At one point in time, every last one of us passionately wanted a chiseled rock-hard mid-section. We all want to know how to get great 6 pack abs. Well here is one of the best kept secrets. It is the most coveted body part, the symbol of sexuality. In study after study researchers and health specialist alike have found that decreasing fat in your abdomen, and waist to hip ratio is the single most significant step that you can take to stay healthy for life, and age gracefully. Most of us have given up on the idea because our quest has for naught. We have been flooded with miss-information from fad diets, fat burner supplements, to exercise gadgets, promoting six week transformations with dramatic before and after photo’s, etc. The key to that coveted six pack is not one thing, it is four things.

Bringing Your Body-fat Level Down:

1.) Following a precise nutrition plan that has the right amount of protein combined together with the right amount and the right type of carbohydrates spaced strategically through-out the day, and around weight training and cardio sessions.
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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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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.