FEATURE: MENS HEALTH

National Men’s Health Month is all about encouraging men to take care of their bodies by eating right, exercising, and working to prevent disease. The purpose is to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of diseases including cancer, heart disease, and depression. In this month’s Jewish Life magazine, read about the common health issues that are specifi c to men and how to prevent men from getting hurt!

Men: Live longer & stronger

Men have a bad reputation of avoiding doctor visits until something is seriously wrong. How can men use their medical team to help stay healthy and prevent disease?

Heart disease, cancer, stroke, unintentional injuries, Alzheimer’s disease, and diabetes are leading causes of death and disability in men. There are also health conditions that primarily aff ect men, such as testicular and prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction (ED), and low testosterone. Maintaining a healthy weight and staying physically active have a huge eff ect on your health and hormones. Obesity can lead to diabetes and decreased testosterone. High blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack and kidney problems. And taking blood pressure medications such as diuretics or beta blockers can lead to ED. Even if you don’t have symptoms, it’s a good idea to get checked annually. Knowing your o numbers can help you protect yourself and your family. All men should start prostate screening at age 40, or younger if you have signs of prostate enlargement or increased frequency of urination. Suicide and depression are other leading men's health risks. Your emotional health is just as important as your physical health. There is help if you’re feeling sad or hopeless and have decreased libido or loss of interest in normal activities. Your medical team can be your best ally for maintaining health with preventative care. Talk with your doctor to determine which screenings are right for you. TimChristopher ,BSN , R N R egis tere dNurseandACEHealthC ach ,B a pti st W e l lness ConneXion R ach el S a n dler J ewishEducator, Research supports that those who meditate, pray, or participate in spiritual activities have better attitudes, express more gratitude, mindfulness, and self-control, and experience greater emotional health and healthier interpersonal relationships. How can men connect to their spirituality through the lens of our Jewish heritage and tradition? The word Torah means “instruction,” and it provides guidance for our lives. In it JewishCommuni t y A l l iance Spiritual Health are mitzvot which are commandments from G-d. In all, there are 613 commandments in the Torah that are comprised of ethical, social, and ritual issues for the basis of Jewish law.

This includes physical things to do to become more spiritual. As exercise builds up our physical body, mitzvot build up our spiritual strength. By doing actions or refraining from doing something, we are building our spiritual health. Teshuvah (repentance), tefi llah (prayer), and tzedakah (charity) are important for all of us. For men, the mitzvot of putting on tefi llin and wearing tzitzit can also provide options to nourish your soul, as well as your body.

Fitness

Eiff el Gilyana, Fitness & Wellness Director, Jewish Community Alliance

Exercise is a huge part of living a healthy lifestyle, maintaining healthy weight, lowering risk of diseases and chronic conditions, and maintaining self-suffi ciency with age. Beyond the basics, what advice can you share for men to improve their workouts and results?

In general, men tend to focus on arms, Testosterone is crucial to build Testosterone is crucial to build chest, and abs. Most guys think top down muscle, increase strength and energy, muscle, increase strength and energy, when they should work from the bottom up. and stay leaner. It also boosts and stay leaner. It also boosts Focus on legs and glutes – these are key Focus on legs and glutes – these are key libido, protects against libido, protects against performance enhancers. I’m not saying don’t performance enhancers. I’m not saying don’t osteoporosis, and boosts cognitive osteoporosis, and boosts cognitive do isolation or concentrated training, but you do isolation or concentrated training, but you functions like memory and functions like memory and should incorporate full range of motion, should incorporate full range of motion, attentiveness. But levels naturally attentiveness. But levels naturally multi-joint functional movements such as the multi-joint functional movements such as the decline by about 1% per year decline by about 1% per year squat or deadlift on at least 3 days. It’s best to squat or deadlift on at least 3 days. It’s best to after age 30. If you recruit after age 30. If you recruit perform smaller, isolation exercises after the more total muscle mass by more total muscle mass by big, complex lifts. big, complex lifts. incorporating compound incorporating compound movements and training movements and training Another common mistake I see is doing a full cardio workout before your lift. Some aerobic warm up is necessary to increase your core temperature, but twenty to thirty minutes of Another common mistake I see is doing a full cardio workout before your lift. Some aerobic warm up is necessary to increase your core temperature, but twenty to thirty minutes of with high intensity, you will help your workouts naturally boost your testosterone to reap all the health, athletic, and aesthetic benefi ts you desire. with high intensity, you will help your workouts naturally boost your testosterone to reap all the health, athletic, and aesthetic benefi ts you desire. cardio will drain your cardio will drain your glycogen stores, leaving glycogen stores, leaving no fuel in the tank to no fuel in the tank to have an eff ective have an eff ective workout. This makes workout. This makes your lift weak. Five to your lift weak. Five to ten minutes of a ten minutes of a dynamic warm up is dynamic warm up is enough to prime enough to prime your body for your body for performance enhancement, not fatigue. Including cardio is important, but it’s best done after your lift or in a separate workout session.

nutrition

We all know the importance of eating a healthy diet. What specific nutrition and lifestyle recommendations can you offer men to improve their health and vitality? Let’s talk Testosterone. It’s the major sex hormone in men, essential for masculinization, muscle mass, bone density, sex drive, sperm production, and vitality. Making smart nutrition and lifestyle decisions can help optimize your testosterone levels. The brain sends a message to testicular cells to convert cholesterol to

Stacy Seslowsky, RD, LDN, MSN Functional Nutrition Dietitian, Jewish Community Alliance testosterone. Insufficient sleep, high stress and/or a lack of fulfillment in relationship/job can quiet the brain’s messaging and diminish testosterone production. A diet too low in cholesterol could result in insufficient building blocks necessary for testosterone synthesis.

Plastics (BPA’s), pesticides, and other toxins in food, personal care products, or cleaning supplies can alter normal hormone balance by reducing testosterone levels and increasing estrogen in men. Excess body weight will also convert testosterone to estrogen. Adequate detoxification (regular bowel movements, sweating, sleep, and movement) is required for continued hormone recycling.

strive for the following:

1. Sleep 7-8 hours per night, manage stress, maintain healthy relationships, and exercise daily.

2.

Reduce your toxic load: use glass instead of plastic, avoid products containing parabens and phthalates, and choose organic. Visit EWG.org for a list of safer products. Eat a nutrient dense, nutrient diverse wholly-unprocessed high fiber diet.

3. 4.

Include omega-3 fatty acids found in wild-caught fatty fish, grass-fed/grass-finished meats, poultry & eggs from pasture-raised, organic, and cage-free animals for adequate cholesterol levels.

Promote regular bowel movements: consume fruits and vegetables at every meal, eat foods high in resistant starch such as rice, potatoes, beans, bananas, or oats, drink half your body weight in ounces of water, and add movement throughout every day. Experiment with avoiding common food intolerances such as gluten, dairy, corn, and soy.

5.

great nutrition for wonderful men

N a c y n Co hen, RDN LDN Re If you are reading this, then you have or have had a man in your life. It might be you, your father, your brother, your son or any relative or male friend. When it comes to the best gistered Dietitian N ut ri t i o n is t solutions for caring for men’s health, in some respects the equation is simple: Eat Well, Play Well, Rest Well. On the other hand, there are some subtle and powerful nutrition tools that work across the board for good health too.

Depending on the stages of life, nutrition always plays an important role in how well one performs or feels. The key areas of health that always remain important to male health are heart disease, hypertension, cancer prevention, diabetes prevention and care, and prostate health.

The National Institute of Health (NIH) and each of the individual boards of health (American Heart

Association, American Cancer Society, American

Diabetes Association) have evidenced-based research to support their goals and recommendations.

Dietary Guidelines for Good Nutrition Health

According to the NIH’s 2020 Dietary Guidelines:

Eat in healthy patterns throughout your lifetime; focus on variety and nutrient content; limit extra sugars, fats and sodium intake; focus on managing a healthy weight and adjust calories accordingly.

So how do we live in these current times and make nutritional choices that support men to be their best?

Start with calories and weight management. Weight does make a difference. Once your Body Mass Index (BMI) goes into the obese classification, you are now at risk of medical issues: heart disease, hypertension and diabetes.

The latest guidelines from the NIH for healthy weight are based on BMI. BMI reflects the relation of weight to height, as an important tool for accessing healthy weight. BMI is based on a formula of weight in kilograms, divided by height in meters, squared.

Not everyone who falls in the “elevated” risk category is at a higher risk for disease. For example, a CrossFit athlete may appear to be overweight by the BMI table, but he is probably not “over fat.” Use this link to calculate your BMI: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/ health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm •A BMI of less than 19 is considered to be underweight. •A BMI of 19-25 is a healthy weight. •A BMI of 26-30 is overweight. •A BMI of 31-39 is obese. •A BMI greater that 40 is considered to be very much higher risk.

Be aware that any of these characteristics can lead one towards the possibility of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is not a disease but includes a group of risk factors for heart disease and other disorders, including diabetes. Research shows that having metabolic syndrome could increase your chance of developing heart disease and diabetes even if your LDL cholesterol isn’t high. Heredity could also determine if you develop metabolic syndrome, but the basic causes are associated with abdominal obesity (a large waist), and lack of physical activity. Metabolic syndrome is also connected to a condition called “insulin resistance” which can lead to diabetes. Insulin is a hormone that supports turning glucose, or sugar in your blood into energy. If insulin resistance is present, your body cannot properly use the insulin it creates.

Are you or someone you love at risk for metabolic syndrome? If you have three or more of the following risk factors, you could be at risk: •Large waist measurement: 35-inches or more for women, and 40-inches or more for men •Triglyceride level of 150 mg/dL or higher •HDL cholesterol of less than 50 mg/dL in women, less than 40 mg/dL in men •Blood pressure of 130/85 mmHg or higher •Fasting blood sugar of 100 mg/dL or higher

Just do your best remembering that each step forward is a step towards better health. Always check in with your medical professional.

When it comes to hypertension, research sponsored by the NIH has shown that the DASH diet can lower blood pressure as well as medication. Good news, too, the results are fast! Many people see results such as lower blood pressure in only 14-days since starting the DASH diet.

Adding weight loss when needed and exercise to the DASH diet will further improve your blood pressure numbers.

A diet rich in minerals, high in fiber, and low in saturated fat is key to lowering blood pressure. Many of our healthy nutrients are found in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy foods. The old food guide pyramid recommended eating daily: 2-4 fruits and 3-5 vegetables. The DASH diet recommends eating daily: 4-5 fruits and 4-5 vegetables

When it comes to nutrition to prevent cancer or prostate health, the guidelines are fairly similar. The big components are to keep your fiber high, choose fruits and veggies from a variety of colors for their cancer protective benefits and limit and reduce smoked foods and high fat protein choices. Choose fresh or frozen fish, lean proteins such as chicken, lean beef and lean pork. Watch out for a lot of additives. Select vegetables and fruits with fewer pesticides.

Summing It All Up

To keep our wonderful men in tip top shape, do what historically has proven to be the best formula for good health. Eat lean, eat your reds and greens (fruits and vegetables) eat with variety, limit processed foods and maintain a healthy lifestyle filled with activity, fun and love.

Nancy Cohen is a member of Temple Bet Yam in St. Augustine. For more information visit www.feedingthebodyfeedingthesoul.com