Showing posts with label health and wellness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health and wellness. Show all posts

Monday, August 21, 2017

PrEPPED and Proud: How You Can PrEPare to Stay HIV Negative


By Drew Wilson

At this moment, there are about 12,300 Coloradans who are living with HIV - including 9% who are undiagnosed and unaware of their infection. And anywhere from 325 to 400 more of us are newly diagnosed every year. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that HIV infection in Denver is down about 60 percent overall since 2005 thanks to strategies like the Fast-Track Cities Initiative (did you know the city of Denver has pledged to end AIDS by 2030?) and the use of antiretroviral drugs. These antiretroviral drugs do an excellent job of treating people with HIV, driving their viral loads down to the point where they are undetectable. And an undetectable viral load makes it very, very difficult for people who are HIV-positive to spread the virus to anybody else.

And now for the best news of all. Right now it’s easier than it’s ever been for those who are currently HIV-negative to stay that way. It’s called PrEP.

What is Prep? PrEP is Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis - the process of taking daily medication to prevent HIV infection. That medication is Truvada, currently the only medication currently approved for PrEP by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. When taken daily, it is over 90% effective in preventing HIV transmission. Pretty amazing.

Compare that to condoms, which, while up to 99% effective in laboratory conditions, can be much less effective in the real world - especially for gay men. At a 2013 conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections results were presented that showed that the effectiveness of condoms for MSM who use condoms can be as little as 70%, according to an article at POZ.com. Yikes. Not to mention that condoms aren’t always at hand, can be used incorrectly or hinder sexual performance, and, of course, there are plenty of guys out there who just don’t like them. For those men, a daily Truvada pill is an easy, effective solution.

“Current data suggests that most people in the gay community in Denver know about PrEP but that only a small number of people are actually on it,” says Mark Thrun, a Denver-based MD who is the Associate Director of HIV Medical Sciences for Gilead Sciences, the makers of Truvada. “It speaks to an enormous gap that hopefully getting the word out about will help us all remedy. There are thousands of people in the Denver area who could benefit from PrEP or at least a discussion with their medical provider about going on PrEP.”

So how do you get on PrEP? It’s pretty easy. Just bring it up to your healthcare provider. Doctors and medical professionals sometimes don’t know we exist or know a lot about our specific concerns as gay men but the more we come out, the more we start talking about our issues and concerns, the more these providers will become comfortable talking about the things we want and need to talk about. Advocate for yourself and don’t be afraid to shop around a little bit, because Colorado has a number of PrEP-friendly providers.

Currently, very few Colorado insurance providers do not pay for PrEP. So if you’ve got insurance, payment should not be much of a barrier. For people without insurance it is a little more challenging but there are financial assistance options available, so don’t give up. For more information on financial assistance and PrEP, visit http://www.proudtobeprepped.com. You owe it to yourself, your partner, and your community to learn as much as you can about PrEP and HIV prevention. 

Monday, October 24, 2016

Over 50? Pay Attention to Your Prostate!

The National Institutes of Health reports that approximately 50 percent of men aged 51Ð60 and more than 90 percent of men older than 80 will develop BPH.

Dr. Dudley Danoff has taught on the clinical faculty of the UCLA School of Medicine for more than twenty-five years and is the founder and president of the Cedars-Sinai Tower Urology Medical Group in Los Angeles. He says, "Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or the benign enlargement of the prostate, is nearly inevitable in aging males. 

Think of the male bladder as a balloon placed neck-side down in the pelvis, and visualize the prostate as a doughnut around the neck of the balloon. As a man ages, the doughnut gets larger and the hole in the doughnut gets smaller, making it more difficult to empty the balloon through urination." 

Dr. Danoff says that the most reliable method of identifying which patients need treatment for BPH is a questionnaire developed by the American Urological Association (AUA) that examines the condition's most prominent symptoms, which include incomplete bladder emptying; frequency, intermittency, and urgency of urination; weakness of the urine stream; straining during urination; and nighttime urination. These symptoms are rated on a scale of 0 to 5. The higher the total score, the more likely it is that a patient will need treatment for BPH.

If you get a BPH diagnosis, here are Dr. Danoff's top ten suggestions about what to do next:

1.      Have a complete urologic and prostate examination, which should include a digital rectal exam and a blood screening exam that uses a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to test for the presence of possible prostate cancer.

2.      Get a noninvasive ultrasound to measure the amount of urine remaining in the bladder after urination. An ultrasound can also detect structural abnormalities in the prostate and determine the need for a biopsy.

3.      Consider watchful waiting if symptoms are mild or moderate. Progression of symptoms is not inevitable, and some menÕs symptoms spontaneously improve or resolve.

4.      Ask about medical treatments for BPH. A recently developed class of drugs called alpha blockers has been widely and safely used for a number of years to relieve the symptoms of BPH. In general, they relax the neck of the bladder (widening the hole in the doughnut) to allow more complete emptying.

5.      Find out about shrinking the prostate. Another class of drugs called 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors affects the cells of the prostate, reducing the size of the gland and improving symptoms. This treatment usually takes six months and may cause side effects like erectile dysfunction, decreased libido, enlarged breast tissue, and ejaculation problems.

6.      Consider combination therapy. The combination of tamsulosin (an alpha blocker) and finasteride (a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor) has been shown to decrease AUA symptom scores and increase urinary flow rates significantly greater than the use of either drug alone. Over the last several years, combination therapy has vastly decreased the need for surgical intervention in the treatment of BPH.

7.      Learn about phytotherapy, a class of treatment using plants or plant extracts for medicinal purposes. The use of phytotherapy for BPH is popular in Europe, and enthusiasm for this treatment is growing in the United States. Although some studies have noted improvements in symptom scores and flow rates, others show no benefit beyond placebo, so use phytotherapy with caution.

8.      Consider a transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) if symptoms are severe and other therapies have failed. To visualize what a TURP is, think of a plumber unclogging a pipe. Most TURP procedures use spinal anesthesia, require no incision and only a brief hospital stay, preserve continence and potency, and produce results superior to that of any other minimally invasive therapy. Possible complications include retrograde ejaculation (semen entering the bladder) and stricture (the formation of scar tissue).

9.      Research other minimally invasive procedures that open the urinary channel by destroying prostate tissue. Though not as effective as TURP, these procedures do not require an incision and may reduce complications. They include laser therapy, transurethral electrovaporization, hyperthermia, transurethral needle ablation, high-intensity focused ultrasound, and intraurethral stents.

10.  Most importantly, get an annual prostate examination after age 40. This is especially true if prostate cancer runs in your familyÑa man is 30 percent more likely to develop prostate cancer if a relative had the disease. Approximately one in seven men will develop prostate cancer in his lifetime, and 240,000 cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed this year in the United States alone.

The options described above will help every patient with BPH symptoms make an intelligent treatment choice in consultation with his physician. The right treatment can dramatically improve a patientÕs quality of life with minimal side effects, and several minimally invasive treatment options can improve symptoms while preserving potency and continence.

Monday, October 20, 2014

HRC Endorses PrEP, Calls for Bold Action to Expand Access to Anti-HIV Drug

In a policy paper released today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, explicitly endorsed the use of Truvada for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP is any medical or public health tool used to prevent the spread of a disease or infection prior to exposure. Truvada is the only brand name anti-HIV drug combination currently approved for PrEP, which protects against HIV but no other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). When taken as prescribed by a knowledgeable healthcare provider, and paired with other safer sex practices, Truvada can reduce the risk of contracting HIV by upwards of 90 percent.

“PrEP is a dose of hope, taken once daily. Today, there is an unprecedented chance to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States, in part through PrEP’s aggressive prevention of new HIV infections,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “There is no reason—medical or otherwise—to discourage individuals from taking control of their sexual health and talking to their doctor about PrEP. Bold action must be taken to guarantee affordable access to this life-changing regimen.”

It is important to note that HRC’s recommendation applies especially to populations deemed most vulnerable to HIV infection. Truvada is not right for all individuals, and any medical decision should be made in concert with a knowledgeable healthcare provider.

HRC joins AIDS United and the Gay Men’s Health Crisis Center (GMHC), as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), in endorsing PrEP. HRC is pairing its announcement with new calls for insurers, regulators, and Truvada’s drug manufacturer to take bold steps to reduce costs, educate the public, and adopt a goal of universal access for all medically-qualified individuals—regardless of socioeconomic background.

Read HRC’s policy paper here and find out more information after the jump.


Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Are You Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired? 3 Questions Chronic Pain Sufferers Should Ask Themselves

Janet Komanchuk
The numbers involved in America’s problem with chronic pain are staggering and probably larger than most realize.

More than 100 million Americans suffer from chronic pain, costing nearly $600 billion annually in medical treatments and lost productivity, according to the Institute of Medicine, which adds that the total surpasses that of all people affected by heart disease, diabetes and cancer combined.

“Despite the immense scope of the problem, very little is spent on research to find better ways to manage pain. Chronic pain has become a disease in its own right for many patients,” says Janet Komanchuk, a retired schoolteacher who now works as an educational writer and public relations assistant with Joy of Healing, an alternative healing modality.

Komanchuk, a fibromyalgia sufferer, was dealing with so much pain in her life that, at age 52, she was faced with the prospect of spending the rest of her life in a nursing home. Fibromyalgia syndrome is a complex, chronic condition of widespread muscular pain and fatigue, that often includes sleep disturbances, impaired memory and concentration, depression and other debilitating symptoms.

“When medical leave, morphine patches, codeine and myriad pharmaceuticals brought no relief, I took an early retirement and tried a different approach in combination with medical treatment,” says Komanchuk, who has since enjoyed more than 13 years of pain-free and prescription-free living after finding an alternative healing therapy that works for her.

Komanchuk, who elaborates on her path to mind-body-spirit wellness at www.jkomanchuk.com, says chronic pain sufferers who cannot find lasting relief should ask themselves the following three questions:

• Have I really tried everything? Komanchuk had been to orthopedic surgeons, neurologists, rheumatologists, psychologists, underwent MRIs and took all manner of medications for her unbearable pain. In a narrow sense, it would seem as though she exhausted her options – until she looked beyond traditional Western medicine. Alternative treatment guided her to recognize the layers of stress throughout her life that she believes were a primary driver of her chronic pain.

• Am I overlooking dietary triggers? The medical community continues to learn more about the benefits of healthy eating and specific diets for people with certain conditions, such as a gluten-free diet for those with sensitivities to gluten. Likewise, it can take years for someone to realize that they are lactose-intolerant, or have other food allergies. If you can’t pinpoint the source of chronic pain, and no treatment is working, find out what is healthy for your body. “Eliminating wheat, sugar and many processed foods helped me,” Komanchuk says.

• Are your mind, body and spirit in balance? Komanchuk thought she was living the life she was supposed to live, accumulating wealth and possessions, and she had a narrowly defined expectation of others. In reality, however, the priorities guiding her well-being, which are based in the mind, body and spirit, were skewed. Underneath someone’s physical experience, pain, she says, is often a caldron of unresolved emotional issues.

“At the height of my suffering I often said, ‘If every part of my body that hurt was bleeding, then you could begin to understand what I was feeling,’ ” says Komanchuk. “I just want to urge the millions who are struggling with chronic pain to never give up – and, to keep an open mind for treatment!”

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Three Simple Things You Can Do Today to Feel Better Tomorrow

“Imagine you’re a spider with just one leg,” says Dr. Frank King. 

“You put forth immense effort to try to haul yourself around and not only does it wear you out, it’s frustrating and you don’t get far.” King is a chiropractor and doctor of naturopathy specializing in homeopathic remedies, and author of The Healing Revolution.

“It gets a bit easier with two legs and easier still with four legs. But it’s not till you have all eight legs that you can really dance.”

Dr. King explains that the eight legs represent Eight Essentials we need for optimum mental, physical and spiritual health: Empowering your human spirit; Water; Nutrition; Fitness; Sleep; Nature; Relationships; and Hands On Techniques (touch).

“It would be overwhelming and self-defeating to look at all eight areas and think, ‘I have to make significant changes in every area immediately!” Dr. King says. “You don’t have to and who could? I know from my experience with countless patients and friends, and even in my own life, that you can see immediate results by making a few small changes at a time.”

Dr. King describes three that are easy to make and will have you feeling better quickly.
•  Drink half your body weight in ounces of spring or well water every day.
If you weigh 150 pounds, that’s 75 ounces of water (about 9 cups).
“Many of us walk around dehydrated without realizing it and that can have a significant effect on our health and how we feel,” Dr. King says. Dehydrated bodies trap toxins and encourage water retention – a natural defense against the chronic “drought.”
“Our bodies need the steady flow of pure, spring or well water. If you don’t like the taste, try mixing up to a teaspoon of sea salt into a quart of water,” he says.
A simple test for dehydration: Pinch the skin on the back of your hand and hold for three seconds. When you release, if the ridge from the pinch remains for more than a second, you’re probably dehydrated.
•  Take at least a few minutes every day to connect with nature. Nature brings perpetual revitalization and ongoing renewal, especially when experienced through multiple senses:  the smell of freshly turned earth or evergreens in the woods; the touch of cool stream water on your face or feet; the sight of birds on the wing and budding blooms.
“These are not just pleasant little gifts to experience – we need them for restoration, renewal, revival and rehabilitation,” Dr. King says. “The more disconnected we become from the Earth, the more we inhibit our body’s natural ability to heal.”
•  Take a brisk, 10- to 20-minute walk every day. Walking is the simplest, most natural form of exercise. You might walk a nature trail, walk to the store instead of driving or take your pet for a stroll.
“Three brisk 10-minute walks a day are as effective at lowering blood pressure as one 30-minute walk,” Dr. King says, citing an Arizona State University study.
“Outdoor walking is preferable to walking on a treadmill or other machine, since the uneven surfaces and changing directions of natural walking will engage more muscles and tendons.”
Swing each arm in synchronization with the opposite foot to strengthen your cross-crawl functionality and mind-body balance.
Dr. Frank King is a chiropractor, doctor of naturopathy, and founder and president of King Bio, an FDA-registered pharmaceutical manufacturing company dedicated to education, research, development, manufacture and distribution of safe and natural homeopathic medicines for people and pets. Dr. King is also the author of The Healing Revolution: Eight Essentials to Awaken Abundant Life Naturally! A fourth-generation farmer, Dr. King raises yak, camel, boar, wisent and American bison sold under the Carolina Bison brand. He is a member of the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia Convention of the United States.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

RAWk Your Body with Santino Rice

After a "grave near-death" experience from undiagnosed Celiac disease (extreme gluten intolerance), Santino Rice (RuPaul's Drag Race, Project Runway) shares the story of his journey back to health via raw foods. Watch as Santino is filmed IN THE RAW (yes, he’s naked!) providing simple yet extremely effective tips on how to improve your health AND sex appeal with his life-changing diet!

"We reached out to Santino about doing a WOWPresents series after hearing his harrowing story of how dealing with his Celiac disease almost brought his life to a full stop." said World of Wonder Co-Founder Randy Barbato.

"His journey back to health is one that seemed rich with useful information for all" added Fenton Bailey, WOW Co-Founder.

Apart from the seriousness and often-undiagnosed gluten intolerance known as Celiac disease, this series may also prove valuable to people with common skin problems, chronic fatigue, obesity, or overall health issues. 



"The sooner your eyes are open to the benefits of living foods, the happier and healthier you will be in your life. Re-design your life! Re-design your immune system! Re-design your body!" says Santino.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Stonewall Fitness: Anti-Pro or Pro-Anti? I Don’t Get It… Let’s Eat!


By David Smith

A lot of our common ailments, diseases and issues that we face on a physical and mental level most often and easily are attributed to just a few basic things, what we eat and what we do, also known as diet and exercise. Now we could sit here for days reading about all sorts of different ways this all works but instead we’ll focus on one thing at a time.


Often times you will hear doctors, drug companies and your mother tell you it is important to take two Advil a day, for the rest of your life. They will tell you that it helps reduce your risk of heart attack, which in some aspects is true, yet why should you need to reduce your risk of heart attack when there is no need for the risk to exist in the first place?
 

Advil is an anti-inflammatory pill; inflammation is the swelling and expanding of tissues within the body and happens for many different reasons. When you get a mosquito bite, you form a bump and the skin turns red, inflammation. You injure your knee and it swells up, Inflammation. Headache? Inflammation. Inflammation is your body’s response and way to help you repair and recover from a variety of different reasons including injury and disease. However like everything else, to much inflammation can also be bad for you, often attributed to heart attack, stroke, diabetes, chronic migraines/headaches, acne to name a few.


Friday, December 20, 2013

Good Chemistry’s Compassion Program Provides Medicine to People with Serious Health Issues and Low Income

Matt Huron, Owner, Good Chemistry
By Drew Wilson

Jeremy is a Denver gay man who has been living with HIV for 20 years. He uses medical marijuana to treat his nausea, pain, and anxiety, but lives on disability benefits that make it hard to make ends meet. Like many people on disability, he sometimes had to choose between paying for his preferred medication and necessities like food or rent. Then a friend referred him to Denver dispensary Good Chemistry’s Compassion Program that helps patients with serious health issues and financial needs obtain medical cannabis at minimal cost.

“I’ve been with the program for two and a half years and, living on disability with a low income, it just means the world to me,” said Jeremy. “I came in and talked to the manager and they got me set up as easy as one, two, three. It definitely helps with my nausea and pain. I have headaches and neuropathy and it helps with all of that. I also have anxiety and trouble sleeping and it puts me to sleep. It just does wonders for my well-being.”

The Compassion Program has been in place since the dispensary opened in Denver four years ago and currently serves upwards of 30 patients with medical conditions ranging from HIV to cancer to epilepsy.

“It’s part of our mission statement,” said assistant manager John Warner. “Compassion is one of the four principles of our business.”

Matthew Huron, owner and founder of Good Chemistry, has been in the medical marijuana business for 14 years. He started the company with his father and his father’s life partner in San Francisco before moving the business to Denver in 2010.

“I grew up in a gay household in San Francisco,” said Huron. “My father and his partner both had HIV and his partner eventually was in hospice care. We started growing and cultivating therapeutic marijuana at that time just for him. But then he would pass it around to other folks at the hospice so we made an arrangement with the management of the hospice to provide the other folks with medicine as well. From there we began expanding the business, going to other hospices and assisted living facilities in San Francisco. We developed the Compassion Program at that time. Eventually my father’s partner passed away.

“Fast-forward nine years and a friend of mine here in Denver told me about the medical marijuana industry out here, and I came out to explore opportunities. Unfortunately, my father then got very sick himself and passed away in 2009. The Compassion Program is important to me because it reminds me that there is a real therapeutic and compassionate element to what we do and that’s really how it all started. I feel my father would be very proud of what we are doing.”

To apply for the program, patients fill out a simple questionnaire and provide proof of their medical condition from a primary care physician. Once approved, staff will figure out how much medicine a client is eligible to receive. More information is available at the Good Chemistry website. Patients can also come to the dispensary’s Colfax location and speak to any of the budtenders on staff about signing up for the program.

“I feel like we are giving people aloha through medicine,” said budtender Cassandra Batrez. “Aloha is love, compassion, understanding, and caring for others. It’s so positive to me to be able to provide medicine to people that would not be able to provide for themselves otherwise. It’s one of the things that attracted me to Good Chemistry. What other dispensary does something like this? Cares so much? We’re kind of like a family here and we’ve really got a good thing going on – especially with the Compassion Program.”

“Every time I go in I get shown a lot of compassion and a lot of love,” said Jeremy. “They’re very attentive; they pay attention to which products work best for you. Good Chemistry loves and treats everybody like a member of the family. I appreciate them so much. I bake cookies and things to bring them because I appreciate them that much. They make me feel like family – they really do.”

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

PPRM Provides Affordable Healthcare for Denver Gay Men

Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains provides services for gay men in Denver and throughout Colorado including STD Testing and Treatment, HIV Testing and Education, Prostate and Testicular Cancer Screenings, and Education and Referrals.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

The Gay Vegans: The 'Healthier' Gay Vegans

By Dan Hanley
 
REMINDER: I am not a registered dietitian. When I write about health I am writing about my own personal experiences which include success and non-successes. For great vegan nutrition information please check out some of the blogs linked on our blog.

Mike and I went for a run yesterday. We are both in training. This year we did our first half marathon, as part of the Colfax Marathon here in Denver. Now we are training again, Mike for his first marathon and me for my second half marathon. My goal is to finish in 2:30, which would be 25 minutes faster than this year. We have until May of next year and are super excited.

Friday, October 25, 2013

Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains: Friendly, Affordable Healthcare for Gay Denver

Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains provides services for gay men in Denver and throughout Colorado including STD Testing and Treatment, HIV Testing and Education, Prostate and Testicular Cancer Screenings, and Education and Referrals.

Friday, September 6, 2013

PPRM Provides Affordable Healthcare for Denver Gay Men

Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains provides services for gay men in Denver and throughout Colorado including STD Testing and Treatment, HIV Testing and Education, Prostate and Testicular Cancer Screenings, and Education and Referrals.

PPRM Provides Affordable Healthcare for Denver Gay Men

Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains provides services for gay men in Denver and throughout Colorado including STD Testing and Treatment, HIV Testing and Education, Prostate and Testicular Cancer Screenings, and Education and Referrals.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Stonewall Fitness: By, For, and About the LGBT Community

David Smith, the owner of Stonewall Fitness, holds a degree in exercise science from Metropolitan State University of Denver, several fitness certifications including ACSM Personal Trainer and Group Fitness.

Smith specializes in exercise, nutrition and wellness programs for the GLBT community and leads a variety of different programs, including group fitness classes, personal training, athletic conditioning programs, educational seminars and workshops. His passion lies in promoting the physical, mental and social benefits of exercise and healthy diet to the community by breaking down the barriers often associated with a healthy lifestyle to make it accessible for everybody.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains: Friendly and Affordable Healthcare for Gay men

Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains provides services for gay men in Denver and throughout Colorado including STD Testing and Treatment, HIV Testing and Education, Prostate and Testicular Cancer Screenings, and Education and Referrals.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

BeTested.co: Find a Free HIV Testing Site in the Denver Metropolitan Area

There are more than a dozen free testing sites for HIV and STDs located in community and commercial venues throughout the Denver-Metro area. Regardless of where you happen to be when you'd like to get tested, BeTested.co can help locate a convenient location for you.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Stonewall Fitness: Why Super-Food Fads Suck!

By David Smith

Every year, and very predictably, a new “super-food” will hit grocery store shelves and every TV doctor and scripted, well-marketed “health professional” touts its amazing benefits and life changing properties. Every food has all the same qualities as far as being “the most nutritious” or “the fuel of ancient warriors” and all that jazzed up hype.

Some of the latest “super-foods” include the Acai berry, Kale, and, most recently, the Moringa leaf. While some of the claims are true as far as the heavy nutritional content, many of them are exaggerated. They do contain sufficient amounts of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants which are all very good to maintain overall health, however this is no more or less than you’d find in berries, spinach or any other fruits and vegetables. These new foods do offer a nice new variety to your diet and may introduce new flavors, which are always good, but they are not miracle foods. It is important to add them into your current healthy, well-rounded diet that incorporates other nutrient dense foods as well.

Don’t fall for the marketing schemes. These foods are marketed in a way to sell more, they will exaggerate any claim on the food to try and influence people that this particular food might be a cure-all for everything from health conditions to weight loss. The food itself is more a novelty or a fad. It’ll be the best thing ever until next year when the next best thing ever comes and a year after that nobody will remember ever hearing of the previous fad. This will go on for as long as people continue to get on and off the bandwagon. Remember there is no one miracle food or miracle pill or miracle anything. It is always good to try new things and incorporate new and different things into your life, just make sure you do your research and don’t fall for the marketing and hype. 


David Smith is the owner of Stonewall Fitness, holds a degree in exercise science from Metropolitan State University of Denver and holds several fitness certifications including ACSM Personal Trainer and Group Fitness.

Visit: www.stonewallfitness.com 
Like: www.facebook.com/stonewallfit 
Follow: http://stonewallfit.tumblr.com
 

Friday, August 23, 2013

Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains: Friendly and Affordable Healthcare for Gay men

Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains provides services for gay men in Denver and throughout Colorado including STD Testing and Treatment, HIV Testing and Education, Prostate and Testicular Cancer Screenings, and Education and Referrals.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Nice to See StevieB: Inspired Alignment

By StevieB

My dear friend, Tamlyn, has a Facebook group page called “Inspired Alignment.” This group is designed to deliver inspirational messages, and to engage participation around a daily topic.  Tamlyn encourages anyone who wants to share, to write about what they feel helps them live an authentic life. Normally I would steer far away from this type of “Woo-woo” touchy-feely stuff as it normally seems like a bunch of malarky. Yet the philosophy of this Facebook page is to simply share what works for individuals, in hope that it may help others. 
So what do I believe?  
I believe in growth, physical growth. After the work day is over, and I leave the office, the opportunity to grow as an individual presents itself as a choice.  Upon heading to my car, I have a daily decision to make. I can head home to raid the refrigerator and plop down on the sofa, I can head to my favorite fast-food place for my favorite burger, or I can take a small amount of my day and head to the gym. Even at forty, I still have this power that manifests itself as a lazy, self-defeating voice that thinks that heading home is the better choice. That a stop off at my favorite fast-food joint will be much more gratifying. As fast food equals happiness. This is when I say “NO” to that voice and head to the gym.
Why is the fear of succeeding so strong inside of us?  The fear of happiness. The fear of success. The fear that the other people working out at the gym are just better people? I talk to so many friends that declare they could “never go to the gym” as they would be judged as unworthy. They seem to be scared of what complete strangers may/or may not be thinking. The simple fact that you are at the gym, attempting your best to improve yourself, means you are on an even playing field. 
Another excuse that comes into my head, I also hear from others. The convenient excuse of time. “There’s just not enough time in the day to go to the gym.” I do; however, have time to eat cheeseburgers. More time than improving yourself?  Well, short-term, the act of eating a burger may be more gratifying, but...
“Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.”  -Edward Stanley, Earl of Derby (1826-93), British statesman. The Conduct of Life, address at Liverpool College, 20 Dec 1873.

Physical activity is what sustains us in life. To not work towards being physically fit is to welcome illness into your life. The tiny amount of time it takes, in respect to our allotted time on this planet, is minuscule considering the most important key to life is a healthy body. 
The act of bringing physical activity into your life is an act of over coming the fear of happiness. The fear of success. It in-fact empowers success.  The confidence that is gained by  meeting exercise goals, even small ones, can boost self-confidence. It also makes you feel better about your appearance. To feel good about your physical appearance is a right, not a privilege. Exercise is a distraction that can get you away from the cycle of negative thoughts that feed anxiety and depression. The instant gratification you get from food, sex, or liquor falls away because you are doing something positive to manage anxiety and depression.
Tell that little voice that keeps repeating that you aren't worthy of being healthy, that instead you choose to go for a walk. 

This post originally appeared on Steven Bennet's website Nice to See StevieB. Republished with permission.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Stonewall Fitness: Exercise and Sex!

By David Smith

People who exercise 3-5 times a week at 60 minutes a day have increased sex drive, more variety and passion as well as more reliable “equipment.”

It is no secret how great sex can be and how getting some on a regular basis is beneficial to your overall health. Exercise greatly contributes to your overall health and very much to your sexual health--physically and mentally! Consistent exercise not only helps to increase your stamina, strength and power but your blood flow throughout your body, which for men can certainly attribute to an increase in size as well. This helps you to last longer and go harder but it also helps to increase testosterone levels, which really drives a lot of the passion and overall primal instinct in sex that can lead not only to a wide variety of different things but really make it explode in the end.

Photo by Robet A. Rice Photography. Click here to see unedited (but not full-frontal) version here.
The effects of exercise on your mind is a key role too, people who exercise tend to exhibit more confidence and have a higher self esteem. They walk with their heads up and often have a more friendly approach toward people. These people are comfortable in their own skin and really are in touch with their bodies. They know what they like and they feel good about it. This greatly attributes to your performance in bed, if you are confident and passionate in your own sexual pleasure and feeling good about your body, your partner(s) will certainly feel the result of this as well. Having this kind of confidence not only helps you to be better in bed. It also makes it easier for you to attract the kind of people find attractive. Those who are popular tend to be confident with themselves. They feel good with who they are, comfortable in their own skin and tend to exhibit that onto others. It’s contagious! Confidence can take you very far in your life and can really lead to some hot sex. Being comfortable within your own body to have the guts to put yourself out there, flaunt what you got and just enjoy all that life has to offer.

With exercise your sex drive will significantly increase, this is due to all the elevated hormone levels within your body and again feeling confident and good about yourself. Along with all that sweat your no doubt sweating out, those pheromones along with your hot body and gleaming self-confidence will be turning heads in no time!

Many people have many goals and reasons for exercising, it’s okay to be a bit selfish and do it for you! Weight loss, confidence, strength gains and increase sex drive are just a few of the wonderful side effects to a consistent and engaging workout program. You are much more likely to be successful in all aspects of your life but you have to work for it, or as they say “go out and get it.”

Live Strong “Effects of Exercise on Sex Drive” Jacobs, O May 4th 2011 http://www.livestrong.com/article/80273-effect-exercise-sex-drive/

Archives of Sexual Behavior; JR White et al; June 1990

Journal of Sexual Medicine; "The Roles of Testosterone and Alpha-Amylase in Exercise-Induced Sexual Arousal in Women"; L. Dawn et al; April 2008

"Journal of Sexual Medicine"; The impact of body awareness on sexual arousal in women with sexual dysfunction"; B.N. Seal and C.M. Meston; July 2007


David Smith is the owner of Stonewall Fitness, holds a degree in exercise science from Metropolitan State University of Denver and holds several fitness certifications including ACSM Personal Trainer and Group Fitness.

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