5 Key Considerations in Men's Health
Our main focus here at Kale Blossom is Women’s Health. We eat, sleep, breathe in this arena because we are passionate about helping other women feel their best and live their happiest lives. With that being said, in taking into account whole health- the body, mind and spirit- we know that if there is a stressful scenario in a woman’s life, it will impact her health. Enter Men’s Health. Chances are you have a dad, husband, brother, son or dear friend who may struggle with health. Here are five key considerations to get him started down a path of healthier living:
Men typically have poorer outcomes and higher death rates than women by way of conditions that are related to unhealthy living, less frequent medical care and overall delayed treatment. When we consider the top illnesses in men statistically, including heart disease, diabetes and cancer (with the top three being lung, prostate and colon), this makes perfect sense. All of these clinical concerns need thorough evaluation, a proper care plan + therapeutics, and ongoing, dedicated health care. If your loved one hasn’t been seen by a qualified health care provider in a long time, gently encourage him to make an appointment.
Hormonal imbalances happen to men, too! Yep, we’re not the only ones that experience ill effects from less-than-optimal hormone levels. If your guy has slowly-- or more noticeably --become more fatigued throughout the day, is fluctuating in weight (gaining or losing), is suffering with headaches, interrupted sleep, poor libido or other symptom(s), encourage him to have a work-up. He may be suffering from a sluggish thyroid (hypothyroidism), adrenal fatigue or low testosterone (and goodness gracious! we’ve all heard the “low T” commercials way too many times! But how often is it actually addressed in men? Likely, not enough!)
Mental health struggles affect men greatly. And unfortunately, due to many complexities--including generations that have encouraged men not to cry or show emotion, a society that pushes men to be strong and may look down upon men for displaying weakness, and different neurological patterning surrounding stress (they are really good at internalizing and compartmentalizing) --- men are much less likely to seek counseling and therapies to support their mental health.
Many studies have found men to, on average, have lower life satisfaction scores. In fact, suicide affects men more than women with men comprising up to 75% of suicides. It’s time to step outside of the gender role traditions and societal expectations when it comes to men’s mental health. We can de-stigmatize this realm within healthcare by initiating supportive, inquisitive conversations with the men in our lives. They need the support and they’re worthy of it, too!
Men tend to eat less healthy and be more prone to depend on or abuse alcohol, cigarettes and illegal substances. Nope, not picking on the fellas here—sorry guys, it’s been tallied in numerous stats. Just like with many issues, there is complexity to this piece as well. Women tend to do more cooking (not all, we know some amazing male cooks!) and men tend to eat out more often, especially for lunch when they may be away from home.
As far as alcohol and illegal substances, this can, in many cases, be delicately woven into poor mental health wherein he is looking for an escape, an outlet, or a way to self-medicate. Knowledge is power here! Simply knowing these details can help us create more focused and nourishing conversations, geared towards men in the public and holistic health arenas.
Injuries, injuries, injuries- ouch! Another health malady that tends to happen more frequently to men are injuries, caused by simply over-doing it, an accident, or general wear + tear on a body that’s not properly maintained. Men are more likely to do certain difficult tasks like climbing ladders and working with heavy machinery (we know some tough women who take on these tasks really well, too!)—dedication to safety is key. Or if your favorite fellow sneezes and throws his back out, or bends over to tie his shoe and cannot stand back up without excruciating pain… this is not a one-off, that happened randomly. It’s likely been brewing in his system for some time. This injury is the body waving the white flag, declaring it’s need for TLC.
Ladies, we’re with you always and here to help take care of the good guys in your lives. Even if they think we’re nagging or aren’t listening. We can continue gentle encouragement and planting seeds to help support them in their health journeys. And gentlemen, if you’re listening, take care of yourselves because we want you happy and healthy for a very long time! Happiness and Health!
Resources
Institute for Natural Medicine www.naturemed.org
Naturopathic Doctor News and Review www.ndnr.com
National Institute of Mental Health www.nimh.nih.gov
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov