Movember: Male Menopause?

Can men suffer from menopause (or as some might call it, man-o-pause)?

The answer is yes and no.  Men can suffer from something called Andropause which is often called male menopause but this isn't quite the same as female menopause.

I'd read an article in the Gulf News Health section about this last week and decided to educate myself further given the fact that this is Movember and I should learn as much about men's health issues as I can.

What causes Andropause?

Basically, as men, we tend to gradually start suffering from what is called an androgen deficiency, which is when we start having lower than normal levels of male hormones as we get older.  The primary hormone that typically triggers this is testosterone.  Unlike women where the drop in sex hormone production can drop suddenly, in men this happens gradually over a number of years, typically starting from the age of 30.  Thus, andropause and menopause somewhat different.


What do we get from Androgens?

Androgens give you your hairy chest.

Androgens are what typically give you a lot of your male characteristics such as sexual and reproductive functions.  Androgens also play a part in changes during puberty such as facial hair (apt for Movember), body hair, muscle development, change in your voice (and that freaky period when your voice is high and low in the same sentence until you've finally found your adult voice), development of your mojo (in Austin Powers terms), prostate function and sperm production.


What happens when Androgen levels drop?

I saw a whole list of symptoms of what happens when androgen levels drop but before I list it out, I wanted to highlight the fact that many of these symptoms could be related to other diseases or deficiencies such as diabetes, lack of exercise, a poor diet or a whole host other things so make sure you investigate further with your doctor before convincing yourself if you're suffering from andropause.

The symptoms I came across were:

• Dropping levels of sexual desire
• Hot flushes and sweating (again this can have many other reasons as to why you'd suffer from this)
• Breast development (if you've not done so, read my Movember post on breast cancer in men).
• Depression (you can be depressed for other reasons as well) 
• Lethargy and Fatigue (lack of sleep, lack of exercise, a poor diet or diabetes can also be reasons for this)
• Reduced muscle mass and strength (a general rule of thumb is you lose about a half kilo of muscle mass every year as you get older and this is why you should mix up your gym routine with some strength training alongside your cardio workouts)
• Increased body fat, especially around the abdomen (too much beer can also be a cause of this)
• Reduced sexual function
• Loss of body hair (I'm not expert here but may be changing the type of shampoo you use as you get older could help slightly reduce the rate of hair loss).
• Reduce bone mass putting you at risk for osteoporosis (having enough Vitamin D and taking calcium supplements as you get older is highly recommended.  Despite living in a sunny environment in the UAE, most of us suffer from Vitamin D deficiency and the best way to get your dose of Vitamin D is simply opening the window in the morning and enjoying the sun's rays).

Checking for Andropause and Treating it?

I'd highly recommend you speak to your doctor about this.  The internet can be a treasure trove of misinformation when it comes to medial treatments.  If you are over the age of 30, I'd recommend you do a check up once a year where you can get questions like this answer.  If you're hitting 40 and living in the UAE, I'd suggest you start doing this annually.

Image: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/hormone-balance-andropause-journey.htm

What have I learned?

So one thing I learned during this month of Movember is that many conditions that we thought were unique to women such as breast cancer or menopause actually exist in men as well.  The other thing I learned is that you can't blame things on andropause.  I read quite a few stories on the Internet about how people have overcome this so don't use it as an excuse.  Use it as a means to help get yourself back on track.  If you see someone who looks like they're suffering from it, encourage them and help steer them in the right direction.

The purpose of Movember is to highlight men's health issues and I hope blog posts like this do help educate you and your loved ones.

I'd also like to credit the Better Health Channel which was one of the better websites on androgen deficiencies I found.  I'd suggest you visit the link to learn more about the condition.

P.S. I'm supporting Movember to raise awareness for men's health issues.  To find out more, please visit my Movember page on my blog.  If you'd like to donate to the cause, then please visit the donation page of the #Mustachepreneurs and any contributions will be graciously accepted.

Movember: Mustaches are serious business

Image:
http://indulgy.com/post/58dn9nUIE1/list-of-mustache-types

For those of you growing your Mo for Movember, you know it ain't all plain sailing.  Growing a mustache is actually hard work and it's fair easier to keep yourself clean shaven than to grow facial hair.

For example, during the first few days of Movember, I have to make sure I'm extra alert while shaving as my facial hair is still not distinct enough to my bleary eyes in the early hours of the morning and one swipe, it can all disappear!

When your mustache does tend to take shape, then you need to make sure you shave around your mustache carefully.  One over aggressive swoop and you have an imbalanced mustache on your face. A little too conservative and it starts to look like shrubs sprouting where they shouldn't be.

Deciding on a style to adopt is also hard work.  Do you go for the Fu Manchu, the toothbrush, handlebars, walrus or just stick to the plain vanilla pencil mustache?  If in case you're confused which style to follow, I've got a great link that shows just what type of mustache would suit you and which has got some history on different types of mustaches.

Trimming is not an option during Movember, but if you did decide to do that, what scissors do you use?  If you don't normally sport a mustache or a beard, you may not have the right trimming scissors at home and a sharp instrument in the hand of a man when used on his face is just a recipe for disaster!  After all, we men don't like to ask for directions when driving, so why would we ask for them when grooming?  We're also the same men who don't look to spend too long looking at ourselves in a mirror so quick and easy is normally the only option.

If you do want to learn though how to trim your mustache, then I've found a link that can help you do this.  Emergency Rooms around the world are best advised to have print outs of this kept in their waiting rooms during Movember.

Remember, you are not Superman. 

Ice cream.  This is just a recipe for disaster.  Once your mustache has formed and you look like you've made a mark that's noticeable, you go out for an ice cream and you find that your hand and mouth co-ordination isn't all that you thought it was.  If you've got young kids, your best advised to have any ice cream only when they're around you as you can blend in with them.  If you're out on a date, AVOID ice cream for dessert.  Trying to convince your date your trying to imitate the Got Milk? campaign just won't do it.

The most confusing part of the month though is do you spell it Mustache or Moustache?  I spent Movember last year calling it a Moustache and have switched to Mustache this year because I'm a part of the #Mustachepreneurs this year for Movember.  Since the spelling of the group was done by Patrick Brady, our esteemed Director for the Entrepreneur's Organization EMEA region, I've changed the spelling I'm using this year.  I did however do some research on this and Mustache is actually the American spelling, Moustache is the spelling the rest of the world uses.  The Italians though have got something called a Mustachio which is a variation used for a luxuriant mustache.  For more on this fascinating topic, click here.

So that's some of what happens behind the scenes in Movember.  In case you see someone who is growing a mustache, take a moment to sympathize with them as it ain't as easy as it looks!

P.S. I'm supporting Movember to raise awareness for men's health issues.  To find out more, please visit my Movember page on my blog.  If you'd like to donate to the cause, then please visit the donation page of the #Mustachepreneurs and any contributions will be graciously accepted.

Movember: 30 Days Exercise Routine

Whether you're growing your mustache this Movember or not, whether you're male or female, we all have to look after ourselves.

Image: http://neilarey.com/challenges/cardio.html

I came across this great guide last night on a 30-day cardio routine that you can do at home (or in your hotel room if you're a frequent traveller) for the 30 days of Movember.  It's fairly basic and builds up in intensity over the 30 day period so if you know someone that needs a bit of a push, try this with them and hopefully it gets all of you moving in the right direction.

I'd also encourage you to visit the www.neilarey.com as they've got many more great 30 day programs on there as well.

P.S. I'm supporting Movember to raise awareness for men's health issues.  To find out more, please visit my Movember page on my blog.  If you'd like to donate to the cause, then please visit the donation page of the #Mustachepreneurs and any contributions will be graciously accepted.

Movember: Men can get breast cancer

Being the month of Movember where I blog about men's health issues, I had to talk about this.  In a recent report that appeared in the Khaleej Times, it seems men are are also affected by breast cancer.

October is normally the month where breast cancer awareness is highlighted and we've seen lots of initaiatives including the Burjuman Pink Walkathon (which was this year on 1st November) so fits in nicely with Movember where it should be a walk for men as well.

According to the Khaleej Times report, a 48-year old Emirati man was found to have had a malignant form of breast cancer that went undetected for six years.  After several tests, the man had to have a mastectomy.

Image source: http://www.virtualmedicalcentre.com/diseases/male-breast-cancer-male-breast-carcinoma/829

Dr. Sawsan Al Mahdi, the Secretary General for Friends of Cancer Patients (FoCP) charitable society and head of Pink Caravan told Khaleej Times, "“Although men have significantly less breast tissue, therefore lowering their chances of developing breast cancer, the downside is that breast tumours in men have a higher tendency to spread to nearby areas, such as the skin covering the breast or the muscles under the breast, therefore increasing the risk of the cancer reaching the metastatic phase.”

Early detection remains the best cure and for most men, they should be undergoing an annual medical check-up in any case.  The next time you're getting this done, ask your doctor to run a quick ultrasound over your chest (I know my doctor normally does an abdominal scan) and it's better to be safe than sorry.

To learn more about male breast cancer, visit this link on the Virtual Medical Centre website.

Spread the word and let's make sure we care not only for ourselves but our loved ones always.

P.S. I'm supporting Movember to raise awareness for men's health issues.  To find out more, please visit my Movember page on my blog.  If you'd like to donate to the cause, then please visit the donation page of the #Mustachepreneurs and any contributions will be graciously accepted.

What is an Expo?

Expo 2020.

We've all heard about it, we all know Dubai is bidding for it and in less than a month, we'll all know whether Dubai gets it.  We've been told that if Dubai gets the Expo, it'll be great for our future, property will boom, hotels will be built, entertainment facilities will be required, infrastructure developments will happen and all in all, we'll be a happier bunch.

I don't doubt this.  The Expo is a good thing for Dubai but as good a job as Dubai has done in marketing its bid for the Expo 2020, it's done a rather poor job of actually telling us what is an Expo.

I've asked a lot of people of late, the following few questions and in most cases have received no answers.  The questions are:

1. What is an Expo?
2. Where was the last Expo?
3. Who do they know that visited an Expo?

The fact is, most of us, including myself, aren't fully clear about this.  It would be nice if the bid committee in Dubai had educated on this but since they haven't, I've taken a stab at it.

What is an Expo?

The Expo is called by various names such as the World Fair, World Exposition or Universal Exposition.  It is an exhibition that moves around the world every few years and serves today as a mean of national showcasing.  I've never been to an Expo but I would assume it is like the Global Village we have in Dubai every year where each country has their own national pavilion.  There would be some sort of theme and hopefully this helps unite us.

The Macau Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo in 2010.
Image -  http://www.neatorama.com

According to Wikipedia, the Expo went through three stages, the first was Industrialization (1851-1938), the second was Cultural Exchange (1939 - 1987) and the third is Nation Branding (1988 to present).  There is more about this on Wikipedia and I suggest you have a read through it there.

Where was the last Expo?

I thought the last Expo was in Shanghai in 2010 as I had visited the city shortly after the Expo had finished but it seems the last Expo was in Yeosu (South Korea) in 2012.  The next one will be in Milan in 2015 and Astana (Kazakstan) in 2017.

What does the Expo mean for us?

Dubai is clearly a city that knows how to host major events.  The fact most of us probably have never been to an Expo or have ever known anyone who went to an Expo doesn't mean it doesn't deserve to be compared to major events like hosting an Olympics Games or hosting a FIFA World Cup.  

What Dubai does know really well is how to market an event.  We've done it for years with the Dubai Shopping Festival, the Dubai Summer Surprises and Eid in Dubai.  We've hosted major exhibitions whether it be Gulf Food, Gitex Technology Week or Arab Health.  We've hosted major musical events.  We've got a fantastic set of airports, airlines and hotel brands.  We've got top class shopping malls.  

We've got an audience that is able to visit Dubai with all the tourism initiatives the city has had so unlike most countries that have hosted an Expo till date, I'm sure we'll make this an event will be memorable as we've got a marketing engine that'll make the world know that we're hosting the Expo.

Wikipedia probably won't be what most people will have to refer going forward to educate themselves about the Expo.  Good luck Dubai and I'm sure you'll do a good job of it!

Kutcher and Jobs. The Comparison Continues.

Ashton Kutcher, who plays Steve Jobs in the movie "Jobs" has started to eerily look, sound and talk more like Steve Jobs.  I don't know whether it is part of his act while he's trying to promote the movie but just as Steve Jobs had his Stanford University Commencement Speech moment back in 2005, Ashton Kutcher had his while accepting an award at the Teen Choice Awards earlier this week.

It may seem bizarre to compare the two speeches but listen to Kutcher and you start to see the similarities (click here to see the video).  

Kutcher at the Teen Choice Awards.
Image: newsday.com

While at Stanford, Jobs spoke to university students who were graduating from one of the world's premier educational institutions.  In his speech, he mentioned three stories from his life.  The first was about connecting the dots where he talks about destiny. The second story was about love and loss.  He spoke about how he got fired from Apple when he thought he was the peak of his career, how he went on to found NeXT and then Pixar.  He spoke of perseverance and about sticking it out for the long term battle.  The third story Jobs spoke about was death.  Here he spoke about living each day as if it was your last and what his bout with cancer had taught him at the time.

Ashton Kutcher in his speech was addressing teenagers at an awards ceremony and decided to lecture them on life lessons he had learned.  Again, like Jobs, he had three stories.  The first is about opportunity.  Kutcher speaks of the stepping stones to getting where he did by jobs that may have appeared dead end jobs.  He talks about never quitting his job until he had his next job.  The second is about being sexy.  His definition of the sexiest thing in the entire world is about smart, thoughtful, generous.  He goes onto to say that everything else is "crap."  The third story is based on what he learned while making the Jobs movie.  He said it is about setting your own boundaries and not necessarily accepting the status quo.  It is about building your life, not living one. (Update: a clip of Jobs that Kutcher referenced can be found here).

This speech may have been staged given that Kutcher is in full flow with the promotion of the movie but it's re-assuring to see nonetheless a positive message made out to kids who are impressionable.  Just as I know I tend to watch Steve Jobs giving his speech at Stanford every once in a while, Kutcher's viral acceptance speech may have the same appeal to teenagers who are looking for direction.

Well done Ashton and hope you've managed to guide some people to the right side of the road.

P.S. If you've never heard Jobs give his speech at Stanford, you can watch it at this link or read the transcript at this link.

Speaking with a Clear Conscience

"Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago." - President Obama

I must admit I wasn't one of those that was following the George Zimmerman-Trayvon Martin case or reacted when a verdict was reached because all too often the media tends to sensationalize matters.  Having lived in the United States when the O.J. Simpson trial happened in the 1990's, I've seen just the real issues can get missed out and how the media circus takes over.

In the Zimmerman-Martin case though, the media was clearing looking for a reaction from President Obama the moment a verdict was reached because this was probably the first landmark case related to race that has happened while he was President.  We've been used to seeing stalwarts like Rev. Jessie Jackson speak up over the decades but having a sitting President of African-American descent meant the stakes were higher this time.

Image: www.praisedc.com

President Obama though took this case in his own stride and let the hype die down a bit before making his own heartfelt comments on the case.  As we've seen on more than one occasion, President Obama hasn't looked to sensationalize matters when the iron has hot but has always let the dust settle before talking.  His approach has been pragmatic, often frustrating those around him.

I do appreciate the fact that when President Obama has spoken, it's been with a clear conscience.  He spoke yesterday with a handwritten statement where he spoke from his heart.  The impact of this is always greater and instead of politicizing an issue further as many others would, he put things in perspective.  I've not taken sides in the American political arena but appreciate it when a person in a position such as that of President Obama where to draw the line as to what is politics and what isn't.

If you haven't read or heard President Obama's speech, the following paragraph from the New York Times summarizes what he said in a nutshell.

But in the most expansive remarks he has made about race since becoming president, Mr. Obama offered three examples of the humiliations borne by young black men in America: being followed while shopping in a department store, hearing the click of car doors locking as they cross a street, or watching as women clutch their purses nervously when they step onto an elevator. The first two experiences, he said, had happened to him. (source: New York Times).