Healthy Living:

There is an old Chinese Proverb "He who takes medicine and neglects to diet wastes the skill of his doctors." Thich Nhat Hanh explained "Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos - the trees, the clouds, everything." Virgil pointed out that "the greatest wealth is health."

In 1948, the World Health Assembly defined health as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

For many naturist men, naturism and healthy living go hand-in-hand. Health professionals tell us that healthy living for men involves:

physical exercise and activity each day, including activities that raise your breathing and heart rates, and that strengthen your muscles throughout the week.
a balanced nutritious diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and that limits calories,
sugar, salt and saturated fat.
stress management which includes balancing work, home and play and a maintaining a positive outlook.
adequate relaxation and sleep, many doctors recommend 7 to 9 hours sleep each night.
practicing good hygiene.
scheduling regular health check-ups and preventive screenings.
avoiding risky behavior and thinking about the potential consequences of your actions.

Welcome to our online health fair. Learn more about healthy living by visiting these web sites:

Men's Health, Exercise and Fitness Information:

Physical activity and fitness are an important part of healthy living. Physical fitness includes exercising for aerobic fitness, muscle strength/endurance and for flexibility. Regular physical activity has a number of proven, positive health effects, even moderate activity can boost HDL cholesterol, aid the circulatory system, and lower blood pressure and blood fats, helping reduce risk for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. Exercise can also offer strengthened muscles, increased flexibility, and stronger bones. Exercise also helps displaces fat. Regular activity can also provide mental-health benefits, relieving stress and anxiety; and can help you sleep better and increase your energy. Learn more at these web sites:

	About.com: Men's Health Men's health covers a range of topics, from sexual health and fitness to prostate cancer and erectile dysfunction.
	Discovery Health Looking for information about a disease and its treatment, a weight loss or fitness program, healthy living to reduce your risk of heart disease? Discovery Health - your resource for health information, tips, tools, expert advice and support from the Discovery Health Channel.
	Everybody Walk! Walking is good for everyone, even if you have current or past health issues. Discover the benefits--no matter your fitness level. Learn about places to walk and walking events, watch video clips, read interviews, learn tips about walking shoes and other information.
	ExRx.net Exercise resource of nearly 2000 pages for the exercise professional, coach, or fitness enthusiast. ExRx.net features a comprehensive exercise instruction and kinesiology reference for exercise prescription with over 760 animated exercises demonstrated, described, and analyzed.
	HealthierUS Includes information about physical activity, nutrition and avoiding risky behavior. HealthierUS is a national effort to improve people's lives, prevent and reduce the costs of disease, and promote community health and wellness.
	Live Well HD Network Live Well HD helps you make simple healthy choices for a healthy lifestyle. Find recipes, cooking tips and home decorating ideas.
	Medline Plus Health information and news provided by the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health.
	Men's Fitness Improve your strength, muscle growth, endurance, health and style with expert fitness and lifestyle tips from the publishers of Men's Fitness Magazine.
	Men's Health Men's guide to fitness, health, nutrition, weight loss, relationships and muscle building from the publishers of Men's Health Magazine.
	Shape Up America! Shape Up America provides fitness and weight loss programs and professionals to assist in fitness and weight management goals.
	Web MD Men's Health Center Get the information on men's health issues that you need to stay strong and fit, avoid stress, and maintain a healthy sex life.

Nutrition and Healthy Eating Information:

A balanced nutritious diet is an important part of healthy living. Our bodies use food as fuel for growth and daily activities. The macronutrients, or "big" nutrients include proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. The micronutrients, or "little" nutrients are the vitamins and minerals that we need to be healthy. A healthy balance includes grains, vegetables, fruit, milk, meat and beans. An incorrect balance, too little or too much of these nutrients can affect how you feel today, tomorrow, and in the future. Learn more at these web sites:

	Calories per Hour Web's premier resource for information and peer support for healthy and sustainable weight loss. Includes free calorie counter, weight loss calculators, and weight loss tutorial.
	CDC: Nutrition CDC nutrition efforts cover a wide spectrum of related topics. Good nutrition is vital to good health, disease prevention, and essential for healthy growth and development of children and adolescents.
	Eating Well "Where Good Taste Meets Good Health" - includes healthy recipes, healthy eating, healthy cooking, healthy diet recipes, weight loss recipes and healthy menus from EatingWell Magazine.
	FoodFit Food Fit is your source for healthy recipes and diets, fitness and nutrition information. Healthy eating and active living is easy and enjoyable using Food Fit's delicious database of healthy recipes, nutrition information and personalized, interactive tools.
	Low Fat Lifestyle Low Fat Recipes - Cut the fat by learning how to season with spices and herbs and new preparation methods. Find fitness tips, cholesterol definitions and explanations, calories count, food statistics, measurement conversions.
	MyPyramid MyPyramid offers personalized eating plans, interactive tools to help you plan and assess your food choices, and advice to help you: make smart choices from every food group, find your balance between food and physical activity, get the most nutrition out of your calories, and stay within your daily calorie needs.
	Nutrition.gov Providing easy, online access to government information on food and human nutrition for consumers, including recent news articles. Site serves as a gateway to information on nutrition, healthy eating, physical activity, and food safety for consumers.
	Nutrition Calorie Counter Count Calories and Find Nutrition Facts including Calories and Nutritional Information. Web site provides a full calorie counter with nutritional data for thousands of foods, a BMI calculator and an ideal body weight calculator.
	Nutrition Data Find nutrition facts, including food labels, calories, nutritional information and analysis that helps promote healthy eating by telling you about the foods you eat.

HIV/AIDS Information:

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection in humans is now pandemic, infecting an estimated 5 million people worldwide each year. Many who are infected with HIV do not know they are infected. AIDS, the final stage of HIV infection, is one of the leading causes of death among men who have sex with men. Infection with HIV occurs by the transfer of blood, semen, vaginal fluid, pre-ejaculate, or breast milk. Within these bodily fluids, HIV is present as both free virus particles and virus within infected immune cells.

The majority of HIV infections are acquired through unprotected sexual relations. Currently, condoms are the only widely available, proven method for reducing transmission of HIV during intercourse. Learn more at these web sites:

	AIDS.gov Includes information about HIV / AIDS including history, transmission, risk factors, prevention, symptoms, living with HIV / AIDS, Statistics.
	AVERT: AVERTing HIV and AIDS Provides AIDS & HIV information, including information about HIV/AIDS infection, HIV testing, prevention, global and African information, AIDS treatment, statistics and personal stories.
	AIDS Healthcare Foundation Los Angeles based international organization operates the largest community-based alternative HIV and sexually transmitted disease (STD) testing program in California and is the nation’s largest specialized provider of HIV medical care.
	The Body: The Complete HIV/AIDS Resource The Web's largest source of information on HIV and AIDS. Read and listen to the latest news, research and resources on HIV prevention, testing, treatment and HIV-related health issues, as well as first-person stories from HIV-positive people. Also includes expert forums and bulletin boards.
	CDC: HIV/AIDS Information Information about HIV/AIDS including history, transmission, risk factors, prevention, symptoms, living with HIV/AIDS, statistics and other information from The Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
	HIV InSite Comprehensive, up-to-date information on HIV/AIDS treatment, prevention and policy from the University of California San Francisco.
	National HIV and STD Testing Resources Provides test center locations and information about HIV and STD testing.

Other STD and Hepatitis Information:

Diseases that are spread through sexual contact are usually referred to as “sexually transmitted diseases” (STDs) or sexually transmitted infection (STI). Consistent condom use provides substantial protection against the acquisition of many STDs, including statistically significant reduction of risk against HIV, chlamydia, gonorrhea, herpes, and syphilis. Learn more at these web sites:

	American Social Health Association Provides facts, support, and resources to answer your questions and get access to in-depth information about sexually transmitted infections.
	CDC: STD Information Includes information, statistics, and treatment guidelines for sexually transmitted diseases (STD) from CDC's Division of STD Prevention.
	Hepatitis Foundation International Provides educational materials and information about liver wellness and Hepatitis.
	Herpes.com Comprehensive educational site for herpes covers herpes transmission, herpes treatments, medications for herpes, herpes symptoms, self-help, diet & nutrition to help prevent herpes breakouts, current herpes research, herpes health products, and URL pointers to other herpes sites.
	Sexually Transmitted Diseases Guide Includes useful and up-to-date important STD information, STD symptoms and pictures, and latest STD treatment guidelines, provided by Freedom Network.

Other Health Issues Information:

Heart Disease and Cancer are the leading causes of death among males in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Healthy living and awareness, combined with regular health check-ups, preventive screenings and informed decisions about daily activities can help reduce risks and lessen the impact of these life threatening diseases and other health issues. Learn more at these web sites:

	American Cancer Society Learn more about American Cancer Society efforts to eliminate cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering through research, education, advocacy, and service. Includes brochure: Cancer Facts for Gay and Bisexual Men
	American Diabetes Association American Diabetes Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes.
	American Heart Association The American Heart Association is a national voluntary health agency to help reduce disability and death from cardiovascular diseases and stroke.
	American Kidney Fund Learn about kidney disease, dialysis, kidney stones and other common kidney topics. The American Kidney Fund works to fight kidney disease through direct financial support to patients in need; health education; and prevention efforts.
	American Lung Association in California Association works to prevent lung disease and promote lung health through advocacy, education and research. Educational programs help people learn how to manage symptoms, prevention programs are designed to raise awareness about risk factors that lead to lung disease, such as smoking and air pollution.
	CDC: Men's Health Men's health information, tips, and research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
	CyberPsychogist On-line source for self-help to reduce stress and depression, overcome addictive behaviors, improve relationships and enhance career and personal satisfaction.
	LGBT Cancer Project - Out With Cancer Patient and doctor written articles about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people diagnosed with cancer, research references and resources for our national cancer survivor community. Out With Cancer is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem in the LGBT community.
	National Cancer Institute Accurate, up-to-date, comprehensive cancer information from the U.S. government's principal agency for cancer research.
	National LGBT Tobacco Control Network The National Tobacco Control Network is working to support the many local tobacco control advocates in helping to eliminate tobacco health disparities for all LGBTs.
	National Stroke Association Information on stroke prevention, stroke risk factors, stroke symptoms, and stroke recovery. According to the NSA, stroke is the third leading cause of death in America and the No. 1 cause of adult disability. Up to 80% of strokes are preventable; you can prevent a stroke!
	Prostate Cancer Institute Provides information regarding prostate cancer and treatment options. You will find a wealth of helpful information on these pages. With prostate cancer, knowledge is power.
	Sober Recovery Site online library includes articles about drug and alcohol abuse, addiction and recovery; also includes information about drug and alcoholism rehab programs and addiction treatment centers, residential substance abuse treatment, dual diagnosis bi-polar and co-occuring disorder programs.

Gay and Lesbian Community Centers and Health Organizations:

	Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach The Center provides education, leadership, social and supportive services to meet the needs of our diverse community.
	L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Center "is the largest gay and lesbian organization in the world and offers the widest array of services to gay men and lesbians available anywhere" from health services to cultural arts. 1125 N. McCadden Place, Los Angeles.
	Palm Springs Gay Men's Health Palm Springs Gay Men's Health provides information and educational material about gay health issues, and focus on some of the more important behaviors and lifestyle choices that affect the physical, mental, emotional and sexual health of gay men in unique ways.
	San Diego Gay Men's Health Site contains information on health issues of concern to gay men including HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, hepatitis, and drug use.

Important Notice:

Sites linked are provided for educational purposes only and are not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. These sites should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. The information, facts, and opinions provided are no substitute for professional advice. Always consult your primary care physician for any medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and before undertaking a new diet or exercise plan. If something doesn't feel right or you have an unusual pain that causes concern, or if you have or suspect you may have a physical or mental health problem, consult your primary care physician. The existence of a link does not imply endorsement by LANG.