1. Avoid unfiltered tap water - This may contain chemicals such as phthalates and bisphenol A. Unfortunately, commercially-available bottled water in plastic bottles may not be much better due to the plastic itself. The best option – if you can afford it – is to invest in a good quality water filter, either the type that is plumbed in or a good kitchen-top water filtration system such as EVA.

2. Go for organic foods where possible. This includes animal products, as organic meat and dairy production uses fewer chemicals in animal feed (the animals have to be fed on organic foods), and also restricts or bans the use of hormones to promote growth or milk production. Organic fruit and vegetables may also be a much better option as artificial fertilisers and pesticides are banned or restricted. If you have to go for non-organic fruits and vegetables (for reasons of expense or availability, for example), wash them carefully to remove chemical residues, and prioritise buying organic for those that cannot be so easily washed or peeled, such as leafy vegetables and broccoli.

3. Try to avoid foods in plastic packaging - This is due to potential release of endocrine-disrupting chemicals into the food. This is difficult nowadays as most foods in supermarkets come in plastic packaging – if you can, shopping locally from markets and farm shops may help you avoid this, or if shopping at a supermarket choose loose fruit and veg, and pick meats and fish from the fresh counters rather than the pre-packaged stuff. Avoid at all costs heating food in plastic containers, especially soft plastics such as cling film. If you buy heatable foods – for example 'ready-meals' – in plastic containers, put them into a ceramic or other dish or pan to heat them.

4. Weight loss may be advisable with gynaecomastia – if you are overweight, it’s worth either seeing a nutritional therapist for a weight loss programme or following a sensible low glycaemic index– check out Patrick Holford's “Low GL Diet Bible” (£14.99).

5. Avoid having a lot of soya products. Soya foods such as tofu may be a popular option for vegetarians to provide a source of protein or a 'meat-replacement' in meals; and soya milk and yoghurts may be popular among those who avoid dairy products for any reason. However, soya is a source of 'phytoestrogens' – natural plant compounds that may behave like weak oestrogens in the body. This may be beneficial for certain people – especially women around or after menopause, who may benefit from extra oestrogen; but certainly not for men with moob problems. Occasional soya is unlikely to be a problem but if you eat or drink it often, try alternatives to vegetarian protein and soya milk alternatives like oat milk, coconut milk or nut milks such as almond.

6. Avoid as far as possible chemicals in toiletries and in the home, such as household cleaning products. There are many more ‘natural’ options for both of these categories that minimise the use of chemicals: for cleaning products for example, check out the “Ecover” or “Earth Friendly” ranges.

Can supplements help?

As gynaecomastia can have several causes, first head to the doctor to rule out any underlying health conditions and if you’re severely concerned, speak to a nutritionist about your diet. If you embark on a weight loss plan, supplements can help ensure you’re getting all the vitamins and minerals you need. Try Solgar’s Thermogenic Complex (£22.35 for 60 capsules), which can be used in conjunction with a healthy low-GI or low-GL diet.

Testosterone supplements are also available, such as Nature’s Plus T-Male, which Cassandra suggests may help men who have slightly lowered levels that aren’t recognised clinically.

This specific type of massage is not only administered to care for sports-related injuries. It's not alone implemented as a post-treatment remedy for battle-weary players. This type of massage can also be applied to enhance your suppleness, bolster your immune system, and prevent cramping which could happen while you are running a 10-mile marathon or doing a two-mile swim on open water. Because it averts injuries and boosts athletic performance; this specialized form of massage is used prior to, during the course of, and after every sporting activity.

Just about any physical effort pushes you. So you wake up at daybreak. You go forth with your iPod and your profoundly advanced Nike running shoes. In front of you lies a five-mile run, and later after work, awaits a three-mile bike ride. There's a chance in between, you might be able to fit in at least an hour of weight training at the gym close to your office or participate in a colleague's call for a game of squash. While you run through your day's agenda while you run the stretch of way that heads into the park, you begin to sense a cramp. This is even with your regular approach to warm-ups. Could sports massage prohibit such occurrence in your forthcoming jogs?

A massage therapist can make use of techniques, which may consist of a blend of tapotement (hitting), effleurage (stroking), compression, stretching, friction, trigger point therapy or myofascial release. Each stroke or compression is implemented to help your body do better when it comes to durability and performance. With this sort of massage you will acquire an improved joint range of motion and achieve better flexibility, and you will reduce cases of muscle spasms and pressure. Getting regular sessions at a sports massage Surrey clinic could even lead to better recovery time between training routines.

You don't have to be an athlete to get the services of a highly skilled and well-trained remedial massage therapist whose specialty is in sports. You do not have to be part of any professional sports squad to end up with sore muscles, torn ligaments, or ankle sprains. No matter if you're a passionately competitive triathlete, a member of a residential district sports group, or just a weekend jogger, obtaining pre- and post-treatment from a qualified massage therapist at any sports injury clinic can better prepare your body to receive the onslaught of physical exhaustion.

Repeatedly, some people and repeated studies have established the favorable effects of a life with some athleticism worked in to a daily schedule. The world's oldest yoga instructor, Bernice Bates, is 91 years old. A study has exposed that 15 minutes of exercise every day adds 3 years to your lifespan, while one hour of TV takes off 22 minutes from your lifespan - perhaps much more if you watch plenty of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and "Housewives of New Jersey".

Whether it's running, swimming, hatha yoga, or a combination of all three, constant and regulated movement permits you to not just live lengthier but more importantly, to overcome life's many struggles.

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WEIGHT: TO CUT OR NOT TO CUT?

As any athlete or UFC fan knows there is an exact science to dropping weight for a fight. Some consider it an advantage such as Anderson Silva who allegedly walks around at 220 pounds (and more) between fights whilst famously former Lightweight Champ Frankie Edgar's weight doesn't ever change, even between off season and weigh-ins. Here the sports scientists at Myprotein.com investigate the art of cutting, addressing everything from muscle glycogen, water retention and even mentally how you’re affected to see if it's wise To Cut, Or Not To Cut?

Muscle Glycogen: Good To Cut

Many fighters when looking to make weight will cut out high carbohydrate foods such as rice, pasta, cereal, energy drinks and bars since carbohydrates once eaten store as muscle glycogen in the body and weigh 18 grams per kilogram of muscle. To use the featherweight champ Jose Aldo as an example, at 66kg he has roughly 22kg of pure muscle and since muscle contains 18 grams of muscle glycogen per kilo this means 396 grams of Jose Aldo’s body is muscle glycogen. Therefore if he was to cut out carbohydrates 24 hours before a fight and perform 2 hours of light cardio like cycling at a slow pace on bike, he would be able to lose 396 grams before weigh in, that’s 0.396 kilograms or 0.873 pounds.

Muscle Glycogen: Bad To Cut

A study conducted in Stockholm, Sweden studied an athlete’s ability to exercise when they were depleted of carbohydrates. They found they fatigued and ‘gassed out’ about 40% quicker than those who were on a high carbohydrate diet (Jonas Bergström et al, 1967). This means that although you can lose a certain amount of weight through a low carbohydrate diet, if you’re not able to load the body back up with carbohydrates (i.e. replenish muscle glycogen stores) between the weigh-in and the fight, you could be working at only 60% of your maximum ability. One method that fighters use is to consume a high carbohydrate drink immediately after weigh in such as Tri Carb from Myprotein.com http://www.myprotein.com/uk/products/tri_carb . This is because it’s in liquid form so is absorbed far quicker by the body than most solid foods like pasta or rice.

Water: Good To Cut

Another way fighters might look to drop weight is to rid the body of water through saunas, sweat-suits, stopping water intake or even using diuretics. This can prove effective since 1 gram of muscle glycogen is linked to 3.5 grams of water. So using Jose Aldo as an example, if he has 22kg of muscle and 396 grams of muscle glycogen, which means he has 1386 grams of water in his muscles alone. That means through a light sauna, steady cardio and restricting water intake Jose would be able to lose 1.386kg of water (or 3.05561 pounds).

Water: Bad To Cut

Most obviously becoming dehydrated can massively affect performance, so much so at the US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine in America it was found that if you become dehydrated over 2% of your overall bodyweight it can dramatically alter everything from your cardiovascular system, your central nervous system and even metabolic functions. So although dehydrating and making weight can offer a size advantage, if you aren’t able to rehydrate in time you could enter the Octagon tired, weak and not fighting to your potential.

Mentally: Good To Cut

Whilst all of the above deals with how the body is affected physically, it should be noted how the body responds mentally too. Since you don’t need any studies or science to tell you that it’s an advantage if you are able to cut weight and then become a few kg’s heavier come fight night. It just gives you an advantage over your opponent in terms of grabbling and arguably psychologically too as you appear to be a bigger and meaner version of your self that was weighing in.

Mentally: Bad To Cut

Studies show that low carbohydrate diets can affect the chemical reactions that occur within the brain, leaving you feeling tired and demotivated. This is because it can affect the amount of serotonin (the ‘happy hormone’) your body produces. Therefore although you might make weight, it could leave you feeling weak and unfocused in the fight.

Conclusion:

Most strength and conditioning coaches will stress the importance of losing unwanted body fat before a fight and then rely on the tips and tricks mentioned above to lose that additional few pounds if needed, but not to rely on them. To lose body fat in the weeks leading up to the fight Myprotein.com have developed a range of formulas that contain scientifically proven ingredients that help the body lose fat. Such as Thermo-Extreme http://www.myprotein.com/uk/products/mp-max-thermo-extreme £22.98 for 120 caps.

References:

Jonas Bergström, Lars Hermansen, Eric Hultman and Bengt Saltin (1967) ‘Diet, Muscle Glycogen and Physical Performance’ Acta Physiologica Scandinavica, Volume 71, Issue 2-3, pages 140–150, October 1967

S.N. Cheuvront, R. Carter, M.N. Sawka (2003) ‘Fluid balance and endurance exercise performance.’ Current Sports Medicine Report. 2003, 2(4):202-208

P. D. Gollnick, Karin Piehl and B. Saltin (1974) ‘Selective glycogen depletion pattern in human muscle fibres after exercise of varying intensity and at varying pedalling rates’ August 1, 1974 The Journal of Physiology, 241, 45-57.