Each year, the week leading up to Father’s Day is designated National Men’s Health Week. As part of this year’s observance, from June 13-19, Dr. Carl Hastings, Reliv International’s chief scientific officer, suggests that men embrace the message of this annual awareness campaign and give their families a special Father’s Day gift: adopting a healthier, more proactive attitude toward their health.

“There is no better way to show your love and concern for your family and friends,” said Hastings, “than by taking action now to help stop preventable diseases from developing and taking steps to keep your body and mind in peak condition.”

The statistics surrounding men’s health problems are sobering. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), men die at higher rates of the top 10 causes of death, including heart disease, cancer and stroke, and have an average life expectancy at birth of only 75.3 years as opposed to a woman’s 80.4 years.

The good news, according to Hastings, is that men can take steps to ramp up their health defenses:

• Regular check-ups and age-appropriate screening tests are the first defense against preventable illness and disease. The Men’s Health Network provides its Men’s Health Checklist health maintenance schedule at www.getitchecked.com.

• Plenty of exercise and a diet low in saturated fat, combined with an optional supplementation program with plant-based compounds known as phytosterols, can help control high cholesterol, a leading cause of heart disease.

• While genetic factors also play a key role, a diet high in vegetables, fruits and whole grains, combined with an optional supplementation program that includes Vitamin E and selenium, can provide protection against one of the most common cancers to inflict American men: prostate cancer.

• Maintaining a healthy weight and adding certain can help control blood-sugar levels and lessen the chances of developing diabetes.

• Controlling chronic stress can reduce the risk of obesity and heart disease and can help avoid behaviors that may raise the risk of cancer.

Reliv International offers essential daily nutrition and weight loss supplements. For more information about the Reliv International business in the Brentwood area, call Julie Moeller at 925-634-9110 or e-mail jdreliv@gmail.com.