run, you need to be efficient. Imagine how far you could get—or how fast—if you waved your arms over your head while pounding the pavement. In the new study, published in Strength & Conditioning Journal, the authors found that the wrong kind of stretches can undermine one measure of your efficiency—or “running economy:” How well your muscles use oxygen during a jog....

In an age of specialists and aggressive medical protocols, people who’ve reached the end of their lives can get trapped in a frightening and frantic maze of tests and technology. Doctors and the families of the dying may lose sight of the person within the patient and see him as a series of medical battles to be won–until they can’t be won any longer. Dr. Byock’s mission is to help everyone involved find meaning, dignity, and peace in these final months of life....

More from Prevention: Are Your Eyebrows Aging You?

And while those fraught moments can certainly come with feelings of anxiety, a diagnosable anxiety disorder—such as generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or social anxiety disorder—isn’t your run-of-the-mill stress. About 18% of American adults have dealt with one (or more) of these illnesses in the last 12 months, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. They often live with “pervasive, uncontrollable worry, even when things aren’t necessarily going poorly,” says Todd Farchione, PhD, research assistant professor at Boston University’s Center for Anxiety & Related Disorders....

Pounds lost: 9.4All-over inches lost: 10.5 Robin Molnar discovered a very interesting thing after completing the 32-day Sugar Smart Diet: She could live without chocolate. Before the plan, her lunch chaser was usually a Mounds bar. Plus there were the office temptations. “I work in an office with a ton of women,” said Robin, “and everyone finds reasons to celebrate with cake.”Robin started her diet by cutting out the obvious sugar bombs, like cookies and cakes....

Doing jump squats in Tabata-style intervals for 4 minutes burns more calories per minute—and keeps up the calorie burn post-exercise—more than previously thought, finds new research. What’s more: this body weight-based move will help build all-important bone mass density—something we lose each year we age. Sounds too good to be true, and in some ways it is. True Tabata-style intervals are 20 seconds of go-all-out effort followed by 10 seconds of rest....

Fight skin cancer. Thanks to its polyphenols, there’s evidence that sipping green tea can enhance DNA repair, which in turn fights non-melanoma skin cancers caused by exposure to UV rays, according to a study published in the Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics. Though there’s no specific daily recommendation for green tea, registered dietitian Elisa Zied, author of Younger Next Week, recommends 2-4 cups a day. “Drink it early in the day so the caffeine doesn’t interfere with a good night’s sleep,” she says....

I checked with Charles P. Gerba, PhD, a University of Arizona microbiologist and leading hygiene researcher—and found out that my haphazard approach isn’t so far off. “You certainly don’t have to sanitize the whole house to stay healthy. I would rather do other things besides clean,” he says. That’s my kind of germ expert! Gerba tells me that making just a few changes to my current cleaning routine—and focusing on the messiest areas—can go a long way toward keeping me and my family healthy....

That’s what shoppers do at in.gredients, the nearly packaging-free grocery store in Austin, Texas. “It’s a BYOC—bring your own container—concept that most people understand, appreciate, and practice. Some customers bring upwards of 15 or 20 containers per shopping trip,” says store manager Josh Blaine. Here, you won’t find the colorful boxes, crinkly bags, and endless cartons that line most other grocery shelves. Instead, in.gredients’ aisles are tightly packed with dry goods like grains, beans, flours, dried fruits, and spices that sit in clear bulk containers....

This is a bowl of next-level vegetable goodness! Crispy spiced chickpeas and nuts, caramelized roasted veggies, salty olives, tangy blood orange, and creamy baba ganoush—it’s a wonderfully filling and delicious meal. Make extra and take some to work for a healthy and hearty lunch the next day. MORE: The Tastiest Mayo-Free Potato Salad You Can Make Prep Time: 30 minutesTotal Time: 1 hourServes 2 1 sm bunch baby carrots, ends trimmed 1 handful brussels sprouts, quartered ¼ sm head cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces ½ Tbsp honey ¼ c thyme + more for garnish 2 tsp coconut oil ¼ c walnuts 1 can (14....

Here’s how it works: Do each exercise for 60 seconds, performing as many reps as possible with good form. Rest for 30 seconds between exercises. For an added bonus, do the entire circuit a total of 2 or 3 times. If you have a set of hand weights available, grab ’em (you’ll need them for the first move). If not, your own body weightwill still provide a great workout. (Prevention’s Fit In 10 DVD is exactly what you need to lose weight and transform you body in just 10 minutes a day—check it out!...

Healthy Eating Habit: You count caloriesThe key to weight loss: Take in fewer calories than your body needs to maintain your current weight and you will drop pounds. But only 11% of Americans correctly estimate their ideal daily calorie intake, according to a recent survey. The rest of us tend to overestimate, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, RD, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and that’s what keeps you from weight loss....

You look at your body in the mirror and … wait, where’d that new spot come from? Of course, your brain jumps to the worst possible conclusion: skin cancer. Before you freak out, you should know there are a lot of causes for a new mark or bump on your skin, and many are completely harmless (even if they are annoying to look at or deal with). Some of these pink, red, or brown spots appear very noticeably on fair to medium skin, but can be harder to detect if your tone is deeper, explains Ife J....