|
 |
|
June is National Men's Health Awareness Month. In this newsletter we will touch on some of the facts surrounding the health of men. Also included will be three important issues facing men's health today; prostate cancer, heart disease and low testosterone.
|
Men die at a higher rate than women from the top 10 causes of death. These include, heart disease, metabolic disease, cancer and injuries. In fact, men account for 92% of all workplace deaths. One of the causes of these enormous differences is that women are almost 100% more likely to visit a doctor annually for preventive services and examinations. Men are also at greater risk for infection and immune system failure due to their lower levels of infection fighting t-cells. This is one of the reasons that centenarian women outnumber centenarian men 8 to 1
.
|
|
|
|
This form of cancer, specifically found in men, will affect 1 in 7 men in their lifetime. It is actually the second leading cause of cancer death in the U.S. behind only lung cancer. Currently there are roughly 2.8 million men living with this disease and it is estimated that an additional 180,000+ will be diagnosed in 2016
.
Risk Factors
*
Age - 97% of prostate cancer occurs in men that are 50 and up
*
African American men are 56%
more likely to develop the disease than Caucasian men
*
Family History - A man is twice as likely to develop this form of cancer if a first-degree relative had prostate cancer
Symptoms & Treatment
Early stage prostate cancer presents with few or no symptoms. However, some men will experience urinary dysfunction.
Screening is done at your doctor with a blood test and examination. Treatment options vary widely with chemotherapy, surgery, radiation or hormone therapy.
Cancer Prevention Strategies
*Maintain a healthy balanced diet
*Exercise regularly and stay physically active
*Work on achieving or maintaining a healthy body weight
*Avoid smoking
|
|
|
|
The facts surrounding heart disease may surprise you.
*It is the leading cause of death for men in the United States - up to 1 in 4 every male deaths can be attributed to heart disease.
*Half of the men that die from sudden coronary heart disease have had no previous symptoms.
*Between 70 and 89% of sudden cardiac events occur in men.
It is key to know the risk factors surrounding heart disease to get out in front of this deadly disease:
*
High blood pressure
*
High LDL cholesterol
*
Smoking
*
Diabetes
*
Obesity
*
Poor diet
*
Physical inactivity
*
Excessive alcohol use
|
|
|
|
Diet and Exercise for Heart Health
|
Exercise and being physically active can help immensely to fight off heart disease and increase your heart health. Below are a few tips on how to begin an exercise plan safely.
*
Start slow and gradually increase your intensity and time
*
You can start with as little as 10 minutes of activity at a time and increase
*
If you haven't exercised in a while you may want to check with your doctor to be sure you're good to start
*
Moderate
intensity
does not mean high impact! Keep impact low to protect your joints.
Another way to reduce your risk of heart disease is to eat a balanced and healthy
diet. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests a healthy eating plan that
:
*
Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products
*
Include leans meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs and nuts
*
Is low in saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, salt (sodium) & added sugars
*
Stays within your daily calorie needs
|
|
|
|
|
As men age, a diminishing amount of testosterone is pumped throughout their body. These lower levels can have adverse effects on libido, physical appearance, mood, bone density, muscle mass and more. Below are facts surrounding what is now being called low-t from Everyday Health.
*
This does not only affect aging men, at any age a man can suffer from low testosterone levels
*
1/3 of men with type 2 diabetes also suffer from low testosterone levels
*
Mood swings, loss in energy, fatigue and increase body fat can all be signs of low testosterone
*
Sleep apnea is also linked to low testosterone levels due to obstructive sleep when most of the hormone is produced
|
A normal range for testosterone levels is about 300 ng/
dL
to 800 ng/
dL
. Lower levels than that can be caused by the following:
*
Hormonal disorders
*
Infection
*
Chronic liver or kidney disease
*
Type 2 diabetes
*
Obesity
*Testicular cancer or treatment for testicular cancer
*Testicular injury
|
|
|
|
Declining testosterone levels are a normal part of aging. One thing that can help is regular exercise and physical activity. There is still a lot of research going on to narrow down specifics but the science is clear that exercise is an aid to low-t levels. Lifting heavier weights, doing full body workouts and an overall healthy exercise plan including cardio aerobic exercise have been shown to help hormone levels in men. According to WebMD, there are four factors that matter when exercising to increase testosterone levels.
1.
Your weight - By shedding pounds  through exercise you are less likely to suffer from low testosterone
2.
Your age - You release less testosterone as you age but the body produces some after exercise. Exercising as you age also helps you manage the rate of naturally decreasing muscle mass and bone density.
3.
When you exercise - Testosterone levels are highest in the morning. By exercising later in the day, you are giving your body a boost of the hormone when it would be lowering.
4.
Your fitness level - Those in worse shape get a bigger boost of testosterone than those who are already in shape.
|
|
|
|
|
Eating To Help Reduce Your Risk Of Cancer
|
As we've already discussed, food can play an important role in men's health. As part of Synergy's nutrition planning, we offer meal plans that are geared towards cancer prevention. Below is a sample day for an individual on this meal plan.
Breakfast
Oatmeal with strawberries with a cup of skim milk, a cup of orange juice and a cup of black tea
A.M. Snack
Kiwi fruit and a cup of tea
Lunch
Vegetable burrito filled with spinach, pinto beans, tomato, salsa and cheddar cheese with a cup of vegetable juice
P.M. Snack
Dried walnuts and a cup of black tea
 Dinner
Fresh salmon with baked sweet potato and boiled eggplant and broccoli. A raw vegetable side salad with oil and vinegar dressing
Evening Snack
Wheat germ cereal with plain yogurt
|
|
|
|
Contact Us For More Information
1777 Hamburg Turnpike, Suite 303
Wayne, NJ 07470
Follow
us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/synergyfitnessandwellness
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
