Happy Men's Health Week!
June is Men's Health Month!
Raising awareness and putting this in your mind is a priority since most men do not take care of themselves. Or do not even think about their health and well-being. Or have no idea that a few small lifestyle changes and being disciplined about it can have a significant impact on multiple levels when it comes to your health.
Here are some practices, advice, guide, and things I do to improve men's health, wellness, and self-care. Most importantly, improve fitness and nutrition with proper supplementation for the prevention of diseases and cancer. As well as longevity and anti-aging properties and essential mental health that is the beginning of everything. I will keep it short and up-to-the-point, so you can commit to those changes and keep it simple and convenient.
NUTRITION & BODY COMPOSITION
You are what you eat. Food is the most significant factor in health. Every meal, you are either a disease away or closer. It significantly impacts your mood and well-being. Here are some tips you can incorporate to improve:
Intermittent fasting does wonders to your health. It starts tons of processes in your body that you only benefit from. Both mental and physical.
You do not need to eat 5 small meals or other non-sense you were told.
Eat until you are 70% full. Eat slowly and chew your food a lot. Trust me, you will be satisfied, and your gut will thank you.
Try to avoid grains and products labeled as"healthy". Those are primarily full of chemicals and artificial flavorings and such bad things.
Fats are healthy and essential, not your enemy. Do not be afraid of them. Olive oil, olives, avocado oil, eggs, avocados, fish oil, meats, and fatty fish are great choices. With that being said, try the keto diet, Mediterranean diet, or Paleo.
Remove vegetable oils and everything processed. That is the essential advice here, since they do the most significant damage, especially if you are carrying too many pounds already.
Limit carbs, especially refined. Sugars and carbs are good if in a complete form such as fruits, but...
Sugar and artificial sweeteners destroy your gut and microbiome, among loads of other bad stuff they trigger in your body. Try to completely remove them or have them just on special occasions such as birthdays or cheat meals.
Try AIP (The Autoimmune Protocol) if you have any issues with digestion, skin, headaches, etc.
Keeping your weight and body-fat low, it removes a lot of diseases and problems + aids in longevity and anti-aging.
Do not do too much cardio or have too big a calorie deficit with your diet. It will destroy your metabolism, and fry your adrenal glands, and while it might give you short-term-fast results, you are just building a house with a weak foundation, and that house will collapse soon. In other words, you will regain all the weight, and it will be harder to lose weight next time, plus your hormones will be crushed. Rome wasn't built in a day. Go slow, steady, and build an empire/temple.
Plan. Have a grocery and ingredient list. Meal-prep if that is your thing. Follow the diet of your choice. I would recommend AIP, keto, paleo, Mediterranean diet, and low-carb. Keep your proteins consistently high since it is a building block for your body, inside out.
Exercise. Isn't that obvious? Walk outside and decompress. This is tightly connected to mental health. Do not sit for too long. I hate sitting all day in front of screens, and unfortunately, it has become a standard for all of us now. Go to the gym and lift as heavy as you can with of course correct form. Don't injure yourself; build yourself. Do low-intensity and high-intensity cardio, but not excessively. It will fry your adrenal glands and hormones and destroy your metabolism. It is not a quick and easy path, but if you stay disciplined and consistent, results will come. You will start seeing it usually around week 3 or 4.
Drink water! Hydrate and get electrolites. Get that gallon of water in you. It is 70% of your body. And allow yourself a glass of wine or two without overthinking it.
MENTAL HEALTH
You can do all the right things physically, but if you do not have your ducks in a row mentally and you are surrounded by negative people and hostile environments, all of that won't matter. We all are witnessing how this is a big issue in our country, so here is what you can do:
Remove toxic and negative humans from your life. Replace them with the ones who put a smile on your face and make you look forward to something. The ones that are positive, encouraging, real, and honest when you need it the most.
Quit that miserable job that does not fulfill you. Sacrifice money and "opportunities" if it does not make you happy and if you do not love what you do. Start from scratch with what you love and where your passions are. I promise you your life will change, and the money will follow.
Stop overthinking what you cannot control. If it's out of your hands, it deserves freedom from your mind too.
Taking a break and rest is okay and essential, and sometimes the most productive thing you can do. Do it even if you feel you might "lose" money or opportunities. You cannot buy a new body and life. Keep that in mind.
Have someone you can talk to, at any time, anywhere. Please do not hold it within yourself. It can be a friend or a family member. Or in this day and age, someone over the internet. Do not be afraid to ask for emotional support.
Gratitude. In any form you like to do it. Are you writing a journal? Thinking about it every day? Make it a habit.
Seek professional help if you need to. Do not act too tough on yourself, or think you are not the person for it.
Drink coffee, instant dopamine, and serotonin booster.
Take a walk. Go outside in nature. Start gardening, and literally and physically connect with nature, touch the soil, and go to the beach. It is insane how that can help you both mentally and physically. Walking is great for digestion after meals too.
Forgive, but do not forget. Live in peace.
Do a favor and help someone who cannot never "repay" you back.
Do not be afraid to fail; just do it.
Ask yourself, "Will it matter next week, month, year, or 5 years?" If the answer is no, keep calm and carry on.
Get outside your comfort zone. Face your fears. Do something for the first time in your life. Break your routine. As MJ would say, "Limits, like fears, are often just an illusion."
HEALTH PRACTICES
Disease Prevention, Longevity, Anti-Aging, and Things You Would Not Think Of...
Here are a couple of strategies and things to start implementing, making it a habit, and be aware of it:
1. Consistent blood work. Make sure you know what is happening inside. It tells you a lot. Please do it, because if you do not do it, it is like driving a car without GPS. You can catch a problem early, or figure out why something is happening to you or bothering you. If you want to make it convenient, you can do those even at home and drop them off at the post office.
2. Same with DNA health tests. Knowing what genes you are carrying, and what bad genes you took from your family is essential in knowing what to do to prevent or delay it. This will just confirm or surprise you what you are carrying or not carrying from your family genes. You cannot change your genes, but with your lifestyle, you can do a lot in order to prevent, delay, or eliminate a potential condition or disease. It is like living blindly, not knowing what you have going on, and what to target and focus on. 80% is in your hands and only 20% is in genes.
3. Doctor and screenings prechecks. Do not be afraid. Catching it early is better than catching it when it is too late. Even if you feel great and you are healthy. Here is a good guide for every age group:
4. Sun! Yes, sun. Get sunlight! On the contrary belief, the sun is actually good for you and necessary, especially when waking up because it puts your circadian rhythm in check, which triggers tons of positive processes for your health & wellness, like elevating your mood, and it is crucial for optimal sleep. And sleep is one of the most important factors here. All of that ties to mental health as well. However, do not get too much sunlight at the wrong times, I talk about it more in my Beauty, Self-care, Skincare & Grooming Foundations article
5. I just mentioned it, SLEEP. One of the most important factors in your life. I can write a 50-page letter here but I promised to keep it short. Align with circadian rhythm. Do not eat at least 3-4 hours prior to sleeping. Get an Oura ring to learn and improve your sleeping. Black out your bedroom and make it a sanctuary (clean and free of distractions). Invest in a good mattress, pillow, and bedding. When going to sleep make sure to lower the room temperature to at least 65F. Avoid blue light (phones, TV, and computers) and use "night mode" (turns screen orange/reddish) and/or use blue-light-blocking glasses. Supplement when necessary.
6. Try breathwork and Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment.
7. Supplement smartly with quality products: a full-blown article for each category coming soon!
8. Stop smoking and drinking excessively
9. Practice cold and hot exposure. Such as cold baths/showers, cryo-chamber, sauna, and hot bath/showers.
10. Spend quality time with friends and family often.
11. Get a continuous glucose monitor and learn what spikes your blood sugar.
12. Set and achieve goals, big and small. Create a vision board.
13. Money does buy happiness, and freedom, and will allow you to afford quality nutrition, supplements, and lifestyle. Therefore, work your ass off with your passions, and the money will follow. Again, take rest and take care of yourself both mentally and physically. Do not chase money at the price of sacrificing your physical and mental health, your body, and your life. Again, you cannot buy a new life and body.
14. Make HEALTH your priority.
I promised to keep it short, but as I was writing I keep adding and adding advice because I think they are crucial and could potentially change your life. With that being said, I could put at least 100x the amount of advice here, and I know there are some big ones missing, but I will save that for another new article.
So, keep in touch and subscribe so you never miss an update.
Stay healthy and happy my friend!!!
コメント