6 Things Doctors Don't Tell Men

(BlackDoctor.org) -- With doctor's offices busier than ever, you're lucky if you get 20 minutes with your M.D. Which is why it's not surprising that even when it comes to your most vital organ, the advice you receive can sound somewhat boilerplate:

Exercise regularly, watch your diet, don't smoke, and limit your drinking—right?

But there's more information lurking within your doctor's language than you hear. You should identify the details your doctor may not be telling you. Read carefully because your heart's health depends on it.

1. The real facts on smoking: Sure, your doctor has made it clear that smoking is bad for your health (in more ways than you can count), but one detail you probably haven't heard is that cutting out cigarettes will reduce your risk of heart attack by 50 percent after just one year. Your risk returns almost back to that of a nonsmoker after one year without cigarettes." It's just one more reason to quit cold turkey.

2. What it means to exercise: Doctors are always recommending exercise—it adds years to your expiration date. But when it comes to staying healthy, is cardio king or do weights win out? The verdict depends on personal preference and physical ability, but a few things apply to every guy. Everyone needs to do something dynamic at least three times a week (walk or jog. And if you lift weights, they need to be weights you can breathe through. That means you don't have to clench your jaw just to make it through a set.

3. The risk of missing your heart meds. Pill bottles are designed with the dosage shown in large font for a reason. reason. Lapses in medication for even one day can cause serious problems like blood pressure shooting up. This is especially true for guys who have been treated for coronary artery disease. Try to stay on schedule as often as possible. If you miss more than two days of meds, call to your doctor to guarantee you're not at risk.

4. How to decode erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a strong marker of cardiovascular disease. It's usually vascularly related. But there's another side to the story. Certain drugs like beta-blockers (high blood-pressure medications) can cause ED. Be sure to ask your doctor if ED is a potential side effect before he writes you a prescription.

5. The minor misfortune of being male. You may be young and fit now, but the older you get the more your (few) vices come back to haunt you. A man in his sixties who has ever smoked in his life, even without any kind of symptoms, is at risk for developing an aneurism. Schedule an echocardiogram every 10 years to be sure your ticker has nothing to hide.

6. You can (and should) do something about high blood pressure. Doctors often deliver the news you have high blood pressure, but don't give any facts beyond that. So what are the facts? Taking someone from an elevated blood pressure to a normal blood pressure (119/79 mm HG or lower) has about a one in 11 chance of preventing stroke or heart attack. So one out of every eleven men treated for high blood pressure will completely avoid problems.

In addition to diet and exercise, treatment for hypertension (high blood pressure) usually involves medication. Talk to your doctor to learn more about your stage of high blood pressure or if you have other contributing medical problems.

The Savvy Way To Eat Out Right Pt.1

(BlackDoctor.org) -- If you’re trying to maintain a healthy diet, but still like to go out to restaurants now and then, eating healthy can sometimes be a challenge. While many restaurants now cater to health-conscious consumers, there are still those that may not.

How can the savvy restaurant customer eat well without thoroughly compromising their nutritional and dietary goals...and, of course, without sacrificing taste?

Watch Those Portions

In some restaurants---often the most expensive ones---meal portions are laughably small, so sometimes there’s nothing to worry about. However, in certain establishments, huge portions can cause the patron to actually eat more than he or she really wants to. Monitor portion sizes, take home a doggie bag if you need to, or split the meal, if possible. If they charge five dollars for two patrons to split a meal, it may be worth your while to do so.

Also, buffets are especially dangerous since we feel like we need to get “our money’s worth”. Eat sensibly, and make sure you’re eating because you’re still hungry - not just because you can eat more without paying extra!

Avoid the Extras

It is common practice for restaurants to put bread or crackers on the table when you first sit down. While this nice touch is always tempting, eating a few pieces of bread before a meal can add many needless carbohydrates and calories before the meal even begins. Instead, refuse the bread basket (or eat a single piece, then ask that the basket be taken away) and drink an entire glass of water before ordering. This curbs your appetite and helps you to hydrate before you eat.

Substitute, Substitute, Substitute

When perusing a restaurant menu, you can generally count on the fact that there will be foods included with your meal that you may not want to eat. While some menus may clearly state “no substitutions”, many kitchens will go out of their way to please customers, especially in these uncertain economic times. So, when the server comes to take your order, ask to substitute an extra serving of vegetables for the potato, or request brown rice instead of white rice. By substituting foods items, you can reduce your calorie-load significantly.

The Savvy Way To Eat Out Right Pt.2

To Drink or Not to Drink

Alcohol and restaurants tend to go hand in hand, but if you’re trying to eat right, alcohol-reduction is a good step to make. Mixed drinks, beer and wine all contain high quantities of carbs, sugar and calories, and controlling these temptations can drastically reduce the nutritional (and financial!) cost of the meal. Red wine and other alcohols do have cardio-protective properties, but a healthy moderate diet and plenty of exercise can be even better for the heart.

What About Dessert?

The final course is often where the rubber hits the road in terms of our ability to stick to our dietary guns. Dessert is almost always tempting when you’re out to eat, and there is no arguing against the pleasures of a cup of hot coffee and a sweet treat at the end of an enjoyable dining experience.

Luckily, many restaurants have separate dessert menus that the server will offer once your plates have been cleared, and although it’s fun to “just look” at the menu, chances are that you’ll give in and order something once you read the mouthwatering descriptions of the pastry chef’s latest offerings. The safer route? Don't look at the dessert menu, and simply have a cup of tea or coffee.

However, if dessert seems inevitable, try ordering one dessert and sharing with the person/people you're enjoying your meal with. If you're dining solo, ask if you can be served only half the dessert portion, while the second half is immediately wrapped up in a to-go box. This way, your sweet tooth can be satisfied without the risk of sugar overload.

My final secret about dessert: if you decide to go for it, just relax and enjoy it, and don’t consider feeling so guilty about indulging.

We All Do Our Best

Restaurant eating offers many challenges for the conscientious eater, and every meal offers another opportunity to make healthy choices. But while trying to eat as healthy as possible, it's also important to remember that indulgence is a part of life, particularly on special occasions. So, if you make some dietary missteps and veer off course, simply go back to the basics and start again. Life is meant to be enjoyable, and no one wants to always be suffering from a feeling of deprivation.

So, make the best choices you can, live with the consequences of those choices, and remember that there are always more opportunities to do even better next time.

New Poem!

This is in the upcoming book call "Don't Tell Me To Hush " (a.k.a. Yeah I said It! lol) another Collection of Poetry let me know what you think.

"As Long As You Let Me"

She painted her face with distance and insecurity, there she was a replica of two lives.....

In the daytime she was girl who was considered a dime but never gave any man the time of day.

With a look on her face as if to say "I'm on my grown women tip. So please peon step aside, no Mack Daddies are allowed in my circle"

Not many male friends and even less females ones.

She grew to be okay with being alone out in the open.

But underneath all the Mac make up and eye shadow, she wanted a friend, but and continued to keep people at more than a arms length away.

Saying I don't trust you as far as I can throw you and I don't hold dead weight.

Giving everybody a shoulder that's colder then December Alaska.

Painting the picture to where if you were on fire and she had a bottle of water she'd walk right past you.

Not even tossing you a drip, or giving you a tip to stop drop and roll.

Honestly man it hurts my soul.

To know that a least half of the women I know deal with one of these issues if not both.

Cause in the night time it get worse.

Cause she feels like she's not good enough to have a good man so she settles for trash.

True he may open the door for you, be to him you still just a piece of,

Ask me one more time what I see when I look at you, and I tell you the truth and you choose not to listen, I'm going to keep talking.

Beauty and brains, notice I said nothing about your body.

Because I am in love with your inward beauty not you outward beauty.

The insecurity you are dealing with if from external,

PLEASE stop looking in the mirror and comparing yourself you every other women on this earth.

The hardest thing to do is convince a women of her worth, But I will continue to try as long as you let me.

Jordan CP3.V By: Nice Kicks.com

The Emerge of the Point Guard is back finally a shoe with us in mind. Being 5’6” I think it’s safe to say my “Above the Rim” life style never really left the ground. I think this shoe is perfect because like it said it has cushion but not so much to where you feel like you will be able to jump out of the gym. These seem to be a good pick up.

Check out the entire Review Here:
http://www.nicekicks.com/2012/02/performance-review-jordan-cp3v-fly-around/