However, it can be easily improved through the combined effect of several factors. Good men’s health brings well-being to the individual, the family, and the relationship, and increases productivity and happiness. Testosterone level (T) has a major impact on men’s health. The T level affects:**
a) Muscle size and strength
b) Bone density
c) Mental health
d) Energy and performance
e) Sexual ability and desire
f) Fat metabolism and blood sugar level
g) Rate of aging – Higher T and better men’s health slow down aging.
A number of things can be done to slow down or even improve the decline in men’s health caused by age and environment:
1. SLEEP WELL
Maintain or develop good sleep habits. Even older people need 7 hours of good sleep or correspondingly more if the sleep quality is poorer. Sleep naked. If you sleep poorly in your own bed but well somewhere else, your bed may be in a geopathic stress zone. Change its location or ground the whole room with a 2 mm copper wire loop placed near the wall and connected to the ground.
2. MAINTAIN NORMAL WEIGHT
Maintain normal body weight. Excess fat in older men increases the level of the female hormone estrogen.
3. EXERCISE
Engage in various types of exercise at least 6 hours per week, of which strength training should be 1.5–2 hours. HIIT training is beneficial at least once a week. Especially in the pelvic area, the blood vessels and muscles must be in good condition.
4. TRAIN THE PELVIC FLOOR
Do conscious pelvic floor muscle tension exercises several times a week in 5–10 second tension cycles. First you need to “find” these muscles, possibly with the help of a physiotherapist.
5. CARE FOR BLOOD VESSELS
Cleanse blood vessels (the genital blood vessels are critical) with omega-3 oil, nattokinase and serrapeptase products. Beetroot juice and garlic, together with a plant-based diet, also have a cleansing effect.
6. REMOVE HARMFUL FOODS
Remove from your diet: tobacco, snus, alcohol (max. 1 sauna beer), processed meats, sweets, processed ready-meals, sweet pastries, sugary drinks and excessive bread (max. 3 slices/day). Do not eat soy or flaxseed as a man, due to natural estrogens. If you already drink coffee, drink it only in the mornings, as coffee worsens sleep and reduces cerebral blood flow, accelerating brain degeneration.
7. EAT PLENTY OF FIBER
Eat a lot of fiber (100 g), so the intestines function happily preferably twice per day, with healthy soft stool. (A slow intestine is inflamed and spreads inflammation into the pelvic area, including the genitals.) The best fiber and vitamin sources are unsweetened berries, seeds soaked overnight (chia, hemp), and fruits blended together.
8. ENSURE A GENEROUS INTAKE OF PROTEIN
Eat protein at about 1.5 g per kilogram of lean body weight when younger or of working age, 1.6–1.8 g during strength training, and around 2 g as a senior (over 60). Eat fat 40–50% of calories (1 g fat = 9 kcal). Avoid seed oils high in linoleic acid such as canola, sunflower, palm, soy, and peanut oil. Olive oil and butter are fine. Eat meat in moderation, as it raises blood sugar and inflammation.
9. HEALTH AND SUPPLEMENT PRODUCTS SUPPORTING MEN’S HEALTH
– Creatine 5 g/day (most important)
– Boron 6–10 mg
– Vitamin D 50–200 mcg/day (optimal body level 120–200 nmol/l)
– Zinc 20–30 mg
– Copper 2–3 mg = 10% of zinc amount (needed for long-term zinc absorption)
– Ashwagandha (Shoden ashwagandha is better) 60–120 mg
– Fenugreek 2 × 300 mg
– Tribulus terrestris herb 1000 mg (X-potens, tribulus)
– Maca root, L-carnitine 2 g
– Omega-3 2–4 g
– L-carnitine
– Phosphatidylserine 600–800 mg
– Magnesium 600–800 mg
10. USEFUL HERBS
Use herbs with beneficial effects on men’s health such as goldenrod, nettle, fireweed, roses, and horsetail.
11. HEALTHY SEAT FOR WORK AND CAR
Sitting on a regular chair most severely stops the vital fluid circulation in the pelvic floor, prostate and genitals. At work, sit on a rocking Salli chair with a centre gap set fully open. In the car, use a Salli Driver (also with a centre gap), and take its seat part with you to long meetings. Use it also when travelling on trains, buses and airplanes, as it folds neatly onto the suitcase handle.
12. CHOOSING TROUSERS
Avoid underwear entirely, or if impossible, use very thin and loose boxers. The optimal temperature for the testicles (which produce testosterone and sperm) is 33°C (maintained by four mechanisms), so in all clothing, movement and sitting, keep the testicles cool and uncompressed. For everyday clothing, the pelvic area should be cool, clothing completely non-restrictive and airy. The best clothing for a man is a sleeveless, loose overall that does not compress anywhere and is worn without underwear.
13. SEX
Sexually activate yourself at least 1–2 times per week, alone or with a partner.
14. USING ERECTION
When you have a typical “non-sexual erection” (e.g. in the morning), try to continue it by cyclically tensing the pelvic floor muscles and with mental imagery for several minutes. During this time testosterone production is higher and its production is enhanced. Touching the genitals during an erection also increases testosterone production and improves erection.
15. MASSAGE
Go for a full-body/oil massage 1–4 times per month, where in addition to sports/ muscle massage, the pelvic area is massaged pleasantly, slowly and energizingly. You must specifically request this type of massage. Excess talking during the massage weakens immersion, relaxation, bodily reactions, and the experience of imagery and emotion. It is beneficial if you find a masseur (also spouse or partner) who can provide physiologic genital massage, which is not a sexual service, does not lead to climax, and not necessarily to erection.
16. SWIM NAKED
Swim without swimwear whenever possible. Water flowing around the genitals improves testicular well-being.
17. SPEND TIME WITHOUT TROUSERS
Spend time at home wearing only a shirt — nothing on the lower body — so your genitals are freely in the air.
18. USE RED LIGHT
Red light therapy on the testicles can raise T levels.
19. KEEP PHONE AWAY FROM TESTICLES
Do not carry your phone with data on in pockets near the testicles.
20. GET LAB TESTS
Have your testosterone level and other sex hormone values tested. Annually, get a comprehensive men’s health laboratory panel, including active thyroid hormone (T3), which should be in the upper third of the reference range. Follow the development of hormone levels and try to correct weaker values with lifestyle changes.
21. TREAT THE PROSTATE
If PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) rises and the prostate enlarges, treatment must begin immediately. The above methods also help with these and significantly increase general vitality and energy. Prostate problems ruin sleep (repeated night-time urination) which accelerates aging and easily leads to prostate cancer.
22. AVOID STRESS
Avoid excessive stress through lifestyle adjustments and rationalizing work. Study this well. In the evenings, do relaxing activities to lower stress hormones (cortisol, adrenaline) before sleeping so they do not impair your sleep.
23. AVOID ENDOCRINE-DISRUPTING CHEMICALS (EDC)
Avoid products, foods, containers etc. that can expose you to EDC molecules. Bottled water is the worst. EDCs come from dozens of sources including processed food, cleaning, industrial and cosmetic chemicals, plastic food storage containers and bottles, packaging, and synthetic textiles worn against the skin. A clean “organic lifestyle” avoiding plastics and chemicals removes most of these. Read Vessi’s article on avoiding endocrine-disrupting chemicals at vessi.eu.
24. USE PROFESSIONALS IF NEEDED
If necessary, or to increase knowledge, consult a sex therapist, sexologist and, if needed, a urologist/surgeon specialized in male pelvic health.
25. USE ERECTILE MEDICATION IF NEEDED
Use erection-enhancing medication if needed, even in a relationship or solo sex, as functioning sex supports good men’s health and erection is beneficial for testosterone production.
26. WIFE AND FRIENDS TO SUPPORT SEXUAL HEALTH
Ask your close ones, regardless of gender, to read and adopt this protocol. With more awareness, they can help you maintain and improve this extremely important men’s health, and likewise you can help and support them. Encourage discussion about men’s and women’s health among your friends, as it contains interesting and meaningful information and experiences for everyone.
27. TESTOSTERONE MEDICATION AS A LAST RESORT
If the above list, when carefully followed for a few years, is still not enough, ask a urologist for a testosterone prescription — but this will unfortunately shut down your own testosterone production, so it should be the last resort.
Veli-Jussi Jalkanen
Preventive Health Expert
