Men’s Health Month: Five Healthy Tips for Men

June is Men’s Health Month.

Common health issues that affect men include heart disease, high blood pressure and hypertension, high cholesterol, low testosterone, colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, and stress. The good news is that a healthy lifestyle supported by proper nutrition and physical activity can help men overcome these issues.

Monitor and limit your sodium intake.

Eating high amounts of sodium increases blood pressure and can cause hypertension. In Canada, 85% of men aged 9 to 70 have a sodium intake higher than the tolerable level of 2,300mg per day. Always check the label of the products you purchase and look out for sodium in places where you wouldn’t expect it such as condiments and canned food.

Strengthen your bones and fight back against osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis affects 1 in 5 men, by increasing your intake of vitamin D and calcium. Learn more about appropriate intake levels here or ask our supplements experts about the supplements that are right for you during your next visit.

Kick fast food cravings to the curb.

Canadian studies show that men are more likely to eat fast food than women. While fast food is convenient, it often contains high amounts of saturated fats that can be damaging to your cardiovascular health by increasing your cholesterol and risk of heart disease. Avoid fast food by planning and preparing your meals ahead of time. Check out our quick and easy to prepare to recipes for men’s health month instead. Also, check out our blog post about choosing healthier snacks to help you avoid fast food cravings.

Increase your intake of fibre.

In addition to enhancing cardiovascular health by lowering cholesterol and improving regulation of blood-sugar levels, increasing your intake of fibre can lower your risk of colorectal cancer. Fibre supports healthy digestive tract function, improves the absorption of nutrients by the intestines, regulates the passage of food through the intestines, and removes toxins from the colon. Some of our favourite high-fibre foods include avocados, beets, apricots, flaxseed, kidney beans, lentils, pinto beans, oats, and barley.

Protect yourself against prostate cancer.

Fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes, apricots, pink grapefruit, watermelon, papaya, and guava contain high concentrations of a powerful antioxidant known as lycopene. Studies show that men who frequently enjoy these foods were 82% less likely to have prostate cancer than men who did not consume these foods as frequently. Additionally, researchers at the University of Wisconsin recently discovered that when human prostate cancer cells were exposed to pomegranate juice, they died. Additionally, they discovered that one cup of pomegranate juice per day can be highly effective in slowing down the proliferation of prostate cancer cells (average doubling time increased from 15 months to 54 months).