3 Things All Men Should Do This Movember

It’s Movember, and you know what that means. Men around the world are storing away their razors, not to be used for a long 4 weeks ahead of them. Growing up, I always thought it was a silly tradition, seeing my school teachers growing a bush on their top lip once a year to raise awareness for something I didn’t fully understand yet. But this tradition with a handlebar façade symbolizes a meaningful and important subject; raising awareness for men’s health issues, including, stigma surrounding manliness, prostate cancer, testicular cancer and suicide prevention.

We encourage you to get involved in this cause, by growing a moustache yourself, spreading the word, or donating, which helps fund world class programs that are saving and improving the lives of men on a global scale. To donate and join the men's health movement, go to ca.movember.com/mospace/14295998 for more information.

In the spirit of Movember and raising awareness for Men's Health, here are 3 things all men should do this Movember to start taking charge of your current and future self.

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1. Increase your Vitamin D intake

Especially since now the weather’s getting gloomy, we’ll be more prone to seasonal depression and getting less vitamin D overall. But it’s especially important for men to increase their vitamin D intake, since there is a correlation between lower levels of vitamin D and more aggressive prostate cancer. The recommended daily vitamin D intake ranges from 400-1000 IU for adults under the age of 50. Although there is still research to be done on the impact of vitamin D on the aggressiveness of prostate cancer, it is still important to meet the recommended amount daily, because of its importance in other functions of the body.

This ‘sunshine vitamin’ helps your immune system work properly, ensures proper bone and tooth health, and helps protect you from contracting certain diseases. Research also shows that it might play an important role in regulating mood and preventing anxiety and depression.

2. Get the Flu Shot

The flu vaccination is recommended for everyone six months and older. The vaccine can provide protection from influenza, and in general, is about 50 percent effective in adults. The efficiency of the vaccine it varies from person to person depending on their immune system, as well as the match between the strain of virus this year and the strains in the vaccine. However, it is still the most effective protection against the flu.

For more information, check out the CDC 2020-2021 Influenza (Flu) Vaccination Page: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/vaccinations.htm

3. Get your Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Checked

Abnormal cholesterol or blood pressure puts men at greater risk for heart attacks, strokes and other heart disease. For most men, the risk of high blood pressure begins at the age of 20! There are tons of easy ways to manage this, including having a well-balanced diet, low in saturated and trans fats. Regular exercise and using good strategies to manage stress also play a huge part into lowering blood pressure, and happy and healthy.

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This is just a small list of things men can do to improve their health and protect their future selves from preventable health concerns. Movember is all about raising men’s health issues and a fun way for younger men to become more engaged in the subject. Even though prostate cancer tends to affect men over the age of 50, it is still tremendously important for young men to take charge of their health and be proactive, so that potential risks and health issues can be detected before it is too late.

So to everyone out there, this month is the perfect time to start taking charge of your health, and encouraging others to do the same.