Men's health matters

Man was made to rule the earth. It’s nice to imagine being Superman or The Hulk or, to be invincible would be ideal.

The truth is you aren’t any of these. You are an awesome man, you need to look out for your health so that you can look after all your nearest and dearest. We need to address men’s health and NOW is exactly the right time to do that.

75% of men avoid going to the doctor. Enough said. We need to create more awareness about men's physical and mental healthy. Men's health matters!

These are two topics we hear about all the time and we love browsing through the volumes of information made easily accessible via social media and other mediums.

Actually changing our diet and exercising is a challenge for most of us and yet it is essential for men’s health to do both.

Men need:

• 2 cups of fruit and 2½ cups of vegetables every day for vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals.
• Whole grains. Eat at least half of all grains as whole grains each day. Replace refined grains with whole-grain bread, cereal, pasta, brown rice or oats.
• Two to three servings of fish per week.
• 38 grams of fibre a day for younger men; 30 grams of fibre a day for men over 50.
• 4,700 milligrams a day of potassium from fruits, vegetables, fish and milk.
• Unsaturated fats such as Extra Virgin olive oil, avocado and oily fish, pistachio nuts, brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts, pecan nuts, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds. Avoid saturated fats like full-fat dairy foods, butter and high-fat sweets.

Testicular cancer and prostate cancer are two of the most prolific cancers in men.

We also need to highlight heart disease and weight gain as causes for concern when it comes to men’s health.

No one likes talking about these things, however we need to be aware and equipped with knowledge in order to catch them in their early stages or even better, prevent ever having to worry about them.

• Recent research has suggested that walnuts may reduce risk for prostate cancer. They may also assist in keeping your heart healthy as they can lower blood pressure, decrease inflammation and support weight control.
• Brazil nuts contain Selenium. Studies have shown that consuming adequate amounts of selenium is protective against prostate cancer. They are also high in healthy fat, protein, and trace minerals.
• Pecans are a rich source of disease-fighting antioxidants and not just compared to other nuts. The phenolic content, an antioxidant chemical found in plant molecules, of pecans is comparable to power-packed fruits like blueberries and plums. Consuming polyphenol-rich foods reduces your overall mortality risk by 30 percent, reports a new study in Journal of Nutrition.
• Pistachio nuts are high in antioxidants and packed with nutrients which have many health benefits like support for eye health, cognitive function, cardiovascular health and cancer prevention.

Buy a big bag of mixed vegetables, add salmon or sardines, have it with brown rice or pasta, add a side of avocado or a fresh salad. Then snack on nuts, seeds, fresh and dried fruit throughout the day.

Eat whole foods like bananas, chia seeds, dates, walnuts and sundried tomatoes for stamina as well as other health benefits.
Do 30 to 45 minutes of exercise per day. Make sure that cardio is a big part of your exercise routine. Plan short term goals so that you don’t feel overwhelmed and then put the long term goals into action.
 
Men's health matters and is something that needs to get more attention. It takes one decision to change your life. Why not start today?