Movember Mens Health Month

There are three widespread Men’s Health issues guys would never share about with mates.  (Not exactly helpful when we should be working as a team trying to help each other out.!) 

I say let’s go head to head and formulate a “take action plan” to address the big three we aren’t allowed to admit are problems!

So what are these unspeakables?

Prostate Cancer – is the most common cancer in men and the second largest cause of male cancer deaths in the UK.  That’s 40,000 every year.  Despite these figures the level of awareness, understanding and support for prostate cancer lags significantly behind that of women’s health issues.

Testicular Cancer – starts as an abnormal tumour that develops in one or both testes.  Current incident rates in the UK show that 7.5 men in every 100,00 will get testicular cancer.  The good news is that it is treatable and has a very high cure rate if found early.

Mental Health – There is a massive male stigma attached to admitting being affected by problems like depression or anxiety.  Fact is mental health problems are very common in the UK , affecting a quarter of the population in any one year. British men are half as likely to seek help than women and not surprisingly three times more likely to commit suicide.

Whew!  Now that is out in the open, what to do?  

Here are my 5 take action self-responsibility things every man can do for himself:

1. Be a man and ask your GP if a PSA blood test http://cdn.movember.com/uploads/files/2012/PSA_Test_Final.pdf  or a physical exam are right for you.

2. Feel your acorns.  Regular self examination of the testicles is important (for young men especially).  Being familiar with size , shape and usual level of lumpiness can help you determine if something is not quite right.

3. You may be suffering from an actual and treatable mental illness, which should not be associated as mental weakness.  Look into what support/options are out there and learn from others who have overcome a similar illness.  http://www.mind.org.uk is a fantastic resource.

4. Dont underestimate the power of your diet and the negative impact it may be having on your physical and mental wellbeing.  I am a huge fan of Dr. Servan and his book http://www.anticancerbook.com .  It is a medical look at our spoiled western lives and diets.  Taking action like removing sugar from the diet and regularly cleansing your digestive tract and body of cellular toxins can have have radical effect on well-being.

5. Move your arse.  Everyday. Something. A walk. 15 minutes of stretches.  Anything! I just ask for 15 minutes of something to get your blood flowing and muscles / joints moving everyday at a minimum.  Above that, try to do something you love three times a week.  Cycling, gymming, jogging, tennis, hell, I would even count an hour of golf on the wii as acceptable!

Now let’s do this gents. And no more head in the sand thinking about our own health and future well-being! Ok?

And while you re at it, why dont you join  us in doing something about it on a bigger scale.

We have teamed up with Movember charity and some amazing brand partners for three events designed to encourage a healthy lifestyle personally and raise awareness and support in the community.  

Find out more and sign up now on www.broga.uk.com

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