Americans today are living life on the fast track. Most of the internet searches are for fast or easy weight loss. While most of the information is geared towards women, men are also interested and in need of health and fitness tips.Men have the advantage where they can lose weight much easier than women. There are many different health and fitness programs out there for men. Yoga and Pilates are not just for women anymore. There are exercise videos that focus on Yoga and Pilates for Men. There are different types of home exercise equipment that are low cost and easy to use. You just need to have the motivation to follow through with your plans for a healthier life.Heart Disease, Diabetes, prostate cancer, and other health issues are a rising concern for men. These reasons can and should be a good source of motivation for men today. Men can follow these health and fitness tips to lose weight and get healthy and fit.Starting out the day with a healthy breakfast helps to kick start metabolism and keeps blood sugar levels even. It also gives a person more energy. When a man eats breakfast, he is less likely to eat larger portions of unhealthy food later in the day. Eating plenty of fiber rich foods is important to fill up and feel satisfied between meals. Try to eat whole grains – whole wheat bread, potatoes, and brown rice, instead of white bread, white rice, and pastas – that are simple starches and turn right into sugar. The whole grains take longer to digest and can assist with maintaining lean muscle tissue.Men are able to eat larger portions of protein than women. They should still concentrate on eating lean proteins such as chicken, turkey, and fish on a daily basis instead of red meat. They should also make sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables.Men can also benefit from portion control and watching their portion sizes. Eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day as opposed to eating the three traditional square meals a day really does help to keep the metabolism running smoothly and helps to build lean muscle tissue.The best way to lose weight is with a combination of cardio, strength training and a healthy diet. But, the cornerstone of most weight loss programs is cardio. Exercising on a daily basis is a good way to get in shape and boost metabolism. Many men are concerned about building muscle and may only concentrate on strength training. Cardio is necessary in any fitness program because:1) It helps you burn more calories in one sitting. Getting your heart rate up means your blood is pumping, you’re breathing hard, you’re sweating and burning calories.2) With many cardio exercises, you can burn 100 to 500 calories depending on how hard you work, how long you exercise and how much you weigh.3) Burning calories with exercise means you don’t have to cut as many calories from your diet.4) You can do cardio exercise most days of the week without worrying about injury or over training.Nutritional supplements can be used in conjunction with eating healthy foods and exercise to build lean muscle. There are many supplements out there designed especially for men and their unique health and fitness needs. They are not meant to be a shortcut to weight change, and taking too much of any one supplement can pose serious health risks. The good news is that average person is unlikely to take so much of a nutrient that they run into trouble. But it’s always wise to check in with a doctor before you start using a supplement regularly. And that’s definitely true if you’re using any supplement in high doses or for prolonged periods of time.It is very important that you keep yourself hydrated during any strenuous activity. Sports drinks like Gatorade, Powerade, and All Sport can give you a needed energy boost during your activity. They are designed to rapidly replace fluids and to increase the sugar (glucose) circulating in your blood. Energy Drinks can help boost your energy, but many use sugar and caffeine as their active ingredients used as stimulants. In fact, excessive use of energy drinks can cause symptoms such as upset stomach, leg weakness, heart palpitations, being jittery, nervousness, and more. Drink these energy drinks on an empty stomach and the effects can be magnified. Never underestimate the power of drinking water and making sure to get at least 6-8 glasses a day.

Dalai Lama: “Man surprised me most about humanity. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health… “You get your car tuned-up every year. Why wouldn’t you get an annual medical check-up as well? An annual health check-up or periodic health check is useful as it can help to detect and identify diseases or the warning signs of an impending disease very early. This makes treatment a lot more effective, less expensive and less invasive. In addition to detecting such diseases before a patient turns seriously ill, such periodic check ups also give you a detailed update on various health parameters like cholesterol levels, blood sugar levels, blood pressure and body weight. This helps to gauge your overall health and it enables health care providers to assess health risks and advise you on lifestyle on dietary measures to counter such risks.Benefits of an annual health check upThere are several advantages of a regular complete body health check up with a doctor. One of the most important benefits is the prevention of disease. Preventive health checks are important especially for individuals with risk factors for different health conditions. A master health check up can also aid in the early detection and treatment of a health problem, which is valuable especially in cases of cancer. The examinations and laboratory tests that will be done during a health check up vary depending on an individual’s age, sex, family history, and lifestyle. Health check ups also promote better patient-doctor relationships and allow the doctor to promote healthy habits through patient education.Composition of a regular health check-upBesides an overall physical examination, which includes the eyes and teeth, a standard health check up is meant to assess the functioning of the heart, lungs, digestive system, liver, kidneys and, immune system status. Sometimes certain cancer-specific tests like PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) for men and mammography and some gynecological examinations in women are also included.A body health check up primarily comprise pathology (blood and urine), imaging (x-ray and ultra-sonography), lungs function test and cardiac stress test. These tests should ideally be carried out in an accredited laboratory or a hospital which is equipped with the best diagnostic tools. It is very important that the results of these tests be interpreted and examined by qualified physicians.Common investigations in a regular health check upA regular health check up will comprise of the following investigations:1. General Physical Examination (body weight, blood pressure, pulse rate, etc.)2. Laboratory investigations:a) Complete Haemogram: It is a panel of tests to examine different components of blood and used as broad screening test for such disorders as anemia, infection, and many other diseases.b) Lipid Profile: Used to assess the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases.c) Liver Function Test: Used to assess the functioning of the liver or diagnose liver diseases.d) Kidney Function Test: Used to evaluate how well the kidneys are functioning.e) Blood Sugar: Used to measure blood glucose for checking pre-diabetes and diabetes.f) Chest X-ray: Used to examine the chest and the organs and structures located in the chest.g) ECG/Treadmill Test: Used as a diagnostic tool to measure the rate and regularity of heartbeats and for assessing cardiac stress.h) Ultrasonography of the abdomen: Diagnostic imaging technique used for visualizing organs and structures in the abdomen including the liver, gall bladder, spleen, pancreas and the kidneys.i) Urine Routine Examination: Used for general evaluation of health, metabolic or systematic diseases.Getting the right type of body health check up is important and while considering it, certain factors like age, lifestyle, family history, and risks should be taken into account. Regular health examinations and tests help detect problems before they start. Opting for a right health check up, screenings, and treatments means one is taking steps to help one live longer and healthier life.If nothing else, it gives important information about one’s body to ensure peace of mind and to make lifestyle adjustments. Even the most basic body health check up can identify underlying illnesses. An illness picked up in the early stages is, after all, far easier to cure.