Men’s Health: Strong, Fit, and Sexy

It is no secret that men take great pride in being perceived as tough. What does this mean? Providing for their family, being mentally strong, and being confident—adult men put immense pressure on themselves to be the best versions of themselves but ironically, are not willing to do as much as they should.

According to leading experts, most men avoid going to the doctor. As silly as it may sound, these men would rather silently suffer or choose to believe that they can figure it out on their own, rather than taking a simple visit to a doctor. This is not only an unhealthy approach but is also not necessary. It is counter-productive to not utilize healthcare providers and physicians who can help supply proactive information on how to live a healthy lifestyle. It’s important to stay informed to live your best overall life – whether that be nutrition, exercise, or mental health.

Staying Informed About Men’s Health

Believe it or not, men die on average five years earlier than women. This may be due to the fact that men are typically more dangerous and bolder in their decision-making. This isn’t to say that taking a risk is a bad thing, just that men tend to neglect their health and at times ignore their own well-being, telling themselves they will eventually figure it out. However, the top three causes of death for men are (in order), heart (cardiovascular) disease, cancer, and unintentional injury. Besides suffering from an unintentional injury, this is crucial to know because if you monitor your health and make thoughtful decisions, the chances of you living a longer and healthier life drastically increase.

On the bright side, once these facts come to light, one can start their journey to recovery and begin to get their health back on track. Those modifications can come through proper diet, simple lifestyle changes, and if necessary, medical or surgical intervention. There is a great opportunity to improve lifestyle habits in many men. In the United States alone, men self-report numerous risk factors for poor health, which include smoking, obesity, binge alcohol drinking, and not exercising. Improvements in these areas will add years on to a man’s life and will improve mental health as well. Furthermore, social factors that may have a negative impact on health are serving in the armed forces, incarceration, and high-risk jobs such as construction, mining, and shipping. Men should be counseled about the potential employment-related hazards they may encounter in these and other jobs.

Nutrition For Men’s Health

The simplest and best thing a man can do for themselves is eating clean. Yes, we all love a greasy cheeseburger and an ice-cold beer but in the long run, the key to a healthy lifestyle is feeding yourself food that your body actually wants!

There is a reason why you feel groggy and sluggish after a fat-filled dinner—it’s your body rejecting it and telling you that it would rather have something else. There is always going to be a certain vegetable or protein that you don’t want to eat. The great thing is we now live in a world where there is essentially an alternative to everything, allowing you to still indulge in your favorite guilty pleasures.

Dieting isn’t easy and for most men, it can be an excruciating battle. It’s hard to say no to a slice of pizza and not engage in “Taco Tuesday,” but when you lack good health, everything else suffers. Those extra calories are going to slow you down, you will have a harder time concentrating, and will even make you grumpy.

The key is to reward yourself, but only if you put in the work. There is nothing wrong with having a soda or eating a dozen chicken wings as you watch a football game, but doing this every day, that’s where you’re going to run into trouble. Most of your meals should consist of lean protein, organic vegetables, little carbs, and a lot of water. Boring? Of course, it is! But the results will have you feeling energetic and ready to take on the world.

A good strategy to take is setting a day where you know that you are going to want to lounge around all day and binge on your favorite foods—typically on the weekend. Life is meant to be enjoyed and part of the many pleasures we experience comes from a tasty meal. As good as it would be to eat these sugar-filled treats and salty snacks, the hard truth is that it is simply not doable. Setting a day where you do treat yourself will not only allow you to munch on your favorite foods, but it will also help teach the valuable lesson of discipline.

Exercising For Men

For some, clean eating is the tricky part and for others it is exercise. In today’s fast-paced world filled with social media and ten-second video clips, it is easy to feel uninspired when you check your phone only to witness how hard someone else is working which in turn will make you feel as if you are falling behind. There is no point in comparing yourself to how hard or little someone else works because they aren’t you and are not going through the same trials and tribulations. It’s best to stay in your own lane and figure out what works best for you.

Whether you enjoy working out in the gym or at home, the key is to just do it (Nike has a point)!. It’s so easy to say that you’ll start tomorrow. Tomorrow then becomes the weekend, that becomes next Tuesday, then suddenly, a month goes by, and you haven’t exercised a single day. No one expects you to work out like a professional athlete. Whether it be walking around the block for 30 minutes a day, or signing up for CrossFit, exercise is not only great for your body but your mind too. This is a time to be alone with your thoughts and listen to your favorite band or podcast, all the while giving your body what it truly needs.

Even though social media can be a distraction, it is also an amazing place to find information. Nowadays, you don’t even need a personal trainer because, with a few flicks of your thumb, you can find an expert who can give you quick and reliable information on how to get in shape. The best part is a lot of these people create exercises that you can do right from the comfort of your home!

Afterthought

No one said dieting and eating healthy is easy, but that is why it is so rewarding. It is a testament to yourself, a way of proving that through hard work and dedication, you can accomplish something that most men struggle with. The key is to be consistent and not allow yourself to fall victim to your guilty pleasures. There are many ways to stay active without “exercising.” Playing sports with your friends, taking long walks, and even certain interactive video games are awesome ways of being active without the intimidating need to enter a gym. Even though junk food and certain fast food options may seem more affordable, there are simple ways to eat clean without breaking the bank.

Getting started is difficult, but in the end, this journey is worth it. You will feel better, be a kinder person, and will drastically increase your health so you can spend more time with your loved ones. The time for excuses is over. No more saying tomorrow or that you are too busy. Look, we’re all busy and all have other things going on in our lives, but fortunately, the staff at Chai Care can supply you with healthy tips and methods on how to get your life back on track!

* Legal disclaimer: The content of this article and the entire Chai Care blog is for educational purposes only; it does NOT constitute medical advice and must not be considered as such. Please consult a medical professional regarding any symptoms or health concerns you or your loved ones.

Nov 10, 2022

Fair Is Fair: Your Body Deserves Care

Today we live in a world where the philosophy of fairness has been questioned.

A Fair Life

What is fair and how does one be fair without hurting anyone’s feelings? It’s hard to say because it’s impossible to know what someone is truly feeling on the inside, but a great starting point is to never be biased and treat everyone the same. Even if what you are suggesting to someone might sting, if you are being truthful and genuinely trying to help the person then you are completely in the right.

But fairness can be applied to all aspects of life, however, there is no more important place than fairness in health.

Fairness & Family

Family is the most important thing in life which is why it can be so hard to give an honest, unbiased opinion. These are the people whom you have spent your entire lives with so when someone begins to exercise less, gain weight, and is clearly in need of a wake-up call, being the one to do it is no easy task. But as difficult as this may be, the cornerstone of true love is brutal honesty because, in the long run, they will thank you.

If you are the type of person who has a hard time having these types of conversations, it’s best to put yourself in their situation. Wouldn’t you want someone to have your back, giving you words of encouragement? Of course, you do, who doesn’t? Sure, it may sting but this is your family. You’ve already been through the trenches together so it’s only fair to help them in a time of need.

Sometimes it isn’t that easy. You may have a hard-headed family member who is as stubborn as they are naïve and will always think they know what’s best for them because after all, you can never truly know a person, right?

Wrong.

You do know this person! You grew up together and spent years of time with one another, and as much as they might think you don’t understand them, this is the most important time to reach out and help because they are so far removed from themselves that they need someone to come in and support them, whether they know it or not. This will only create a stronger and deeper bond between you and when there comes a time in life when you need someone to show the same kind of fairness, they will gladly be there to offer it.

Be Fair to Yourself

For some people helping others is easy. They have no problem being unbiased and supplying the truth where it is needed, but when it comes to practicing what you preach, that’s a whole other story.

This may sound strange but being unfair to yourself is incredibly selfish. Yes, it’s important to put others’ feelings ahead of yours, but that’s only true sometimes. The same way you should be fair to your family, you should also be fair to yourself. It’s easy to look around and help everyone else, pointing out how and where they should improve their lives, but talk is cheap. It’s time to apply the same unbiased words to yourself.

It’s an easy system to follow. When you’re good, reward yourself, and when bad punish yourself. Now, this isn’t meant to be viewed in extreme circumstances but offers a healthy way of acknowledging when you’re right and wrong. After a week of exercise, healthy eating, and long hours at work, take a night off to let loose. But if you’re the opposite, eating junk food and slumping on the couch all week, then it’s time to put down the chips and hit the gym.

Accountability

Let’s say your brother has an injury that won’t go away, and he complains about the pain but won’t seek medical attention. It’s easy to hold him accountable believing him to be responsible for his own body, however, this is your brother. You care about him, right? Sure, you do. So now it’s your job to help and offer a sense of tough love. Be the one to hold him accountable and be so persistent that he finally gets a check-up. After he heals, you’ll get all the credit.

This exact example applies to you as well. Don’t just sit around waiting for your body to heal when you can just as easily go to your nearest urgent care facility and get a check-up. The truth can be intimidating but be fair to yourself because when it comes to staying healthy, it’s better to hear the hard truth than face grave consequences!

Stay True & Fair

When it comes to your health and the health of your loved ones, always be fair and help where you can. As tough and awkward as it may get, these are the moments when you need to step in because if we can’t count on family then who can we count on you? Even if you get backlash, it’ll be worth it in the end because you know in your heart that you are being unbiased and only trying to help.

* Legal disclaimer: The content of this article and the entire Chai Care blog is for educational purposes only; it does NOT constitute medical advice and must not be considered as such. Please consult a medical professional regarding any symptoms or health concerns you or your loved ones.