Men and their ‘Manopause’

You’ve heard of 'menopause'-that stage in a woman’s life when her sex hormone levels begin to decline, ultimately leading to the cessation of her monthly period. The term ‘manopause’ or andropause, however, is used to describe the correlating condition in aging males.

Symptoms of ‘manopause’ include:

• A reduced libido… sexual thoughts/desire/drive
• Trouble achieving/maintaining an erection
• A decrease in energy levels
• Mood changes/mood swings
• Loss of muscle mass and bone density
• Reduction in cognitive function

Chronic stress and a nutritionally deficient diet can inhibit the production of the male hormone testosterone. This hormone plays a vital role in male health. It impacts cardiovascular health, sexual health, total body composition, cognitive function, and mood. Men need to take care of their protein, essential fatty acids, zinc and selenium intake to provide the necessary building blocks for testosterone production. They should also try various methods to keep stress levels minimal because the ingredients needed for testosterone production are also used to produce the stress hormone cortisol. A highly stressed male body will make more cortisol and lesser testosterone.

What can you do to delay the onset of ‘manopause’?

• Eat a balanced diet rich in antioxidants, minerals and essential fatty acids to provide all of the building blocks for healthy testosterone production.
• Maintain a healthy body composition, keep body fat levels down to reduce the conversion of testosterone to the female hormone estrogen.
• Decrease sugar and alcohol consumption.
• Manage stress effectively. 
• Ensure good quality sleep to regulate cortisol production, which is crucial for maintaining healthy testosterone levels as you age.               

Most of the older couples who consult us take time to come to terms with manopause and menopause. Even if the more superficial aspects of testosterone deficiency are not of concern, the role that testosterone plays in wellness and aging means that all men who wish to live a long and healthy life should be looking to support their testosterone levels in a natural, holistic manner. So if you are feeling fatigued or cranky, your mojo isn’t wasn’t it used to be or you notice that you are losing muscle mass, chances are that your testosterone levels are on the decline. Please consult a qualified dietician/clinical nutritionist to address manopause scientifically.

Stay blessed with good health…always!!!

Warm regards,

Charmaine D’Souza.

Listen To Your Body

New and contradictory findings in the field of nutrition, health, and wellness can be puzzling and overwhelming! Veganism is in! NO, it’s not! Coffee is good! Coffee is bad. Keto diets are a blessing! Yes, but what about keto flu, libido changes, bone density changes and the fact that in medicine, a keto diet is primarily used to treat epilepsy in children? Red wine is healthy. No, it’s not! The truth is that science is constantly evolving and things are rarely black and white.

The fact that there are so many unqualified people dishing out ‘gems’ of nutritional advice for free, makes the process of knowing what foods, diets, and health plans are the right ones even more difficult. These quacks have no real education in nutrition and health. They simply collate random bits of information from the internet, put it together and come up with skewed and absurd versions of scientific facts.

The best way to choose which plan is working for you is by listening to your own body....so that you do not have to hear it scream! By paying attention to what your body is trying to tell you, you will be able to find the right path to good health. Keep a record of what you feel when you eat certain foods. Is your dietary regimen making you feel lethargic and bloated, unable to clear properly, dull and listless? Or are you feeling light, happy, energised, with improved digestion and physical and mental satiety?

Just as in life, nutrition is all about balance and any extreme diet will never work in the long run….for anyone. Also, a regimen that works very well for your friend may not work at all for you. The blood type diet/Paleo diet/macrobiotic diet may have worked for you in the past, but currently, the vegan diet/ Zone diet/ intermittent fasting is keeping you healthy…so listen to your body and follow your gut.

Do your due diligence by researching the nutritional benefits of the new foods you are incorporating into your daily meal plan. Seek the guidance of a qualified dietician /nutritionist if you have a health issue. She will help you sort out good science from nonsense. More importantly, she will never sell you supplements, pills and portions…..although she may share the recipe to a spice mix which you can make at home ;-)

Stay curious, stay true, stay healthy, stay you!!! 

Stay blessed with good health…always!!!

Warm regards,

Charmaine D’Souza.