It is important for everyone to be as proactive about their health as they can. That means eating a well-balanced diet, getting exercise, quality sleep, reducing stress and getting those checkups.
Men don’t often get their 40,000-mile checkup and while a tune up is important, what matters most is what you are doing in between those checkups. Things like colon and prostate cancer, heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes have no warning early symptoms.
Here is an easy list of what you can do to help the man in your life have a better quality of life.
Eating well is the cornerstone of preventing disease and vitality. These power foods can fight cancers, supercharge your energy and protect you from prostate cancer. Here are some of my recommendations:
- Coconut oil: It not only boosts metabolism but supports immunity, helps increase good cholesterol and is great for endurance sports, aka chasing and playing with your kids. Aim for 1-2 tablespoons per day.
- Eat foods high in zinc: Pumpkin seeds are loaded with zinc as is sesame seeds, lamb and grass-fed beef. They support the immune system, prostate health and are high in magnesium, which benefits the heart. Aim for a ½ cup of raw pumpkin seeds three to four days per week
- Cruciferous vegetables: These foods are nutritionally dense that pack powerful micronutrients into your cells. Foods like kale, cauliflower and broccoli reduce internal inflammation, is a great immune booster and helps men age slower by optimizing various hormones in the body.
- Homemade kimchi and sauerkraut: These foods are rich in probiotics and fiber. Fermented foods help improve digestion and studies show they help prevent cancers, especially prostate cancer.
- Berries: Berries are a rich source of phytonutrients, blueberries containing the most. Berries also are a rich source of Vitamin C and eating them as part of your post work snack can speed up recovery.
Eating a healthy diet and exercising is another fantastic combination. Regular exercise has a whole host of benefits. Even just walking can make a positive difference.
Watch out for these symptoms. They may be red flags that something more is going on internally.
Constipation: Not being able to eliminate daily or struggling to eliminate can indicate serious digestive problems like Crohn’s disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome or, if there is blood in the stool, worst case it can be cancer. If this has been happening for more than two weeks, it’s time to get that tune up.
Acid Reflux or heartburn: Unfortunately so many men are on prescription medications for this ailment. Reflux is a sign that much more is going on internally. The long-term risks of taking medications are major vitamin depletion of zinc, B12, folate, the inability to absorb iron and calcium. If staying off acidic foods, caffeine, alcohol and sugar doesn’t help, try going gluten and diary free. Dairy actually increases acid in the body, despite popular belief.
Andropause: This is the male form of menopause. A poor lifestyle of not sleeping and high stress can wreak havoc on male hormones, especially testosterone and cortisol. Some early signs are hair loss, erectile dysfunction, insomnia, weight gain, depression, low sex drive, hot flashes and daytime fatigue to name a few.
Take advantage and get full detail blood work done that includes a PSA for prostate, CBC, A1c fasting sugars, Vitamin D3, Vitamin B12, a full hormone and thyroid panel (ask for T3 and T4 too!), CRP and homocysteine levels for inflammation and full cholesterol. Very few will do all of these tests, so it is important that if you want the whole shebang you must request it all.
Here is to your good health, strength and living a life with quality and vitality.
