June 2025

WELLNESS WAVE NEWSLETTER

"Men's Health Month"

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO PODCAST

Let's Get It Checked!

with Dan Trongone

Worksite Wellness Coordinator

Closing the Lifespan Gender Gap

Men live nearly six years less than women. That's more fathers, sons, and brothers lost too soon. Let's work together to help men and families live longer and healthier lives.

Source: Menshealthnetwork.org

Click below for more information and to view the checkup and screening guidelines for men.

Men's Health Stats:

15% of men 18+ are in fair or poor health
31% of men 18+ have had 5 or more drinks in 1 day at least once in the past year
Only 28% of men 18+ meet the physical activity guidelines for aerobic and muscle strengthening
42% of men age 20 and older have obesity
52% of men age 20 and older have hypertension (elevated blood pressure)

Leading causes of death in men:

Heart Disease
Cancer
Accidents

Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics

Click below for more information

Get It Checked Flyer Download

Men's Health Network Website

CDC Website / Men's Health Statistics

Watch Video Referenced in Podcast

View Group Fitness Schedule

Nutrition and Diabetes Care with Marcus Harris

Eating Right: A Nutrition Blueprint For Men

Pick a few areas to focus on that feel manageable and exciting to you—small steps can lead to big changes! Remember, you don’t have to eat perfectly all the time to become healthier. Start with the one area you feel most confident about, and as you build momentum, you can add more along the way. You've got this!

GRAINS: Eat six ounces of grains—this includes cereals, crackers, rice, or pasta every day, half of which are made of whole grains.
VEGETABLES: Eat about 2 to 3 cups of vegetables per day. It doesn’t matter whether your veggies are fresh, frozen, canned, cooked or dried.
FRUIT: Eat 2 cups of fruit every day. Any fruit or 100 percent juice counts. And you can use fresh, canned, cut or frozen
FATS AND OILS: Seven teaspoons of oil per day for men 19-30; 6 teaspoons for men 31 and older. This includes any kind of liquid oil, as well as nuts, olives, avocados, mayonnaise and many salad dressings.
DAIRIES: Consume three cups of dairy products per day. Milk and yogurt are measured in cups, 1 - 2 ounces of cheese counts as a cup. Limit dairy products that have little or no calcium, such as cream cheese and butter, and choose fat-free or low-fat options whenever possible.
MEAT, POULTRY, FISH: Eat 5 to 6 ounces of lean meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs or nuts every day—a little more if you exercise more than 30 minutes.

Source: https://menshealthnetwork.org/

"Key Nutritients for Men's Health" e-Book

Learn More About Your Nutrition Benefits

Behavioral Health with Claribel Gill

LAMP Therapist & Care Coordinator

Men's Mental Health: "Man Up" is Not the Answer

On average, one in 8 men will have depression and one in 5 men will experience anxiety at some stage of their lives. Men are less likely to experience anxiety and depression than women. They are also less likely to talk about it. This increases the risk of their anxiety or depression going unrecognized and untreated. It’s important to remember that anxiety and depression are conditions, not weaknesses, and effective treatments are available.

Symptoms of anxiety in men:

Anxiety is more than having sweaty palms and butterflies in your stomach. Symptoms of anxiety can include ongoing feelings of worry, fear and impending doom that are so severe they interfere with your ability to work, maintain relationships and get a decent night’s sleep. Physical signs of anxiety may include:

pounding or racing heart
excessive sweating
muscle tension
restlessness or agitation
dizziness and vertigo
shortness of breath or choking sensations
insomnia
panic attacks

Emotional signs of anxiety may include:

frequent worry about what could go wrong
feelings of dread
concentration problems
avoidance
catastrophic thinking
irritability or edginess
being overly vigilant towards danger
absentmindedness
fear of losing control

Symptoms of depression in men:

While depression is often associated with sadness and hopelessness, it also manifests itself in irritability and anger, unnecessary risk taking, and increased alcohol or drug use in men.

Physical signs of depression may include:

loss of energy, lethargy or exhaustion
changes in appetite
change in sleep patterns and restlessness
loss of sex drive
alcohol or drug use

Emotional signs of depression may include:

feeling sad or nervous
losing interest or pleasure in activities
feeling irritable, angry or violent
becoming withdrawn and isolated
feeling worthless, guilty, or hopeless
taking unnecessary risks
thinking about death or suicide

Tips for Men Coping With Anxiety and Depression

Try to stay active and make plans for the day – they don’t have to be grand plans, just small things like running or talking to a friend.

Try to include activities or hobbies that you specifically enjoy. At first, you may not enjoy them as much as you did before, but if you keep active and persist, the enjoyment should eventually return.

Look after your body by staying physically active, eating healthily, and getting plenty of sleep.

Try not to drink alcohol or take other drugs to block out how you’re feeling and what is happening. This is not a positive long-term solution and can make anxiety or depression worse.

Utilize your Mental Wellbeing Benefits. Mental health support is part of your benefits as a Manatee County Government employee or YourChoice Health Plan member - CLICK HERE to view your benefits.

Supporting someone with anxiety or depression

It may be helpful to:

Let them know if you’ve noticed a change in their behavior
Spend time talking about their experiences and let them know you’re there to listen without being judgmental
Suggest they go to a doctor or health professional, and help them to make an appointment
Encourage them to get enough sleep, to exercise and to eat well
Encourage family and friends to invite them out and keep in touch, but don’t pressure them to participate in activities

It is unhelpful to:

Put pressure on them by telling them to ‘snap out of it’ or ‘get their act together’
Stay away from or avoid them
Tell them they just need to stay busy or get out more
Pressure them to party more or wipe out how they’re feeling with drugs and alcohol
Assume the problem will just go away

Source: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/anxiety-and-depression-in-men

Manatee County Government offers in-house therapy (EAP) for employees regardless of health plan status with our LAMP Program.

LAMP strives to help members improve overall wellbeing at home and in the workplace. LAMP (Lifestyle Assistance Modification Program) is a voluntary, confidential, and solution-focused counseling service.

To make an appointment, contact Claribel Gill at (941)748-4501, x6408 or email: claribel.gill@mymanatee.org. Office location: 1002 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton, FL 34205.

Office Hours:

Monday: 8:00am - 4:30pm - WALK-INS, NO APPOINTMENT NEEDED

Tuesday: 8:00am - 4:30pm

Wednesday: 8:00am - 6:00pm

Thursday: 8:00am - 4:30pm

Friday: 8:00am - 3:00pm