By Melissa Crispell CNS, CNHP
Alright guys, it’s time to take control of your health and well-being. If you take better care of your yard, golf clubs, car (fill in the blank) than your health please read this! Men are lucky they don’t face monthly PMS or Menopause, but they do have their share of things to keep track of. More than 1 in 5 guys has not had a checkup in 5 years according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Why are you avoiding your health?
Top 3 reasons why men avoid their checkups (according to Men’s Health magazine poll):
- Too busy
- Afraid the Doc will find something serious
- Avoiding uncomfortable body exams like prostate checks
If you (or a man you care about) are using these excuses lets work through these.
You really do have the time.
Twenty two percent of the men surveyed claimed they’re too busy to keep up with regular checkups. I know you’re busy, we all are, but that’s no excuse to put your health on the back burner. To keep things in perspective: an annual checkup is only 1-2 hours out of the 8,760 hours you have each year. Try searching for a doctor that has extended hours during the week or weekend appointments so that you don’t cut into your day to day schedule.
No news is not good news when it comes to your health.
Twenty one percent of men polled said they would put off their checkups for fear of finding something seriously wrong. True, it’s not ideal to find out that you have something serious. But isn’t it worse to find out that you have something serious and you’re in the end stages with no options because you didn’t know? Men, the big risks you face: heart disease, diabetes, prostate cancer could be cut drastically by monitoring your blood pressure, blood sugar, and having prostate exams.
Twenty seconds of discomfort could make all the difference.
How long does a prostate exam take? I’ve never had one so I’m not entirely certain, but I would guess it’s not longer than 20 seconds. Eighteen percent of the men in this poll said they would pass on their annual checkup to avoid the discomfort of a prostate exam. I get it! A stranger probing your most personal space is always awkward and never fun but the information it gives your practitioner is priceless. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, your prostate check is for your doctor to find any lumps, abnormalities, or to determine if the prostate is enlarged. Catching these signs early could make all the difference.
In the spirit of prevention, we encourage you to add the LRA by ELISA/ACT test to your yearly checkups. Identifying triggers to the immune system (removing them for a period of time along with detoxification and supplements to alkalinize and energize) will help you to clean up your system and restore a robust immune response while decreasing inflammation. Who wouldn’t want to clean up their system and fine tune the process?
When it comes to Men’s Health, I have to mention PERQUE Prost8 Vitality Guard and L-Carnitine Plus Guard.
Prost8 Vitality Guard:
- Can lower harmful testosterone and increase healthy male hormones naturally and more safely than prescription medications.
- Supports healthier bladder function – sleep better with fewer trips to the bathroom in just a week, rather than 3-6 months for other products.
- Formulated with saw palmetto berry extract – proven in clinical trials to neutralize harmful testosterone metabolites.
L-Carnitine Plus Guard’s unique formulation delivers:
- L-Carnitine – supports sperm motility and health and helps detoxify fat-soluble toxins.
- MCT – enhances carnitine and GABA uptake and alkalinizes cells
We can all benefit from making a few adjustments to our daily routine to boost our health, wellbeing and longevity. Simple actions like: proper hydration, restorative sleep, eating whole foods (not processed), supplementing with essential nutrients, meditation/prayer to calm the mind, and moving can make a huge difference in a short amount of time.
About Melissa Crispell, ND, CNS, CNHP
Melissa Crispell is a Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Natural Health Provider, Certified Lifestyle Educator, Certified Wellness Coach, and Certified Acupuncture Detoxification Specialist. Melissa has been published in Living Well, DC Practice Insights and Acupuncture Today. In addition, she has spoken at the Easter Seals Annual Caregiver conference, Functional Medicine Success Summit, American Association for Naturopathic Physicians, and is a member of the Health Studies Collegium speaker’s bureau and National Acupuncture Detoxification Association.
Melissa has served over 9 years as a Clinical Training Specialist for PERQUE Integrative Health, teaching physicians and providers all over the world how to grow their functional medicine practice using medical grade supplements and functional immunology. Melissa’s mission is to empower people of all health statuses to take control of their wellness journey. This includes debunking myths and sharing basic health concepts that are frequently overlooked. Melissa believes that when we have better information, we make better choices.
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