Men are different from women

Men are less likely than women to visit doctors regularly, take symptoms seriously and live a healthful lifestyle. Maybe that’s one reason why women have a seven-year average survival advantage!? Yet it’s obviously important that men of all ages become more proactive about their health. A healthy diet and regular physical activity can help prevent heart disease and cancer, the No. 1 and No. 2 killers for men over 35. But these diseases aren’t the only worries that men have. Oxidative stress is a huge causative factor in many health problems that men face as degenerative diseases are becoming more and more common, as men live longer and are faced with more free radical exposure than ever before.

Men are different from women. Period. Just as women need particular nutrients during pregnancy or for protection from breast cancer, men need nutrients that can help them maintain muscle mass, prevent prostate cancer, and more. With the goal being to enhance health and performance, from the boardroom to the bedroom, I’ve put together a little ‘How To’ manual if you will, for tuning the body and keeping the wheels in motion. The good news is that these are some simple, practical fixes that can push back the wear and tear and keep you fine -tuned.

1. Eliminate ‘White Foods’ from Your Diet. White flour, white sugar and other processed foods are not only devoid of vitamins and minerals, but they’ve also been stripped of their natural fibre. As a result, they rapidly drive up blood sugar levels, which contributes to weight gain, diabetes and a host of other health problems. Avoid breads and baked goods made with white flour, sugar-laden sodas and snack foods. Instead, focus on eating fibre-rich fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.

2. Stay Away from Harmful Trans Fats. While it’s important to reduce your overall fat intake, it’s even more important to watch the types of fat you eat. Deep-fried foods and anything made with hydrogenated oils (margarine, shortening, store-bought pastries and cookies) contain trans fats that raise your risk of heart disease. Eat only healthful fats, such as olive oil and the omega-3 oils found in salmon and other cold-water fish, which actually protect against heart disease.

3. Take a Daily Multivitamin and Mineral Supplement. Although there is no substitute for a good diet, for optimal nutrition, you need to take a high-potency multivitamin and mineral supplement. Even if you are eating right, it’s unlikely that your food contains all the nutrients you need. Poor soil quality, storage, processing and cooking deplete our food of vitamins and minerals. Taking a high quality daily supplement is “health insurance” against possible deficiencies.

4. Include Weight Training in Your Exercise Routine. Aerobic exercise is great for cardiovascular conditioning but this should be combined with resistance exercise to improve muscle strength. Join a gym, consult a personal trainer or ask an experienced friend to show you the ropes.

5. Maintain Your Optimal Weight. Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the best things you can do for yourself. You’ll look better, feel better and reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and other major killers.

6. Drink Alcohol Only in Moderation. You’ve probably heard of the “French Paradox,” and repeated studies have shown that drinking moderate amounts of wine may, in fact, protect against heart disease. Remember that moderation is key. While one to two drinks a day may be protective, excess alcohol consumption is devastating to health.

7. Reduce Your Risk of Prostate Cancer. The prostate is a doughnut shaped gland (about the size of a walnut) that lies below the bladder and surrounds the urethra. The gland produces a fluid that makes up the bulk of the male ejaculate and nourishes and transports the sperm. Benign (non malignant) enlargement of the prostate gland is known as benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH for short. Because an enlarged prostate can pinch off the flow of urine, symptoms include increased urinary frequency, nighttime awakening to empty the bladder, and reduced speed and flow of urination. BPH is an extremely common condition, effecting approximately 50% of men during their lifetime. Diet appears to play a critical role in the health of the prostate gland.

Avoid saturated and trans fats, which may fuel prostate cancer growth, and incorporate protective foods, such as soy, green tea and tomatoes, into your diet. Soy contains isoflavones with specific anti-cancer activity. Green tea is rich in polyphenols that inhibit the formation of cancer-causing compounds and block the growth of prostate cancer cells. And tomatoes, particularly cooked tomato products, are an excellent source of lycopene, which is linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer. In addition, make sure your daily nutritional supplement contains high doses of the antioxidant selenium (200 micrograms) and vitamin E (800 IU), which have been shown to dramatically lower the risk of prostate cancer. Cholesterol damaged by free radicals is particularly toxic and carcinogenic to the prostate. It is particularly important to avoid pesticides, increase intake of zinc and essential fatty acids and keep cholesterol levels below 200mg/dl.

8. Maintain Vigorous Sexual Function. Most cases of erectile dysfunction (impotence) have a physical cause: There’s just not enough blood getting to the area in question. To improve overall circulation, follow the diet, exercise and supplement recommendations above. Any food that is good for the cardiovascular system is also good for erectile function in men as nutrients that are good for the heart improve circulation to all parts of the body. If you’re taking drugs, review them with your doctor, as many can worsen erectile function and impair libido. Smoking also significantly impairs erectile function. Several herbs have been shown to improve sexual function. Ginkgo biloba increases blood flow to the penis, and Panax ginseng, oats, horny goat weed, maca can improve libido.

9. Eat Oysters and other Zinc containing foods

Myth has it that oysters are the food of love. Science now agrees. Just two to three oysters deliver a full day’s supply of zinc, a mineral critical for normal functioning of the male reproductive system. Zinc is involved in hundreds of body processes, from producing DNA to repairing cells. Research shows that adequate zinc may protect against cellular damage that leads to prostate cancer. You can also get your daily recommended dose of 11 milligrams a day by eating other shellfish, mushrooms, pumpkin seeds, seafood, spinach, sunflower seeds and whole grains.

10: Eat Bananas for Potassium

Bananas are an easy source of quick energy and are rich in potassium, which is needed to regulate nerves, heartbeat and blood pressure. Diets rich in potassium and magnesium (which is also found in bananas) can also reduce the risk of stroke. So enjoy a banana each day, at breakfast on your whole grain-cereal or before your workout at the gym.

11: Eat Fatty Fish of take Omega 3 Supplements for healthy fats

No list of super-foods would be complete without the healthy fat, omega-3 fatty acids. These polyunsaturated fats are the preferred form of fats in your diet for many reasons. They can benefit the heart, circulation, and immune system and reduce the risk for prostate cancer, among other things. Omega-3 fatty acids are potent anti-inflammatory foods that can help lower triglyceride [blood fat] levels, reduce aches and pains, and offer relief with certain kinds of arthritis.

12. Eat your Greens! A recent Harvard study finds that cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, may protect against bladder cancer. It’s one of the most common cancers, and affects two to three times as many men as women. Scientists analyzed the diets of nearly 50,000 men and discovered that those who ate five servings or more per week of cruciferous veggies were half as likely to develop bladder cancer over a ten-year period as men who rarely ate them. And broccoli and cabbage were singled out as the most protective foods.

It’s imperative for a man’s health to begin as early as possible. Diet and nutrition are important not only for treatment, but for prevention of male health concerns. Of course, food can’t do the job alone. This means taking optimal nutrition and high quality supplements geared directly towards the concerns that men have, as well as getting exercise, eating a good diet, not smoking and avoiding toxins. Kora blog