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5 Men’s Health Misconceptions: Busted!

Do any of these sound familiar? As Certified Health Coaches, we see these common misconceptions keeping men from getting started or achieving optimum health. Let’s set the record straight!

“I Am Doomed to My Genetics”

Genetics can play a role in your health, but the most recent studies show that they don’t play as large of a role in chronic disease as once thought. If we eat the same way, stress the same way and live the same way as our parents, then we can be at risk for some of the same health issues, but that outcome certainly isn’t inevitable.

Your body uses nutrient intake to help tell your cells how to grow. If your body is receiving messages from live, whole foods filled with color and micronutrients, then it is going to move in a direction far different than if it receives information from processed, nutrient-void food. As Dr. Colin Campbell perfectly states: “Genetics are what loads the gun, but diet and lifestyle are what pull the trigger.”

Don’t let “it runs in my family” keep you from making the most of your health.

“I Have to Give Up All My Favorite Foods to Be Healthy”

This is a big one. Food is a great pleasure for so many men, and we tend to resist dietary changes since some of our favorite foods are deemed unhealthy.

In our coaching practice, we encourage men to think differently:

  • Instead of focusing on eliminating foods from your diet, start focusing on the great stuff you’re adding. Start with salads, green vegetables, and fresh-pressed juices. Focus on eating more good stuff and your French fry cravings will begin to subside.
  • Choose higher quality foods. If you are having trouble passing up burgers or pizza, try choosing organic options, grass-fed proteins, and higher-quality ingredients. You’ll add nutritional value while also training your brain to crave quality, not quantity.

 “I Need to Spend All My Time in the Gym”

The short answer to this is “no you don’t!” Getting your diet up to a higher standard has a more profound effect on your health than exercise. The ratio is about 80/20 (nutrition to exercise) when it comes to optimal health.

While that means you don’t need to spend hours in the gym, it also means that lots of exercise really won’t cancel out a poor diet. Just find an activity you enjoy and be consistent about it.

“I’m Getting Older, So I Need the Blue Pill”

In our practice, when we see our male clients clean up their diets, their energy skyrockets, their libido improves or actually comes back altogether. They feel stronger and more youthful.

Your body is made up of raw material that runs on the information that you give it consistently. And when you fuel yourself with real, whole foods, your body gets the message. Your energy improves, along with your sex life.

“I Can Worry About My Health When I Am Older”

As we’ve mentioned, your body runs on consistent information. What you do today and each day is critical for your future. Too many of us are putting our heads down and plowing through life, work, and responsibilities only to look up one day to realize that we have forfeited our health along the way.

Try making small, consistent shifts every day that will build over time. Start today and making healthful decisions will become part of your daily routine.