Men’s Health Scorecard: Three Areas to Manage for Optimal Health

June 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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June is coming to an end, but before Father’s Day and Men’s Health Week have slipped to the back of your mind, I’d like to summarize by encouraging you to create a Men’s Health Scorecard either for yourself (for the guys out there reading this) or for the important men in your life (for the gals out there reading this). When it comes to men’s health there are three super important changes you can make to dramatically improve your health. While some of these changes won’t happen overnight, they can certainly add years to your life.

So write it down on paper and review and grade yourself or your loved one on these three categories at least once a quarter until you make some notable progress.

Get Active, Stay Active

It’s hard to overstate the benefits of even minimal amounts of exercise. A study done in Copenhagen just last month revealed that as little as an hour to two-and-a-half hours of jogging per week (that’s right, per week!) was linked to substantial improvements in life expectancy: men who jogged every week lived 6.2 years longer on average than those who did not.

Better still, you don’t have to get this exercise all in one shot to get the benefit. Even something as simple as stretching at work can get your muscles working and your blood flowing.

Eat Better

No surprises here. Eliminate trans fats and processed foods and cut WAY back on sugar consumption. Get your sugar from fruit and swap out baked goods and flour-based products in favor of whole grains. Substitute low-fat dairy for full fat and add in lots of veggies for vital nutrients including calcium and lycopene (from tomatoes), which has been shown to help prevent prostate cancer. Always ask yourself “does this food nourish me and my body or does it have an adverse impact?” This question will help you stay focused on eating the right foods.

Not ready for a radical change? Start small. Eliminate one ingredient or food type completely (i.e. processed sugar or trans fatty acids). Oftentimes, doing just that forces you to give up unhealthy foods that not coincidentally, also contain other harmful ingredients. Opt for veggies instead of fries when you eat out, or reach for a glass of water instead of a can of soda. Have a cup of herbal tea instead of a second or third cup of Joe. Small consistent changes eventually lead to big results!

Stop Smoking

According to the Center for Disease Control, smoking is responsible for one in every five deaths. It increases the risk of coronary heart disease by 4 times for men, and increases the likelihood of a man developing lung cancer by 23 times. And yet, a higher percentage of men still smoke compared to women.

If you need more motivation to quit smoking, consider the danger that your smoking poses to other people, especially young children. Second-hand smoke is one of the leading causes of new cases of asthma in children, especially those under six years old. For children that already have asthma, second-hand smoke can make the symptoms more severe, resulting in increased cost of medication and lost school time and lost work when the parent must get the child medical help.

If you’re struggling to kick the habit, there are a wealth of programs out there that can give you support you need to change your life. This site is a great online resource, and you can also try to find  help in person through groups like Nicotine Anonymous.

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Hello Boys! How a Glass a Day Can Keep the Doctor Away

June 27, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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Whether out at the bar with buddies, tailgating before a big sporting event, or kicking back a few after a long hard day at work, alcohol seems to be prevalent in multiple contexts of men’s lives. But alcohol can do more than turn your next party into a smashing success. It can save your life if consumed in proper quantities.

A recent study that concluded earlier this year found that men who drank three ounces of alcohol per day were 17% less likely to have a stroke compared to those who abstained, while men who drank six ounces a day were 21% less likely to have a stroke. That’s not an endorsement for consuming larger quantities of booze because as we all know excess consumption can lead to other serious health problems.

But it is interesting to note the reason alcohol helps reduce the risk of stroke. According to Dr. Monik Jimenez, one of the study’s lead researchers, alcohol has special properties that “prevent blood clots and promote HDL (good) cholesterol.” Nevertheless, Dr. Jimenez stresses the importance of moderation when it comes to drinking.

The study found that there were no further benefits to health after the first drink, and that drinking in high volumes can increase your likelihood of having a stroke by leading to high blood pressure and atrial fibrillation –two more reasons not to overdo it.

The best alcohol to drink when it comes to stroke prevention is red wine. This alcohol is famous for its heart benefits, thanks in part to its antioxidant content in the form of resveratrol. Resveratrol has been shown to prevent damage to blood vessels, prevent blood clots, and reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Besides bringing wellness to your cardiovascular system, drinking red wine can be a benefit to your health in a number of other ways. Research has linked red wine consumption with a lowered risk of Alzheimer’s disease and death from cancer. Red wine has also been proven to reduce the impact of smoking on blood vessels and to reduce post-meal blood pressure in people with hypertension. So substitute a glass of red wine for your usual beverage of choice and start reaping some of those benefits today!

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Top 3 Critical Health Challenges Men Face Today

June 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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Men like to pretend that they’re invincible, but they’re not. Even though they are styled as the stronger of the two sexes, men are ironically, much more vulnerable than women when it comes to their health and taking care of their bodies. This is borne out by the statistics: men die at higher rates than women do for the top 10 causes of death, and on average, women outlive men by more than five years. Contrary to what one might believe, the difference between men’s and women’s health isn’t gender-based so much as lifestyle based and stems from poor health care monitoring early in life.

So besides visiting the doctor regularly (at least once a year), what can a man do to stave off the leading causes of death? Here’s a quick look at the top 3 critical health challenges men face today and what can be done to prevent them.

Heart Disease

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both American men and women. According to the Center for Disease Control, one-in-four men has some form of heart disease. Nearly twice as many males die from cardiovascular conditions as females, and the complications from heart disease (such as a heart attack) typically occur ten years earlier in men than in women. Early detection and appropriate lifestyle changes are key to addressing this problem.

Stroke

A stroke is similar to a heart attack, but is caused by a blood clot in the most vital human organ: the brain. Though the American Stroke Association states that there is effectively no difference in susceptibility between the sexes, as people get older, men experience 25% more strokes than women do. Strokes may not kill as many people as cardiac disease does, but it is the leading cause of long-term disability for American men. Since high blood pressure is the most common cause of cerebral hemorrhage, a diet and fitness program designed to keep blood pressure low and coupled with stress and anger management techniques can help protect against strokes (and heart attacks!).

Suicide and Depression

Though many men are aware of their limitations, the ideal model of masculinity that society creates encourages men to ignore and hide their pain. For men, this leads to severely under-diagnosed depression, which is partly to blame for the vast difference in suicide rates between men and women: men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women. Men are more prone to suicide because they rarely openly show the signs of depression, so they fail to get the help they need before it’s too late.

Depression is often associated with sadness, but depression in men can play out in a number of different ways, including anger and aggression, increased risk-taking behavior or a midlife crisis. Of course alcohol and drug abuse can also be driven by depression. Meditation seems to be gaining credence as a valuable tool for controlling or preventing depression, and in older men, staying physically and socially active play an important role.

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Happy Father’s Day! Celebrate Men’s Health Week with Your Dad

June 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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Happy Father’s Day! Hope you are out celebrating and enjoying the company of your father. As you probably know from my last blog post today is also the last day of National Men’s Health Week. I know I talked a lot about some ways you can support the men in your life during this time so I thought it would be interesting to share some factoids with you about how Men’s Health Week began in the first place.

This weeklong event was created to address the growing gap in health and life expectancy between men and women. It began as a bill in the U.S. House and Senate in May of 1994 and was created to address or head off growing health problems for men, as evidenced by statistics gathered at that time. So back in 1993 when it all began:

  • Men lived an average of 7 years less than women
  • The likelihood that a man might develop prostate cancer was 1 in 11
  • The number of men who developed prostate cancer was over 120,000
  • The number of men who developed lung disease was over 100,000, with an expected 85 percent of cases being terminal
  • The number of colon cancer cases among men was over 80,000, with nearly one-third of the cases expected to be terminal

Nowadays the statistics are still fairly alarming

  • Men still die at higher rates than women for the top ten leading causes of death
  • African-American men in the United States have the highest incidence in the world of prostate cancer
  • Testicular cancer is one of the most common cancers in men aged 15-34, and when detected early has an 87 percent survival rate

I guess the point is with the appropriate use of tests like Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) exams, blood pressure and cholesterol screenings along with clinical examination and self-testing for problems like testicular cancer many of these potentially life threatening problems can be detected in their early stages and increase survival rates to nearly 100 percent!

If men’s awareness of these problems was more pervasive, their survival rates would also be a lot higher! So while you’re celebrating Father’s Day be sure to encourage your dad to get regular screenings and exams. It could save his life!

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Helping Men Achieve Total Body Health: National Men’s Health Week

June 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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June marks the official start of summer. It’s also the month that we celebrate National Men’s Health Week, which takes place every year during the week leading up to and including Father’s Day. During this time (i.e. THIS week), our focus is (or should be) on the men in our lives and how we can support them in achieving optimal health and longevity.

The whole point of Men’s Health Week is to increase the life expectancy and quality of life for men and boys by promoting awareness of preventable health problems and encouraging early detection and treatment of disease. If you’re a man then the easiest way to participate is to head to your doctor’s office for a health screening and physical, then be sure to set up an annual screening for next year. If you’re a woman then you can participate by reminding and encouraging your dad, husband or brother to do this. On average, men visit the doctor only once every two years, which makes it difficult to detect health problems while they are still easy to treat, so this occasion offers the perfect opportunity to get the men in your life into an annual screening routine.

For those of you who are looking to be more active in your participation, the good people over at Howcast.com have put together a video to show you other ways you can take part in Men’s Health Week. While some of their suggestions are personal things that can (and should) be done all year long, like exercising and eating well, many of the activities they cover involve connecting with other people, like planning a health fair or organizing a “Wear Blue Day: in support of men’s health. One of the most important parts of Men’s Health Week is sharing information with others about the health risks that men face.

I like their last recommendation best: be sure to talk to the men and boys in your life about the most common health problems for men. Men tend to keep their health a private matter, which is why they don’t visit the doctor as often as they should, but by taking the initiative to talk with them about their health, you can get them to share things they normally wouldn’t and use that information to encourage timely action.

Watch for suggestions on how to participate in Men's Health Week

So what actions are you taking or encouraging in support of men’s health this week? Please share with us below.

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When it comes to Health . . . Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

June 10, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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By now we’re all familiar with John Grey’s Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus books designed to shed some light on the differences between the way men and women handle their needs (ostensibly so we won’t drive each other nuts!). The typical man (you know, the one that has to “withdraw into his cave”) is the one that doesn’t need any help getting things done or finding his way around. He refuses to ask for directions when he gets lost, he doesn’t need any help with chores, and refuses to pay a contractor to fix a leak that he’s sure he can plug for free. Men are problem solvers for sure, but they do have their pride! Whatever the biological explanation for this behavior may be, the simple reality is his refusal to seek help can and often does, result in his undoing especially when it comes to his health.

Women on the other hand, are another story. According to a study published in Psychological Review women are more likely to handle stress by “tending and befriending” because they produce larger quantities of the hormone oxytocin, which leads them to nurture offspring and create social networks. Because men produce less oxytocin than women, they are more likely to rely on their ”fight or flight” instinct when it comes to responding to stress. Stress can’t be beaten into submission with a stick, so men tend to run away from or avoid it. Their stubborn need to keep their pride “intact” usually keeps them from seeking help or finding a way to handle their stress.

Carl Pickhardt, PhD and spokesperson for the American Psychological Association says, “women risk letting other people’s needs determine their limits, while their own needs are ignored.”

Self-sacrifice and difficulty setting boundaries in relationships are both ways that many women add stress to their lives. Men are vulnerable to letting challenges, competition and other external factors set their boundaries and are more likely to focus on winning at the expense of the self. “Achieving a winning performance at all costs is how many men enter stress,” says Pickhardt.

At a basic evolutionary level, stress plays a common role in both men and women’s lives. It’s there to alert us to any threats or potential danger whether short-term in nature –like being chased by a perpetrator with a gun– or longer term. Unfortunately the longer-term stress is more subtle and builds over time so we often don’t recognize it until it has taken its toll. Modern day stressors like paying the bills, being responsible for the welfare of children and elders, and external events wreaking havoc on our lives have turned into an epidemic of chronic stress.

While men may be from Mars and women from Venus, it seems that with the current challenges we all face, men need to pay closer attention to their stress and just DEAL with it. And women need to pay closer attention to HOW they deal with stress and make changes as appropriate. Onward and upward as they say …

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Help Dad Put the Brakes on the Stress Express: 6 Signs He May Be Headed Down a One-Way Street

June 6, 2012 by Leave a Comment
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May is all about moms, and let’s face it … most moms have it good on Mother’s Day. We like to treat our moms well because we love them; we make them breakfast in bed, buy them chocolate, and pick out a card or gift that really shows how much we care.

But when June rolls around and it’s time to show dad some love, things can get a little more challenging. Men aren’t always great at making their needs known, so its hard to figure out how to really show our love and appreciation for them on their special day.

Sometimes the best gift you can give dad isn’t one that comes wrapped in a bow … As it turns out, June gives us more than one way to celebrate the dads in our lives. In addition to Father’s Day, it’s also Men’s Health Week –a time intended to help men do something they’re not often inclined to do: focus on their health.

Because men are more goal-oriented and competitive, they often view health as something that can be measured in concrete terms like how many push-ups they can do, how much they can bench press, or how low their golf scores are. By default, this narrow focus means that other critical aspects of their health tend to get neglected, underscoring the need for Men’s Health Week to increase awareness of the importance of total-body health and health issues specific to men.

If you consider that chronic stress is the biggest and most overlooked factor affecting men’s health today, then one way you can show dad some real love is by getting him to adopt a total body focus to help him keep stress in check. Anything you do in that department will go a long way to keeping him healthier and happier. I can’t think of a better gift than that!

It’s no secret that when left unchecked, stress can lead to very serious conditions like chronic depression, and even fatal illnesses like heart disease and stroke. Men tend to exacerbate the effects of stress with their lifestyle choices –overdoing it in the gym, not getting enough sleep, ignoring diet and nutrition, overconsumption, or nursing an unhealthy attachment to work. And to make matters worse, they keep things bottled up inside –further compounding the effects of stress until it becomes obvious there’s no turning back.

So how can you know if your dad may be headed down a chronic stress collision course? Here are six key warning signs to watch for:

  • Irritability. When asked to do something, big or small, he snaps or lashes out, or easily becomes angry out of proportion to the cause.
  • Forgetfulness. He seems to frequently misplace his keys, papers, or other important items.
  • Lack of Motivation. He has difficulty starting projects at work or around the home. He shows little interest in going out or socializing and becomes increasingly withdrawn.
  • Loss of Concentration. He has difficulty finishing the projects that he starts, and often seems distracted when spoken to.
  • Muscular and Skeletal Aches and Pains. He suffers from unexplained aches and pains –especially in the lower back– and his injuries take longer to heal than they should.
  • Expanding Waistline. His struggles to lose weight may be due to more than just his love of sugar. A large belly may be the result of a buildup of stress hormones like cortisol, which also increase with lack of sleep.

Not surprisingly, work is the main source of stress for most men –lack of control, increased responsibility, tight deadlines, and poor work environments –all put a heaping pile of stress on a working man’s shoulders. These stressors are made worse for working fathers because of the added stress tied to being providers and their additional responsibilities at home.

While it may not be possible to remove the sources of dad’s stress, you can help him learn to manage and eventually reduce it before it takes a serious toll. Find ways to introduce him to meditation, yoga, and other relaxation techniques –these are the most natural cures for stress as they can alter brain wave activity in ways that quickly lower blood pressure and heart rates. Help him create a dedicated space that’s just his to enjoy some peace and quiet, and enlist the family’s help in re-prioritizing household responsibilities to allow room for more down-time. This will make even the most hectic of days seem more bearable. When in doubt, love, laughter and music can always bring levity and relief.

If your father is showing some of the warning signs listed above, then a visit to his health care practitioner is in order. Because men often have trouble asking for help and fear being seen as weak, you can show your support and concern by offering to make the appointment and accompanying him. Let him know that agreeing to do this is not a sign of weakness but an act of love.

Taking a trip to the physician’s office may not be as much fun as being pampered and showered with gifts, but helping your dad live a longer, healthier and happier life is as sweet as any box of chocolate!

 

Copyright 2009-2012 Dropwise Essentials

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Donya Fahmy, is a green business owner and the creator of Dropwise Essentials’ spa-quality aromatherapy body products that help you safely relieve stress, increase vitality, improve confidence, or simply manage your emotional state any time or place without popping a pill. For more free tips and valuable information visit www.dropwise.com and subscribe to the Dropwise Health & Beauty News Ezine or blog feed.

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Father’s Day Gifts: Skin & Body Products to Treat a Man’s Oft-Neglected Spots

June 18, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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feetLet’s face it. If you were to keep tally how much time you spent tending to the various parts of your body (i.e. cleansing, toning, moisturizing, etc.), you’d probably find that you mainly focus on the parts that are most visible to others (i.e. your face and hands). Women of course are more inclined to pay attention to the condition and presentation of the skin on their arms, legs and even their feet –especially during the spring and summer months when they are more likely to wear sandals, sling-backs, or open-toed shoes. Women are also far more likely to tend to their lips and their cuticles.

But how many men do you know pay attention to those vulnerable spots? For better or worse, lips, cuticles, elbows, knees, heels, and feet in general, are usually the most neglected parts of a man’s body. If you’re considering giving a Father’s Day gift of natural grooming products, then don’t forget to include some of these items in your gift set:

  1. Petroleum-free lip balms to keep lips hydrated and soft –especially when exposed to the elements. While men are very focused on shaving and the quality and appearance of the skin on their faces, remarkably, they somehow manage to ignore their lips –at least until they become a problem. Help your guy keep his lips in tip-top shape by encouraging him to apply a natural (preferably organic) hydrating lip balm as part of his daily grooming routine. Since these items are small and easy to misplace, you may want to get him a couple (one for his shaving kit and one to carry around in his pocket).
  2. A protective and emollient balm for elbows, knees, and heels (and even cuticles). One made with herbal extracts, olive oil, and/or shea butter will work wonders. For cracked skin include a small bottle (10 ML or 15 ML) of therapeutic grade (or organic) Tea tree essential oil which can be applied directly to the skin and is an excellent first aid assistant that disinfects and promotes the rapid healing of damaged skin.
  3. Exfoliating salt or sugar scrubs can help slough off dead skin cells and soften skin on cuticles, elbows, knees, heels, and feet. Sugar scrubs are especially effective because they’re made with sugar cane, which produces glycolic acid –one of the natural alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) commonly used in chemical peels (at much higher concentrations than you’ll find in an over the counter product). The primary purpose of AHAs is exfoliation but they also aid in the penetration of other substances. By facilitating removal of the outer layer of dry cells, additional skin care ingredients can treat the new skin more efficiently. For best results, look for a scrub that’s made primarily from sugar but also includes some salt and is in a base of antioxidant-rich plant-based oils like olive, coconut, sunflower, or grapeseed.
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Keeping Dad’s Skin Safe from Over Exposure to the Sun

June 16, 2010 by 1 Comment
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Some of the latest research in the area of repairing sun damaged skin and protecting it from future damage, takes its cue from the many antioxidants found in vitamins and botanicals. There’s been some debate as to whether taking these antioxidants internally as supplements or through diet is more effective than applying them topically to the skin. There is definite scientific evidence that applying Vitamins C and E topically to the skin is very effective at reversing skin damage, by wiping out the free radicals that inevitably emerge from the combination of UV radiation and some of the chemicals used to manufacture sunscreens.

But now scientists are finding that when antioxidants are added to the skin AND taken orally – they can significantly boost the skin’s natural UV-filtering properties while enhancing its defenses against free radical formation. Here are some quick tips for improving sun safety and repairing sun-damaged skin:

  1. To clean up skin that’s already damaged use skin care products that are rich in antioxidants like Vitamins C & E and Green Tea extract. Jojoba, coconut, and olive oils are excellent ingredients to look for when seeking antioxidants and other deeply restorative properties.
  2. For ongoing protection, increase your intake of vitamins and antioxidants either through diet or supplementation. Be sure to consume carotenoids like Beta-carotene, Lutein, Lycopene, and Zeaxanthin, which are found naturally in green leafy vegetables, carrots, tomatoes, corn, and eggs. Enhance your body’s ability to properly utilize these nutrients by eliminating trans-fats and reducing consumption of saturated fats. Increase your intake of Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) through flaxseed or fish oil supplements, to help balance and regulate excessively oily skin.
  3. Don’t overdo it with the sunscreens because they impede your body’s natural ability to synthesize Vitamin D –a vital nutrient that can protect you from common cancers like prostate or colon cancer. Because SPF ratings are notoriously unreliable don’t depend on sunscreens as your only form of protection. Whenever possible choose sun blocks like zinc and titanium dioxide over chemical sunscreens.
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Tackling a Man’s Biggest Challenge on Father’s Day: Shaving

June 14, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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man shavingA man’s facial skin takes a lot of abuse due to the need for frequent shaving. It’s been said that a man shaves his face and neck over 20,000 times during the course of a lifetime, and how he does this makes all the difference in the quality and appearance of his skin. Using a razor without proper preparation and lubrication can lead to razor burn and ingrown hairs –a common problem for many men.

Here are some tips for a cleaner closer shave and healthier skin:

  1. Always shave during or after a hot shower, never before. Use hot water when you shave as it softens facial hair, opens pores, and cleanses the skin.
  2. Use a moisturizing oil or blend of oils like coconut, jojoba, olive, high-oleic safflower or sunflower to protect and lubricate the skin prior to shaving. Rub a small amount in the palms of your hand and massage upwards into your beard to soften the hairs and ensure a protective coat is applied to the skin. The oil provides a thin layer of protection to the skin and allows the blade to glide more easily without removing or damaging too much of it –a leading cause of irritation and razor burn.
  3. Use a razor with 3 blades and a swivel head and start by shaving with the grain (meaning the same direction that the whiskers grown in). This minimizes the risk of scratching the skin, which typically happens when shaving against the grain. Be aware of the pressure you’re exerting and use a light stroke. Check to see if hair on your neck grows in the same direction as the hair on your face, otherwise change the direction of the blade to go with the grain.
  4. Lather up with a shaving brush made from soft natural bristles and a shaving cream made with lubricants like glycerin, and essential oils like tea tree, eucalyptus, lavender or clove whose antiseptic and healing properties can prevent irritation and speed up healing of nicks and cuts. You can also use a natural liquid soap or body wash in a foaming dispenser to create a nice lather.
  5. Change your blade every 3-5 uses –more often if you have a coarse beard. For an extra-close shave, make sure you re-lather after your first pass, and then shave lightly against the grain. Doing this without lathering can irritate and damage your skin.
  6. Use a moisturizer that’s hydrating and rich in antioxidants. This can be a cream or lotion made from plant oils like extra virgin olive (EVOO), virgin coconut, grape seed, golden jojoba, or a combination of these oils. Products that contain herbal extracts or infusions like calendula, chamomile, mallow root, and comfrey can speed cell regeneration and healing in addition to protecting the skin.
  7. Avoid products, especially aftershaves, made with alcohol, perfumes, synthetic fragrances or dyes as these can dry out the skin, or irritate it even more. Try a hydrosol, aromatherapy mister (especially one made with a hydrosol), or herbal toner made with witch hazel or cucumber extract.
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