Welcome June! The month with the longest daylight hours of the year, the rise of the strawberry moon and the last Full Moon of spring. June is the month we honor our fathers on Father's Day and celebrate “Men’s Health Month”. This year Fathers Day is on June 20th, the same day as summer solstice and the longest day of the year. Father’s Day celebrates the contribution that fathers and father figures make for their children's lives. We all know that it is common for men to avoid the doctor until they become sick, injured or are faced with a serious health problem and the majority of men will postpone seeking care for days to see whether they can heal on their own, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" kind of thinking. Postponed care can prematurely encourage onset of diseases such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and depression. Men also face unique issues such as prostate cancer and benign prostate enlargement that require regular follow-up. Routine checkups and screening tests can spot disease early when it is easiest to treat.
A March 2018 report showed that the life expectancy for men in the United States is currently 78.8 years which is significantly lower than the life expectancy range of our peer countries which is between 80.7 and 83.9 years. If you look across the globe to the regions that have the highest life span you will find that the residents all have similar lifestyle habits. The best-selling book, “The Blue Zone”, written by Dan Buettner looks at these countries up-close. Dan traveled to five areas throughout the world as part of a large anthropologic and demographic project and studied people who are most likely to live past their 100th birthday. As he traveled the world he marked these special areas on a map with a blue pen, thus giving the name “Blue Zone” to his book. Lifestyle characteristics such as family coherence, avoidance of smoking, plant-based diets, moderate and daily physical activity, social engagement, and a focus on people of all ages engaging socially and actively are common in the Blue Zone.
The five blue zones where the longest-living people on earth live are:
1. Sardinia, Italy
2. Ikaria, Greece
3. Okinawa, Japan
4. Nicoya, Costa Rica
5. Loma Linda, California (an area where the religious group known as the Seventh-day Adventists live)
Buettner cautions that if you live the average U.S. lifestyle with a diet high in processed food and a schedule packed with responsibilities leaving little time for exercising or relaxing you might not ever reach your potential maximum life span and could be shortening your life by as much as a decade.
June is a perfect time of the year to show the men in our lives we care by encouraging them to have regular check-ups and inspire them to make lifestyle changes that will not only improve the quality of their life but possibly also add years to it.
At Vibrant Skin Bar we regularly see men for services such as CoolTone, Brotox, volume replacement injectables and anti-aging and acne facial treatments. We also offer a whole body approach with our “clinic within a clinic”, Vibrant Vitality Clinic. At Vibrant Vitality Clinic licensed medical practitioners restore and optimize hormones with blood work, nutraceuticals and prescription medications to maintain a healthy balance and encourage lifelong wellness. When the men in our lives take care of themselves it not only benefits them but also encourages those around them to flourish. Happy Father’s Day to all the men contributing to the children of the world, we wish you health, vitality and happiness.
Vibrant Skin Bar
