low testosterone levels put men at risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and early death?? One study shows that testosterone treatment reduces LDL cholesterol and increases HDL cholesterol.? Another study that looked at the cause of death in almost 2000 men aged 20 to 79 years.? The men with low testosterone at the start of the study had a 2.5 times greater risk of dying during the next ten years compared with men with higher testosterone levels.? These studies, and more, will be presented at The Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, in San Francisco, suggest that testosterone therapy has several positive effects.
(Vitacost.com Daily Health Tip; June, 2008)
Category: Men’s Health and Wellness (Page 8 of 46)
You can have the healthiest lifestyle, but if you’re not getting enough sleep, over time you’re setting yourself up for disaster. Sleep deprivation can cause depression, increased risk of diabetes, weight gain, heart disease, head aches, aching muscles, confusion, and memory lapses or loss just to name a few.
If you are having sleep problems, or you simply want to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep, there are many things you can do, including:
* Go to bed around the same time each night, ideally around 10 PM.
* Avoid snacking just before bedtime, particularly grains and sugars.
* Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 70 degrees F (ideally between 60-68 degrees F.
* Eat a high-protein snack several hours before bed. This can provide the amino acid L-tryptophan, a precursor to melatonin and serotonin.
* Avoid caffeine as much as possible, especially in the PM.
* Make sure you exercise regularly, but not near bedtime.
There is one more thing however, that has been shown in scientific studies to improve your sleep. Wool has been proven to outperform both synthetics and down. Dramatic results demonstrated that wool bedding such as comforters and pillows:
* Breathes more naturally than any comparable synthetics, so you reduce the thermal stress on your body AND avoid creating a hospitable environment for dust mites.
* Increases the length of your REM sleep meaning you benefit more deeply from this vitally important stage of sleep every night.
* Helps create the most optimal body temperature the body gets to a comfortable sleeping temperature more quickly and stays there longer.
And, if that weren’t enough, recent studies have shown that the resting heart rate of people who sleep under wool versus those who use synthetics is 20 beats per minute less creating a more restorative sleep experience from beginning to end.
A wellness center is a facility whose primary goals are to promote healthy living in order to prevent disease and illness. These centers are typically run and staffed by a group of physicians, but in some cases, they are staffed by specialists such as acupuncturists, massage therapists, chiropractors, nutritionists, and fitness experts.
Wellness centers can be found in a variety of settings from college campuses and hospitals to strip malls. Many corporations contract with wellness centers to provide programs for employees (called corporate wellness programs), and there are also specific programs for seniors, moms-to-be, and children. So the first step in choosing the best wellness center is to determine the type of program you’re looking for. Next, determine your goals, then choose which wellness services you think might help you reach your goals.
If you are not part of a corporate program or any of the groups listed above, you’ll still find plenty of individual programs at just about every wellness center. After you have determined your goals (stress relief, pain relief, fitness, prevention, etc.), seek out centers that address these issues. The types of wellness services offered is not the only factor you should consider. The best wellness centers have a number of things in common including:
-Focus is on patient health
-Active in contributing to the rebirth of health care
-Seek to successfully unite health maintenance, disease prevention and the treatment of acute and chronic conditions through both conventional and the alternative healing arts
-Offer patients a comprehensive treatment regimen
-Provide the best medical advice
-Have multidisciplinary centers offering medical doctors, doctors of chiropractic, physical/occupational therapists, massage therapists and other professionals who work together as a dedicated team to reach an accurate diagnosis
-Have doctors and specialists skilled at designing treatment plans tailored to each individual patient
-Offer cost effective and time saving integrated health care
-Offer a “whole body” healing approach
-Share the philosophy of caring and concern for their patients that provides for a mutual pleasant experience
-Offer convenient hours, ample parking, and little to no waiting
-Employ physicians and staff that make continuing education a priority in order to stay abreast of new developments in patient care
-Keep patients informed of their conditions as well as short and long-term goals
Finding the best wellness center in your city or town will take some work, but in the end you’ll find a center that you feel comfortable with and one that has your best interests and wellness in mind. The best place to begin your search is online. It’s possible to find a local wellness center directory, but directories such as these do not list all of the centers in your area. Many of the wellness centers in the directory pay a fee to have their names listed.
When searching for wellness centers in your area, all you have to do is enter “your city + wellness center” into any search engine. Next, choose 5-10 wellness centers and browse through their websites to find out about services, pricing, and credentials. You can also try typing the name of the center into a review site such as Yelp.com to see what real customers/patients have to say about it.
Many wellness centers offer a free consultation. During this meeting, you can ask any questions that concern you, take a tour of the center, gather additional literature about the staff and services, and examine any credentials that are on display. Keep in mind that professional wellness centers will have this information on display in examining rooms, offices, and studio areas.
If you want to dig a little deeper, check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as many wellness centers operate as private practices.
If you had to rank the most important factors for a healthy heart, hormones would likely show up last on your list. But the truth is that these chemical messengers have a strong influence on just about every single one of your body’s delicate systems… and your cardiovascular system is no exception.
You may not realize it, but your blood vessels are lined with estrogen receptors, which play a key role in regulating healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and normal clot formation in both men and women.1 This may be one reason why pre-menopausal women enjoy more optimal heart health statistics than their male and postmenopausal counterparts—and why heart health becomes an important focus for women as they grow older.
Read The full article
In his book, “The Most Effective Ways to Live Longer”, Johnny Bowden identifies what he calls “the four horsemen of aging,” which are thought to be dangerous processes that age our bodies and are triggered by the foods we eat and the lifestyles we lead. Conquer these four horsemen, Bowden contends, and you can slow down the aging process.
1. Free radicals: Free radicals are chemically unstable molecules that attack your cells and damage your DNA. You can limit your exposure to them by avoiding cigarettes, trans fats, charred meats, and other sources.
Organic fruits and vegetables will also limit your exposure to pesticides and herbicides, which contain the harmful molecules.
2. Inflammation: Inflammation is a major player in many diseases of aging, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s. One way to avoid it is to follow a Mediterranean-style diet.
Other great anti-inflammatory foods include turmeric, dark chocolate, and the anti-aging chemical resveratrol. Exercise is another great way to lower inflammation.
3. Glycation: Glycation is what happens when sugar mixes with proteins and fats to form molecules that promote aging. Advanced glycation end products, or AGEs (Isn’t that an appropriate acronym?), are thought to accelerate your aging process by churning out free radicals and promoting inflammation. One way to avoid ingesting AGEs is to turn down the heat when you cook. The browning effect of high-heat cooking causes these molecules to form. Limiting your intake of sugar-filled foods in general will also help.
4. Stress: Stress initiates the release of a variety of hormones that make your pulse race and cause your blood pressure to rise. The hormone cortisol, released to lessen these effects, also creates problems when it remains chronically elevated. Try practicing relaxation techniques to help manage stress, and get enough sleep every night.
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