Men’s Health: Building Vitality
MEN’S HEALTH - BUILDING VITALITY!
Jhoane Robinson, Herbalist, Co-Founder Cedar Bear Naturales
My last post focused on women's health, so this month I am here to shine a spotlight on men’s health. To address men’s health on a fundamental level, mind, body, and spirit must be equally addressed. Here the focus is on energy and vitality, brain function, and joint support.
Life is busy, and when we are in the thick of it our bodies tend to take the flak. From a mentally and physically demanding job out in the elements to a brain bending office position sitting in an ergonomically incorrect chair all day, our bodies take a beating. Not to mention raising children, caretaking loved ones, and working in the yard or garden. Long commutes, excessive screen time, all of these things affect our bodies on multiple levels.
So let’s break it down here for the men today. How can you support your health by bringing balance back to your body and continue to enjoy the work you do, the children you raise, and the screens you use?
ELEVATE YOUR ENERGY AND VITALITY!
The old adage, you can’t pour from an empty vessel, rings true here. Bandaids like caffeine may work in the moment, but vital energy is not replenished until the body is properly fed. Increasing vitality is a delicate balance of removing factors that deplete your energy and increasing activities and nutrients that nourish you on a cellular level.
WHAT’S COOKING?
Removing daily doses of coffee, energy drinks, sugar, alcohol, fried and/or preservative-laden foods is a great place to start. Start by removing one at a time if more than one of these indulgences are in your daily routine.
Increasing your daily intake of mineral- and antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables can support cellular health and longevity over time. Increase the use of fresh and dried herbs and spices in your meal preparations to enhance mineral intake and flavor.
HEALTH TIP: Swap out conventional produce for organic when possible and if you eat meat, consider quality over quantity.
WELLNESS TIP: Habits can be hard to break, even when you know you will benefit from the change. If you are struggling with letting go of unhealthy habits, try increasing good ones first.
DISCONNECT!
Schedule time away from screens. Yes, this includes your phone. Go outdoors, get into nature. Go bird watching from your front porch - birds are everywhere! Follow a recipe from an actual cookbook. Write a note to a friend on a piece of paper. Meditate. Talk to a friend, in person, preferably in a garden. Fill your energy well with elements from the tactile universe.
AVOID GETTING CAUGHT IN A CYCLE!
Low energy can beget more low energy. When feeling depleted, it is easy to find yourself in a rut, not preparing your own food or taking yourself for a walk.
Take little steps towards vitality every day. It can be as easy as starting with one of Cedar Bear’s TincTract® formulas to support your path to wellness.
CEDAR BEAR HERBAL VITALITY & ENERGY SUPPORT
Energy & Stamina (builds health and boosts energy): With cardiovascular building, antioxidant herbs, and herb-based naturally occurring caffeine, this formula helps reduce fatigue, slow the aging process, and improve mental function.
Ginseng Vitality: Enhance physical, mental, and emotional vitality while strengthening your immune system, cardiovascular health, and brain function with this potent herbal formula.
Revive-His-Drive™: Yes, Revive-His-Drive can be used to support libido, but this formula also helps increase energy and supports overall vitality. Think of it as a nourishing energy boost without the caffeine crash!
BRAIN AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION
When it comes to men’s health, the brain is top of mind (literally). When I discuss aging with the male counterparts in my life, their concern of cognitive decline comes up often. As men age, cognitive decline may seem to be a give in, but it doesn’t have to be!
Refer back to the diet tips earlier in this post, they go hand in hand with brain health.
There are several relatively simple ways to incorporate lifestyle factors that can increase cognitive health as men age. Here are a few that top my list:
GET MOVING!
Move your body in the fresh air. Outdoor activities not only support cardiovascular health (think blood pumping to the brain), but also mental health.
If you are sore or tired from a hard day’s week, go for a walk or a light swim. Or give your muscular-skeletal system and brain a real reset with some Qi-gong or gentle yoga - look for outdoor classes when weather permits.
SPEND TIME WITH OTHERS!
This is a huge factor in maintaining cognitive (and mental) health as you age, even more so if you live alone.
WAYS TO ENGAGE::
Invite friends and family over if you enjoy hosting.
Join a book or chess club.
Establish a regular lunch date with someone you enjoy spending time with.
Join a walking group.
However you choose to establish social engagement, be sure to create a weekly routine and make it a part of your lifestyle for cognitive health.
CHECK YOUR SLEEP HYGIENE!
Sleep disturbances can affect cognitive health. Causes of sleep disturbances may vary based on lifestyle factors or phases of life, from dietary choices to medical conditions.
Evaluate the state of your slumber and be proactive in finding the answer to a sound night’s sleep. This may mean working with a doctor or practitioner, or it may be as simple as forgoing sugar or caffeine too late in the day (or at all).
Support your brain health with a healthy diet, lifestyle, and Cedar Bear’s Tinc Tract® formulas.
BRAIN AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION SUPPORT FROM CEDAR BEAR:
Brain Booster: Specifically formulated to help your brain and memory be at their best, support your memory and cognitive functions, brain, and even cardiovascular health with this special brain activating and building formula.
JOINT HEALTH
Men, you can be hard on your bodies. From work to play, it can all take a serious toll on the joints. Cartilage, a flexible connective tissue that covers the ends of the bones, protects the joints by allowing smooth movement and shock absorption. Over time, this cartilage can wear down, causing serious pain and further damage.
Wear and tear on the joints is inevitable as you age, but there are ways to prevent extensive damage and to repair damage that has been done. So why not give those joints a little love?!
MINDFUL EXERCISE FOR THE WIN!
Building muscle is supportive for health and longevity, but be mindful of your physical limits as they change with lifestyle choices and age.
You may have run a 5K no problem even just 18 months ago, but if you haven’t maintained a regular running routine since then you may want to think twice about tackling it today. Build back up to it slowly and you'll likely get there sans injury.
WELLNESS TIP: Avoid stretching without warming up. This may sound counter-intuitive, but take a quick walk before stretching to avoid overextending muscles and jolting your joints.
DIETARY SUPPORT
Excess weight is hard on the joints. Establish your ideal weight and work to maintain it through a healthy, whole foods diet. Inflammation can be equally damaging to joint health. Identify the source of your inflammation and work to remove it; often it is food related. Consider cutting out nightshade vegetables, gluten, dairy, or even low quality meats.
Healthy fats and omega 3 fatty acids in particular feed joint health. A diet rich in fish, nuts and seeds, such as walnuts and flaxseed, can help maintain healthy cartilage and support longevity.
HEALTH TIP: When selecting nuts and seeds, check packaging and expiration dates. If procuring from a bulk bin, use your nose to check for freshness. A fishy or sour smell may indicate rancid nuts.
Add in targeted micronutrients and easily absorbable liquid supplements such as Cedar Bear’s TincTract® extracts to aid in reducing inflammation and supporting your health.
JOINT HEALTH SUPPORT FROM CEDAR BEAR:
Golden Turmeric Drops: A supportive formula for improving energy levels, increasing gentle detoxification, and decreasing inflammation.
Herbal Minerals: Our modern diets and food sources often leave us lacking minerals crucial for healthy body functions, this formula gives you the healthy dose of minerals that you need to help you achieve better health fast.
Joint & Muscle: Taken daily, this formula promotes joint and muscle health and improved mobility. It supports proper fluid dynamics in and around joints to maintain comfort.
CEDAR BEAR TINCTRACTt® SINGLE HERBS FOR ENERGY AND VITALITY
Asian Ginseng Root: A rejuvenating herb that builds energy and vitality. It strengthens your immune system, improves circulation, enhances and restores energy, endurance, strength, and sexual virility.
Ginkgo Leaf: Increases circulation, especially to the brain, which benefits your brain function, memory, and concentration. Ginkgo has antioxidants that slow aging processes in your body and lift your energy and mood.
Lion’s Mane Mushroom: Helps build brain health and memory, strengthens nerves, helps improve mood, build immune function, and supports healthy cells.
Maca Root: Revitalizing, energy building and strengthening, this herb strengthens your nervous and immune systems, and improves mental function and libido.
Tongkat Ali Root: Supports testosterone, and strengthens virility, energy, libido, and male health. Helps boost athletic performance, and benefits muscle mass and strength.
White Willow Bark: This herb cools tissues and provides temporary relief for minor aches and pains, tension related headaches, and joint discomforts.
WHY CEDAR BEAR?
Cedar Bear’s special proprietary process is called the TincTract®, (more than a TINCture, and more than an exTRACT, and works better than either!). Cedar Bear’s TincTract® process makes the herbs both bio-available and bio-utilizable, so every drop goes right to work supporting your health and well-being. Best of all, the TincTract® process not only makes herbs work better, but they taste better, too!
Carefully formulated by Clinical Herbalist and Cedar Bear’s Founder, L. Carl Robinson AHG (RH), each formula targets the specific need of the body that it is named for. Single herbs can be used alone or added to formulas to ‘boost’ their action. Alcohol-free, great tasting, concentrated, and effective, we’ve made Cedar Bear herbs so you can take them wherever you go!
Men, don’t wait, increase your energy and vitality with Cedar Bear’s superior herbal formulas today!
(These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.)
