Beer Belly Blues
By Brad King

   Poor Fred.  There he was, sitting in his singles-city condo overlooking the industrial district, with only his new wide screen plasma and a bag of chips for company, when that most dreaded of life-altering envelopes arrives in his mailbox: an invitation to his 25th high school reunion.  Like any self-respecting man who couldn’t remember the last time he’d worn gym shoes, especially a recently-divorced man still reeling from the size of his wife’s lawyer’s bill, Fred quickly runs to the closest full length mirror, and that’s when it hits.  Who is that guy staring back at him?  On the one hand he knows – this is the guy his wife had grown frustrated and bored with, and given what he looked like these days, who could blame her.  And on the other hand, this was the first time he’d really noticed, because the man in the mirror isn’t remotely close to the hunk Fred used to be, and in more ways than he could imagine.
 
    Thus begins Fred’s journey of self-discovery and reinvention.  With the help of a naturopathic physician, one who could help him bring back some shadow of his former self in the twelve weeks that remained before the reunion, Fred discovers the relationship between aging, lifestyle choices and body chemistry, specifically the hormones that are the chemical software that dictates the changes in a man’s body over the decades. He also learns what can be done about it, especially when combined with healthier choices and disciplined commitment.
 
    Fred inventories the depressing menu of changes his body has undergone in those 25 years.  Once muscular, he is now soft and round, with a BMI well over 30.  His joints hurt, his hair is vanishing, his cholesterol is going up faster than gas prices, and his sex drive, not to mention his prowess, well, that wasn’t his primary concern at the moment, but with a little luck at the reunion, who knows.  For each lamenting self-analysis Fred offers, we learn the truth about the relationship between time and testosterone, in context to how a man chooses to live his life.  And in each instance, we see that there is hope for what will be, at least for Fred, nothing short of a physical, emotional and even spiritual resurrection.
 
    Beer Belly Blues explains in specific detail what options exist to turn back the clock and restore a man’s strength, fitness, hair, sex drive, cardiac health, immune system and even his mood.  It contrasts what many men consider to be the conventional wisdom of the medical community with progressive naturopathic theories and remedies, all backed with scientific research and proven case studies.  This holistic approach embraces all facets of a man’s life, from diet and exercise to hormone therapy and lifestyle choices that will keep him young, vital and happy.