For men, chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, depression, etc., have become all too common in our society. In fact, 60% of adults in the United States have at least one chronic disease, and nearly 75% of Americans are overweight. Why have we become so over-burdened with disease?
Most chronic diseases are diseases of lifestyle.
Meaning our daily behaviors and lifestyle choices are leading us to a life of sickness and premature death. Unfortunately, we are causing harm to our bodies each day with the lifestyle choices we make. We are eating too many calories and processed foods, we are over-stressed, not moving or exercising enough, we are smoking, drinking, or using other addictive substances, and we’re not getting adequate sleep.
Every day we are re-injuring our bodies, never giving them the opportunity to heal. We are stealing our manliness and livelihood from ourselves each day, leading to a life of disease, sexual dysfunction, infertility, feelings of inadequacy, and depression.
But there is hope and possibility.
Our bodies have an amazing capability to heal, even from chronic disease, when we actually create an environment conducive to healing.
What if instead of injuring ourselves each day, we gave our bodies the things they need to naturally heal and thrive?
What if we made choices that fostered health and well-being, and treated the actual cause of disease and dysfunction?
What if we allowed our bodies to be the self-healing machines they were made to be? We would feel more energized, have a more positive outlook on our health, be able to perform when the moments arise, and provide for our families more effectively.
All of this is possible, and you can start working toward better health today with some simple steps…
It’s in Your Power to Create a Healing Environment
First, we have to change our mindset.
Focus on what we can control, and find the positive and opportunity in things, even when life gets hard and stressful.
Just as important, our bodies also need time to rest and recover.
We need sleep. Aim for 7 to 9 hours each night. This allows our bodies the opportunity to heal from the physical and mental stress we put them through each day.
We need to choose positive stress-management behaviors.
Many of us turn to eating, drinking, or smoking to “relieve stress,” but instead, we are not treating the real cause and using other destructive behaviors to distract ourselves. We can make ourselves more resilient against stress by eating a nutritious diet, moving our bodies, seeing things with a more positive mindset, connecting with friends and family, and prioritizing sleep.
We need to connect with others.
Humans are social beings, and we achieve greater success when we have others to keep us accountable, motivate us, and provide us with constructive feedback.
We need to move our bodies. Movement is the key to life.
If you are not moving, your body will shut down and wither away. Physical activity and exercise keeps our muscles strong, improves our mobility and balance, reduces stress, and helps regulate sleep.
Finally, our bodies need more whole foods.
Think fruits, vegetables, beans/legumes, whole grains, and nuts and seeds. These foods provide our bodies with optimal fuel, are high in nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and fiber, are low in calories, fat, and cholesterol, and are anti-inflammatory.
If you help getting started in your journey to create a more healing environment, come see our experts in Lifestyle Medicine and let’s chat about our 90 Days to Thrive program.
