Thoughts for 40s: What Do Men Need to Do to Stay Healthy?

Your 40s brings with it all sorts of wellness niggles that you can feel a lot older than you actually are. You suddenly can’t get up off the floor that quickly, your back aches in ways in never has before, and let’s not even mention the state of your sexual health – 20 and ready-to-go, you ain’t. Still, in terms of your overall wellbeing, you’re actually still in pretty good shape. The name of the health game is still in the line of preventative care, rather than waiting for disease to happen and fighting off the reaper. Instead, get empowered with the knowledge you need as a man in his 40s to prevent chronic illness and make this decade the best yet.

 

When you’re in your 40s, it’s likely that you’ve got a hectic work and home life, trying to keep on top of deadlines, catching up with your mates and spending time with your family. When you’re so busy, it’s no wonder that most men in their 40s don’t make nutrition and exercise a priority. That said, as developed nations rely more on food of convenience, and the quality of ingredients goes further down, it becomes more obvious than ever that you are the only one watching out for the state of your body. In terms of your diet, this means eating plenty of fruits and vegetables – at least five-a-day – and healthy proteins. If you focus on these food groups, you can reduce your risks of cancer and heart disease. Don’t just do your healthy diet solo; get your partner and kids involved and plan your grocery shopping in advance so you won’t be tempted by junk on shop shelves. The key to healthy eating is to have good options on hand at work and at home.

 

Once you’ve got your family’s diet in place, it’s time to turn to your exercise programme. With each decade, the phrase “use it or lose it” becomes more and more applicable. In your 40s, many of your hormones – including testosterone and growth hormone – tend to decline. This ageing process can really do a number on your wellness and, if you don’t exercise, you’ll only hurry that decline along. Exercise stimulates growth hormone, helping you to maintain a lean body mass. However, without enough physical activity, your metabolism will slow down, your bone density will decline, and you’ll be more stressed and depressed than you should be. If you find it hard to motivate yourself, why not go to a class or work with a personal trainer? If you’ve got it written on your calendar and all paid for, you’ll have the incentive to workout until the health benefits become their own motivation.

 

Finally, take a look at your family history. If someone in your family has suffered from a certain illness or condition, it’s not a sure thing that you will likewise be affected, but history certainly has a way of predicting the future. Look into your family’s history of health problems, paying close attention to anything that occurred to someone when in their 40s. While having a grandparent who had a heart attack at 75 is something to take note of, being related to someone who suffered at age 45 holds is even more significant to your prevention strategy. You should primarily focus on your parents, siblings and grandparents, but it’s worth asking about other relatives as well. Take inventory so you can tailor your wellness programme to your needs, and consider talking to your GP if a particular health concern does arise when you’re digging.

Categories: decline, diet and nutrition, exercise, Family, growth hormone, health, Healthy, men in 40s, preventative measures

Could High Blood Pressure Drugs Help Treat Dementia?

Researchers are constantly looking for ways to improve the wellness of those suffering from dementia. A new piece of research has come to light that shows that drugs that are commonly used to treat high blood pressure could help improve the wellbeing of dementia patients all over the world by slowing the rate of cognitive decline.

 

These drugs are known as ACE Inhibitors and as well as being used to treat high blood pressure, they are occasionally used in the treatment of some forms of diabetes or in patients who have kidney disease. During the research, the scientists looked at 361 patients who had an average age of 77 and all of whom had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia (or even both).

 

Of these patients, 85 were taking ACE Inhibitors but the rest of the group were not. The study was published online in the journal BMJ Open, and at the start of the research each patient’s decline in cognitive function was assessed to see what their needs were.

 

As a result of this, the researchers observed that those who were not taking the ACE Inhibitors had a much faster rate of cognitive decline than those who were taking the drugs. This showed that those on the ACE Inhibitors had a much slower rate of cognitive decline, and this could prove to be significant for the future of dementia treatment.

 

In addition to the people already on the ACE Inhibitors exhibiting slower cognitive decline, those who were prescribed ACE Inhibitors for the first time showed an actual improvement in their scores for the first six months of being on the new drugs. Not only could these drugs slow down the rate of cognitive decline in dementia patients, they could actually help to improve brainpower for those suffering from any kind of brain deterioration.

Categories: ace, ace inhibitors, blood pressure, cognitive decline, decline, Dementia, dementia patients, high blood, inhibitors, treat high

EU Insecticide Ban Not Enough to Reverse Damage, Warns Study

Many of Britain’s rarest wild bees are in deep trouble, which is a cause for great environmental wellness concern. This is according to a study commissioned by Friends of the Earth, which was published this month. The study argues that intensive farming and urban sprawl – which have decimated the flowery meadows that bees feed in – are the main culprits behind the decline.

The report focused on 12 key species across Britain. According to bee expert Prof Simon Potts, at the University of Reading, who led the study, ‘The way we farm and use land across the UK has pushed many rare bees into serious decline. I’m calling on the government to act swiftly to save these iconic creatures which are essential to a thriving environment and our food supply.’

The study discovered that, on the south coast of England, the range of the solitary potter flower bee, which digs burrows to lay eggs in, has shrunk dramatically, while Britain’s rarest solitary bee, the large mason bee, is on the brink of extinction in Wales. Moreover, the great yellow bumblebee has disappeared from 80% of its historic UK range and now relies on the unique machair habitat in western Scotland, a flower-rich grassland.

In the report, Potts writes, ‘The most pervasive causes of bee species decline are to be found in the way our countryside has changed in the past 60 years. Intensification of grazing regimes, an increase in pesticide use, loss of biodiverse field margins and hedgerows, the trend towards sterile monoculture, insensitive development and the sprawl of towns and cities are the main factors in this.’

Sandra Bell, at Friends of the Earth, commented, ‘We need a bee action plan now. These bee species are in real trouble. But people across the UK can help change all that with simple practical actions and by urging their MPs to play their part.’ On the 29^th of April, the European Union agreed to suspend Europe’s use of three neonicotinoid insecticides, but the report warns that the ban, which UK ministers opposed, will not reverse bee decline unless the other causes are also dealt with.

 

EU Insecticide Ban Not Enough to Reverse Damage, Warns Study

Categories: bees, decline, Research