Week 22: Minding Men’s Health – Be a Better Man, Dad or Husband

Attention: Men — Your health is at risk. Your families are at risk of poor health, and your wife will probably live longer than you. Less than 15% of all the 15,000 people on The Daniel Plan are male. So this week, we’ve gathered important information to improve men’s health so you can be a better man, dad or husband! Consider it a Father’s Day gift, even if you aren’t a father yet.

You can do it! The effects of adopting a healthy lifestyle has the power of transforming your life and future generations. As Pastor Gerald Sharon said, “Men, for the good of your family — get healthy!” Additional Saddleback Church pastors offer health tips and testimonies about their own recent journey to learn from. Fitness Coach Tom Wilson encourages us to make adjustments, not excuses with our workouts, regardless of our age. Then, we’ve included ways to connect with other men at the church to gain strength, friendship and a solid backbone to turn to in times of adversity.

Watch how “The Biggest Loser” contestant, Austin Andrews, decided to avoid “checking out” and work with his father to gain a whole new direction for his life. Between them, they lost 330 pounds in six months, and now Austin has a new campaign encouraging people to “check into life.”

Television’s Dr. Mehmet Oz answers many embarrassing questions men like to avoid in his “men’s edition” video segment (Note the material in the video is category PG-13).

Functional medicine pioneer Dr. Mark Hyman gives an in-depth explanation of how hormones, both for male and female, impact our lives. He also explains the right way to address cholesterol imbalances and related heart disease. Because recent reports show that middle-age men who are overweight are at a high risk of liver disease!

Brain-scan expert and best-selling author Dr. Daniel Amen connects the dots between having a better brain and a better life. Part of that is starting your day with a healthy breakfast, and Chef Jenny Ross shares a tasty Super Green Smoothie video and recipe to incorporate into your life.

Also, The Daniel Plan wants you to be aware that the government revised the “food pyramid” with a new plate-based look at nutrition. Both Dr. Amen and Dr. Hyman consider it an improvement. Read Uncle Sam’s New Menu from The Wall Street Journal.

This week, we’ve also added a report on why adding green tea to your daily diet so integral for better health, as well as several breakfast recipes–including a fruit and nut granola, to help you start off with the most important meal of the day!

PLEASE NOTE: The Daniel Plan Buffet night on Thursdays at The Refinery is taking a break for the summer. Stay tuned for the next healthy buffet night.

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE

NEXT STEPS

Eat breakfast with plenty of protein (not bacon, or fatty sausage and pancakes). Add healthy snacks through the day, like raw almonds or 1 or 2 pieces of fruit. Enjoy a healthy lunch and eat dinner 2-3 hours before bedtime. Drink water throughout the day. You’ll be amazed at how your metabolism changes, which ultimately affects you overall health and weight.
Read Dr. Hyman’s report on hormones and watch the video from Dr. Oz to determine if you may have hormone imbalances to treat.
Move your body. Even just walking briskly for 30 minutes per day will pay dividends. Read Tom’s article on how to make adjustments to you workouts as you age.