Five top tips to a longer life for the man you love

Now, according to researchers from the School of Public Health and the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, men are much more likely to die in car accidents or other types of accidents, be victims of a homicide, or suicide than women. It is most pronounced in young adulthood the age period where the gap between male and female death rates is greater than at any other time. And its more pronounced in males from lower income groups.

Women have certain biological advantages: Womens immune systems appear to be stronger, say the University of Michigan researchers.

Women are less likely to get arteriosclerosis - the disease of arteries that causes stroke and heart disease and is the number one killer of both men and women.

Women seem to have stronger hearts. The guys from the John Moores University in Liverpool, UK, found in 2005, that the power of the male heart falls by 20 to 25 per cent between the ages of 18 and 70, while that of the female heart remains just as strong over the same period.

For me, part of my holistic health is the health of my partner, so the International Men's Health week was of great interest. What do your answers to these questions look like: - Do you smoke? Do you need assistance to quit? - Do you drink alcohol? Do you need assistance to cut back or stop drinking? - What is your diet? Do you need advice on healthy eating? - Do you undertake regular physical activity? What advice do you need to encourage you to do more? - Do you have symptoms of depression? - Do you protect yourself against skin cancer? - Is your diphtheria and tetanus immunisation up to date?

Here's five things men can do to increase their life expectancy: - Men can significantly reduce the rate at which their hearts lose power by taking regular exercise. A man aged 50 to 70 who does a lot of exercise has a heart as strong as a 20 year old sedentary male; - Eating a balanced diet low in red meat and diary products with plenty of fruit and vegetables; - Reducing stress with stress-reduction methods like meditation and yoga; - Avoiding risky behavior; - Over the age of 45, having an annual checkup with their doctor.

Keywords: life expectancy,holistic health, increase life expectancy,

About the Author
Lizette Le Clus-Fox,
wellnessthoughts@gmail.com

What is meditation?

Meditation usually refers to a state in which the body is consciously relaxed and the mind is allowed to become calm and focused. Several major religions include ritual meditation; however, meditation itself need not be a religious or spiritual activity. Most of the more popular systems of meditation are of Eastern origin, though there exists also various forms of Christian, Jewish and Muslim meditation.
Meditation as a form of alternative medicine brings about mental calmness and physical relaxation by suspending the stream of thoughts that normally occupy the mind. Generally performed once or twice a day for approximately 20 minutes at a time, meditation is used to reduce stress, alter hormone levels, and elevate one's mood.
A discipline in which the mind is focused on a single point of reference. Employed since ancient times in various forms by all religions, the practice gained greater notice in the post war US as interest in Zen Buddhism rose. Meditation is now used by many nonreligious adherents as a method of stress reduction; known to lower levels of cortisol, a hormone released in response to stress. Enhances recuperation and improves the body’s resistance to disease.
Meditation is an easy and simple way to balance a person's physical, emotional, and mental states. It is easily learned and has been used as an aid in treating stress, anxiety, pain management, and as part of an overall treatment for other conditions including hypertension and heart disease. Research shows that meditation decreases the heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen consumption, and even decreases blood pressure.