You may be strong. You may have the strength of ten men. Maybe your body can handle a lot of abuse. Nevertheless, don’t fool yourself. You can’t live forever. Eventually, your body will give out. But, an achy body stricken with joint and back pains “from all the mileage” is the least of your worries. A heart attack can take you down just like that–in the snap of the fingers. There would be little time–if any–to fight it. Just like that, you’d be gone, with no way to turn back the clock and have a “do-over.” Thankfully, now is the time for that “do-over.” Now is the time to prevent a heart attack from ever happening. Do heart attacks run in your family? If yes, then you will want to especially play close attention to this article. If no, then it can still happen. It’s up to you to live long enough to prove otherwise.
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In today’s fast-pace world, who has time to worry about health? There is just too much to do. With the demanding responsibilities of school and work, it becomes stressful just to squeeze in time to relax. Tight schedule tactics are key. As every shrewd planner knows, the maintenance of personal health is essential. Health problems will most often monopolize the calendar. Proactive actions take up less time in the long run. It is never too early or late to start taking care of your health. There is no time to wait.

Good health is really not complicated. The ingredients of a healthy lifestyle can be outlined into six basic categories:

• Eat foods with high fiber, low saturated-fat, and low sugar. Diets should regularly meet all levels of essential nutrients. Fruits and vegetables should be incorporated into meals and snacks whenever possible.
• Include vitamins and supplements into daily diet.
• Exercise regularly.
• Schedule regular physical examinations.
•  Balance work and social activities.
• Avoid beginning and eliminate rapidly unhealthy lifestyle habits.

Good health is not a fad. Rather, it should be practiced throughout the entire life cycle. Here are some age-focused priorities:

20 Years and Under:

This group is at the most advantage. By starting sound habits now, teenagers have the power to set foundations for a long and happy future.

The first thing to remember is that growth is still occurring. Growing muscles and bones require a healthy diet. However, as modern food processing often strips foods of vital nutrients, vitamins and supplements become a necessary diet component. A good multi-vitamin is a great place to start. Research continues to find more and more on the impact of diet/exercise in the reduction of major health problems such as obesity and cancer.  Boys should regularly engage in both cardiovascular and long-endurance activities. Organized athletics provide an excellent way to combine exercise with social opportunities.

Examinations should include a yearly physical and regular eye and dental exams. In later years, various other exams should begin. Starting at fifteen years of age, teens should give themselves monthly testicular exams to check for painless lumps connected with testicular cancer. At eighteen, routine electrocardiograms and monthly self melanoma exams should begin.

Life should be balanced between a variety of school and social activities. However, while social settings are an important component of life, they also have a tendency to increase one’s contact with high-risk behaviors. Proper education on matters such as alcohol, cigarettes, other drugs, as well as sex education greatly reduce future addictions and severe health problems.

Begun early, a healthy lifestyle has a greater chance at lasting effects. While people are more likely to continue early-rooted practices, healthy beginnings fortify the body for the years ahead.

20 to 40 Years

Beginning in the early twenties and continuing to early middle-life, men need not only to continue the good heath practices of earlier ages, but also to aid the body in its resistance of stress and other increasing health risks.

As young adults participate in higher education and in the work force, responsibilities widen and time becomes an increasing factor. Fast food often serves as the most convenient diet choice. However, a healthy diet and exercise are essential to counteract increasing threats of heart disease and cancer. A diet low in fat is crucial. The need for supplements heightens. Schedules will interfere with healthy meal plans. As vitamins and supplements substitute for missing nutrients, they also help assist in the reduction of health risks. Busy schedules will inevitably place a strain on the immune system. With an appropriate vitamin and herbal plan, aligned with an individual’s unique make up, illnesses will reduce and energy will maximize.

Substance use should be kept at the lowest possible level. Caffeine intake should remain moderate. If effects such as anxiety, headaches, insomnia, and heart palpitations result, men should reduce/eliminate levels and should see a physician for persisting symptoms. Since cigarettes harm lungs and increase heart disease and cancer, they should be avoided at all times. Ideally, alcohol consumption should not exceed three standard-size drinks a day. While causing a large percentage of male fatalities, such as liver implications and driving accidents, alcohol and drugs play a large role in issues such as domestic violence. Healthy relationships are crucial in the reduction of stress and loneliness.

Men at this time are highly susceptible to heart disease, strokes, and other serious health issues. Blood pressure and cholesterol levels must be closely monitored. At twenty-one, men should begin checking their blood-pressure annually. If readings show 140/90 and over, regular testing should be increased. At thirty-five, cholesterol tests should begin. Tests should be repeated at least every five years. With the avoidance of hypertension, high-blood pressure, and of high levels of cholesterol, men can greatly improve their quality and longevity of life.

Health risks do increase during this time of life. Nevertheless, a healthy lifestyle will greatly reduce threats and increase the assurance of a high quality of life.

40 Years and Beyond:

There is no reason to let preventable health risks interfere with the quality of life. Tests for cholesterol and blood pressure should continue. Healthy diets often need a doctor monitoring for warning signs such as high blood sugar levels. Vitamin and supplements are crucial. While relieving risks and reducing problems, they greatly ensure the transition and preservation in life’s later years. While activity may eventually need to decrease, a doctor will most likely prescribe the continuation of some form of exercise.

Men should begin scheduling exams for two high health risks at age fifty. The components of a colorectal exam should range from one to ten years. With early discovery, colorectal cancer is easily treated. Prostate cancer is the most common form for men. An annual PSA blood test and a Digital Rectal Exam are used for cancer discovery. Doctors often suggest more frequent testing for people with a family history of prostate cancer and/or those of African American ethnicity.

With the combined efforts of individually appropriate diets, exercise, and exams and of healthy companionship, men can enjoy healthy maturity into the late years of life.

Too often the hectic nature of life causes men to overlook the importance of maintaining good health. However, with good habits including a diet full of healthy foods, vitamins, and supplements, a regular exercise program, and physical exams, a healthy lifestyle is not only attainable but also essential for every man. There should always be time for health.

Do you want more sex? Sexual stimulants claim to arouse or increase sexual desire, or libido. A broader definition includes products that improve sexual performance. Aphrodisiacs, named after Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sexual love and beauty, the list of supposed sexual stimulants includes anchovies and adrenaline, licorice and lard, scallops and Spanish fly, and hundreds of other items. Here is a very partial list of some herbal ingredients commonly found in sexual enhancers/stimulants:

Avena Sative (Wild Oats)
Avena sativa, or oats, have long been used by breeders to help male animals “sow their oats” or boost their fertility. Avena Sativa is one of the best remedies to feed the nervous system when under stress and strengthen it to handle the situation. It works to calm down performance anxiety.

Brazilian Catuba Bark
Brazil’s most famous and highly regarded libido booster. It is considered a central nervous system stimulant and used for sexual weakness and lowered libido in both men and women.

Horny Goat Weed (Epimedium)
This Chinese herb is also known as Goat Sex Herb. It has been used for centuries to help improve sexual functions. It has androgen-like effects. Androgens are involved in sexual desire in both men and women. Horny Goat Weed may help improve circulation and kidney function.

Longifolia Jack (Tongkat Ali)
A popular Malaysian tree, it is proper for it’s aphrodisiac properties for both men and women. The researched focus is towards improved desire and sexual initiation.

Maca
Grown high in the mountains of Peru, Maca root tends to significantly boost libido and sex drive in men and women by enhancing the endocrine function. The endocrine system includes all of the glands, and the hormones they secrete, that exist in the body and that control such conditions as fertility, sexual function, digestion, brain and nervous system physiology, and energy levels.

Mucana Pruriens Extract
A rare and powerful Ayurvedic herb that has unusally high levels of naturally occuring L-Dopa. L-Dopa is an amino acid that has been the subject of over 25 years of extensive scientific and medical research. It may help with improving sexual dysfunction, loss of libido, stimulating arousal, and increasing intensity and frequency of orgasms for both men and women.

Muira Puama
Found in the Amazon, this extraction is very potent and has an impressive research history of helping restore libido and has been used to help prevent erectile dysfunction.

Tribulus Terrestris
Also known as Puncture Vine and Gokshura, may help to increase seminal fluid, not by volume but sperm count, and at the same time may increase sexual desire, arousal and performance in men and women. Tribulus may help to increase the duration of erection and assist in acheiving orgasm in those previously unable.

Yohimbe
A tree that grows throughout the African nations of Cameroon, Gabon and Zaire. (A similar plant in South America is called Quebracho). The bark has been smoked as a hallucinogen and has been used in traditional medicine to treat angina and hypertension. The herb is a sensual stimulant for healthy men and women.

Before you consider taking any of the above herbal supplements, make sure you consult your doctor to find out if they right for you. This article is not intended to provide any medical advice; but merely to present general information of some of the herbal supplements that are available on the market. If you have any questions about them as they pertain to your body and sexual health, then you need to ask your doctor or health care provider. Nevertheless, we hope all these tips will be helpful so that you can enjoy a long, healthy, vibrant, mind-blowing, rockin’ sex life!

Many people ask me what proteins are most appropriate for hair growth. People with hair loss often turn to protein and amino acid supplements as part of their treatment regime. Although it is rare for a lack of protein to be a primary cause of hair loss, there is no harm in taking extra protein or amino acid supplements if you wish for your hair growth. If you take a blood test your serum total protein should be between 60–80 grams per liter. Less than this suggests a problem with protein intake. And you may take some of the protein supplements now available as either as powder protein supplements or liquid protein supplements. Soya bean protein is considered good for hair growth but take care not to take it in excess other wise it can have some negative affect.

Amino Acids and Proteins:

Much importance has been given to proteins for hair growth. Protein serves as the major structural component of all cells in the body, and functions as enzymes, in membranes, as transport carriers, and as some hormones. During digestion and absorption dietary proteins are broken down to amino acids which serve as the building blocks for formation of structural proteins and functional compounds of protein such as enzymes and pre cursors of hormones etc. There are 20 amino acids in all which are required for the synthesis of proteins.

Proteins for Hair Growth:

But out of which some of the amino acids cannot be synthesized by the body and are therefore are required to be taken as dietary amino acid supplements if you wish to take them to stimulate your hair growth. The amino acids: Phenylalanine, Valine, Tryptophan, Threonine, Isoleucine, Methionine, Histidine Arginine, Lysine Leucine are considered to be essential amino acids. But the distinction between essential and non-essential amino acids is not very clear, as some amino acids can be produced from others. For example the sulfur containing amino acids, methionine and homocysteine can be converted into each other but neither can be synthesized de novo in humans. Likewise, cysteine can be synthesized from homocysteine, but not otherwise. So, for convenience, sulfur-containing amino acids are sometimes considered a single pool of nutritionally-equivalent amino acids.

Hair follicles require a constant supply of amino acids via the blood stream to maintain hair growth. Hair follicles contain some of the fastest growing and dividing cells in the body so their energy, vitamin, mineral, and amino acid consumption is high. If amino acids are lacking, particularly the essential amino acids listed above, the hair follicles may be less able to produce hair fiber.

Benefits of Amino Acids:

A lack of amino acids in a first world country diet is very unusual and for the most part supplements are not required. However, everyone should ensure they have a healthy, balanced diet that provides all the amino acids required. There are many amino acids, but the nine amino acids which are known as essential amino acids must be provided in the diet and are indispensable amino acids which are required for both hair and other functions of the body. The body can make the other 11 amino acids needed to synthesize specific structures from the nine essential amino acids and carbohydrate precursors.

Protein Supplements:

Proteins from animal sources, such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, and yogurt, provide all nine indispensable amino acids in adequate amounts and for this reason are considered “complete proteins.” Proteins from plants, legumes, grains, nuts, seeds, and vegetables tend to be deficient in one or more of the indispensable amino acids and are called ‘incomplete proteins.’ Vegetarian and vegan diets may contain enough protein, but people following these diets may not be receiving all the essential amino acids if they do not pay attention to the type of protein they eat. Vegan diets adequate in total protein content can be “complete” by combining sources of incomplete proteins which lack different indispensable amino acids.

Amino Acid Function for Hair:

In terms of hair fiber production, the most important amino acid is cysteine. Cysteine is the most common amino acid in hair. It is particularly important because it contains sulfur molecules. As part of a keratin protein chain, these sulfur molecules cross link with each other to produce disulfide bonds. These chemical bonds are what gives hair its strength. For this reason the most popular amino acid supplement taken for hair is cysteine. Besides the proteins, nutritional diet vitamin supplements and safe herbal supplements are the best diet supplements for hair growth.

General Indigestion is a typically caused by eating too quickly, especially when the food is high in fat. Indigestion can be felt as a burning sensation in the upper portion of the stomach, general nausea, bloated, heartburn, and among others a bitter taste can result in the month from stomach acid that is coming up into the esophagus. The most common way to relieve indigestion is to take indigestion tablets, that battle to neutralize the extra acid, so that the indigestion can be eliminated.

Acid indigestion on the other hand, is similar to ‘general indigestion’ above, however it involves an excess of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. if Acid indigestion is experienced frequently it can wear on the duodenum and the lining of the stomach, both which are aggravating and can lead to conditions such as ulcers, which can be life threatening. It is important to know that acid indigestion is different from heartburn, which is the aggravation more specifically of the esophagus.

Acid indigestion is most commonly attributed to eating foods that have too much fat in them, but can also be do to too much spice, or an excess intake of caffeine or alcohol, smoking, overeating, or simply just eating too late in the evening (like right before going to bed).

Antacids can help to relieve the problem short term, however, it is known that a dependence can develop on these over the counter remedies, and isn’t recommended as a long term solution. Be smart with your dietary habits as your life is depending on you!

The prostate is an important segment of the male reproductive system. It is a land that is located in the lower abdominal cavity, just below the bladder, in front of the rectum and behind the pubic bone. It partially surrounds the urethra. The urethra is the channel that carries urine to the penis from the bladder and it runs right through the prostate. A healthy prostate is about the size of a walnut, weighs approximately 1 ounce and is shaped similar to a donut.

Symptoms Of Prostate Problems

Enlargement of the prostate is called benign prostate hypertrophy, or BPH. While this growth is usually considered a nuisance, if a man experiences problems with burning, or difficult urination at any time, the prudent course of action is consulting a urologist.

Other Symptoms Are:

    * A feeling of having to push out urine

    * A sensation that the bladder is not emptying

    * Increased urinating, especially at night

    * Intermittent starting and stopping of the urinary stream

 
After a diagnosis of BPH, many men will just continue to live with the symptoms and subsequent discomfort. It is not a life threatening condition, and there are treatments. In some cases surgery might be considered if the enlargement is significant.

Ignoring BPH can be extremely dangerous and lead to other disease such as kidney infections or damage as the urine can back up into the kidneys because of the blockage of an enlarged prostate. There can also be an occurrence of bladder infections.

There is a huge difference between BPH and prostate cancer. BPH is a normal part of aging. Prostate cancer is a condition where prostate cells grow exponentially and out of control. These cells create tumors that may spread to any part of the body.

Numerous health organizations report that 1 in 6 men will experience prostate cancer. However, if the condition is diagnosed early, approximately 99% of them will survive. The key is early detection.

It’s been said that men don’t get older, they just retire. Indeed, men age differently than women; and therefore face different challenges to their physical health. If you are a male over the age of 40 and are suffering from weakness, impotence, pain, stiffness, drooping muscles, depression, anxiety, or heat intolerance, you may be experiencing “andropause.”

Andropause is a syndrome resulting from the deficiency of hormones, especially testosterone. It’s onset and symptoms may not be as dramatic as female “menopause”, but its effects can be just as serious. It is interesting that hormone replacement is quite routine in women but barely even addressed in men. The decline in hormone levels in both sexes has an adverse impact on one’s state of health. Starting around age 25, DHEA and testosterone levels begin a progressive downward trend. With falling hormones, it is much harder to maintain muscle mass. Things begin to sag and fat begins to form increasingly thick layers around the lower back and abdomen. Stamina is affected and exercise intolerance occurs. Osteoporosis is well-documented in women and occurs in men as well. This can result in hip and vertebral compression fractures. Wrinkles that carve deep crevices in the face are partially due to testosterone deficiency. Libido is reduced and even impotence may develop. These changes are all a result of male “menopause.”

Hormone replacement has been available for women for decades and the positive results continue to multiply. In Anti-Aging medicine, it is expected that maintenance of hormone levels in the youthful range (that of a 25-30 year old) will provide substantial health benefit. Proper monitoring of hormone replacement is a relatively recent innovation that makes this therapy much safer. We can now insure proper dosages in the accepted normal physiologic range. Cancer risk is greatly reduced by this refined approach to replacement therapy.

The decline in testosterone occurs as a result of multiple causes and treatment should be directed accordingly. Aromatase (an enzyme that converts Testosterone into Estradiol) increases as we gain years. This increases raises the free estrogens and lowers the free Testosterone. Prostate cancer is correlated with high circulating estrogens. Aromatase inhibitors, such as chrysin, nettle extract, and Arimidex can inhibit aromatse. Testicular atrophy leads to decreased testosterone production. A course of treatment with HCG stimulates testicular development and can boost Testosterone production. A complete vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant supplement plus a proper diet help to correct nutritional deficiencies. DHEA and possible melatonin replacement also serve as alternatives and as adjuncts to testosterone therapy. A diet that includes a large amount of legumes, especially soy, is helpful in providing the necessary building blocks for our bodies to manufacture hormones. Maintaining cholesterol in the normal range (not to high or to low) is also critical for hormone synthesis. Testosterone replacement can be accomplished by the use of creams, pills or even injection. It is best if the physiologic patterns natural to the body are mimicked, which makes injection less favorable. Creams containing natural testosterone are well absorbed through the skin, bypass metabolism by the liver, and are easy to apply, thus making them superior to pills. The potential risks of testosterone administration include increases in red cell mass, worsening of sleep apnea, changes in plasma lipid levels, and fluid retention. There is some concern that testosterone replacement might exacerbate benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). There is no change in PSA with testosterone therapy. You are not a candidate for this replacement therapy if you have an active testicular or prostate cancer. Finally, testosterone supplementation may produce adverse side effects if administered to men with normal levels, hence the importance of monitoring.

With proper replacement, you can expect to regain muscle mass, increase bone density, increase stamina, increase libido, reduce your risk for a variety of cancers and Alzheimer’s disease, and live an improved quality of life. Living longer can mean living stronger if you take the right steps now to care for your body.

When an organ or tissue abnormally protrudes out of the body cavity, it’s called a hernia. The most common hernias, by far, develop in the abdomen. In this case a weakness in the abdominal wall turns into a centralized hole, through which an organ or tissue will protrude.

Hernias are often times compared to the failure of the tire, where a split in the sidewall allows the inner tube to protrude through to the outside. In that example the inner tube of the tire is like the organ that breaks outwards through the opening in the sidewall. It is this pressure outwards, and the limit of restraint inwards that allows the bulge to develop.

Besides the hernia’s that can develop in the abdomen there is several others:

• Internal hernia:  a hernia into or involving an intra-abdominal structure
• Spigelian hernia:  a hernia through the linea semilunaris
• Sliding hernia:  the hernia sac is partially formed by the wall of a viscus
• Littre’s hernia:  a hernia involving a Meckel’s erticulum
• Obturator hernia:  a hernia through obturator canal
• Lumbar (Petit’s) hernia:  a hernia through Lumbar’s triangle
• Grynfeltt’s hernia:  a hernia through Grynfeltt-Lesshaft triangle

Although hernia’s are often as a result of a hereditary trait, there is several different things that you can do to prevent them from occurring. It’s actually extremely easy to prevent hernia’s and the two most common area’s where people lose are in: Maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising regularly. Both of these things help to ensure that the body is not dealing with any extra strain that it cannot handle, and will help you in all area’s to have a healthier and fuller life.

If a hernia is adversely affecting your life, the first and best step you can take is to consult a doctor or health care professional. Don’t suffer in silence. Don’t prolong treatment simply because you think you can handle it or that you’re afraid of surgery. Talk to your doctor and get all the facts. There is hope for your hernia.

“Why does anyone want a vasectomy reversal?” This is a question I hear any time I tell someone what I do for a living. I perform microsurgical vasectomy reversals I tell them. “Hmm” they say. “And so what else do you do?” “That’s it I explain. Just vasectomy reversals. One a day, every day. On men from every state in the US and from around the world.” “Hmm. That’s nice,” they respond…and then we get to the big question “Why does anyone want a Vasectomy Reversal , anyway?”

First of all, a little background: More than 600,000 men undergo a vasectomy each year in the US for permanent sterilization. Of those, about one of every twenty men (5%) will change their mind at some point. It could be 2 weeks later, or as in the case of my world-record patient, 42 years after vasectomy. But that’s what life is all about –surprises and change - sometime good surprises, sometime not so good. As I tell patients every week, life has a way of getting in the way of plans. Many men who wanted permanent sterilization, now find themselves wishing they could father children once again.

The good news is that for almost all men, a Vasectomy Reversal an affordable and highly successful way to restore fertility. In fact, a review of several thousand of our own patients shows that we have been able to achieve more than a 90 to 96 % success, even for men who have had prior reversals! This same success rate is for all men, no matter how long ago they had their vasectomy. So this proves that the age old idea that the number of year from vasectomy to reversal determines success is hogwash.

Yet many doctors do not know or understand that a vasectomy reversal is highly successful when performed by a skilled and experienced microsurgeon. The most common medical reason to have a reversal is for treatment of severe pain following a vasectomy, called post-vasectomy pain syndrome (PVPS). This rare and devastating complication after a vasectomy occurs in less than 1 % of all vasectomies. For those unfortunate few men, the pain can be severe and debilitating. The pain can begin immediately after the vasectomy or can develop slowly over months and even years. The pain is believed to be a result of obstruction and a build up of fluid within the now sealed system. As the fluid builds up, the tissues become distended, causing stretching which causes significant pain. This pain can be especially severe after sexual activity. For many, the best option is microsurgical of the ends of the vas, restoring flow and decompressing the system.

I have many patients over the past 20 years that felt the need to restore the flow of sperm to the semen. Some felt that the vasectomy was unnatural and went against some deeper philosophies of life and fluids-in-balance. Some men have felt that they were not as healthy after the vasectomy and wanted to correct this with a reversal. Others just didn’t feel “right”. There was no specific complaint or change, they just weren’t the same and wanted to have their vasectomy reversed. Some felt that they wanted to restore their “energy” which they believe was changed by the vasectomy.

The good news is that whatever the reason, the chances for success are excellent, from 90 to 96%. At the International Center for Vasectomy Reversal, we are able to achieve a level of success that can only come from years of a full-time, single specialty vasectomy reversal practice – a practice with thousands of patients who travel to Tucson, Arizona each week from throughout the world. Drs. Marks and Burrows have the volume and experience to insure you get the best chances for a successful reversal. This is the reason so many trust ICVR for their vasectomy reversal. With the vasectomy you can still enjoy great sexual health and have sex as often as you like!

Biography: Sheldon Marks, MD, is the founder and medical director of the International Center For Vasectomy Reversal, based in Tucson, Arizona. Dr. Marks is one of only a handful of microsurgical specialists in the world that has performed more than 1,800 microsurgical reversals, performing an average of 200-220 each year.