# Men's Health



## dutchie (13 November 2005)

Prevent near-sightedness!

Poor distance vision is rarely caused by genetics, says Anne Barber, O.D., an optometrist in Tacoma, Washington. "It's usually caused by near-point stress." In other words, staring at your computer screen for too long. So flex your way to 20/20 vision. Every few hours during the day, close your eyes, tense your body, take a deep breath, and, after a few seconds, release your breath and muscles at the same time. Tightening and releasing muscles such as the biceps and glutes can trick involuntary muscles -- like the eyes -- into relaxing as well.

Also try closing your eyes massage just above eyebrow, then just below eyebrow and then the eyeball itself (every hour or two).


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## Milk Man (14 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

Do you think it has something to do with the nervous system? I just started weight training and the dude in the book I bought reckons that training large muscle groups (squats, bench, etc.) helps to train your nervous system as well. What this means is that your brain/nervous system gets used to making your muscles work harder and harder.

So from that angle, by tensing/flexing your whole body your eyes will be excercised from better nervous system function? If you just close your eyes for a minute that might be enough to work your involuntary eye muscles. So what then flexing all your muscles would do, I imagine, is nervous system related. Is there a doctor in the house? Better still an opthamologist? (sp?)


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## The Estimator (14 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

What the guy was talking about in the book is called neural adaptation.  Its not so much training your nervous system as a whole but the parts that are used to fire signals to the muscles that you train consistently.  Normal people see this everyday when straining to perform a physical action in the form of shaking.  The shaking and shuddering you get as you try to lift or push something is a result of inefficient signals being sent along the neural pathways to the neurones which fire to cause the muscle to contract.  The boys at gym call these shakes 'neural".  After about a month of training this pretty much goes away.  The training developes the neural pathways to make usage of the muscle  more efficient so that a larger number areas of the muscle "Cooperate" and as a result the muscle is more efficient.  This is why people get a large strength gains in the first month.  It has nothing to do with muscle gain.  I'm no doctor but I doubt these nervous system changes have any effect on the muscle that control our lenses.  I think weight training probably helps to relax a persons musculature inclusing those that control the eye.


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## dutchie (14 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

The body should be treated as a unit rather than made up of different parts.

Tensing and relaxing one muscle will have an affect on other muscles and tissues. The more you exercise (muscles) the better - especially for long term health.


Mental Health Tips For Men

Tips for staying mentally healthy are not as straightforward as those for maintaining good physical health. After all there aren't any "mental fitness gyms" to join. But keeping mentally fit is still in your control. Here's the way to do it.

Connect with other people. Find people that you can confide in. Reach out to your wife or partner, your siblings, and your children. 

Get involved. Develop some hobbies and interests separate from your work. If you don't have any, think about things that you used to like doing when you were younger.

Exercise. Numerous studies have demonstrated that exercise can combat depression and other forms of mental illness. Exercise affects some of the same chemicals in the brain the way Prozac does, so it can really help with depression and anxiety.

Evaluate your life. Making an effort to evaluate your life along the way can help prevent problems from becoming crises. Are you happy in your job and relationships? Is there anything that you can do to improve the way you live? 

Consider getting help. Look at therapy as a source of potential tools with which to deal with life. Don't necessarily give into a knee-jerk reaction against medication. Shop around for someone that you click with.


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## Milk Man (14 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*



> Exercise. Numerous studies have demonstrated that exercise can combat depression and other forms of mental illness. Exercise affects some of the same chemicals in the brain the way Prozac does, so it can really help with depression and anxiety.



 I would add to that a healthy diet and plenty of fresh air. Actually its light not air; if you dont get enough light you can develop what is called the 'winter blues' (thats why the poms are so gloomy!  ). I know because ive had pretty severe depression and anxiety until recently and it aint fun. Doctors never seem to tell you these things though, just prescribe you some psycho-active meds and away you go and turn into a zombie.


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## RichKid (15 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*



			
				dutchie said:
			
		

> The body should be treated as a unit rather than made up of different parts.




Agree wholeheartedly, although I am not a medical specialist I understand that if you stimulate the production of calcium by doing weights, for example, the body produces it in all part of the body, not just the part that you were targeting with that exercise. 

So provided you apply correct stimulation (ie do it properly) the product of it will benefit the whole system. So doing squats or bicep curls can result in better bone density overall. Martial artists and certain sports people are supposed to have stronger bones for that reason. Great thread btw. Check with a doctor though before doing anything.


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## dutchie (15 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

Rich, your spot on. 

Any exercise or weight training is beneficial to your current and future health (of course over doing it to extremes may not be).

Although I don't have any formal medical training I hope to add a piece or two each week that I pick up around the traps.

Men are generally reluctant to seek help when they have physical or emotional problems because of the ( I can handle this on my own and I don't want to appear weak syndrome).

I hope to encourage men to look after their health better.


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## RichKid (15 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*



			
				dutchie said:
			
		

> Men are generally reluctant to seek help when they have physical or emotional problems because of the ( I can handle this on my own and I don't want to appear weak syndrome).




Hi Dutchie,
It's my turn to say 'spot on'! 

That is an important topic imo and I have to admit I have trouble with it myself, it's a long process, I find some of the girls/women I know can be helpful when discussing it with them as they seem to be better skilled at it. Although there are some things which are really tough to discuss without feeling insecure and vulnerable- unless you're referring to it obliquely when chatting with 'the boys', in which case I'm more likely to be making it into a joke rather than anything else.


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## dutchie (15 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

Not being able to talk about our problems (and seeing a professional) is very common with males (compared to females).

One statistic that really brings this home is that the ratio of male to female suicides is 4:1.

A sobering thought and one we will all have to work on.


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## Milk Man (16 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*



			
				dutchie said:
			
		

> Not being able to talk about our problems (and seeing a professional) is very common with males (compared to females).
> 
> One statistic that really brings this home is that the ratio of male to female suicides is 4:1.
> 
> A sobering thought and one we will all have to work on.




Female suicide attempts are double male though aren't they? They are mainly pills or wrist slashing though I think; not gun, rope or exhaust gas. One of dad's mates tried once with pills then the second time used the exhaust pipe. One of these cagey, 'shell be right' types as well. The family court system and a vindictive ex-wife let him down.


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## Happy (16 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*



			
				dutchie said:
			
		

> One statistic that really brings this home is that the ratio of male to female suicides is 4:1.




Slightly evens out due to more women being killed by men.

(Shouldn’t joke in this thread, but why not, especially that good sense of humour is essential to well being, OK, sense of humour)


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## happytrader (16 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

Another interesting fact

Expectedly the rate of suicide in an economic downturn is high. However, when the eventual upswing in the economy occurs its is even higher.

Now why is that do you think?

How useful do you think that is to a trader or anyone else for that matter? Think about it!

Cheers
Happytrader


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## dutchie (16 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

Milk Man, you are right about attempt numbers between male and females.

For every completed male suicide there are five attempts. 
The four most common methods of suicide among men are: firearms (27%), hanging (26%), carbon monoxide (20%) and poisonings (19%). 

For every completed female suicide there are 35 attempts. 
The most common methods among women are: hanging, poisonings, carbon monoxide and firearms.


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## son of baglimit (16 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

i thought this was a thread on ways for men to improve their lives, not stats showing how many end up topping themselves. as for me, i am on a long slow suicide - i got married.


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## dutchie (17 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

Son of Baglimit - your right - getting off topic a bit. Just trying to emphasise that men need to go out and get help if they are having physical or emotional problems.

Know what you mean about getting married - actually in reality being in a good loving relationship will prolong your life (even though it does not seem that way sometimes). On the other side a bad relationship (especially during and after divorce) will be detrimental to your health.

So men stay focused and work on your relationships and don't be afraid to seek help if you need it.


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## dutchie (20 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

Prostrate Cancer:

New tape to boost awareness of prostate cancer 
Federal Health and Family Services Minister, Dr Michael Wooldridge today launched an audio cassette tape which aims to help inform more Australians about prostate cancer. 

The tape was produced by well-known business broadcaster Michael Schildberger, who has personally experienced and survived diagnosis for prostate cancer, and will be distributed nationally through Coles Myer outlets including Coles Supermarkets, Myer-Grace Bros, Officeworks, Target, Fossey's and Kmart stores. 

The cassette tape, The Prostate Test, uses a number of compelling case studies to describe the early signs of prostate cancer, provide advice about diagnosis and treatment, and personalise the information through one-on-one interviews with survivors and their carers. 

"*Prostate cancer affects 10,000 Australian men each year - as many as the number of women who are affected by breast cancer*," Dr Wooldridge said. 

"Yet prostate cancer has been unable up to now to gain the same sort of public awareness as breast cancer - this cassette will help to change that situation. The more people know about prostate cancer, the better off they will be. 

"Generally speaking, until the age of about 45 to 50 years, the prostate remains fairly constant in size, but after this age the gland can enlarge and affect the normal process of passing urine. 

"In most cases, the enlargement is non-cancerous (it is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia) but in some cases it is malignant. 

"Prostate cancer mainly affects men in older age groups with 62 per cent of deaths from prostate cancer occurring in men aged 75 years and 41 per cent in men aged over 80 years. 

"Nevertheless, prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in Australian men, *causing about 2,500 deaths each year * - and as such it has been identified as a National Health Priority Targeted Cancer."


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## Julia (20 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*



			
				happytrader said:
			
		

> Another interesting fact
> 
> Expectedly the rate of suicide in an economic downturn is high. However, when the eventual upswing in the economy occurs its is even higher.
> 
> ...




Hi Happytrader

"when the eventual upswing in the economy occurs, the rate of suicide is even higher".  Really?  

It sounds as though you know the reason for this, if in fact it is statistically correct.  Can you share it with us?  I'm really interested in this sort of thing.
During World War II the suicide rate approximately halved in Britain.  This was thought to be due to the greater sense of community support, as citizens rallied together against a common enemy.

Julia


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## son of baglimit (20 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

these cancer stats really drive me mad - heres one simple stat - the human body was never designed to last into its 70's & beyond, or at least except for a select few due to genetics, and in doing so the human body begins to break down, hence bones, blood, organs all fall to various ailments, including cancer.
so when someone comes up to me hysterically claiming more & more people are dying of cancer, i remind them of that simple fact - WE AINT SPOSE TO LIVE THIS LONG - WHAT YA EXPECT ?.
i just wish the stats given in dutchies latest post (age of people dying of this condition) were shown for ALL TYPES of cancer - it might just reduce the argument of some of society's rant & ravers. ie. current affairs shows.

dont get me wrong dutchie, i agree with your post, your facts are true - i just wish more stats regarding age were made & included in the published arguments.


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## TheProphet (21 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

Top thread everyone!
Keep up the good work. Nice to read something with relevance every now and then.


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## Happy (21 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

As to Prostate Cancer is there any indication of what causes it, or is suspected to contribute to this condition and are there any ways to prevent or delay progress?


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## dutchie (21 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

Digital Rectal Exam

A digital rectal exam is the physical examination of the rectum, the last few inches of the bowel, just above the anus. The doctor inserts a gloved and lubricated finger to check for abnormalities of the anus and rectum. The exam takes about one to two minutes. It may cause mild discomfort, but it should not be painful.

By feeling through the rectal wall, the doctor can also examine the surface of the prostate gland. 


Doctors use the digital rectal exam to evaluate certain symptoms in men. Usually these symptoms affect the digestive system, genitals and urinary tract. For example, a doctor may check the prostate in a man who complains of frequent urination.

The exam also is used to look for certain cancers. The exam can detect cancers or polyps that develop in the last few inches of the colon. However, your doctor probably will recommend an additional screening test for colon cancer, such as colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy or fecal occult blood testing. 

In men, the rectal exam is often used to screen for prostate cancer in combination with a blood test for prostate-specific antigen (PSA test). There is some controversy about screening for this type of cancer, so discuss this testing with your doctor. 

How It's Done

You will need to remove or pull down your clothing from the waist down and lay on your side on an exam table with your knees pulled up toward your chest.

Your doctor will insert a gloved and lubricated finger into your rectum. It often helps to exert pressure as though you are moving your bowels. Your doctor will feel the wall of your rectum, checking for unusual lumps, swellings or tenderness.  The doctor will feel the prostate gland through the wall of the rectum and check for suspicious nodules, as well as for abnormalities in the gland's size or shape.

Follow-Up

Your doctor should be able to tell you the results of your exam before you leave. If your exam is not normal, your doctor can arrange follow-up testing. 


I have had one of these examinations. I lay on the examining table on my side with both knees bent. It took about 1 or 2 minutes and was only slightly uncomfortable.
Don't feel embarassed as the doctor has probably done hundreds of them and it could save your life.


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## Milk Man (21 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

Dont worry, its just like taking the advice of your broker; only youre aware whats going to happen with a prostate exam.


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## phoenixrising (21 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

lol, nice one milkman, must be those 4.30am early rises to do the milking that gets your creative juices going.

Could throw in the tax dept or gov. with the brokers.

cheers


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## son of baglimit (22 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

brings a tear to the eye, doesnt it !!!!!!!!!!


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## dutchie (24 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

How To Maintain A Healthy Weight
Follow these steps.

For a prediction about your future, don't bother with crystal balls and psychic friends. Your doctor can ask two simple questions that will reveal, with a fair degree of accuracy, what's in store for your health as you age: Do you smoke? Are you overweight?

Next to smoking, your weight is the greatest measure of what sort of long-term health risks you may face, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, gout, and gallbladder disease. Lowering your weight, quite simply, means lowering your risks.

Of course, before you can work to maintain a healthy weight, you need to know how to define a healthy weight. Use the Body Mass Index calculator. It gives you a rough idea of where you stand, placing you in one of three categories: healthy weight, overweight or obese. Check your BMI (http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/14220/24119/196510.html?d=dmtContent)

Know Your BMI? 

If your body mass index is less than 25, you should work to keep it there. If your BMI is greater than 25, you can improve your long-term health by lowering your number. Studies have shown that having a BMI above 25 increases the risk of dying from heart disease and cancer. 

The following steps, from the nutrition and weight-management book "Eat, Drink And Be Healthy" by Walter C. Willett, M.D., chairman of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, can help you maintain a healthy BMI or lower one that's high.

Get Active

If you are active now, congratulations. You can reap even greater benefits by increasing the frequency and intensity of your activity. If you aren't active, getting started can help reduce your weight and, therefore, improve your health. Here's what Dr. Willett recommends.

Walk

A walk might not seem like "exercise" to people who sweat at the gym, but research has shown considerable health benefits from walking. For women who participated in the Nurses' Health Study ”” one of the largest and longest health studies ever ”” those who walked briskly about three hours a week were 35 percent less likely to have had a heart attack over an eight-year period than the women who only walked occasionally.

Make your day more active

You've heard these suggestions before, but they're worth repeating. Use stairs instead of elevators, park a distance away from your destination and walk, get off the bus or train a few stops early and walk the rest of the way, rake and shovel manually instead of using power equipment to blow leaves and snow away.

Make exercise enjoyable

Obviously, the more fun you have participating in an activity, the greater the chance that you'll do it often and stick with it longer. If you hate the thought of being indoors and running on a treadmill, don't set that as your goal. If you love swimming, join a pool. Like tennis? Sign up with a partner. (Having someone to keep you on track always helps.)

Exercise 30 minutes each day

This is the tough one for many people. Scheduling time for exercise is often the first item to drop off the "to do" list. Try to think of daily exercise as an investment, just as valuable to your future as your IRA ”” you're banking good health now for use later in life. Here's some good news: The 30 minutes doesn't have to be consecutive. If your schedule doesn't allow one uninterrupted 30-minute block of time, get your daily fill of exercise in two 15-minute blocks. 

Watch What You Eat

The two factors that influence what you weigh are amount of physical activity and how much you eat. Dr. Willett suggests focusing on the following dietary practices to monitor and control the calories you consume. 

Keep track of your calories

To maintain your current weight, you have to burn more calories than you consume. Writing down what you eat is the first step toward making a change. Right now, you may have no idea how many calories you take in each day. (The average number used by health professionals and the food industry is 2,000 calories per day.) Keep a notepad with you and jot down what you eat throughout the day, and the approximate portion sizes of each item. At the end of the day, you can search for the values of each food and tally your totals. (Our nutrition database contains thousands of food entries, each with total calorie content and the ability to adjust portion size. You also can get an idea of how many of those calories you're burning when you exercise.) 

Practice defensive eating

In our "super-size it" society, overeating is easy, automatic and nearly inevitable. To protect against the onslaught of messages tempting us to eat more food and larger portions, Dr. Willett suggests these steps: 

Stop before you're stuffed.
"Clean your plate" was not good advice. (Sorry, mom.) Walk away from your plate feeling satisfied but light. 
Don't eat things just because they're available.
If you stock your pantry with high-calorie snacks, chances are that you'll eat them. Make life easier for yourself and don't bring tempting items into your home. Instead, stock fruit (apples, grapes) and whole-grain crackers. 
Choose small portions.
You can control portion size at home. Dining out, however, requires some planning. Know that the portions you get in restaurants and fast-food joints are often double (at least) a normal portion size. 
Eat slowly.
Your digestive system sends signals when it's had enough. If you eat too quickly, this process can't keep up, and you end up eating more than you need.


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## Happy (24 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

After some search it appears that:

Tomatoes are recommended for prostate health
Also Brazilian nuts (2 a day provide enough Selen for one day) give some benefit to prostrate, but I didn’t find out why.

Does it look right?


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## dutchie (24 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

Happy

I am no expert in diet etc (I have no qualifications in health/medicine at all).

Having read many diets/articles about what is good/bad for you, I have come to the conclusion that the best idea is to have a varied diet and consume everything in moderation. Eat and drink everything that makes you enjoy life (after sex, consuming nice food/drink is one of the best pleasures in life)without being  excessive in any one item.

Unless you have a specific problem then don't worry about eating so many tomatoes or nuts etc to combat one or more possible ailments.

If you feel comfortable about it and think you would benefit by it take suppliments.

Its more important that you enjoy life!

Don't take drugs, don't smoke, drink alcohol in moderation (red wine/low voltage beer), excercise as much as you can and be mellow.


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## Smurf1976 (24 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*



			
				dutchie said:
			
		

> Sign up with a partner. (Having someone to keep you on track always helps.)



This is going a bit off topic but I decided to detail my recent experiences with losing weight and getting fit. Feel free to read on or ignore...

I certainly agree that having someone to keep you on track helps.

Now, I would ideally like to lose about one sixth of my body mass (weight) which would give me a Body Mass Index right in the middle of where my doctor says it's supposed to be. It's about 10% over the upper limit at the moment which according to the doctor is "not ideal but no reason for panic". It seems to run in the family unfortunately and losing weight is anything but easy IMO.

My partner also has similar issues and wants to lose about 20% of her body weight which would put her in the middle of the ideal range. She's never lost weight before, historically been quite slim, and found the whole concept rather difficult. 

Anyway, to cut a long story short,  what we do now is that once every week we weigh and measure each other and record the results in a diary. The reason for her recording my measurements and vice versa is simply to keep us both honest.

Then, one at a time, we have to confess everything we have done wrong in terms of eating junk food etc. over the past week. The rule is strictly to not criticise each other but just listen and understand although we are allowed to ask each other "why" we ate whatever rubbish it was. (No doubt she's already been thinking about what to say this week when I ask about that chocolate fudge pudding thing she asked me to buy when I went shopping yesterday...   ). 

There is no expectation of perfection here, both have had plenty of things to confess at the end of the week and we're both very comfortable doing the "wrong" thing with the other watching, but the point is to keep each other on track enough that we achieve the outcome we want. 

Is it working? Well, in both cases there has been a small drop in weight. Mine seems to be dropping at about 1kg a month and hers at about two thrids of that rate (see comment above re chocolate pudding for explanation of the difference!). So not much weight loss but I certainly feel a lot fitter and she says that she does too and in both cases the waist measurement has gone down enough to turn tight jeans into loose fitting ones.

So we'll keep doing it even though the plan to be slim in time for Christmas is going to mean Christmas next year and not this year as originally hoped. Slowly getting there and doing lots of exercise so that must be helping too.

So, rule number one is don't be too strict with the diet etc. otherwise you'll find life gets really boring. A bit of junk food every now and then is unlikely to do too much harm, just don't eat too much of it. (That's my opinion not a qualified medial one by the way.). Of course you do need to keep the total numer of kilojoules down if you're going to lose weight so there can't be _too_ many stuff ups with the diet bit. Just don't get to the point of sitting around angry with yourself because you ate a bag of crisps.

It's a bit like trading. Aim to be successful overall but don't try to eliminate all failures. Of course you're not always going to be perfect with the diet just like you're going to have losing investments from time to time.

And get someone to keep you on track, preferably someone who is also trying to get fit etc, since that seems to help IMO.


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## Happy (25 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

Off track a bit, perfect, my post might look normal here.

Over the years I came past few gems in weight control:

There are no obese people in concentration camps 
(Some qualification required here: after a while, and how we can use it? Eat fewer calories)

Feed only part of your body you want to keep
(Explanation needed here I suppose too: body needs about 50kcal per kilo weight, if I remember it right. If you want to keep 75 k consume up to 3750kcal and the rest will fade away)

Do not loose more than 0.5 k per week
(Reason: if you loose weight faster your natural body-mass watchdog will trigger survival response manifesting in increased hunger, which in effect is a psychological mine-field)

Whenever hungry drink glass of water first
(Hunger might not go away every time, but quite often lack of fluid in our body causes drop in osmotic pressure and gives signal we wrongly interpret)

Diet will never work long term; we have to change lifestyle


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## robert toms (25 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

Re digital rectal examination...a conservative friend of mine recently had the prostate examination and afterwards volunteered the following response to the performing GP...."I now know what it feels like the morning after the Gay Mardi Gras"
His response was out of character!


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## dutchie (25 November 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

Smurf

Good on you and your partner - I think you are on the right track.

Quick weight loss usually does not work long term but if your watching each other (excellent) and are aware of what you are eating then you have a good chance of success. 
Don't worry if it takes longer than you hoped. As long as you keep heading in the right direction you will get there in the end and will more likely sustain the goal weight.

Happy

Some good tips there. 

I agree that diets (especially fad diets) don't usually work long term. Exercise and sensible eating (quantity and quality) work better long term. 

Robert

That reaction seems unusual. The few men I have spoken to about this have said that it was only slightly uncomfortable. I suppose it depends on the doctor doing the examination.


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## dutchie (3 December 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

BLOOD PRESSURE

Blood pressure has two components:

Systolic pressure, the higher number, represents the pressure the heart generates to pump blood to the rest of the body. 
Diastolic pressure, the lower number, refers to the pressure in the blood vessels between heartbeats.
Usually, systolic pressure increases as we age. However, after age 60, diastolic pressure usually begins to decline because the body's blood vessels stiffen.

Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mmHg). Normal blood pressure is defined as a systolic pressure of less than 120 and a diastolic pressure of less than 80. People with a systolic blood pressure between 120 and 139 or a diastolic blood pressure between 80 and 89 are said to have prehypertension. High blood pressure, or hypertension, is divided into two stages:

Stage 1 hypertension ”” Systolic blood pressure between 140 and 159 and/or diastolic blood pressure between 90 and 99
Stage 2 hypertension ”” Systolic blood pressure greater than 160 and/or distolic blood pressure greater than 100. 
High blood pressure can cause damage to many organs, including the brain, eyes, heart and kidneys, as well as to arteries throughout the body. If you have high blood pressure that has not been diagnosed, or that is not being treated adequately, you are at greater risk of having a heart attack, stroke, kidney failure and blindness.

Symptoms

High blood pressure can cause symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, fatigue and ringing in the ears. However, it often causes no symptoms. 

Diagnosis

Because the diagnosis of high blood pressure depends on blood pressure readings, it's essential that blood pressure be measured carefully. Avoid strenuous exercise, smoking, eating, and drinking caffeinated beverages (coffee, tea, colas) for at least one hour before you have your blood pressure taken. You should be seated for at least five minutes before the reading is taken, and you should not talk while your blood pressure is being measured. Two readings should be recorded and averaged. If your blood pressure is high, your doctor should examine your eyes, heart and nervous system (to look for brain damage). If your exmamination does not show evidence of long-standing hypertension, your doctor will have you return to the office at least two mnore times to have your blood pressure checked before diagnosing you with hypertension. This is because some people have high blood pressure only occasionally. 

Once you are diagnosed with hypertension, other tests will be done to see if the high blood pressure has caused organ damage. These test can include blood tests to check kidney function, and an electrocardiogram (EKG) to look for thickening of the heart muscle, reduced blood flow to your heart or irregular heart rhythms.

Your doctor will diagnose you with prehypertension if your blood pressure measures more than 120/80 mmHg on three consecutive visits over several months. 

Prevention

To prevent high blood pressure: 

Get regular aerobic exercise.
Limit your intake of salt and alcoholic beverages.
Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fats.
Avoid smoking.
Maintain a desirable body weight.
It is important to try to modify all the risk factors for coronary artery disease that are under your control. In addition to the above actions, you should: 

Quit smoking.
Reduce your high LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol).
There is the real possibility that you can cure your high blood pressure just with lifestyle changes, and won't require blood pressure medicines.

Treatment

Doctors and people with high blood pressure usually prefer to control it with lifestyle changes, but sometimes medication is needed to provide adequate control. Antihypertensive medications include diuretics, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, calcium channel blockers and alpha-blockers. Doctors tend to be more aggressive in using medications in people with diabetes, kidney disease or heart problems, because these people are at extra risk of developing problems from high blood pressure. 

When To Call A Professional

Adults should have their blood pressure measured at least every few years. If your blood pressure is higher than 120/80 mmHg, schedule regular appointments with your doctor to have your blood pressure monitored and to get advice about modifying your lifestyle to prevent problems in the future. 

Prognosis

The prognosis of high blood pressure depends on how long you've had it, how severe it is, and if you have other conditions, such as diabetes, that increase the risk of disease of the heart, brain, eyes and kidneys. When high blood pressure is treated adequately, the prognosis is much better. Remember, high blood pressure can lead to a poor prognosis even if you do not have symptoms, and that both lifestyle changes and medicines can control your blood pressure and greatly improve your prognosis.


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## Milk Man (3 December 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

Firstly, good work Dutchie! :bier: 

Another contributor to high blood pressure is stress and anxiety. This makes quiting smoking a point of contention, for me anyway. Cutting back: yes. Quiting: maybe. And dont use Zyban to quit if you think you are pre-disposed to anxiety. I had panic attacks so severe that I was admitted to hospital.
Anyway, here is some stuff that may help understanding and reducing stress. I pinched it off Waynes blog  . 



> Stress Management
> A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, “How heavy is this glass of water?”
> 
> Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.
> ...




Hope this prevents a few strokes.


----------



## Tim (3 December 2005)

*Healthy.....really?*



			
				dutchie said:
			
		

> How To Maintain A Healthy Weight
> Follow these steps.
> 
> For a prediction about your future, don't bother with crystal balls and psychic friends. Your doctor can ask two simple questions that will reveal, with a fair degree of accuracy, what's in store for your health as you age: Do you smoke? Are you overweight?




*Really?*

First issue here is the concept of asking a doctor. Who (or what) is a doctor? Someone who has studied sickness and disease for 6+ years. Fair enough? Why don't you ask your doctor what they know about health, nutrition, vitality, energy and *feeling great*!

They'll probably get out the standard-issue-indisputable "Food Pyramid", and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. They might even put you on the scales and get out the calculator and punch in a few nubmers. This _magical number_ which comes out of the calculator determines _exactly_ how healthy you are, no questions asked. (In the mean time the doctor is feeling a little thirsty and tired, and would love a can of _Diet Coke_ (or _Coke Zero_ before too long), and in the back of their mind, they're wondering what "low fat" meal they can cook up tonight, 'cause that belt seems to be getting a little smaller)

I have nothing against GP's. Some of them are very nice. Just don't ask 'em about your health. I have know people who have nearly been killed by GP's! This is not a joke. And this is simply because they are expected to know everything about everyone and every disease also.

More and more people are getting cancer, heart disease, stroke, mascular degeneration, depression, arthritis, dementia, irritable bowel sydrome, the list goes on and on and on.

What are we doing to ourselves?

You wanna be healthy? Go tell your GP and everyone else who makes money from your sickness to P.O. (yes, GP's make money when you see them!) And then go find out what makes a human body go, and what makes it stop. (and for goodness sake, only ask people who are healthy themselves, not some fat slob who's trying to sell you WonderPill X in their MLM!)


----------



## dutchie (11 December 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

Hangover cures  


It’s Christmas and we all know what that means! Alcohol, and lots of it. 

Yes presents, turkey and plenty of family parties are also involved, but for many, glasses of the hard stuff will be flowing as well.


So how do you go about avoiding a mouth that tastes like a sewer and a head that pounds like a jack-hammer? 

Here is a list of known remedies, some work well, some work well for a while and some are just old wives tales. Which is which, is all a matter of opinion. 

Eat before your drink 

A good meal before you knock back the drink is a good idea. Of course, being Christmas, that’s bound to happen! The food (probably mainly turkey!) in your stomach will soak up the alcohol and prevent it from getting straight into your blood stream.



Water, Water, Water

It’s commonly known that alcohol dehydrates the body. You’ll need to recreate the binge session over your sink, downing as many glasses of the clear stuff as you did the night before.



Drink expensive booze

For one, cheap drink contains more chemicals than the more expensive stuff. This has a greater effect on the body, causing you to become drunker more quickly. This maybe good at the time, but it'll come back to haunt you in a few hours. For another, you can buy less for your money, meaning you can drink fewer glasses!



Extra sleep

Lets face it, being asleep with a banging hangover is far better than being awake. Need any more of a reason.

Drink slowly

Taking your time to knock it back means your body can handle the effect easier. Throwing it down your neck just overloads your system, giving it to much to do all at once.



A Sugar hit

Eating something sweet helps break down the alcohol in your body. A chocolate bar not only tastes great, but helps make your hangover disappear!

Hair of The Dog

Pouring another glass of your poison will help cure you initial ills, but they’ll return just as soon as the effects wear off. It's probably not the best way to sober up either!



Large, black coffee

A caffeine hit has the same affect as drinking more alcohol. This dehydrates the body, so whilst you may feel good for a while, your headache will only return with vengeance an hour or so later.


Fruit juice

Not only does it taste better than tap water, but fruit juice contains vital vitamins your body needs to combat the internal effects of alcohol.


Good luck everyone and the number one cure is........ abstinence


----------



## websman (11 December 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

Here's another cure for a hangover.

KEEP DRINKING!


----------



## Milk Man (11 December 2005)

*Re: Mens Health*

Coke is good for the upset tummy.


----------



## dutchie (22 January 2006)

*Re: Mens Health*

Checklist for men


----------



## dutchie (28 January 2006)

*Re: Mens Health*

Good (short) slide show at forbes.com - "How We Get Fat":





http://www.forbes.com/2006/01/24/cx_sy_0125featslide.html


----------



## dutchie (28 January 2006)

*Re: Mens Health*

A good love life will help keep you healthy.

TORONTO (Reuters) - When it comes to romance, women prefer someone who tickles their funny bone while men opt for those who catch their eye, according to an international survey released on Wednesday. 

The survey, conducted in 16 countries by Canadian romance publisher Harlequin Enterprises, asked men and women on six continents about traits they liked or disliked and how they went about trying to meet Mr. or Ms. Right. 

The poll revealed differences between countries in the way people tried to impress the opposite sex. 

Australians and British men frequently admitted drinking too much, while about half of German and Italian men said they had lied about their finances. Spaniards were the most likely to use sex to catch someone's attention. 

Eighty percent of Brazilian and Mexican men said they had lied about their marital or relationship status, as did 70 percent of German women, the survey said. 

When it came to meeting that special someone, a majority of respondents preferred to rely on friends for introductions. The Internet was not a popular hunting ground except in Portugal, where about half the surveyed men and women opted to find people online. 

Both Spain and France suffered a gender gap. Thirty percent of Spanish men, but no Spanish women, looked for love online. In France, 40 percent of men but only 10 percent of women attended parties, bars and clubs to meet someone, but they did have one thing in common: both sexes rated looks as more important than their counterparts in other countries. 

When it came to that first meeting, a majority of men polled said beauty was more important than brains, while women put a sense of humor at the top of their list. 

Physical attraction was the top priority for men in France, Brazil, Greece, Japan and Britain. And while 40 percent of Portuguese men rated intelligence over looks in a first encounter, no Australian men did so. 

In the United States and Canada, humor was considered the most important trait by both men and women, getting 63 and 73 percent of the vote respectively.


----------



## dutchie (24 February 2006)

*Re: Mens Health*

Health Facts: (note: these are US statistics)

Men die at higher rates than women from the top 10 causes of death and are the victims of over 92% of workplace deaths. 
In 1920, women lived, on average, one year longer than men. Now, men, on average, die almost six  years earlier than women.


Cause & Rate                Men        Women
Heart Disease              178.8           98.2
Cancer                         153.8         108.8
Injuries                          43.3            17.9
Stroke                           28.5            24.6
AIDS                             18.1              4.2
Suicide                          18                 4


Depression and Suicide


Depression in men is undiagnosed contributing to the fact that men are 4 x as
likely to commit suicide.

♦ Among 15- to 19-year-olds, boys were 5 x as likely as girls to commit suicide.
♦ Among 20- to 24-year-olds, males were 7 x as likely to commit suicide as females
♦ The suicide rate for persons age 65 and above: men...38.4 – women...6.0.




Who is the Weaker Sex?

♦ 115 males are conceived for every 100 females.
♦ The male fetus is at greater risk of miscarriage and stillbirth.
♦ 25% more newborn males die than females.
♦ 3/5 of SIDS victims are boys.
♦ Men suffer hearing loss at 2x the rate of women.
♦ Testosterone is linked to elevations of LDL, the bad cholesterol, and declines in
HDL, the good cholesterol.
♦ Men have fewer infection-fighting T-cells and are thought to have weaker immune
systems than women.
♦ By the age of 100, women outnumber men eight to one.


----------



## Smurf1976 (24 February 2006)

*Re: Mens Health*

I would assume that the differences in hearing loss is due to occupational hearing damage. It's amazing how many still don't wear ear muffs when they're necessary.

Indeed if you're doing DIY and using mains powered tools then in most cases you ought to be wearing ear muffs (or ear plugs). The damage to hearing is done before it's noticeable and then it's too late.


----------



## wayneL (25 February 2006)

*Re: Mens Health*



			
				Smurf1976 said:
			
		

> I would assume that the differences in hearing loss is due to occupational hearing damage. It's amazing how many still don't wear ear muffs when they're necessary.
> 
> Indeed if you're doing DIY and using mains powered tools then in most cases you ought to be wearing ear muffs (or ear plugs). The damage to hearing is done before it's noticeable and then it's too late.




Unless it's our missus's yelling at us. Maybe we should be wearing earplugs at home


----------



## dutchie (28 February 2006)

*Re: Mens Health*

Manshine 2006 Mens Gathering

Friday 28th April - Monday 1st May

Sunshine Coast (90 minutes north of Brisbane).

Bringing Men Together for Straight Talk, Self-empowerment and Our Future.

Organised By Men's Health & Wellbeing Association of Queensland which is recognised internationally for its work in providing life-changing programmes for men.

Anyone interested or wanting more details please PM me.


----------



## crackaton (1 March 2006)

*Re: Mens Health*

I found an interesting website : www.askmen.com.


----------



## dutchie (1 March 2006)

*Re: Mens Health*

Good one Crackaton.
Worth a look.


----------



## happytrader (6 March 2006)

*Re: Mens Health*

Hi there

Thought I might add an alternative health site to the thread.
www.health.voiceamerica.com  If you scroll down to content library you can access shows that have been broadcast.

Cheers
Happytrader


----------



## dutchie (6 March 2006)

*Re: Mens Health*

Good one HappyTrader.
A very extensive list of subjects on health issues.
Sure to be something for everyone but may take a bit of finding.

Cheers 
Dutchie


----------



## happytrader (7 March 2006)

*Re: Mens Health*



			
				dutchie said:
			
		

> Good one HappyTrader.
> A very extensive list of subjects on health issues.
> Sure to be something for everyone but may take a bit of finding.
> 
> ...




Thanks Dutchie

There are really only 3 main issues for most people, Health, Wealth and fulfilling Relationships. www.health.voiceamerica.com deals with them all. I think you will find the search well worth the effort.

Cheers
Happytrader


----------



## noirua (15 October 2007)

*Re: Mens Health*

What is your "B.M.I" - You can only find out by checking. It should be under 25:  http://nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm

Are you at risk?  - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/risk.htm


----------



## Calliope (2 March 2012)

*Re: Mens Health*

Men, check your fingers.

Finger length & DIGIT RATIO hand news!
The 2D:4D DIGIT RATIO = INDEX FINGER LENGTH vs. RING FINGER LENGTH
Finger length assessment can become a new tool in prostate cancer screening! 
Last year British researchers reported new confirmative findings for a link between index finger length (relative to ring finger length) and the risk of developing prostate cancer. Men featured with a longer index finger than ring finger, appear to have a 33% higher chance for not developing prostate cancer.







http://fingerlengthdigitratio.wordpress.com/tag/prostate-cancer/


----------



## Garpal Gumnut (2 March 2012)

*Re: Mens Health*



Calliope said:


> Men, check your fingers.
> 
> Finger length & DIGIT RATIO hand news!
> The 2D:4D DIGIT RATIO = INDEX FINGER LENGTH vs. RING FINGER LENGTH
> ...






Is it from an activity associated with going blind?

gg


----------



## Calliope (3 March 2012)

*Re: Mens Health*



Garpal Gumnut said:


> Is it from an activity associated with going blind?
> gg




Prostate cancer is the biggest cause of cancer death in men. Anything that assists in the screening for this cancer should be taken seriously. Unfortunately breast cancer is treated as sacred while prostate cancer is practically ignored.


----------



## Garpal Gumnut (3 March 2012)

*Re: Mens Health*



Calliope said:


> Prostate cancer is the biggest cause of cancer death in men. Anything that assists in the screening for this cancer should be taken seriously. Unfortunately breast cancer is treated as sacred while prostate cancer is practically ignored.




I have a mate who is a Yourologist. He reckons that there is some relation between activities formerly thought to predispose to blindness and Prostate canker.

To be fair to cricketers who like to wear pink, breast cancer affects a younger demographic and many folk with prostate cancer die from other events, at a great age.

I would agree though, that very little money is spent on Mens Health and Prostate cancer in general and thanks for the post.

gg


----------



## sptrawler (3 March 2012)

*Re: Mens Health*



Garpal Gumnut said:


> I have a mate who is a Yourologist. He reckons that there is some relation between activities formerly thought to predispose to blindness and Prostate canker.
> 
> gg





Did he happen to mention which comes first, blindness or prostrate cancer. I recently have had to start wearing prescription glasses, should I rush off and get my prostate checked?
Actualy there could be an opening there( no punn intended) for OPSM. They could do a combined eyesight and prostate test, if the two are indeed related.


----------



## dutchie (3 March 2012)

*Re: Mens Health*

http://www.menshealth.com.au/my_prostate.html


What is the prostate, and what does it do?

The prostate gland is an organ about the size of a walnut that sits over the neck of the bladder. It is responsible for production of the prostatic fluid, which forms part of the fluid in semen.

The urethra (the tube that drains urine from the bladder) runs through the prostate.

There are three main categories of prostate problems:
     • Prostate enlargement -
       called benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH)
     • Prostatic inflammation (prostatitis)
     • Prostate cancer

Men may have one or a combination of these conditions, and all conditions should be discussed with a health care professional.



_*See link for diagram*_


Prostate Enlargement

Men with enlarged prostates will become aware of various urinary symptoms as pressure is put on the urethra and neck of the bladder.

Symptoms may include:
     • Frequent need for urination, especially at night
     • A sense that the bladder has not been adequately emptied
     • Difficulty in starting to urinate, or a sudden inability to urinate
     • Increased frequency of urination


----------



## Calliope (3 March 2012)

*Re: Mens Health*



dutchie said:


> http://www.menshealth.com.au/my_prostate.html
> Prostate Enlargement




This is the treatment I had for prostate enlargement 18 years ago. The ultra sound showed the prostate was the size of a tennis ball. No problems since.



> Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). In this procedure, a rigid tube is inserted into the urethra and a metal loop at its end is used to slice off excessive prostatic tissue. This is the most commonly undertaken type of prostate surgery. It relieves the symptoms by cutting out prostate tissue to reduce pressure on the urethra.


----------



## Garpal Gumnut (3 March 2012)

*Re: Mens Health*



Calliope said:


> This is the treatment I had for prostate enlargement 18 years ago. The ultra sound showed the prostate was the size of a tennis ball. No problems since.




It is serendipity that you never married Maria Sharapova, Calliope.

The grunting of a night would have had every council environmental officer going for a Cochlear implant.

gg


----------



## white_crane (3 March 2012)

*Re: Mens Health*

I can't believe that there is a 3 month wait for surgery and a 7 month wait for radiotherapy in the public system - would have thought that treatment for prostate cancer was rather urgent.


----------



## Calliope (3 March 2012)

*Re: Mens Health*



Garpal Gumnut said:


> It is serendipity that you never married Maria Sharapova, Calliope.
> 
> The grunting of a night would have had every council environmental officer going for a Cochlear implant.
> 
> gg




I'm afraid your point escapes me. Sharapova would have been 7 years old at the time.


----------



## dutchie (4 March 2012)

*Re: Mens Health*

The importance of maintaining prostate health

1 in 2 men over the age of 50 will have some form of prostate or urinary problem.

This incidence rises to 80% at 80 years of age.

In many of these cases the prostate enlarges, putting pressure on the bladder and the urethra resulting in the urge to urinate more frequently, especially at night.

Many men are unwilling to discuss this aspect of their health with their family or their doctor, and therefore many of these cases go undetected, continuing to cause men discomfort and embarrassment.




*Health checks men should have*

Health screening is an important part of disease prevention. There are many screening tests and examinations that healthy men can undertake to help with detection of diseases such as cancer. Your General Practitioner is well placed to carry out some of these tests, refer you to have other tests, or to advise you on some of the self-checks you can be doing to monitor your health. One of the key roles of your GP is to prevent disease, so they will be only too happy to help you.

http://www.mydr.com.au/tests-investigations/health-checks-men-should-have


----------



## dutchie (9 March 2012)

*Re: Mens Health*

Cancer rates fall for men, rise for women 

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/br...n-rise-for-women/story-e6frf7jx-1226294304670


----------



## Julia (9 March 2012)

*Re: Mens Health*

The headline is inappropriate imo.
When you look at the article, it's a projection of *what is expected to be the case.*  In other words, modelling.  

We all know how successful that can be.  

The headline clearly gives the impression that the differing rates of cancer between men and women are something that has already been observed.

Even if it's the case, the researchers would need to take into account the fact that women live longer than men so ipso facto there are going to be more women with cancer as they age, cancer being a disease which is more prevalent in old age.

All up, titles on "news' items like this even make me consider Finklestein might have a point.


----------



## Calliope (9 March 2012)

*Re: Mens Health*



Julia said:


> All up, titles on "news' items like this even make me consider Finklestein might have a point.




Any newspaper which casts doubts on the inequality of women to have cancer should be censored. It was especially nasty coming on the day after International Women's Day.


----------



## Julia (9 March 2012)

*Re: Mens Health*



Calliope said:


> Any newspaper which casts doubts on the inequality of women to have cancer should be censored. It was especially nasty coming on the day after International Women's Day.


----------



## dutchie (10 March 2012)

*Re: Mens Health*

Get off your butt and away from that screen!

Go and get some exercise.

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Healthy_ageing_stay_physically_active


That means you!  (and me)


----------



## Calliope (3 June 2013)

*Re: Mens Health*

Michael Douglas, who is married to Catherine Zeta Jones, reckons that munching the mango (dining at the Y) can cause throat cancer.



> Actor Michael Douglas does not regret his years of smoking, drinking or recreational drug use. Instead, it is oral sex that has given the 68-year-old father of three cause for concern. The Basic Instinct star believes that performing oral sex caused the stage four throat cancer that nearly killed him three years ago.




Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/lif...oral-cancer-20130603-2nl4g.html#ixzz2V8DX2jMB


----------



## Logique (3 June 2013)

*Re: Mens Health*



Garpal Gumnut said:


> It is serendipity that you never married Maria Sharapova, Calliope.
> The grunting of a night would have had every council environmental officer going for a Cochlear implant.
> gg




Not so. From former poster Trainspotter (remember him): https://www.aussiestockforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14025&page=7



> ..She wouldn’t make any noise during sex. I can't tell you how disappointed I was. I really thought, like a lot of guys, that she'd be the loud screaming type. But instead, she just lay there like a dead frog. She even got angry if I started to moan, said it 'ruined her concentration'..




I never liked him after that.


----------



## Calliope (4 June 2013)

Michael Douglas now recants on his previous story that his practice of _Dining At The Y _ was the cause of his throat cancer. This will be a great relief to those with similar dining habits.


----------



## dutchie (5 June 2013)

*Man Therapy*

Man Therapy goes global, comes Down Under.

http://www.healthpolicysolutions.org/2013/05/22/man-therapy-goes-global/

“Men think therapy is for women and sissies. So they don’t seek the help that they need, when they need it. Let’s show them that therapy and honest talk can be masculine by providing them the therapist they need. A therapist who is a no-nonsense man’s man.  A therapist who will tell it like it is. A therapist like Dr. Rich Mahogany."

*Beyond Blue* to launch a national public education campaign this summer.


----------



## dutchie (6 August 2013)

Why men kill themselves: The warning signs most people miss

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/he...ss/story-fneuzlbd-1226692017950#ixzz2bA4fGVMu


----------



## Julia (6 August 2013)

Great article.
I'd also suggest, though, (and I know this will outrage some people) that suicide can be a completely sane and reasonable option, given particular circumstances.
So perhaps we shouldn't necessarily consider it a moral and social obligation to intervene when someone has decided to end their life.


----------



## dutchie (6 August 2013)

Julia said:


> Great article.
> I'd also suggest, though, (and I know this will outrage some people) that suicide can be a completely sane and reasonable option, given particular circumstances.
> So perhaps we shouldn't necessarily consider it a moral and social obligation to intervene when someone has decided to end their life.




Good point Julia.

Each case on it's merits but the statistics,I would think, are that most suicides are preventable and should be.


----------



## medicowallet (7 August 2013)

dutchie said:


> Good point Julia.
> 
> Each case on it's merits but the statistics,I would think, are that most suicides are preventable and should be.




I tend to disagree here (but I am not very experienced in this area) so, as a lay person:

Wouldn't suicide studies rely entirely on retrospective analysis?  Therefore the predictors for suicide are very hard to validate, so the statistics would be difficult to interpret?

I mean, if a person has suicidal ideation and no plan, do you admit?
If a person has suicidal ideation and a plan do you admit?

How many of each group would actually suicide without admission and therefore effectiveness of subsequent therapy is very difficult to ascertain?

In a few areas of medicine, practitioner identification is the same as, or very marginally better than chance, and I would be interested in finding out what the predictive value of suicide intervention for a person without a history of suicide attempt is.   

I might talk to a psychiatrist registrar over the next few weeks to find out.  I have no idea!

MW


----------



## dutchie (8 September 2013)

Five big health threats for men 

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/li...-threats-for-men/story-fni0dgzm-1226714499364



MEN can be a touch blase about taking care of themselves but follow this guide on how to beat some of the biggest threats to men's health.

HEART DISEASE

Give artery-clogging trans-fats the flick. Watch out for processed foods made with hydrogenated oils, some margarines and take-away food cooked in vegetable oil.

Enjoy foods rich in heart healthy fats like oily fish, cold pressed olive oil, avocado, chia seeds, and nuts and their oils.

Lower your sodium intake by eating less processed and packaged foods and more natural produce.

Include more fibre in your diet by eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole oats, quinoa, brown rice and grainy breads.

Don’t forget your green leafy veggies. They’re rich in B vitamins that help lower homocysteine levels, which is a marker for heart disease.

Treat yourself to some good quality antioxidant-rich dark chocolate and a couple of glasses of red wine during the week.

PROSTRATE CANCER

Eat plenty of zinc rich foods like legumes, fish, meat, eggs, wholegrains, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

Eat omega-3 rich oily fish a few times a week.

Eat more tomato and watermelon as they are rich sources of the powerful antioxidant lycopene.

Include cruciferous veggies with meals eg. broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussel sprouts and cabbage, as they contain cancer-fighting phytochemicals.

Enjoy curries made with antioxidant rich turmeric.

Add spirulina to your next smoothie or juice.


TYPE-2 DIABETES

Limit sugary breakfast cereals, soft drinks, and other sweet foods that will send your blood sugar levels soaring.

Swap processed ‘white’ carbohydrate foods for wholegrain alternatives like grainy breads, whole oats, wholemeal pasta and brown or wild rice.

Instead of fruit juice have a veggie juice and eat your fruit whole.

Don’t skip meals. A nice healthy breakfast is especially important.

Having protein with each meal will help keep your blood sugar levels balanced. Eg. legumes, fish, chicken, eggs, meat, nuts, quinoa and yoghurt.



DEPRESSION

Make sure you are getting enough omega-3 essential fatty acids in your diet. Your best sources are oily fish, chia and flaxseeds and walnuts.

Get a daily dose of sunshine to boost your vitamin D levels.

Eat more foods that contain tryptophan such as turkey, chicken, fish, eggs, milk, bananas and brown rice, which will help increase serotonin levels.

Supporting the growth of your ‘good’ intestinal bacteria through eating fermented foods like yoghurt, miso and kefir will help enhance serotonin production.


OBESITY

Clear your cupboards of sugary and unhealthy snack foods and stock up on healthy options like fruit, low-fat yoghurt, hummus, nutritious smoothies, and trail mixes.

Eat the way Mother Nature intended, more fresh and unprocessed foods and less packaged and refined.

Limit fatty foods that promote weight gain like full-fat dairy foods, greasy take-away foods, and creamy sauces.

Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Fill your plate with different coloured vegies and salad each day.

Use healthy cooking techniques like steaming, baking and light stir-frying with a little olive or coconut oil.

Drink at least 2 litres of water daily, and cut back on alcohol and soft drink.

Get moving. Exercise more each day and sit less. Leave the car at home more often and walk.


----------



## dutchie (21 September 2013)

It's sad when a young man's life is ended by some other stupid male.

listen to the mothers story.

http://www.news.com.au/national-new...-son8217s-legacy/story-fncynjr2-1226724280834


----------



## basilio (22 May 2018)

Thought it was worth reviving this thread given the overwhelming number of older men on this forum.

Some people might have been aware that George Monbiot was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of prostrate cancer late last year. As usual for George, he has jumped right into the medical issues around his condition and the question of his mortality.  

Many interesting/useful insights.

*Unprostrated*
16th March 2018
I have prostate cancer, but I’m happy. Here’s how.

http://www.monbiot.com/2018/03/16/unprostrated/
*The Oxytocin Tent*
11th May 2018
The wonderful things I learnt during my treatment for prostate cancer
http://www.monbiot.com/2018/05/11/the-oxytocin-tent/


----------



## CanOz (22 May 2018)

I gave up alcohol nearly three weeks ago. Been drinking allot of tea and doing some intermittent fasting. Going to go for a month without a drink minimum, but it's getting tough...mouth waters at the thought of my favorite meal washed down with a bottle of red....another 9 days to go...


----------



## noirua (2 August 2018)

Warning Number One:


----------



## noirua (2 August 2018)




----------



## noirua (2 August 2018)




----------



## macca (21 June 2020)

This website may be useful to someone, it is a Govt website covering most common Mens health problems.

https://www.healthymale.org.au/mens-health


----------



## macca (7 November 2020)

We all spend a lot of time on our puters, our eyes get an unnatural workout

This is an interesting discussion on Macular Degeneration, our new fangled processed diet is sending us blind

<< According to Knobbe, there were only 50 cases of AMD described across the globe between 1851 and 1930; this skyrocketed to an estimated 196 million cases in 2020 >>









						One of the Best Herbal Medicines Against COVID
					

Sweet wormwood was found to have antiviral properties, according to recently published research. How does it work exactly? Read here.




					articles.mercola.com


----------



## Knobby22 (7 November 2020)

That is a great read macca and as a theory makes sense. Why is it that Europeans are healthy though they love butter?

Like to see some human rather than just mouse studies. Why is Canola oil included when I thought it was an omega 3 oil and not a transfat?

Donuts, chips, biscuits, all bad  and not only due to the oils.

Great post. Got me thinking.


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## noirua (16 October 2021)

Former US president Bill Clinton has been admitted to hospital for complications reportedly relating to a urinary tract infection (UTI), but what does that mean for him and others like him?
15 October 2021




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						Everything you need to know about urinary tract infections – and their sometimes misleading symptoms
					





					www.msn.com


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