Men’s Health
by Vera Tweed
Handbook
Expert Advice for the Male Physique
We asked top integrative physicians who specialize in heart health, sexual
wellness and prostate protection to share their best natural healing tips for men.
Here’s what they have to say.
Dr. Stephen Sinatra is a cardiologist specializing
in preventive medicine for more than 20 years.
He has authored numerous books on natural health,
including Reverse Heart Disease Now, and is
co-author of Sugar Shock!
Building a Strong Foundation
When asked about the key to staying healthy, Sinatra doesn’t
hesitate: “The most important things are staying trim and eating
a diet that is not inflammatory, which means staying away from
sugars.” By sugars, he doesn’t just mean what’s on the dessert
menu or the white stuff you may put in your coffee. Beer, wine
and all alcoholic drinks, breads, bagels, crackers and pastas are
all sources of concentrated sugar, as far as the body is concerned;
they all disrupt the network of hormones that determines whether
or not you like what you see in the mirror. Controlling your sugar
intake, advises Sinatra, is the most important thing you can do
nutritionally to stay out of intensive care down the road.
Testosterone, insulin, adrenal and thyroid hormones are some
of the key players that determine the health of your heart, the size
of your waistline and your ability to function well in the board-
room, as well as the bedroom. “We used to think these hormones
were all individual players,” remarks Sinatra. “They’re not. They
work collectively.”
Although the interplay of hormones is complex, there is a
simple underlying principle: When levels of one are suboptimal,
the others also suffer. Sinatra says the answer to the riddle lies in
weight control; not by following fad diets, but by understanding
a few key cause-and-effect relationships and acting accordingly.
Insulin: This hormone holds a key to body weight, diabetes risk,
heart disease and other conditions. Here’s how it works: When
you eat, food is converted to blood sugar, or glucose. The pan-
creas then produces insulin to deliver the glucose to cells to be
used as energy. High-sugar foods and drinks lead to skyrocketing
glucose levels, which shift insulin production into high gear. When
16 Northern & Central New Mexico
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