Men are the heads of the home and in most cases the bread winners of their homes. It is only one who is healthy that can think of what to do and how to provide for his family. Therefore it is very essential for men to be careful with their health. Health they say is wealth. When you are healthy, you may not know the grace you are enjoying as a human being. A lot of wealthy men today are suffering from bad health and can do everything humanly possible to live healthy. But in the contrary money may not actually buy health. Money may buy you drugs, but it cannot buy you good health. Most men today are suffering from ailments they carelessly aloud to come to them as a result of reckless living. Food is good and very necessary and essential for healthy living, but you must eat the right type of food and in the right proportion to stay healthy. In this article I am going to discuss on the general health of men, the silent killers or ailments that affect men and women alike as well as some healthy tips to help us stay healthy and enjoy our living as men.
The Silent Killers: There a many ailments in this category that kills silently and slowly. For this article, am going to talk briefly on Hypertension, Obesity and Diabetes. Hypertension is always as a result of high blood pressure. One s said to be suffering from hypertension when he is constantly having his blood pressure on the high side. A normal blood pressure should be about 120/80 (120 the systolic, 80 the diastolic, your doctor can explain more on this to you). When your blood pressure is persistently equal to or greater than 140/90, your blood pressure is high (hypertension). One mistake many men make is to think that hypertension is only for old or aging people, this is wrong as it can happen to both young and old. Causes of hypertension include; stress, anxiety, excessive drinking of alcohol and excessive smoking. Hypertension destroys the heart, kidney, and blood cells. It also can lead to stroke, affects ones vision and can lead to untimely death. The opposite of hypertension is hypotension. The later occurs when your blood pressure is low. There are not many cases of the later, but it is always more severe than the former when it occurs.
Obesity can be caused by excess accumulation of body fats in ones system. Obesity affects the blood circulation in the system. These accumulated fats cover and block the artery that helps in blood circulation in the body. Reduction in the rate of blood circulation is mainly the danger of obesity. When this occurs, it can lead to hypertension. There are several ways to calculate obesity, but the most commonly used is the BMI (Body mass Index). If your BMI is between 19 and 24 one is okay. If your BMI is between 25 and 30 you are over weight. If your BMI is above 30 then you are obese. Your doctor can also help you to calculate your BMI. Another popular way is by use of machines that tell you exactly how over weight or not you are. We as men need to check the type of diets we take to avoid accumulating excess fats in our system which can cause obesity. This is because the more obese you are, the more chances of increase in your medical problems. Obesity in some cases is genetic, but most times it is as a result of bad dietary habits.
Diabetes occurs when there is excess sugar in somebody’s system. The common symptoms of diabetes include weight loss, dizziness, tiredness, excessive thirst, frequent urination and blurred vision. Like the other silent killers, diabetes has some complications which include; causing wounds not to heal fast, erectile dysfunction; it can also lead to stroke coma and untimely death.
Having identified these silent killers, how then do we avoid them and live healthy and longer?
• Go for regular check up: It is very essential to go for regular check especially as we advance in age. Check you blood pressure intermittently ,blood sugar, cholesterol level, blood count etc
• Keep good hygiene.
• Good dieting: Mix your food. Note that different foods have different nutrients that our body needs to grow and stay healthy. Eat balanced and varied diet. Remember your energy needs decreases as your age increases. Make sure you take your complete balanced diet, don’t skip meals but don’t over eat. For your breakfast, lunch and dinner make sure you combine the different groups of food in your meals. We have the energy giving foods( starch and carbohydrates ) ,Protein foods ( plant and animal protein) ,Vegetable foods( green vegetables and other vegetables that are not green) ,Fruits ,Fat and Oil. Try as much as possible to reduce your fat intake to the barest minimum. As much as you can reduce the intake of fried foods because they contain lots of fat. Try to take at least one type of fruit after or before every meal. Potassium from out fruits helps the heart muscles to function well. Fruits also contain antioxidants which protects our body from bacteria.
Summary:
Healthy living is of paramount importance to all men. I know as a man you will like to live longer and take care of your family. In summary to stay healthy and live healthy you have to;
• Eat the right food and the right proportion.
• Choose and eat food that contains more of vegetables.
• Reduce intake of fatty foods as it increases the calories in your system.
• Don’t eat heavily especially at night.
• Meat and egg are good, but as an adult you are not supposed to take more than 3 eggs in a week and not more than two pieces of meat per meal.
• Sea foods contain a lot of cholesterol which builds fat, reduce its intake.
• Choose diet moderate in sugar. Reduce your sugar intake to the barest minimum.
• Reduce intake of soft drinks, ice cream, etc these excess sugar from them later turn to fat.
• For your sugar needs, honey is preferable.
• Choose a diet moderate in salt and sodium.
• Take little of processed food.
• Reduce your intake of alcohol and cigarette, but it is advisable to STOP entirely.
• Avoid stress and anxiety as much as you can.
• Fruits and vegetables are very essential and should be taken on daily basis.
• Take enough water. Helps keep your blood pressure normal and remove toxic from your body. At least three liters of water a day is recommended.
• Exercise your body. A physical exercise helps your blood to pump well.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
TRIALS OF LIFE IS NORMAL
Life trials and ups and downs are normal and must be experienced by men in one time or the other. The difference is that some experience hard times and trying times earlier in their life time while others may experience it later on in life, but it must surely come. The irony of life is that it is only the text fire that can make fine steel. There are no short cuts to success except hard work.
Trials of life can be seen during hard times and unhappy experiences. It can manifest in such ways as marital problems, child birth issues (in ability to bear children), unemployment, business down turn, failures in academics, financial hardship etc. The truth is that these things must be experienced by all men in one stage in life or the other. The ability to handle any of these hardships is what determines how well one can come out of it. Life is not a bed of roses therefore there must be challenges to be faced in each phase of life.
As a child or a boy, you have your academics to face, you have to read, practice and take your examinations to be successful and come out in flying colours.
People are created with different destinies. That examination that was taken once and made by one may take another many years of hard work to get done. Because one took an exam once and passes it does not mean that he will be more successful in life than one who took the same exam many times before he could pass it. That you got an admission into the University before your mates does not guarantee that you will graduate before them or better still come out with a better result than them. I don’t know if am making a point here? Some can graduate from school and get employed immediately while others will graduate and after five years of graduation, they are still looking for job. That is the truth about life.
When you grow up to become a man the real challenges of life start manifesting. You have to get married, you have to bear children, and you have to take care of your old parents, your wife, your children as well as other extended relations. Yes this is your responsibility as a man. In most cases these responsibilities are either not achieved immediately or delayed indefinitely by the trials of life.
Every one has a hand in deciding how he wants his life to be run. There is this popular saying which states that “there is no way you can remove sand from a child’s eye without him putting his own hand”. If you want to succeed in life, you must work hard; you must put in extra ordinary pressure.
Life problems and trials must come in one stage or the other, but we will be able to handle and get over it if we have the will power. Most men have died during these trial periods because they lack the right attitude towards handling such periods or they are not well informed of the truth of life. Many marriages also have scattered during trial periods too.
Some trial periods come during old age. You see successful men who were very successful in their marriages, careers, and life generally having trial time at old age when they think they have successfully lived their lives. This trial time may come from the attitudes of their children.
One thing we have to know is that God promises us of peace, but not smooth sailing or total immunity from life’s struggles.
Trials of life can be man made or designed by God almighty. Summarily trials of life can come as a result of the following;
• Caused by the individual: One can go through trials of life as a result of his ignorance or way of life. The truth is that if you don’t work hard you will not make it and you are bound to go through hard times. If you are a sinner, you are bound to experience hardship. It may be going well with you at the moment, but the truth is that the evil that men do live with them and after them too.
• Caused by others: Some people are naturally wicked and they don’t feel happy when others are happy. In this case, they do everything humanly possible to drag you down to their level. Many bear false witness against their friends just to pull them down to their level. At this time such people experience their own trial times.
• Sins of our ancestors; the bible says that the fathers ate sour grape and the children teeth set on edge. Most trails people are going through today are as a result of sins of their fathers or ancestors.
• Evil associations: evil associations corrupt good manners. Some men delve into what they could not have done as a result of evil associations and they pay for it by experiencing hard times and trial times in future.
• Immoralities; A lot of trials of life are as a result of immoral life styles engaged by men when they were young, adults or even at old age. Bible clearly states that the wages of sin is death. These trial times if not well managed and resolved leads to untimely death.
• God may use it to test the faith of believers: Job in the bible was a very good Christian, yet he went through hard and trial times. He lost all he had and struggled for in life. Trials of life increases or decreases our faith in God. Most people are great men today because they did not fail under pressure.
Summary: Trials of life is normal. It may come as a result of our own making, the making of others or divinely ordained by God to test our faith in Him. If our faith is not tested, we would not be motivated to find solutions to our problems. What ever the cause of the trials you are going through today, believe in God, have faith in Him and he must surely see you through and out of it. Yes it is easy to worship and praise God when all is well with you, or when things are moving fine for you. When you are alive, healthy, happily married, have male and female children, have good job, pay your bills with ease etc. But when light suddenly goes off and we don’t enjoy the goodness of life again, that is the right time to test our faith and who we actually trust in.
Dear brother no matter what you are going through today, believe, have faith in God, though it may tarry, but surely you will get through and over it and your joy will surely return. It is just for a while. You are just passing through what is called a trail period in your lifetime, it is normal my dear. Once again remember, that thing you are going through today has been faced by some one, somewhere in the past, and he went through and over it and came out successful. You will get over it with God. Remain blessed.
Trials of life can be seen during hard times and unhappy experiences. It can manifest in such ways as marital problems, child birth issues (in ability to bear children), unemployment, business down turn, failures in academics, financial hardship etc. The truth is that these things must be experienced by all men in one stage in life or the other. The ability to handle any of these hardships is what determines how well one can come out of it. Life is not a bed of roses therefore there must be challenges to be faced in each phase of life.
As a child or a boy, you have your academics to face, you have to read, practice and take your examinations to be successful and come out in flying colours.
People are created with different destinies. That examination that was taken once and made by one may take another many years of hard work to get done. Because one took an exam once and passes it does not mean that he will be more successful in life than one who took the same exam many times before he could pass it. That you got an admission into the University before your mates does not guarantee that you will graduate before them or better still come out with a better result than them. I don’t know if am making a point here? Some can graduate from school and get employed immediately while others will graduate and after five years of graduation, they are still looking for job. That is the truth about life.
When you grow up to become a man the real challenges of life start manifesting. You have to get married, you have to bear children, and you have to take care of your old parents, your wife, your children as well as other extended relations. Yes this is your responsibility as a man. In most cases these responsibilities are either not achieved immediately or delayed indefinitely by the trials of life.
Every one has a hand in deciding how he wants his life to be run. There is this popular saying which states that “there is no way you can remove sand from a child’s eye without him putting his own hand”. If you want to succeed in life, you must work hard; you must put in extra ordinary pressure.
Life problems and trials must come in one stage or the other, but we will be able to handle and get over it if we have the will power. Most men have died during these trial periods because they lack the right attitude towards handling such periods or they are not well informed of the truth of life. Many marriages also have scattered during trial periods too.
Some trial periods come during old age. You see successful men who were very successful in their marriages, careers, and life generally having trial time at old age when they think they have successfully lived their lives. This trial time may come from the attitudes of their children.
One thing we have to know is that God promises us of peace, but not smooth sailing or total immunity from life’s struggles.
Trials of life can be man made or designed by God almighty. Summarily trials of life can come as a result of the following;
• Caused by the individual: One can go through trials of life as a result of his ignorance or way of life. The truth is that if you don’t work hard you will not make it and you are bound to go through hard times. If you are a sinner, you are bound to experience hardship. It may be going well with you at the moment, but the truth is that the evil that men do live with them and after them too.
• Caused by others: Some people are naturally wicked and they don’t feel happy when others are happy. In this case, they do everything humanly possible to drag you down to their level. Many bear false witness against their friends just to pull them down to their level. At this time such people experience their own trial times.
• Sins of our ancestors; the bible says that the fathers ate sour grape and the children teeth set on edge. Most trails people are going through today are as a result of sins of their fathers or ancestors.
• Evil associations: evil associations corrupt good manners. Some men delve into what they could not have done as a result of evil associations and they pay for it by experiencing hard times and trial times in future.
• Immoralities; A lot of trials of life are as a result of immoral life styles engaged by men when they were young, adults or even at old age. Bible clearly states that the wages of sin is death. These trial times if not well managed and resolved leads to untimely death.
• God may use it to test the faith of believers: Job in the bible was a very good Christian, yet he went through hard and trial times. He lost all he had and struggled for in life. Trials of life increases or decreases our faith in God. Most people are great men today because they did not fail under pressure.
Summary: Trials of life is normal. It may come as a result of our own making, the making of others or divinely ordained by God to test our faith in Him. If our faith is not tested, we would not be motivated to find solutions to our problems. What ever the cause of the trials you are going through today, believe in God, have faith in Him and he must surely see you through and out of it. Yes it is easy to worship and praise God when all is well with you, or when things are moving fine for you. When you are alive, healthy, happily married, have male and female children, have good job, pay your bills with ease etc. But when light suddenly goes off and we don’t enjoy the goodness of life again, that is the right time to test our faith and who we actually trust in.
Dear brother no matter what you are going through today, believe, have faith in God, though it may tarry, but surely you will get through and over it and your joy will surely return. It is just for a while. You are just passing through what is called a trail period in your lifetime, it is normal my dear. Once again remember, that thing you are going through today has been faced by some one, somewhere in the past, and he went through and over it and came out successful. You will get over it with God. Remain blessed.
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