In the animal kingdom, there is no one more noble than the human male. However, many men have no idea of their own power. What other being, generally speaking, shows more courage, sense of duty and devotion? The human male regularly will work himself to the bone and even sacrifice his life for his country, for his family and for his mate.

The least that we can be do in return is to appreciate, even celebrate, their manhood. Today, men have a hard time of it, nutritionally speaking, from childhood. The modern diet is weakening men’s bodies and inhibiting their natural masculine strength. Boys, statistically, are most frequently diagnosed with attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. It is rare to find one without asthma, allergies and/or bowel problems. Oftentimes, these conditions either clear up completely or lessen considerably when all processed foods (especially grains) and sugars are eliminated from their diet.

Teen male hormones are raging, which can inhibit their focus and growth. Making the transition from puberty requires a healthy masculine role model to encourage their natural inclination for aggression to be used to serve them in the pursuit of a successful future rather than wasted in offensive social rebellion. Historically, the herbal supplement Red Raspberry has been used to help young men ease into manhood. It often brings balance to their bodies and even addresses the acne that can result from the stresses of this period in their life.

A man’s sense of self is usually dependant upon his ability to perform—mentally, physically and, especially, sexually. Being chronically undernourished, often overweight and constantly exposed to chemicals, men need help in learning how to avoid and prevent these conditions.

When talking to a man about his chronic bowel condition, the subject always turns to the baskets he can no longer make, that he’s not thinking as sharply or he’s not having sex as much. Nutritional balance is definitely needed, as there is no magic pill to help these issues.

However, there may be pills that can cause or exacerbate these problems. For example, the common side effects of statin (cholesterol lowering) drugs address many of these areas of performance negatively. A British doctor recently said that he can’t believe American men are so willing to take statin drugs as they can greatly diminish the sex drive. Sexual hormones are made in the cholesterol. The U.S., it appears, is unique in its obsession with cholesterol numbers. For those with heart disease or a family history of heart disease, statins may be required as one solution, but for the rest of the population, allowing the body to create its own cholesterol balance is important for proper functioning of the body.

A low-fat diet also directly affects a man’s performance negatively. The brain does not function well without the “good” fats that it requires. Without fat, joints become stiff, nerves fray, memory fails and bowels block. It is our lubrication. Of course, this means natural fats like those from meat, fish, eggs, plants and nuts—not man-made, hydrogenated and trans fats. The most valuable fat for brain health is DHA, which is in Omega 3 fatty acids—the fats most essential to any person’s supplement regime. They also work as an anti-inflammatory and are the good fats that burn stored fat. Thus, they are very helpful for weight loss. A good source of Omega 3’s are fish oil and flax seed oil.

Prostate problems are becoming more common in this country. Many think this may be related to the elevated estrogen levels in modern foods, chemicals and plastics. Whatever the cause, a male supplement formula that contains zinc, pygeum bark, nettle, lycopene and saw palmetto is usually recommended to help prevent prostate problems.

More men begin to take steps to learn about themselves physically, mentally and spiritually. In doing so, they are finding the way to their true power and nobility.

Dian Freeman has a private practice in Morristown, N.J., teaches a nutritional certification course, is certified in Ondamed biofeedback, and is currently working toward her doctorate in medical humanities at Drew University. For more information, call 973- 267-4816 or visit WellnessSimplified.com.