Men’s Health Awareness Month: Learn About Tips for Supporting Men’s Health!

Men’s Health Awareness Month: Tips for Supporting Men’s Health!

Men’s Health Awareness Month was created in June 1992 to raise awareness about health care for men. Its aim is to encourage men to eat a holistic diet, get plenty of exercise, and to pay attention to how you feel physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Men are notorious for delaying annual exams and postponing medical tests. But total health involves more than playing a weekly pickup basketball game or eating an occasional salad. Total health includes:

• Visiting your doctor for annual check-ups and getting recommended tests
• Eating fresh veggies and fruit, high-quality protein and fats, and complex carbohydrates — whole grains instead of junk food
• Taking nutritional supplements to support your heart, prostate gland, and overall health
• Protecting your skin from the damaging effects of UVB rays
• Drinking plenty of purified water to hydrate your brain, as well as replenish what you excrete every day

The Health Check-ups and Nutrients that All Men Need

20s

• Every year – a physical exam, blood pressure analysis, blood test & urine analysis, including lipid panel, rectal exam, STD testing, self-performed testicular exam
• Every 5 years – TB skin test
• Tetanus booster every 10 years 

30s

• Every year – a physical exam, blood pressure analysis, blood test & urine analysis, including lipid panel and , rectal exam, STD testing, self-performed testicular exam
• Every 5 years – TB skin test
• Tetanus booster every 10 years 

40s

• Every year – a physical exam, blood pressure analysis, blood test & urine analysis, including a lipid panel, rectal exam, STD testing, self-performed testicular exam, electrocardiogram (EKG) for heart abnormalities, prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening, fecal occult blood test
• Every 5 years – TB skin test
• Testosterone screening & Tetanus booster every 10 years

50+

• Every year – a physical exam, blood pressure analysis, blood test & urine analysis, including a lipid panel, rectal exam, STD testing, self-performed testicular exam, electrocardiogram (EKG) for heart abnormalities, prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening, hemoccult test
• Every 5 years – TB skin test
• Tetanus booster. With physician’s discretion – chest x-ray, testosterone screening, bone density screening every ten years

As always, please check with your physician to determine the appropriate health checkup schedule that fits your overall health makeup.

Nutritional Supplements for Optimal Health

Heart Health

• • Magnesium is the most important mineral for the heart. It supports healthy blood pressure, decreases food cravings and helps balance blood sugar. Not to mention, magnesium nourishes and calms the nervous system, and protects the body from damage of stress. Besides food, Epsom salt baths is another way of getting magnesium since it is absorbed through the skin. Get your daily dose in a multi-vitamin-mineral supplement. You can also get it by eating spinach, almonds, cashews, and peanuts, legumes, brown rice, potatoes, chicken, salmon, yogurt, and bananas.

• • Folic acid, (vitamin B9) is important in the metabolism of homocysteine, an inflammatory marker of cardiovascular disease. Its natural form is found in broccoli, Brussels sprouts, leafy green vegetables, peas, chickpeas, kidney beans, and fortified breakfast cereals.

• • Potassium supplementation along with limiting sodium (salt) intake, may lower your risk of high blood pressure and reduce stress and anxiety. Fruits, especially bananas, vegetables, beans and low-fat or fat-free dairy products are all good sources of potassium.

Cognitive Health

• • Vitamin B 12 is important for a number of reasons. It supports heart health and cognition. If you eat meat, you don’t need to worry about being deficient since it is found in meat, poultry, pork, fish, seafood, dairy, and eggs. But since we get it from food, vegetarians, vegans, and others whose diet is mainly plant based, need to take a supplement.²

• • Vitamin B complex containing B6, B12, and B9 (folic acid) is your best bet for playing it safe. However, an alternative is to eat a pile of dark leafy greens every day. Think spinach, kale, collard greens and Swiss chard.

• • Omega-3 fatty acids are important for heart health and cognitive health.¹ As the saying goes, “what’s good for the heart is good for the brain.” Take a fish oil or flax seed oil supplement. Or eat salmon, sardines, tuna, mackerel or herring at least twice a week, nuts and seeds such as flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts, and use olive, flaxseed or walnut oil on your salad.

Immune Support

• • Vitamin D, which is actually a hormone, is crucial to immune health and also boosts testosterone levels. Absorb it from the sun during the warm months. In addition, you can obtain it from eggs, salmon, sardines, and fortified foods like milk and cereals. If you have dark skin or live at a northern latitude, you definitely need to supplement with vitamin D.⁴

• • Zinc is essential to a strong immune system and wound healing. In addition, it also supports prostate health. You can find zinc in pumpkin seeds and seafood.

• • Vitamin C, an important antioxidant, is important for protecting against colds and flu. In addition, Vitamin C supports skin health and healthy aging. You can find it in citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries, pineapple, dried apricots and cantaloupe. You can also find it in peppers, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, sweet potato, and dark green leafy vegetables.

Support a Healthy Blood Pressure

• • Maintaining a regular exercise program.

• • Eating a Mediterranean diet with healthy fats such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, and deep-water fish at least twice a week. In addition, reduce meat and dairy consumption. Snack on a small handful of roasted, unsalted nuts (walnuts, cashews, almonds). Try to eat these foods instead of eating chips, pastries, cookies, candy or ice cream.

• • Taking heart-healthy supplements such as: CoQ10, grape seed extract, resveratrol.³