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  • Men’s Health Week Top Tips

    03-Jun-09 Nutrition
    • There is a clear link between obesity and cancer, putting on those extra cuddly pounds around your waist doubles your risk of getting cancer. Reduce your fat intake and replace saturated fats with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Saturated fats are found in meat, some margarine, crisps, chips, and many processed foods.

    • Lower your salt intake and consume alcohol moderately. You’ll thank us in the end!

    • Avoid too much cured meat such as smoked dishes, or processed hams as they may contain carcinogens; a substance that may promote or aggravate cancer.

    • Try to eat six portions of brightly coloured fruit and vegetables a day. Include three portions of oily fish a week, such as salmon, herrings, mackerel or sardines which are rich in vitamin D and essential fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6.

    • There is evidence that selenium (a mineral) helps lower the risk of prostate cancer by combating cell damage. Selenium is found in broccoli, Brazil nuts, seafood, asparagus, brown rice and onions. Selenium can also be taken in supplement form and has been found to work best when combined with vitamin E and zinc.

    • Mediterranean men have a lower prostate cancer rate and this is believed to be down to a diet rich in fruit and vegetables, garlic, olive oil, fish and tomatoes. Tomatoes contain a bright red pigment called lycopene, a powerful carotenoid antioxidant, which helps to repair damaged cells.

    • According to an American study of 47,000 men over six years, those who had at least 10 servings a week of tomato-based foods were up to 45 per cent less likely to develop prostate cancer.

    • Japanese and Chinese men have very low levels of prostate cancer and green tea is thought to be one reason why, this is because it's rich in polyphenols, which have antioxidant properties.

    • Alcohol and fizzy drinks are rich in sugar, which can pile on the pounds. Instead, you should try to drink more water each day to help flush out the kidneys and keep the body hydrated. Multiply your body weight in kilograms by 0.033 to calculate how much water in litres you should aim to drink.

    Exercise
    • Exercise helps to balance hormone levels, prevent obesity and boost the immune system. Many people think they are too old to make a difference……well they’re wrong, studies have shown that exercise is still beneficial for men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer and are receiving treatment for it.

    • Scientists in Boston found that maintaining a healthy weight and diet helps cancer sufferers live longer. Results of the trial, involving over 900 men, showed that overweight men with prostate cancer doubled their risk of death in the five years after the study, compared to men who maintained a healthy weight.

    Male Health
    • It takes longer to get an erection as you get older so simply give yourself time. Don't assume it's not going to work just because your penis doesn't salute like it did when you were 18. Relax and it'll get there.

    • Drugs like Viagra work by allowing blood to flow into the penis more easily. Natural products like ginkgo ginger and red pepper can do the same thing, these are usually available in health food shops.

    • As you would have predicted saturated fats and cigarettes will have a negative effect on a night of passion so go easy on the fry-ups.

    Football
    • This is how important football is to us; admission to hospital for heart attacks was up 25% after England lost on penalties to Argentina in the 1998 World Cup. This was similar in Holland after the Dutch went out of Euro 1996. Should doctors campaign for a ban on penalty shoot outs or perhaps slapping a health warning on important football matches?!