Table of contents for April 2015 in Reader's Digest

WHEN MY BROTHER and I were kids, we shared a bedroom, where we’d sleep like logs and rise at first light, ready for action. But as an adult, my brother worked the night shift, and his circadian rhythm adapted accordingly. Last summer, he and I went on a fishing trip and shared quarters again. It was then I saw how living in darkness had affected him greatly. After a day on the lake, I would hit the sack around midnight, while he would stay up and read. When I awoke before sunrise, he would already be moving about and eager to catch trout. We would come back to the cottage around 11 a.m. for something to eat, and that was when the fatigue would hit him. After a small meal,…

In late January, a heartfelt thank-you note was sent to Dominique Lafond, one of our freelance photographers. The daughter of our June 2014 cover subject, Cpl. Clément Gosselin, a Second World War veteran, wrote the letter. She graciously agreed to let us share it with you: Hello Dominique, Up until now, I didn’t know who had taken the beautiful photo of my father that appeared on the cover of last June’s Reader’s Digest. Your portfolio featured two photos of my dad, one of which I had never seen. Your photo caused quite the commotion among our family members and friends: they praised it non-stop. And I’m sure there were dozens (hundreds?) of different shots! You know, Klem (as we called my father) was a photographer during the war. He never…

Want to know how I know I’m a real adult now? I got on the bus, and the driver was a gal much younger than me. I had so many questions, like “What year were you born?” and “You know how to drive?” But the only thing that came out, in a low creepy voice, was, “How’d you get a job?” Check out Hennessey’s web series at goodbyesara.com. NOT ONLY DO I FLOSS a lot before going to the dentist, I get a cleaning from a whole other dentist. @BECCA_KOHLER I CONGRATULATED MYSELF once again as I gently watered the cactus on my windowsill. It was still alive— unlike the other plants I had tried to nurture, long since departed. I picked it up to admire it more closely. Only…

Reconciliation isn’t about Canada’s view about it; it’s about the indigenous peoples’ view about it. Author and activist JEANNETTE ARMSTRONG, in The Globe and Mail Being a good collaborator means being open to reinterpretation and being open to an organic process. Illustrator JILLIAN TAMAKI, in the National Post May I suggest we abandon connection technologies and reconnect with the living world whenever possible. Singer LOREENA MCKENNITT, in Maclean’s People feel the presence of commitment, and it’s very contagious. I’m not the kind of person who is about to accept the middle ground. That’s why I don’t like to make records that much anymore: because they really hurt me. I’m not 20 years old. Plenty of producers are out there breezing in and out of projects; they do terrible work and…

Pre-Teeth Use a soft baby brush or wrap your finger in a clean, damp washcloth. Brush or wipe all parts of the gums and teeth. Don’t use toothpaste until your child has teeth. Under 3 For children under 3 years old, an adult should brush and floss their teeth. Use only a rice-sized amount of toothpaste (making sure your child spits it out). Otherwise, use a toothbrush moistened with water. Ages 3 to 6 For children between 3 and 6, an adult should help them brush and floss. Use a pea-sized amount of fluoridated toothpaste. Make sure your child spits out the toothpaste. Check Their Teeth Check your child’s teeth at least once a month for signs of decay: dull white spots, lines on the teeth near the gums, or…

YOU MAY THINK THAT A LITTLE BLOOD WHEN BRUSHING OR FLOSSING IS HARMLESS. Perhaps you brushed a bit too hard—it’s just an occasional pink in the sink. And it doesn’t hurt, so it’s not something to worry about, right? Actually, bleeding gums are often an early warning sign of gum disease. REVERSE EARLY GUM DISEASE BEFORE IT GETS SERIOUS The solution for bleeding gums isn’t brushing more gently or using a toothbrush with softer bristles. You have to do more to clean your mouth and kill the germs that cause early gum disease. Here’s how: BRUSH. Brush your teeth twice a day. Wait at least 20 minutes after eating before brushing. FLOSS. Floss at least once a day. Make sure you floss both sides of each tooth, including the backs…

IF YOU’RE EVER TEMPTED to skip the nightly tooth brushing, remember this: your mouth is the natural environment for dozens of species of bacteria. Most of them are harmless or helpful, but some are trying to set up house on your teeth by forming the thin, pale biofilm we call plaque. Brushing your pearly whites—as only 73 per cent of Canadians do the recommended two times a day—removes plaque. But if it manages to survive for more than two or three days, plaque will harden into tartar, which can only be cleared out by a professional. If you haven’t visited the dentist in the past year, your odds of having gingivitis—a mild form of gum disease caused by plaque and tartar— are about one in two. The signs are subtle,…

1 Had a terrible sleep? Get someone to lie to you. It’s the ultimate mind trick. A paper published last year in the Journal of Experimental Psychology showed that when students were told they got a good sleep, even if they didn’t, they performed better on tests than those who were advised their slumber was truly subpar. 2 Sleep machines won’t damage your hearing— or your baby’s A controversial study from Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children released last year identified white-noise machines as a possible cause for hearing loss in infants. And while results showed potential for damage, researchers found that little ears were at risk only if a machine was turned up to maximum and placed in close proximity to the infant. Nothing dialing down the volume and leaving…

THE LOBSTER I’M ABOUT to eat is male. I know this because I’ve earned a degree in lobster eating the Acadian way. My professor is Captain Ron Cormier, who’s ferrying me to Shediac. Admittedly, I’m a very recent graduate—I landed in New Brunswick only three hours ago and was on-board this boat within minutes. I’m feeling like an expert, though. To eat a lobster like a real Acadian, you have to start with a claw. You lift it to your lips and suck out the salty brine from the joint between the slicer and the grinder—the perfect appetizer to the juicy flesh you’re about to pry out. Repeat with the other claw, and then go right for the tail. You’ll be tempted to bite, but take it easy—this is just…

WE’VE COME TO THINK of body mass index (BMI) as the gold standard in measuring our fat, but there is a growing consensus among scientists that it may not be the best tool to do so. According to a 2013 editorial in the journal Science, BMI does not accurately measure the amount and location of body fat (belly fat is more hazardous than evenly distributed fat because it surrounds the internal organs) or the proportion of muscle to fat (muscular types may score in the overweight or obese range). The researchers point to estimates that 24 per cent of adults with a “normal” BMI actually have symptoms of insulin resistance and a higher risk of heart disease, which may be due to having more body fat and less muscle mass.…

LESS MASCARA, MAYBE? THE NEW GOLDEN RULE Before telling a story, ask yourself, Is this more entertaining than anything this person could be doing on his phone? @DAMIENFAHEY A FARMER IS WONDERING how many of his sheep have gone out to pasture, so he asks his sheepdog to count them. “There are 40,” says the dog upon his return. “That can’t be right,” says the farmer. “I have only 38 in total.” “I know,” says the dog. “But I rounded them up.” From corsinet.com Q: Why did the chicken cross the Möbius strip? A: To get to the same side. Q: How many passive-aggressive people does it take to change a light bulb? A: Never mind; I’ll just sit here in the dark. From reddit.com THE LATEST PARENTING fads, according…

VOCAL COACHING Want to sound more like Barry White? At the Texas Voice Center in Houston, clients have been undergoing a procedure called “fat injection thyroplasty” to deepen the timbre of their speech. During the operation, a patient’s fat is shot into the vocal cords, making them thicker and bulkier—changing their vibration and, in turn, if all goes well, dropping the voice’s pitch. Ooh, baby. RED IN THE FACE The fountain of youth is filled with blood, it would seem. “Vampire facials,” medically known as PRP (platelet-rich plasma) procedures, are gaining in popularity in Britain and the United States, despite the off-putting nickname. Blood is removed from the patient, then placed in a centrifuge, which separates the platelet-rich plasma from the red and white blood cells. Following that, the plasma…

1. If I plan to buy a gross of grouse, how many birds do I want? 2. The launch of which sci-fi show bombed because it aired opposite coverage of the JFK assassination? 3. The Battle of Mount Badon actually happened. This is proof, to some, of the existence of which mythical king? 4. What country recently found itself with sub-Saharan Africa’s first white president since the end of apartheid? 5. What movie character wears a redand-green sweater because director Wes Craven once read that this is a disorienting colour combination? 6. This woman was the youngestever American astronaut to go into space. Who was she? 7. Actor Benedict Cumberbatch is related to which scientist, whom he portrays in The Imitation Game? 8. What blinking astronomical phenomenon shares its name…

1. snollygoster— A: unethical and wily person. B: rag doll. C: mountain dragon. 2. hootenanny— A: sweet bread roll. B: temporary shelter. C: celebration. 3. canoodle— A: covering over a bed. B: kiss and cuddle. C: gentle gallop. 4. gunkhole— A: oil well. B: rural septic system. C: shallow, remote cove. 5. panjandrum— A: powerful, selfimportant person. B: Korean spice. C: instrumental piece with tuba. 6. kerfuffle— A: two-masted sailing boat. B: commotion. C: seasoned sausage. 7. kibosh— A: in good working order. B: hoisting bucket used in mines. C: stop something. 8. yawp— A: talk coarsely. B: deviate from course. C: fungous. 9. rigmarole— A: game played with stick and rubber ring. B: overly complicated process. C: long, loose garment. 10. woebegone— A: winning or attractive. B: shrivelled with…

OKAY, @ANNEMURRAY1 FOLLOWED ME. I STARTED CRYING MAPLE SYRUP. I BET SHE TWEETS BAREFOOT. AWESOME! MARK CRITCH HOCKEY IS OUR WINTER BALLET AND, IN MANY WAYS, OUR ONLY NATIONAL DRAMA. MORLEY CALLAGHAN A boy can be two, three, four potential people, but a man is only one. He murders the others. MORDECAI RICHLER I’M STARTING TO THINK MY INNER LIFE IS 75 PER CENT GROCERY LISTS. SAMANTHA BEE My hope is for kindness to become a currency much bigger than money or fame. CHANTAL KREVIAZUK I think Paul Martin might well have been one of the greatest prime ministers we never had an opportunity to experience. IRWIN COTLER Read something that upsets your world view, that makes you feel a little bit uncomfortable. ESI EDUGYAN PHOTOS: (CRITCH) © CBC; (BEE)…

DREW SHANNON (“36 Questions to Love By,” page 92) Home base: Toronto. Previously published in The Globe and Mail and Vice. My style is based on silk-screening techniques. I draw as much as possible by hand before scanning it and layering everything, then adjusting the colours. I had fun asking and answering the 36 questions with my partner. We’d already covered many of them in the past, but we did learn a few new things. MICHAEL BYERS (“Into the Rock,” page 78) Home base: Hamilton. Previously published in The New York Times and The Walrus. The biggest challenge I had with illustrating this feature was capturing the drama of the story. To do so, I tried to use dynamic angles, and I made the colours more subdued and sombre. After…

…my childhood self, so I could be a bit bolder, stronger, more sure. TANIA HALDAR, OAKVILLE, ONT. …my mom, so she could enjoy mobility with ease. I could understand the challenges her 82-year-old body faces and become more patient with her. MERICA GLENCROSS-CHASE, NEW MARYLAND, N.B. …no one. I have great kids and a great husband and friends. I wouldn’t want to spend time away from them. MARSHA LYNNE, HAMILTON …my cat. Enough said. SHERRI HOUSTON, WINNIPEG …my wife, Teresa. To be able to see myself through her eyes—for the inevitable improvement! DARRYL JONES, ORILLIA, ONT. …my autistic brother. I would like to see and feel the world he lives in. Maybe I could then understand why he does some of the things he does. TAMMY MORETON, AJAX, ONT. …my…

You’ve helped tons of Hollywood celebrities live healthier, fitter lives. I suspect that isn’t where a science grad from Toronto thought he would end up. Definitely not. I didn’t imagine I would work in a lab—I was a terrible scientist, always breaking expensive equipment— but I thought I would probably be in academia. Presumably you get a lot of us regular people asking about the workout secrets of the stars. I try to talk people out of using someone else as a physical ideal. Instead, I ask clients to show me a picture of a time in their lives when they thought they looked great. That’s something we can work toward. Your new book, 5 Pounds, takes a fairly practical approach to weight loss, which is good, given that most…

FROM MONEYSENSE I APPROACH BUILDING good money habits the same way I approach my tennis game—in a slow, disciplined manner, with lots of short-term goals that are part of a long-term plan. My initial lessons on budgeting and saving started when I was 10. My parents would drive me to tennis tournaments several hundred kilometres away from my home in Thornhill, Ont. They paid for everything, but I handled a lot of the actual transactions. I would swipe their credit card for all purchases on the road—gas, coffees, meals, lessons and other routine expenses— and those costs quickly added up. I learned that someone needs to pay, and I knew that one day soon, it would be me. In my teens I began to save 90 per cent of the…

Community water fluoridation was introduced 70 years ago as a safe and effective way of preventing tooth decay. Soft drinks—even the sugar-free ones—contain acid that erodes tooth enamel. If you must, drink them quickly and use a straw to avoid extended contact with your teeth. Seniors can get cavities just the same as at any other age. The causes of tooth decay do not change. Potato chips are just as bad as candy. Bacteria change these carbohydrates to sugar, leading to tooth decay. Most people don’t brush their teeth long enough. It should take at least two minutes, twice a day. Don’t rush your brush. Wait at least 1/2 hour after eating acidic foods or juices. Allow saliva to neutralize the acids. These foods temporarily soften the enamel and you…

MORE THAN 20 YEARS AGO, the social psychologist Arthur Aron succeeded in making two strangers fall in love in his laboratory. Last summer, I applied his technique in my own life, which is how I found myself standing on a bridge at midnight, staring into a man’s eyes for exactly three minutes. Let me explain. Earlier in the evening, that man had said, “I suspect, given a few commonalities, you could fall in love with anyone. If so, how do you choose someone?” He was a university acquaintance I occasionally ran into at the climbing gym and thought, What if? On Instagram I had gotten a glimpse into his days. But this was the first time we had hung out one-on-one. “Actually, psychologists have tried making people fall in love,”…

WE ARRIVE AT THE SEWAGE LAGOON at 3 p.m. It’s cold for mid-May, barely above 10°C, and we count this as a blessing: it means the five enormous rectangular ponds that make up the waste stabilization compound in Blenheim, Ont., are odourless. This area, between Point Pelee National Park and Rondeau Provincial Park, is fabled for its colossal concentration of aquatic insects, which provides a feast for an impressive number of shorebirds. Up an hour before sunrise, the four of us are making good time—already 90 species under our belt, and it’s only mid-afternoon—but I’m starting to feel a little nervous. We have less than five hours of daylight left. I joined this team of veterans— which includes a retired nurse, Heather Blakelock; and a former audiovisual technician, Bill Baughan—…

WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW How many times a year should meds be reviewed? —FERN, FROM ONTARIO Depending on the number of medications you take, it’s generally recommended to have a medication review on an annual basis (similar to your annual physical with your doctor). A medication review is a personalized, one-on-one meeting with a pharmacist that’s designed to help you better understand how to safely and effectively use your medications. Also after hospital discharge, and depending on the number of meds, quarterly review may be appropriate (and is funded in Ontario). How do I manage the many medications that my mother is taking? It feels like too many for me to monitor. —LAURIE, FROM ONTARIO While the pharmacist does check the appropriateness of your mother’s medications each time they’re…

BY THE TIME he was 17 years old, Andre Bear had been kicked out of five schools. Not ready to give up, the tall, baby-faced teen with anger-management issues pinned his hopes on an academic Hail Mary: he enrolled at Saskatoon’s Osk–ayak High. The school was founded in 1981 to support the area’s First Nations community by fostering indigenous languages, traditions and cultures in an academic context, but its noble intentions hadn’t translated into success. As recently as five years ago, the student body of 150 had only three graduates. Then the school, like Bear, got a chance to reinvent itself. When Craig Schellenberg arrived in August 2010 to serve as Osk–ayak’s new principal, his goal was to realize the school’s original mission “to provide a safe, stable environment that…

IN A CONTEST BETWEEN a root canal, a tax audit and a colonoscopy, which one really brings the fun? As a recent survivor of all three, I declare the last experience the hands-down, pants-down champ. My doctor broached the prospect of the procedure in jaunty nautical terms, pitching the colonoscopy as a journey of discovery—a cruise where a periscope would peruse 1,500 milli-metres of previously uncharted territory. Somehow, the distance covered by that virgin voyage sounded even further than the Vancouver-to-Honolulu cruise I’d once considered. Plus, who really wants a snapshot of their sigmoid colon? I told the doctor I’d always thought of Freud as more of a psychoanalytical guy. How’d he manage to get a below-the-belt body part named after him? Lacking a funny bone in his own anatomy,…

With The Happiness Project (2009) and Happier at Home (2012), Gretchen Rubin established herself as something of an expert in the art of everyday cheerfulness. This time, she tackles the question that haunts anyone who’s ever failed to follow through on a New Year’s resolution: how do we make—and stick to—good habits? Drawing on research and Rubin’s own experiences as a positive-change guinea pig, Better Than Before establishes a set of strategies for self-improvement. March 17. This month’s hottest books, movies and TV FIFTEEN DOGS André Alexis Philosophy meets magical realism in Alexis’s latest, which transplants Greek gods to the streets of Toronto. Through the power of a half-baked bet, Apollo and Hermes imbue canines with human consciousness; revelations ensue. April 2. THE NIGHT STAGES Jane Urquhart Set in post–Second…

Caring For Dentures + Implants Dentures are artificial or false teeth. They may be removable or fixed. Take care of dentures as carefully as natural teeth to keep germs and infections away. ■ Clean your dentures every day. Tartar and plaque can build up on them, just like they do on natural teeth.■ Take removable dentures out every night and brush your teeth and gums carefully with a soft toothbrush.■ If your toothbrush hurts your gums, soften it by running it under warm water. Or use your finger wrapped in a clean, damp cloth.■ Soak removable dentures overnight to loosen plaque and tartar so it comes off more easily when you brush. Use denture cleanser, warm water, or a mix of ½ warm water and ½ vinegar. A dental implant…

SPECIAL FEATURE Keep your mouth clean • Brush your teeth and tongue twice a day using a soft-bristle toothbrush and fuoride toothpaste.• Floss every day.• Use an antibacterial mouth rinse. Look inside Tell your dentist if you notice any of the following signs: • Red, shiny, puffy, sore, or sensitive gums.• Bleeding when you brush or floss.• Bad breath.• Numbness or tingling.• Small lumps and thickening in your mouth. See your dentist regularly • 48% of Canadians who haven’t seen a dentist in the past year have gum disease. Eat well • Good nutrition helps build strong teeth and gums.• Munch on mouth-healthy snacks like cheeses, nuts, vegetables, and non-acidic fruits. Don’t smoke or chew tobacco • Smoking and chewing tobacco can cause oral cancer, heart disease, gum disease, and…

Using Money Problems to Pinpoint Cognitive Impairment Researchers at the Alzheimer’s Disease Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham have identified five warning signs of financial decline, including neglecting to pay bills or paying them twice, miscalculating a tip and erosion in the ability to understand basic financial concepts. If an aging family member used to be better at these tasks, consider becoming a cheque co-signer and monitor bank accounts closely. How to Remain Health Literate Email and a movie, anyone? A study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health that tracked 4,368 adults aged 52-plus over seven years found that those who used the Internet regularly and engaged in cultural activities showed the least decline in health literacy. While the study authors can’t say why this…

A FEW MONTHS AGO, I ran across someone on Facebook whom I had last seen at my high school graduation in 1967. In fact, though, the last time we interacted was in Grade 7, when he asked me to tell one of my friends that he liked her. After that, things happened as they always do—friendships shift, some kids grow up quickly and some grow up slowly, and everyone heads out into the world to make the best of himself or herself. It stunned me that this former boy should end up in my small town 3,000 kilometres from where we grew up, and I messaged him. We went back and forth for months about a convenient cup of coffee. This week, we finally got together. I was a minute…

1 David Suzuki The éminence grise of environmentalism continues to rage against the warming of the Earth and the poisoning of our air and water. Recently, Neil Young and Margaret Atwood, among others, joined the tireless David Suzuki on his Blue Dot Tour, a campaign to enshrine the right to a healthy environment within the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Upcoming in May: his new book, Letters to My Grandchildren, which shares the wisdom of a lifetime spent ensuring all of our descendants have a future. 2 Chris Hadfield You became famous by flying three space missions and showing the world you could exist in zerogravity conditions for an extended period of time. But do you have a sense of why people trust you the way they do? I…

1 Beware the miracle cure. Any expert will tell you that kicking a bad habit is hard work. A 2013 Gallup poll found smokers quit an average of 3.6 times before succeeding. 2 Avoid triggers and high-risk scenarios. If you’re trying to lower your alcohol consumption, for instance, stay away from bars and don’t keep booze around the house. 3 Expect some failure. “We beat ourselves up when we fail to meet our lofty objectives,” says Andy Blicq, the Winnipeg writer and director behind the 2014 documentary Slaves to Habit. “You have to forgive yourself and build on the mistakes you’ve made.” 4 Remember Blicq’s advice if you falter on your New Year’s resolution. According to research conducted at Pennsylvania’s University of Scranton, nearly a quarter of resolutions get abandoned…

QUADRILATERALS (Difficult) How many squares and rectangles are there in the diagram? Note: The four-sided figures may vary in size, and a figure may be composed of more than one figure, like a Lego set. DO THE MATH (Moderately difficult) Replace the question marks with mathematical symbols (+, -, × and ÷) to produce the correct answer. Perform calculations in order, left to right. DOMINOES (Moderately difficult) One of these dominoes is not like the others. Which one is it? THE INTRUDER (Easy) One of the figures below does not belong. Which one is it? SHAPES (Easy) is to as is to… A B C…