By Christine Cheng, R.Ph.
Traditionally, it is our Moms who take care of the health of the family, whereas Dads are more likely responsible for the “health” of the car! Just as keeping up with the scheduled maintenance on the car keeps it running smoothly for as long as possible, adopting a few healthy habits can do the same for the body. So Dads… Listen up!
Keeping your cardiovascular system healthy is akin to keeping your body’s engine healthy. Adopt a regular physician-approved exercise regimen. Make an effort to add a few servings of fruits and vegetables to your diet. Not only will this provide your body with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, it will add fibre to your diet which helps to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Omega-3 fatty acid supplements help keep inflammation at bay and the blood flowing smoothly. Choose a product from a brand that is reputable for purity and quality such as OMEGAGENICS® EPA-DHA 720 by Metagenics®. Cardiovascular health is not just about the heart; healthy blood vessels throughout the body are important to prevent issues such as stroke and erectile dysfunction.
Many men over 50 are familiar with the unpleasant symptoms associated with an enlarged prostate gland such as difficulty starting a stream, frequent need to urinate, pain when urinating and dribbling after urination. SAW PALMETTO is a herbal supplement with anti-inflammatory, anti-proliferative and anti-androgenic properties that has been shown to help with symptoms of benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Supplements such as ULTRA PROSTAGEN® (by Metagenics® ) or PROSTATE PERFORM (by New Roots Herbal) combine saw palmetto with ingredients like zinc, pygeum, and lycopene to further support the health of the prostate and the urinary tract, as well as to support healthy testosterone levels. Taking a supplement like this may mitigate problems associated with BPH in the future.
For some, losing a few pounds can produce dramatic health benefits both physically and psychologically. It could be as simple as adding the recommended servings of vegetables (and fruit) to your daily diet, which could displace some less healthy food choices. Whipping up a fruit and veggie smoothie with a scoop of protein powder can help boost your energy levels in a healthy way. For those with risk factors for metabolic syndrome or who already have hypertension, dyslipidemia or Type 2 Diabetes, consider adding ULTRAMEAL® Medical Foods to your daily diet as these are proven to help improve your body composition in addition to improving these conditions. The IDEAL PROTEIN® PROGRAM is a medically developed protocol for weight loss that is unique in that it focuses on maintaining muscle mass and thus your basal metabolic rate; this is also the reason why it results in long-term success at keeping the weight off. This program also offers one-on-one coaching and body composition analysis to help with compliance and monitoring of results.
Taking care of your body now will help ensure that you will be able to enjoy many more adventures on the road ahead of you, whether it be spending more time with family or more time on the golf course.
Christine is a registered pharmacist with training in Natural Health Products and a passion for Integrative Medicine. She works alongside her brother, Fred at their unique family-owned and operated Pharmasave in Downtown Cloverdale, BC. They specialize in natural remedies and compounding for both human and veterinarian use.
