Health Matters: Men's Health

Speaker 1:

Hi. Welcome to the Blue Door Neighborhood Center. I'm Nicaya

Speaker 2

And I'm Craig.

Speaker 1

Today we're going to dive into a health matters topic. That's a hot topic. None other than men's health. That's right. We're talking about men's health. So grab your brother, grab your uncle, grab a notebook, grab a pen, sit down, and let's chat about some of the issues around men's health and stick around, because this session will be offered in both English and in Spanish.

In this session, we will discuss some of the challenges and opportunities that men face in their health and wellness. We will also better understand the opportunities around supporting men and improving their quality of life.

Speaker 2

In addition Nicaya, we will share community resources that serve men and their families where they can go to turn for help.

Speaker 1

Before we dove a little bit deeper into some of the ways that we can improve the health of men, let's talk a little bit about the hard, fast facts about men's health. And Craig, I got to mention there are some hard facts but it's so important because the health of men really do matter. Their health are so important to the health of their families in their communities.

I can't say it enough. The health of men really do matter. Craig, you really do matter.

Speaker 2

Nicaya, thank you so much for saying that. I really appreciate it. And I want to let all of you know that all of you also matter as well.

Speaker 1

So here are some of these hard facts. And according to a recent CDC report, the top leading causes of death in men are heart disease, cancer, and believe it or not, Covid-19. Wow.

Speaker 2

Those are some hard facts.

Speaker 1

Another hard fact here that we will mention is that 14.1% of men ages 18 and over currently smoke cigarettes. And we know that that is harmful because it is a risk factor for heart disease. I'll share one more before we go. And that is 40.5% of men ages 20 and over have obesity.

Speaker 2

Nicaya did you know that 57.6% of men from a 2008 study met the physical activity guidelines for physical activity and exercise. That was from 2008 only 57.6% of men. So we need to improve those numbers.

Speaker 1

And again you can find some of these fast facts and others from the centers for Disease Control, also known as the CDC. So now that we talked about a little bit of the hard facts around men's health, we're going to talk about five ways to improve the health of men. And the first way we're going to talk about eating right to live a healthy life Craig, what does that mean to you?

Speaker 2

Nicaya what that means to me, eating right to live a healthy life is to think about the choices that I am making for food. What am I putting into my body? What function does it serve if I have challenges with high blood pressure or high cholesterol, should I really be eating this bacon cheeseburger? Maybe not. So thinking about what I'm consuming is a big part of it before I consume it.

Speaker 1

And we can even make it a little bit easier by following the guidelines provided by the US Department of Agriculture. And it says when eating your plate, just make half of your plate veggies and fruits, literally half your plate veggies and fruits. Let's go to the second way in which we can help to improve the health of men, and that is move your body, move your body.

Speaker 2

Move your body, exercise, get the heart rate pumping exercise to work up a good sweat. Sweating is therapeutic. And it helps the body rid itself of toxins. Move your body.

Speaker 1

Move your body, and you can actually do any movement for only about 30 minutes a day. And that will help to improve your longevity of life, as well as your quality of life.

Speaker 2

30 minutes, that's all.

Speaker 1

30 minutes.

Speaker 2

That's the equivalent of one television program. I'm sure we can all sacrifice one television program for our overall health and well-being. Sounds good.

Speaker 1

Let's talk about way number three on how to help men live healthier lives. And that says get your regular checkup. Craig, what regular checkups are important to men's health?

Speaker 2

Oh, Nicaya, that's a big one. Knowing your A-1 C which is linked to where you are on the diabetes scale, knowing your PSA, letting you know where your prostate health may be, and also knowing your blood pressure numbers, all of those contribute to overall good health, cardiovascular health and just overall wellbeing. It's important for all men to know their numbers.

Speaker 1

Absolutely. And for those men who may need some additional resources on how to get in contact with a health professional, the Blue Door Neighborhood Center is here to help you with that process. All right, Craig, we're talking about some really good ways to improve men's health. Let's kick it over to number four. And that talks about kick unhealthy habits to the curb.

Speaker 1

I think that one deserves to be sad again.

Speaker 2

Kick unhealthy habits to the curb. Now, maybe you are an excessive smoker or maybe you are an excessive drinker. Or maybe you just are consumed with unhealthy negative thoughts. We want to put an end to that. We want you to get help in the ways that we need and we want to live our best lives by putting an end to all the unhealthy habits that we may have.

Speaker 1

You said that best and we've made our way now to the fifth way we can help to improve the health of men. And that is, it's OK to get help. Craig. What does that mean?

Speaker 2

Well, Nicaya, I will tell you, if we are comfortable with asking questions in other areas of our lives, why would we not raise our hand and ask for help? We have to shatter the stigmas. We have to break down the walls. We have to let people know that we are in need of assistance in whatever way we need it.

It's OK to ask for help. I myself have had to ask for help many times, and I'm not ashamed of it. It's nothing to be ashamed of. It's really the thing to do.

Speaker 1

You said it best Craig, whatever you may need. So that does not just mean your physical health, but it also includes your mental health, your emotional health, your financial health. There is help for you wherever you need it. All right. So we've talked about in summary, five ways to help improve the health of men. Number one, eat right for a healthy life.

Speaker 2

Move your body, exercise. Get off the couch, get the blood pumping, get the blood flowing.

Speaker 1

Don't forget to get your regular checkup.

Speaker 2

Take unhealthy habits to the curb.

Speaker 1

And last but not least, it's OK to ask for help.

Speaker 2

It really is. It really. It really is. It really is.

Speaker 1

All right. So we've talk about some of the hard facts about men's health. We've dug into some of the ways we can actually help improve the health of men. Now, let's talk about some of the ways that the Blue Door Neighborhood Center is working to address men's health.

Speaker 2

Here at the Blue Door Neighborhood Center, we offer low impact fitness classes, and we also offer a men's wellness series.

Speaker 1

And that men's wellness series is going to be a variety of different topics that speak to different areas of things that matter to men in addition, we have our three-week evidence-based Courage to Quit Smoking program. So if you're ready to stop smoking, you just need a little bit of help. The Blue Door Neighborhood Center can help you.

Let's talk about our Blue Door Neighborhood Center Job Club. This club meets twice a month, and we discuss ways to improve your resumé interviewing skills and even offer some opportunities for employment.

Speaker 2

We have our Ask a Doc series where we ask you to compile your questions, gather your questions about things that are important to you, challenges that you may be facing and that you are seeking answers to. We can get those answers through our Ask a Doc series.

Speaker 1

These are just a few examples of the offerings we have at the Blue Door Neighborhood Center. We thank you so much for taking some time to talk about men's health. Such an important topic in our families and communities. And Craig, let us know how we can keep in contact.

Speaker 2

Absolutely. You can reach us at our website at www.BlueDoorCenterIL.com or at Facebook @BlueDoorCenterIl.

Speaker 1

Well, thank you so much for joining us around Men's Health.

Speaker 2

Thank you so much Nicaya. This has been very informative. I've learned a lot today.

Speaker 1

Me too. Thanks Craig

Speaker 2

Thank you, Nicaya