SIEGE AT THE CAPITOL ADRAMAINREALLIFE A Bird-Watcher’s EPIC YEAR From TEXAS MONTHLY Restorin; vasratel SCAMMERS Tombstones Got My Mom An RD ORIGINAL Fonnitlats 13 Things About the World Cup By KEVINKOCZWARAPURINA‘TMB STUDIO (COVER). ALL GETTY IMAGES: ARTISHOKCS (HALFTONE, 2), YEVHENII DUBINKO (RAYS, 2), TARCHYSHNIK (SHAPES). TMB STUDIO/EMIKO FRANZEN (CAT) Reader's Digest A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World Features 60 DRAMA IN REAL LIFE Under Siege* On Jan. 6, 2021, some COVER STORY 2,000 brave, steadfast law enforcement offi- HERO PETS* . cers defended the U.S. mean pene Capitol Building and Plus your true stories. | the lawmakers inside. ry This is i i 50 Darby: Pit Bull paper ay BY ANITA BARTHOLOMEW Fights Off Shark EXCERPTED FROM THE BOOK (Yes, Shark!) to SIEGE: AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY Save His Owner ilo: INSPIRATION as ie ones d He Delivered for Me Afraid No One Ry ee Would Hear Her man went from Cries for Help. Cee aed to : Milo Did. emotional lifeline. BY DANIELLE FESTINO a ee ROM | FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES THE WASHINGTON PosT 54 Charlie: A Family 76 of Ducklings Was) rue crime Stranded. He A Scammer’s Perfect Saved Them All. Mark: My Mom* ——— The caller said that 57 Joey: she was in trouble and Police Report that he could help. Pet Squirrel Goes | Mom fell for it and Nuts on Burglar lost thousands. It took BY BILL HANGLEY JR. us months to recoup COVER PHOTOGRAPH by K, Synold her money—and her dignity. BY BECCA ANDREWS FROM WIRED 86 NATURE A Birder’s Big Year* When she began her yearlong bird-spotting adventure, Tiffany Kersten was lost and lonely, After crisscross- ing the country, she wound up in a whole new emotional state. BY WILL MCCARTHY FROM TEXAS MONTHLY Yi RD.COM | NOVEMBER 2022 1READER'S DIGEST Departments 4 Dear Reader 6 Letters WORLD OF GooD 9 Picking a Winner EVERYDAY HEROES 10 AFew Kind Words BY ANDY SIMMONS 13 Reversing a Grave Injustice’ BY ANDY SIMMONS. EVERYDAY MIRACLES 16 We're a Match! BY CATHY FREE FROM THE WASHINGTON POST WE FOUND AFIX 18 Flour Power, Elude the Flu, and More HOWTO 20 Find Awe in Everyday Life BY ELIZABETH BERNSTEIN FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL FOOD FOR THOUGHT 26 Eyes on the Fries BY EMILY TYRA 13 THINGS 28 World Cup Goaaaaals!* BY KEVIN KOCZWARA WHERE, OH WHERE? 46 Autumnal Palette THE RD LIST 98 Amsterdam, Good Night Oppy, Cormac McCarthy and More QUOTABLE QUOTES Emma Thompson, Derek Jeter, Norman Lear and More 10 Humor Life in These United States Humor in Uniform......... Allina Day’s Work...... Laughter, the Best Medicine. TRUSTED FRIEND 108 The Best Costume for the Day by Lauren Tamaki The Healthy 35 A Diabetes Cure, The Best Way to Nap 40 News from the World of Medicine Brain Games 102 Fact or Fiction’ Black and White Maze, Times Square and More 105 Word Power .14 24 132 44 Sendlletters to letters @rd.comor Letters, Reader's Digest, PO Box 6100, Harlan, lowa 51593-1600, Include your fullname, adress, {email and daytime phone number. We may edit letters and use them inall printand electronic media. Contribute your TrueStoriesat rd.com/stories. Ife publish one ina print edition of Readers Digest, we'llpay you $100. Tosubmithumor items, vsitrd.com/submt, or write tous at Jokes, 44 South Broadway, 7th Floor, White Plains, NY 10601. Welllpay you $25 for any joke or gag and $100 for any true funny story published in a printedition of Reader's Digest unless we specify otherwise in writing. Please include your full name and adress in your entry We regret that we cannot acknowledge or return unsolicited work, Requests for permission to reprint any ‘material from Readers Digest should be sent to permissions@tmbi.com. Get help with questions on subscriptions, renewals, gifts, address changes, payments, account information and other inquiries at rd.com/help, or write to us at customercare@rd.com or Reader's Digest, PO Box 6095, Harlan, lowa 51593-1595, 2 NovemBeR 2022 | RD.COM * Story referenced on cover SERGE BLOCH. OASISAMUEL/SHUTTERSTOCK (BALL)VK Aeerell MAX STRENGTH FAST SORE THROAT RELIEFREADER'S DIGEST 4 [DEAR READER A Rescue Story 'VE BEEN A pug guy all my life and [ss expected that to change. They're short, stocky, stubborn dogs full of attitude and, in my experi- ence, borderline untrainable. I’ve had three in my life, including our current pug, Olive, who is the most stubborn and sassy of them all. I love her for it. My life as a pug person changed a few months ago when we adopted a Boston terrier from Border Tails Res- cue outside of Chicago. This was all new to me. I’ve never had any dog other than a pug. I've never adopted a rescue or an adult dog. The vet- erinarian guessed her to be between 3 and 5 years old. She was skinny and nervous and, from what we could tell, had never seen stairs or been walked on a leash before. Sudden movements made her cower or jump. We named her Franny. My kids have already added a string of nick- names, including Ms. Fran, Franna Banana and the Queen of Af- Franistan. It took some NOVEMBER 2022 | RD.COM Olive (left) was not initi about Franny’s joining the family. time, but she adjusted to a pampered life around our home, napping in the sun, running through the house with the kids and snoring in our bed. (Who knew there was a dog that snored louder than a pug?) Franny needs constant love and attention and there are plenty of people here to provide it. We love Franny, and she has altered our home in so many positive ways. This month we're looking at the other type of animal rescue: animals helping humans. In “Hero Pets” (page 48) we pull together incredible true stories of heroic animals, from the pit bull that fought off a shark (yes, a shark) to the squirrel (yes, a squir- rel) that fought off a burglar. Read it and then be sure to give your own pets an extra treat or two. They might just save your life someday. Jason Buhrmester, CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER Write to meat letters@rd.com. FROM TOP: COURTESY JASON BUHRMESTER. TMB STUDIO/MARK DERSESCIENCE-BASED NUTRITION AND NUTRIENTS TO SUPPORT IMMUNE HEALTH Bee PROTEIN —nsu ve WITH NUTRIENTS TO HELP MAX PROTEIN SUPPORT SUPPLY SUSTAIN AANGTON A) wAUNECEUs AV gq HEAT eee MILK CHOCOLATE Fad 150 | 25 vitamins | 15, HOW NUTRIENTS SUPPORT OSU (abries | & Minerals | Tollfat IMMUNE SYSTEM HEALTH 1 Zinc helps SUPPORT IMMUNE VITAMINS? FUNCTION through syathesisofnew immune cells and antioxidants" help protect cells from oxidative damage. Protein helps SUPPLY FUEL AND BUILDING BLOCKS FOR IMMUNE CELLS. Vitamins A, C, and D help SUSTAIN HEALTHY SKIN AND TISSUE in the mouth; stomach, intestines, and respiratory system. | fia So AVAILABLE IN 7 DELICIOUS FLAVORS: IM Choclte, French venilCreamy Soren See aera ate aris onlcat Ma nt SON oi ae eee eee osREADER'S DIGEST 6 LETTERS NOTES ON Past Issues Ree So That’s Why We Say That I'ma word puzzle and game junkie, so you can imagine how I enjoyed your Genius is- sue (September). 1 do my crossword puzzles in ink, and learned so much from the arti- cles on word origins: ones that are out of fashion, acronyms, regional and all the oth- ers. Thank you—and happy 100th birthday! —JANETTE BORST Overland Park, KS The Great 9/11 Maritime Rescue I was overjoyed at the article about civilian boats that evacuated New Yorkers on 9/11 (September). I'm always shocked that most are unaware of it. Even when I visited the 9/11 Memorial Museum, I couldn’t find mention. Thanks for highlighting the heroism of these wonderful people. —BRUCELLE WILLIAMSON Lakewood, CA NOVEMBER 2022 My Favorite Word The list of readers’ favorite words (Septem- ber) brought tears as Iremembered mine. My grandmother had a stroke, and “show” was all she could say. Show meant “love you, Lori.” It meant “I’m feeling OK or sad or lonely” We had whole conver- sations and could still understand each other with just one precious word. —LORI SCIAME Maricopa, AZ My Southern Accent, Lost and Found As Becca Andrews confirms (September), a voice is more than just how we speak. I grew up in North Carolina and was later hired to broadcast the weather in Elko, Nevada. But I never learned to say cloudy or fifty without my drawl. It came out “Claowdy with a fiuffty percent chance of rain.” The South will never quite disappear from my voice. And that suits me just fine. —CAROLE MODLIN Lawrenceburg, IN The Enduring Delight Rachel del Valle’s ode (September) reminded me of an essay contest Iwon in my youth on why our town needed anew library. My prize was any book of my choosing. My dad said, “Pick a dictionary. You'll use it for the rest of your life.” Sixty years later, I still reference it. —BARBARA ADAMCIK Freemansburg, PA ‘TMs STUDIOKAREN MATTHES 13 Things Your Airbnb facts (July/ August) didn't mention the negative impacts on residential areas. My low-key, friendly subdi- vision was never meant to bea “destination” for short-term renters. It’s totally the opposite of what attracted me in the first place. —L.W. viard.com Everyday Heroes How wonderful to read about the producer who realized the wrong man had been locked up ina real-life case he was adapting for the big screen, then spent his own resources to help release the man (Sep- tember). Too often an innocent person is pun- ished for a crime they didn’t commit. It’s nice to have clear evidence that the world is good because of the inspiring people who live in it. —JOYCE CONNORS Red Lion, PA How to Learna Language as an Adult The article on learning a language (September) reminded me of a din- ner we shared with a German family. Eager to show off his skills, my husband conversed in English and German. At one point, the son ob- served, “Papa, the more wine he drinks, the bet- ter German he speaks!” — PATRICIA AUMAN Boca Raton, FL Instead of Going to College, | Read These Books Instead of attending college (July/August), I read just one book: Your Tales of Great Luck Luck isn’t just for the Irish. Sometimes, it’s just being in the right place at the right time, or cashing in well-earned karma. Maybe you have a tried-and-true good-luck charm or ritual, like a lucky rabbit’s foot or a touchdown dance. If you have ever struck it rich, rolled the dice or benefited from an unbelievable coincidence, see terms and try your luck at rd.com/lucky. Your story might appear in Reader's Digest—fingers crossed! Letters The American Radio Relay League Hand- book for Radio Com- munications. It helped me build my ham ra- dio station and pre- pare for the Federal Communications Commission's com- mercial radio license exam, leading to a rewarding career in broadcast engineering. —JIM PARKINSON Tontitown, AR World of Good The world might be a better place if every sta- dium was built near a children’s hospital like the University of Iowa's football arena, where fans wave at patients during games (Septem- ber). Thanks for sharing a fun college sports fact. —JEFF DICKERSON Mount Tabor, NJ Ro.com 7OUR MISSION: ae Ree OMe GI Ne NOUS aca Precast Ia) i to help support the lives and training of more eee kee aoe uae ena PURINA rere aa DOGCHOW.COM/VETS Pen UE eRe eR ase CoRR Cea aN I De eee ecg eoWorld of GOOD REASONS TO SMILEREADER'S DIGEST 10 EVERYDAY HEROES A Few Kind Words A passerby convinces a distraught woman not to end it all By Andy Simmons T WAS 11 p.m. when Alex Con- rad saw the woman on the Main Street Bridge. She was standing by the railing, peering down at the rushing Chippewa River be- low. At her feet was what appeared to be a backpack. Maybe she’s fishing, Conrad, then 20, thought as he continued driv- ing his Mustang to his home a short distance away. His friend’s car had broken down, so Conrad was mak- ing a quick pit stop to grab some tools before heading out to help. Tools in hand, he climbed into his car. Instead of taking a shortcut, though, he opted to head back over the bridge. Something about that woman didn’t sit right. Why would NOVEMBER 2022 | RD.COM she be fishing this late at night—in May, when it's still cold in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin? As he crossed the quarter-mile- long bridge, Conrad saw the woman standing in the same spot. He pulled a U-turn and parked on a diagonal some 20 feet away with his hazards flashing, blocking one of the four lanes. In case there was trouble, he hoped another driver would take note and help. He stepped out of his car and got a clearer picture of the scene. The woman was in her 20s, dressed in pants and a heavy coat. What he'd thought was a backpack was in fact rope pooled by her feet. One end was tied to a bridge post. The other, around her neck. PHOTOGRAPH BY David Ellis—_— World of Good ‘Alex Conrad on | the bridge where hesaveda stranger's life aweREADER'S DIGEST “Hey, what's going on?” Conrad called out. He didn’t acknowledge the rope because he didn’t want to let on that he knew exactly what was going on. She spoke reticently, but he kept probing, eventually pulling from her that she was going through a particu- larly rough patch. She was jobless, not doing well in school—in short, life wasn’t working out as she'd hoped. “Not everything goes as planned,” agreed Conrad. He started talking about the ups and downs he'd faced in his life. As he talked, he inched closer. When she mentioned that, on top of everything else, her car had broken down, Conrad chuckled. “Well, that’s better than when my friend rolled his car,” he said. “Too much power for him.” The woman laughed. “I told a few more jokes about my friends, and the dumb things we've done, just to get her mind off stuff” he says. Conrad is a quiet guy, not given to gabbing. But for the next hour he found enough topics of conver- sation to keep the woman engaged and even laughing. She grew comfort- able enough to let him get within a few feet of her. Then a switch seemingly went off. Without warning, she climbed onto the railing. Conrad reached for her. She teetered. He threw his arms around her, hauling her down off the railing. She grabbed the railing, say- ing, “I’m not worth it” 12 NovemBer 2022 “Let go of the railing,’ Conrad said, his heart pounding, “or I'll have to yank you off, and I don’t want to hurt you” Suddenly, bright lights appeared. It was the police. Someone had reported Conrad’s car for being parked on the bridge—just as he’d hoped. The two officers took hold of the woman, then handed Conrad a knife so that he could sever the rope tethering her to the bridge. Soon, more police arrived and the woman was taken to a hospi- tal for observation. SHE GRABBED THE RAILING, SAYING, “I’M NOT WORTH IT.” Sadly, this was not the first time someone tried to end it all on one of the city’s bridges. What was unusual was what Alex Conrad did. “Usually, at best, we have someone see something odd and call us later,” says police Lt. Brian Micolichek. “It’s rare that someone gets personally involved.” One officer was so impressed by Conrad's actions that he suggested he consider a career as a police negotia- tor. Conrad declined. “You can’t win them all,” he says. “And I'd have to live with that for the rest of my life” Instead, he’s going out with a perfect record.SINCLAIR COMMUNICATIONS, LLC DBA KGAN-TV Reversing a Grave Injustice BY Andy Simmons IME HAS NOT been kind to the T gravesites of veterans in lowa City, Iowa. Many of the head- stones are weathered and covered in dirt and lichen. Others have sunk into the ground. The graves had been ne- glected, ignored. Not a fitting tribute to those who fought in America’s battles, ranging from the Civil War to more recent conflicts. Aaron Schultz, 19, first noticed their tattered state while visiting the grave of a neighbor in 2021. “They gave their lives to serve this country and I feel that needs to be honored,” Schultz told KCRG-TV news. Schultz was determined to spruce up their graves. “People think, ‘Oh this person died in 1965, so his headstone should be dirty,” he told CBS2 in east- ern Iowa. “But there's a way to clean it off and preserve it to what it was.” He bought a cleaning solution used. at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as scrapers to remove lichen and mold. He then began visiting cemeter- ies, spritzing and scrubbing until the headstones fairly gleamed. Schultz posted his handiwork on World of Good Madonna White and Aaron Schultz plant American flags near each cleaned headstone. Facebook. One person who took note was Madonna White, 67. Like Schultz, White has family members who served in the military. “Twas moved by the fact that he had felt that strongly about this,” she told the Associated Press. So, they joined forces, and soon an unlikely friend- ship blossomed between Schultz, who attends Kirkwood Community College, and White, who is retired. In between scouring and sudsing, White said, “we have great conversations about all kinds of stuff.” So far, the pair have restored more than 100 headstones. “We're gonna work on these veterans’ stones until we get them all,” White told CBS2. Schultz agreed: “It’s a good way to spend your time—doing a good deed.” Ro.com 13READER'S DIGEST LIFE IN THESE United States My kids found a stray cat in our yard and spent some time trying —> to get to know it. My 6-year-old daughter asked how to tell if it was a boy ora girl. “Well,” I said, “what does your brother have that you don’t have?” So, How’s Dating Going? Her precocious “Let’s dig deeper. What makes you use sad emoji2?” 4-year-old brother knew: “A bunk bed!” fellow passenger asked —KACY GILPIN the cruise director Williamsburg, VA what time the jewelry stores open. We had St. Thomas, in the Vir- plenty of time, he as- gin Islands, is famous | sured her. “They open for stunning and af- as soon as they hear fordable jewelry. Aday | our anchor go splash” before our cruise ship —MARK ROBERTS approached the port, a | Leonia, NJ I It happened to me: I started watching a teen show and became more invested in the parents’ plotline. —y @ROHITAKADAMBI 14 novemser 2022 | RD.com + FaceTimed her and someone whispered, “Eww, that’s him?” —@FREETHEWAVYMAN + Told a guy I had body dysmorphia and he said, “I love sci-fi!” —¥W@SOMADDYSMITH + Me: Dating is tough, lot of weirdos out there. Me ona date: So, here’s everything I know about the Jonestown massacre. —VQ@JZUx PAUL KALES/CARTOONSTOCK.COMGROVE PASHLEY/GETTY IMAGES + “He zombied me: It’s like ghosting but then the guy comes back from the dead a couple months later and hits you up.” —Y@OVERHEARDLA Other pregnant woman: I like to do yoga and an hour of cardio each day. It helps me appre- ciate the wonders of what my body is capa- ble of right now. Me: I almost suffocated while trying to put my shoes on this morning. —@SALTYMERMAIDENT Training to become a census taker, I asked my instructor, a retired U.S. marshal, if she felt funny knocking on all these strangers’ doors. No, she said, never. After all, “I used to kick them in.” —MARYANN SERRI Ridge, NY Arecent obituary re- vealed the latest illness to beware of: “Wayne Olexa, 76, of Crafton, PA, passed away on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021, World of Good after a long bout with the Steelers.” —PITTSBURGHCREMATION.COM My love language is cooking elaborate meals, screaming at ev- eryone to get out of the kitchen, then loudly an- nouncing the food was “not my best” and wait- ing for compliments. —w@LityyiLy — YOUR FUNNY TRUE story could be worth $$$. For details, go to RD.COM/SUBMIT. GIMME THAT OL TIME RELIGION! An elderly friend of mine, a staunch Baptist, told me that when she visited Las Vegas with her family, she was persuaded to try the slot machines. | asked if she said a quick prayer before playing. “Oh no,” she said. “I figured when | walked through that door, | was on my own.” —CAPERS CROSS Mount Pleasant, SC Itwas the first time my 5-year-old had been to church, and she was very excited. After what must have felt like an eternity to her waiting for the ser- vice to begin, she whis- pered in my ear, “When does God come on?” —CONNIE PINELLA Lakewood, CA Thad just purchased a painting of the Last ‘Supper when my young grandson came home. He studied it for a few minutes, then asked, “What are they doing, playing poker?” —THERESA GALLEGOS Albuquerque, NMREADER'S DIGEST We're a Match! By Cathy Free FROM THE WASHINGTON Post 1A WIMBUSH AND Susan EI- T lis have been co-workers for a decade, and while they didn’t know each other well, they had a lot in common, both working in informa- tion technology at Children’s Health- care of Atlanta and both dealing with the same medical stress at home. Their spouses each needed a kid- ney transplant, and while Wimbush could have given her husband one of hers, she wasn’t a ideal match. Ellis, meanwhile, was no match at all for her husband. 16 NovemBer 2022 One day, in the fall of 2020, the women saw each other in the of- fice restroom and started chatting, lamenting the fact that patients can wait five or more years for their name to come up on the national kidney ca- daver donor waiting list. Both women worried their husbands didn’t have that kind of time. Wimbush asked Ellis what her hus- band’s blood type was. He's type O, Ellis replied. Wimbush then said that her hus- band was type AB. ILLUSTRATION BY Jamey ChristophThe women paused for a moment and looked at each other. “I told Susan, ‘Wait a second—what are the odds that we're both going through this with our husbands at the same time and we could also be in a position to help them?'” Wimbush says. “That’s when we both knew: We had to get tested” So they did. Antibody tests revealed that each woman was an excellent match for the other's spouse. And in March 2021, seven months after that chance conversation, Tia Wimbush donated one of her kidneys to Lance Ellis, and Susan Ellis donated one of hers to Rodney Wimbush. Lance Ellis, now 42, who runs a sign company, had received a kidney from his mother in 2017, but his body rejected it in August 2019. His name was then added to the national kidney transplant waiting list. Rodney Wimbush, now 46, a high school math teacher, got on the list in 2020. After several weeks of feeling lethargic and nauseated, he’d been diagnosed with kidney failure. “It was a relief to know that we could each give one of our kidneys and get them off that cycle of dialysis and waiting,” his wife says. Christina Klein, a nephrologist and medical director of Piedmont Atlanta Hospital's kidney transplant program, says it is extremely rare for two people to propose their own paired organ exchange and actually be a match for each other. World of Gor “I’ve personally never seen this happen,’ Dr. Klein says. “When we put pairs into large databases for national paired exchange programs, some pairs wait months or even years for a compatible match.” HIS WIFE DECIDED TO BRING UP BLOOD TYPES IN THE OFFICE RESTROOM. > The couples first met a few days be- fore the surgeries when they came to the hospital for a final round of test- ing. Before that, they had chatted on FaceTime a bit. The surgeries lasted about three to four hours each and were a success, with no complications. “It’s really just a story about simple kindness,” Susan Ellis says. “For us, it started with two people just being good humans. Now we'd like to tell people they can do the same” Rodney Wimbush says he will be forever grateful that his wife decided to bring up a conversation about blood types in the office restroom. “Susan and Lance are going to come with us to North Carolina for our son’s first college football game,” his wife adds. “I guess you could say we've skipped the friendship. We're family now” THE WASHINGTON POST (JUNE 29, 2021), COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY THE WASHINGTON PosT. RD.COM od 1718 We Found a FIX HELP, HACKS & HOW TO NOVEMBER 2022 Advice to Thanksgiving Guests Just because you're not a good cook doesn’t mean you can’t contribute to the holiday spread. Rather than showing up with something store-bought (or empty-handed), think practical. There are never enough serving spoons at holiday potlucks. Or bring some paper towels or a bunch of containers for thankful guests to take home leftovers. The Pilgrims would've if they'd only known about reusable dishware. SOURCE: TASTEOFHOME.COM PHOTOGRAPHS BY K, Synold TMB sTubIoREADER’S DIGEST MONEY TECH 2 Dodge a High Annual Fee : Banish Unwanted Emails Reaping your fanciest credit card’s Between spam, marketing and rewards isn’t a certainty—but that hefty | promotions, you cannot click unsub- annual fee sure is. Ifyou haven’t taken scribe fast enough. In Gmail, go to Set- advantage or ifit’s notin the budget any- | tings> Filters and Blocked Addresses > more, downgrade to acard withalower | Createa New Filter. From there, you can (or no) annual fee under the sameissuer. | createa filter that sends all emails con- Itwon’t damage your credit the way can- | taining “unsubscribe” straight to spam, celing would, and you won’thave to pay _| saving you the work. Only real people in a fortune for a card you no longer use. your inbox! SOURCE: THEPOINTSGUY.COM SOURCE: LIFEHACKER.COM HEALTH a Elude the Flu Cold and flu viruses travel in airborne droplets (coughs, sneezes, heavy breaths) and can survive on hard, nonporous surfaces such as metal or plastic (door handles, light switches, faucets) for 24 hours. That's why when one person catches a bug, the rest of the household usually isn’t far behind. In addition to regular hand-washing, have sick parties keep a pack of disinfectant wipes in their sweatpants pockets to give those often overlooked surfaces a quick cleanup after use. Just a few mindful seconds can drastically diminish the odds of perpetuating the infection cycle. SOURCE: THEHEALTHY.COM ————ae Lil, BAKING 5 Flour Power Any bakers worth their salt should be plenty stocked up on flour for the baking season. Keep it from taking over your pantry (and lengthen its shelf life) by transferring it toa large square container and storing it in the s refrigerator. Why square? “Square ‘ containers take up 25% less space i than round ones,” says Susan Reid of King Arthur Baking. SOURCE: RD.COM Ro.com 19KLAUS VEDFELT/GETTY IMAGES, MARIA AMADOR (BUTTERFLY) We Found a Fix HOW TO Find Awe in Everyday Life We associate the emotion with rare experiences. But people in our daily lives can make us feel it too. By Elizabeth Bernstein FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL URING THE SUMMER of 2021, Beverly Wax had an experience that filled her with awe. It wasn’t a sun- set, a sweeping mountain vista or the sound of waves gently lap- ping on a beach that got to her. It was the sight of her son, Justin, lugging an 80-pound portable air con- ditioner up three flights of stairs to her Boston-area condo. Wax’s central air conditioning had conked out the day before—in the middle of a 90-plus-degree heat wave. She'd mentioned to her son that she was having trouble finding someone to come fix it quickly. He'd shown up with the new unit as a surprise. As she watched him sweat and struggle while hauling the unit up the stairs and installing it in her bedroom, Wax says she felt a wave of gratitude and appreciation for her son. “The AC touched me greatly,” says Wax, a writer and administrative as- sistant for a nonprofit that helps seniors. We're living through trying times. Almost every day, it seems, we're pre- sented with new evidence of how an- noying, inconsiderate or downright awful others can be—the people who let the door slam in your face, or the ones who put their speakerphones on in public. So it’s easy to forget that people can be awesome too. RD.COM 21READER'S DIGEST Awe is that feeling we get when something is so vast it stops us in our tracks. Often, it challenges or expands our thinking. Research shows that awe experiences decrease stress and anxi- ety and increase positive emotions and overall satisfaction in life, accord- ing to Dacher Keltner, PhD, a profes- sor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, who studies awe. It can also help our relationships, making us feel more compassionate and less greedy, more supported by and more likely to help others. WE CAN BE AWED BY THE PEOPLE GAZING BACK AT m&.° OVER ZOOM. Most of us associate awe with something rare and beautiful: nature, music or a spiritual experience. But people can trigger awe too, and not just public heroes—like first respond- ers—or famous people, such as ath- letes or astronauts. Research shows that we can be awed by our nearest and dearest—the people sitting next to us on the couch, chatting on the other end of the phone, gazing back at us over Zoom. Psychologists call this interpersonal awe. “You don't need to go into orbit, or to a museum or a national park,’ says David B. Yaden, PhD, a research fel- low at the Johns Hopkins University 22 NnovemBer 2022 School of Medi- cine’s Center for Psychedelic & Consciousness Re- search. “It’s in your home” Often, this interpersonal awe is a re- sponse to life’s big, sweeping changes, such as witnessing a baby’s first steps. For Lynn Heady, a retired educator in Nashville, Tennessee, it’s watching a friend fight ovarian cancer and still relish life. Jeffrey Davis, a business consultant in Accord, New York, says the awe he felt watching his mom re- unite with her estranged mother and take care of her as she struggled with dementia made him think more care- fully about his own relationships. Rich Melheim, an educator and publisher in Stillwater, Minnesota, says he was blown away when his father, who had Alzheimer's, suddenly remembered his name and gave him a blessing shortly before he died. But interpersonal awe happens in smaller moments, too. John Bargh, a psychologist and professor who lives in Guilford, Connecticut, said he was “truly awestruck—the jaw-dropping, mouth-open, semi-stunned effect” — by his then-5-year-old daughter while dining with her in a McDonald's a number of years ago. When she heard another child crying across the res- taurant, she grabbed the toy from her Happy Meal, walked over to the boy and handed it to him, he says. Unfortunately, we can’t make someone else behave in a way that'sawesome. But we can prime ourselves to notice it when they do—and take steps to boost the emotion’s positive effects, Here’s how: Question your assumptions. Do you believe your partner is insen- sitive or your sibling is selfish? There may be a little truth to that, but it’s never the whole tale. “The story you tell yourself gets in the way of catching people at their best,” says Marianna Graziosi, an as- sistant instructor of positive psychol- ogy at the University of Pennsylvania. To increase your chances of feeling awed by the other person, Graziosi suggests you ask yourself what's go- ing on in his or her life that you don’t know about. Can you come up with ex- amples of how that person is helping others or doing something positive? In other words, she says, “become a field scientist, like Jane Goodall.” Name awe when you see it. Blurting out “Wow, that was awesome! is a simple way to help you identify and remember a special experience. ” We Found a Fix Savor it in the moment—pay atten- tion to all the details—then tell oth- ers about it. This will reinforce your positive emotions, says Yaden. And recall it or write about it later. Stud- ies show that awe can be elicited again simply by remembering an awe experience. Thank the person who awed you. This makes the other person feel good and can give your relationship a boost. And it will help you too: Studies show that people who practice grati- tude have significantly higher levels of happiness and psychological well- being than those who don’t. After Beverly Wax’s son delivered and installed the air conditioner, she made sure he knew just how much his actions affected her. “I've learned to be grateful for the simple, daily things,” she says. And who knows? When you thank the people in your life for awing you, they just might want to do it again and again. REPRINTED BY PERMISSION OF THE WALL STREET JOURNAL (SEPT. 26, 2021), 62021 DOW JONES & COMPANY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, vVy Wordle to the Wise It hurts my feelings when Wordle hits me with “Phew!” when | get it on the last try. We COLLEEN EILEEN You’re on Wordle. I’m on my 30th attempt to guess my own password. WE@SILICONE_ANGEL Ro.com 23READER'S DIGEST We Found a Fix HUMOR in UNIFORM The service is known for meting out creative punishments. Here are a few, as witnessed by Redditors: After being caught staring at a squirrel while in formation at Officer Candidate School, one candi- date was tasked with saluting every squirrel he saw until he graduated. I saw a guy forced to slow dance with a mop for one hour. After someone screwed up on the firing range, our drill instructor made him face the mirror and yell, “You're stupid!” “I'm not stupid; you're stupid!” “No, I'm not stupid; you're stupid!” I think at some point the kid really thought he was arguing with himself. We made a private sweep all the sunshine off the sidewalks. It took him all day. During World War Il, my Uncle Oliver was serving on a ship in the South Pacific when the crew ran low on food. All the sailors had left to eat was spaghetti—morning, noon and night for an entire month. At long last, they pulled into 24 = Novemser 2022 | RD.COM Melbourne, Australia, for supplies. There, the locals greeted them with a grand feast: all-you-can- eat spaghetti. —LYNN LABONTE Granite Falls, WA — GOT A FUNNY STORY about the military or your military family? It could be worth $$$. For details, see page 2 or go to. RD.COM/SUBMIT. BILL ABBOTT/CARTOONSTOCK.COMBLOCK HEARTBURN. ALL NIGHT LONG. ONE PILL A DAY. re es Rol re ZERO ~—< HEARTBURN. “IT’S POSSIBLE WHILE TAKING PRILOSEC OTC®. USE AS DIRECTED FOR 14 DAYS TO TREAT FREQUENT HEARTBURN. UUs en sgREADER'S DIGEST FOOD» FoR Thought Eyes on the Fries BY Emily Tyra “é 0 You WANT fries with that?” For ip the average American, who eats 29 pounds of fries each year, the response to this irresistible inquiry is a resounding yes. McDonald's alone sells 9 million pounds of fries globally every day. To keep up, its U.S. supplier uses a massive fry-cutting machine that shoots potatoes through at 60 to 70 miles per hour, 24 hours a day. It's hotly debated whether fries first came from France or Belgium, but it was American soldiers during World War I who dubbed them “French.” The soldiers became smitten with the spuds in southern Belgium—where villagers fried sliced potatoes instead of fish when the River Meuse froze over—but called them French since that was the predominant language spoken. The name stuck. Long before the First World War, when Thomas Jefferson served as minister to France in the 1780s, Pa- risian street vendors started selling 26 = NoveMBeER 2022 | RD.COM fries. Monticello curators say that Jefferson returned with a prized recipe for “deep-fried pota- toes in small cuttings.” The Jeffersonian-style fry might, in fact, be considered the original curly fry: In his relative Mary Randolph’s 1824 tome, The Virginia House-Wife, she calls for cutting potatoes “in shavings round and round, as you would peel alemon.” Many chefs agree an ideal fry is achieved with a double-dunk in hot oil: The first bath forms the fries’ initial outer barrier, and the second crisps that exterior to a beautiful golden brown. Still, famed fry-makers differ in how they deep-fry: Five Guys uses peanut oil, while McD's adds “natural beef flavor” to its vegetable oil. Shake Shack now swears by a nos- talgic frozen crinkle-cut after switch- ing to a freshly made straight-cut version and agitating ardent fans. As CEO Randy Garutti told Eater, “When we sent out the Instagram of crinkle- cuts coming back, it’s to this day the most-liked thing we've ever done.” How one dips a fry alters the experi- ence. Since the rise of fast food in the 1940s, the dunker of choice has been classic ketchup, but in their likely birthplace of Belgium, fries are served with mayonnaise. In Utah, the two dips are combined into a zippy pink “fry sauce.” Or perhaps you prefer to dunk them in a chocolate milkshake, making the better question: “What do you want with your fries?” IN PHOTOGRAPH BY K, Synold TMB sTuoIoRE. 28 ADER’S DIGEST World Cup Goaaaaals! By Kevin Koczwara nale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup kicks off this month, with more than 30 teams participating. In the tournament's 92-year history, only eight countries have won: Brazil, Italy, France, Ger- many, Argentina, Spain, Uruguay and England. This year, Brazil goes in as the big favorite, with odds of 9 to 2. The host nation automatically earns an invite, though Qatar will ] THE 2022 Federation Internatio- NOVEMBER 2022 need a miracle to cinch the trophy. Their odds of winning: 250 to 1. being held in the Middle East— and during the Northern Hemi- sphere’s winter. Summer temps in Qatar regularly top 100 degrees, so for the safety of both athletes and specta- tors, organizers pushed the month- long contest out to late November, when the weather is more mild. y) THIS Is the first time the Cup is ILLUSTRATION BY Serge Bloch OASISAMUEL/SHUTTERSTOCK (BALL)A COMMITTEE 4 votes to select the World Cup host country years in advance. Since Qatar’s bid won back in 2010, the Qataris in charge of that bid have been accused of bribing for votes. They wouldn't be the first. Former FIFA official Chuck Blazer admitted to taking bribes for the 1998 World Cup in France and the 2010 tourna- ment in South Africa. URUGUAY Was the A first host—and winner—of the World Cup back in 1930. The final match played out in front of 60,000 spectators. The most recent World Cup final, held in Moscow in 2018, attracted a crowd of 78,000. An- other 1.12 billion tuned in live at home or at their local soccer bar. RUSSIA BASICALLY 5 disqualified itself from this year’s Cup. In a preliminary qualification round, the Russians had to beat at least two of the three other teams in their pool. But all three— Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic— refused to play against Russia in protest of its invasion of Ukraine. FIFA then disqualified the Russian team, an otherwise strong squad that was certainly good enough to go to Qatar. NO worRLD Cup 6 was held between 1938 and 1950 due to World War II. The 1950 tournament in Brazil featured separate East and West German squads. It wasn’t until the 1994 World Cup that Germany took part as a unified team. West Germany won in 1954. THAT 1950 Cup 7 was also the first to feature England, despite soccer being an English invention. That year, Team USA beat England 1-0, though some British newspapers reported the result as USA 1, England 10, as editors believed the real score We Found a Fix had a typo. Both sides believed it would be an easy win for England, and double-digit goals were expected. This match is considered by many as one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history. U.S. SOCCER fans 8 balked when our team failed to qualify for the 2018 Cup: The U.S. hadn't sat out since 1986. This year, we're back in, with odds to win of 80 to 1. One of our best players is Timothy Weah. He was eligible to play for a few countries, includ- ing Liberia (where his father, George Weah, is the current president), but chose his native United States. The elder Weah was a soccer star in his own right and was named the 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year. WHILE THE U.S. 9 men have never won a World Cup title, the U.S. women’s team has won four, in- cluding the previous Ro.com 29READER’S DIGEST We Found a Fix two tournaments. The first women’s World Cup started many de- cades after the men’s, in 1991. That first one was held in China, but the Americans left with the trophy. Our team is so dominant that we have won half of all the World Cups to date. The women play every four years, just like the men, but not on the same schedule. The next women’s World Cup will be held in 2023 in Australia and New Zealand. BUDWEISER IS a | major sponsor of this year’s Cup. The problem? Public drinking is outlawed in Qatar. In an attempt at compro- mise, drinks will be sold before and after the matches but not during, and they won't be allowed in stadium seating areas. Tourna- ment organizers tested similar arrangements at a 2019 preliminary match in Qatar. Bus trips from the drinking zone they set up ata separate venue to the soccer stadium where the game was taking place took more than an hour with traffic. FRANCE COULD ll become the first team to claim consecutive World Cups since 1962, when Brazil won it back to back. But the Dutch want to make their own history, having finished in the top four in four previous tournaments, then losing all three of their final matches. WHOEVER WINS, | 2 they won't get to keep the 18-karat gold trophy for long. Like hockey’s Stanley Cup, the FIFA World Cup—which de- picts two figures hold- ing up the Earth—is not reproduced for each tournament. Instead, the previous winning team passes it to the new champs. Another similarity to the Stanley Cup: The current statue is not the original. The first FIFA trophy was stolen right out of its display case at the headquarters of the Brazilian football association in Rio de Janeiro in 1983 and hasn't been seen again. so FAR, the 13 World Cup has eluded the two most famous players on the planet: Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Lionel Messi of Argentina. Both are competing this year in their fifth World Cups, but both are also in their mid-30s, which is when most players retire. This could be their last chance to hoist soccer’s most important trophy. vey Mathematic Magic 191,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321 30) NovemBer 2022 | RD.com NEWTONDESK.COMWith more sizes and a better fit, Depend Silhouette? keeps you fresh and comfortable. Get a sample at Depend.com THE ONLY THING THAN US, IS YOU~READER'S DIGEST ALL ina Day’s WORK | “790 “Your kids don’t have measles, they have athlete’s foot.” Ihad my eye on a restaurant, where gorgeous silver jacket | I paraded around for a long time and the kitchen soaking was thrilled when my up the oohs and sister bought it for me aahs. But it was our asa gift. immediately | boss who paid me threw it on and strut- what for him, a chef, ted off to my job ata was the ultimate eee ee aay Tried to type “neurodivergence,” but of course my phone remembers that ONE time I typed NEURODEEZNUTS. —¥ @HITOKAYACHIX 32+ NovemBeR 2022 | RD.cCOM compliment: “Great jacket. You look just like a baked potato.” —Ss.J. via rd.com This actual text ex- change proves that some wrong numbers turn out right: Matt: Hey Dr. Park, this is Matt from the vascu- lar lab, Ihave a patient here with an external iliac occlusion with CARTOON By Felipe Galindo EXCERPTED FROM THE BEST OF THE REJECTION COLLECTION (WORKMAN PUBLISHING) BY MATTHEW DIFFEE. COPYRIGHT © 2022.JHORROCKS/GETTY IMAGES cold foot pain and numbness that started three days ago. What should I do with her? Hannah: Hi, this is Hannah. I think you have the wrong num- ber, but I Googled it and I'm pretty sure you need to puta stent in her left radial artery, best of luck Matt! Matt: Sorry wrong number Hannah. She ended up actually get- ting a stent. Took about three hours longer for trained medical professionals to figure out what took you about five minutes, great job. Hannah: Ya hiring? —ELITEDAILY.COM After one of his second-grade flag football games ended in victory, our grand- son asked, “If the NFL drafts me, do Ihave to go?” —DALE SHOOK Fargo, ND We Found a Fix My parents come to America in search of a better life. I thank them for their sacrifices by announcing that I want to be an actor. They reply, “Oh, honey, it’s pronounced doc-tor” —Actor KAL PENN, in the book You Can't Be Serious (Simon & Schuster) — YOUR FUNNY WORK story could be worth $$$. For details, go to RD.COM/SUBMIT. WHAT TIME DOES MY BRAIN WAKE UP? Sometimes when we go ‘on vacation, we remem- ber to pack everything but our good sense. Here are a few questionable questions tour guides at vacation hot spots have had to field. + Does the sun set every night? + Are the Amish in season? + When do they turn off the waterfalls? + How many miles of undiscovered caves are there? + Why is the Closed for Cleaning sign on the restroom? + Howcomeall of the war's ¢ battles were f fought in national parks? Why don’t you have better marking in the places where trails do not exist? + + Isthat the same moon we see in Vermont? + Ifitrains, will the fireworks be held inside? + Whatis the altitude? (ona boat passing through the fjords of Alaska’s Inside Passage) ‘TRAVEL INDUSTRY OF AMERICAADVERTISEMENT (CT ctae-tlo Mie er altel Some of My Seasons Margaret Netherby www.authorhouse.com Hardback | Paperback | E-book | Audiobook $23.99 | $14.95 | $3.99 | $9.99 This is a collection of free verse and haiku poems that reflects one women’s journey through life as she learns, loves, and comes to understand her special purpose. Beating The Odds 42 Vears At The Kentucky Derby John S Sutton Jr and Amber D Sims Hardback | Paperback | E-book $31.99 | $17.99 | $3.99 Beating The Odds: 82 Years At The Kentucky Derby is an autobiography of a man who has attended 82 consecutive Kentucky Derbies and the ensuing unique lifestyle that accompanied this feat. The Ups and Downs of 4 Growing Older: Beyond Seventy Years of Living Viola B. Mecke, Ph.D., ABPP www.xlibris.com Hardback | Paperback | E-book $24.99 | $12.99 | $3.99 This book looks into the difficulties encountered by older people — the loss of health, energy, memory, social relationships, ete. — and the creative approaches they make to these life changes. Vignettes from the Twilight of Life Bruce Van Ness www.alibris.com Hardback | Paperback | E-book $28.99 | $16.99 $3.99 A treasury of memories and reminiscences of a feisty, old man who refuses to let the vagaries of old age defeat him or let the memory of his wife fade away. Mandalas Reflections From Inner Space Jan West www.authorhouse.com Paperback | E-book $22.99 $3.99 Learn how to use 40 full color mandalas to access intuitive wisdom and guidance. Step into your sacred center and become your most magnificent self A Greater Foundation for Machine Learning Engineering cat Beyond in ‘and Python Dr. Ganapathi Pulipaka www.xlibris.com Hardback | Paperback | E-book $100.99 | $73.99 | $49.99 This book delyes into the machine intelligence frameworks to break the data science open and recommend the ensemble of best practices and features available in the frameworks. TaitREADER’S DIGEST. HEALTHY WELLNESS FROM THEHEALTHY.COM, a lifelong curse FROM THE BOOK REVERSE DIABETES ILLUSTRATIONS BY James Steinberg HERE'S ONE WORD medical re- Ae searchers rarely utter about diabetes: cure. Yet that’s exactly the word researchers from the Diabe- tes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT) recently used to describe the outlook for people with type 2 diabetes. This ongoing study of hundreds of people with diabetes has revealed that a pow- erful cocktail of lifestyle approaches can help drive diabetes into remis- sion, meaning blood sugar remains in the healthy range without medication. The recommended lifestyle changes RD.COM | NOVEMBER 2022 35READER’S DIGEST The Healthy probably aren’t nearly as drastic as you're thinking. But the results will be. Here are some areas to target: Food: Smarter Carbs and Fat, More Protein and Veggies The old thinking about diabetes and diet could be summed up in two words: Avoid sugar. While it’s still smart to eat less of the sweet stuff, other dietary tweaks are proving just as powerful. Instead of banning foods, think about adding nourishing foods that can help steady blood sugar lev- els. Fill your plate with: propuce. Research finds that people who eat three servings of fruit per day cut the risk for developing type 2 diabetes by 18%. Every daily serving of leafy green vegetables—such as lettuce, spinach and broccoli—may lower risk by another 9%. Fruits and vegetables tend to be rich in fiber, which helps slow digestion, providing gradual and even rises in blood sugar while curbing appetite. And produce comes packed with antioxidants, vita- mins and minerals, which are thought to help ease the insulin resistance that drives diabetes. mar PROTEINS. Highly processed and fatty meats have been linked to an increased risk of diabetes, whereas leaner, minimally processed options such as chicken breast, seafood, beans and low-fat Greek yogurt help to lower your risk. smart cares. Minimally processed whole foods can be your best friends. 36 = NovemseR 2022 Think sweet potatoes, brown rice, beans, lentils and corn, among other foods. In contrast, highly processed carbs such as white bread and sugar- sweetened foods digest quickly, send- ing blood sugar soaring. smart Fars. A diet high in monoun- saturated fat can help people with type 2 diabetes control their A1C, a measure of blood sugar, and also their weight, according to a study at the University of Cincinnati. Nuts, avoca- dos and olive oil are all top sources of monounsaturated fat. Unlike artery- clogging saturated fat (found in full- fat dairy and in meats) and trans fat (the fat in many snacks and fast foods), “monos” appear to fight heart disease. Replacing “bad” fats with the monounsaturated variety combats insulin resistance, a key metabolic problem at the core of type 2 diabetes. Movement: Revving Your Metabolic Engine In people with type 2 diabetes, the body has become less responsive to insulin, and the cells remain “locked up” to glucose, leaving it to build up in the blood. Exercise encourages the body to become more sensitive to in- sulin. Hardworking muscle cells that desperately need glucose will go to extreme measures to get it, producing chemicals that lower their resistance to the hormone. Reams of studies show that regular exercise has other benefits too, in- cluding improving hemoglobin A1Clevels, lowering triglycerides and cho- lesterol, and slowing the development of diabetes-related complications such as peripheral neuropathy, the nerve damage that can lead to numb- ness and pain. You don’t have to work out for as long as you may think to see results. The Look AHEAD (Action for Health in Diabetes) trial—one of the largest randomized trials evaluating physi- cal activity and diabetes—found that people who moved for 175 minutes a week improved weight loss and blood sugar control, and reduced blood pressure and cholesterol. That's just 25 minutes of exercise a day. And it doesn’t have to be done all at once. Sprinkling activity throughout your day, such as taking short walks 6 j ¢ “ae after meals, helps to blunt the post- meal rise in blood glucose, insulin and triglycerides. Want to lower your blood sugar even more? Most experts recommend adding strength training to your rou- tine. Resistance training builds mus- cle, which helps to improve blood sugar control and decreases insulin resistance. Weight: Drop a Little, Reverse A Lot Excess weight carries the risk of many health problems, and abdominal fat is particularly harmful. The extra fat within and around your liver can boost glucose production, making A1C numbers jump. In the pancreas, excess fat hinders the function of beta Ro.com 37READER'S DIGEST cells, which make insulin. This new understanding of how abdominal fat interacts with blood sugar means that physicians now see weight manage- ment as one of the most important pillars of diabetes treatment and prevention. The great news: It takes only a small amount of fat loss to turn blood sugar problems around. According to the DiRECT trial, for many people weighing more than 200 pounds, dropping about 10% of their body weight was enough to drive diabetes into remission. Other research has shown that even smaller changes on the scale—as little as 5% of your body weight—can dramati- cally improve blood sugar levels. Of course, there are other lifestyle changes that can also help reverse diabetes. Controlling stress, for exam- ple, is important since elevated stress levels can raise blood sugar even in the absence of other unhealthy be- haviors. Getting enough sleep can help keep AIC levels in check. Your lifestyle can be a powerful treatment for diabetes—perhaps even more powerful than medication. And best of all, it’s something that’s completely under your control. AND UPDATED, COPYRIGHT © 2023 BY TRUSTED ADVERTISEMENT CONNECTIONS NCTM Le ORME MN RICO E SUPER COZY COMFORTS Feel the cozy in Skechers* GO LOUNGE"— delightfully furry and cushioned slippers with Skechers Memory Foam’, Perfect for indoors and out Skechers.com MAY WE BORROW YOUR BRAIN? Answer quick polls, share ideas and help our editors with article topics. Join Trusted Media Brands Inner Circle community and have the chance to win prizes just for participating. TMB cikcte Go to TMBinnercircle.com to see if you qualify.The Healthy APS DON’T Just feel amaz- N ing—they are amazing. A study published in the journal Heart found a link between healthy napping and a lowered risk of heart disease. The American Psychological Associa- tion points out that naps can improve memory, learning capacity, immune system function and mood. Sara Mednick, PhD, a cognitive neu- roscientist at the University of Califor- nia, Irvine, and author of The Power of the Downstate, explains that when you fall asleep, your body moves through stages that each play a role in health. Stage 1: the “dozing off” period Stage 2: muscles, heart rate and brain activity slow down Stage 3: deep, restorative sleep Stage 4: REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, when brain activity increases and you're most likely to dream. Ideal napping times are based around this four-stage cycle. The 20-minute nap Between 20 and 30 minutes is one napping sweet spot, according to Mednick, who explains that you get enough Stage 2 sleep to switch your body and mind into full relaxation mode, aiding with memory. The 60-minute nap Stage 3 sleep is a time for your body to repair tissue, fortify the immune sys- tem and recharge energy stores. But waking up during this phase can make you feel groggy, Mednick says. Most people start to move out of Stage 3 af- ter around 60 minutes, which makes it a good time to set your alarm. The 90-minute nap A complete sleep cycle is about an hour and a half, and napping for a full cycle can have big benefits. But naps longer than 90 minutes can interfere with nighttime sleep and might even impair memory retention, according to a study in the Journal of the Ameri- can Geriatrics Society. Not a regular napper? That’s OK. “Everyone needs to rest, but not ev- eryone necessarily needs to nap,’ says Mednick. RD.COM | NOVEMBER 2022 39READER’S DIGEST The Healthy News FROM THE WORLD OF MEDICINE By Mark Witten RUN OFF CANCER RISK Exercise has been known to reduce the risk of developing many forms of cancer. Now, a British study has identified one reason why. Physical activity, it turns out, causes a cancer-fighting protein called interleukin-6 (IL-6) to be released into the bloodstream, where it can repair cells and slow tumor growth. Study participants at higher risk of colon cancer had larger amounts of IL-6 in their blood after cycling for 30 minutes than they did while resting. The conclusion: Regular exercise—such as walking, cycling or playing sports—can lower colon-cancer risk by about 20%, a finding researchers believe applies to other cancers as well. 40 NovemBer 2022 | RD.coM Why We Need More Female Cardiologists According to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, women with heart disease ended up in the hospi- tal less often and had a lower chance of pre- mature death if their cardiologist was also a woman. Their male counterparts generally underestimated stroke risk in female patients and were less likely to prescribe intensive drug treatment for high cholesterol and high blood pressure, leading to poorer outcomes. One reason is that fe- male doctors spend more time with pa- tients on average and are better at picking up on subtle cues—light- headedness or brief episodes of shortness of breath, for in- stance—from female patients. Additionally, female cardiologists may be more likely to recognize symptoms that present more in continued on page 42 NICK FERRARIFlex your antioxidant muscles. ee aie Tee re e The Antioxidant Superpower, POM Wonderful, has 700 mg of polyphenol Cera reste oN ALN a coy Nol tele MIMIC Cota mood oll elo the next time you hit the gym. (© 2021 POM Wonderful LLC. All Rights Reserved. POM, POM WONDERFUL, ANTIOXIDANT SUPERPOWER, the accompanying logos, Pinte Sele ie eee el ecce noma eC DoearsREADER’S DIGEST The Healthy women than they do in men, such as in- digestion and back pain. But in the US., women make up only 13% of working cardiol- ogists. To combat this phenomenon, re- searchers recommend encouraging more women to specialize in cardiology and also suggest increasing gender-specific educa- tion in cardiology training. Eat Cranberries for Your Heart A British study found that eating the equiva- lent of 100 grams of cranberries (about half a cup) every day fora month increased blood flow and prevented stiffening of the arter- ies. So don’t skip these red gems when filling your holiday plate! 42 NOVEMBER 2022 | RD.COM HOW TO FILL UP YOUR DOWNTIME Everyone wants more time to unwind, but research has shown that too much unstruc- tured time isn’t good for us because it can instill a sense of lone- liness. According to a Penn State study, a good counterbalance is engaging in chal- lenging activities that demand creativity and concentration. In the study, people who made time for pastimes such as painting or playing the piano were less likely to feel lonely than those who did not. And loneliness isn’t just a state of mind; it’s a leading cause of depression and triples the risk of developing dementia. Help for an Achilles Injury Aruptured Achilles tendon is often reat- tached with surgery, but that’s not the only option. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that patients who skipped surgery in favor of rehab therapy had similar outcomes in terms of regaining their strength and jumping ability. The difference between the two treatments, then, is the risk. Researchers showed that patients who underwent sur- gery were more likely to sustain nerve inju- ries related to the procedure, whereas rehab patients had a higher chance of re-rupture. Any surgery comes with the addi- tional risks of excessive bleeding, infection and blood clots, so if you have the misfor- tune to rupture your Achilles, talk to a spe- cialist about going the rehab route. [ADAM SMIGIELSKI/GETTY IMAGES (CRANBERRIES). CHRISAT/GETTY IMAGES (PAINT PALETTE)FAST, POWERFUL RELIEF FOR PEOPLE WITH HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE Headacre, ioe Erin eo eezing, cry Nese Did you know some ordinary cold & flu medicines can raise your blood pressure?” DayQuil & NyQuil HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE provide powerful relief for your worst oe ee uence eer can chia ek gies fae otis *MEDICINES WITH NASAL DECONGESTANT MAY RAISE BLOOD PRESSURE, BUT NYQUIL HBP & DAYQUIL HBP Poteet ace totter fete 0READER'S DIGEST LAUGHTER THE BEST Medicine I'm teaching my kids to read to help them succeed in school. I'm teaching my kids to read because it’s quality time spent together. But most of all I’m teaching my kids to read so ba AY) SN they won't ask “What Pe does XJ49PB2 spell?” every time we pass another car on the road. AParisian, a Londoner | “I take zee sword.” —wW@HENPECKEDHAL and a New Yorker are The chief gives him a captured by cannibals | sword, he says “Vive Democracy is like a and told that they’re la France!” and stabs tambourine—not to be eaten and their himself. everyone can be skins used to build The Londoner says, trusted with it. a canoe. “But,” says “Right, a pistol for me.” —JOHN OLIVER, on the chief, “you getto The chief hands him Last Week Tonight choose how you die” _| a pistol. “God save the with John Oliver The Parisian says, queen!” he says and shoots himself. The New Yorker says, The closest I’ve ever come to “Gimme a fork” The ae a chief is puzzled, but he winning the lottery is finding a gives him a fork. The rogue onion ring in my fries. New Yorker starts jab- —Y@PRUFROCKLUVSONG bing himself all over 44 novemser 2022 CARTOON BY © Dave Blazek « LoosePartsComic.comCHESNOT/GETTY IMAGES with the fork, yelling, “This is what I think of your @#!$%A& canoe!” —unBanoicTioNary.com Ifrock bands ran the country, here are the departments they'd run: Joint Chiefs of Staff: Motley Criie Mission to the United Nations: Foreigner Environmental Protection Agency: Green Day Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Canned Heat National Transportation Safety Board: Crash Test Dummies U.S. Patent Office: The The B-52s Amtrak: Grand Funk Railroad —ROGER DEAS 5577 Tutwiler, MS Ateenager brings her new boyfriend home to meet her parents. They're appalled by his piercings, the vulgar The Healthy slogan on his T-shirt “Tf he wasn’t nice, and his constant would he be doing cursing. 500 hours of commu- Later, the girl asks nity service?” her mother, “So, what RICHMOND REGISTER did you think?” — “He doesn’t seem GOT A FUNNY JOKE? very nice.” It could be worth $$$. “Oh, please, Mom!” | For details, go to page 2 says the daughter. or RD.COM/SUBMIT. REASONS MY KID’S BARBIE IS INCREASINGLY RELATABLE AS | APPROACH MIDDLE AGE + Although she hardly ever leaves the house, one of her high-heeled shoes is always missing. + The one sustainable, non-polyester item in her wardrobe is a sweater Grandma knitted. + Every time youngsters manipulate her into doing some exercise, her joints make this weird clicking sound. + Her so-called Dream House still has some structural issues. of the box and did not + “The Robot” is her live up to any of the pub- signature dance move. licity material. In fact, it’s her only + Her husband was last dance move. seen gathering dust in + Her camping equip- the garage. ment has been used —ANNA POOK once since it came out in McSweeney's Ro.com 45=> 8 3 4 Tock I /i iggly stretch of road swerves T along the northernmost tip of this peninsula, sometimes referred to as the “thumb” of the state. Dotted with lighthouses and scenic in any season, the area is covered in cherry blossoms in spring. In summer, Washington Is- land—the largest and most visited of the 35 named islands off the main pen- insula—turns a stunning purple from all its lavender fields before a more autumnal palette takes over the land- scape. Where is it? (Answer on PAGE 107.) @ Cape Charles, Virginia © Keweenaw County, Michigan @ Cape Cod, Massachusetts © Door County, Wisconsina may * ii =: Au rs Vay aE) YOUR TRUE AtiREADER’S DIGEST Cover Story DARBY PIT BULL FIGHTS OFF SHARK (YES, SHARK!) TO SAVE HIS OWNER By Bill Hangley Jr. EVERYONE WANTED|A/PiECE) of the dog that got a piece of the shark. “I got emails from people in Russia. One guy offered me a hundred euros. Another guy found me at work and offered me $575 ‘cash right now. I said, ‘Keep walking, buddy,” James White says of the offers he got for his dog, Darby. “Tt got to the point where I started saying, ‘No, no, no, that’s not me.” When White, a 43-year-old security agent from Rohnert Park, California, snagged the pit bull puppy in 2018, Darby was just another four-legged lug: young, friendly, playful, strong as an ox. Then, in the summer of 2019, came Darby's date with destiny. White was fishing in Northern Cali- fornia’s Bodega Bay. He left Darby, then a year old and 100 pounds, to chill in the parked car, windows down, while he cast his line a few yards away. The fish weren’t biting, White recalls, until, suddenly, they were. At first, White thought he had hooked a stingray. But as he reeled it in, he realized it was a sevengill shark, about 6 feet long. Not uncommon, but still dangerous. “Their teeth are gnarly”” White says. He brought it close and carefully un- hooked it, expecting it to swim away. It didn’t. The shark clamped down on his ankle. “All of a sudden there was blood ev- erywhere,” says White. He yelled for help, hoping the fish- ermen down the beach could hear. But they didn’t seem to know what was going on. Fortunately, Darby did. He hurled himself out of the car and down the embankment toward the water. He ran right up to the shark and sank his teeth into its gills. “That just made the shark bite down harder) White says. Darby backed off, then regrouped and latched on to the shark’s tail. The shark released its grip, and White PREVIOUS SPREAD, TMB STUDIO: PHOTOGRAPH K. SYNOLD, PROP STYLIST EMIKO FRANZEN. THIS PAGE: COURTESY JAMES WHITECOURTESY KATHLEEN WANAMAKER managed to push it into shallow water, where it swam off. “The whole thing took less than a minute,” White says—but it left plenty of damage. White was able to stop the bleeding and get to a hospital, where he learned that an artery was punc- tured and nearly severed. That would’ve been the end of it, had Darby’s story not gone viral. White was contacted by NBC News and CNN. That's when the countless cash offers started to come in. But the big dog was not for sale. He had another job to do. At the time of the attack, White lived with his parents, James Sr. and Pam. When White’s mother passed in early 2022, Darby and James Sr. be- came inseparable. Being James Sr’s best buddy has been Darby's greatest gift to the family. “We were worried. Sometimes when one parent goes, the other can get re- ally depressed. But I know that Darby's here, so I don’t worry,” says White. Today, White's shark bite is long healed, but Darby (aka the House Hippo) is a bigger hero than ever. “All he wants is to be surrounded by his humans,” says White. “If my dad makes a hamburger, Darby gets a hamburger, with a bun. That's his best day. He's got it made. “Pit bulls have a bad reputation, but they'll give their life to save yours,” White says. “Someone could offer me a million dollars for him, and I wouldn't take it” ‘i , Ys < we Saw e Pad STORIES SALLY & PUNSEY One morning, my daugh- ter’s fiancé, Jeremy, grabbed breakfast from the freezer. Soon after, our dog, Sally, came to his side, whimper- ing and pacing until he followed her to the kitchen. She pawed and yelped at the freezer door—but she wasn’t begging for food. Jeremy opened the freezer door and found our kitten, Punsey, lying cold and limp on the low metal shelf. Pun- sey must’ve gotten curious and snuck in while Jeremy’s back was turned. Jeremy wrapped Punsey ina thick towel and held him against his chest until he warmed up and began moving. Good thing Sally was looking out for her little buddy. KATHLEEN WANAMAKER Fayetteville, NC RD.COM | NOVEMBER 2022 51READER’S DIGEST Cover Story 52 UR TRUE Mert LULU THE DIVA Our beloved heifer Lulu was a total diva. She was a food hog anda troublemaker, but also a great as- set because she was the lead cow when the herd moved pastures. Cows like to follow a leader, and Lulu liked to lead! One summer, a wildfire broke out. While evacuating, we could barely see through the smoke or hear over the roar of the flames, but we knew that if Lulu could hear us, she'd come. My husband could NOVEMBER 2022 | RD.COM see Lulu looking around bewil- dered but trying to prevent a stam- pede. He ventured into the smoke together attention. A few minutes later, Lulu and my husband emerged, leading our bull and 25 heifers to a safe pasture. Ifshe hadn’t been there to calm and lead the others, they would've panicked and scattered. Our sassy little heifer kept the herd together and likely saved many of their lives. —JEANINE CONNELLY Whitney, NE COURTESY JEANINE CONNELLYWASHINGTON POST PHOTO BY JOHN KELLY A TRAPPED NEIGHBOR WAS AFRAID NO ONE WOULD HEAR HER CRIES FOR HELP. MILO DID. By John Kelly FROM THE WASHINGTON POST MILONSIAJRESCUEIDOG)| adopted by 20-year-old Makayla Swift. But the beagle is also a rescuer. One morning in November 2021, Swift opened her front door in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Milo took off running. Milo ran to the house across the street. He seemed unsatisfied with this house, so he ran to the one next door, Swift on his tail. “He started scratching on the front door” Swift says. “I'm thinking, ‘Why is he literally trying to break into her house?’” She was embarrassed. Not everyone wants a strange dog on their property. But as she tried to drag Milo away, she could hear a sound coming through an open upstairs window. It was a voice yelling “Help!” Hours earlier, around 4 a.m., Sherry Starr had risen from her bed. “All of a sudden, standing there between the toilet and the tub, I slipped,” she says. “I went down—hard—on the tile floor.” Starr is 85. She was stuck. “I could not move at all,” says Starr, who was wedged between the toilet and the tub. Starr was scared. “I’m thinking: I’m just going to die here,’ she says. Her best bet, she decided, was to listen for the letter carrier in the af- ternoon and scream like the dickens. For the next few hours, Starr practiced yelling: “Help! Help! Hellllp!” “Her voice was very faint,” says Swift. “You had to be right at the front door to hear Mrs. Starr yell for help.” Unless you were Milo the beagle, who apparently heard Starr the in- stant Swift opened her own front door. Swift called 911. Paramedics thought they’d have to remove the toilet to dislodge Starr, but they gave one last pull—and out she popped. Though bruised and battered, Starr declined a trip to the hospital. Swift has known her share of dis- tress. Two years ago, her mother died. She says Milo has helped her with her grief. “That dog is a bless- ing” she says. THE WASHINGTON POST (NOV. 17, 2021), COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY THE WASHINGTON POST.READER’S DIGEST Cover Story CHARLIE A FAMILY OF DUCKLINGS WAS STRANDED. HE SAVED THEM ALL. By Derek Burnett JORGEISERRANO|ANDIAIS) dog Charlie were strolling through a park in Cor- nelius, North Carolina, when they heard a commotion near the pond. It was a duck, sounding distress quacks from an overflow drain in the center of the water. Across the street, about 150 feet away, a small crowd had gath- ered at the drain’s exit. Five ducklings had swum too close and had been sucked in by the drain’s current. You could hear their frantic peeps from the pipe’s mouth. The pipe was less than 2 feet in diameter. Serrano would never fit. But Charlie ... “He’ll do anything you ask him to do,’ says Serrano. “He'll deliver news- papers when he walks by somebody's house. Or he'll carry flowers to some- body if you ask him to do it.” Charlie peered into the pipe, listen- ing intently. “Go get the duckies,” Serrano said. The tunnel was dark, dirty and scary. Charlie took a few steps into the unknown. He turned back with a look that said, “Just what are you asking me to do here?” “Go in and get the duckies,’ Serrano repeated. Charlie faded out of sight, return- ing a few seconds later with a muddy stick covered in cobwebs. He handed it hopefully to Serrano. “Duckies,” said Serrano. This time, the message went through. Charlie strode into the cold, dark pipe. His footfalls faded. Serrano got nervous. What if Charlie got lost or stuck? But the flat-coated retriever did what he does best—retrieved. Min- utes later, he emerged, gently holding a duckling in his mouth. Serrano ap- plauded him, then sent him back in. Five times, Charlie ventured into the tunnel, carrying the ducklings out one by one. Cheering onlookers reunited the baby ducks with their mother. “T'd like to take credit for training him, but really, he’s just a smart guy that wants to please,” says Serrano. Talk about some lucky ducks. g g & g 3 a 3 z 3 3 8 3 3 3 g i 3 3 é 3 3 g 3 3