An Ounce of Prevention: Mainly for Men

By Dr. Anthony Vendryes

An Ounce of Prevention – Especially for Women, though well-received, has created a clamour for a book that addressed male health concerns specifically. The discipline of writing a weekly column in the premier Jamaican daily newspaper, the Gleaner for over fifteen years has been very useful. It has caused me to focus on presenting a clear and practical message on specific issues of health and wellness in approximately a thousand words. This book, An Ounce of Prevention – Mainly for Men is a compilation of those messages with the male reader particularly in mind.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Jun 12, 2014
• ISBN: 9789769570511

Book preview

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TESTIMONIALS

When I first met Dr Vendryes, I had been a diabetic for about twenty years. I was worried because I had been told I had an incurable disease with serious long-term complications. He helped me change my thinking and lifestyle and showed me how to apply the Cellular Nutrition concept in my diet. I have now been totally diabetes free for over a decade and have been helping others have a similar experience. Thank you Doc.

–Brian Smith, Personal Wellness Coach

My problems were many: Chronic stress, uncontrolled high blood pressure, a sleep disorder and an addiction to cigatette smoking. From my first visit to Dr Vendryes I could tell that changes were taking place. Today all those problems have been resolved and I honestly feel like a new man. In my opinion, Dr Vendryes is a God send.

–Kenrick Brissett, Insurance Executive

After years of listening to and following the advice of Dr Tony Vendryes, my health has taken an unbelievable turn for the better. As I age, the benefits of having started good nutrition earlier have become apparent and this has contributed to a feeling of great physical well-being. This book, written especially for men, is designed to further assist us all on the path to enjoying excellent health.

–Linton E. Harriott, Business owner and CEO

On April 12, 2011 there were two roads for me in the misty journey from sickness to Health: Chemotherapy or Diet changes and exercise. Dr Vendryes helped me to choose the road lest trod – Prayer, dietary changes and exercise. Today with God’s blessings and a strict regimen I am well again. My PSA is at 4.8 over the last twelve months, down from 52. Thanks. "One person can make a difference. Everyone should try.

–Errington Malcolm, Retired Executive

I was 43 years old in 1985 when I first heard of Chelation therapy. Although I had no heart problems I was sold on the benefits of improved blood circulation, and the wisdom of eliminating toxic metals from my body. After completing many sessions I felt great. A few years ago I noticed my blood pressure was beginning to rise. I decided it was time for Chelation therapy again. Since then my blood pressure is typically 110 over 70 and I take no medication. I believe in being pro active with my health, which I consider my greatest asset. Thanks Dr Vendryes for promoting prevention and providing these alternative therapies.

–Colin R. Cooke, Business Executive

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First published in Jamaica 2014 by

Tony Vendryes Enterprises Ltd.

P. O. Box 195

Montego Bay, St James

Jamaica W.I.

E-mail: [e-mail]

http://www.tonyvendryes.com

© 2014 by Dr Anthony Vendryes.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author.

978-976-95705-1-1 (Kindle)

A catalogue record of this book is available

from the National Library of Jamaica.

ebook design by Robert Harris (email: [e-mail])

Cover photograph of Dr Anthony Vendryes by Michael Chen.

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This book is dedicated to

the many men who taught, mentored and inspired me throughout my life: My earliest exemplars – my father, Horace Anthony Vendryes the first, my grandfather Ralston Reid and most powerfully, Jesus the Christ. Later there were my male school and university teachers, followed by Dr Marco Brown my role model in complementary medicine.

Still later there was my beloved Guru, Yogi Amrit Desai and Zane Miller, Mark Hughes and Jim Rohn, my business and personal development coaches. It is also dedicated to my brothers, Christopher, Ivanhoe, Robert and Andre, my brother-in-law, Oswald Tie and my other male relatives and friends.

Finally, this book is dedicated to all my male patients. From you I have learnt many lessons on the strengths and the frailties of being male. I thank you for sharing your inner world with me. I am the stronger and the wiser for it.

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Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Section 1: Healthy Ideas

Appetite Control

Cellular Nutrition

Cellular Protection

Dextoxification

Gratitude Creates Health

Health: Your Greatest Wealth

Healing Through Prayer

Meditation is Medicine

Natural Healing

Stress Without Distress

Supplements

Vary Your Exercise

Weight Control

Weightism

Section 2: Healing Agents

Ackee Fact vs Fiction

Antioxidants

Breathing

Calcium

Coconut: The Health Nut

Exercising and Aging

Exercise Benefits

Fats are Essential

Fats for Brain Health

Ginger

Green Tea

Guinea Hen Weed

Herbs For Cancer

Iodine

Liver Healers

Magnesium

Mighty Selenium

Minerals

Natural Antidepressants

Probiotics

Protein

Sulphur Foods

Sunshine Vitamin

Vitamin B12

Vitamin C

Vitamin D For Cancer

Section 3: Danger Areas

Bad Fats

Cell Phones

Chlorine

Cholesterol Drugs

Cold Weather Dangers

Diary Products

Drugs That Damage

Drugs That Deplete

Late Night Eating

Medical Lies

Mercury

MSG: A Hidden Danger

Red Meat

Sodas Hard on Health

Sugar A Sweet Poison

Section 4: Common Complaints

Allergies

Alzheimer’s Disease

Arthritis

Asthma

Bad Breath

Body Odor

Cancer How To Get It

Cancer Causes

Cataracts

Cholesterol

Colds and Flu

Constipation

Diabetes Explained

Diet and Diabetes

Germs

Heart Failure

Heartburn

High Blood Pressure

High Blood Pressure and Emotions

Kidney Stones

Mental Health

Night Work

Obesity and Sex

Sickle Cell Disease

Sinus Issues

Sleep

Varicose Veins

Section 5: Male Issues

Alcohol and Men

Andropause

Balding

Erectile Dysfunction

Foods for Prostate Cancer

Herpes

Male Depression

Male Infertility

Male Pregnancy

Other Male Cancers

Premature Ejaculation

Prostate Checks

Prostate Facts

Prostate Protection Plan

Sex and the Ageing Male

Snoring

Zinc

Section 6: Appendices

The Vendryes Wellness Centre

References

Acknowledgements

Though the concepts that underpin this book reflect my own views and opinions, many, many individuals have contributed directly and indirectly to its creation.

I wish to thank the person who spearheaded and directed the incubation and production of this book, Robert Harris. Robert is a gentleman whose wisdom, skill and persona is a great treasure. To him I owe a great and special debt of gratitude. To Lisa Morgan, the editor of the manuscript, my thanks for your patient and meticulous attention to every detail. To Michael Chen, my photographer, thanks for the flattering picture on the cover.

To the many scientists, clinicians, researchers and writers who generously share their insights and discoveries with the world, I express special thanks. You continue to inform and inspire me every day. Even though space and context does not always allow me to acknowledge you by name, please accept my deepest gratitude.

I thank my loving and supportive wife Dorothy, my family members, staff, mentors, my fitness coach Chris Clarke and my close friends for all the assistance you have provided. You are the wind beneath my wings.

And to my Creator, who has numbered the very hairs on my head and without whose knowledge not even a sparrow falls to the ground, with a grateful heart I say ‘thank you".

Introduction

Prevention is better than cure because prevention is the cure.

—Tony Vendryes

My previous book, An Ounce of Prevention – Especially for Women, though well-received, has created a clamour for a book that addressed male health concerns specifically. The discipline of writing a weekly column in the premier Jamaican daily newspaper, the Gleaner for over fifteen years has been very useful. It has caused me to focus on presenting a clear and practical message on specific issues of health and wellness in approximately a thousand words. This book, An Ounce of Prevention – Mainly for Men is a compilation of those messages with the male reader particularly in mind.

Some important topics in the earlier book that apply to both men and women have been updated and presented along with new subjects in four sections titled: Healthy Ideas, Healing Agents, Danger Areas and Common Complaints. A fifth section – Male Issues – focuses exclusively on matters of relevance to men. Close to 100 subjects are covered in these five sections. Like the previous volumes, each chapter in this book can be read by itself in any order and it delivers a simple massage on that particular subject. Subject headings are in alphabetical order for easy access. References have been simplified and medical jargon kept to a minimum. The appendix and the useful references section provide support information.

I believe that there is great need for a book of this kind. Many societies have represented the male as the stronger and dominant gender. But, are men not in fact the biologically weaker sex? Women universally live longer than men. A recent BBC report revealed that in many countries the life expectancy of women exceeds 80 years but not one nation was identified where average male life expectancy was over 80. Men are generally in poorer health than women, eat worse, exercise less, smoke more cigarettes and drink more alcohol.

To make matters worse, men are reluctant to seek help or admit they have a health problem. Professor Colin Cooper at the Institute for Cancer Research, London, has this perspective: ‘Historically, women have always been the custodians of health in the family. Men tend not to talk about health.’

According to statistics issued by the Center for Disease Control in the United States, men are worse off than women on almost every account when it comes to health status and lifestyle habits. They have a higher risk of developing high blood pressure and heart disease, and of suffering a heart attack or stroke. Prostate cancer affects almost as many men as breast cancer does women, but few take preventative action against this and other health dangers.

Death rates are higher in males than females in almost all the major causes of death. Men die younger from heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lung disorders, infections and diabetes. Men have a greater chance of being murdered or dying in an accident. Also, over three out of four successful suicides are committed by men – not because they make more attempts, but because they are more successful at killing themselves.

Why do men take more health risks, and what prevents men from seeking medical advice more often? It may be a reflection of the male ego, this embarrassment and discomfort when having to deal with matters of male anatomy and bodily functions. Many men will avoid genital and prostate examinations for as long as they possibly can while women do not seem to have those hang-ups.

One US researcher, Barbara Blatt Kalben, took a very detailed look at why men die earlier than women, and claims that the male hormone testosterone is responsible. She believes that testosterone influences men’s biology and behaviour to such an extent that they are more prone to smoke, drink, take illegal drugs and take other risks that could lead to accidents and death.

Kalben’s research involved medical and statistical data from the 14th century to the present, and found that even before birth men are always at higher risk, regardless of race, nationality, occupation or income. In one example, she referred to a study of male patients who had been castrated because of mental illness. It demonstrated that once men stopped producing testosterone, after castration they lived ten years longer than was normally expected.

Kalben emphasises that the pervasiveness of higher male mortality is to be found all around the world, in all ages. Only six of the seventy two causes of death evaluated in the research showed higher mortality rates for women. These were death due to breast cancer, pregnancy, childbirth, Alzheimer’s disease, asthma, rheumatic fever and kidney infections.

There are other experts who contend that it is the female hormone oestrogen that gives women a biological advantage. Oestrogen is linked to a greater resistance against infections, heart disease and stress. This increased protection actually falls off after the menopause, when oestrogen levels in women decline. There is evidence that young women (with high oestrogen) are better than men at avoiding colds and display a much stronger immune response to rhinoviruses, the germs responsible for the common cold.

Yet other investigators believe that this male/female disparity is because men went out to work while most women stayed safely at home. However, studies have shown that females out in the workforce have lower, sometimes much lower, mortality rates than women who stay at home.

There are other possible reasons why males are more vulnerable. Boys, for instance, may take more risks as a result of cultural expectations and peer pressure, in addition to the fact that they have higher levels of testosterone in their bloodstream. This combination could indeed lead to more dangerous behaviour. Some scientists point out that this may not necessarily be a bad thing. Men are the ones who mostly become soldiers, police officers, construction workers and firefighters. They are primarily the ones who willingly take on risks to protect their society.

Whatever the cause, the truth is that males are at increased health risks. This book seeks to educate men (and their caregiving women) about some of the important health issues relevant to ‘the fragile male’.

Dr Anthony Vendryes

Physician and Wellness Practitioner

April 2014

Section 1: Healthy Ideas

Appetite Control

The control of the palate is a valuable aid for the control of the mind.

–Mahatma Gandhi

You may be someone who has decided to lose weight, but fear that you cannot control your appetite and that hunger will spoil your weight loss programme. Many people, as they lose weight, do experience hunger at one time or another. Do not despair; there are foods and drinks that you can use to control your appetite.

I call these foods and drinks appetite control foods. What they have in common is that they create a feeling of fullness in your stomach while you consume foods that contain few calories with little carbohydrates. Even though your stomach is full, you are not exceeding your caloric intake.

Just imagine you choosing whether to eat a cup of peanuts or a bowl of salad. Initially, your body can’t really tell the difference between the nuts and the salad. When it is full enough, your stomach turns off the hunger signal regardless of whether you are eating salad or peanuts. By then you may have eaten the salad containing only 100 calories or the peanuts containing as many as 500 calories. Your choice of food can be critical, so let’s look at some excellent beverages and foods that control appetite.

Fresh clean water: That’s right. Water is a powerful appetite suppressant and if you drink an 8 ounce glass of water when you first start feeling hungry, you will find that it suppresses your appetite in nearly every case. Drink a glass or two of water and have the discipline to wait 10 minutes, you will find that your appetite is either completely gone or dramatically reduced.

Experts suggest that the human brain sometimes misinterprets signals of thirst as a sign of hunger, so you eat instead of drinking water. The great thing is that water contains zero calories. Don’t be fooled: drinking more water will not cause you to gain weight unless you have some medical disorder that causes you to retain fluid.

Green tea: Green tea, as distinct from the black tea found in regular tea bags, is an excellent beverage for weight control. It not only controls appetite but it stimulates the body’s metabolism to burn fat, enhances energy levels, offers protection from several cancers and is useful for hypertension, cholesterol control and circulatory disorders. Green tea even assists in stress management because it contains a substance called treanine that calms and relaxes the nervous system.

Modern medical research continues to find more and more advantages in consuming green tea regularly. These benefits are not dependent on the small amount of natural caffeine found in green tea. Green tea can be had hot or cold, with or without natural sweeteners. I use a particularly effective formulation of this tea called Herbal Tea Concentrate.

Protein shakes and snacks: Protein is a powerful appetite controller as it does not cause the fluctuations in blood sugar levels that often trigger the urge for unhealthy snacking. But not all forms of protein are truly healthy. In fact there are many benefits in using plant-based proteins over most animal sources of protein.

Soy protein shakes provide an excellent low-calorie meal replacement drink that will satisfy your appetite. Here is a recipe for the shake I use as my breakfast meal and regularly recommend to my patients. Combine 8 ounces of unsweetened soymilk with 2 heaping tablespoons of Herbalife Formula #1 shake powder. Add a slice of papaya, or half of a banana or an apple, and blend. This shake is specifically designed to effectively replace a conventional meal. Not all shakes are equal. Avoid meal replacement drinks and weight loss aids that contain lots of sugar and not enough protein.

Despite all the recent propaganda against soy, mainstream medical research continues to demonstrate an abundance of health benefits from this food. Roasted soy nuts, soymilk, soy beverages and bars are other ways to use soy for appetite control while enjoying its many health benefits.

Green leafy vegetables: Vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, callaloo, bok choy, broccoli, field greens and other green vegetables contain so few calories that you don’t need to count them. Allow yourself to eat an unlimited quantity of any leafy vegetables. They are ‘free’ (calorie-free) foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre and cancer-fighting substances, and yet at the same time they make you feel full, turning off the hunger signals in your brain.

You can consume these green vegetables in different ways. Most people don’t like to eat them plain. Instead, you can make a salad and add a low-calorie salad dressing like homemade olive oil and vinegar. Avoid commercial salad dressings that boast of being low fat and cholesterol free but contain MSG, high-fructose corn syrup, and other unhealthy ingredients.

Apples: Eat the largest apple you can find of either the Jamaican or American variety. Sure, they contain some calories and some carbohydrates, but because they are mainly water and fibre, apples will fill you up and stop you from eating other more calorie-rich foods.

Let me explain. If you are hungry, it’s very tempting to reach for processed foods like a bag of chips or crackers. You can unconsciously nibble away and before you know it you have consumed 1,000 calories or more. But, it’s almost impossible to eat 1,000 calories worth of apples. You’ll probably fill up long before reaching 400 calories. Apples are great appetite suppressing foods because the bulky fibre fills up your stomach and turns off your appetite before you overeat. Plus, apples contain various vitamins and minerals and anticancer agents.

Fibre supplements: Swallowing a couple of fibre tablets with a glass of water before you begin eating can reduce the amount of food you end up eating. The best fibre tablets contain a variety of different fibres like oat bran fibre, apple pectin fibre, or other natural fibres. They create a feeling of fullness even though you’ve eaten very little food, and they add no calories to the meal. Fibre powders are also available and these can be blended into your soy protein shake.

A particularly useful fibre supplement for weight loss contains fibre that has been ‘activated’ to trap and eliminate any excess fat in your meal. It’s called ‘Activate Fiber’. Remember to drink plenty of water when you take these tablets because fibre without enough fluid can slow down your digestive system.

Cellular Nutrition

Those who think they have no time for health eating will sooner or later have time for illness.

—Hippocrates

I had been practising medicine for over twenty years before I first heard the term ‘cellular nutrition’. It instantly caught my attention and I immediately began to apply the principle to myself and to share it with my patients and friends. It not only dramatically changed my health but I believe that it probably saved my life as well. Let me share this concept with you.

First, you must think of how your body functions at the microscopic level. The human body is composed of tiny units called cells. Cells are the building blocks of the body and the actual units of life. Medical science understands that health and disease occurs at a cellular level: when your cells are healthy you are healthy, and if they are sick you get sick.

It is variously estimated that the average human body is composed of between 50 and 70 trillion cells. However, your body is never ever stuck in one state. Every moment of every day, old, damaged, unhealthy cells in your body are dying, and at that very moment new ones are being created to replace them. In other words, your body was designed by its creator with its own intrinsic capacity to repair, heal and renew itself. It is estimated that in any one year your body will replace over 90 percent of its cells.

Nutrition is Powerful

How well your cells function, and the quality and integrity of the new cells your body creates depend on the nutrients they are provided with on a daily basis. You are indeed what you eat. Cellular nutrition is simply the strategy to provide the cells with all the nutrients they need at optimal levels – those levels shown to provide health benefits by medical research. The cells can then decide what to use to function best. It puts the wisdom of the body to work by supplying what it needs. With this approach, any nutritional imbalances will be soon corrected and you will feel the difference.

Medical science had pretty much worked out what key nutrients the body needs: protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, botanical factors (herbs), fibre and water. Modern nutritional science has developed the technology to create a simple programme of supplements that delivers cellular nutrition.

I am fully convinced that nutritional supplements are necessary for optimal health and even the conservative American Medical Association now agrees with me. If anyone tells you that you do not need to supplement your diet, they are out of touch with modern medical research.

Based on ongoing research now led by Dr David Heber at the Mark Hughes Cellular and Molecular Laboratory at the University College of Los Angeles, a patented programme of nutritional supplements had been developed and successfully used over the past three decades by tens of millions of people all over the world. This is the programme I use myself and recommend to all my patients.

The Cellular Nutrition Program

This supplement programme includes three basic items:

1. A nutritional shake drink that can replace or complement a meal, depending on your health status. This provides the body’s cells with all the macronutrients (e.g. proteins, carbohydrates, healthy fats and fibre) that it needs. Although there are now many shakes on the market, very few can be designated ‘a meal replacement shake’ as they do not fulfil the very stringent nutritional guidelines set by the Food and Drug Administration. The Cellular Nutrition shake I recommend satisfies those requirements and is a real meal replacement.

2. A multivitamin/mineral tablet that supplies the cells with the full spectrum of micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and trace elements) along with vegetable extracts.

3. A herbal capsule called Cell Activator that promotes optimal cellular function while protecting the cell from damage. It contains ingredients like aloe vera, medicinal mushrooms (such as reishi), pycnogenol, pomegranate, resveratrol and alpha lipoic acid. These help the cells make the best use of the ingredients in the nutritional shake and the multivitamin tablet described above.

How to Take Supplements

How you take supplements is also very important for optimal cellular nutrition. Replacing one regular meal with the shake each day can profoundly affect how your body functions because of the cellular nutrition it receives. The shake makes an excellent and nutritious breakfast. You can also use it to lose weight by replacing two meals with two shakes. The impact of the shake can be further amplified with a patented herbal tea blend based on green tea concentrate.

To ensure that your cells are getting optimal nutrition all day, you should take your multivitamin and cell activator supplements with each meal, three times per day. This is called divided dose supplementation. The popular one-a-day approach to supplementing, though convenient, is not the best way as the body cannot absorb all the nutrients it requires for the day in one sitting. A lot gets excreted in your urine and is lost.

Very often, people experience a significant shift in energy and well-being shortly after starting this programme, but the real long-term benefits are derived from consistent use over several months, so be patient.

Enjoy a Balanced Diet

As the term ‘supplements’ implies, they are designed to complement your regular food intake. It is important to eat a nutritious and balanced diet. Pay particular attention to your intake of healthy protein (plant protein, fish and organic poultry) with 7 to 9 servings of vegetables and fruit daily. Try to set aside time to eat consciously. Relax, eat slowly and chew your food well.

Drink Healthy Fluids

What you drink is also very important for cellular nutrition, as about two-thirds of the cell is composed of water. Our total water intake per day should be about half-an-ounce per pound of body weight, and clean water is the best choice of liquid.

Other healthy beverages include herbal teas (especially green tea), coconut water, fresh vegetable and fruit juices. Additional water is supplied from water-rich foods like soups, salads, vegetables and fruit themselves.

Cellular Protection

Your health is in your hands. Treat it with care and handle it with love.

—Tony Vendryes

I often highlight the importance of providing the cells of the body with all the right nutrients. I want to expand on that theme and discuss the need to not only nourish but also protect the cells.

The trillions of cells in the human body work constantly to perform millions of functions. Consider, for example, the cells of the human circulatory system. On average the heart beats over 3 billion times in a lifetime, pumping millions of quarts of blood through some 70 thousand miles of blood vessels all over the body. The muscle cells of your heart, along with the blood cells as well as the cells that make the blood vessels themselves are constantly subject to stress and strain, wear and tear. Little wonder that heart disease, blood disorders and circulation problems are so common.

Or consider your liver, that often undervalued organ and the major unit for detoxification in the body. On a moment to moment basis it conducts thousands of chemical processes to neutralise harmful substances and then pass them out of the body in the form of bile. The liver cells need protection from abuse and damage, just like the cells in all the other organs and tissues.

Harmful Free Radicals

A major cause of cellular damage comes from free radicals. These are unstable chemicals that, in excess, can harm the cells and promote disease. They are produced by the body itself as metabolic by-products, similar to how a car engine produces exhaust fumes. Free radicals also come from pollution in the environment, some drugs, cigarette smoke, and even from the electromagnetic radiation from appliances and the sun itself. Free radicals can damage all parts of the cells including your genes and DNA. This can lead to cancer. In fact, free radical damage is the underlying cause of most disease processes as well as the reason why our bodies age.

Antioxidants for Protection

There are special substances called antioxidants that protect your cells from these free radicals. The cells themselves manufacture antioxidant substances with names like ‘catalase’ and ‘superoxide dismutase’. One very important intracellular antioxidant is glutathione. It is produced particularly by the liver cells, to assist in the detoxification process. Other notable cellular antioxidants are alpha lipoic acid and coenzymeQ10. However, in situations in which excessive amounts of free radicals are produced or too few antioxidants are available, disease will result. For optimal health we all need additional dietary supplies of antioxidants.

A diet rich in antioxidants is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, and fresh fruit and vegetables are the main dietary sources of antioxidants – the more you eat, the better. I call the main dietary antioxidants ‘the ACES’ and they are absolutely necessary for optimal health.

A – Vitamin A: This is a powerful antioxidant which helps to protect the cells from cancer and other illnesses. It is commonly found in yellow, green and orange fruits, including carrots, pumpkin, callaloo, papaya, mangoes, as well as in liver and fish liver oils. The plant sources also contain other substances called carotenoids (e.g. beta carotene) which the body converts into vitamin A.

C – Vitamin C: Man is one of only a very few animals that cannot manufacture his own supply of vitamin C. This essential antioxidant must be obtained from the diet. It protects against pollution, cancer and infections, and is also necessary for tissue growth and cell repair. Fresh fruits and vegetables, such as citrus, berries and greens, are good