Most Kenyans, especially men are car enthusiasts.
The care and attention they pay to their cars is amazing. They even know which car wash leaves their ride in a spic and span state.
They'll know the difference between a mechanic and a makanika.
They'll know when their car is making a strange noise and pop it in promptly for examination.
The human body is the best design that ever was. Even the sleekest German design does not come anywhere near the synchronised symphony that is the wonder of the human body.
I am still awed by this body the longer I work with and on it.
Men's bodies are simple yet tricky.
They work without much drama, and without much outward signs of wear and tear until the damage accumulates and then all hell breaks lose.
Men do not even have other indicators of health like menstruation, which for women can serve as an early warning system that something is wrong and they'll see a doctor about it.
Men do not get pregnant, a process that allows women to get proper medical attention.
Men do not take regular medications like contraceptives, which are also an opportunity for women to have contact with a healthcare provider.
Even women's magazines like Eve and Parents focus on the nitty gritty of health in women but when you open men's magazines they'll talk about how to choose a good pair of boxers and how to build big muscles like The Wolverine. And then they'll rank the hottest women from 1 to 100.
Men are at a glaring health disadvantage.
If you are a man over the age of 35, start thinking about a health check each time you take your car in for servicing.
It will cost you but it is worth it.
Men are being gaslighted by national figures who hide their health issues and even prefer to go abroad for more complex ones.
We have also normalised sudden death in men and yet nobody dies suddenly. The body sends out early warnings before the major catastrophe.
Here is a quick checklist:
1. If you cannot take 2 flights of stairs without running out of breath at the top, speak to a health provider.
2. If you are snoring at night, speak to a health provider.
3. If you can no longer kick a football with your friends without feeling like your heart is about to jump out of your chest after only 15 minutes, speak to a doctor.
4. If you have changed the size of your trousers twice in one year, and thrice since you finished university, speak to a doctor.
5. If you cannot do a brisk walk on the level while speaking in full sentences, speak to a doctor.
6. If you do not know your blood pressure, your cholesterol and your blood sugar (also known as HbA1c) speak to a doctor.
7. If you smoke, stop. Now. This is not a suggestion but an instruction.
8. If you drink more than 2 bottles of beer daily, if you drink until you black out, if you binge drink, if all of your social engagements have alcohol, speak to a doctor.
9. If you cannot remember the last time you took time out to just rest. Not taking annual leave to go and supervise some other project or chase side hustles, I mean just rest. Book 2 weeks off and rest. And switch off the news too during this time. The world will still be on fire when you plug back in.
10. If you have no plan on when you are going to retire, make that plan now. And make it earlier than the government mandated one if you can.
11. If you have more lifestyle left at the end of the money each month, start doing aggressive lifestyle shrinking.
12. Have meat-free days in a week; at least 3. Reduce your carbs while at it. Everything does not need to have ugali and rice. You can have your meat and vegetables and be good to go.
13. Simplify your life. You do not need that extra car, you do not need that extra wife, you do not need to start that 5th side hustle. You do not need to run for MP. Less is more.
14. Learn a new skill. Eg learn how to play chess, the rules of cricket, install Duo Lingo and learn a new language, download Audible and listen to audio books. This keeps your brain cells active and prevents premature dementia.
15. Maintain a healthy weight. Your waist circumference in cm should be less than half of your height in cm. Do not let people butter you up by telling you that you look successful because you've put on weight. You just look out of shape, stuffed in a nice suit.
16. Erectile dysfunction, unless proven otherwise, is an early warning system of cardiovascular disease. The tiny blood vessels in the penile tissue are getting clogged up by cholesterol plaques and soon the big vessels in the heart will follow suit, leading to heart attacks. Do not pop viagra before a doctor has fully assessed the problem, starting with a blood test for testosterone levels.
17. Get mental health support. Even men cry. Speak to a trained mental health professional even if you think there's nothing wrong with you. You'll be shocked by what a professional can uncover.
18. Define your identity away from your job, your money, and your status. This will protect you from crashing if the status symbols were ever lost.
19. Forge true friendships and connections. Men on average have fewer friends than women and it negatively impacts them especially after retirement. Loneliness is a significant contributor to early death.
20. Become close to and befriend your family. Do not overwork to provide material things and ignore the fact that the family wants the gift of you as well. Set the rhythm and the tempo of your family. Ignore gender roles and change the nappies, and sing the babies to bed, rush to the crying child who has fallen and comfort them. It does men a lot of psychological good to provide nurturing too.
21. Ask to be loved and to be supported. Men find it hard to say 'I feel unloved and unsupported by you' to their significant other. Please ask for the love language you understand best. Your partner might think that they are cooking for you and that should be enough. Articulate what else you need and you might find that your partner was equally desperate to know how to love you right.
22. Take care of your finances in your younger years. Kuchafua meza every weekend will leave your pockets empty. In older age, this will come back to haunt you and force you to keep working when the body and mind are no longer robust.
23. See a doctor every year even if you think there's nothing wrong with you. See a dentist and an optician every 2 years.
24. If all else fails, compare yourself to your car and care for yourself like a lambourghini. Because you are.
Let's stop losing men to premature deaths. It is an alarming trend that needs to be reversed.
Sijui watu wafungue men's health clinics, coz men are under siege
This is amazing!
ReplyDelete