I attended a talk on Men's Health the other day and we were talking about the fact that men don't like going to see doctors and are less likely to seek medical help because by doing so they are "admitting weakness" or appearing to be less "strong". Wow, is that really the reason? Anyway, even more reason for blokes to take extra care of themselves (or get their significant other to do so ;)
As you know, I am have a keen interest in fertility and I also have a specialist interest in men's health conditions. The conditions covered in the Men's Health talk were mainly the ones which include the "C" word (testicular cancer, prostate cancer) and prevention and what to do nutritionally (and lifestyle-wise) to either lessen your chances of getting cancer or support your body while fighting it or undergoing cancer treatments (the other "C" word = Chemo).
So the best support you can provide for yourself is to Boost Your Immunity!
Here are the main guidelines to follow:
No processed meat (or very little) due to nitrates in processed meats which are potentially carcinogenic).
Choose lean (preferably organic) meat.
Cut down on sugar (cancer increases the body's metabolism which means you burn more glucose and "fast" glucose provides "feed" for cancer cells. It is better to get your energy/ glucose sourced from real, wholesome food).
Increase low GI, nutrient dense foods like fresh fruit, vegetables, unpolluted white fish and oily fish, eggs, poultry, pulses, beans, seeds, wholegrain (not too much though), unprocessed olive oil and seed oils.
Keep processed and refined foods to a minimum and avoid carb-only meals (which provide an immense glucose hit).
Follow the 80:20 rule. This means if you eat healthy, nutritious food 80% of the time, you can allow yourself "treats" for 20% of the time (this is also a good rule when trying to lose weight).
Have tea, coffee and alcohol in moderation.
Your overall fat intake should not exceed 35% of your overall daily calorie intake.
Avoid trans and hydrogenated fats and increase "good" fats (Omega 3 especially) from oily fish, nuts and seeds.
If you're not a big fan of supplements, try at least to take an antioxidant supplement daily.
Laugh as much as you can and love even more! Your life will be fuller and richer because of it.
Vikki;
Nutritional Therapist
www.nutristudio.co.uk
