I’m appearing on some of my favorite local morning TV shows in San Antonio this week, and I’m talking about things that guys tend to ignore—their snoring, their prostate and their belly. (If you’re female and reading this, you’re probably nodding.)
Here’s why they matter.
- When I was a trainer in NYC at Equinox Fitness Clubs, I quickly lost count of the number of people who told me their relationship had been impacted—negatively—by snoring. First of all, it’s not sexy. Second of all, it disrupts sleep (both yours and your partner’s.) And third—let’s face it—it could be a harbinger of some metabolic problems down the way.So often, however, snoring is nothing more than blocked airways. I recommended a simple little device called Mute that you can pick up anywhere—CVS, Walgreens, Amazon. Mute acts like an adjustable “stent” that just opens up the air passages. If you—or your sleeping partner—snores, this is certainly the first thing I’d recommend trying.
- The prostate. We take a “once daily” vitamin for general health—but what about for prostate health? Guys—and those who love them—listen up. The prostate is one of the most important glands you have. It’s an essential part of the male reproductive system and it requires the same kind of attention you give other essentials, like the brain and the heart. I recommend a “one-a-day” type vitamin for your prostate called Prostate Complete by Real Health. It has all the nutrients I recommend to men for prostate support, including saw palmetto, lycopene, zinc and the anti-inflammatory quercetin.
- The belly. It’s amazing how many guys don’t notice their weight gain—usually in the form of an increasing waistline– until it’s time for a class reunion and they try on the old tux. Whoops. But many guys are wrongly stuck in the 80’s thinking the only way to lose that bellyfat is with a low-fat diet. They couldn’t be more wrong.Guys—especially guys—need an oil change. We do better on diets higher in fat, protein and fiber and lower in carbs. And we need to get reacquainted with some of the healthy saturated fats we scorned for so long because we thought they were bad for us (newsflash: they’re not). Get rid of the corn and soy oils and start using avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, grass-fed butter, and ghee, and one of my personal favorites— the often-overlooked Malaysian red palm oil.I mention Malaysia specifically because it’s an environmentally conscious country that protects 50% of their forests and produces palm oil without harming any animal habitats. I’m a huge fan of palm oil because it stands up to heat, it’s non-GMO, and it’s a rich source of tocotrienols and carotenes. And unlike it’s “vegetable oil” cousins, it’s not pro-inflammatory!Add it to a diet that’s based on what I call the Jonny Bowden Four Food Groups—food you could hunt, fish, gather or pluck—and you may be amazed at how fast your energy doubles and your belly fat shrinks.
