The Ultimate Men’s Health Compendium
We understand health is a word thrown around with all too much frequency and misconceptions. There are so many sources and opinions on this topic that it can be challenging to find something to subscribe to and stick with. There are so many fad diets, how to get abs in 10 days workouts, be the ultimate alpha male posts… the list is endless, and what do we say to all that? Most of it is flat out bullsh*t! We are here to provide options, not force a diet or unrealistic expectation on anyone. What we do provide is education that is backed by science and our pharmacy background. The goal is to highlight sustainability in a lifestyle that makes you operate at you optimal performance while also prevents chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease. Is making a lifestyle change tough? You’re damn right it is, we are here to provide support through personal experiences and the knowledge of experts across all fields of health and wellness. Take what works and leave what doesn’t, at the end of the day you are the driver of your own ship and we want it to be the best damn ship it can be. So we are going to do what we do and provide some important tips to give you a step in the right direction. This compendium is for men of all ages and provides information we frequently discuss on different platforms, but here it is in one concise format for your educational benefit.
It’s no secret that Corona Virus has made maintaining health and wellness harder than ever, while we are fortunate to live in Tampa where access to services has opened up greatly, some places are not so fortunate. The Center for Disease Control has reported that within the last year almost one-third of adults have avoided or delayed routine healthcare over COVID-19 concerns. It is important, if you have not already to develop a relationship with a primary care provider that you trust and can see on a regular basis. Use this provider to perform yearly labs and screenings some include, metabolic panel, complete blood count, lipid panel, PSA testing if you’re over 50 (40 with family history), sexually transmitted diseases, blood pressure, cancers etc.. Feel free to discuss these tests with your provider, HIPAA protects you and your health information from violation and entering public domain. For the younger guys in the 18-30 range, this relationship is paramount, because continuing to address health into older age will assist in treating and preventing diseases before they become complex. For all the young men reading this please don’t feel that your are invincible, testicular cancer is most common in men age 18-27, so yes we are giving you full permission to grab your nuts.
As we age disease becomes more prevalent, doors open to high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, colorectal cancer and prostate cancer to name a few. The cardiovascular risk factors increase as we age along with other potential for diseases, the good news, most men’s health issues are preventable but we have to be vigilant and utilize the relationships with our healthcare providers to get the adequate screenings we need. Combine that with a high quality diet filled with whole foods, regular (3-5x a week) moderate to high intensity exercise and consistent sleep schedule will prove to be essential to maintaining great health and quality of life. We believe in limiting the amount of enhanced or processed foods we consume, yes they are usually delicious we didn’t say stop just tone it down. Limit alcohol intake which has shown to lower testosterone and has evidence to lead to some diseases over time. Find something sustainable that you can live with while enjoying the indulgences once in a while, because no one expects you to be a robot and PIZZA IS AWESOME DAMN IT!!! Take care of your selves and if you see us around town come say hi.
-Patrick