Men’s Health – It’s Movember

Movember was created to raise awareness and funding for men’s health issues globally. 

In 2003, two friends having a drink in a bar in Australia decided to bring the Mo (moustache) back and link its display to men’s health issues. Since then, they have funded more than 1,250 men’s health projects internationally. 

Men die an average of six years earlier than women and largely for preventable reasons, based upon their reduced tendency to talk about their problems, both mental and physical. 

Movember state one of their main goals as reducing the number of men dying prematurely by 25% by 2030. Some of the main issues the movement tackles to achieve this include depression, suicide, prostate cancer and testicular cancer. Across the world, one man dies by suicide every minute of every day and men account for 75% of all suicides.

Some of the methods Movember uses to initiate change include giving men the facts, changing behaviour, creating services that work for men, uniting bright minds, listening to their community and advocating for men.

Some of the ways you can get involved with and raise some money for Movember include:

• Grow a moustache – this is the original activity associated with the Movember movement and is now recognised as a way that men raise funds for it
• Get moving – walking 60km over the month is suggested as this represents the 60 men we lose to suicide every hour, worldwide
• Host a Mo-ment – arrange a gathering to have some fun in whatever feels good for the group, whilst raising money for men’s health 
• Mo your own way – anything that feels right to the individual – a personal physical challenge or something more lighthearted

To find out more about Movember, visit the website at https://uk.movember.com

What to do daily to support your (or your man’s) health

Whilst Movember is a great idea and has done a wonderful job of raising awareness of and talking about men’s health, there are some simple things that you can consider to support your health daily if you are a man or if you live with or look after one or more men (or boys).

1. Talk to someone, anyone – if you are feeling low or have physical symptoms, talk to a friend, partner, colleague or health professional. Don’t let it get out of hand.
2. Join groups of like-minded people – for exercise, church, volunteering or simply playing cards.
3. Eat a diet that includes good amounts of protein and saturated fat – despite what we are told, saturated fats are important for the health of all our cells and particularly brain health.
4. Eat lots of vegetables to support gut health and provide vital vitamins and minerals – aim for 10 different vegetables every day.
5. Avoid sugar and processed foods as much as possible as they contribute to erratic blood sugar which can affect our mood. 
6. Reduce or avoid alcohol consumption and any recreational drugs – whilst they might make us feel better in the short term, they can impact sleep and affect our mood through impacting neurotransmitter production in our body.
7. Exercise for around 30 minutes EVERY DAY – the positive impact on both health and mood cannot be underestimated.
8. Aim to get around 7-8 hours sleep every night.

More information around supporting men’s health including Movember can also be found at the following links:

• www.manhealth.org.uk
• www.menshealthforum.org.uk
• Movember UK

Want to know more?
ProVen Probiotics aim to provide the best support for both you and your health. If you wish to know more about gut health please do not hesitate to call us on 01639 825107 or alternatively, learn more via our blogs or in-depth ProVen research.

ProVen Probiotics, Unit 2 Christchurch Road, Baglan Industrial Park, Port Talbot, SA12 7DJ. Tel: 01639 825107