Alkaline water, celery juice, kale, spirulina, green powders, broccoli, tart cherry juice, CBD. . . these are all things that the media has told us will change the course of our health, just in the last ten years.
And while all those things are great, no one thing is going to change your health on its own. True health is achieved through a combination of factors, both by increasing your good habits and letting go of the bad.
If you’re tired of the miracle cure articles and what to know some benchmarks that clinically insinuate if you’re a healthy male or female, read below.
Clinical Benchmarks: The Real Measure of Health
There’s a reason that you go through the same range of tests when you check into the doctors, no matter what kind of doctor you go to. Those are called your vital signs and they can tell us a lot about your baseline level of health.
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Your Blood Pressure
High blood pressure is caused by anything from too much sodium and caffeine, to dangerous buildups in your arteries. Next time your doctor puts your arm in a cuff, ask them to truly explain the results.
Generally, your top number should be less than 120 and your bottom number should be less than 80.
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Your Body Composition
Notice that we didn’t say BMI here. Your body mass index, or BMI, is a number found from a calculation that a non-medical person made up in the 1800s to sell insurance. Truly.
Body composition, however, is a much better tool. It tells you what your body fat percentage is vs your muscle percentage, as well as how much water you’re holding in your body. The more muscle and the less fat you have, the better*.
*Only to a certain point, we need a good amount of body fat to survive.
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Testosterone Levels
As we age, our testosterone levels drop. That’s to be expected – you don’t need as much T from an evolutionary standard when you’re not trying to repopulate.
But, there are cases where your T drops too much or too fast and it can affect your energy. If you haven’t felt like yourself lately but you cant’ pinpoint it, talk to your doctor about a Testosterone level test.
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Joint Pain
At some point, we all get aches and pains. It’s a part of growing older and for many of us, from sports, we played when we were younger.
But there’s a difference between joint pain, nerve pain, and arthritis. If you think your aches are caused by nerves, you need to ask your doctor about stem cell treatment. Does it work? Depends on the situation.
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Sleep Quality
One of the best overall markers of your general health is how well you’re sleeping and thankfully, it’s super easy to track. Fitbits, Apple watches, and the like can tell you about your sleep quality and give you suggestions to improve it.
Those devices are a great investment in your health.
Indications of a Healthy Male
If you can check off four out of the five vital signs above, you’re doing better than most of the population. To bring yourself up to pace on all five, work with your doctor and medical team.
They’re here to make you the most healthy male you can be! For more health tips that make a difference, follow our blog.
