HEALTHY LIVING
MEN ' S BASIC CONSIDERATIONS
Marion E . Wildey
H appy Father ’ s Day to our dads , uncles ,
grandfathers and all the men who influence and act as our protectors and extend tendrils of stability . It is with gratitude we celebrate our heroes , and set out to improve men ’ s health throughout the month of June , so that we can safeguard them from a small handful of issues that can be controlled with adequate awareness and application of prevention .
The quote , “ an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure ,” stated by Benjamin Franklin , one of America ’ s most influential and versatile Founding Fathers , is as relevant now as it was then . Although the intention for this particular address was to promote greater care when handling anything related to fires or warming embers in or outside the homestead , the idea of awareness as our best bet to preparedness and prevention of risk is the bottom line .
Currently , life expectancy for men is at a five year gap behind women , and there are lifestyle changes that would easily combat this short list . Heart disease , cancer , stroke , chronic lower respiratory disease , and unintentional injuries are amongst the issues that shave off the extra years from a man ’ s lifespan . Living
30 | WINTER GARDEN MAGAZINE | JUNE 2018 a healthy lifestyle should be the platform that a guy incorporates into his life anyway , but just in case that important man in your life needs some reminders – or a renewed and refined sense of health responsibility – stick to the basics to ward off the health predators .
The name of the game in body maintenance is deciding what vehicle you choose to pilot into the years ahead . The “ dad bod ” body image has close comparisons to driving an actual mini van , and while it ’ s acceptable to drive a vehicle that transports the family from point A to point B , its relevant gas mileage , appearance , and longevity aren ’ t quite notable . The less attention paid to the fuel / food intake and physical maintenance on the physical body , the closer it appears that you ’ re traveling into the future with lower energy , and fewer years ahead before the parts are obsolete , similar to that of a larger , less sporty vehicle . Transpose the analogy and decide to upgrade the vehicle condition your body is in now to a sleeker , flashier model by focusing your energies on lifestyle changes that support a healthy body weight through diet and exercise . The added benefits will put you on track for preventing issues caused by “ unserviced ” mileage , and improve horsepower and