The Art of Prostate Maintenance
When I was in high school I worked with my dad in his auto mechanics shop. I learned how to do oil changes, tire rotations, tune-ups and minor brake repairs. I enjoyed taking care of cars and optimizing their performance. The best part of that job was when new customers would be so impressed with our work that they would convert themselves into repeat customers. It was nice seeing the same customers month after month trusting us with their family cars. Now that I’m in my early 40’s and with a family history of prostate cancer, I continually apply the same principles of taking care of my prostate health that I learned as a teenager working on cars. My body is my vehicle that I use to get from place to place so my main focus is keeping my body finely tuned at all times. A fine-tuned body is the result of getting enough rest, eating properly and working out on a routine basis. I like to refer to this as the “Sleep, Diet and Exercise Pyramid” with my body and mind sitting right in the middle.
Sleep - In my opinion, getting enough sleep is the single most important activity your body needs to remain healthy. My recommendation is getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night. Unfortunately, men who suffer from an enlarged prostate will not get the requisite amount of daily sleep due to waking up several times a night having to urinate. The location of the prostate at the neck of the urethra is what makes it such a nuisance as it grows over time. As it grows, the prostate tends to squeeze the urethra making it difficult to urinate and nearly impossible to fully empty the bladder resulting in frequent urination. When your body is sleeping it’s in “repair mode” getting ready for the next big day. If you’re frequently waking up at night to urinate then this repair process is constantly being disrupted and it’s as if your body is constantly running on all cylinders. Eventually, your body will let you know when it’s had enough and will beg you to alter your ways so that it can recharge. Some men will start taking sleeping pills to get more rest but getting addicted to pills is far from a positive solution. What I recommend is a complete lifestyle change that will provide you with plenty of daily rest for a healthier body and a lifelong solution. This change in lifestyle starts with you setting a daily routine and sticking to it. Begin by scheduling your day to include going to bed at a certain time and waking up 8 hours later. This is easier said than done until you incorporate diet into your routine.
Diet – “You are what you eat” is what I heard as a young child and for more than 4 decades that statement has been at the helm of my thinking. Eating crappy foods makes you feel crappy. This statement is so obvious but ignored so often that crappy food makes it to your stomach faster than a well-balanced meal.Would you purposely put bad fuel in your car knowing that it is not only going to make your car run poorly but could also damage the motor? Remember these two facts of food next time you eatjunk food:
1. Food is a fuel.
2.Food is a drug.
I recommend eating 5 times a day starting with breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and then a late snack prior to going to bed. Additionally, I recommend eating rich prostate foods like cruciferous vegetables and lycopene during your 3 main meals. Drinking plenty of water every day and staying away from soft drinks should also be part of your daily routine. I do not rule out caffeine, red wine or beerbut I do suggest drinking them in moderation. Later on I will share with you what I recommend following to help resolve symptoms of an enlarged prostate but for now I’ll complete the pyramid and talk about exercise.
Exercise– Depending on your circumstance, it may be difficult or nearly impossible to exercise but do what you can to burn at a minimum of 300 calories/day at least 5 times/week. When I was younger, I would go jogging 3-5 times a week but I changed my mind about jogging when I started getting lower back and knee problems. I purchased an elliptical machine and programmed it at the correct level to burn 300 calories after 30 minutes of exercise. I use the elliptical machine at least 3 times/week and either go swimming, walking or lifting weights on the other days. Getting exercise allows your body to release endorphins making you feel better and providing you with more energy. Imagine leaving your car in the garage for weeks, months or years on end and then trying to start it up. My guess would be that after so long the liquids would settle, the battery may drain, and you may get it to start but it would not be running as optimally as it would had you been driving it every day.
If you have symptoms of an enlarged prostate including frequent urination, weak urine flow, insomnia due to waking up several times a night to relieve your bladder, sexual problems etc. then my“Sleep, Diet, and Exercise Pyramid”routine is what I recommend you start doing today. However, if you have already been diagnosed with prostate cancer or have other health problems then I suggest that you talk with your doctor before starting this routine. Lastly, I cannot guarantee that this routine will solve your prostate problems but I’m fairly confident that you will notice a difference in your health. This routine is so simple and very repetitive that your body will notice a difference in the very first week. I have worked extremely hard at fine-tuning this routine and what it boils down to is following a simple schedule day after day. The following is my daily routine:
0600 – Wakeup
0600-0700 – Workout (30 minutes on the elliptical, swim, bike, lift weights, walk– 45minutes, etc.)
0700 – Breakfast (3 egg-white omelet made with extra virgin olive oil, no cheese, cruciferous vegetables from the frozen isle, tomatoes, small portion of turkey sausage, 1 slice of rye or multi-grain toast lightly buttered, glass of skim milk and a cup of coffee) I also take my fish oil, multi-vitamin, baby aspirin and prostate supplement (Join my blog and I’ll give you a list of my favorites)
1100-1200 – Lunch (Salad loaded with cruciferous vegetable and tomatoes, and sliced grilled chicken, fish or lean red meat with at least 24 fluid ounces of water)
1600 – Afternoon Snack (spoonful of cottage cheese with a couple slices of turkey or a protein bar-low sugar and 8 ounces of water)
1800 – Dinner (Steamed cruciferous vegetables with sliced grilled chicken, fish or lean red meat with at least 16 fluid ounces of water and a glass of wine, beer, or champagne)
2130 – Late night Snack (spoonful of cottage cheese with a couple slices of turkey or a protein bar-low sugar and 8 ounces of water)
2200 – Go to sleep (Do not drink any liquids after your late night snack)
It was a challenge when I first started this routine because I wasn’t use to having a defined schedule but I was determined to defeat my prostate problems. With very few exceptions, I always follow the above routine (7 days/week) and I have found it works best for me. I now sleep through the night and have a much stronger urine flow and have a lot more energy to boot. This may be difficult to follow depending on your work schedule or eating/drinking habits but if you are sick and tired of urinating all the time then this routine is for you. You may need to alter my routine a bit but do your best to adapt a routine that works for you and remember that repetition is the key to success. Here are 3 tips I strongly recommend to help you be successful with this routine:
1. Regardless of temptations do not eat anything outside of this routine. This will be difficult at first but believe me it gets much easier the longer you stick with it.
2. Stay away from sugars including soft drinks, candy, etc.
3. Be completely honest with yourself and don’t cheat on this routine – in other words slap yourself with reality because if you’re anything like me then this will be your biggest challenge!
I started this routine about 4 years ago and within the first month I lost about 10 lbs, my cholesterol went from 240 to 180, triglycerides went from 202 to 95 and I looked and felt great. Now that I’m a little older and wiser my only regret is that I didn’t start this routine sooner. I wish you the best and please visit my blog at http://www.prostatefoods.comto share your stories.
Sleep - In my opinion, getting enough sleep is the single most important activity your body needs to remain healthy. My recommendation is getting at least 8 hours of sleep a night. Unfortunately, men who suffer from an enlarged prostate will not get the requisite amount of daily sleep due to waking up several times a night having to urinate. The location of the prostate at the neck of the urethra is what makes it such a nuisance as it grows over time. As it grows, the prostate tends to squeeze the urethra making it difficult to urinate and nearly impossible to fully empty the bladder resulting in frequent urination. When your body is sleeping it’s in “repair mode” getting ready for the next big day. If you’re frequently waking up at night to urinate then this repair process is constantly being disrupted and it’s as if your body is constantly running on all cylinders. Eventually, your body will let you know when it’s had enough and will beg you to alter your ways so that it can recharge. Some men will start taking sleeping pills to get more rest but getting addicted to pills is far from a positive solution. What I recommend is a complete lifestyle change that will provide you with plenty of daily rest for a healthier body and a lifelong solution. This change in lifestyle starts with you setting a daily routine and sticking to it. Begin by scheduling your day to include going to bed at a certain time and waking up 8 hours later. This is easier said than done until you incorporate diet into your routine.
Diet – “You are what you eat” is what I heard as a young child and for more than 4 decades that statement has been at the helm of my thinking. Eating crappy foods makes you feel crappy. This statement is so obvious but ignored so often that crappy food makes it to your stomach faster than a well-balanced meal.Would you purposely put bad fuel in your car knowing that it is not only going to make your car run poorly but could also damage the motor? Remember these two facts of food next time you eatjunk food:
1. Food is a fuel.
2.Food is a drug.
I recommend eating 5 times a day starting with breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and then a late snack prior to going to bed. Additionally, I recommend eating rich prostate foods like cruciferous vegetables and lycopene during your 3 main meals. Drinking plenty of water every day and staying away from soft drinks should also be part of your daily routine. I do not rule out caffeine, red wine or beerbut I do suggest drinking them in moderation. Later on I will share with you what I recommend following to help resolve symptoms of an enlarged prostate but for now I’ll complete the pyramid and talk about exercise.
Exercise– Depending on your circumstance, it may be difficult or nearly impossible to exercise but do what you can to burn at a minimum of 300 calories/day at least 5 times/week. When I was younger, I would go jogging 3-5 times a week but I changed my mind about jogging when I started getting lower back and knee problems. I purchased an elliptical machine and programmed it at the correct level to burn 300 calories after 30 minutes of exercise. I use the elliptical machine at least 3 times/week and either go swimming, walking or lifting weights on the other days. Getting exercise allows your body to release endorphins making you feel better and providing you with more energy. Imagine leaving your car in the garage for weeks, months or years on end and then trying to start it up. My guess would be that after so long the liquids would settle, the battery may drain, and you may get it to start but it would not be running as optimally as it would had you been driving it every day.
If you have symptoms of an enlarged prostate including frequent urination, weak urine flow, insomnia due to waking up several times a night to relieve your bladder, sexual problems etc. then my“Sleep, Diet, and Exercise Pyramid”routine is what I recommend you start doing today. However, if you have already been diagnosed with prostate cancer or have other health problems then I suggest that you talk with your doctor before starting this routine. Lastly, I cannot guarantee that this routine will solve your prostate problems but I’m fairly confident that you will notice a difference in your health. This routine is so simple and very repetitive that your body will notice a difference in the very first week. I have worked extremely hard at fine-tuning this routine and what it boils down to is following a simple schedule day after day. The following is my daily routine:
0600 – Wakeup
0600-0700 – Workout (30 minutes on the elliptical, swim, bike, lift weights, walk– 45minutes, etc.)
0700 – Breakfast (3 egg-white omelet made with extra virgin olive oil, no cheese, cruciferous vegetables from the frozen isle, tomatoes, small portion of turkey sausage, 1 slice of rye or multi-grain toast lightly buttered, glass of skim milk and a cup of coffee) I also take my fish oil, multi-vitamin, baby aspirin and prostate supplement (Join my blog and I’ll give you a list of my favorites)
1100-1200 – Lunch (Salad loaded with cruciferous vegetable and tomatoes, and sliced grilled chicken, fish or lean red meat with at least 24 fluid ounces of water)
1600 – Afternoon Snack (spoonful of cottage cheese with a couple slices of turkey or a protein bar-low sugar and 8 ounces of water)
1800 – Dinner (Steamed cruciferous vegetables with sliced grilled chicken, fish or lean red meat with at least 16 fluid ounces of water and a glass of wine, beer, or champagne)
2130 – Late night Snack (spoonful of cottage cheese with a couple slices of turkey or a protein bar-low sugar and 8 ounces of water)
2200 – Go to sleep (Do not drink any liquids after your late night snack)
It was a challenge when I first started this routine because I wasn’t use to having a defined schedule but I was determined to defeat my prostate problems. With very few exceptions, I always follow the above routine (7 days/week) and I have found it works best for me. I now sleep through the night and have a much stronger urine flow and have a lot more energy to boot. This may be difficult to follow depending on your work schedule or eating/drinking habits but if you are sick and tired of urinating all the time then this routine is for you. You may need to alter my routine a bit but do your best to adapt a routine that works for you and remember that repetition is the key to success. Here are 3 tips I strongly recommend to help you be successful with this routine:
1. Regardless of temptations do not eat anything outside of this routine. This will be difficult at first but believe me it gets much easier the longer you stick with it.
2. Stay away from sugars including soft drinks, candy, etc.
3. Be completely honest with yourself and don’t cheat on this routine – in other words slap yourself with reality because if you’re anything like me then this will be your biggest challenge!
I started this routine about 4 years ago and within the first month I lost about 10 lbs, my cholesterol went from 240 to 180, triglycerides went from 202 to 95 and I looked and felt great. Now that I’m a little older and wiser my only regret is that I didn’t start this routine sooner. I wish you the best and please visit my blog at http://www.prostatefoods.comto share your stories.
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