Healthy » Mens Health

Foods men should eat in moderation

Health Guru — Mon, 23 May 2011 03:41:29 +0000

Years of experience and research indicate that since men and women are different, there are different foods that are beneficial to each of them. In order to maintain good health and wellbeing, there are some food products that men and women should avoid.

Looking at food broadly, there are some categories of food products which should be an absolute no-no for men who want to have a better and healthier life ahead. The following are the categories of food products which have to be listed as ‘better to avoid’ food items:

Fats: Trans-fat and saturated-fat products: A balanced diet should include approved amounts of all food classes including fat. Avoiding fat does not mean that it should be banned from the diet. But, over eating trans-fat and saturated-fat food products is harmful, especially for men. More fat increases weight in the abdominal area. Moreover, men are more likely to put on weight compared to women around the abdomen due to excess fat. To add to the concern, fats serve as a trigger for the most feared chronic illnesses like high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure.

The most common food item with saturated fat is meat. Sausage, pork, chicken meat and turkey should be eaten in minimal quantities. It would be better if men could avoid meat. Excess vegetable oil in fried items like chips and other foods like pastries and cakes are also sources of trans-fat. Men need to avoid these food items to prevent formation of bad cholesterol.

Food containing sodium: Salt is a main ingredient in the food we eat. Though it is often just a ‘pinch of salt’ in each meal, in totality it adds up. Most of the men are prone to high blood pressure due to excess intake of sodium in their diet. Along with high blood pressure, risk of liver dysfunction also is high. Though there may be control of salt in home prepared items, increase in consumption of canned food and preserved food, especially by men, has increased the levels of sodium among them. Thus, canned foods, frozen food, cheese, popcorn, fries and spices especially mustard which contains great amount of sodium should be avoided as much as possible. Men should also stay away from foods like burgers that not only contain saturated fat but also high amount of preservatives.

Soy: All Soy products are high in proteins and have become very common. Women need Soy protein in order to get their hormonal balance right especially in the middle ages. But, men do not require Soy for protein. Soy products do cause hormonal imbalance in men. It can lead to lowering the sperm count and also reduction in the testosterone levels in men. Thus, tofu based food and Soy milk should not be on the food list for men.

ePharmacy Specials

Syphilis

JBric — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 06:02:35 +0000

Of all the many sexual transmitted infections in the world, syphilis is one that actually can be treated, and has a cure.

Unlike HIV, genital herpes or warts, syphilis can come and go. While it can prove to be fatal in the long term if it is not treated, it can generally be overcome with simple and effective treatment.

So, for those of you who have no idea what the infection is, syphilis is caused from the bacterium Treponema pallidum and has often been called “the great imitator” due to the fact so many of the signs and symptoms are indistinguishable from those of other diseases.

The infection can be transferred from person to person via direct contact with a syphilis sore.

These sores are usually found in the external genitals, vagina, anus, or in the rectum but can also occur on the lips and in the mouth.

Transmission of the organism occurs during vaginal, anal, or oral sex, and woman can pass the virus onto their newborns during pregnancy.

The symptoms of the infection come in three stages, the primary, the secondary and the latent stages.

Initially the symptoms will begin with a single sore, referred to as the chancre, which is usually firm, round, small and painless. It lasts for about three to six weeks and heals without treatment.

The second stage then starts with a rash on one or more areas of the body, which then leads to fever, swollen lymph glands, sore throat, patchy hair loss, headaches, weight loss, muscle aches, and fatigue in those with the infection.

The symptoms in this stage will also disappear without treatment.

The latent stage, however, can last for years, and is where the disease begins to attack internal parts of your body, such as your brain, nerves, eyes and heart.

The damage may be serious enough to cause death.

But, the good news is, a single intramuscular injection of penicillin, an antibiotic, will cure a person who has had syphilis for less than a year. Additional doses are needed to treat someone who has had syphilis for longer than a year

Asthma

JBric — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 01:11:42 +0000

Asthma is the disease affecting our airways and breathing ability.

When air is taken to and from our lungs and when that air is affected, it means we have the disease known as asthma.

Physically, the inside walls of an asthmatic are usually swollen of inflamed. This then makes the airwaves extremely sensitive to irritations and increases the chance you will get an allergic reaction.

As a result of the inflammation causing the airways to tighten and become smaller, less air can pass through them and it will then show many symptoms.

These symptoms include wheezing when trying to breathe, chest tightness, breathing difficulties and constant coughing.

These symptoms are usually more common in the morning or night that they are in the middle of the day.

The disease itself is incurable and as a result, an asthmatic is one for life. However, it can be very treatable and the symptoms virtually eliminated through proper and efficient treatment.

Most people with asthma will refer to an episode of tight breathing as an asthma attack.

These attacks can be mild, moderate or severe and occur when the muscles in your airways tighten up, narrowing the air intake.

In some attacks, the airways are blocked so much that oxygen fails to enter the lungs and also prevents oxygen from entering the blood stream and traveling to the body’s vital organs.

In some cases, theses asthma attacks can be fatal, or bad enough to require immediate hospitalization.

In some cases, the situation can be such that your body does allow enough air to get into your lungs, but it does not let the carbon dioxide leave the lungs at a fast enough rate.

If left for long enough, carbon dioxide can build up in the lungs and lower the amount of oxygen getting to your bloodstream.

Do you have the SADs?

bdiamond — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:17:50 +0000

THE winter blues can bring on a whole heap of depression and now if you are suffering from this during the change from autumn to winter – you have a condition called the SADs.

This Seasonal affective disorder which is a type of depression that is tied to seasons of the year. It may be the slightest mood change or it may be a severe change of heart which turns into depression.

Only a small number – who are affected by this – see this happen to them during summer.

SADs is most common in young adult women, although it can affect men or women of any age. in the South.

Like all types of depression, SAD can have a devastating effect on a person’s life. Fortunately, almost all people with SAD can be helped with available therapies such as spending at least 30 minutes outside every day; take daily walks; increase the lighting in your house or doing regular exercise.

This can have an even more harsher affect on pregnant women or those fathers that are expecting their first child.

There is a feeling of uncertainty – on top of the change of weather.

When the sun shines during winter, you will most likely notice that you will be more upbeat and have more energy if you are suffering from the SADs. If not, you are most likely suffering a more severe type of depression.

The next day could go back to being a dull old cloudy day and may even be raining or with thunderstorms, and you will feel negative and down about yourself.

The key if indoors is to put extra lighting on to help brighten up the room and your space. Have positive conversations on the phone to your friends and family.

Perhaps even watch a DVD or some TV – preferably something that is going to make you happy.

Beating the blues

bdiamond — Mon, 17 May 2010 02:43:18 +0000

DEPRESSION hurts many Australians but it is the ones who have the guts to admit they have depression that will see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Many people get depression when a family member or friend passes away; when they lose their job; when their life isn’t going as well as they thought it could; a swift career move; physical appearance problems; problems at home; gambling or drug and alcohol additon…there is a whole range of reasons that people can be depressed.

Sometimes, you may be seen as being in a great position in life and still get depressed.

When you are depressed, it feels like the world is falling on top of you or caving in.

It’s the worst feeling in the world. Hence why many people unfortunately take their own lives.

You wonder how it gets to the point where people just give up.

Sometimes you understand why people do it – other times you really wonder how people can do it.

Depression is a disease that can’t be cured overnight.

It’s a mental health issue that many Australians are affected by and getting help through psychologists or doctors.

Some doctors recommend medication but it can also be solved by just talking to someone whether that is a trained professional or someone that is close to you.

Hawthorn footballer Campbell Brown this week told the Sunday Herald Sun that he wished his best mate – he took his own life – at consulted a doctor or a friend.

“I think most guys don’t want to admit to the fact that they have depression because it can be seen to be weak,” Brown said.

“If there is one message I would say it is that there is no problem out there that can’t be solved,” Brown said.

“If you want to talk to someone, even if it is your mate – it doesn’t have to be someone qualified – you might be able to sit down and nut out issues.

“Then, there can be the tipping point and a lot of people don’t even know that those close to them have a problem because it can be disguised well.”

Depression even reached well known footballers such as former Hawk and Kangaroo Nathan Thompson who openly said he was suffering from depression; as was former Hawk Jonathan Hay who admitted he was suffering bi-polar.

Anyone with personal problems can call Lifeline on 131 114

Tearing Your Knees Cartilage

JBric — Wed, 12 May 2010 09:19:33 +0000

A famous person once said, “take care of your knees, you’ll need them a long time.”

I have no idea who that person is, but either way they are wise.

Knees are one of the most important parts of your body. They allow us to walk and run, and are therefore the most crucial joint when it comes to sport.

When you think about it, every day we are putting an enormous amount of weight and stress on our knees, and they cop a fair beating in a lifetime.

One of the most common injuries to the knee is cartilage damage, often referred to as a meniscus tear.

The meniscus is the cushion that provides your knee with support when both leg bones put pressure on each other.

There are two in each knee, one on the inside, and one on the outside.

The meniscus is crucial to the health of your knee as there is constantly uneven weight and pressure being applied to it.

Every now and then when a human twists vigorously, lands awkwardly or even just changing direction while running.

The most common way of causing a tear is when twisting the knee when it is bent.

The main symptoms of a tear include swelling and pain in the affected area.

In a more sever case there may be knee locking or the inability to totally straighten your leg. This is usually a case of torn cartilage impinging the joint mechanism.

There are many ways to be diagnosed with a meniscus tear, including physical examination of the area, but the most effective way is through an MRI scan, or X-Ray.

These can both visually show us the tear and allow us to see how severe it is and where exactly it is located.

When it comes to treatment, there are a few different ways to deal with the problem.

For sever cases, arthroscopic surgery will be required to remove the floating cartilage or just to clean it up inside the knee.

However, in many cases, time will allow the knee to recover, swelling to subside and for the pain to go away.

Once this has happened the knee can actually go back to the way it was before and patients may never have knee problems again for the rest of their life.

Health concerns for young footballers

bdiamond — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:18:08 +0000

IMAGINE having your dream built up instantly only for it to fall away.

In the recent AFL draft, only one sixth of the nominations were given the opportunity to fulfil their dream as an AFL player next year.

One of the many players that missed out was Geelong Falcon Joe Dare, who was touted for a spot in the top 30 playe taken in the draft, only to miss being selected altogether.

Last year, he wasn’t even touted to be drafted. This year, the tough young farmer from Colac made his mark.

“Joe’s a bit of a late maturer… If you asked him six months ago, he would’ve said he was going to be a dairy farmer for the rest of his life,” Geelong Falcons regional manager Michael Turner said.

“I’d be staggered if clubs weren’t looking at him for the rookie draft.”

Welfare was a major issue for Turner, who has had to make some painful phone calls to those young Falcons not drafted during his time as regional manager.

“He’s (Dare) probably feeling shit house at the moment,” Turner said.

“For some kids, if they’re not handled the right way they can be a bit touchy.”

“My first call after the draft is finished is to the kids who don’t get drafted. When Luke Hodge got drafted at No.1 (in 2001), my first call was to Dominic Gleeson who missed the draft and is now captain of Werribee,” he said.

Draft experts had him almost assured of a position in the 30s or 40s of the draft and Falcons regional manager Mick Turner told Dare he was pretty certain to be drafted.

He had also won the Falcons best and fairest; a team that had another five players drafted on Thursday night.

“Everybody I spoke to including the AFL was that he would go in the 30s mark so to miss the draft completely surprised me,” Turner said.

“I had him marked down as a definite draft prospect. I told him that he would get drafted because of the indications that I had.”

“The first thing that I had to do when I got on the phone last night was just apologise for the fact that I thought he would get drafted,” he said.

There were 1367 nominations for the AFL draft leaving just 95 players a chance for under 18 players to get a foot in the door.

Northern Knights’ Anton Woods became the fifth of the last seven Morrish Medallists for the TAC Cup best and fairest, to miss out on the draft.

Turner said the TAC Cup have helped players who miss out on the draft with the ability for players to return to their team next season as an under 19 listed player.

By Brent Diamond

Men need to stay cool

bdiamond — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 06:55:58 +0000

MEN who work in extremely warm areas or use saunas and hot tubs for relaxation regularly have a low sperm count, therfore making it tougher to obtain pregnancy with their partners.

A study has found men need to be in cooler areas if they are to engage in a healthy production.

Sperm can also be affected by the toxins or poisons in the air so the right working environment is essential.

If your body is poorly fed and nourished, that too will affect your sex drive and sperm.

Eating the right amount of fruit and vegetables help the cause considerably.

There’s also the obvious rules; limit smoking and drinking alcohol and of course drug use.

All three can do the pregnancy and/or sperm harm in the lead up to conceiving.

Research says alcohol can damage the quality of sperm in its foundation and may even cause impotence.

You should also have regular check ups with your local doctor to ensure that you have no sexually transmitted infections or HIV which ultimately can affect your chances of pregnancy or having a healthy baby.

All of these rules and obligations are just recommendations to help accrue healthy sperm.

There’s also the mental issues of supporting your partner and knowing you’re supported too.

This is beneficial and healthy for the environment that you and others live in.

It will also help when the new born arrives.

Stress not good for the tummy

Health Guru — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 08:19:35 +0000

In our modern society stress is commonplace. Whether it’s work, relationship, friends or more than likely at the moment money worries stress levels are unfortunately incredibly high. Now Australians are being warned not to ignore the link between high stress and signs of tummy troubles, such as poor digestion or discomfort.

New research commissioned by VITA BRITS has revealed that the vast majority of Australians (86%) feel nervous butterflies in their stomach, particularly during times of high stress – such as being faced with looming deadlines (50%) or when managing financial situations (39%). Professor Terry Bolin of the Gut Foundation says, “the ‘tummy butterflies’ feeling is a tell-tale sign that our digestive health has gone belly up and this shouldn’t be ignored. The link between high stress and gut trouble is well documented and a common cause of complaint for Australians, who are renowned hard workers.”

Alarmingly, close to a third (31%) of respondents of the survey do nothing to treat the problem but rather cope with stomach-stress symptoms in a detrimental way – snacking on junk food (42%), overeating (37%), or skipping breakfast or lunch (36%).

Professor Bolin goes on to say, “In an ideal world we could avoid stress and skip the butterflies altogether. But realistically it is important for people to pay closer attention to nutrition when they notice tummy troubles starting.”

Leading nutritionist, Karen Inge APD, says nutrition plays a pivotal role in combating poor digestion caused by stress, not to mention overall digestive balance; “Stress may be difficult to manage, but bad eating habits are not. Taming your tummy is possible by eating a healthy diet and consuming foods that not only help keep you regular but work hard for your entire digestive system. Breakfast is the best place to start, as it kick-starts the digestion process and provides energy to help us through the day. A breakfast like VITA BRITS, which is high in wholegrain, can help maintain digestive balance. The wholegrains in VITA BRITS have a natural prebiotic effect aiding good digestive balance, and they are high in fibre, which helps you stay regular”.

Dealing with headaches

Health Guru — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:05:09 +0000

We can all expect to experience headaches at some stage, because they are among the most common ailments to afflict humans. There are many different causes of headaches, which explains why they are so common. Some estimates suggest about 15 per cent of the population will be taking painkillers for a headache at any one time.

Some people also suffer from recurring headaches, and these are usually the result of a number of different factors working together.

Let’s take a quick look at some of the leading factors to cause headaches.

Muscle tension and stress

When we are stressed, our bodies do not function as they normally would. One of the main responses to stress is tightening of the muscles. In particular, the muscles around the neck, upper back and shoulders tighten. This can refer pain into the nerves in the head, causing headaches.

Also, when we are stressed our bodies have lower levels of endorphins, which are natural painkilling chemicals.

Diet

There have been studies to suggest the things we eat can play a big role in headaches. For example, fluctuations in blood sugar levels can bring about spasms of the arteries in the head. Caffeine withdrawal can also bring on headaches, as can some food additives like MSG.

Hormones

Women suffer migraines more than men do, and some researches argue that hormones are influential here. About half the women who suffer regular migraines get them at the time of their menstrual period, and it is thought that reduced levels of oestrogen may be the cause.

Nose, ear and throat problems

Headaches can be brought on by a number of common nose, ear and throat problems. If you have a blocked or damaged sinus, if you have inflammation of the inner ear, if you suffer physical trauma to one of those regions or if you get tonsillitis, you are a good chance to get a headache.

Aside from these common causes of headache, there are other more specific causes too. If you are getting recurring headaches you should try to address the problems listed here, and if they persist then see a doctor.