Men Need Strong Bones, Too

You might think of weak bones as a woman’s problem, but men lose bone strength as they age, too. While men are less likely to develop osteoporosis, they do lose bone mass and strength. That can make you weaker and more prone to injury as you age.

If you don’t want this to happen to you, then you need to take action to keep your bones strong.

Conventional wisdom says that weight lifting is the best way to strengthen bones. Weight lifting does work, but it isn’t the best thing you can do.

New research publishing in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning found that high impact activities actually build bones better than weight lifting.

Researchers looked at the bone density and strength of people who regularly do weight lifting and of others who regularly include a high impact activity like running in their workout. They found that those in the latter group had better bone density.

While weight training strengthens bones as a result of stronger muscles, high impact training seems to directly trigger bone growth.

If you regularly workout, but stick to lower-impact activities like cycling and swimming, you might want to consider adding in a running or jump roping workout once or twice a week. This will enhance your results by making your bones stronger.

Stronger bones mean a better foundation for your whole body, and that’s a good thing for your health and fitness.

Stay well,
Danny Wallace

Men's Health Tips from the Healthiest Cities in America

Every year Men's Health does a statistical analysis to find the top ten healthiest cities for men. This year Minneapolis, Salt Lake City, Seattle, San Francisco, and Boston were some that made the cut.

Different cities gain their seat on the list for different reasons. In Salt Lake City men have lower blood pressure… in Seattle fewer men die from colon cancer… in San Francisco men tend to stay slimmer.

So what can you learn from men in these healthy cities? Quite a bit, actually.

In Salt Lake City, men exercise more. This keeps their blood pressure down and helps protect them from stroke and inflammation in the arteries that can trigger all sorts of health complications.

The survey's conductors also find that people who live in strong communities live longer. Older people with strong friendships and who participate in their community tend to outlive folks of the same age who kept don't have strong social ties. So, if you want to live a long healthy life, make a new friend or join a club or volunteer.

That's not all they found. Other advice you can use… Men who get the most calcium and vitamin D lower their risk of colon cancer. Men who live in places with clean air have fewer heart attacks. And men who eat more fruits and vegetables stay at a healthier weight and develop fewer diseases as they age.

As you can see there are lots of ways you can give your health a long-term boost. So go out and exercise. Or get involved in your community. Or start taking a good calcium supplement. All these simple steps can mean a better, healthier life for you.

Stay well,
Danny Wallace

Bone Loss: Not Just a Woman's Disease

Most people think of osteoporosis as a woman's disease. It's true that women are at higher risk, but that doesn't mean that if you're a man, you've got nothing to worry about. As you age, your bones can become weaker and more brittle—even if you're a man. This leads to a higher risk of fractures, including hip fractures, which can rob you of your independence.

Fortunately there are simple steps you can take that will help preserve the strength and health of your bones.

Exercise and staying active as you get older is the first step. Doing resistance training—either lifting weights or doing exercises like push-ups that use your body weight for resistance—helps to keep bones strong.

Most people know that taking a supplement with calcium and magnesium is important for strong bones. If you're over fifty, your body needs a little more calcium than it used to. You should be getting at least 1200 milligrams a day between your diet and your supplement. Your body can't absorb that much all at once, so make sure you eat some calcium rich foods throughout your day.

In addition to calcium and magnesium, you might not realize that vitamin C can also help keep your bones strong if you’re a man. Researchers believe that vitamin C's effect on inflammation is what protects your bones. Inflammation can promote bone loss, but vitamin C helps reduce inflammation levels in your body. Doctors aren't sure why vitamin C benefits a man's bones more than a woman's, but they do agree that it's important nutrient for good bone health in men.

To add more vitamin C to your diet, eat more fruits and vegetables especially those that are orange or dark green. Also, make sure your multivitamin contains at least 500 mg.

Just because you're a man, doesn't mean your bones will stay strong forever. If you stay active and take the right nutrients, though, then you'll be able to count on your bones for a lifetime.

Stay well,
Heather Robwell

Men—Start Reducing Your Risk Factors Today

Even with all the medical advances we've make in the last century, men still die earlier than women. Most chronic diseases affect—and kill—more men than women, too. But guys aren't helpless when it comes to their health. There are plenty of steps you can take to make sure you buck these statistics and live a long, healthy life.

For starters, stop smoking. Men who smoke are more likely to develop heart disease, have a stroke, or die from lung cancer. Quitting smoking isn't easy, but it can be done. And getting it done is one of the most positive health changes you can make. If you're a smoker, check into support programs that can help you to quit. Finding support can help you achieve your goal to stop smoking, and more importantly, a good support system can help the change to stick.

Next up, get more active. Men who are active during their leisure time are more physically fit. Good physical fitness will cut down on heart disease and stroke risks. Plus, you'll look and feel better, which means you'll be more likely to enjoy all the extra years you're going to live.

Finally, see your doctor for a physical each year. Having a good relationship with your doctor means that he or she will be able to catch early warning signs of any developing health problems. Reacting sooner rather than later can make all the difference in the world when it comes to preventing or treating diseases.

Your health is important. So, take care of yourself.

Stay well,
Heather Robwell

Hormones Should be Used Under a Doctor's Care

Hormones are amazing compounds. In the right balance, they make you feel strong, vital, healthy, happy, and young. They boost your sex drive, increase your energy, and help you to maintain a healthy weight.

Too little of certain hormones can have a devastating effect. As you age, your levels of testosterone begin to decline. Your muscles become smaller and lose strength. You start putting pounds on around the middle. Your bones lose mass. And you lose energy and have a lower sex drive.

It's tempting to begin taking a supplement with naturally occurring hormones to offset these effects. But, it's important to keep in mind that too much of any single kind of hormone can be just as damaging as too little.

For example, a news piece from yesterday reports that two men taking a natural supplement containing testosterone and estradiol developed an aggressive form of prostate cancer. Their lives will never be the same.

I don't cite this story to disregard the benefit that hormones can provide you. I cite it to emphasize that when it comes to hormones, balance is absolutely crucial. If you want to take real, natural, bio-identical hormones, you should do so with your doctor's guidance. Your doctor can measure your hormone levels, and help you determine a proper dosage. He can also help you find sources for hormones that are certain to be safe and contain the proper amounts of each kind of hormone that you need.

Self-directed use of hormones—especially powerful hormones like testosterone—can backfire on you.

If you don't want to work with a doctor to guide your hormone replacement, then choose supplements that contain hormone precursors instead. These types of supplements don't contain active hormones. Instead they contain compounds that your body can use to increase its own natural hormone production. Yohimbe and tribulus terrestris are two of the most common, natural supplements that provide precursors for testosterone.

When it comes to hormone supplements, natural isn't always enough. You also need balance to ensure your health and safety. So work with your doctor or choose precursors instead.

Stay well,
Meghan Krohn

Anxiety is Bad for Your Heart… especially if You’re a Man

Hostility, anger, depression. Recent research has linked all of these emotions—when you experience them often—to heart disease.

Now researcjers are adding anxiety to the list.

Men who are often nervous and anxious have a 30 to 40 percent higher risk of having a heart attack than people who stay on an emotionally even keel. That's a significant increase.

Like hostility and anger, anxiety causes a number of physiological responses that have a negative effect on your heart. Anxiety raises your blood pressure, it increases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, and it makes your heart work harder. Over time, these symptoms all take their toll, leading you toward heart disease.

To ease anxiety, try one of these strategies:
• Take a brisk walk in the evening each day. During the walk, focus on letting go of the things you worry about that you cannot control.
• Join a yoga class or a guided meditation group. The social connections are very healthy for someone who feels anxious a lot of the time, and the activities are very relaxing.
• Retrain your thought process to be more positive. Try to catch yourself in the moment when you are having negative or worried thoughts. In that moment, find something that you are grateful for or some positive action that you can take. Or just recognize that the negative thoughts are not helpful and consciously reject them.

Reducing anxiety is somewhat of a trial and error process. Some strategies will work better than others for you. Keep at it until you find something that helps to calm you in those anxious moments.

What this recent research underscores is that your heart health and your mental health are intertwined. This means you shouldn't hesitate to take time to relax and enjoy yourself, that you shouldn't be embarrassed if you need help dealing with an emotional event, and that the support of friends and family is an important part of your overall health.

Stay well,
Danny Wallace

Easy Exercise to Relieve Erectile Dysfunction

My dad had a friend who was put on high blood pressure medication recently. My dad jokingly asked if the doctor had given him a Viagra prescription, too. His friend looked at him puzzled. But six months later he wasn't laughing… Viagra had become a necessity to perform.

The causes of erectile dysfunction are many—anxiety, prescription drugs, heart problems… they can all lead to trouble in the bedroom. Often your doctor's first inclination is to give you a drug to fix the problem… even if it's a problem caused by another drug.

What's even more troubling is that there is a proven, safe treatment for erectile dysfunction. It's easy and free… and it usually works as well as Viagra. Shouldn't your doctor have you try this first?

This miracle cure is nothing new. It's Kegel exercises—exercises that work your pelvic floor muscles. Here's what you do…
1. First tighten the muscles you would use to stop the flow of urine.
2. Hold those muscles tight for ten seconds.
3. Without relaxing those muscles, tighten the anal muscles, as well, and hold for a count of ten before relaxing
completely.
4. Do ten sets three times every day.

Every man, whether you have erectile dysfunction or not, can benefit from Kegel exercises. Certainly, if you have ED, you should try Kegels for a month before trying more invasive solutions.

Stay well,
Danny Wallace

Seniors Have Active Sex Lives, Too

When I was in my thirties, I used to shudder at the idea of older people having sex. Back then it even felt uncomfortable thinking about my own parents having sex. Maybe you can relate? But it wasn’t until I was out playing golf this weekend that I realized it was men of my own age that are now facing these sexual issues.

One of my golf partners actually told us that he has had to resign to the fact he was too old to have sex anymore. Wow…that was startling to me considering this individual was only fifty-six. I told him he was simply crazy to think that way.

I read a recent survey that found that adults right up into their seventies continue to enjoy regular sex. And more than half of people 75 to 85 report having sex several times a month.

That’s good news to my ears. But much like my friend, sex as you grow older does present some challenges. Here are a few things I have learned being in the business of providing natural, sexual options.

• If you're a man, mind your testosterone levels—stick to a regular exercise routine, eat lots of broccoli and cauliflower and consider supplementing with tribulus terrestris, yohimbine, or l-arginine.
• Talk about sex more with your partner—by communicating openly you'll be able to share your needs and learn about those of your partner.
• Try some variety—the kids are long gone, so you can have sex any time of the day in whatever room you choose. You can also travel more or enjoy a romantic evening out without lining up a sitter…basically, enjoy the freedom.
• Try to be a little more romantic. Most women even into their later years still appreciate a little attention. I know…it can feel a little corny but a romantic card, flowers, or a nice massage will come back tenfold if you do it. I’m telling you this with experience. It’s worth it!

Forget about being too old…just do it! And if you have any physical limitations then try some of the many sexual enhancement options that are available.

Stay well,
Al Serin

A Surefire Way to Boost Good Cholesterol

Three weeks ago, my colleague Heather told you about how negative emotions like hostility and anger drag down a man's health.

Today, I want to flip that on its head and tell how good emotions are the most natural, surefire way to boost your HDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is the good kind of cholesterol. It's a better marker of heart disease risk than LDL cholesterol. Higher levels of HDL cholesterol protect you from heart disease and lower your risks of metabolic disorders.

The problem is that most strategies to fight heart disease focus on lowering LDL cholesterol and ignore HDL cholesterol.

Well, fortunately there's an easy way to raise your HDL cholesterol--find better ways to beat stress.

Stress is unavoidable. If you let it build up and beat you down, you'll be struggling against those negative emotions that damage your health. However, if you work on coping with your stress in a positive way, you'll actually improve your health.

Researchers studied 716 men and how they coped with stress. Researchers expected to find that the men who choose positive coping strategies like remaining calm and focusing on solutions would have lower LDL cholesterol. They were surprised to find that men who used positive coping strategies actually had significantly higher levels of HDL cholesterol than men who became hostile and angry in the face of stress.

Just one more reason to pay attention to your emotional health… it does affect your physical health.

Stay well,

Danny Wallace

Men, Are you aware of how hostility can make you very sick?

Just recently I read about a new study that was released showing that negative feelings have a powerful negative impact on men's health. If you frequently feel angry, depressed, or hostile you compromise your immune system and up your risk of a number of chronic diseases.

The researchers found that men who feel negative emotions on a chronic basis have high levels of systemic inflammation. Inflammation has been tied to heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer's, diabetes, and arthritis.

Honestly, this isn't really surprising. Stress has long been known to depress the immune system, damage to the body, and contribute to chronic diseases. Certainly anger, depression, and hostility generate stress.

If you find you struggle with negative emotions, the time to take action is now.

Often negative emotions are a result of out-of-control thoughts that keep bringing you back to a negative moment. It takes practice, but it's possible to begin recognizing those thoughts when they occur. Once you do that, you can shift your thinking to something more positive.

Meditation, regular stretching, classical music, and a hobby you enjoy are all other good ways to beat stress and negative emotions.

When all else fails, make an appointment with a therapist. You may find that a professional is very helpful. If not, you don't have to continue.

Take control of your mental and emotional health today.


Heather Robwell