Archive for December, 2009:
Male Menopause: A Phase Which You Should Not Miss
Hormonal change – two words which can bring significant change to an individuals’ life. Once hormonal change is brought into discussion, most people would correlate it to women. These days however, women are not the only ones who experience hormonal change, men as well.
Menopause is the normal and natural stage in a woman’s life when her menstruation and ovulation ceases that signifies end to her reproductive years. On the other hand, andropause is a term for male menopause. Since a man does not undergo menstruation and ovulation, the reason behind for male experiencing menopause is to prepare them for second adulthood. Andropause signifies the end for men’s first adulthood.
Women who enter their forties may begin to experience menopause. Other women starts menopause at age fifty, some even begin at sixty. Men, on the other hand, may start to undergo andropause as early as thirty-five or it can be as late as sixty-five.
While female menopause is a start for women to feel unconstructive sentiments and other pessimistic emotions, most experts believe that andropause brings positive change.
A man will go through a crucial change once he enters the andropause stage. There is inevitable change in psychological, social, interpersonal and even the spiritual aspect. Andropause denotes “the end of the beginning.”
According to research, there are a lot of benefits a man can obtain once andropause is experienced.
Maturity is the essential benefit of man in going through male menopause. Men on their first adulthood usually focus on doing. However this time as they enter the second adulthood, they are more focused with “the being,” or “the self.”
Career-wise, they are more inclined to accomplish their job because of “love of work” instead of going to work because it is necessary. On social relationship, men tend to look at other men as acquaintances. During first adulthood, men interact with other men as contenders.
A man’s personal relationship also matures. He is more focused with developing happiness and intimacy with his partner. Andropause may indicate a stop in brain-draining “battle of the sexes” which may be an indication that he can give way and make his partner win on some discussion. Ego and pride are left behind. It is transformed to in-depth understanding and patience.
Men also gains maturity in a sexual relationship. Second adulthood focuses more on being sexually fulfilled compared to concentrating on different sexual performances which usually takes place during first adulthood.
Menopause is a period in life where an individual may start to feel incomplete. Others may accordingly react to what their body dictates. Good or bad – whatever menopause may create in one’s life, you are still the one who owns your mind, body and heart. If andropause brings you more benefit, then you are of the lucky few. Otherwise, if it creates struggles in your life then it is time to acknowledge the need for help. Primarily, you need to recognize that you are undergoing change and then let your significant other know about it. Point out the necessary things they must do to help you cross the line. If things seem unbearable after exhausting all possible help within your fence, then it is time to seek help from an expert.
A successful walk in the journey of male menopause boils down to one important thing, having good attitude.
Preventing Bone Disease in Healthy Aging
Each day we live, we grow older failing to see that our bones and muscles demand activities to continue strength, endurance and resistance to life’s nasty living demands. Our bones need continued activities through out our lives starting as a child. Until we turn 30, the bones continue to build. After this age, the bones begin to disintegrate. You can cutback this degeneration process by taking care of your bones in youthful days.
How it is achieved:
Bone health is achieved through activities, such as exercise. In addition, you maintain healthy bones by increasing calcium. Supplements are available, which include the FDA marked remedies to help reduce bone loss from natural aging.
Taking calcium is very important during our entire life. Children should drink 2 cups of milk each day and adults 3 cups. Calcium in food is better to take than pills because you get more of it; food sometimes doesn’t have the right amounts in it due to the way it has been processed. Get that calcium in your body at an early age and keep it there. Besides calcium however, your bones demand a mixture of magnesium. You will also need a healthy dose of phosphorous. Vitamin D facilitates calcium to flow through the bloodstream. Free flowing bloods make a healthier you.
To improve bones, we also need to start at an early age getting plenty of vitamin D. As we get older, we have a tendency to stay out of the sun more. Don’t sit in the house all day. Rather try to get outside around noon and get some sun with all those vitamin D rays. Supplements can be used but again the sun is better. Maybe take a walk for 15-20 minutes each day to get the sun.
As we aging into the later years of our life, we have to keep those bones strong. You can benefit from weight bearing works, such as walking. Keeping those bones strong will help you survive falls. Falls is one of the leading reasons of bone breakage or fractures, especially as we grow older.
Unfortunately, adolescents don’t realize the importance of taking care of our bones. As these adolescents pass puberty however, their bones start to decline. Once a person reaches 50, the bones start to deteriorate, which puts you at high risk of fractures, disease and breakage. As the bones weaken, the muscles and joints will also degenerate. Injures then can lead to gouty arthritis, arthritis, osteoporosis and so on.
The high-risks of bone fractures are charted, which include hip fractures being the most common injure amongst the elderly. Hip fractures may sound like a minor ordeal, yet the truth is hip fractures are responsible for some deaths.
Weak bones are avertable even once you are middle age. It’s never to late to repair or mend our bodies.
Staying fit is the key to preventing risks of disease, hip fractures etc since the bones will stay healthy. In view of the fact, you want to consider a daily schedule, which includes activities and exercise. You want to keep those muscles free to move, since the muscles protect the bones. Stretch workouts and exercise will prevent your joints from feeling stiff as well, which joints support the muscles and bones.
When you exercise you, maintain weight. As you start to age, the body fat increases to more than 30%. This is too much added weight for the muscles, joints and bones. Carrying around this kind of weight on the feet, legs, etc will cause problems later. Maintaining your weight will help prevent and lower your risks of heart disease, bone disease, high-blood, high-cholesterol, diabetes and so on.
Nine Facts About Fiber
If you’ve been looking for a way towards a high octane diet, you’ll find fiber to be exactly what you need. Even though research has shown fiber to be powerful, many people aren’t taking this nutrient seriously.
To help you fuel your health with fiber, here are 10 facts to help.
1. Fiber fights diseases. A diet high in fiber can help to prevent colon cancer and heart disease. High fiber helps the body to eliminate cholesterol by binding it in the digestive tract. For thousands of years, fiber has been used to stop constipation.
2. Fiber can actually help with overeating. All high fiber foods will take longer to chew and digest, making you feel satisfied longer
3. Most popular foods don’t have enough fiber. If you like the more popular foods, you probably need to increase your intake of fiber.
4. Grains offer the most fiber. Dietary fiber is actually plant matter that we cannot digest. The best sources are whole grains and concentrated grain products.
5. Kids need fiber as well. Children that are older than 2 years of age should consume a daily intake of fiber. Kids are most receptive to fiber found in fruits, vegetables, and even fortified breakfast cereals.
6. More fiber needs more water. In order to keep fiber moving through your digestive tract, you’ll need to consume a lot of water. With your diet of fiber, you’ll need eight or more glasses of water every day.
7. Fiber cannot be cooked out. When you cook your fruits and vegetables, don’t worry about cooking the fiber out, as it stays. The fiber found in fruits and vegetables aren’t just in the skin or in the peel.
8. You can get enough fiber. If you eat more than 50 grams of fiber in a day, you can get diarrhea and bloating, which can interfere with your body’s absorption of other key minerals.
9. Getting the right amount of fiber in your diet doesn’t have to be hard. Even though you may think so, getting the amount of fiber you need isn’t very hard to do. All you have to do is eat the right foods and you’ll be well on your way to a fiber rich lifestyle. As one of the key ingredients to healthy eating, fiber is something you don’t want to skip. Fiber can serve many different purposes, which were covered above. If you aren’t getting enough fiber in your diet – you should do something about now instead of waiting until it is too late.