Silent killers and healthy living tips

Men are the heads of the family and, in most cases, the breadwinners of their homes. Only the one who is healthy can think about what to do and how to support his family. Therefore, it is very essential for men to be careful about their health. Health they say is wealth. When you are healthy, you may not know the grace that you are enjoying as a human being. Many wealthy men today suffer from poor health and may do everything humanly possible to live healthily. But, conversely, money may not buy health. Money can buy you drugs, but it can’t buy you good health. Most of today’s men suffer from ailments that carelessly loudly come to them as a result of reckless living. Food is good and very necessary and essential for a healthy life, but you have to eat the right kind of food and in the right proportion to stay healthy. In this article I am going to talk about general men’s health, silent killers or ailments that affect men and women equally, as well as some healthy tips to help us stay healthy and enjoy our life as a man.

The Silent Killers: There are many ailments in this category that kill silently and slowly. For this article, I am going to briefly talk about Hypertension, Obesity and Diabetes. Hypertension is always as a result of high blood pressure. It is said that one suffers from hypertension when one constantly has high blood pressure. A normal blood pressure should be around 120/80 (120 systolic, 80 diastolic, your doctor can explain more about this). When your blood pressure is consistently 140/90 or higher, your blood pressure is high (hypertension). One mistake that many men make is to think that hypertension is only for older or aging people, this is incorrect as it can happen to both young and old people. Causes of hypertension include; stress, anxiety, excessive alcohol consumption and excessive smoking. High blood pressure destroys the heart, kidneys, and blood cells. It can also cause a stroke, affect vision, and can lead to eternal death. The opposite of hypertension is hypotension. The latter occurs when your blood pressure is low. There aren’t many cases of the latter, but it’s always more serious than the former when it occurs.

Obesity can be caused by excessive accumulation of body fats in the system. Obesity affects the blood circulation in the system. These accumulated fats cover and block the artery that helps blood circulation in the body. The reduction in the rate of blood circulation is primarily the danger of obesity. When this occurs, it can lead to hypertension. There are several ways to calculate obesity, but the most widely used is the BMI (Body Mass Index). If your BMI is between 19 and 24, that’s fine. If your BMI is between 25 and 30, you are overweight. If your BMI is over 30, then you are obese. Your doctor can also help you calculate your BMI. Another popular way is by using machines that tell you exactly how overweight you are or are not. We, as men, must control the type of diets we take to avoid accumulating excess fat in our system that can cause obesity. This is because the more obese you are, the more likely you are to increase your medical problems. Obesity in some cases is genetic, but most of the time it is a consequence of bad eating habits.

Diabetes occurs when there is excess sugar in someone’s system. Common symptoms of diabetes include weight loss, dizziness, tiredness, excessive thirst, frequent urination, and blurred vision. Just like the other silent killers, diabetes has some complications which include; making wounds not heal fast, erectile dysfunction; it can also lead to a stroke coma and eternal death.

Having identified these silent killers, how do we avoid them and live longer and healthier?

o Go for a regular checkup: It is very essential to go for a regular checkup, especially as we advance in age. Monitor your blood pressure intermittently, blood sugar, cholesterol level, blood count, etc.
o Maintain good hygiene.
o Good diet: Mix up your food. Keep in mind that different foods have different nutrients that our bodies need to grow and stay healthy. Eat a balanced and varied diet, remember that your energy needs decrease as you age. Make sure you eat a complete balanced diet, don’t skip meals but don’t overeat. For your breakfast, lunch, and dinner, be sure to combine the different food groups in your meals. We have foods that provide energy (starch and carbohydrates), protein foods (vegetable and animal proteins), plant foods (green vegetables and other vegetables that are not), fruits, fats and oils. Try as much as possible to reduce your fat intake to a minimum. If possible reduce the intake of fried foods because they contain a lot of fat. Try to eat at least one type of fruit after or before each meal. The potassium in our fruits helps the heart muscles work well. Fruits also contain antioxidants that protect our bodies from bacteria.

Summary:

A healthy life is of paramount importance for all men. I know that as a man you will like to live longer and take care of your family. In short, to stay healthy and live healthy you have to;

o Eat the right foods and in the right proportion.
o Choose and eat foods that contain more vegetables.
o Reduce the intake of fatty foods as it increases the calories in your system.
o Do not eat much, especially at night.
o Meat and eggs are good, but as an adult you should not have more than 3 eggs in a week and no more than two pieces of meat per meal.
o Sea products contain a lot of cholesterol that accumulates fat, reduce your consumption.
o Choose a diet moderate in sugar. Reduce your sugar intake to a minimum.
o Reduce the intake of soft drinks, ice cream, etc. These excess sugars are then converted into fat.
o For your sugar needs, honey is preferable.
o Choose a diet moderate in salt and sodium.
o Eat little processed food.
o Reduce your consumption of alcohol and cigarettes, but it is advisable to STOP them completely.
o Avoid stress and anxiety as much as you can.
o Fruits and vegetables are very essential and should be taken daily.
o Drink plenty of water. It helps maintain normal blood pressure and removes toxins from your body. At least three liters of water a day are recommended.
o Exercise your body. Physical exercise helps your blood pump well.