Introduction to Men's Health

According to statistics, the “AVERAGE MAN” pays less attention to his health than the average woman. Compared to women, men are more likely to

Skip their yearly doctor visits
Drink alcohol and use tobacco or other substances
Make unsafe choices
Internalize stress

Men are afflicted by similar diseases as everyone else —heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and depression but at an earlier age than their female counterparts and they also have issues unique to their male physiology, such as prostate problems and erectile issues. Men even gain weight differently than women.

Many of the major health risks that men face can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle but a “healthy lifestyle” may vary from man to man based on his genetic make up, ethnicity, past medical history, and current lifestyle. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, not smoking, stress reduction, and low to moderate alcohol consumption is a one size fits all prescription that men get from the 5-10 min visit with their primary care doctor but does this general prescription quite fits your own, INDIVIDUAL needs?

Stop being an “AVERAGE MAN” today and partner up with Dr. Kalika and her clinical team in your tailored journey to the healthiest self.

Learn About Mens Health

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What Can We Do For Men’s Health at Absoulute Vitality?

At Absoulute Vitality, we strongly believe in an individualized approach to men’s care as well as an equal partnership between a doctor and a patient. We will dive deep into your past history to understand what specific factors may play a role in your well-being. We will offer you a customized comprehensive blood work that may include hormone levels such as testosterone, thyroid, cortisol, DHEA, and others. Once results are available, based on your findings, we will offer you various strategies to optimize your numbers. You will have a choice between a more natural approach and a more aggressive one, with hormone replacement such as testosterone and/or DHEA and others. Additional tests of great value for an individualized approach to wellness are available, such as genetic testing, gut health, food sensitivity, and urinary/salivary hormone levels. Once we have all the data, Dr. Kalika with the help of her health coach will create a customized plan consisting of a proper and realistic nutritional regimen, movement routine, and appropriate supplements. Necessary follow-up will be arranged. Dr. Kalika and her clinical team will always be available to briefly answer all your questions through email communication between the visits. Absoulute Body Weight Loss Program will also be available for those who desire and struggle to lose weight.

Who are the Best Candidates for Men’s Health?

If you are a man in the New Jersey area or other licensed states (MA, SC, DC, NY, AK), you are the perfect candidate for exploring your health with Dr. Kalika’s help.

If you have been feeling more tired for years, or your sex drive is no longer what it used to be and you are wondering if you might be low on your vital hormone testosterone, AV can help with a comprehensive hormone test (testosterone and others, see below) and if low, help you with testosterone replacement (and other hormone replacements, if necessary).

*Dr. Kalika prescribes hormones in the context of HEALTH and LONGEVITY only. She does not offer steroids for performance enhancement, only for improving quality of life.

Meet your Hormones

1. Testosterone

Testosterone benefits for men include:

Improves libido/sex drive
Improves muscle strength and muscle mass
Improves stamina
Increases bone mineral density and prevents decline into osteoporosis both in men and women
Improves mood, memory, and structural integrity of the brain
Corrects fat distribution and decreases excess body fat
Protects skin from sagging
Aids with pain control

Some of the symptoms suggestive of LOW TESTOSTERONE are:

Lower sex drive/libido
Inability to achieve or maintain an erection (erectile dysfunction)
Chronic fatigue
Brain fog
Depression/anxiety/irritability
Loss of lean muscle mass/trouble building muscle
Weight gain, especially around the midsection
Thinning of facial and body hair

There are many methods to check your hormone (including testosterone) levels. A blood test is the most conventional and in most cases, will be covered by your insurance. Saliva and urine tests are also available and may add more useful information to a full hormone profile.

Testosterone replacement therapy, in the form of injections, pellets, patches, or gels, can improve the signs and symptoms of low testosterone in these men (Dr. Kalika does NOT offer pallet treatment at this time).

2. DHEA

DHEA – is a hormone made mostly by the adrenal gland but also a little bit in the skin and brain

DHEA is a precursor hormone for the production of testosterone and estrogen
DHEA production declines with age starting in the late 20s
Stress may also impact your DHEA levels
Increases lean body mass and muscle strength
Activates/supports immune function
Decreases allergic reactions
Improves sleep
Increases feeling of wellness
Decreases joint soreness
Increases insulin sensitivity
Decreases cholesterol/triglycerides
Promotes weight loss
Prevents blood clots
Improves bone growth
Decreases risk of cardiovascular disease
Elevates growth hormone levels
Has a positive effect on memory, promotes brain function
Helps the body repair itself and maintain tissue

3. DIHYDROTESTOSTERONE (DHT)

Is the most potent of the androgenic hormones (testosterone family)
Testosterone converts to DHT
It is produced mainly in the liver, not in the testicles
It plays a vital role in the sexual development of males
Promotes male pattern baldness, and body, facial, and pubic hair growth
Does not play a significant role in the normal physiology of adult males. The most notable effects are prostate enlargement and male pattern hair loss as they age

4. ESTROGEN

Usually considered a “female hormone” which is incorrect
Estradiol, the predominant form of estrogen also plays a critical role in male sexual function.
Plays a role in libido, erectile function, and spermatogenesis (sperm production).
In the body, excess testosterone converts into estrogen

Excess estrogen in the male body can:

Slow down sperm production and cause infertility
Cause more breast tissue to develop than normal causing a condition called gynecomastia
disrupts a healthy erectile function

5. PROGESTERONE

Falsely considered only a “female hormone”
Functional in males, as well
A precursor to testosterone. Therefore, may suffer from low testosterone if severely deficient in progesterone
Beneficial for prostate
It stimulates brain’s GABA receptors creating a calming, feel-good effect on the body
Has anti-inflammatory properties
Promotes immunity
Helps use fat for energy
Has a positive effect on sleep
Balances estrogen
Stimulates bone building, protects against osteoporosis
Enhances the action of thyroid hormones
Increases metabolic rate so helps keep weight steady
Helps maintain bladder function
Helps prevent anxiety, irritability and mood swings
Natural antidepressant
Protects against mental decline, helps with memory
Helps the body use and eliminate fats so lowers LDL
Acts as diuretic (pushes excess water out of the body)
Relaxes smooth muscle of the gut aiding in digestion
In summary, supports healthy bones, heart, liver, and brain tissue in men

6. THYROID HORMONEE

Equally vital in men and women
Not a single hormone but a group of hormones produced and released by the thyroid gland located in the front of your neck under the voice box

Body functions your thyroid hormone impacts are:

Metabolism- how our body utilizes energy
Regulates heart rate
Regulates breathing
Regulates body temperature
Regulates digestion
Regulates brain development and mental activity
Skin and bone maintenance
Regulates weight
Fertility

7. CORTISOLE

Steroid hormone called “fight or flight hormone”
Extra cortisol is released during stress to help us respond appropriately
Produced by our adrenal glands and in small amounts in other tissues
It helps our body respond to stress and inflammation
Cortisol is released into the blood in a diurnal rhythm, meaning that it is the highest in the morning, about 30-60 min after we wake up, and then slowly tapers down, normally becoming its lowest at bedtime
A high level of it gives us energy in the morning, and a low level in the evening allows up to fall and stay asleep
Increases blood sugar levels
Increases blood pressure
Regulates metabolism
Influences memory formation
Controls salt and water balance

What to Expect During Men’s Health Treatment

Once you schedule your virtual or in-person visit with Dr. Kalika, you will start your DISCOVERY PHASE which includes two 60-minute visits with Dr. K and one 60-minute visit with a nutritional health coach. During your first 60 minutes with Dr. Kalika, she will dive deep into your past medical history. You will share all the pertinent events and treatments you have gotten throughout your life, discuss your lifestyle and other aspects of your life that you and she may find pertinent to your current health status, and allow her to get to the root cause of your problem. During this visit, she will examine you (if the visit is in person), and create a panel of biomarkers for testing which will allow her to map out your customized plan of action once the results of the tests arrive, during your second discovery visit.

*These tests will include but are not limited to blood work. Based on your symptoms, Dr. K may recommend other, more advanced testing (optional but very insightful) such as:

Comprehensive Reproductive Hormone test
Cortisol/Adrenal hormone testing
Detailed gut function analysis
Comprehensive Genetic Test (very helpful with designing an individualized approach to your health based on your specific genetic snips)

Many others are available from various functional labs, based on each individual needs

Immune panels
Hormone panels
Toxicities
Metabolic assessment
For patients with NO INSURANCE, Dr. Kalika will recommend a great lab that will offer the most competitive out-of-pocket prices

During the second visit of your DISCOVERY PHASE, which, like the first one, can be conducted virtually or in person, Dr. Kalika will explain each pertinent marker in great detail, explaining its function through the lens of our bodies physiology and explain how these markers might be connected to your symptoms.

During your VIRTUAL health coach discovery visit, she will “dissect” your current nutrition and lifestyle. Based on the results of your tests and Dr. K’s recommendations, as well as your own needs and limitations, she will construct a wholesome, well-balanced, individualized nutritional and lifestyle plan for you to follow while on your journey to the healthiest you. In the future, you will be able to choose seeing her again for your follow-up with our convenient packages or purchase visits with her a la carte.

How Much Will It Cost Me to Address Men’s Health with Absoulute Vitality?

Once you become a patient of Absoulute Vitality, you will start out with the Discovery Phase which includes two sixty-minute appointments with Dr. Kalika and one sixty-minute visit with the health coach.

The baseline price for your Discovery Phase (including two sixty-minute visits with Dr. Kalika and one sixty-minute visit with the health coach) is $900. After the discovery phase is completed, if you decide to proceed with your care at AV, you will be able to choose between an annual membership plan called Absoulute Care with which you will get four thirty-minute follow-up visits with Dr. Kalika and four thirty-minute follow-up visits with your health coach, all evenly spread out throughout the following year, The discounted price for this membership is $1000, paid upfront.

*Alternatively, you can purchase visits with Dr. K and your health coach a la carte. For the price, please refer to our price of services section.

*Please note –we are OUT OF NETWORK with all the insurances. FSA is welcome.

ADDITIONAL COSTS

If you have health insurance, your lab work (minus deductible), will most likely be covered. Some of the advanced functional tests have a limited option of insurance coverage, however, most of the testing is out of pocket. Each test has its own price which will be provided to you during your visit.

Some other expenses may include the price of the supplements, compounded medications, aesthetic procedures, and IV treatments that we offer. 10% discounts on aesthetic procedures are available for Dr. Kalika’s functional medicine patients.

Why Choose Us?

Sanna Kalika, M.D. is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician who focuses on providing her patients with the most attentive, comprehensive, integrative care. As an internist, Dr. Kalika specializes in diagnosing and treating a range of conditions that affect many organ systems. With over two decades of experience in traditional and integrative medicine and strong interest in functional medicine, Dr. Kalika is able to utilize knowledge from both disciplines of medicine and combine them into one comprehensive approach to DIS-ease. Dr. Kalika has the best interest of her patients in mind and loves to offer patients an active participation in their own care, a true partnership. Dr. Kalika has experience working with Testosterone and bioidentical hormone replacement in men and continuously updates her knowledge of the subject through the courses offered by IFM, A4M, and others.

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Schedule Your Consultation

To schedule your consultation with Dr. Sanna Kalika for any of our men’s health treatments, please fill out a contact form on our website or give us a call. Dr. Sanna Kalika is a board-certified internal medicine physician located in Manalapan, New Jersey, and has an active license in multiple states. We look forward to helping you optimize your health, enabling you to feel healthy, vibrant, and absoulute!

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What Patients Have to Say

It has been fantastic to have a physician so dedicated to partnering with me in my health journey.

Dr. Kalika's approach to functional medicine is not only innovative but incredibly personalized. She took the time to understand my unique situation and crafted a treatment plan that addressed my specific needs.

Been loving all my visits at Absoulute Vitality! Had multiple service's and have more on my radar!

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We believe that everyone, no matter what they suffer from, can and will get better when they find the answer to their underlying root cause health imbalances.

Patient Resources

We’re here to help, with a number of patient resources designed to make your experience as comfortable as possible. Read through the materials below, and don’t hesitate to reach out and set up your consultation to learn more about what we can do for you.

Men's Health