A man's health starts with his observance of good habits namely healthy thoughts, choices, and actions that include moderate eating, proper and adequate rest and sleep, adequate exercise and sunlight exposure, ingestion of natural supplements, and adoption of harmonious and excellent human relations.
Healthy Eating Habits:
Eat foods that are high in fibre. Fibres have cholesterol-lowering properties and are present in most fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains. A balanced diet includes carbohydrates, proteins, and fibres. Reduced sugar intake will help prevent glucose intolerance, and tooth decay. Since middle-aged men are salt-sensitive, use less salt and sauces in cooking as salt causes body to retain water, which may lead to high blood pressure. Use spices and herbs to flavor food instead of soya, tomato, or chili sauces. Avoid canned or salted foods. Instead, use fresh meat and vegetables. Eat less fatty food to reduce risk of heart disease. Trim away all fat and skin from meat before cooking. Do not eat more than 2 to 3 eggs a week. Boil, bake, grill, roast or stew food instead of deep-fry. Use margarine in place of butter the reason being that margarine is made up of vegetable fat whereas butter is made up of animal fat. The human body needs fibre for healthy digestion. Eating more cereals, fresh fruits, vegetables prevent constipation. Avoid creamy cakes and pastries.
Drink at least eight of 8oz. of water daily to help flush out impurities from the systems. Limit alcohol intake to moderate. Alcohol abuse is the culprit behind high blood pressure and heart disease. It must be noted that 1 tot of hard liquor is equivalent to 25mL or 1 ounce of beer.
Ingestion of Natural Dietary Supplements
Food nutrients are essential for cell growth for the body to function efficiently. Daily calcium supplement is a critical factor in the prevention of osteoporosis in men. Beans, and dried peas, bean curd and soya, and green leafy vegetables are good sources of calcium. Middle-aged men have greater risks in developing cardiovascular diseases. A daily supplement of vitamins C and E, carotenoids, as well as omega-3 fish oil promotes healthy cardiovascular functions, and normal cell growth. Physicians of Channing Laboratory at Brigham and Women Hospital reported in the Nov. 12 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine that men who take beta-carotene supplements for an extended time have less cognitive decline and better verbal memory than those who do not. Dark green, yellow-orange fruits and vegetables such as apricots, carrots, peaches, spinach, and sweet potatoes provide the required dietary beta-carotene.
Other natural supplements beneficial to a man’s health are present in dried fruits and green leafy vegetables. Cabbage, broccoli, Lima beans, and green peas are good sources of iron, which helps make hemoglobin that transports oxygen to the body tissues. Extracts of ginger and turmeric boost the body’s resistance to both mental and physical stress. Whole, fresh garlic is beneficial to the immune system, against viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi.
Having Regular Exercise:
Heart disease is lesser among men who are physically active than in those who are sedentary, overweight or obese middle aged men. Cardiovascular fitness slows the process of hardening of the arteries, reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke, keeps weight down and reduces the risk of diabetes, reduces bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol level, and puts aging at bay.
A good exercise begins with 5 minutes of stretching exercises and ends with 5 minutes of cooling-down stretches. Remember, the aim is to exercise 3 to 5 times a week, 15 to 60 minutes each time to build strength. Choose an exercise according to your body strength, endurance, mobility, and cardiovascular-pulmonary performance. Start slowly and gradually increase the amount and duration of the workout.
Healthy Relationships and Social Interactions
“Distress promotes poor health habits and heart disease,” says Researcher Peter P. Vitaliano, PhD, of the University of Washington in the May issue of the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.
Healthy relations bring about extra benefits. It enables a man to function at a high level of emotional health.
It is absolutely necessary to spend time with your family. Try to learn new hobbies and skills. Ballroom dancing, bonsai gardening, kayaking, or origami making are skills that make a man interesting and sociable.
Perform voluntary works. A good work is a clear statement of a vivacious spirit. Keep the mind active. The challenge for the middle-age man is to stay in touch with current events, to adapt to life, and to aspire for achievements—endeavors that are within his reach.
Healthy living helps reverse stress, and frustration that are part of middle age. Healthy relationships and social interactions can motivate men to practice healthy habits.
IMPORTANCE OF ADOPTING GOOD HEALTHY LIFESTYLES
- FAILURE could lead to development of DIABETES: Check a case study by DIABETES UK, titled
Middle-aged Men Twice As Likely To Have Diabetes As Women (PUBLISHED JULY 2009)
According to the report, men aged 35-54 are almost twice as likely to have diabetes compared to their female counterparts.
Key statistics on diabetes shows that 2.4 per cent (around 92,960) of men in England aged 35-44 have diabetes compared to 1.2 per cent (around 47,000) of women of the same age, and 6 per cent (around 197,050) of men aged 45-54 have diabetes compared to 3.6 per cent (around 120,670) of women their age.
Statistics also show that diabetes has risen four times faster in men aged 35-44 over the last 12 years compared to women of the same age, and that, consistently, more men are overweight than women.
Approximately 90 per cent of people with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes, which is strongly linked to lifestyle factors such as diet and physical activity levels. The condition can be genetic, but many people are overweight when they are diagnosed.
Simon O'Neill, Diabetes UK's Director of Care, Information and Advocacy, said: "It's very worrying that men of this age are developing diabetes at such an alarming rate compared to their female counterparts. Most of them will have Type 2 diabetes, which is genetic but is also strongly linked to lifestyle and can be prevented in many cases by eating a healthy balanced diet and doing regular physical activity.
"Women should not rest on their laurels, either. They may tend to develop the condition later in life, but the risk of death from heart disease associated with Type 2 diabetes is about 50 per cent greater in women than it is in men - not a statistic to be ignored.
"Diabetes UK is calling on everyone carrying extra weight to reduce their chances of developing Type 2 diabetes by leading a healthier lifestyle. We must take action now to tackle Type 2 diabetes head-on."
Research shows that losing weight can reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes in those at high risk by 58 per cent and physical activity can reduce the risk by 64 per cent.
Risk factors for Type 2 diabetes include: - being over 40 years old ; - or over 25 if you're Black, Asian or from an ethnic minority group ; - having a large waist ; - being of Black or South Asian origin and having a family history of the condition.
Type 2 diabetes can be undetected for 10 years or more and around half of people already have complications by the time they are diagnosed. At risk waist measurements are 37 inches or more for men, except those of South Asian origin who are at risk at 35 inches or more, and 31.5 inches or more for all women.
- Failure could lead to development of other lifestyle related diseases
NB: Lifestyle diseases (also sometimes called diseases of longevity or diseases of civilization interchangeably) are
diseases that appear to increase in frequency as countries become more industrialized and people live longer. They can include ALZHEIMER's disease, atherosclerosis, asthma, cancer, chronic liver disease or cirrhosis (following chronic alcohol intake), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(following chronic smoking habits), Type 2 diabetes,(already discussed); heart disease, hypertension and other complications including stroke), metabolic syndrome, Crohn's disease, nephritis or chronic renal failure, osteoporosis, depression and obesity.
This is only the tip of the iceberg. More posts are going to come after this. With any one with lifestyle challenges, don't hesitate to contact me through this blog or email me through: abrahamsagoe2003@gmail.com or call me on 00233 206 52 92 75; 0204 1888 17. DR ABRAHAM SAGOE, MBChB, Dip (USG). Dundee Consortium, making the world a better place. You can be a follower on this blog. To all middle aged men and women, let your friends be introduced to my blog www.donabrahamsagoe.blogspot.com. All that you have to do is once you get to the blog, read an article related to your health, once you are interested, you click on follower and you follow the instructions then you become a follower. You can also catch me live on facebook. Just type ABRAHAM SAGOE SENIOR into facebook search side. CATCH YOU.